The Aftermath

The train crash in China has become much bigger news and I sense something is brewing underneath all the heat that’s been going on regarding the aftermath of the crash.

Despite all that has happened in the course of the week, one factor stood out above the rest. The media. The communist mouthpiece who ordered media outlets to limit talking about the topic had seen orders defied by most major newspapers and TV stations, with the most drastic coming from CCTV news itself.  Unusually critical of the handling of the government and even linking to other topics such as unsafe food and infrastructure really reflected the peoples’ contempt over government corruption and inability to heed grievances.  

I think what this train crash has developed is something more than just a call for an overhaul of the high speed rail system, but also a rethink of how fast China is going at the cost of quality and safety. The main force behind all this is the people on the ground, the netizens who’s been posting around the clock new information and the feelings of the people.

If I was the government and for the sake of the long term stability and credibility of itself, I’d listen to them, and listen to them seriously.