Green Dam- DAMN!

The Chinese governments insistence that Western computer manufactures build in approved censorship software under the guise of protecting the populace from pornography is laughable on several accounts. First, the Chinese people themselves have an incredible history of erotica and to claim that they are trying to keep out immoral material is laughable. Second, everyone knows that it is an attempt but eh government o control everything that is communicated via the internet by and to Chinese citizens.

Totalitarian regimes are like that. Any thought that is contrary to those of the ruling powers is to be stamped out, crushed and eliminated. What is most disturbing is the number of companies that have, to date, been willing to roll over and play lapdog to this brutal regime. I suppose profits uber alles is a near universal concept. Whether it was American companies who did business with the NAZI government, a la IBM, for example among others, or GOOGLE, which currently assists the Chinese government in filtering websites available in that nation ( hey, Sergei, didn't your parents escape from a totalitarian regime?).

As events in Iran show, it may be possible to circumvent government restrictions on access, but only to a degree. What i find beneath contempt is the willing compliance of entities that need to fatten their bottom lines. It sort of reminds me of that line by Nikita Krushchev to the effect that the west will sell the Soviets the rope by which they hang us. I must note that there is some degree of push back by some western entities against supplying the Green Dam censorship software. Good Show!

Another good piece of news is the President's decision to create a Cyber Warfare command to monitor and counter the myriad probes and attacks that the US has been subjected to recently. Who is doing this "probing"? Well, it ain't space aliens looking for some Saturday night fun. Think Al Queada, various criminal elements in lawless regions, Russia, and especially China. We will have to decide whether and when to just monitor, counter probe, or take aggressive actions against those who are seeking out or weak points.