Google to China: It’s over

Sean Roberts, Alestle Photographer

by Sean Roberts, Alestle Photographer

Recently, Google has threatened to pull out of China. I for one, am all for it. For those of you not aware, there was a recent cyber attack against Google and many more U.S. companies. The primary reason for this attack was to steal Google’s code and to view account information of human rights activists. Even more shocking, indicators show that this attack likely came from within the Chinese government itself.

In order to get into China, one of the things Google had to do was censor search results for the Chinese people. Their government does not allow them to see information the government deems harmful. This includes things like the very existence of popular protests, including the one’s in Tiananmen Square.

The very idea that a country that is quickly becoming a superpower censors basic information from their own people is awful. We should all see this as completely unacceptable. While, understandably, this has not done a whole lot with our business relationship with China- after all, we do make money from the situation and avoiding all of that because of its government would be naieve, U.S. companies should not actively be involved in censorship or oppression of an industrial nation who acts like it is still part of the third world. I am glad that Google finally opened their eyes after this attack on American companies.

If China expects us to bend over backwards in order to serve them and get us involved in the attacks on their own people, they should at least respect the businesses that were willing to do so.

Americans are free to disagree, celebrate Chinese anniversary

by Rosie Githinji, Alestle Opinion Editor

Rosie Githinji

When a city like New York is home to a lot of people, and they aren’t going to agree on everything, especially something as visible as the lighting of the Empire State Building.

According to an Associated Press news story, the building is lit with different colors to mark holidays and big events. The lighting issue in this particular story is the red and yellow lights on the top of the building, which are a tribute to China’s 60th anniversary as a communist nation.

There are protesters who are not happy with this particular lighting scheme. Many are supporters of Tibet, which is under China’s control. Many of those opposing the lighting say it is because China is communist and has a poor human rights record.

The lights are set to be taken down at the end of the week, so it is difficult to understand why people are making such a big fuss about it. America is the land of the free, which means that if people want to celebrate China, they are free to do so even if others don’t agree.

There are many people who move to the U.S. so they can begin a new life and try to live the “American dream.” People cannot make others agree with them about their beliefs, and they should be open to letting everyone celebrate the diversity all over the country, even if they don’t agree with their views.