Well, at least indirectly. Google in its exit from the Chinese market for search tried to bolster it's "do no evil" motto by trying to demonize China's censorship laws. We have written quite a bit about Google in the past - some directly and others indirectly (see our other 'Google'-tagged articles). In this article, I would like to simply show how Google participates … [Read more...] about Listen up, Syria, Google wants you invaded
Opinion
Refilling the Liberal vacuum
In a previous post I talked about the Liberal tradition (that is, the explicit and formal human rights framework, not to be confused with how people often use the term to refer to a political or economic “left” or being “progressive”) as being a byproduct of religious, political and other kinds of oppression in the west. I also talked about the importance of instituting rule of … [Read more...] about Refilling the Liberal vacuum
Who Are You Calling a Police State and Other Urgent Matters
It's a long running joke that many in the West continue to misleadingly characterize China as a police state. In the run up to the Olympics, there are people who mocked Chinese efforts to provide for a safe and successful Olympics - even though massive security efforts now appear to be quite routine in the West (see e.g., 2002 Olympics, 2004 Olympics, 2006 Olympics, 2010 … [Read more...] about Who Are You Calling a Police State and Other Urgent Matters
WTO’s Recent Ruling Against China over Export Controls of Certain Raw Materials: A Critical Juncture for the WTO and a Chance for Chinese Leadership?
Last week, the WTO handed China a setback in its ruling over its appeal over export controls (herein the Ruling) covering "[c]rtain forms of bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, silicon metal, yellow phosphorous, and zinc." The Global Times has a strong response: Time to reassess unfair WTO entry terms Global Times | February 01, 2012 … [Read more...] about WTO’s Recent Ruling Against China over Export Controls of Certain Raw Materials: A Critical Juncture for the WTO and a Chance for Chinese Leadership?
South China Sea, two opposing views from Philipines on the U.S. Asia ‘pivot’
There has been a lot of coverage in the U.S. media lately about America's Asia 'pivot.' In particular, U.S. seems to be taking sides with Vietnam and Philippines in their disputes with China. The U.S. relationships with these two countries are nothing but complex. When the Philippines was colonized by the Spanish, the U.S. took sides with the Philippines to oust Spain. … [Read more...] about South China Sea, two opposing views from Philipines on the U.S. Asia ‘pivot’