Have you ever observed mainstream media trolling the general public?

[PseuTonym]

I came across the following two consecutive paragraphs in what seemed to be a mainstream article by a mainstream author writing for a mainstream audience:

Once information starts to flow freely, it’s hard to stop democracy. Consider former East Germany, whose Communist rulers were unable to block West German television broadcasts. Seventy percent of the East German population could pick up uncensored news in their own language with only a twisted coat hanger for an antenna – and the television told them all the things their rulers didn’t want them to know.

In particular, it showed them the nonviolent democratic revolutions in Asian countries in the late 1980s, especially the one where Chinese students tried to overthrow their own Communist regime in the spring of 1989. “We could do that,” the East Germans said to themselves, and six months later they began their own nonviolent revolution, starting the avalanche that swept away all the Communist regimes of Europe with hardly a shot fired.

Link:
gwynnedyer.com/2003/al-jazeera-and-arab-democracy/

The above two paragraphs raise so many questions that it’s difficult to know where to begin. I’ll begin with the first sentence of the second paragraph and try to follow both the text and my own train of thought.

First, how many “Asian countries” does the author have in mind?

Second, I am guessing that one of them is China. Can anybody name a second “Asian country” that is relevant here?

Third, why does the author use the words “tried to overthrow” to describe what the Chinese students did? That sounds like rebellion, insurrection, treason, or seditious conspiracy. Did the Chinese students say that a change of policy from the existing government wouldn’t be acceptable, and that the leaders themselves had to be replaced with different people?

Fourth, why does the author use the word “revolutions” if the main “revolution” that he has in mind didn’t actually replace the government or change its policies, but simply elicited brutal repression?

Fifth, as a fact-checking exercise, did the brutal repression occur less than six months after the “revolutions in Asian countries in the late 1980s”, and – if so – why didn’t the brutal repression of peaceful protesters in Tiananmen Square dissuade East Germans from attempting something similar?

Sixth, given that a Hungarian uprising in 1956 was crushed by the USSR, isn’t it possible that the fall of the Berlin Wall had something to do with popular reaction to Gorbachev, and trust that Gorbachev wasn’t going to order the military of the USSR to crush a popular revolution in East Germany? Isn`t it possible that the protests in Tiananmen Square also had something to do with popular reaction to Gorbachev?

Seventh, back on the topic of the flow of information, how did people in various countries in Europe other than East Germany get their information? “Seventy percent of the East Germany population could pick up uncensored news in the their own language” doesn’t tell me anything about other countries using other languages. Is it really good enough to introduce a metaphorical “avalanche” and say that it “swept away all of the Communist regimes of Europe”?

Is it just me, or is there something very odd about the two paragraphs that I quoted?

 

[chefmomster2]

I have no particular problem with the paragraphs myself, especially in context. In her editorial, Gwynne Dyer is commenting on the influence of uncensored news when it is made available in countries ruled by totalitarian regimes. I am no supporter of Al-Jazeera and don’t agree that it is the bastion of truth she describes, but to the extent that it has allowed access to news that is uncensored by the governments in the region, it may have provided fuller access to ideas and events than did before.

The Arab world has never had that kind of access to uncensored news and free debate — at least, not until five years ago, when al-Jazeera went on the air. It’s only a single television channel, but it broadcasts by satellite 24 hours a day, and can be picked up by anybody with a dish almost anywhere in the Arab world.

Al-Jazeera has 600 journalists operating in all the Arab capitals (except those where they have been expelled), plus London, Paris, New York and Washington, and it has single-handedly transformed the nature of political debate everywhere. It has interviewed Israeli cabinet ministers live. It has broadcast tapes sent to it by Osama bin Laden. It has allowed Saudi Arabian dissidents to criticise the monarchy. It has even given air time to critics of the Qatar government where it is based.

This may seem like no big thing. After all, it’s only one channel, and you have to be rich enough to own a dish to get it. But that is to misunderstand the nature of the media environment. When a major outlet starts to tell the truth, even if only one Arab in ten sees it (al-Jazeera claims a regular audience of 35 million), the word gets around very fast.
…

That may seem an exaggeration, since there has been no major change yet in any of the regimes that run the region. But as Australian media magnate Rupert Murdoch said ten years ago…direct broadcasting from satellites is “an unambiguous threat to totalitarian regimes everywhere.” The free flow of information opens people’s minds, and then change can happen.

 

[John_Lazarus]

Just as an FYI, Gwynne Dyer is a guy. He’s also not a reporter for Al-Jazeera, he’s a syndicated columnist carried in a number of newspapers worldwide. And he’s a Newfoundlander.

 

[chefmomster2]

Just as an FYI, Gwynne Dyer is a guy. He’s also not a reporter for Al-Jazeera, he’s a syndicated columnist carried in a number of newspapers worldwide. And he’s a Newfoundlander.

Thank you. I was not aware the columnist is a male. The article does not suggest that Dwyer works for Al-Jazeera. He wrote the column that is referenced in the OP.

 

[Coatimundi]

First, how many “Asian countries” does the author have in mind?

Second, I am guessing that one of them is China. Can anybody name a second “Asian country” that is relevant here?

The Philippines might be the best remembered example. Its “People Power” toppling of Ferdinand Marcos was inspirational to many people around the world. The ending of a military dictatorship in South Korea and the lifting of martial law in Taiwan might also be relevant.

 

[PseuTonym]

The Philippines might be the best remembered example. Its “People Power” toppling of Ferdinand Marcos was inspirational to many people around the world. The ending of a military dictatorship in South Korea and the lifting of martial law in Taiwan might also be relevant.

Thank you. Given that the two paragraphs actually make some sense if we completely remove all references to China and replace China with the Philippines as an example, it would be an understatement for me to say that the Philippines is a better example than China. Of course, what is better or worse depends on one`s goals. If the original two paragraphs were designed to troll the public, then they might better serve that goal in their original form.

On the assumption that there`s no controversy with respect to the timeline of events in the Philippines and East Germany, I did a quick check of easily accessible sources and found the following:

The People Power Revolution (also known as the EDSA Revolution, the Philippine Revolution of 1986, and the Yellow Revolution) was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines that began in 1983 and culminated in 1986.

Link:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_Power_Revolution

February 6, 1989
Chris Gueffroy is the last person to be killed trying to cross the Wall.

August 23, 1989
Communist Hungary removes its border restrictions with Austria.

September 10, 1989
The Hungarian government opens its border for East German refugees. More than 13,000 East Germans escape into Austria.

November 4, 1989
An estimated one million people attend a pro-democracy demonstration in East Berlin’s main square. Within days, the East German Government resigns.

October 3, 1990
Germany is formally reunited.

Link:
coldwar.org/articles/60s/BerlinWallTimeLine.asp