Say what you will about urban legends — sometimes the Scriptwriting God doesn’t even try for verisimilitude:
MASANJIA, China — The cry for help, a neatly folded letter stuffed inside a package of Halloween decorations sold at Kmart, traveled 5,000 miles from China into the hands of a mother of two in Oregon.
Scrawling in wobbly English on a sheet of onionskin paper, the writer said he was imprisoned at a labor camp in this northeastern Chinese town, where, he said, inmates toiled seven days a week, their 15-hour days haunted by sadistic guards.
“Sir: If you occasionally buy this product, please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization,” said the note, which was tucked between two ersatz tombstones and fell out when the woman, Julie Keith, opened the box in her living room last October. “Thousands people here who are under the persecution of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever.”
The letter drew international media coverage and widespread attention to China’s opaque system of “re-education through labor,” a collection of penal colonies where petty criminals, religious offenders and critics of the government can be given four-year sentences by the police without trial.
But the letter writer remained a mystery, the subject of speculation over whether he or she was a real inmate or a creative activist simply trying to draw attention to the issue.
Last month, though, during an interview to discuss China’s labor camps, a 47-year-old former inmate at the Masanjia camp said he was the letter’s author. The man, a Beijing resident and adherent of Falun Gong, the outlawed spiritual practice, said it was one of 20 such letters he secretly wrote over the course of two years. He said he stashed them inside products whose English-language packaging, he said, made it likely they were destined for the West.
“For a long time I would fantasize about some of the letters being discovered overseas, but over time I just gave up hope and forgot about them,” said the man, who asked that only his last name, Zhang, be published for fear of reprisal….
The prophet Nostradumbass
I’d be interested to hear how many people who read the site are planning on being at Netroots Nation in San Jose this year. I already know Cole will be there, and so will I. I’d love to know, so maybe there can be a meet-up and I can possibly book a hotel room for one night on the one when the meet-up happens.
ETA: Send Cole emails about it, I’m sure he’ll love it.
Anne Laurie
@The prophet Nostradumbass: Okay, I know Netroots Nation is a wonderful conference & I hope the meetup goes splendidly!
But still… “Speaking of being interred in a prison camp with a bunch of political fanatics, who’s up for NN?”
Revenge of the Scriptwriting God, who does so understand verisimilitude but doesn’t respect it.
The prophet Nostradumbass
@Anne Laurie: Do you have anything useful to say?
Deffrey Jahmer
@The prophet Nostradumbass:
How’s this for useful: people like you are the reason Cole regularly says, “Fuck you all”. You make the comments section here like being shoulder deep in The Worst Toilet In Scotland searching for a half-used morphine suppository.
/toughlove
The prophet Nostradumbass
@Deffrey Jahmer: What the fuck are you talking about, and who the hell are you?
Actually, I don’t care who you are, you’re going right into the fucking filter. Goodbye.
Snailbiscuits
Kind of off topic but US Army Pacific blocked the Guardian’s website on our network. Not sure why they would do that.
The prophet Nostradumbass
@Snailbiscuits: It’s an open thread, not off topic. I suspect they don’t want the military to read Greenwald, for whatever reason.
Redshirt
People seem quick with the filter these days.
Also, buy American, if you can. It makes a difference.
Bill E Pilgrim
@Snailbiscuits: The somewhat less speedy offspring of Seabiscuit?
Bill E Pilgrim
@Redshirt: I only buy filtered Americans.
The prophet Nostradumbass
@Redshirt:
When people use sockpuppets to attack me, they’re going straight into the filter.
? Martin
We need DougJ to do a thread on songs that a Chinese forced laborer would pre-load on your iPod.
Not sure what more to say on China’s labor situation. It’s becoming more unbalanced. Skilled labor in China is now more expensive than in Mexico, and labor conditions continue to improve. But the unskilled labor in China hasn’t changed a whit, nor is it going to for some time due to the massive pool of unskilled labor they have there.
In the US, there’s definitely momentum on the manufacturing front, but it’s not going to lead to large scale jobs. It will add jobs, but they’ll be relatively high skill/high pay jobs. There’s not enough seed money out there to jump start it as quickly as it could go. We could have a new advanced manufacturing center up by next year (and there are others around the country ready to go as well) but Congress is more interested in abortion bans and cutting food stamps. Business wants it quite badly and is trying to pull the money together themselves, but it’s still a risky thing.
Narcissus
The capitalist gulag, turning a profit.
Snailbiscuits
@Bill E Pilgrim: Ha no, I needed a name for Xbox live and put two random words together and that’s what came out.
? Martin
@Snailbiscuits: Lucky you. Some Senator’s kid did the same thing and came out with Niggerkiller. That’s some bad luck there.
Narcissus
I wonder if any cheap plastic shit I own was churned out by a political prisoner in corporate labor camp. How would you even find out something like that?
Anne Laurie
@The prophet Nostradumbass: As Emma Goldman probably did not say “If I can’t mock, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.”
