5 ms·

Misleading, IMO: > The AFP reports that the rental contract on Ai's studio expired last fall, and that Ai had "been expecting to leave the studio soon." Sure,

by shawnz 8y ago

Misleading, IMO: > The AFP reports that the rental contract on Ai's studio expired last fall, and that Ai had "been expecting to leave the studio soon." Sure, maybe they wouldn't have abruptly torn it down if he was still in their favour, but they're also not obligated to let him have that workspace for free.

Areading314 8y ago
Agreed
colordrops 8y ago
He's a great artist and is fighting the good fight but the US propaganda machine will twist every little story to make it look like he's being crucified by the Chinese government.
- eloff 8y ago
  US propaganda machine - in a story on China, the king of propaganda. The irony is thick. There's no central spin on US media. Certainly trump would love to have that power, because the media is endlessly critical of him. China on the other hand has a very well developed central propaganda machine.
  - DoofusOfDeath 8y ago
    It sounds like you're arguing that because China has extensive propaganda operations, it follows that the U.S. doesn't, or that they're ineffective, or irrelevant? It would be helpful if you could clarify your point and your argument.
    - barrkel 8y ago
      Eloff appears to think that propaganda needs to be centrally directed by the government for it to count.
  - barrkel 8y ago
    Make no mistake, the US continually pumps out propaganda. The Establishment position is generally reflected in most cultural output, and if your output doesn't conform, a lot of angry people will come after you, just like they're gunning for Alex Jones. I don't disagree much with American Establishment propaganda, but to deny the bias in almost all cultural output is foolish. And yes, Trump is a victim of Establishment propaganda. He deserves it most of the time, but the times he doesn't are what gives his followers the oxygen to shout fake news alongside him.
    - barrkel 8y ago
      I don't normally comment on downvotes, but the downvotes are actually evidence of orthodox view policing, proving my point! :)
  - colordrops 8y ago
    It's not a secret or a conspiracy that the US puts out propaganda. What does China's propaganda have to do with my comment? You are changing the subject.
- gscott 8y ago
  This on is a good story too. Chinese agents rush into your house, take your coffin and destroy it. No propaganda just reality fror the Chinese. https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/International/coffins-destroyed-china-search-solution-burying-million-bodies/story%3fid=56958117 https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Internationa...
mtalantikite 8y ago
I’ve had rental contracts expire in NYC and you just pay month to month after that. I’d be pretty upset if my landlord showed up one day and just bulldozed the apartment with me still in it. Maybe he was planning it as a political act, a performance piece of sorts. Regardless, I still don’t think having an expired lease should be met with a destroyed workspace.
- nordsieck 8y ago
  >>> The AFP reports that the rental contract on Ai's studio expired last fall, > I’ve had rental contracts expire in NYC and you just pay month to month after that. The reason that works in NYC is because by law rental contracts that expire (without specific language to the contrary) become month to month leases. That may or may not be the case in China.
- oh_sigh 8y ago
  Have you considered the rights of the landlord? From the video, it looks like a single large "studio"(aka multi-thousand meter-squared building for one person), and not a multi-tenant dwelling like one might expect in SF, NYC, or BJ/京. Imagine the landlord wants to sell the property to a large property developer, one who may want to place 100+ units on your previously single unit rental. Is it fair that Ai can just stay there...perpetually - holding up 99 extra units on the market because he can't be bothered to move out?
  - dis-sys 8y ago
    > Is it fair that Ai can just stay there...perpetually - holding up 99 extra units on the market because he can't be bothered to move out? Of course he can - he is an activist, he doesn't need a rental agreement or title of land, he owns the place where he wants, he is an activist! as clearly stated by the article, the lease expired last fall, almost 1 year after the expiration of the lease, he just have too much stuff stored in that place, how that is not a strong enough reason to keep staying there? why the landlord can't just give him another 3-5 years rent free period so he can slowly move his stuff as he want? He is an activity against the Chinese government, he is entitled to do/own anything he wants. You are brainwashed if you don't agree with that.
crazygringo 8y ago
Indeed. From NPR: > One of Ai's assistants, Gang Ra, told the AFP new agency that the rental contract for the building had ended last year but that it "simply wasn't possible" to move out at the time because of the amount of works still present. > He said that they had been told that the move would need to take place within a matter of days, but added that they had not been warned when the demolition would begin. As much as I love his work, agreed this sounds like a non-story. He's a tenant who refused to leave for at least 7 months and the landlord had other plans for the property. If Ai had been the owner and his building were demolished without warning, that would be completely different... but that doesn't seem to be the case at all.

