This is a photo taken of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. A group of college students were protesting China’s communist government. I love this picture. I have the poster in my dorm. Everytime i see it I ask myself, “what sort of dedication and belief would cause this sort of action?”
What are things that you would stand up for?
What are some things that you would stand in front of oncoming tanks for?
What is God calling you to be bold about?
Ramblings of Passion 
Posted by harriet on November 22, 2007 at 2:00 pm
What would god do to Mao in the afterlife?
will there be a pineapple reversed for him???
Thoughts, people
ps i am adam from naples
Posted by Wonder File Review on January 23, 2011 at 10:49 pm
They will hunt you down.
Posted by page on December 2, 2007 at 12:13 am
wow is he about to be run over?
Posted by Donnelly on April 30, 2009 at 8:38 am
Wait a min there are still people unaware of tiananmen square? and Mark I totally agree that crown would have been rolled over…
Posted by smithjohn on November 21, 2009 at 3:11 pm
He didn’t get run over. The tanks stopped in front of him, he wouldn’t let them pass. If you watch the video recording, some people run by and pull him out of the way. It’s not known who those people are, whether government or protesters, or what became of the man.
Posted by Mark on December 4, 2007 at 6:09 am
Brave soul. He believes that people should do what they see as right. Not what the government bastards say is…
What would have happened if it was a crowd of people there instead of one person?
Any idea how morally torn the guy in that tank must have been?
*shakes head no*
Posted by gabriel on December 5, 2007 at 4:57 am
Imagine if this happened in America (would never happen nowadays because of the power that the people have towards controlling the government) and how a disaster this would become, rioting all over america. In Los Angeles, NYC, WASHINGTON D.C. (A definite riot breaking into the white house), San Fransisco, Boston, etc. This just proves that communism is something that is impossible to obtain in today’s world.
Posted by Danny B on June 2, 2009 at 8:40 am
People have no control over the US government. Big business has all the control over the government and that is why our society is in shambles today.
Posted by ????? on November 17, 2010 at 9:24 pm
There is a way………………………..Stop paying your taxes!!! If everybody did it they would crumble. The IRS can catch one person and punish them, thats how they spread fear and manipulate the masses, but if everybody did it, the table would turn. They would be on there knees and give us back what was rightfully ours. Long live REAL democracy: FOR THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE. BE BOLD AND NEVER LAY DOWN YOUR PRIDE!!!
Posted by Kyle on June 6, 2009 at 9:08 am
There are still prostests and demonstrations all over the states about 9/11, new orleans and many other injustices your governmet has done. Most Americans get there news from tv, which is different in each state, and thats how they keep you divided. You well never be a complete and uniformed country without independent and alternative news stations. The only power people have over the gorvernment is the power the government allows. Communism….Capitalism…….thats a fine line.
The country is to big for one man to make all the major decisions, same goes for Canada. The majority politicians in power don’t have pass-ports. How can you ever truly see how the decisions you make for your country radiate outward and touch the world if you’ve never left your home town.
Posted by Daniel on December 6, 2007 at 4:16 am
Just an FYI that guy was never, “run over”. He was later pulled into a group of people by on lookers and was never identified.
Posted by Charles on December 19, 2007 at 9:59 pm
I dont believe this would happen in this pig nation of America because the media has us convinced that all our problems stem from some foreign country such as Iraq and that our pig government is doing the best it can to bring an end to the conflict and bring world peace when for years they have been doing quite the opposite. financing wars in the middle east, obtaining secret contracts allowing them the rights to oil in Iraq. If it did happen here at home the media would again hide the incident and if worst comes to worst they will make the heroic protester look like the bad guy. the person above me is right though the person in the picture was not “run over” but what happened later the same day is the real tragedy, the Chinese government got sick of dealing with the constant protests and initiated what they referred to as a miniature purge killing upwards of 3000 protesters in what is commonly referred to as the Tienanmen Square Massacre.
Posted by Mike on April 28, 2009 at 9:49 am
how about you realize we live in the greatest nation in the world and that as you bash the government you are bashing the very hand that feeds you. The media will always be ethnocentric and is that way in every country. So realize your a pig.
Posted by Helen from Hawaii on June 4, 2009 at 7:40 am
Oh puh-lease! I’m so tired of this jingoistic nonsense…greatest nation in the world?
Sweden and other countries are light years ahead of us. So stop wrapping yourself in the flag and realize that there are countries equally as great if not greater. We are such an isolationist country. Have you EVER traveled or bothered to learn about other countries? No one in the USA ever fed me.
Posted by Nick on June 4, 2009 at 4:07 pm
If you really want the government to take total care of you, then go right ahead to the socialist country Sweden. You have to look at what this country was founded for, to have freedom from England and the king. We wanted to do things for ourselves, not have the government be telling us what to do. Having the government there holding your hand through life isn’t the point of the United States. America is the land of opportunity, the government was not made to give you a job or free health-care. If you feel that is how you should be treated then you can just leave and head to some other country. Good luck finding a better place though because there are no other countries in the world which can compare to the US.
Posted by FreedomFighter on June 4, 2009 at 4:36 pm
yes Nick, that is what our country was founded on, but be realistic. It is quite obvious that capitalism is failing. People are naturally corrupted by our system and become egocentric, worthless pieces of shit. Survival of the fittest and competition is what our entire economy is based upon, but you forget that not everyone truly has the opportunities that others in the U.S. do. Regardless of the exceptions, the fact of the matter is that our prisons are over populated and our education system is near the worst in the developed countries in the world. We are taught to be sheep and consumers in order to keep our country thriving. The high income small percentage control the majority of the country and it is a sad and true reality. Those people that are brought up in poor neighborhoods are forced to attend public schools that lack any real education. Sure, it is very possible to work your hardest and pull yourself out of that life, but it is unlikely and furthermore very difficult unless you have a very strong supporting cast aka family. Unfortunately, most people don’t have ideal home lives and have to deal with problems and conflicts that often get in the way of living an ideal life away from drugs and violence. Having said that, how can you say what you say, unless you are one of those high income egocentric pieces of shit that thrive on blaming all our countries problems on the little man. Trust me when i say this, Socialism is not far off for our country. In fact, if you haven’t noticed what has been happening in the recent past, our government now owns a good chunk of our insurers, bankers, and even auto industries. So you tell me that capitalism is the way to go, when socialism is obviously taking hold because the capitalists have bled our country dry and let the working middle class lay to the waste side. Change is upon us and if you can’t see it then you truly are blinded by this society.
