I don't agree with her assessment of Bush, but there are some interesting points in this article.
God bless! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.osopinion.com/perl/story/19484.html OPINION: Memo to China: Open the Internet Cafes Contributed by Elizabeth Millard osOpinion.com September 23, 2002 As President Bush focuses on Iraq to deflect attention from growing domestic problems, drenching his rhetoric in rah-rah American jingoism, there is a different country that political and technology leaders should be watching more closely. That country is, of course, China. To say that the United States historically has had a complex relationship with China is a vast understatement, akin to mentioning that humans have traditionally needed air to survive. But as hackneyed as the phrase has become, we truly are on the way to being a global village, and if China continues its current behavior, we could all be in for some rough nights in the village square. Block That Freedom China's policies represent an enormous contradiction. On the one hand, companies are allowed to flourish and even have IPOs, much like in capitalist countries. On the other hand, the government is so fierce about controlling the information dispensed among its citizenry that it recently shut down thousands of Internet cafes and blocked search engines Google and AltaVista. Only if an Internet company signs an agreement to play by the government's rules is it allowed to be accessed by those fortunate enough to have a computer. It's Not Unusual This approach is not completely unique in the world. Other countries have similar policies, and Vietnam in particular is terrifyingly oppressive in terms of freedom of the press, electronic or otherwise. But China is different in many important ways. Most crucially, the sheer size of its population means any repressive action is carried out on a grand scale. Not just a handful of Internet cafes were closed, after all, but almost 17,000. That staggering number is proof that the average, non-governmental Chinese citizen is eager to plug in and be part of an Internet society. Yet citizens' attempts at electronic freedom are being crushed, and it seems that the U.S. government is treating the situation like some kind of Star Trek episode in which Captain Picard invokes the "prime directive" to explain his inaction. Speak Up The continuing crackdowns in China are coming at a time when American companies are eager to rush into the Asian country. They can hardly be faulted, since China represents a vast market that is largely untapped by foreign firms. But having non-Chinese companies trying to operate within the restrictive atmosphere that China creates is going to prove a neat trick. What happens when employees need to access information that the government considers non-essential? More importantly, if American companies sign the gag orders required by China, what does that say about what they -- and we -- value? Signing away freedoms simply to earn some money is not an unusual action in this or any other country, but a line must be drawn somewhere. There must be some expression of intolerance shown. Now is the time to speak. As the cafes close down, objections should be raised. -- [Manny Amador] ----------------------------- [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] -- Member: Philippine League for Democratic Telecommunications, Inc. "Affordable Access for All!" -- [Open Minds Philippines] --------------- [openminds.linux.org.ph] -- _ Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives at http://plug.linux.org.ph To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fully Searchable Archives With Friendly Web Interface at http://marc.free.net.ph To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send "subscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
