The Power of Photography

[Hostile]

http://www.wimp.com/powerfulphotographs/

 

[Temo]

The last one always gets me. It's still crazy to know that we were there and took that picture. Just can't quite wrap my mind around it.

 

[jobberone]

http://www.wimp.com/powerfulphotographs/

Incredibly powerful Hos. I was moved.

 

[Hostile]

The last one always gets me. It's still crazy to know that we were there and took that picture. Just can't quite wrap my mind around it.

The one that gets to me is the tanks in Tiananmen Square in Beijing China. The Chinese Government does not allow people to discuss that event, and I think it may be the most amazing event in their History.

 

[Temo]

The one that gets to me is the tanks in Tiananmen Square in Beijing China. The Chinese Government does not allow people to discuss that event, and I think it may be the most amazing event in their History.

Have you seen the video? It's somehow even more striking than the picture.

[youtube]qq8zFLIftGk[/youtube]

 

[jobberone]

The photo taken by AP Photographer Jeff Widener as tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square on June 5th, 1989, is known as the Tank Man photo. The movement known as the June 4th protests is called Liu Si Shi Jian in Mandarin. The general public is free to discuss this or even write to the 'government' about it although they understand no one in the 'government' will respond in any fashion. People in China are free to talk about events but they may not foment insurrection. However, this topic is never discussed on TV etc as that is not permitted by the government.

Most people there are not concerned with that or many other events in the past. Many older people will not discuss events long ago at all to even family and the reason is complicated and not current censorship. A few do talk about past events and write books on the subject. China is slowly moving towards the West although those in power jealously guard their power and primarily the money that generates. Government officials are often very corrupt from the top to the bottom with family members amassing much wealth.

 

[arglebargle]

Saw a number of young Chinese citizens interviewed about Tianamen Square on a recent anniversery, most of whom professed no knowledge of it, or said that whatever was going on, the government must have had a good reason.

It was a bit frightening.

The photo/video is indeed quite powerful. No one knows who he was, but he was most likely quietly rounded up and 'disappeared'.

 

[jobberone]

Saw a number of young Chinese citizens interviewed about Tianamen Square on a recent anniversery, most of whom professed no knowledge of it, or said that whatever was going on, the government must have had a good reason.

It was a bit frightening.

The photo/video is indeed quite powerful. No one knows who he was, but he was most likely quietly rounded up and 'disappeared'.

My Chinese family don't really care much about it now. You can openly talk about anything in China that is factual. China has just changed so much it is not really that germane anymore. Facebook isn't officially allowed but you can get around it. They have their own version of it. Wikipedia isn't allowed but you can get around that as well.

Only about 1 in 25 people are members of the party and the vast majority of members could care less about the party and are just like everyone else. They just needed to be members to be in the military or whatever. Those are good jobs.

I'm glad to see China becoming more like the West. What I don't like is they are becoming just like us. The youngsters are losing the traditional values just like the last couple of generations here. Taiwan and Japan have long become like us.

 

[jobberone]

I didn't mean to hijack the thread. Hopefully more will view the OP and comment. Or just appreciate it. Sry Hos.

 

[DallasEast]

All of the images are truly powerful, but I must confess being captivated by this one:

http://i356.***BLOCKED***/albums/oo4/DallasEast1701/f1f083ef.png

Photo's within photos showing the passage of time. One can see who these people were in the background photo hanging on the wall. One day, the picture in the foreground will have only one sister/cousin/friend. Later, the picture will have no one displayed in the foreground.

Time waits for no one, but photography can bear witness to where it has been.

 

[FloridaRob]

that whole website is addicting. Just spend an hour on it.

Good link Hos.