Losing freedom 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

China's "Social Credit System" is rolling out, aimed at getting all its 1.35 billion people under its thumb by 2020. Citizens earn points for doing what the government wants, and lose points for doing what the government does not want.

image: medium

With a high "social credit" score, life is easier in many ways. "[T]hose with high scores can receive rental bikes without a deposit, $50 heating discounts in the winter, and advantageous terms on bank loans."

"A social credit score is not just a ticket to access certain services—a score signals a person’s character, elevating the status of some while stigmatizing others."

Low scores will be punished. "A poor Chinese social credit score can lead to bans from travel, certain schools, luxury hotels, government positions, and even dating apps."

Note: More information on the Social Credit System next week

All seeing eye

Back in 2018, the Chinese President Xi's "social credit system" was rolling out. It's a way to control behavior, thoughts, relationships, status of Chinese citizens without actually resorting to coercive violence on them. (Read posts here, here, here, here, here, here.)

Government-owned cameras are spying everywhere, providing data which result in approval or disapproval. Ordinary life is a lot harder on people with a low social credit score.

This immigrant was there but fled to America for freedom. He warns that we're starting to see similar things in the West. For instance, parents who don't like what their kids are learning at school were labeled domestic terrorists, and our government pressured banks not to give loans to disfavored businesses.

He says it was okay at the beginning: "These things always are."

China's cameras

The "Social Credit Score" was the subject of my posts dated Sept. 13,14,17,18. To citizens of freer countries, it's repulsive that China's government would monitor the details of its citizens' daily lives, judge each one, keep score, and punish or reward based on that score

"China's growing network of surveillance cameras makes all of this possible. The country already has an estimated 176 million cameras. It plans to have more than 600 million installed by 2020."

Unapproved activities may include not paying fines on time, fraud, jaywalking, smoking in non-smoking areas, tax evasion, things we agree on. 

But if "Big Brother" is always watching . . we in the West are definitely uncomfortable with that.

photo: cbsnews

Who do you think would give the system their high approval? A study has answered that question, though the system is not completely rolled out yet. And yes . . many approve . . so far. 

Try to guess who approves of the Social Credit Score - the topic of tomorrow's post.

(cont'd tomorrow)

Untrustworthy 1

(cont'd from last week)

If you are politically incorrect in America, you will be looked down on by certain groups or you may not get a job in certain companies. But in China the government is literally keeping score, your "social credit score" that is. If you're bad, you will be punished.

"China said it will begin applying its so-called social credit system to flights and trains and stop people who have committed misdeeds from taking such transport for up to a year."

image: cbs

Chinese journalist Liu Hu "was told he was banned from flying because he was on the list of untrustworthy people. . . I can’t buy property. My child can’t go to a private school,” . . You feel you’re being controlled by the list all the time."

"Police in Beijing have been seen wearing glasses that can recognize faces linked to the government's national database, boosting arrests. Wu Fei is CEO of a company that makes the glasses, and he claims he doesn't know how the government intends to use it.

"I have no idea," he said.

"We asked if he trusts the government with the way they're using the technology. "Sorry, I can't answer this," he responded."

Of course he can't answer this question! Would you? 

(cont'd tomorrow)

Untrustworthy 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Wu Fei (yesterday's post) refused to say whether he trusts the government to use his company's technology. How could he go on record with anything but a canned approval of the government? Who would dare to dissent from Pres. Xi on anything?

The fear, of course, it that the government may use this social credit scoring system to punish people that it deems not sufficiently loyal to the communist party . . And trying to clear your name or fight your score is nearly impossible, because there’s no due process.

"In early 2017, the country’s Supreme People’s Court said during a press conference that 6.15 million Chinese citizens had been banned from taking flights for social misdeeds."

President Xi and his government are now going to watch and judge over a billion Chinese. In his words, "Once untrustworthy, always restricted."

photo of cameras being installed

Losing freedom 1

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

"Freedom is not free" (you or someone else fought for it) . . because somebody somewhere thinks they can make better choices for your life than you can. Power lovers will force you into doing and saying and thinking what they want you to do, say, or think. 

How to do it, how to take some of your freedoms from you - that is the question. In the U.S., you have to get Americans to voluntarily give up freedoms, to willingly give you their vote. But in some parts of the world, it's much easier to take away citizens' freedoms and amass power for yourself.

China's President Xi Jinping shows us how it's done. You already know that he managed to to give himself unlimited time as the head of state. Now he and his government are taking more power for themselves with a new system that goes way beyond political correctness.

It's called the Social Credit System, digital totalitarianism right out there in plain sight.

(cont'd tomorrow)

Chinese approve

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

"Interestingly, socially advantaged citizens – wealthier, better-educated and urban – show the strongest approval of social credit systems, along with older people."

Of course. Those who win at this game of pleasing the government get the perks, like internet speed.

Shanghai sales woman Joyce Hu says, "As long as it doesn't violate my privacy, I'm okay with it." Don't 600 million government surveillance cameras threaten her privacy?

But exactly what the government monitors is not completely clear. "Once citizens find that they are unable to understand how assessments of trustworthiness are made, or experience unfairness, it is unlikely that approval will remain high . . ."