Rains pummeling the Chinese capital of Beijing on Saturday, July 21, and which state media said were the worst in 60 years, caused serious flooding through the city and surrounding areas. According to official numbers, the death toll from the flooding stood at 37 as of July 25, 2012. But as the city braced itself for more rain, web users attacked the city government on social media for not doing enough to build up basic infrastructure and prepare the city for events like this. In this cartoon, posted to Sina Weibo by Mao Ni’er (猫妮儿), titled “Asking for a Day Off” (求放假), two Chinese struggle through a violent thunderstorm. The text on the dark thundercloud reads: “On July 25, Beijing will see more huge storms”. The caption under the figures reads: “Won’t bosses with a conscience please let [workers] off for a day. In Beijing, when it rains PEOPLE DIE!”


David Bandurski

CMP Director

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