Comments on: Thoughts on the China/Google Commotion…by some randoms http://dragonhunting.com/2010/thoughts-on-the-chinagoogle-commotionby-some-randoms/ Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:51:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: james http://dragonhunting.com/2010/thoughts-on-the-chinagoogle-commotionby-some-randoms/#comment-4644 james Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:56:06 +0000 http://dragonhunting.com/?p=485#comment-4644 You make a very good point Mark...where do we draw the line? And I didn't mean to say that we in the west have freedom of speech as a universal value, but that it's something we strive for. Sadly I think the west is becoming more and more censored. What really gets my goat, is that as China becomes more and more powerful, while getting away with heavy handed restrictions on freedom of speech, Western gov'ts will look at that and think they can get away with it too. Then we'll all be stuck in a downward spiral. That's why I support all efforts pushing for greater freedom of speech regardless of what country the efforts are coming from or going to. You make a very good point Mark…where do we draw the line? And I didn’t mean to say that we in the west have freedom of speech as a universal value, but that it’s something we strive for. Sadly I think the west is becoming more and more censored.

What really gets my goat, is that as China becomes more and more powerful, while getting away with heavy handed restrictions on freedom of speech, Western gov’ts will look at that and think they can get away with it too. Then we’ll all be stuck in a downward spiral.

That’s why I support all efforts pushing for greater freedom of speech regardless of what country the efforts are coming from or going to.

]]> By: Mark http://dragonhunting.com/2010/thoughts-on-the-chinagoogle-commotionby-some-randoms/#comment-4643 Mark Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:44:59 +0000 http://dragonhunting.com/?p=485#comment-4643 I think I'm about to make myself even more unpopular :) Now, I believe in Freedom of speech much more than most people. Its shoddy implementation in the west suggests that its not quite so cut-and-dried as a "universal value". Me, I'd allow everyone to say whatever they want whenever they want without risk of prosecution, but that's never going to happen. You have Google pulling out of China because of censorship when Google searches in countries like Germany, Austria and France have various neo-nazi websites filtered out. I don't really see the difference. There is filtering in just about every country because of things like child pornography. Where do you draw the line? I think I’m about to make myself even more unpopular :)

Now, I believe in Freedom of speech much more than most people. Its shoddy implementation in the west suggests that its not quite so cut-and-dried as a “universal value”.

Me, I’d allow everyone to say whatever they want whenever they want without risk of prosecution, but that’s never going to happen.

You have Google pulling out of China because of censorship when Google searches in countries like Germany, Austria and France have various neo-nazi websites filtered out. I don’t really see the difference. There is filtering in just about every country because of things like child pornography. Where do you draw the line?

]]> By: james http://dragonhunting.com/2010/thoughts-on-the-chinagoogle-commotionby-some-randoms/#comment-4642 james Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:55:47 +0000 http://dragonhunting.com/?p=485#comment-4642 The issue presented above is freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is a universal value. The only people that can argue against freedom of speech are the people at Zhongnanhai who risk losing their jobs when those below can finally speak out and organize against them without being firewalled, taken down, or shouted down by the 5mao party. Are you one of those people then? If so I envy you ;) The issue presented above is freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is a universal value. The only people that can argue against freedom of speech are the people at Zhongnanhai who risk losing their jobs when those below can finally speak out and organize against them without being firewalled, taken down, or shouted down by the 5mao party. Are you one of those people then? If so I envy you ;)

]]> By: Mark http://dragonhunting.com/2010/thoughts-on-the-chinagoogle-commotionby-some-randoms/#comment-4641 Mark Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:07:41 +0000 http://dragonhunting.com/?p=485#comment-4641 Hi James, OK, I'm going to make myself unpopular now and say I'm siding with Karen on this one. I can't see anything wrong with what she said. The reply is a good read but full of assumptions. If it works for Taiwan and Hong Kong then it will work for Mainland? Really? Just imagine if China allowed its people to elect a Chinese version of George W Bush! We would all be doomed... Hi James,

OK, I’m going to make myself unpopular now and say I’m siding with Karen on this one. I can’t see anything wrong with what she said.

The reply is a good read but full of assumptions. If it works for Taiwan and Hong Kong then it will work for Mainland? Really?

Just imagine if China allowed its people to elect a Chinese version of George W Bush! We would all be doomed…

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