Posted by Kyle on June 6, 2009 at 9:16 am
Bang on!!! Its good to see alot of conscious people out there, but as long as narrow minded views still seem to shrug off the reality of whats going on, we’ll never get out of this hole.
Posted by FreedomFighter on October 11, 2009 at 6:32 pm
True that Kyle. It is going to take a massive uprising to change the way things are. The problem is, people are content in the state we live in and furthermore, like many morons here, believe it is the best of what’s around. In order to create a revolution we would have to actively persuade an entire population of middle and lower class people that this country and its system is not all its cracked up to be. That in and of itself is a herculean effort. This country is ripe with ignorance, ego centrism, and all around hatred. We are racists, sexists, and intolerant of others. not only the difference in race or sex, but we continually belittle others cultures, religions, and politics. There is no open dialogue in this so called “free state”. We are forced to argue and cannot seem to compromise. Basically, it is going to take a miracle of God to change this world. Still, I will fight till the day I die in an attempt to do just that.
Posted by Spencer on December 10, 2009 at 2:43 pm
The American public school system is pathetic BECAUSE it is so socialistic. Competition is what motivates people to work hard and be inventive. Nothing can take the place of competition. The United States is the richest nation in the world, has a very rich “poor” class with stereos, X Boxes, cell phones, and piles of McDonald’s bags, stimulates world business more than any other nation, leads the world in foreign aid, played major roles in saving the world from both Nazi and Soviet conquest, has the best entertainment industry, and is leading the exploration of space. The United States is the greatest country in the world, and capitalism is by far the best type of economic system. The proof is in the pudding.
Posted by FreedomFighter on December 12, 2009 at 3:24 am
Spencer, you do realize that there are plenty of private schools people can go to? you realize that these private schools usually provide a so called ” better education” and often send more people to college than public schools. The private schools are there and readily available to those who can afford it. The problem is that our government doesn’t try to help the schools that don’t score well, and would rather close them down. Instead of giving grants to impoverished schools, they award schools that score better and it seems ass backwards as far as i’m concerned. The private schools don’t pay taxes and therefore don’t receive government funding, but continue to be considered a “better” education. All the while, schools that truly NEED the help, get screwed and aren’t provided with the funding they desperately need. The education system is a joke in the U.S. and you have no idea if you think otherwise. You obviously did not go to a public school. I love this country just as much as the next person. We are the best at a lot of things, but that isn’t what matters. There is a massive amount of corruption in our society and it is a direct result of our “capitalist” ways. We are bred to compete and it creates greedy and money hungry people. There are far too many people that value money over others well being. Everyone is out for themselves. The proof of that is evident everyday. The basis of money creates criminals and criminal activity, and capitalism perpetuates it. It not only perpetuates it, but it also creates a distinct class barrier. When you are impoverished in America the equal opportunity is a myth, because we don’t create an opportunity of outcome, we just create the opportunity. That is to say that yes, the chance of success is there, but it is not equally spread among the citizens. The rich get richer and have a far easier life than those who work to make a living.
Posted by Spencer on December 14, 2009 at 10:43 am
I went to both public and private schools. I didn’t start going to a private school until the 8th grade. The difference was like night and day, not because of lack of funding for the public schools. The difference was that the private schools were in financial competition with other schools. That gave them reason to work hard and get things right. What incentive to public schools have? We have put trillions of dollars into the public education system, yet it is STILL a joke. If we privatized the entire school system, it would work much better. People who can’t afford it on their own could get vouchers. It would make such a difference. Although there is corruption in capitalism that needs to be controlled with criminal laws, there is enormous corruption in socialism, starting with the government. Socialism itself is a form of corruption. Why do you trust government? Also, don’t buy into the myth that the rich don’t work. They are the people making businesses big and creating jobs.
Posted by FreedomFighter on December 15, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Spencer, it is not a matter of funding for public schools, it is a matter of the way we implement education. The way schools are chosen for funding is based on accomplishment. The schools that truly need the funding are the ones performing poor and therefore, do not get the funding. It is not logical. Private schools solely receive funding based on tuition. That is why they are able to dictate the price of their schools, because the more the school costs, the more money goes into the school. It does make sense, but vouchers will not be enough to fully fit the bill for private schools costs, not to mention, it costs money for a private school to be built and implemented. There are far too many people in the U.S. for private schools to handle the population. It would still have to be regulated by the government, and that would most likely anger current private institutions who don’t really have regulation because they receive to tax funding. Also, I have never seen a private school that was not affiliated with a religion. This could be an issue as not everyone follows a religion, or follows the same religion. These private schools would have to have provide education without pushing any religion. Public schools do have competition by the way. If the schools don’t perform they don’t get funding, so the teachers are under scrutiny to perform because their jobs are at risk. Privatizing the education system is not the answer. In order to improve our education system we need to completely revamp our way of teaching and running schools. No matter if you went to a private or public school, the education you received is no different in terms of content. We all learn the same things and we all learn them in the same manner. The teaching process is flawed and does not stimulate the minds of our children. Now what’s this about socialism being more corrupt than capitalism? that is an obscene suggestion. We see corruption, greed, and scandal DAILY in the U.S. If you can find half as much in socialist countries than here, i may concede, but i haven’t seen or heard the evidence to support your claim. Also, why are you using my statements against my very argument. You are making a fool of yourself by just stating random things without support. I clearly stated early that capitalism is in and of itself corrupt, then you come back and say basically the exact thing about socialism, but without any facts or evidence. Capitalism forces competition and creates a society where there must be a winner and a loser. People are judged and measured by the amount of money they have, but what about morals and values? They get lost in capitalism because greed over takes all. Humanity is overshadowed because being humane is considered weak and only the strong survive in a capitalist society. and yes they rich work and make business and create jobs, but that wasn’t my argument. I clearly stated that the rich are more privileged and therefore are handed everything and therefore do not have to work for anything. They work for what they already have in order to keep it and have more, because THEY ARE GREEDY. please Spencer, if you are going to attempt to convey a thought or argument, articulate and show evidence or state examples, because your logic is flawed and your thoughts are incomplete.
