Chinese Bloggers Go Troofer After Quake

Well, that didn't take long. From what I can recall, it took at least a few days before the crackpot conspiracy types started in with their nonsense post-9/11.

Granted, these folks are probably in shock following this tragic calamity and at the same time are naturally suspicious of their government.

But really, it seems a bit far-fetched to think the Chinese government knew an earthquake was coming and did nothing to prevent it. And really, how exactly could they prevent it if indeed they knew?

As the death toll in China's Sichuan province climbs, the nation’s bloggers have joined together in the search for a scapegoat.

Broadband connections across the country are pulsing with rumours of "earthquake omens" involving toads or butterflies - all allegedly ignored by the authorities. Some even talk of a vast pre-Olympic conspiracy.

One blogger from Shandong province, in eastern China, wrote that more than a month ago, he went to his local earthquake forecast centre several times to report that his animals had been disturbed and restless.

But, he wrote: "They not only ridiculed me, they accused me of making up stories."

Read the rest.