I just finished reading the article by Zittrain and Palfrey on Internet Filtering in China and it makes me really grateful that I live here instead of there. It strikes me as incredibly bizarre that China has yet to succumb to the political pressures from the US and other democratic nations who would advocate for free speech rights for Chinese citizens. The measures that the Chinese government has put into place to repress their citizens online are downright draconian.
My office at GW has had to deal with a few incoming freshman from China directly related to this censorship issue. These students have not been allowed to apply for housing at the University based on the censorship that the Chinese have implemented over American educational websites. Heaven forbid what would happen if a Chinese student studying in America could apply for a double over a triple for their freshman year housing.
I was hopeful that when Hong Kong changed from British to Chinese power a few years ago that the trappings of Communism would fall when the Chinese government saw how effective capitalism and a democratic commerce system were first hand. I am still hopeful that the government will see the error in its ways and that the Chinese citizenry will rise up against this attack on informational and free speech rights.
1 Comments:
I would love to see the end of Communism everywhere, but unfortunately don't see that happening anytime soon. People who know nothing else don't know how to cause change. Perhaps through American and European visitors to their country, visits to Democratic countries, text messaging, and access to some American news media websites some progress can be made.
Post a Comment
<< Home