Posted by Spencer on December 22, 2009 at 10:54 am
You just painted with a very broad and mostly false brush, and the advice you gave me is something you need to apply to yourself. Most rich people work their asses off. You just hate them too much to acknowledge it. Try not to be so hateful.
Competition would of course make the school system work much better. What do you suggest could take its place? Why do you trust the masses to do what’s right? They can’t be trusted. Greed is the only universal motivator. What substitute do you realistically suggest?
Posted by Spencer on December 22, 2009 at 10:57 am
Most private schools are not religious. The private high school I went to was not religious, and neither were our biggest rivals. Also, I said vouchers can be used for those who cannot afford private schools on their own.
Posted by Spencer on December 22, 2009 at 11:01 am
(continued… I’m at work.) Private schools would rise up like any other type of business based on a mass need. Also, once our education system finally starts really working because public anything is going to be far less effective than the private version, we will not have so many poor people. The public education system sucks because government sucks. Your problems with how the government handles the public school system will continue for as long as public schools exist because that is how government is. I don’t know why people trust it so much. Greed, on the other hand, is something that can be counted on.
Posted by 123 on January 5, 2008 at 6:54 am
hahahahha lolz he stands infront of tanks!
Posted by Dan on January 22, 2008 at 3:49 am
Charles said:
I dont believe this would happen in this pig nation of America because the media has us convinced … … …
Charles,
In America, the mobile infantry does not utilize state highways, that is the reason, if there is any, that this would not happen in America.
Posted by alex on January 22, 2008 at 7:38 pm
some part of me says that standing in front of those tanks was a bad move via what happened that day. But then again i have a strong belief in god and in my country that i also feel that deep inside that i would do the same if it all came down to that same situation. and to the jerk 123 yes he did stand in front of those tanks because he was willing to die for what he belived in, and im willing to bet that you would run away and trash your beliefs in order to survive and to not get caught and that is what really sad about all this
Posted by alex on January 24, 2008 at 9:09 pm
lolz that guy is a noob
owned by a taNkzoR
Posted by Adam Lehman on January 24, 2008 at 9:29 pm
i would say that the guy is not a noob
but that is my opinion
Posted by teresa on February 7, 2008 at 4:43 am
Totally not a noob. He was an ordinary citizen of Beijing then and decided at that moment, with his shopping bags and all, that those tanks should not be entering Tiananmen Square.
For the record, he did not get run over, nor did he get shot at.
Actually, once the tanks stopped he climbed up on top of the first one and spoke to the tank dude.
Watch the video sometime.
He was later rushed out of the site by some people who, as well “The Tank Man,” remain unknown.
Odds are he was probably arrested and executed.
In any event, he continues to be a revolutionary inspiration to many around the world – except for the modern day Chinese, of course who have probably never even seen this photo because of their Communist government and restriction of Internet media.
Posted by Adam Lehman on February 7, 2008 at 5:24 am
great thoughts teresa. it is amazing how rare photos or news about this incident is on the net. must be from censors. too bad.
Posted by Adam Lehman on February 29, 2008 at 4:24 am
folks.
check this vid.
gives us another look at tiananmen square.
Posted by Bobby on March 5, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I just want to know if this guy got ran over or not.
Posted by Howard on March 5, 2008 at 2:24 pm
DID HE GET RUN OVER OR NOT??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/ REPLy!!!!!
please and thank you
Posted by Struan on March 12, 2008 at 1:43 am
he does not get killed by tank documentry is here
http://quicksilverscreen.com/watch?video=32791
Posted by Zipper on March 22, 2008 at 12:26 am
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Very interesting and helpful post.
I add your interesting blog in my iGoogle page!
We’ll expect many new interesting posts from you 😉
Posted by Francis on April 12, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Did the man get squished
Posted by Unicorn on April 22, 2008 at 1:29 pm
this guy was not run over, actually, some of u have ur facts wrong.
Posted by Lyzz on April 25, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I think that guy stood up for what he beleived, because before June 4, 1989 there were millions of people that stood up for what they believed in and then after the massacre people hid in their homes or in dark allies just trying to stay alive, this man represented all of china, he was standing up for all those cowards that were hiding… it’s kinda sad how 1 person is standing up for a couple million and the couple million is just hiding away. Although it seems dumb, he possibly saved his country from collapsing, because he helped others stand up for exactly what he was showing.
Posted by Helen from Hawaii on June 4, 2009 at 7:34 am
A person is a coward for not standing in front of a tank??? Lyzz, it’s easy for you to say anything safe sitting in front of your computer screen typing out bizaare messages.
What actual bravery have you ever been involved in? You weren’t there. Maybe it was braver to care for your family than get involved in a massacre.
He did not save his country from collapsing. Pressure and sanctions from other countries stopped further death. Come back to reality!
