Ma Ying Jieu has won what has been a tough and closely watched election in Taiwan. Emphasizing close relations with the mainland, Ma celebrated the victory as a victory for the people of Taiwan. The DPP, with charismatic (and "native Taiwanese") Tsai, gave stoic (and "外省人") Ma a much bigger challenge this time (characterization by my deep-green family-in-laws), losing to Ma … [Read more...] about Ma Ying Jiu Wins Taiwan Election
freedom of speech
Eric X. Li’s “Counterpoint” Op-Ed in the New York Times – Debunking Myths About China
Eric X. Li had a wonderful op-ed in the NY Times. I really don't know how he got a piece through, especially since all mine have been rejected. Anyways, hats off to him! Here is his op-ed, with some of my thoughts scribbled throughout. … [Read more...] about Eric X. Li’s “Counterpoint” Op-Ed in the New York Times – Debunking Myths About China
Opinion: the Death of Osama Bin Laden, the Ethics of Assassination, and Next Media Animation
As you all know, Osama Bin Laden was killed by special U.S. op forces a couple of days ago in Abbottabad, Pakistan. According to Obama's remarks in the immediate aftermath of Bin Laden's death, Osama Bin Laden died in a firefight when he resisted capture. Personally, I am ambivalent about the killing, especially the circumstances of Bin Laden's death. The Whitehouse at first … [Read more...] about Opinion: the Death of Osama Bin Laden, the Ethics of Assassination, and Next Media Animation
EU Investigates Google
The EU begins officially to investigate Google for alleged anti-competitive practices. According to this aljazeera report, European Union regulators are to investigate whether Google has abused its dominant position in the online search market in what will be the first major inquiry into the internet giant's business practices. The competition watchdogs formally announced … [Read more...] about EU Investigates Google
What does “Internet Censorship” Mean?
As Google prepares potentially for a highly politicized exist of China, we'll hear a lot more accusations on how closed China's Internet is. The presumption of Google's move would be that China's Internet is closed while the rest of the world (in which Google still does business) is open. Of course, anyone who has even remote experience with China's internet (and Chinese … [Read more...] about What does “Internet Censorship” Mean?