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Google Assists In Arrest Of Indian Man
An anonymous reader writes "After a Google user posted a profane picture of the Hindu saint Shivaji, Indian authorities contacted Google to ask for his IP address. Google complied. He was arrested and is reported to have been beaten by a lathi and asked to use the same bowl to eat and to use in the toilet.
Not surprisingly, Google is a keen to play this down as Yahoo is being hauled over the coals by US Congress for handing over IP addresses and emails to the Chinese Government which resulted in a Chinese democracy activist being jailed." Readers are noting that these are 2 unrelated cases — the latter is several months old.
Really. Nothing to see here... move along.
/. should have absolutely no complaints about this case.
All the moral relativists here on
Just because being beaten with a long cane and being forced to eat from your toilet bucket (or wear it on your head, a common practice in parts of India, yeah really) seems cruel and unusual doesn't mean that it is. Viewing it as such is cultural imperialism as we attempt to judge another culture using our own value system. And that would be wrong.
In addition, viewing Google's actions against our own cultural mores would likewise be incorrect. Instead we must attempt to see their actions from the point of view of the offended parties. From that vantage point it is clear that Google has rightfully done its civic duty by helping see to it that a miscreant who insulted a saint was brought to justice and properly punished for his blasphemous ways.
Wow, I had no idea. These examples demonstrate an Indian foreign policy that favors peace, human rights and diplomacy -- values clearly in conflict with current U.S. foreign policy.
The longer they're around, the more indications we see that Google's left coast, we're-all-in-this-together, good guy image is nothing more than just another example of corporate PR spin.
Can anybody still believe Google has no plans to surrender all those search records they've been hoarding to the first fascist prick who waves a writ in their face? The people who allowed this to happen should be made to walk the plank.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
I suppose it's not great, but it beats prison time in the USA.