I never denied that China is progressing politically and democratically. (On the other hand, human rights conditions never improved in the last 20 years, and in fact, have only gotten worse on numerous fronts.) Heck, a student getting 5/100 in a test when he always used to get 1/100 is a 500% improvement. But how is 5/100 not a miserable failure?
On a different note, reports and the press in China deserves to be commended, despite the censorship and close scrutiny that often takes place. A lot of the reporters and editors are always testing the boundaries and the limits of the CCP. IIRC, 南方都市報 is one of the more daring newspapers, and have had their share of editors being sacked and/or investigated for the reporting and editorials that they've published. Of course, at the end of the day, when Grandfather orders everybody to shut up, everyone has to shut up.
Contrast that with the increasingly useless wimps that make up the HK media. Programs such as the ones I posted (about Tofu leftovers, 6.4, etc.) are extremely rare these days. Everyone (and CCTVB, in particular) has adopted a most aggressive self-censoring style. A gutless press is definitely not a something you want to see in society.
-Lik |