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02 Jun 2009 22:39

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Tech, World: Just in time for Tiananmen’s 20th anniversary, China blocks stuff

  • tech Most noticeably, anyone who lives in China and uses Twitter can’t use it right now, as access to the site has been blocked. So is Flickr and Hotmail. Basically, China is closed to Web 2.0.
  • news On top of that, China is blocking foreign news reports about the pro-democracy massacre, which they’ve been very careful to block from the public. They want to stop activists. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Apr 2009 08:41

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World: Moldova’s massive student protest, by the numbers

  • 15,000 people were in the angry crowd that surrounded parliament and later ransacked it
  • 30 people were injured during the protests, including both policemen and protesters source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Apr 2009 08:36

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World: Moldova has huge protests; Americans still looking for it on the map

Hint: It’s in Eastern Europe, near Romania, and the protest drew a number of pro-democracy protesters. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Mar 2009 22:00

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Tech, World: Yo China, why are you blocking YouTube?

  • China’s Internet is open enough, but also needs to be regulated by law in order to prevent the spread of harmful information and for national security.
  • Qin Gang • A Chinese Foreign Ministry official, on the Internet, which he says they’re not scared of. Despite this, China blocked video-sharing site YouTube Monday night. Because Chinese people need to be protected from a capella singing of Animal Collective songs. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

01 Jan 2009 13:41

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World: It’s Cuba’s 50th communist birthday

Fidel Castro shown arriving in Washington, D.C. in 1959. (Library of Congress) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jan 2009 13:40

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World: Political prisoners in Cuba

  • 15,000 political prisoners in 1964
  • 219 political prisoners on the island today source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jan 2009 13:35

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World: In Castro’s own words

  • Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me.
  • Fidel Castro • In the closing lines of a 1953 speech • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

01 Jan 2009 13:18

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World: Where Cuba stands, 50 years later

  • Fidel’s still alive Fidel Castro, at the age of 82, has remained out of the public eye for nearly two and a half years due to health issues (which remain a state secret). His brother Raul holds power.
  • His influence remains While he’s not out in public, he still publishes the occasional essay, suggesting that even if he’s not in charge, he may as well be. His brother has implemented few reforms since he took power.
  • Some good, some badCastro brought reforms such as universal health care to his island (something the U.S. lacks, by the way), but it came at the cost of freedoms – including laborers’ right to strike and the freedom to dissent. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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