Comments on Yahoo in Communist China

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Re: Injustice

I disagree.  Actually, I agree we should go after our government, but we should also hold Yahoo! accountable.

1) Like I said, information is power in the modern age and Yahoo! is a provider of information.  Modern technology provides the police state with an unprecedented amount of power and control over its population.  Basically, information-technology is a two-edged sword; it is not a harmless product.  Starbucks, for example, deals mostly in coffee.  They, too, went into business in China, but I seriously doubt its coffee products can be abused by the powers in China.  The same cannot be said of information technology.  I think the major corporations rushed into business relations with China before thoroughly thinking the ramifications through, they were primarily interested in new markets and increased wealth.  Granted, it is not as bad as if we were selling weapons to China, but it is one step below that.

2) Giving Yahoo! a pass basically sends the message that the corporations will never be held accountable.  A man was beaten and sentenced to ten-years in prison for speaking his mind.  Yahoo! was complicit in that act.  They should have had a good idea of what would happen to this man and they went ahead and did it anyway. 

I don't know what Yahoo! should have done.  The Chinese Authorities would have screwed them over if they did not comply.  That said, they are still responsible.

posted by mryan_author on May 9, 2007 at 7:16 PM | link to this | reply

Injustice
In this instance I support Yahoo's defence. It is our government, our State Department, who must make the forceful arguments against such injustice. This is one area where the United States, in concert with the United Nations, should be exercising effective influence. It is our governments' lack of concern that we must chide; not any one company's.

posted by EX_TURPI on May 4, 2007 at 1:53 PM | link to this | reply

Excellent issue based post.

posted by afzal50 on May 2, 2007 at 10:06 PM | link to this | reply