? Martin
@Narcissus: Hard to. But I guarantee you do own something. Keep in mind too that some goods made in Korea are actually North Korean laborers, which is likely even worse from a human rights standpoint.
But if you have something Made in China, look to see if they have a report through the Fair Labor Association or a similar group. It’ll tell you something about working conditions. Fair Labor Association is mostly garment related. Getting to things like toys and other stuff is really hard – there’s almost nothing out there.
joel hanes
@The prophet Nostradumbass:
NN is in San Jose ?
I will do my best to attend a meetup if it happens.
The prophet Nostradumbass
@Anne Laurie: My god, you’re lame.
The prophet Nostradumbass
@joel hanes: yes, it is.
Narcissus
@? Martin: Also the Slavery Footprint website, which I’d forgotten about.
http://slaveryfootprint.org/
eemom
ok. I admit it. You sucked WAY less when you were copying Charlie Pierce 24/7.
JordanRules
The internet is cold. Mean people still suck.
magurakurin
@Anne Laurie:
huh? that response seems more than a little over the top…considering that,you know, you posted an “open thread.”
If you don’t want off topic posts in your thread, don’t fucking call it an “open” thread. Unless of course “open” is taken to mean we are open to post anything that you see is fit.
Anne Laurie
@magurakurin: Didn’t mean it as an attack. Just thought the juxtaposition was amusing, because I’m like that.
Deffrey Jahmer
eemom, Magurakurin, et al: being a thin-skinned prick who can’t take a gentle ribbing without exploding into hostility is not an Olympic event, so you don’t need to compete for the gold. But thanks for all you do to contribute to Balloon Juice comment section’s WTIS status.
Xenos
Full moon tonight? What a cranky bunch of jerks. Myself included.
magurakurin
@Anne Laurie:
well, cool then.
magurakurin
@Xenos:
no, but it was 95 degrees on my little island today. First real hot day of the year.
NotMax
@magurakurin
You know it is hot when people head to the nearest onsen to cool off.
:·)
DecidedFenceSitter
@Snailbiscuits: because of the risk of a classified data spill. The NSA stuff is still classified, which means anyone who has signed the classified NDA (SF-312) is obligated to treat it as classified until formally declassified. So if you look at the Guardian and the documents, we have a classified data spill on an uncleared network.
Which is a bitch to clean up.
DOD just reissued guidance as to “inadvertent” exposure to classified material and the procedures to take, which accounts for the ease of this happening.
Something similar happened with wiki leaks release if the cables, as they too were classified.
magurakurin
@NotMax:
actually, it’s sort of counter-intuitive, but an onsen bath can be refreshing on a hot day, well, hot evening. In the day not so much. Probably going to hit up an onsen this weekend when we go to visit a friend in Shizuoka. Onsens are truly one of the most wonderfully wonderful things in Japan.
cvstoner
So, what happened to the other 19 letters?
DecidedFenceSitter
@Snailbiscuits: Apparently, my phone comment is in moderation.
Basically, the Guardian is publishing classified data. Classified data, even when publicly released is still classified. Looking at the Guardian allows for there to be a classified data spill. Also, anyone who has signed the classified NDA (SF-312) who goes to the Guardian risks have inadvertent disclosure of classified material that they have neither the eligibility or need-to-know to view the information.
The DOD just had to release a memo to contractors regarding inadvertent exposure to potentially classified information in the public domain to provide processes that allow you to avoid administrative inquiries and adverse information reports.
mai naem
@Redshirt: Ok, I’m going to go on a mini-rant here. I try and buy American first. Second, if American is unavailable, I buy European/Canadian/Japanese, next, South American/Central American. Basically I try and buy non Chinese. The problem is trying to find American stuff. I want President Clinton to explain to me why our fucking bread is made in Mexico. The flatter bread rounds(having a brain fart as far as the brand) which are sold in regular stores/Costco are made in Mexico(btw this is not ethnic bread/its regular perishable bread.) Why is this even allowed? Next time you buy some healthcare item i.e bandaid/alcohol wipe/bandages kind of stuff – look at the labels. Apparently we are unable to make those here anymore either. Look at the soaps at cheaper stores and they’re made in China. WTF? Stationery items too. I want the old good metal good quality swingline hole punchers and staplers not this disposable plasticky swingline garbage made today in China.
mai naem
Mornin’ Ho is talking about WJC essentially calling Obama an idiot for not getting involved in Syria. Really? This coming from a supporter from the false war in Iraq. How about WJC looks in the mirror and blames himself and his buddy Dubbya for going into Iraq which now gives Obama way less maneuvering room in going into Syria?
cmorenc
@The prophet Nostradumbass:
The filter? Oh, please, please PLEEASE NOT THE FILTER! For the love of humanity, don’t send anyone to the filter! Pleeeease!
leeleeFL
Caught part of that before heading to work. First thought: STFU Bill. If he has something constructive to share, he likely has the telephone number yeah? Any live feed or was this second hand info?