Posted by FreedomFighter on June 4, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Helen, I am not saying that you are wrong, but no one has saved China from collapse other than China itself. Lyzz is correct in that after this happened China pretty much did round up thousands of these activists and slaughtered them behind closed doors. China actively fights a propaganda war by keeping their citizens as low as possible. If pressure and sanctions would have done anything, the Chinese wouldn’t be working for pennies on the dollar in sweat shops living a meager existence. The only thing China had to fear in terms of collapse was a revolution by these groups of activists. That one man stood for something he believed to be right, he believed that if he stood for freedom and equality for his people that maybe, just maybe, his countrymen would stand up and fight. Instead they cowered away and continued to let the Chinese roll over them and treat them more like servants than civilians. They are being taken advantage of and are being stopped from free thought and speech. Leading up to this anniversary the Chinese government began banning websites and blog forums in order to control their people through means of censorship. Don’t tell me that America isn’t the greatest country in the world, because if anything like this happened here, I sure as hell would be out in that street with a lot of other people willing to die in order to save democracy for the rest of the country and future generations. China has one of the largest populations in the world. Their citizens ARE cowards as far as I’m concerned because they allow this to happen. They are brainwashed and kept stupid so that their government may treat them as they please, like slaves. It’s unfortunate and sad, but the reality is that no country is willing to stand up for the Chinese people, so if they truly want to be free they will have to do it themselves, and that brave soul tried.
Posted by Bryan on April 26, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I’m pretty sure if you tried to find this picture on the internet in China, you can’t.
Posted by Ann on April 30, 2008 at 11:25 am
I saw a video of this a few years ago and it showed the Chinese tanks went around him.
During the event, some generals of the Chinese army sided with the students. China had a problem; the movement was becoming increasingly popular. This is why most of their dirty work was done at night under the cover of darkness.
Correct me, if I’m wrong.
Posted by Ray Davis on May 5, 2008 at 10:51 pm
The one thing that no citizen who who wants to live in a free country can say is that something like that could never happen here.
Governments are governments the world over. Our founding fathers recognized that fact when they set up checks and balances in our government.
It’s a good reason not to allow those checks to be dismantled out of fear of something the way we have in recent years.
What would I stand in front of a tank for? Freedom. The freedom for me and my family to live our lives and be the people we want to be and the freedom of others to do the same.
Posted by Chris on May 8, 2008 at 3:20 pm
The man standing in front of the tanks was not run over. He was shoved (in actuality, dragged) out of the way by other protestors.
Posted by Chris on May 8, 2008 at 3:25 pm
And To Bryan:
Big thing about that. If you google “Tiananmen Square” you won’t get pictures of tanks, but of smiling tourists and happy things.
Posted by joshi on June 7, 2008 at 6:20 pm
what tanks were those?
Posted by Mark on June 16, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I just got back from China, and was there on the anniversary of the events in 1989. The only clue you have of the anniversary is the police/military presense that day. I did look it up on the internet, and although some things are blocked, I could find the video easily enough.
Posted by Rafael Haro on August 8, 2008 at 8:39 am
There were really two heroes at that moment. The guy with the shopping bag in front of a tank and the driver of that tank that rather stoped the parade and faced a great punishment for doing it than run over the civilian.
Posted by HAPPY TO BE IN USA on August 8, 2008 at 7:22 pm
To the comment #9.
Leave this “pig nation” fool.
You have NO idea about what you are speaking of.
People such as yourself make me SICK.
You JERK.
What do you do for a living?
Let me guess.
Sell dope.
Posted by Helen from Hawaii on June 4, 2009 at 7:45 am
Ah yes, the Ugly American. “Love it or leave it!” How profound.
Freedom of speech is guaranteed in our bill of rights…you remember the constitution?
Posted by Alfie on June 4, 2009 at 9:13 am
Most of the world and indeed half of the American public believe it to be a “pig-nation”. You shoot, burn and rape your way around the planet in the name of peace. You steal what isn’t yours and you torture the people who dare protect your lands. You did it to the native americans and now you’re doing it to the rest of the world. What’s sick is that my government have any relationship with you whatsoever. I hate that Britain are associated in any way with your government and their self-righteous bullying.
Posted by Jared on June 4, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I hate that people refer to others as if THEY were the ones to perform the acts and atrocities of their countries without taking into consideration that they very likely had little to absolutely no influence on what did or did not happen.
While I agree with some of what you say, Alfie, in regards to the unspeakable acts America has done, it really does a disservice to your point to not look at this all from an objective standpoint.
Lest we forget, Britain is not apart from its own unspeakable past, as I’m sure you’re well aware of, so there would be no need for me to rehash any of it here.
Much of my nation’s history is steeped in regrettable things, and I weep at the thought of this.
But “Happy To Be In The USA” did not perform any of those acts, at least as far as I know. 🙂
Although, I would like to say something to “Happy” so nobody things I’m ignoring what most of us are thinking…
Shut up. You’re making the rest of us look kind of stupid.
Posted by Albert on August 17, 2008 at 6:15 am
i sincerely thank you for reminding us of what incredible risks people have done in trying to reach into the hearts of the heartless.
Posted by Cameron Hamilton on September 8, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I love this photo because it symbolizes so much about life, that there comes a time in everyone’s life that you must find something to stand for, even though it may kill you.
” A person who does not have principles that he/she is willing to die for at a moment’s notice is already dead, and is of no use or consequence whatsoever.”
-William Copper-
Author of Behold a Pale Horse
Posted by charles on September 18, 2008 at 12:10 pm
god should have stepped in and stopped all of this!
or maybe he was the one behind the killings!
oh well, I’ll just stick my nose back into a little black book and follow a false history.
Posted by rorschach on September 24, 2008 at 2:46 pm
i admire and respect what this guy has done i even aspire to do something as couragous as this…
although i belive there are too many people with too much money currupting the world…
Posted by Kat on October 27, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Like, Daniel said, he was not run over. He was pulled away by his “friends” who were really undercover soldiers and was never identified because he was never found. Looking at what happened to many other protesters, he was probably shot.
Nothing to do with this photo, but in the novel “Forbidden City” it says that after someone was shot, the family would get a bill in the mail to pay for the bullet. How MESSED UP is that? I cannot even imagine how the Chinese citezens lived though that. You would be afraid to go out into your own city because the military, who they were told were the heroes, and were there to protect the people, were actualy shooting at them.
