Just read an article at Gigaom.com titled Google, the Internet and Civil Disobedience As a Business Strategy. I’m trying extremely hard not to be a cynic even though that’s my nature. For now, although probably naive, I’ll give Google the benefit of the doubt and assume that there are no complications in the background that changes the conclusion of the author’s story.
It would be nice to be able to believe that a corporation as large as Google would ingrain in it’s business practices the same standards that the American People believe in. Kudos to the management at Google for taking a principled stand against the oppressive Chinese regime.
Ok, I can’t take it anymore.
Who am I kidding. The American People stopped believing in freedom of speech a long time ago if it doesn’t suit their own social agenda. Corporate management has a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders. Walking away from hundreds of millions of dollars on a principle that most in the U. S. now considers “quaint” would cause a shareholder revolt.
Besides, I can’t picture a company that has no regard for the privacy of it’s customer base having any regard for their freedom of speech.
Maybe I’m wrong but, for now, I think I’ll remain a cynic and wait for the rest of the story to come out.
