River-Crabbed: The Rumors Are True

River-Crabbed: The Rumors Are True

When something disappears from the Internet in China, netizens joke that it has been “river-crabbed,” a play on the euphemism “harmonized.” River-Crabbed is a collection of blog post titles, weibo, and other materials deleted from their original sources on Chinese websites, either found by CDT or brought to our attention by outside projects. The editors have selected river-crabbed information of note from CDT Chinese’s ongoing compendium of the same name (河蟹档案).

The following deleted weibo was selected by CDT Chinese editors from FreeWeibo.

The Chinese government is tightening its grip on online “rumor mongers” in an effort to control public opinion. Two Weibo users were arrested on August 21 for allegedly defaming legendary Chinese Communist hero Lei Feng. Then Charles Xue, an American citizen Weibo “Big V” celebrity, was arrested on the 24th on suspicion of seeing a prostitute. The state-run press called him an “online rumor monger” as well.

The weibo below could have been deleted for its sardonic take on rumors, but the number 64 almost certainly flagged it for censors. In Chinese, the crackdown on Tiananmen protesters in 1989 is often called “June 4th,” or simply “Six-Four.”

老虎布吃饭饭: Don’t pass on rumors, don’t believe rumors … this is definitely no rumor … // 章立凡: [Long Live Taxes] The government will turn 64 this year, and still insists on working. Generation after generation, we taxpayers have to support the elderly on its behalf.

不传谣,不信谣,这个肯定不算谣… // 章立凡: 【万万税】政府今年64岁了,还在坚持工作,我们纳税人要世世代代给他老人家养老

1985: It’s good to have just one child; the government will support you in old age.

1985年:只生一个好 政府来养老

1995: It’s good to have just one child; the government will help support you in old age.

1995年:只生一个好 政府帮养老

2005: Don’t count on the government to support you in old age!

2005年:养老不能靠政府!

2012: It’s good to postpone retirement; support yourself in old age.

2012年:推迟退休好 自己来养老

Via CDT Chinese. Translated by Samuel Wade.

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