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.
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.
Again- either Censorship in the west is the same as Mao’s China- the claim in the headline and the article, in which case, according to you, there is no censorship -or- that claim is false. I’m starting to think you didn’t even read the headline, let alone the article.
It’s very simple. It’s also the only thing I have been discussing this entire time.
Also, I have no idea what text you provided because you didn’t link to it. I have no reason to just trust you presented it accurately. You could have just as easily made it up.
I think you are under the false notion that my issue with your comment was that you where saying that the headline was false, That was not my issue, I too take issue with the headline but in the inverse way and we have not at all been discussing that, for any reason and I am sorry you got that impression.
That being said that is not what we have been discussing this entire time, as I have stated MULTIPLE TIMES, my argument is that freedom of speech is not exlusive to the west as you heavily implied in your first comment, and that is what I have been taking issue with.
And I can one tell you it is from the Mao Era Constitution, and I could have made it up, but I have integrrety, unlike you when you just without warrent or evidence said Feedom of speech is an exclusivly western thing. or in such that I only provided you the post 1982 constituiton immedatly after I provided, and cited the Mao era constitution.
That may not have been what you were discussing, but it is the only topic I have been discussing this entire time, which is why I have brought it up over and over again.
And, again, I have no idea if you cited that constitution because you didn’t link to it. Again, you might have made it up. I’m sure you want me to “just trust me, bro,” but I don’t.
You are free to look it up for yourself, I do not expect yoy tp trust me on absolutely anything, but I am not going to be uploading an entire PDF into a comment
Also if we want to refraim, I will happy argue the PRC is better than The USA, if that is what you would rather be arguing?
All you have to do is post a link. Just copy and paste a URL. That you refuse to do so certainly makes me think you were being dishonest.
And no, yet again, my argument is that the claim that “censorship in the West is exactly the same as Mao’s China” is false. That is all my argument has ever been from the start, which is why I have brought it up in almost every response to you. If only you would read it. Or the article. Or the article’s headline.
I really don’t care about your opinions about China.
It is a pdf saved to my computer, how the heck do you want me to “coppy a url”
I read the article headline, I too say its false, but I also disagree with you, funny how that can work, we can agree in a boolian statement but disagree with each other, my argument to you is that your starting comment was incorrect and accademicly dishonest
Sure. You have Mao’s constitution saved as a PDF on your computer. Very believable. Surprisingly convenient.
You know how often I have this exact argument in a year IRL, I am a communist, I hear “You wouldn’t be allowed to critise the government in a communist country” all the time so I have a habit of once I have to use a constitution of an AES county, or a specific edition I save it