Although I do not agree with most censorship*, I feel that Google was right in their decision (article). Now, I personally have a problem with China in the human rights regard, but since the country is an economic superpower, I can see why companies would want to do business there. In order to respectfully do business in another country, a company would need to comply with said country's laws and regulations. Again, in this case, I dont necessarily agree with China's politics**, but if I were to be in China for whatever reason, you would not see me disobeying their laws (when in Rome...). Granted, if it were Canada, Harper would allow us to be walked all over (but he's a boot licker).
[EDIT]: Google is currently being taken to task by a Republican senator about censorship in China (article).
On the other hand, I strongly oppose the idea of Google handing over search information (article) to the US government. I strongly feel that it is the responsibility of parents to keep internet porn away from their children. Then again, this doesnt seem to be the day of personal responsibility anymore.
*I believe in some cases, such as during police investigations, the media should back off. Especially where it could potentially taint a prospective jury pool. Guilty, or innocent, a person deserves a fair trial, devoid of media influence.
**I have serious problems with a country being run as a dictatorship.
{Wednesday, January 25}
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3 Comments:
Scribe Called Steff said...
Wednesday, January 25, 2006 3:24:00 a.m.
Christophe said...
Wednesday, January 25, 2006 9:18:00 a.m.
eye candy said...
Wednesday, January 25, 2006 12:13:00 p.m.
Scribe Called Steff said...
Yes, but Google's largely avoiding handing it in to the US gov't in order to cover their asses and protect their $400-share price. They have a search engine that is unparalleled, and deep in those pages is the source secret to how the magic happens -- and Yahoo, and all their friends, are totally willing to pay the bucks for some mole to spit it out so they can steal the idea and make some money.
It ain't altruism. It's the American way.
Ahem. From one Canadian to another. ;)
Glad you dig my blog! Thanks. Glad you like my freedom quote, too. I was proud of thinking that one up.
-steff.
The Cunt.
Christophe said...
It's the massive human rights violations I tend to have a problem with re: China. Freedom of speech and info is but one of them, going back to your post on South Dakota and abortion remember what they do in China with baby girls, then there's Tibet, the pogroms that are taking place on a daily basis across rural China with farmers being cleared off their land to make way for state capitalism...
The persecution of the Falung Gong and of course the epic levels of corruption of the state apparataus.
That any duplicitous first world state that supposedly has democractic accountability, never mind profit whoring corporations can countenance doing business with China without concessions on these rampant abuses speaks volumes about the type of society we've allowed into creation.
eye candy said...
It makes me wonder if other companies such as MSN or Yahoo were subpoenaed (sp?) for their search queries as well.
Christophe, the state of things in China was another reason I called bullshit on the Iraq war. If the US (but not limited to the US) was so interested in human rights issues, they would break all ties with China. The only reason that China is currently an economic superpower is because countries, and companies, are willing to overlook the abuses, for their own benefit (ie cheap labour).
I really believe though, that it will take more than embargos to take down China's current government. It will take a revolution, but I cannot see that happening anytime soon.
