Slashdot Mirror
China Ditches Compulsory Green Dam Plans
scrubl writes "China has ditched plans to force foreign and domestic computer manufacturers to install internet filtering technology in computers sold inside its borders. The Chinese government paid $5.85m to develop the software called Green Dam and claimed it was being installed to stop access to porn on computers and protect children. China's industry and information technology minister Li Yizhong said that manufacturers, Internet users, and organisations opposed to the plans had received the wrong message from his department and that installation was never planned to be compulsory."
The decade of the 1960's in the USA was the time when the young people of the USA finally got fed up with endless war, systemic racism, and lying government. The older generations just could not understand why these 'hippie scum' would not conform to the older generation's idea of 'normal'.
When will the same thing happen in China? When will the youth decide not to sign up for a lifetime of back breaking labor for low pay? When will the youth of the different ethnic groups in China begin inter-marrying and creating multiracial families? When will the youth demand a clean environment? When will youth demand the right of free expression.
When this happens, the world will be safer for our children.
... and very little posted here about the most comprehensive, sweeping and far-reaching bill ever proposed in the United States ... namely, HR3200, aka "Americaâ(TM)s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009." I've kept my silence so far, but the political bias of the moderators here -- simply put, those who decide which stories make it to the main page -- is becoming laughably obvious.
Slashdot regularly and routinely posted every scrap of news about the Bush administration proposing a national ID card, or attempting to monitor private citizen's behavior, etc., etc. You can read the text of HR3200 online for yourself (http://info.glenrose.net/hr3200.pdf, just to name one place -- do a Google search). An admittedly-biased summary, written by a Duke University professor, can also be found at http://www.classicalideals.com/HR3200.htm.
Here's my own little quote from the bill:
Page 58, lines 5-13:
(D) enable the real-time (or near real time) determination of an individualâ(TM)s financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility, which may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card;
"May" ... at the discretion of the Secretary. This is similar wording to what was found in the Bush proposals, and which incited near-riots here on Slashdot. Why no outcry this time? Enquiring minds want to know. :)
On page 59, lines 4-8:
(3) TIME FOR ADOPTION.â"Not later than 2 years after the date of implementation of the X12 ... (Page 59, lines 22-23):
Version 5010 transaction standards implemented under this part, the Secretary shall adopt standards
under this section [to, among other things]
(C) enable electronic funds transfers, in order to allow automated reconciliation with the related health care payment and remittance advice;
Once again, "enable," not "require" -- but at the discretion of a government bureaucracy. So ... who do you trust and believe?
As for the government keeping comprehensive, detailed medical records on every citizen, we have this reassurance on page 62:
(b) LIMITATIONS ON USE OF DATA.â"Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the use of information collected under this section in a manner that would adversely affect any individual.
I am greatly comforted.
OK, so it's great news that China is abandoning these "Green Dam" plans. But when is this far larger story going to receive attention here? Or will even this post be modded as "troll" by all of the obvious Obama supporters here? We'll see. Thus far, the silence here has been DEAFENING. :)