Wednesday, 16 July 2008

Excellent article on surveillence and business in China and America

Excellent article on surveillence and the business of surveillence currently booming in China and America (and Britain). Well worth a read. The content touches on aspects other than the main topic, such as life in Shenzhen, the undescribable creation that is testiment to state capitalism in Southern China. The second to last paragraph is most salient:

"China-bashing never fails to soothe the Western conscience — here is a large and powerful country that, when it comes to human rights and democracy, is so much worse than Bush's America. But during my time in Shenzhen, China's youngest and most modern city, I often have the feeling that I am witnessing not some rogue police state but a global middle ground, the place where more and more countries are converging. China is becoming more like us in very visible ways (Starbucks, Hooters, cellphones that are cooler than ours), and we are becoming more like China in less visible ones (torture, warrantless wiretapping, indefinite detention, though not nearly on the Chinese scale)."

I think this is an extremely insightful view, albeit actually fairly obvious with clear thinking, and one that I have entertained for a while.

Having said that, a friend has just sent me one of those 'embarassing George W Bush' pictures, only this time of former President Jiang Zemin picking his nose in forceful fashion, so this surveillance still needs some work...

Enjoy!

No comments: