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from the Happiness-is-mandatory.-The-social-credit-system-is-your-friend dept.
China's courts have now added 13.5 million individuals to the social-credit punishment list.
People deemed untrustworthy in China have been blocked from the purchase of more than 25 million plane and train tickets, as the country works to build the massive social-credit system designed to monitor and shape the conduct of its citizens
The system covers "19 key areas of dishonesty" such as failing to make court-ordered payments (China has no personal bankruptcy statutes), spending habits, turnstile violations, and filial piety, as well as
spreading online rumours and false information, committing financial fraud, delivering unlicensed medical treatment, evading taxes, cheating on tests and fixing sports matches.
Chinese officials are careful to point out that this is only the beginning of the process of implementing a social-credit system. There are also multiple blacklists involved, not one big blacklist like the United State's 'No-Fly' list.
In total, the number of blacklists in China now likely numbers in the hundreds, said Dai Xin, a professor at Ocean University of China School of Law. But it remains experimental, he said, like many initiatives in China, where "governments just go ahead with some vague assumptions of what may happen if a measure is adopted."
Critics call the system the beginning of a "digital panopticon", while other Chinese scholars and officials defend the system as one that will ease life for those who display good conduct and integrity even as it deprives the untrustworthy of access to services.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by ikanreed on Monday April 22 2019, @02:44PM (14 children)
If you "really don't get it", I've got a mostly satisfactory answer. At least satisfactory to me.
Ever hear of the iron law of institutions? It goes like this:
The party leadership could work to make China the most powerful country in the world, but they could also cement their power over the billions of people they already control. To never have anyone step out of line and challenge the systems that keep them rich and loaded with authority? Pretty appealing, even if it means China is a fraction of what it could be.
(Score: 4, Touché) by JoeMerchant on Monday April 22 2019, @03:38PM (9 children)
I'm sorry, were you describing China, or Trump and the Republicans?
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Thexalon on Monday April 22 2019, @04:51PM
Yes.
I mean, the tools of the "panopticon" are a bit different in the US, and mostly run by businesses rather than the government, but your credit score, social media history, CC purchase history, etc have precisely the same role really.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Sulla on Monday April 22 2019, @06:49PM (6 children)
FTFY
There are no "good guys" anywhere
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday April 22 2019, @08:16PM (5 children)
Bernie talks a good line, shame he's so old and can't get a credible younger candidate to carry the same banner.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 4, Funny) by DannyB on Monday April 22 2019, @09:05PM (4 children)
So you would not vote for a 2000 year old jew, who many people worship and give their money to?
(and yes, I mean Bernie)
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday April 22 2019, @10:19PM (2 children)
He's not quite 2000, but he's older than Trump, who is already too old to be electing to a first term as president...
Yeah, compared to the options, I voted for Bernie in 2016 - not sure I can get past the age thing in 2020.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 22 2019, @11:17PM
Nah, as long as the brain is working he is fine, and from all appearances Bernie has better brain function than most of Congress.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 23 2019, @01:27AM
His policies are what actually matter, though.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 23 2019, @12:20AM
> a 2000 year old jew
I'd vote for this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI7wDpBRqjo [youtube.com] but I don't think he's running.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 22 2019, @10:15PM
Hey TDS victim, Republicans are in power because Democrats are really really really really really bad. And Republicans are not cemeting their power, Democrats are ensuring everyday that they will be unelectable with their off-the-wall retarded platforms. All Republicans have to do is hold the Democrats' beers.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Monday April 22 2019, @04:13PM (1 child)
But you can do that with money and needs.
They are creating an army of hopeless.
The only sensible strategy I can predict from this situation is to wait until tensions become acute and then send the hopeless to colonize africa. They already built the cities and kept them empty.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Monday April 22 2019, @04:56PM
>They are creating an army of hopeless.
Are they though? I'm not at all clear on the details, but China's population as a whole is seeing a level of upwards mobility that the US can only dream of, and these social credit policies seem to (mostly) be interfering in people's recreational and investment opportunities, rather than their ability to get ahead through hard work and social connections.
Assuming there's ways to be "actively prosocial" to increase your social credit score as well, even those deprivations can act as a potent carrot-and-stick motivator to get the populace to fall in line.
(Score: 2) by arslan on Tuesday April 23 2019, @03:52AM (1 child)
This is true until a couple years ago where Emperor Xi is now head of the party for life - essentially an Emperor like the old days just not in title.
He already cemented his position in the institution by removing any dissent when he removed the need for party head re-election. So he can now do both of what you said; making China the most powerful country in the world _and_ squashing his rule of thumb over the people, there's no reason why he need to choose.
(Score: 2) by EETech1 on Tuesday April 23 2019, @03:02PM
Having complete control over your entire population is a great way to begin taking over the rest of the world.
It's just the beginning.
They're forcing them to work (hard) 72 hours a week minimum and do exactly as told, nothing more.
While they continually monitor, and score your eligibility for "anything enjoyable" VS "forced re-education of your entire family".
Soldiers forced into an economic Army, being driven by a plan to control the world.