different-church-lady
This is nonsense. I have it on good authority that China has a “spirited commitment” to free speech and the right of political dissent.
negative 1
@mai naem: I work for a union, so naturally I try and buy union made and made in the USA. Do you have any idea how hard it is? Manufacturing in this country is decimated. To me the real tragedy is that absolutely nobody cares. Even left leaning economic heroes like Krugman and DeLong long ago sold out to the idea of exporting industrial production. I have yet to hear anyone describe what Americans are going to do for middle-class work that replaces manufacturing. They all mumble ‘post-industrial’ and walk away, although I bet that we’re not ‘post-industrial’ enough to give up the goods that manufacturing provides, like cars and shirts. Yet for some reason we don’t way to pay a living wage to make them, here or abroad.
This country needs an industrial policy, like, yesterday. To quote Richard Trumka “we can’t all just flip burgers for each other.”
different-church-lady
@negative 1:
When they’re not mumbling “retraining”.
My line is, “Globalization will work when you ship all the workers with manufacturing aptitudes overseas along with the manufacturing.” It’s like they think we can re-engineer our society into a monoculture of nothing but white collar workers. Assholes live in a world of theory instead of the world of people.
estamm
OK, ‘Nostradumbass’ is a very clever name/word. I’m gonna use that in the future. If somebody says something stupid about what might happen, I’m gonna say “What are you, Nostradumbass?”. If an NFL announcer says that the next play is sure to be a pass in an obvious run situation, and they do run the ball, I’m gonna shout at the TV “Nostradumbass!”. I’m gonna try to use it some time today so I don’t forget. I’ve mastered ‘call the waaahmbulance’ and ‘want some cheese with that whine?’. Time for something new and even more clever.
Linnaeus
@negative 1:
One could argue that we’ve had an industrial policy for years, but we just didn’t call it that. We called it “defense spending” instead.
snailbiscuits
@DecidedFenceSitter:
Ah ok, thanks for the info.
Tone in DC
See if I can actually stay on topic, here.
I’m just glad the Falun Gong are still resisting the PRC’s tender mercies. Everyone here over 30 remembers the video from Beijing in 1989. The point of view of the guys at the top in China hasn’t changed much since then, even if the economics has.
ruemara
@The prophet Nostradumbass: That’s probably the only meetup I would have a chance to attend.
Mnemosyne
@Anne Laurie:
If you want people to only address the topic and not bring up other things, don’t call it an Open Thread. Jaysus, why is this a difficult concept for you?
Mnemosyne
@Tone in DC:
The topic is any topic you want, because it’s an Open Thread. If AL wanted to have people only discuss what she posted, she shouldn’t have labeled it an Open Thread.
Anna in PDX
@DecidedFenceSitter: This seems like trying to put the horse back in the barn… it’s like trying to jury-sequester huge numbers of people who work in the military. However, I used to work for the Feds (foreign service, so I did have top security clearances) and understand how this works a little bit (though it was way a long time ago when we mostly were concerned about cables, not computer related data)
Anna in PDX
@negative 1: We (people I hang out with that is) discuss this on a daily basis. The only unions left seem to be service and public sector. There is so little manufacturing and what there is does not feel like it will last. It is a huge factor in the income disparity rise and the fact that so many young people can’t find good jobs.
Every time we drive to work we pass the docks and bemoan the lack of industry here and the changes the container ships have wrought.
different-church-lady
@Mnemosyne: I think A.L. might have been reading a sly joke into The Prophet’s comment (comparing NN to a prison camp) where there was none.
Anna in PDX
@different-church-lady: Yes, as I think she mentioned upthread, she was making a funny, not a very successful one based on the reaction, but it is always hard to hear tone in blog comments.
Mnemosyne
@different-church-lady:
If so, the joke really did not come across at all. It came across more as, How dare you talk about something as frivolous as NN when I’ve posted a poignant story about a Chinese prison camp! In which case, don’t call it an Open Thread.
mac007
I often think about what untold horrors my consumer dollars unwittingly fund, and it almost makes me want to cry. I’m convinced, if there is a heaven, it’s exceedingly unlike any of us will ever go there. I don’t think St. Peter is going to accept “I didn’t know” as an answer.
Anna in PDX
@mac007: Yeah, lately this feeling has made me put things back on the rack at Target or TJ Maxx… you just feel awful.
different-church-lady
@Mnemosyne: To clarify: my theory is she thought Prophet was making a joke, she tried to make a joke in return, Prophet didn’t get it (because there wasn’t a joke in the first place), got all huffy (understandably) and all of a sudden nobody can have nice things.
A.L. signals such at #26, even if it’s still not crystal clear. The mock outrage was over the perceived joke, rather than any improper hijacking of the thread.
LanceThruster
He should have given the fake name “Jones” or “Obama” or something as I do not doubt they’d punish everyone named Zhang if they felt like it.