by shawnz 8y ago

Areading314 8y ago

Agreed

colordrops 8y ago

He's a great artist and is fighting the good fight but the US propaganda machine will twist every little story to make it look like he's being crucified by the Chinese government.

eloff 8y ago
US propaganda machine - in a story on China, the king of propaganda. The irony is thick. There's no central spin on US media. Certainly trump would love to have that power, because the media is endlessly critical of him. China on the other hand has a very well developed central propaganda machine.
- DoofusOfDeath 8y ago
  It sounds like you're arguing that because China has extensive propaganda operations, it follows that the U.S. doesn't, or that they're ineffective, or irrelevant? It would be helpful if you could clarify your point and your argument.
  - barrkel 8y ago
    Eloff appears to think that propaganda needs to be centrally directed by the government for it to count.
- barrkel 8y ago
  Make no mistake, the US continually pumps out propaganda. The Establishment position is generally reflected in most cultural output, and if your output doesn't conform, a lot of angry people will come after you, just like they're gunning for Alex Jones. I don't disagree much with American Establishment propaganda, but to deny the bias in almost all cultural output is foolish. And yes, Trump is a victim of Establishment propaganda. He deserves it most of the time, but the times he doesn't are what gives his followers the oxygen to shout fake news alongside him.
  - barrkel 8y ago
    I don't normally comment on downvotes, but the downvotes are actually evidence of orthodox view policing, proving my point! :)
- colordrops 8y ago
  It's not a secret or a conspiracy that the US puts out propaganda. What does China's propaganda have to do with my comment? You are changing the subject.
gscott 8y ago
This on is a good story too. Chinese agents rush into your house, take your coffin and destroy it. No propaganda just reality fror the Chinese. https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/International/coffins-destroyed-china-search-solution-burying-million-bodies/story%3fid=56958117 https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Internationa...

mtalantikite 8y ago

I’ve had rental contracts expire in NYC and you just pay month to month after that. I’d be pretty upset if my landlord showed up one day and just bulldozed the apartment with me still in it. Maybe he was planning it as a political act, a performance piece of sorts. Regardless, I still don’t think having an expired lease should be met with a destroyed workspace.

nordsieck 8y ago
>>> The AFP reports that the rental contract on Ai's studio expired last fall, > I’ve had rental contracts expire in NYC and you just pay month to month after that. The reason that works in NYC is because by law rental contracts that expire (without specific language to the contrary) become month to month leases. That may or may not be the case in China.
oh_sigh 8y ago
Have you considered the rights of the landlord? From the video, it looks like a single large "studio"(aka multi-thousand meter-squared building for one person), and not a multi-tenant dwelling like one might expect in SF, NYC, or BJ/京. Imagine the landlord wants to sell the property to a large property developer, one who may want to place 100+ units on your previously single unit rental. Is it fair that Ai can just stay there...perpetually - holding up 99 extra units on the market because he can't be bothered to move out?
- dis-sys 8y ago
  > Is it fair that Ai can just stay there...perpetually - holding up 99 extra units on the market because he can't be bothered to move out? Of course he can - he is an activist, he doesn't need a rental agreement or title of land, he owns the place where he wants, he is an activist! as clearly stated by the article, the lease expired last fall, almost 1 year after the expiration of the lease, he just have too much stuff stored in that place, how that is not a strong enough reason to keep staying there? why the landlord can't just give him another 3-5 years rent free period so he can slowly move his stuff as he want? He is an activity against the Chinese government, he is entitled to do/own anything he wants. You are brainwashed if you don't agree with that.

crazygringo 8y ago

Indeed. From NPR: > One of Ai's assistants, Gang Ra, told the AFP new agency that the rental contract for the building had ended last year but that it "simply wasn't possible" to move out at the time because of the amount of works still present. > He said that they had been told that the move would need to take place within a matter of days, but added that they had not been warned when the demolition would begin. As much as I love his work, agreed this sounds like a non-story. He's a tenant who refused to leave for at least 7 months and the landlord had other plans for the property. If Ai had been the owner and his building were demolished without warning, that would be completely different... but that doesn't seem to be the case at all.