Google, China, and the U.S. Dept. of State

[Robert Sheridan]

The U.S. has a long history of backing its commercial entrepreneurs.

John Adams negotiated with Britain for the protection of Massachusetts 
cod fishing interests on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, British territory.

The U.S. fought the Barbary pirates to protect American shipping 
interests.  We also fought for the principle of freedom of the seas.

I find it interesting, not to say strange, that when search engine 
pioneer Google enters the China market it must kow-tow to Communist 
Party decrees intended to perpetuate itself in undemocratic power.  Now 
it has pulled out of that market rather than curtail the validity of its 
product, the unfettered truth of any search.  China has accused Google 
of being a pawn of the State Department.  State has said our 
fingerprints aren't on this.  Well, why aren't they?  They should be all 
over it.

We are supposedly fighting in the Middle East to advance democracy, 
perhaps because we think we can.

Why do we not speak out in aid of courageous Google and at least decry 
the action of China in forcing Google to adulterate its product, the 
truth, by censoring sensitive queries and results inside China?

Don't we speak out against China's one-child, forced-abortion policy, 
and grant political asylum to its victims?  We do.

Why, then, do we not step up and say a word in support of Google?  Why 
should Google stand alone before the Communist Party and its government 
in Beijing when this country has sent its navy in defense of its 
maritime commercial interests?  And its full complement of armed forces 
in favor of its, and the West's, petroleum commercial interests?  Don't 
we have an equivalent interest in defending our intellectual property 
and truth-generating interests?

rs