Battling The Information Barbarians -- Wall Street Journal
China often views the ideas of foreigners, from missionaries in the 17th century to 21st-century Internet entrepreneurs, as subversive imports. The tumultuous history behind the clash with Google.
In 1661, Adam Schall, a Jesuit missionary from Germany and astronomer at the Chinese imperial court, fell victim to jealous mandarins, and was sentenced to death for teaching false astronomy and a superstitious faith. He was only just saved from being strangled, when a sudden thunderstorm convinced his judges that nature had spoken against their verdict. Father Schall died soon after. But the defensiveness of the mandarins, who saw his foreign ideas as a threat to their status, would be a recurring theme in Chinese relations with the outside world.
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My Comment: This article was a joy to read. Interestingly, I have been visiting (and living) in China since the mid 1980s, and I have never had problems talking about politics, freedom, corruption, liberty, and the need to change with my Chinese hosts .... and my hosts were mainly mandarins in the Chinese Government (provincial and federal).
But if I started to debate with people outside of my Chinese circle .... that was a definite no-no. Forward to today, I guess this same type of thinking now permeates the "perceived role" that the web has on their own citizens .... especially on the young. Foreigners in direct contact with their citizens but with no government filter .... a definite no-no.
But the funny thing is .... in the end the web is going to be wide open and free in China. On this issue .... not one Chinese Government official has ever disagreed with me on this eventual outcome .... not one.
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