Os ventos da mudança e a lei do mercado

A propósito da polémica em torno da censura na internet chinesa e dos atropelos à liberdade de imprensa, é interssante ler eastas declarações de um antigo editor, sob anonimato, ao jornal The Guardian, em Pequim:
"There is a big change in attitude among journalists," says one former editor, who asks to remain nameless. "The Communist party always claimed to be on the side of the public, but most journalists and editors no longer believe this. They want to write reports that reform society, that hold the authorities to account. This is now mainstream thinking. It wasn't 10 years ago."

Na audição no Congresso norte-americano a responsáveis da Cisco, Yahoo, Google e Microsft, vale a pena tomar nota das seguintes afirmações:

Christopher Smith, congressista republicano:
"Women and men are going to the gulag and being tortured as a direct result of information handed over to Chinese officials"

Tom Lantos, congressita democrata:
"Can you say, in plain English, that you are ashamed of what you and the other companies have done?"

Elliot Schrage, vice-presidente da Google
"In a situation where there are only imperfect options, we think we have made a reasonable choice"

Jack Krumholtz, Microsoft
"If the outcome of these hearings is to make it possible to continue these services in China - either because of conditions imposed by our government, or because of further actuions in the part of the Chinese government -we believe the Chinese would be the principal losers"

Michael Callahan, Yahoo
"US companies in China face a choice: comply with Chinese law, or leave".


Os mecanismos de censura da Google são evidentes ( e assumidos) se escrevermos no motor de busca Google, na pesquisa de imagens, a palavra "Tiananmen" no Google.com e no Google.cn