And the sad thing is, so many people in our world live in such fear but we’re all too busy with our own business, we don’t realize that their business affects ours. We are all connected. We are all living in the same place. There’s one world and we get one life. Stand up for what you believe in, even if you’re standing alone. Don’t watch the change, BE the change.
Posted by kIwI on January 9, 2009 at 7:59 pm
this guy is amazing
i saw a documentary on him that was really good… it was called tank man, by front line on pbs.
i think its really inspirational how he went out into that street alone, facing the oncoming tanks after all that had happened the night before (the massacre).
Posted by Roma on January 11, 2009 at 7:52 pm
No the tank man wasn’t run over. He was pushed and dragged away by a group of bystanders. If he did stay then he would have been killed. There was a huge documentary on him on FrontLine (PBS) It was amazing!
Posted by adee on January 25, 2009 at 9:32 pm
How can anyone say this couldn’t happen here? Have you never heard of the Kent State shootings? COINTELPRO? The Jackson State shootings? Get on the stick and read up on the atrocities this country has committed within its own borders. Google is a wonderful thing.
Posted by Matt on January 28, 2009 at 6:34 pm
He did not get run over, he was rushed aside by either concerned people or the secret police.
Posted by MyStyleZero on February 25, 2009 at 3:37 am
quite sadd TT__TT
ps go on maplestory to find me in the world
‘MARDIA’ do /find mystylezero on the chatlog
Posted by FreedomFighter on March 2, 2009 at 8:44 pm
The sad thing about this story is that it’s ongoing. The Chinese people are still being persecuted by their government. They work for pennies, are not shown decency in the least, and are seen more as servants than citizens. I still find it an outrage that they were given the olympic games despite their HORRIBLE record on civil liberties and humane treatment of its citizens. The Chinese people don’t know any better and believe they are doing what is best for the country, so they don’t complain. But, the sad reality is that they don’t know true freedom. They live in fear and the rest of the world allows it. We should ALL be ashamed we allow this to continue. China isn’t alone either. Take an extra second to revere this person because he did something very few of us could fathom. I could only hope that in the U.S.A. it would be a million strong in front of that tank and not one solitary person. If only the Chinese people would realize this, they could bring about change, they do have the LARGEST population in the world. That’s a lot of people that could potentially stand up.
Posted by Ellen on June 3, 2009 at 5:13 pm
This is the first I had seen or heard about the event; tragic.
As for the evidently patriotric defendants of a non-“pig nation”… if you want to consider an outside/foreign view of how your country operates, the government’s role, and (hopefully only) past government’s mistakes, obsession with control and secrecy — it is disgusting to watch.
Perhaps you are proud that due to the government’s highly questionable ethics your country is indeed one of and possibly ‘the’ global ‘superpower’. So many people wish the USA would just mind their own business, abolish the right to arms, and stop mongering fear internally about every single perceived ‘threat’ to security.
The US Government is their own worst enemy, and it has brainwashed its people using religion and empty promises.. the US may represent a majority of, or more accurately highly concentrated conglomerate of people covering a vast portion of the world.. but again, this is just the reason the US Government is effective in spreading its messages and signals (teamed with media leeches), and, to use this example, there are only very few people (Charles) who would stand in front of tanks to try to drill this reality into others’ heads.
I am just relieved to have read that there are Americans with their wits about them somewhere.. trying to exercise their freedom of speech.
Posted by Carlos Grijalva on June 4, 2009 at 8:15 am
I did not understand why United States, had China as the number one commercial allied. They are criminals and we should treat them same as Castro goverment.
Posted by Chinese Voice on June 4, 2009 at 5:46 pm
The Chinese people are far more aware of this day in China than people on this board or the western media actually.
Those protesters were warned and they did not listen by choice. What can you do when people are out of their minds? they refused to leave.
It’s not a secrecy to Chinese people as the media puts it, there’s no conspiracy theory. Everyone in China knows about it.
Chinese people and even over half those students moved on and are living happily, it was a learning experience in Chinese history.
It’s a remembrance day for Chinese people but it’s probably new for westerners.
People who go on about it are just recycling old politics.
China is not the same China anymore.
Posted by FreedomFighter on June 4, 2009 at 6:40 pm
If the Chinese people are so aware, why do they continue to let their freedoms be taken for granted. I do not know any Chinese nationals, but it is pretty obvious by their human rights history that they value their people very little if at all. It seems to me that they are just using them to accomplish commercial success and power by enslaving them and forcing them to work for near nothing. Who knows, maybe the Chinese people are happy to live just to survive, but there is little if any chance of a Chinese citizen becoming something other than an extension of their government. They are a means of achieving economic power and are hardly shown decency in the least. Do you ever hear about a Chinese person winning any Nobel prize? No. They aren’t given the chance to become great, because they are solely Chinese property. When I see a China that acknowledges the success of an individual and allows for its people to voice their opinion without persecution, then, and only then will i believe that they are aware of how desperate their situation is.
Posted by Thomas Andersson on June 8, 2009 at 11:41 am
This is a iconic picture and you get a page full of it if you search Google pictures for “Tiananmen Square”. Do the same in China and you get tourist pictures and arcehtecture views, no tank man, no protesters as Google/Yahoo actively helps censor information to the Chinese goverments desire. Not only that, they also provide the goverment with information about “undesired” searches for information as well as provide enough information about IPs etc to track down and arrest the unlucky dissidents (people ahve been arrested and jailed due to this information, killed, likely soon).
Go back in time, say 1944, Anne Frank is hiding in a small room and googles, how long would it take before Gestapo came knocking after Google had sold her out to them`? (As they have stated in court that it’s in their ‘users’ best interest for them to work with the forces in charge and in accordance with local laws).
Posted by SidT on October 11, 2009 at 2:49 pm
It is simply amazing when someone stands up not only for themselves, but for others, knowing that they are facing death. He was the only one, out of thousands of people, to show the world what he believes in, what it is he wants, and how far he will go to put an end to this opression.
