Say Anything Blog

I was thinking about the other case last week where google refused a DOJ/COPA subpoena for search records.  It occurred to me that the worst-case scenarios of the angry “privacy advocates” were based in fear of a politically repressive government more than willing to spy on its citizens and supress dissent.  They were practically hysterical about it, in another forum i frequent.

But then i remembered that a politically repressive government more than willing to spy on its citizens and supress dissent was EXACTLY what we have in China, where Google is playing dumb.

Let me ask you—if the Chinese government demanded ALL of google.cn’s records—do you think they would resist for even a moment, even if they knew it meant hundreds of citizens would be rounded up and imprisoned for thought crimes?

Seriously.

And do we have ANY reason to believe the chinese aren’t ALREADY using this information, willingly provided by google, to spy on thier own citizens?

Excellent points Marty.

When are you going to submit some posts?  I’m going to be gone the next couple of days (Thurs, Fri and Sat).  Then would be a good time.  It would sure help me out.

The war against illegal plunder has been fought since the beginning of the world. But how is… legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish this law without delay … If such a law is not abolished immediately it will spread, multiply and develop into a system.

Frédéric Bastiat, The Law

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