Last week, I explained a conflict between Chinese government and 'Anonymous China' hackers who claim Chinese system and try to change it. Hackers struggle to complain about a lack of freedom of speech in China by attacking Chinese government or companies on internet. They are hackers, so it is easy to hack those secret information and leak them, but their protest makes me doubt : Why do many people want to use 'anonymous' to protest or for political purposes?
I know, one of the reason is that it is risky for them to say something with their real name, especially in China because everybody can know who write it and then criticize them. What I am curious is why or how anonymous has been used as the method of revolution. 'Anonymous' was created for the purpose of chatting with each other easily and comfortably on the net probably, not for attacking. Nevertheless, it is worldwide used as abusing others without any guilty. Therefore, today there are problems occurred by anonymous such as net-bulling and abusing some organizations. This time, I will focus on conflicts on the net by anonymous attacks and consider the political aspects of anonymous.
Before starting taking about today's main points, let me introduce the Chinese situation about freedom of speech.
I know, one of the reason is that it is risky for them to say something with their real name, especially in China because everybody can know who write it and then criticize them. What I am curious is why or how anonymous has been used as the method of revolution. 'Anonymous' was created for the purpose of chatting with each other easily and comfortably on the net probably, not for attacking. Nevertheless, it is worldwide used as abusing others without any guilty. Therefore, today there are problems occurred by anonymous such as net-bulling and abusing some organizations. This time, I will focus on conflicts on the net by anonymous attacks and consider the political aspects of anonymous.
Before starting taking about today's main points, let me introduce the Chinese situation about freedom of speech.
<Is there freedom of speech in China?>
Liu Xiaobo, who won the Nobel Peace Prize once was in prison for seditious speech. The reason why he was sent to prison is because of limit of 'freedom of speech'. It is not true that Chinese citizens have a right to free speech, though Article 35 of the Chinese constitution promises the right to 'freedom of speech, of the press or of demonstration.' The constitution also adds the prohibition of doing what Chinese government doesn't like or something like dissent.
Generally speaking, constitution has a great power to govern countries, but for China, it doesn't have such effect and actually 'Communist Party' is the highest to control the nation. Therefore, it can treat Article 35 with impunity because even the courts won't criticize the government.
Many people have tried to change the system, but all actions were failed and some people, including Liu Xiaobo, were arrested. It is obviously hard for Chinese people to reform the situation.
It is obvious that even if Chinese government is not changed, the system would never be changed. It is because of Community Party's despotism that people in China cannot use the internet comfortably and have a right to freedom of speech. It is absolutely human right's abuse .
Liu Xiaobo, who won the Nobel Peace Prize once was in prison for seditious speech. The reason why he was sent to prison is because of limit of 'freedom of speech'. It is not true that Chinese citizens have a right to free speech, though Article 35 of the Chinese constitution promises the right to 'freedom of speech, of the press or of demonstration.' The constitution also adds the prohibition of doing what Chinese government doesn't like or something like dissent.
Generally speaking, constitution has a great power to govern countries, but for China, it doesn't have such effect and actually 'Communist Party' is the highest to control the nation. Therefore, it can treat Article 35 with impunity because even the courts won't criticize the government.
Many people have tried to change the system, but all actions were failed and some people, including Liu Xiaobo, were arrested. It is obviously hard for Chinese people to reform the situation.
It is obvious that even if Chinese government is not changed, the system would never be changed. It is because of Community Party's despotism that people in China cannot use the internet comfortably and have a right to freedom of speech. It is absolutely human right's abuse .
Then, let's move on to the main point ; the 'politicalization' of anonymous
<We are legion>
According to a writer who wrote the article, there is a film ; "We are Legion : The story of the Hacktivists" which is good on how Anonymous became politicized. Many people who use 'anonymous' and were interviewed in the film talk about 'freedom'. One of them even said the government's opinion is no longer important. Radical as it seems, the way 'anonymous' people talk is seductive or attractive. It means they can attract attention of media for their exploits by their rhetoric.
