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Americans And Chinese Internet Censorship
chowbok writes: "The Weekly Standard writes that despite expectations, the Chinese Government has been very successful in suppressing free internet access for their citizens. Key to this success was the assistance of Cisco, who built a giant firewall tailored to the state's needs, Yahoo (who helpfully censors search results and monitors online chats), and other Western companies."
Who cares that American Coporations are helping an oppressor? Are they bound to our higher ideals? Do they not owe it to their shareholders to meet the needs of these customers?
Why should I be troubled by this?
- Dan I.
The Chinese nation will sort themselves out over a long time, and probably peacefully, too - that's the Chinese way, to take the long, nonconfrontational view.
From what the West sees of China, this is not true. If it were not for fear of foreign intervention, China would immediately annex Taiwan and Hong Kong, rounding them under the Communist regime of the mainland, putting to death all who stand in their way. The Chinese government seems to have no problem being confrontational when it comes to political dissenters (a classic case of political stabalization theory gone amuck).
I remember when the Chinese ambassador paid a visit to my university last semester. He said that China was only concerned about creating "One Nation, One Government" with Taiwan. I swore I could hear Hitler's rhetoric ringing in those words.
Tyranny anywhere is a threat to democracy anywhere. When China truly becomes "the people's," then the economic boom you speak of will have an environment in which it can flourish. As long as people do not trust their government, they cannot trust its laws and policies. And fear motivates much less effectively than love does. Until the people can internalize, agree with, and embrace the structure in which they transact business, things will continue to crawl at a snail's pace.
In the meantime, we cannot allow the issues of human rights to "sort themselves out over a long time."
An unjust law is no law at all. - St. Augustine
Yes. Join the John Birch Society.