HONG KONG \u2014 They\u2019re like George Carlin\u2019s seven dirty words, except it\u2019s not the FCC who\u2019s banning them, but the Communist Party of China.<\/p>\n
In a directive reportedly distributed last month to local party committees, China\u2019s top propaganda officials issued new
\nrestrictions banning discussion of seven topics deemed to be \u201cdangerous Western influences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Titled \u201cThe Current Situation of the Ideological Front,\u201d the report urges cadres to stop universities and media organizations from talking about a wide range of political ideas. In fact, the banned topics cover a variety of subjects that have been openly discussed in Chinese universities and publications for years.<\/p>\n
If implemented, the bans would deeply call into question the sincerity of General Secretary Xi Jinping\u2019s self-styled image as a reformer.<\/p>\n
Professors and activists blasted the so-called \u201c7 speak-nots\u201d after Zhang Xuezhong of the East China University of Political Science and Law posted them on his website. Censors quickly deleted Zhang\u2019s post and censored all discussion of the \u201c7 speak-nots\u201d on social media.<\/p>\n
The bans came amid a revival of hardliner attacks on constitutionalism in China, and the shutdown of blogs belonging to several popular, prominent writers. Last week, four blogs belonging to writer Murong Xuecun, including an account with 14 million followers, were shuttered, sending a chilling message to even mainstream critics of the government.<\/p>\n
So what are these deadly topics that could land you in trouble? Below, a guide to what\u2019s banned, and what they reveal about the deepest fears of Beijing and the Communist Party.<\/p>\n