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Safe-Keeper · 12th May 2008, 05:11 PM

I've watched this excellent documentary several times, and thought I should make a forum thread on it. It was intended mostly to be a discussion on the documentary itself, but as I started writing this, I realized it could also cover this other question I have, something that struck me when I watched the movie and suddenly felt the way I imagine conspiracy theorists feel after their first viewing of Loose Change.

I've always thought of Tienanmen Square as this incident of a group of students demonstrating in the square, tanks and infantry mowing them down, end of story. Oh, and there was this guy standing in front of this one column of tanks on their way to quench the demonstration. Then this documentary comes along and delivers a story of tens of millions of protesters from every walk of life in four hundred cities and widespread street battles. It also shows footage in which the tank man not only stands in front of the tanks, but actually climbs on top of one of them. In other words, if this documentary is accurate, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, then so much of what I've learned of the massacre, including from actual textbooks, has simply been wrong.

So the topic of the thread, I guess, is: If the doc is accurate, how come educators can't get the story straight? How come we in the West have such a flawed view of what happened in those weeks (yes, months)?

Kestrel · 12th May 2008, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper

So the topic of the thread, I guess, is: If the doc is accurate, how come educators can't get the story straight? How come we in the West have such a flawed view of what happened in those weeks (yes, months)?

What is in current textbooks reflects that story that was in the newspapers and on TV when Tienanmen Square happened. That story was based on the information available to those few members of the Western press who were operating in China.

Frontline dug far deeper than those few press reports. Interestingly, the social and political changes in China since Tienanmen Square made it possible for Frontline to travel rather freely around China while making The Tank Man.

MarkCorrigan · 12th May 2008, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by Kestrel

What is in current textbooks reflects that story that was in the newspapers and on TV when Tienanmen Square happened. That story was based on the information available to those few members of the Western press who were operating in China.

Frontline dug far deeper than those few press reports. Interestingly, the social and political changes in China since Tienanmen Square made it possible for Frontline to travel rather freely around China while making The Tank Man.

Yet, despite China opening up, the majority of the populous either do not know about Tienanmen, will not talk about it, or refuse to believe it happened.

Still, impressive that they got more info.

12th May 2008, 05:11 PM	#1
Safe-Keeper Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sogndal, Norway Posts: 7,177	The Tank Man - 2005 PBS Frontline documentary I've watched this excellent documentary several times, and thought I should make a forum thread on it. It was intended mostly to be a discussion on the documentary itself, but as I started writing this, I realized it could also cover this other question I have, something that struck me when I watched the movie and suddenly felt the way I imagine conspiracy theorists feel after their first viewing of Loose Change. I've always thought of Tienanmen Square as this incident of a group of students demonstrating in the square, tanks and infantry mowing them down, end of story. Oh, and there was this guy standing in front of this one column of tanks on their way to quench the demonstration. Then this documentary comes along and delivers a story of tens of millions of protesters from every walk of life in four hundred cities and widespread street battles. It also shows footage in which the tank man not only stands in front of the tanks, but actually climbs on top of one of them. In other words, if this documentary is accurate, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, then so much of what I've learned of the massacre, including from actual textbooks, has simply been wrong. So the topic of the thread, I guess, is: If the doc is accurate, how come educators can't get the story straight? How come we in the West have such a flawed view of what happened in those weeks (yes, months)?
	Last edited by Safe-Keeper; 12th May 2008 at 05:12 PM.

12th May 2008, 07:36 PM	#3
MarkCorrigan Winter is Coming Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Middle of nowhere, UK. Posts: 7,176	Originally Posted by Kestrel What is in current textbooks reflects that story that was in the newspapers and on TV when Tienanmen Square happened. That story was based on the information available to those few members of the Western press who were operating in China. Frontline dug far deeper than those few press reports. Interestingly, the social and political changes in China since Tienanmen Square made it possible for Frontline to travel rather freely around China while making The Tank Man. Yet, despite China opening up, the majority of the populous either do not know about Tienanmen, will not talk about it, or refuse to believe it happened. Still, impressive that they got more info.
	__________________ Naturalism adjusts it's principles to fit with the observed data. It's a god of the facts world view. -joobz Now I lay me down to sleep, a bag of peanuts at my feet. If I should die before I wake, give them to my brother Jake.

12th May 2008, 06:18 PM	#2
Kestrel Illuminator Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: DM79 Posts: 4,227	Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper So the topic of the thread, I guess, is: If the doc is accurate, how come educators can't get the story straight? How come we in the West have such a flawed view of what happened in those weeks (yes, months)? What is in current textbooks reflects that story that was in the newspapers and on TV when Tienanmen Square happened. That story was based on the information available to those few members of the Western press who were operating in China. Frontline dug far deeper than those few press reports. Interestingly, the social and political changes in China since Tienanmen Square made it possible for Frontline to travel rather freely around China while making The Tank Man.