But even more shocking is when you think about who he is. Look at the clothes he is wearing. He is not a rich man, he is not very well muscled, he does not hold any power, he is just like the 1.3 billion other people in China, a common man, and that is why this image is so impressive.
Posted by Union Jack on November 20, 2009 at 5:55 pm
How can anyone be so stupid as to support communism? Even if he wasn’t run over, did you know that the Soviets tortured people for being Christian? These people had never done anything to them! And you know what, I may not be American but I can still see this, Capitalism is THE BEST FORM OF GOVERNMENT EVER! You have so much freedom, and so many people take it for granted. These people in Tiananmen square fought for what we have. FREEDOM! And some of you want to hand over your souls to the kinds of people who built roads over the dead bodies of their workers! Communism can’t work. Why? Because the stupid government wants all the control! Communism is one of the most greedy forms of government ever! The stupid bueraucrats are spending all their money on expensive booze, and cigars, and Rolls Royces, and all the lovely things that the people there are denied! You want to know something? The only reason America is messed up is because your founding fathers were greedy and wanted to have the power to make all the laws of the country! In Canada, that is decided by our House Of Commons. THAT is democracy, and the truth is that Capitalism IS working, but a bunch of greedy socialist idiots don’t want it to work, and weak minded college students follow these people because they emotionally appealed to them! That picture tells me something: That at the end of the day, humans crave one of two things: They either want power and to rule the world, or freedom. And what was that load of garbage “The companies run the government”? Please, enlighten me, where is the proof? Let us see all the ways that the corporations are running the government, becuase I would really like to know. The problem isn’t with capitalism, the problem is with your idiot politicians and their “American way.” You don’t like capitalism? Fine, move to North Korea, but don’t ruin the countries that still allow some business for us, becuase some of us have dreams, some of us want to be movie stars, some of us want freedom.
Posted by FreedomFighter on November 20, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I’m happy that you feel as though capitalism is best, but before you go making quick judgements about a country you don’t even live in, you should probably get a clue as to just how our government works. When a certain corporation wants something done, they go to their local congressman, or senator. After pumping millions into a campaign, the candidate is basically a slave of the corporation and their money. The candidate wins the presidency, because they had the best media coverage and the most money to spread their message to an idiotic public that follows the whim of every news outlet. Therefore, the candidate, the peresident, is now forced to enact legislation in fears that the corporation(s) supporting him will withdraw their money from their next campaign or even their political party. Each person in government is merely an extension of a certain corporate agenda. There are more lobbyists in Washington than politicians. Our country is run by the amount of money a person can contribute to that particualr agenda. If you don’t have money, your opinion doesn’t matter and your ideaology is worth nothing. Our president is NOT directly elected, but chosen by a group selected by the powers within each state. It is a never ending cycyle of oppression and demeaning on the little man. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The wealth gap is increasing and as our government continues to bailout these major corporations that continue to fail and show nothing but greed, the common people are left to grind out a meager existence. Capitalism is inherently flawed and creates a social class based on greed and competition. Sure, this country is one of the leading nations in the world and has much more freedom than many others, but in the background of it all is a desolate working class that is forced to do the dirty work for the small percentage of wealthy that control the country. It may seem as though we have the freedom of opportunity, but opportunity is strictly biased as to how much money we have. A truly free nation would create an opportunity of outcome, not of opportunity. We should all have equality in the end. The U.S. only allows that outcome for those who have the true opportunity, and are born into wealth already. The chances of a low class citizen becoming something more is not easy, and requires far more hard work and dedication than that of the privileged class, which is handed everything. get a clue brother.
Posted by Union Jack on December 6, 2009 at 9:22 pm
So my theory of the US being a messed up country was right! You know what though, I wonder how many businesses actually wanted to give money to a “socialist.” Probably not many, so how did he win? The votes of the people. However, the American system doesn’t even make any sense. Whats more, the UK doesn’t even have a constitution just the Magna Carta, and look at how well their rights are! Honestly, if there are any problems with the US it is due to your founding fathers. Besides, what right do you have to make such accusations, have you not read the part of your constitution where it states that if a government is too corrupt, that the people have the right to get rid of it? Why haven’t you tried that? Many Americans are lazy, but to those that actually understand the corruption of your government and how it really is just the politicians, kudos to you!
Posted by FreedomFighter on December 7, 2009 at 5:26 pm
man, you are a fool. Our rights are protected by the Constitution. The Constitution is an amazing document that was well thought out. The only problem with the constitution is people, and our interpretations of it. It allows the document itself to be manipulated and read in a different light. Basically, they allowed for “loopholes” which lawyers take advantage of. The founding fathers had it right. They kicked YOUR founding fathers tyrannical asses and instilled some basic ground rules for the ruling of our country. Unfortunately, over time, it has become outdated and open for criticism and thus, interpretation. Obama won because he represented a “change” that the American public embraced. Whether or not he plans to bring that “change” is yet to be seen. and might i remind you, the “people” do not DIRECTLY elect the president, get a clue. So don’t blame our founding fathers. They merely gave the country a basic set of guidelines about humanity and governance. They had an amazing document drawn up to encompass an entire country spread over an unfathomable amount of land, so i think they did pretty good. As to your comment about revolution: It is not as if one man can revolt successfully against the government. The problem is that the majority of the American public is quite satisfied with the way the country is run, because they do not truly understand the depths of corruption and greed within the government and country itself. Therefore, a revolution is something that would take a lot of convincing to achieve. Not many people are willing to die for a cause, especially when they have it so good the way it is. It is not a matter of trying you fool. A revolution is no small undertaking. you think the American Revolution happened over night? no chance. It took years to plan and years to gain support. And even that was against a tyrannical government ruling from across an ocean. It would be FAR more difficult to undertake a revolution against an already established government in a “free” country. get a clue. And i do not seen your “kudos”. you are obviously some ignorant person who THINKS they know about our government and country, when in reality, you probably have never even left your own. Please do not attempt to preach to Americans. Your country’s politicians are just as corrupt as ours fool. get a clue.
