This blog post was published on November 20, 2019. It might be out of date, have broken images or links, or simply contain bad ideas and opinions that didn't stand the test of time. Please read generously!
China’s online nationalist army
Nationalism on Chinese social media has grown hugely during Xi Jinping’s time as leader – and it is changing in a potentially explosive way. An army of ultra-patriotic social media personalities now attacks foreign governments and big companies - and sometimes calls for even harsher actions than Beijing takes.
Who’s Afraid of Chinese Models? (Stratechery Article 7-20-2026)
The Land That Failed to Fail (Published 2018)
The West was sure the Chinese approach would not work. It just had to wait. It’s still waiting.
Chinese officials 'create 488m bogus social media posts a year'
Harvard researchers say leaked documents show bureaucrats fabricate positive posts to distract from criticism of government
China’s Nightmarish Citizen Scores Are a Warning For Americans | ACLU
China is launching a comprehensive “credit score” system, and the more I learn about it, the more nightmarish it seems. China appears to be leveraging all the tools of the information age—electronic purchasing data, social networks, algorithmic sorting—to construct the ultimate tool of social control. It is, as one commentator put it, “authoritarianism, gamified.” Read this piece for the full flavor—it will make your head spin. If that and the little other reporting I’ve seen is accurate, the basics are this:
Here's How China Is Hunting Down Coronavirus Critics
Post something about coronavirus online? Expect a visitor at your door.
Sᴜɴʀɪsᴇ Oᴀᴛʜ 十 Tʜᴇ Sʏʟʟᴀʙᴜꜱ (ORI) - CC0 on Twitter / X
I am actually very pessimistic regarding the idea that China could be governed by any structure except the top-down (plus situational anarchic) imperial system it has had for millennia. The Chinese social consciousness is *much* smaller in scope than the Western one.— Sᴜɴʀɪsᴇ Oᴀᴛʜ 十 Tʜᴇ Sʏʟʟᴀʙᴜꜱ (ORI) - CC0 (@sunriseoath) October 14, 2026
WSJ Article Claiming China Has Matched Anthropic Is Obvious Nonsense
The Wall Street Journal printed an outright false headline and heavily misleading story claiming this, which of course was uncritically amplified by the usual suspects.
A Generation Grows Up in China Without Google, Facebook or Twitter (Published 2018)
Many foreign internet giants are blocked, leaving some young Chinese to wonder what those services even are — and reinforcing Beijing’s ideological control.
The Future of America’s Contest with China
Washington is in an intensifying standoff with Beijing. Which one will fundamentally shape the twenty-first century?
What Does a Chinese Superpower Look Like? Nothing Like the U.S.
Xi Jinping has a truly global vision.
China’s dreamers and dropouts: ‘lying flat’ generation checks out in Dali
Cheap, remote and beautiful city attracts thousands of young people and Gen X-ers escaping economic treadmill
Ghost ships, crop circles, and soft gold: A GPS mystery in Shanghai
A sophisticated new electronic warfare system is being used at the world’s busiest port. But is it sand thieves or the Chinese state behind it?
