He was responding to a question about the cancellation of his exhibition by the Lisson Gallery in London in November following comments on social media referencing the Israel-Hamas conflict.
His post, which was subsequently deleted, suggested the “sense of guilt around the persecution of the Jewish people” had been transferred and used against the Arab world.
Referring to his own family’s exile when he was one year old, the activist said: "I grew up within this heavy political censorship.
“I realise now, today in the West, you are doing exactly the same.”
He drew parallels with the disastrous purge under Mao, which took China to the brink of anarchy.
Criticising the suspension of two New York University professors for comments related to Gaza, Ai said: "This is really like a cultural revolution, which is really trying to destroy anybody who have different attitudes, not even a clear opinion.
Ai’s art often addresses political issues in China and he has frequently criticised Beijing’s record on human rights and democracy.
I am saying that the West is significantly worse, that being said, I am also not going to say the PRC is perfect… just sigificantly better than the west. I was only bringing up the fact that when you mentioned “In the west you can critisize your own government” the same right applies in the PRC… Heck the PRC has more political parties than here in the US.
The same right did not apply to China under Mao.
The PRC constitution was ratified in 1982.
Mao died in 1976.
Do you think maybe the rights guaranteed in a document ratified in 1982 might be different to the rights before that document was ratified?
No, you don’t. You’re just muddying the waters. Probably intentionally.
They did update it after Mao died, yes but the freedom of speech was listed in the origial.
I do think that the PRC is better than the west, and it does infact have more political parties. however my responce was to your claim that their you can critisize the government in the west but not in China, a patently false claim.
I do not know what you are talking about mudying the waters I assure you it is not intenrional, however it was not me who has moved the goal posts … geez 4 times now?
Please demonstrate this to be true.
I would like to see the constitution that guaranteed free speech during the Cultural Revolution.
Do show how it squared with Wu Han dying in prison because he wrote a play.
Also, it is a lie that I moved the goalposts. I have not once strayed from saying that the claim that ‘censorship in the West is exactly the same as Mao’s China’ is false.
No your starting postion is that you cannot critisize the government in the PRC… I have pointed out they have the same rights in the PRC as in the west documented in the same way.
ARTICLE 45 Citizens enjoy freedom of speech, correspond- ence, the press, assembly, association, procession, demonstration and the freedom to strike, and have the right to “speak out freely, air their views fully, hold great debates and write big-character posters.”
Also just to rub a little salt into your wounds ARTICLE 52 Citizens have the freedom to engage in scientific research, literary and artistic creation and other cultural activities. The state encourages and as- sists the creative endeavours of citizens engaged in science, education, literature, art, journalism, publishing, public health, sports and other cultural work.
Let me look ever so quickly at your Wikipedia link really quick, and may I note that wikipedia is known for being increadably inacurate and reactionary at all times. After just a little bit of digging I found his arrest was not due to the play in question, but general subsersive activities, that where found to be a threat to the state. Fun fact if you do this in the United States you will also find yourself in prison. I would also like to point out, why is Sweedish Citizen Julian Assange Rotting in Prison at the request of the United States government for the crime of Journalism
3rd you have moved the goal posts, from You cannot critisize the government in china, to what does the constitution have to do with anything, to I was never talking about that you are muddying the waters, to what about this person who tried to tear down a newly formed just after its civil war government jailed. This is moving the goal posts.
Please tell me the “subversive activities” that Wu Han was involved in. Did he commit any violent acts? Who did he kill or physically harm? Or was he a spy? Did he sell secrets to the U.S.? What?
Because I’m pretty sure the “subversive activities” were criticizing the government.
Feel free to enlighten me. But be sure to provide evidence. So far, you’ve told me about articles in a constitution ratified in 1982, after Mao died and this is specifically about Mao’s China.
I brought up articles from the Pre 1982 constitution, or are you conveniently ignoring that I provided the evidence you requested, interesting that when I provide requested evidence you ignore it.
Second you have now ignored my request for information about asange. Strange, who id assagne kill or phisicaly harm, did he sell secrets? last I checked he merly did a journalism… or are we going to also ignore this and make it so only I do the responding here. It is a wonderful retorical trick to make it seem like I am always on the back foot, so to an outside observer it apears as though your winning, dispite the fact you have contributed nothing to the conversation, well besides throwing new accusiation, not responding to my counters and moving the goal posts.
Third you have to understand the material conditions of China at the time, those being coming right out of s civil war* with a US and other capitalist funded side the ROC who flead but where not fully defeated going over to tiwan. For a state in this postion to sucseed, Especialy in the earlie years they have to be hyper vigilent, if not the US usualy will be the one to come in and cut them where they stand, just look at Most of latin america, the exception proving the rule is cuba with their over 600 attempts. or the attempts the US made to destroy the USSR. If you read the works of Wu Han, during this period, he was a class colaberationist (read facists) his play, that agian was not the reason he was arrested but was likely used as point to prove the class colaberation. If you do not think the US does not do similar you are fooling yourself, the seddition act is still on the books in the United States so “Seddicious Speach” will land you in jail too.
Haha. “You have to consider how China was at the time, therefore imprisoning people for criticizing the government was okay.”
Got it.
Assange is not relevant to the claim, because Ai Wewei was talking about himself. Also, Assange is not in a “re-education” camp where he will be worked to death. Has he been treated well? No. Was he treated like Wu Han? No.
The fact that you are able to say all of this and have not been imprisoned might show that you’ve been taken in by Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid journalism, much like OP who posted it in the first place.
You know, Rupert Murdoch. The notorious Marxist.
I also like how you are simultaneously claiming that the statement that “censorship in the West is exactly the same as Mao’s China” while insisting that there was freedom of speech in Mao’s China and Mao’s China was not a totalitarian oppressive regime.
Ether the claim “censorship in the West is exactly the same as Mao’s China” is false or, by your own claims, there is just as little censorship in the West as there was during Mao’s China, which, according to you, did not censor people. Either way, I’m not sure why you’re complaining about it.
no it was not for critisizing the government it was for being a class colaberationist, there is a massive MASSIVE diffrence. you know… they where just fighting Facism … he was a facists… or atleast acting for a long period of time like a facist…
Second he is being treated worse, Assange’s treatment is classified as torture, the PRC by all reputable sources I have found in the time we have been talking did not resort to torcher
I can go to China and Critisize China too… Agian it is not a right exclusive to the west, the point I was making BACK AT YOUR ORIGIONAL POINT, before you moved the goal posts multiple times.
Murdoch is a stanch Capitalist, arguably a facists, we are not the same
I am not claiming those 2 statements, I am saying 1) Mao’s PRC was not totalitarian, it was a free society that we can expect given they just emerged from a civil war. 2) the PRC is while not perfect and free of all censor ship significantly better than atleast the United States if not the west, 3) There is significant censorship in the west"
I never made the claim that the west and maos china are the same this is a claim you have ascribed to me and that I have not made, my origional clame, and the one I am still making is that The PRC has freedom of speech and that said right is not exclusive to the west, and is arguable better upheld by the PRC.
Last I have still heard nothing about your false claim that I did not provide the Mao Era constitution text when I in my reply 2 ago did do so, and you blatantly ignored it, because it was inconvenent to your argument.