SNIPPETS: Gates Locked to Free Expression

Snippets:

FREE EXPRESSION CHALLENGED IN CHINA.
WHO COMES TO THE RESCUE?

Here’s a little blurb that simply slipped in under the radar this week.
For those of you who don’t know, Microsoft discovered China awhile back and without much fanfare, invested in their engineering talent at a brand new facility in one of those overnight cities dotted with skyscrapers. I don’t know it for fact, but I guess at about the same time, 1,000 or so Microsoft engineers got their walking papers…

Here’s one little story that may color your view of what happens when the archetypal model of democracy buddies up with one of the world’s biggest oppressors: It doesn’t take a wizard to know that the Internet has been one of the greatest innovations to hit China in ages. Mostly, it has become a break-through vehicle for expressing one’s ideas in a land that discourages that sort of thing. Therefore, it is doubly prized. Well, in this particular incident, the Internet’s capacity for free expression was severely tested.

It seems that one group was using the power of the Internet to communicate a message of freedom to the ordinary Chinese. This wasn’t viewed to kindly in a country that believes in the benefits of regimentation and control.

But what to do about it?

China didn’t have a clue. Thusly, the guilty party (or parties) would have gotten away with it had it not been for the fact that Microsoft was anxious to endear itself to the regime.

Microsoft, putting its need to curry favor ahead of its moral obligation to hold up democracy, did the unthinkable; they agreed to help China locate and identify the culprit. Clearly, the idea that because this individual was seeking freedom in a way that emulated our Founding Fathers made no impression on Bill Gates, who continued to be mesmerized into accommodating its Maoist patron. As luck would have it, this freedom loving party, operating completely anonymously up until Gates agreed to turn them in, will undoubtedly not get a second chance. You see, Gates and his computer geeks were successful. Thanks
To Bill Gates, China’s ability to oppress its people is now reassured….And one more little light of free expression will blink off for good!

Apparently, freedom is a great concept as long as it doesn’t interfere with this company’s ability to make profits. Of course, the story was hushed up but it needs to be orally repeated so that those of us on the ground who think free speech and liberty are not such bad concepts, never forget what happens when self interest gets in the way of doing what’s right. When push comes to shove, we know where this company stands.

Les Aaron
The Hubmaster

Come see www.lesaaron.blogspot.com