Chinese and Google...

[JustGav]

It has been fairly upfront and in the news lately regarding the Great Chinese Firewall and esp. google.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8474011.stm

 

China has denounced US criticism of its internet controls, saying it could harm ties between the two countries.

 

Even Mrs Clinton has gotten in on the act with lovely quotes such as

 

"those who disrupt the free flow of information in our society, or any other, pose a threat to our economy, our government and our civil society."

 

and

 

She said the US was supporting the development of new tools to enable citizens to circumvent politically motivated censorship

 

Now fair enough, sorting out the internet attacks on a company is one thing, but to actively encourage companies to go against their country I think is wrong. Once again it feels like the US are attempting to dictate to other countries how they should run their own borders.

 

Some interesting takes around the net regarding it as well

 

Sarah Lacy in Techcrunch reckons that Google's decision is less to do with human rights and more to do with business:

 

"Does anyone really think Google would be doing this if it had top market share in the country? For one thing, I'd guess that would open them up to shareholder lawsuits. Google is a for-profit, publicly-held company at the end of the day. When I met with Google's former head of China Kai-fu Lee in Beijing last October, he noted that one reason he left Google was that it was clear the company was never going to substantially increase its market share or beat Baidu. Google has clearly decided doing business in China isn't worth it, and are turning what would be a negative into a marketing positive for its business in the rest of the world."

 

And this I agree with

 

"If Google has any problems in its business in China, these must be resolved according to Chinese law, and the Chinese government is willing to help resolve these problems," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said.

 

China has defended its right to filter information available on the Web and repeatedly told foreign firms they must obey its laws.

[AlexJames]

meh, nuke em

[JustGav]

meh, nuke em

 

Funny you should say that...

 

I just get the feeling there is another cold-war brewing....

[AlexJames]

... well I was joking, I wouldnt want anyone nuked, but, I do think the same... something big is coming...

[AndrewOW]

Yeah in 2030, when China takes over the world! Muhahahaaaa *cough*

 

Oh, and I wouldn't worry too much about the Chinese. They only like to kill their own.

[AlexJames]

[AJI]

Yeah in 2030, when China takes over the world! Muhahahaaaa *cough*

 

Oh, and I wouldn't worry too much about the Chinese. They only like to kill their own.

 

 

 

As opposed to Britain and the USA and well; insert any western country here.

 

 

 

Basically, this kinda rolls over into the last episode of the west trying to enforce its control on China. (the 'british' drug dealer who tried to claim he was not responsible for his own actions that was executed recently).

 

Again, as with the other story, why should China have to bow to any controls that the west wants to gain inside THEIR borders?

 

If google do not like the conditions in China then its a simple decision for them to leave....but no, they have a huge business potential and another region of the world where they can continue to hold internet dominance.

 

 

The other factor of this issue is that the Chinese government have every right to limit the information that is viewed by its citizens...just like the film certificates that we get here in the UK on our movies and TV watersheds etc.

There is a LOT of negativity from the west towards non-westernised countries and I really do think that any country has a right to filter out a lot of the nonsense that is aimed at them.

And also a lot of information that their population is not ready for.

 

 

It is now well established that the USA is very afraid/concerned/relegated/(insert suitable word) to a position behind China in world domination. And its not surprising that now a lot of the higher officials in that country are trying to sway western opinion of China.

 

I have lived there for a while and I can say without a shaddow of a doubt that life there is very different to the usual media stories that we are fed.

[JustGav]

The other factor of this issue is that the Chinese government have every right to limit the information that is viewed by its citizens...just like the film certificates that we get here in the UK on our movies and TV watersheds etc.

There is a LOT of negativity from the west towards non-westernised countries and I really do think that any country has a right to filter out a lot of the nonsense that is aimed at them.

 

And that is the keypoint in a nutshell.... "We civilized democratic countries can tell you what to do and look at because..well we are democratic about it". The truth of it (IMHO), is that ALL governments exert control over the populous, it is just how they sell it.

[ivan]

I really fail to see what right the USA thinks it has in trying to dictate to any foreign power what they can or cannot allow their own citizens to access in the internet.

As for Clinton's statement "those who disrupt the free flow of information in our society, or any other, pose a threat to our economy, our government and our civil society." China are not disrupting the free flow of information in YOUR society, so BUT OUT woman!

[Snooze]

The US also controls what people can view via the internet. They just do it using the law rather than a technological solution.

[MARTIN R]

The US also controls what people can view via the internet. They just do it using the law rather than a technological solution.

 

was thinking exactly the same