1989 is a distant memory for most people. Trying to recall what we did during that year requires some deep thought for most people who were born in 1980 or before. However with China’s over the top reaction when the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest comes around, it tends to trigger an instant memory marker reminding people of exactly where they were in 1989 when they heard the news of the protest being violently put down by the Chinese Government.
This year was no different than any other year since 1990 with China’s reaction to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest. It is that reaction that is immortalizing the moment. If left alone the memory would likely fade into the blur of background memories we all have. But the Chinese Government has a huge fear of a repeat uprising, and that can only suggest the movement that lead to the 1989 protest has not died or weakened at all.
Back in 1989 social media did not exist. In fact it was just about the time the Internet was being born, and only the most crude methods of E-mail were being used and E-mail spam was yet to be invented. But now things are very different with Facebook, Twitter and dozens of other social media platforms use to communicate in real time. However China has blocked these social media sites in an attempt to eliminate communication that would tend to organize flash mobs that could lead to pro-democracy movements.
Most of the other countries that block social media leave a bad taste in your mouth. They support a communist government or have a false democracy or allow the Muslim religion to dictate how to govern. Those countries fear the people they were meant to serve. Those are also the same countries that have the most sanctions imposed on them for one type of bad behavior or another towards their citizens.
So when you start to connect all of these dots you can start to see real fear in the few people that hold power. It also says that holding on to power is their primary goal and not to serve the people. Even that communist governments have their place in the world just as all other types of governments, it shows they fear the power of democracy where they truly must become a servant of the people and not corrupt.
When you stop and think about it China has the biggest population, and that means to keep them under control requires the use of fear. It is that same fear that allows people to train and dominate apex predators. One sign of weakness or fear and the trainer very quickly become the next meal. For the most part it seems the Chinese Government knows this and the need to show dominance when the Tiananmen Square anniversary rolls around says a lot about their fear. It also suggests if they sleep in the fetal position at night or not. But with all things, if this much effort is required to suppress democracy after all these years, the writing is on the wall that one day democracy will prevail in China and the communist Government in China will some day be devoured by the people.