Posted by Union Jack on December 21, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Tyrannical? Your founding fathers MURDERED innocent British citizens living in America because they supported the King! Your founding fathers just didn’t like being taxed by a king from another country! And guess what? Britain NEVER had a constitution up until 2000 and it has had some of the best human rights in the world! Your system of government just doesn’t work right because you never set it up properly and people are stupid enough to say that because the Constitution isn’t specific on certain things they can get away with doing certain things. And another thing, your government was the last government first world government to get rid of slavery. Britain never even had it within the British isles, and then Canada also got rid of it. America is a backwards country full of hate for anyone who isn’t “American.” Obviously our politicians are corrupt, but we still don’t have Guantanamo Bay, gay people are allowed to be gay, and we have a lot of other good things. The only reason the Americans one in the Revolution was becuase they had more people to back them up, but if the Brits had wanted to, they could have blasted your founding fathers into the very oil that your stupid government cherishes so much.
Posted by Union Jack on December 21, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Oh, and please stop saying “Get a clue.” It makes you sound like a child, and I don’t like trying to teach ignorant children things especially when they have had “their” beliefs indoctrinated into them by the Government.
Posted by Union Jack on December 21, 2009 at 5:19 pm
P.S. I live in Canada.
Posted by FreedomFighter on December 21, 2009 at 7:15 pm
you are ridiculous. yes, tyrannical. I am not attempting to say that the U.S. is better than Britain, because i honestly don’t care. I was merely defending my country. Yes, there is a lot wrong with this country, also, yes, We have done many things wrong in the past, but don’t talk to me like Britain is free from sin. Both of our countries are guilty of sociological problems. I’m happy for you and every Brit out there, but you are more connected to the French than British if you live in Canada so why do you continue to argue against the U.S. and for Britain. that has nothing to do with this site troll. Have you ever heard of the crusades? yeah, guess what, British people murdered innocents too, based on religion, and continued to persecute other who didn’t follow their religion. THAT is why we came to America, THAT is why we fled Britain; to escape persecution. Yes, taxes also played a role…would you want to be taxed by a country over an ocean away? fuck no. Stop bringing up the past, it has nothing to do with today. It seems like all you are interested in is arguing. I came to this site to address an issue concerning human civil rights in China. Somehow you started bashing my country, so yes, of course I am going to defend it. In the process we somehow got on the subject of human rights within our countries, but you are losing focus. Fighting about which fucking country is meaningless. A) I don’t fucking care. B) We should be more focused on the human rights violations in China rather than our countries. There is a lot wrong with this world, but social standing is not something that either of our countries are going to overcome anytime soon. China has been taking advantage of its citizens for far too long. They are using their citizens to their economic advantage and will soon, if not already will be the most powerful country in the world, because why? We let them roll over civil rights. Stop fighting with me brother. I’m not interested in your vain attempt to rouse emotions about my country, of which i have very little respect for. I love and will defend my country till the day I die, but that does not mean that i believe we are doing things the best and only right way. That is just not the case. You are not teaching, but preaching, and I am definitely not learning anything from you, because you speak from ignorance. Your arguments are weak and you have no logic or it is flawed. so give it up.
Posted by Union Jack on January 1, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Did you know that the crusades was done by Catholics which is also a religion the British resented for hundreds of years, and some still do to this day. No, Canada is not more connected to France, that is America. Canada was a British colony and is part of the British commonwealth. The people in the US didn’t escape Britain because of religious persecution, your founding fathers based the laws on that of the Bible, in fact, many Europeans came to North America to spread religion. I wouldn’t care if I was taxed by a country overseas, I barely care about the one I live in, my love is for Britain. But the French gave America the statue of Liberty, they supported you indirectly during your independence war, and almost everyone in the Bayou area is part French. Your government is just spewing out propaganda about how you escaped religious persecution. The majority of your courthouses had the ten commandments put in front of them, plus the puritans continued witch hunts. Also, I address the humans rights abuse in America because in order to fix that problem in other countries, we need to have it sorted out in ours. Your understanding of that is extremely flawed. How can a country with human rights abuse help another? And you know what? You are right, all countries have problems, SO FIX THEM! America so far has been the worst, I am not talking about the past, I am talking about the present. I am preaching nothing except that you need to figure out how politics works, if it’s even possible to figure your own system. And by the way, I have cousins in the US, so I know enough about what’s going on to be able to judge what your government has done. The whole world needs fixing, but the US more so. I’m no liberal, or socialist, but I think Obama can do the right thing in terms of human rights and all that, I know what the alternative with McCain would have been. Also, you do realize that this is a Christian site, so maybe you should be more careful with what you say.
Posted by Spencer on January 2, 2010 at 12:36 pm
If you think the United States leads the world in human rights absuses, you have a great deal of reading to do.
Posted by Union Jack on January 10, 2010 at 2:10 pm
That is true, but out of all “democratic” countries in the world, they have had some of the worst human rights abuse issues. I love capitalism, I love tradition, I love all the things that some of your politicians claim to love, but I do not think that a country that is having so much conflict over what is a human right should lead the charge in helping to fix countries like China. I think that kind of help would have been best left to a Margret Thatcher or Winston Churchill, both of which have neither currently, but with all the debate on gay rights and such, I don’t think the US is the best country to help China. Perhaps Britain if David Cameron wins.
Posted by Spencer on December 22, 2009 at 11:07 am
By screaming about things the U.S. government did before houses had electricity, you are acting like a severely jealous Canadian. I see it a lot. We lead the world in everything good, and Canada is our fat little sister. Stop crying.
