I was disappointed with Google’s previous decision to censor search results in China when they launched Google.cn. Helping the Chinese government suppress free speech clearly violates their motto, “don’t be evil,” in my opinion. So I applaud their decision to “reconsider their approach:”
These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered–combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web–have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.
How much of this was a business decision vs. a moral stand, I don’t know. China is such a massive market that I think guilt finally set in a bit, so I’m leaning toward the latter. If they said their initial decision was to get a foot in the door so free speech could eventually sneak in, and they couldn’t publicly say that at the time, I could buy that.


Wow
What happened tonight in Massachusetts was something else. It is sending shock waves through the political establishment of Washington with ripples that will continue on through the elections of 2010 and beyond.
This election shows that the Tea Party movement is real. It is not a fringe movement of crazy anarchists. It is an uprising of regular Americans, from Massachusetts and elsewhere, that understand our country was founded on the principle of liberty for the purpose of defending individual rights. The health care bill (and the bailouts, the state bribes, the union deals, etc.) is a clear violation of the rights of some for the benefit of others, and people are sick of it.
Congratulations Senator Brown. See you around in 2012.