Google needs to cut off China

Mike Taht makes a damned good point about Google and China:

What does Wikipedia got that google doesn't? Balls. And no sissy weasel worded responsibility to the shareholders, only a responsibility to the truth. Google should remember that in part, its responsibility to its shareholders is in being a trusted source for reliable information.

Now, Dave wonders about bloggers having their minds changed... I can unequivically say that the following elements changed my mind (because it just happened):

• Mike Taht's posting, with links that let me see the difference
• Doc's pointer and further commentary, especially picking the Orwell reference (otherwise I was going to skip it)
• My own previous posting, in which I examined my own views about Google in a different scenario
  

All of this combined to wake me out of a mode of incrementalisim and appeasement that now shocks me in retrospect.

I recently wrote about how Google and others should stand up to the new AT&T's attempted extortion. This is exactly the same scenario and I missed that point, until now. AT&T, China, and many other players want to chop up the net, via censorship, metering, differential pricing, and many other ways. But it all boils down to one thing in the end, control.

It's a power play, and Google thought too much, and didn't have enough balls. They need to cut off China, redirect their queries, or do whatever they think is neccessary, but should definitely NOT censor themselves. It is absolutely wrong to deny a people access to their own culture and history.

Google needs to stop appeasement now!