Every Chinese citizen will soon have a score based on how they live and conform

[The Brain]

Friend Computer has my complete confidence.

[MadImmortalMan]

We are getting pretty close to this, at least potentially, in the UK with our "hate" speech, obscene pornography and "extremist" laws. I suppose that the better-behaved half of the population has not been in breach of these laws, but for the half of us who are sinners we could technically be charged.

It can be pretty difficult for the average person to avoid breaking the law when there are so many laws and of such complexity.

[KRonn]

In that context, is gaming the system a bad thing?  If everyone starts singing the praises of the Communist Party to get a better score, then isn't it what they want?

Oh I forgot to mention one thing.  They buy praises on the internet.  No need to do this the convoluted way.  Hundreds of thousands of university students have been hired to do nothing but browse the internet all day, looking for opportunities to praise the government and discredit anybody who criticises the government.  At 50 cents RMB per post (like US$0.08).  So they are called the 50 cent army/party.

Totally bizarre.   

[Ideologue]

In that context, is gaming the system a bad thing?  If everyone starts singing the praises of the Communist Party to get a better score, then isn't it what they want?

Oh I forgot to mention one thing.  They buy praises on the internet.  No need to do this the convoluted way.  Hundreds of thousands of university students have been hired to do nothing but browse the internet all day, looking for opportunities to praise the government and discredit anybody who criticises the government.  At 50 cents RMB per post (like US$0.08).  So they are called the 50 cent army/party.

Where can I apply?

[DGuller]

In that context, is gaming the system a bad thing?  If everyone starts singing the praises of the Communist Party to get a better score, then isn't it what they want?

Oh I forgot to mention one thing.  They buy praises on the internet.  No need to do this the convoluted way.  Hundreds of thousands of university students have been hired to do nothing but browse the internet all day, looking for opportunities to praise the government and discredit anybody who criticises the government.  At 50 cents RMB per post (like US$0.08).  So they are called the 50 cent army/party.

Some Western propaganda tools claim that something like this exists in Russia as well.  It's false, of course, but the dying fascist Western powers will do everything to smear Russia, now that it's getting off its knees.

[viper37]

I wonder how we can avoid getting a negative score. 

Ditch all your anime collection and hit the gym, now!

[MadImmortalMan]

Mono would get locked up just based on his piracy alone. 

[Martinus]

Yeah. Or to tell black people that they better behave in front of a policeman or they can get shot for acting in a "threatening" manner.

OMG you mean the US is A COMPLETELY EVIL TOTALITARIAN STATE!!11

Of course it is Marty. All of our Presidents are Hitler. Better ally with Putin.

But yes. That is basically how it works. You do not even have to shoot that many people.

I was being cheeky.

[Valmy]

I was being cheeky.

So was I

[The Brain]

Nandos the lot of you.

[Monoriu]

In that context, is gaming the system a bad thing?  If everyone starts singing the praises of the Communist Party to get a better score, then isn't it what they want?

Oh I forgot to mention one thing.  They buy praises on the internet.  No need to do this the convoluted way.  Hundreds of thousands of university students have been hired to do nothing but browse the internet all day, looking for opportunities to praise the government and discredit anybody who criticises the government.  At 50 cents RMB per post (like US$0.08).  So they are called the 50 cent army/party.

Where can I apply?

Can you type Chinese? 

[Razgovory]

I am reminded of people saying what it was like to live in Revolutionary Iran. The Revolutionary Guards would arrest people for completely arbitrary reasons. Really devout Islamic folks would get arrested for tiny little infractions. One woman was arrested for having too much of a head scarf. It created an atmosphere of paranoia, demoralization, and subservience among the population.

I am also reminded of Russia having such a complicated and opaque tax system that nobody really followed it...and it would be enforced almost entirely to attack people the state did not like and made everybody eager to keep on the powers that be's good side.

Arbitrariness is a pretty powerful tool.

One of the most brilliant crimes invented in ancient China was called "unnecessary".  Imagine one day, the state accuses you of having committed a crime.  You are dragged in front of a tribunal, and you ask the court what crime you have committed.  The judge announces that the title of your crime is "unnecessary" - he doesn't even need to have a pretext for prosecution.  The emperor can execute anybody he pleases, anywhere, any time, and he doesn't need to prepare a story for it.  How can you answer a case that doesn't exist?

There is a classic American novel about this very concept.  It's a comedy.

[Eddie Teach]

There is a classic American novel about this very concept.  It's a comedy.

Which one?

[Josquius]

Interesting this pops up at the same time there is a fuss in the west about that awful "Peepl" thing

[Razgovory]

There is a classic American novel about this very concept.  It's a comedy.

Which one?

Catch 22.