Global Free Markets vs. China

Yesterday, Google decided to shut down its Chinese search page after a frustrating Chinese government continued to censor Google search results and hack into Google servers.

In response to China’s authoritarian approach to social control, Google redirected its Chinese site to the unregulated Honk Kong page. But a belligerent Chinese government “moved on Tuesday to block access to the Hong Kong site, the use of which Google had hoped would allow it to keep its pledge to end censorship while retaining a share of China’s fast-growing internet search market.” Understanding that the Chinese government enjoys operating via thought police, it will be interesting to see what China will look like in the next half century. 

The real question becomes whether or not democracy is inherent to every culture and whether democratic values such as free speech and basic natural rights are fundamental to every human society. I would argue that democracy is not inherent to a culture, but humanity’s desire to be free most certainly is.

After Google announced that it would be shutting down its Chinese search page, people in Beijing brought flowers and chocolates and placed them at Google’s front gates as a virtual sign of mourning.