You think about all this. Then if you have the stomach for it, you can go off and read some of the dozens of flesh-crawling puff-pieces from CiF over the past month or two, designed to rehabilitate the great man and airbrush his past out of history.

Then go back and read Charter 08 again: "The stultifying effects… endemic official corruption… decay in public ethics… We reiterate and endorse basic universal values as follows… The holders of major official posts in government at all levels are determined through periodic competitive elections..."

Well, it's a noble aspiration.

Perhaps if Ms Sampson really wants to demonstrate the courage of her convictions she might enhance her career prospects by preparing this short speech for her Editor: "I'd like to do a short article criticizing the re-appointment of Peter Mandelson to the government. This was an action that flagrantly violated some of the most fundamental principles of Charter 08, a document to which I give my wholehearted support…"

I predict that the conversation is likely to go as follows:

Catherine: "I'd like to do a short article criticizing the re-appointment of Peter Ma-"

Editor: "You're fired. Get out."

(China.org.cn December 30, 2008)