Through these ways, 'anonymous' people seems to give journalists and general people something to hold on to. It is a kind of Internet subculture, which is hard for outsiders to understand, but it is a great PR for anonymous people. Though anonymous is leaderless and nongroup, the effect by it is substantially big, People should notice how big the impact is, but also corporations and governments should be accountable for their actions because their power is huge and easily affect on the nation's life.
<Opinion>
To some extent, it can't be helped for 'anonymous' people to claim something anonymously because if they try to do with their real name, everybody can know who posted this, so they might be said 'coward'. Those who use anonymous for private sport are many, but few people post something political with anonymous, but today it seems such people are more and more.
It is a example to show how people use anonymous politically in China, there are a lot of examples which show many people use anonymous for the same reasons and start conflicts with the nations such as North Korea. These movements, politicized anonymous, are one of tide, but not good tendency because nobody can stop such people without real name and it will last for good. Their complaints will never lose, but the number of anonymous people will increase. That makes no sense. We have to know the limit even though there is freedom of speech or think of another way. However, the most important points is we must make a society where people live comfortably without any complaints and don't need to use anonymous to fight with the country.
RQ
- Why do so many people want to fight for something annonymously?
(Is it a tendency today?)
DQ
- How can we fight for freedom of speech?
<We are legion>
According to a writer who wrote the article, there is a film ; "We are Legion : The story of the Hacktivists" which is good on how Anonymous became politicized. Many people who use 'anonymous' and were interviewed in the film talk about 'freedom'. One of them even said the government's opinion is no longer important. Radical as it seems, the way 'anonymous' people talk is seductive or attractive. It means they can attract attention of media for their exploits by their rhetoric.
Through these ways, 'anonymous' people seems to give journalists and general people something to hold on to. It is a kind of Internet subculture, which is hard for outsiders to understand, but it is a great PR for anonymous people. Though anonymous is leaderless and nongroup, the effect by it is substantially big, People should notice how big the impact is, but also corporations and governments should be accountable for their actions because their power is huge and easily affect on the nation's life.
<Opinion>
To some extent, it can't be helped for 'anonymous' people to claim something anonymously because if they try to do with their real name, everybody can know who posted this, so they might be said 'coward'. Those who use anonymous for private sport are many, but few people post something political with anonymous, but today it seems such people are more and more.
It is a example to show how people use anonymous politically in China, there are a lot of examples which show many people use anonymous for the same reasons and start conflicts with the nations such as North Korea. These movements, politicized anonymous, are one of tide, but not good tendency because nobody can stop such people without real name and it will last for good. Their complaints will never lose, but the number of anonymous people will increase. That makes no sense. We have to know the limit even though there is freedom of speech or think of another way. However, the most important points is we must make a society where people live comfortably without any complaints and don't need to use anonymous to fight with the country.
RQ
- Why do so many people want to fight for something annonymously?
(Is it a tendency today?)
DQ
- How can we fight for freedom of speech?
Reference
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2010/10/is_there_freedom_of_speech_in_china.html
Palmer. B, no date, 'Is There Freedom of Speech in China', Slate, viewed on 24th June 2014
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/11/we-are-legion-how-anonymous-became-a-global-political-force/265154/
Allunutt. L, 13th November 2012, ' ''We Are Legion'' : How Anonymous Became a Global Political Force', The Atlantic, viewed on 24th June 2014
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2010/10/is_there_freedom_of_speech_in_china.html
Palmer. B, no date, 'Is There Freedom of Speech in China', Slate, viewed on 24th June 2014
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/11/we-are-legion-how-anonymous-became-a-global-political-force/265154/
Allunutt. L, 13th November 2012, ' ''We Are Legion'' : How Anonymous Became a Global Political Force', The Atlantic, viewed on 24th June 2014