Posted by Union Jack on January 1, 2010 at 10:46 pm
I’m talking about right now! And I’m not screaming, I’m being very calm. And jealous of the US? What is there to be jealous of? I could care less about Canada, Britain is what I care for. And back to the subject, what about the racist movements in the south that continue today? What about the hate crimes against gays, and politicians who want to make these things law like McCain? I only cry because of how badly treated all the minorities are in the US. Plus, I can still proudly say that it takes more American dollars to make up one British pound than vice versa. You don’t lead the world in everything. Here are some examples where you don’t; Military is being consumed by China, production is also being consumed by China, technology is China and Japan, clothing is pretty well shared by all nations, Canada has a good foot in food production, Canada for lumber, Canada for minerals, the Middle East and Alberta for oil, and many other things. What does America lead the world in? Exports and Imports. That is where America is great, because they had a large population and were far ahead of other nations after WW1, it slung-shot you to being the wealthiest nation in the world even until now. Everyone wanted to import to the economically powerful US, then the US became a major trade nation which gave it it’s major source of income. I can ask my grandfather for more info too, as he is a Canadian businessman who has some branch plants in the US.
Posted by Spencer on January 2, 2010 at 12:31 pm
We are still the wealthiest nation in the world, despite not being the biggest. We are also the world’s only superpower. China is not considered a superpower. Most of the big cities in the American South are about 70% black, and white hate crimes against blacks are extremely rare, as are hate crimes against gays. I live in the South, so I know how things are now. Remember that we also lead the world in foreign aid, economic stimulation, entertainment industry, and protection. Are you afraid Canada is going to be invaded by another country? Are you afraid any European countries will be invaded by other countries? The history books are covered with that type shit happening. The presence of the United States changed the way the world works.
Posted by Union Jack on January 10, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Yes, the US changed the way the world works much like the British Empire once did. At one point they led the world in all the things you just mentioned and more. Also, Canada even has hate crimes committed, maybe not frequently, but often enough to make it a problem. You are trying to tell me that in a country of 300 million people, hate crimes are “rare”? Come on, you can’t honestly believe that! Even Britain has them a lot, and they have some of the world’s best human rights. Plus, your so called protection is what got you into your current financial state, so I wouldn’t be bragging about it. I don’t think I would want American soldiers coming in to save my country after all I’ve heard they do, and most of the stuff I heard came from American media. Also, when a man who wants to become president (John McCain) is talking about going back to an amendment that makes homosexuality illegal, I can safely say that is a hate crime ready to happen. American police have also killed innocent college kids for speaking out about their government, which I don’t think has ever happened in Canada, although I suspect that every country has had something related to this happen, but the US has had it happen a number of times. And foreign aid? The only ones giving aid are businesses, the one thing that everyone should be glad for. But Canada has done a lot of that too, not to mention peace keeping, although I’m not always in agreement with that. My point is that your nation is guilty of a number of crimes and it needs to be held accountable. You and your fellow citizens are hated by the world because there is no accountability within your government. And China is a superpower. Have you seen the size of their military? Huge. And perhaps you forget that Britain was the country that first stood up to Hitler and the only reason they had difficulty fighting him was that Hitler had a massive prepared military and they were cutting off the supplies to Britain that were coming from the US AND Canada. The US only joined the fighting becuase of Pearl Harbor. So much for protection. And lastly, your country can barely stimulate it’s own economy! Do you even know your own national debt? Your money is quickly becoming useless, and too many more economic blows to the US and you’ll be printing out billion dollar bills.
Posted by Union Jack on January 10, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Oh, and here is a little something for you to educate yourself with: http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/features/2005/07/images/070531mexico.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/7083,news-comment,news-politics,how-mexican-immigration-inspired-the-nazis&h=400&w=497&sz=56&tbnid=ZPOd1He2dKT7NM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3DZyklon%2Bb&hl=en&usg=__M37z30wZkXxKxSGoT5g-KnmdVWk=&ei=dllKS_n9D5S2swPxkeVG&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=7&ct=image&ved=0CB8Q9QEwBg
I am interested to here what you have to say to this. “The American’s inspired the Nazis to use zyklon b gas to kill people with.” Just lovely. As said before, the US needs to sort themselves out before they even consider trying to help other countries. For now, I seriously think things like that are best left to everyone else.
Posted by Union Jack on January 18, 2010 at 12:02 am
Oh, interesting little tidbit I learned. You guys that are right-wing Americans should be a little more keen on Canada. Remember Mulroney! He actually seemed to be friends with Ronald Reagan. The US and Canada aren’t enemies, we are actually pretty good friends, so why fight? And besides that, we burnt down your White House many years ago, sometime during the 1800’s I think, but since then we’ve gotten closer and we’ve come closer together and helped each other out. The US may be “on top of the world” but that doesn’t mean it can live on it’s own. It’s like a single mother trying to take care of 300 million kids, well, maybe that’s not the best way to describe it, but it’s close.
Posted by Jarek on November 30, 2009 at 5:35 am
Do you know that this page is banned by Google in China? Google supports Chinese regime.
Posted by Union Jack on December 6, 2009 at 9:26 pm
This page is banned due to one thing that communism is infamous for; censorship. They don’t want their people getting any ideas, feeling supported or telling us what really is going on there. I say the UN should go in and shut the whole Chinese government down and let the people decide what they want, that is, if they still can. I wonder if they can though, due to how the government has treated them, I would be surprised if they could. Long live freedom!
Posted by Union Jack on December 21, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Oh, something I discovered, that man in the picture was run over. I talked to plenty of people who were alive at that time and they have said he was run over. The Chinese government is Evil. Pure evil.
Posted by Anand on January 16, 2010 at 6:57 pm
The man standing in front of the tanks excercised his human rights, “Freedom Of Speech”.
It is in real sense “Practicing Non-Violence”.
He has become Mahatama Gandhi of China.
Posted by Pete on February 9, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Stupid Chinese
Posted by song, chang on January 13, 2011 at 12:25 pm
this pictures show the a man stand there to stop the chinese people.
Posted by song, chang on January 13, 2011 at 12:27 pm
it is my first pictures that i seen!