Internet censorship

I was surprised by the level of censorship the OpenNet Initiative found in China. Not because I didn't think the Chinese government was that interested in limiting its citizens' access to information; clearly, every totalitarian regime wants to ensure that its citizens only know what the regime wants them to know.

No, I was surprised because I didn't know that the Internet was that censorable. We hear all of these claims of "free information" and the decentralized nature of the internet making it impossible to control. Well, clearly, the Chinese have found a way to control it. How can we be sure our own government will never decide to do the same? PATRIOT Act III, anyone?