Shine on Mario, you crazy diamond.

Seriously though; great sift!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_Man

Most enduring picture/footage ever, imo.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'resistance, freedom, oppression, government control, machines, tank man' to 'resistance, freedom, oppression, government control, machines, tank man, Mario savio' - edited by Fedquip

Maybe he just wanted directions..

?

http://www.videosift.com/video/Mario-Savio-You-gotta-put-your-bodies-upon-the-gears

Reminds me of the Democratic party and Hillary. I hope this doesn't become part of Obama's concession speech. The rules committee should read this before they adjourn.

I hadn't heard of this speech until I heard the nearly identical one that Tyrol made in Battlestar Galactica (apparently with the blessing of Mario Savio's widow).

why haven't heard Mario Savio before?

this is a shocking state of affairs.

Dear Right-Wingers: you're looking at the face of the new Liberal ascendancy. You're not going to like it.

*Promote the truth about what China is still about to this day. Fuck the Olympics.

Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 3:25pm PDT - promote requested by kronosposeidon.

I am so sick and tired of seeing this video everywhere. It seems like every time China is mentioned in the news, they somehow manage to stick this clip in. I do not find this video inspiring in any way. If this government is so malevolent, why is this video not about a tank turning some guy into a meat cake? A video like that would definitely get the point across better.

^Because the guy is still believed to be alive. It's about the courage it took to do this. A man, ONE man, versus an entire column of tanks, who stood up for something right. How many people on the entire face of the planet have that kind of courage? I can think of absolutely no one that I know who would have done such a thing, including me. Could you do it?

He is a symbol for what is best in us all, i.e., each an everyone of us CAN make a difference IF we have the courage to do so.

As bad as my country is (the U.S.), China is worse. Reporters covering the Olympic games can't get decent internet access because of the heavy censorship. Chinese soldiers still shoot people for trying to LEAVE the country. So I posted this in hopes that more people will boycott the Olympics.

I don't care if your don't like this video, but that doesn't mean that you should also summarily dismiss it.

This incident is and will always be an incredibly strong image for me. It inspires me to do my best for others, and to take the paths which I believe in for the good of all human beings, regardless of the popular opinion.

Sadly, I have heard multiple times that this man was taken into custody and killed by the government one week after this incident. Where did you hear he was still alive? That would be amazing.

Great documentary (57min) here: http://www.videosift.com/video/Tiananmen-Square-The-Man-Who-Stopped-the-Tank

The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 is not so simple as to summarize with a video of one man standing in front of a tank. To understand the full scope of the incident, it will require a bit of a history and government lesson. Although the cause for the protest was noble, against totalitarian government policy, corruption, and call for democratic reform, the way in which the protests were executed is not acceptable. The crowd that gathered in the square was there for over two weeks, starting in early May, picketing major government institutions, essentially shutting down the central government. It's a wonder that any country's government has so much patience to deal with a situation like that (would love to go picket the white house). Their patience finally ran out and they called in the army on the night of June 3rd. However, the prospect that this was a peaceful demonstration is grossly misinterpreted. The protest had already broken into rioting and looting on the streets. Both soldiers and civilians were killed in the clash, exact death tolls are unknown. Many civilians were simply stomped to death from the massive crowds rushing down the streets, soldiers known to have been beaten and then burned alive, on streets lit with molotov cocktails and burning wreckage. In such a chaotic environment, it's no surprise that many people would die. Where i'm quoting from? I have relatives who were there.

It is generally accepted in China today that the incident was a mistake in both the government and the people's part. It is in my belief that in the same scenario, any other government would have done the same, if not worse. Chinese are quite a riotous people, the smallest incidences when uncontrolled could to balloon into huge ones with rioting and pillaging, you cannot simply compare with protests in America with people holding up signs yelling at each other.

I'm not applauding the Chinese government for being some benevolent one, they have some serious problems. In fact, they have ALOT of problems, but I can still sympathize towards their mammoth duty of running perhaps the most difficult nation in the world to govern. Too much diversity, too many people, too many disagreements. Therefore governance requires a great deal of power to keep the country from going into anarchy, it has been true there since the imperial ages. Honestly, a true democracy in China would be as realistic as true communism, it wouldn't last a year without destroying itself. We here in the US give up certain liberties for "security", the Chinese give up certain freedoms for stability, 'tis the same principal.

Perhaps I can be that one individual who stands against the army of people who upvoted this video. Let this wall o' text be a lesson that every country have their own issues, and we have no right to be judgmental about others when we have so many problems of our own to fix.

PS:
I'd love to see the source which suggests people get shot for trying to leave China. They probably shoot people who try to get in though
Now boycotting the olympics in the name of politics is extremely naive. The whole point of the olympics is for people of the world to temporarily forget their differences and compete in an even playing field.
The censorship does suck though, they need to fix that :-/

Reporters covering the Olympic games can't get decent internet access because of the heavy censorship. Chinese soldiers still shoot people for trying to LEAVE the country. So I posted this in hopes that more people will boycott the Olympics.

The speech is taken out of context and, even though this is a great video, does not have anything to do with a socialist/communist government and it's actions against students.

*dead

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