Slashdot Mirror
Congressman Quizzes Net Companies on Shame
mjdroner writes "Cnet has a transcript of the House of Representatives hearing on net censorship with Google, Microsoft, Cisco, and Yahoo reps. At one point, Rep. Tom Lantos asks if Microsoft is ashamed of their actions in China. Microsoft: 'We comply with legally binding orders whether it's here in the U.S. or China.' Lantos: 'Well, IBM complied with legal orders when they cooperated with Nazi Germany. Those were legal orders under the Nazi German system.'"
It's been established for some time that capitalism is the best economic system (thus far) for providing growth and prosperity.
It's also been established that without some sort of ethical laws governing a capitalistic system it will steamroll over anybody on it's way to the singular goal of profits.
We have laws in the U.S. designed to limit the behavior of corporations (within the country) based on the ethical and moral will of the people as represented through government (mostly...don't start the hypocracy thing).
I see NO reason why a company that is based in a U.S. should NOT have to follow the same laws when setting up shop in another country (Obviously things like minimum wage would have to be modified to suit local circumstances).
If it's good for people in the U.S. then it's good for people in China. If the corporation can't set up shop there because the local government will not let them then it's THEIR loss.