[Wikipedia-l] Re: wikipedia in China

[Erik Moeller]

Christopher-
> I think she means that if we are respectful of other
> people' sensitivities, then a greater good will come out in the end.

The censorship of content about the Chinese government's actions is not in  
the interest of the many, it is in the interest of the ruling elite. Whose  
"sensitivities" are really at stake here?

I was as concerned about proceeding with caution when they initially  
censored us as everyone else. When a really big bully pushes you, you may  
try to reason with him first. Perhaps you can bribe him, or you can hope  
that he will pick on the other kids and leave you alone.

But that's what all the other kids do, and that's why the bully has his  
power in the first place. And if you grant him that power, then he will  
use it and still abuse you. If at that point you are worried about the  
bully's "sensitivities", you are already a slave at heart.

Sometimes you have to push back.

Even if it hurts. And compared to what happened in 1989, the temporary  
loss of botanic knowledge is hardly a tragedy.

The way to defeat the bullies of the world is to expose them for what they  
are, and to realize that we are the many and they are the few. Then we can  
fight them.

Let them censor us instead of being their fig leaf. What a great way for  
them to prove the point that they're not interested even in neutral  
content, only in propaganda. Then let's use our collective intelligence to  
dig a way through the Great Firewall.