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2007-06-07 13:10:31
Internet is Part of a Tripod of Information
(Score:5, Insightful)
by reporter (666905) on Wednesday June 06, @11:57PM (#19420115)
Reliable news is delivered through 3 dominant means: radio/television,
Internet, and print media. Print media is most easily blocked by authoritarian
governments like those in Russia, Singapore, and China. Arresting the
distributors or (in the case of Russia) subjecting them to tax audits is easy.
However, blocking the Internet is very difficult. Anyone -- even a person with
no technical knowledge -- can use a proxy server to bypass the blockage. Just
pick a proxy server that anonymizes the user. Then, enter the URL of the
"dangerous" site like, say, CNN [cnn.com]. The proxy server will fetch the
content of the site.
The only way for a brutal society like China to truly block the Internet is to
sever the Chinese Internet from the rest of the global Internet.
Also, blocking radio news is difficult since these days, almost anyone can buy
a shortwave radio for under $50. A shortwave radio enables you to listen to
Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe, etc.
The above observations lead to the interesting conclusion that most Russian
citizens can still access fair and balanced news by (1) accessing Western web
sites like CNN and Fox News and (2) tuning into Voice of America and Radio Free
Europe. Statistics indicate that about 20% of Russians have regular access to
the Internet. The other 80% could easily buy a shortwave radio. I recommend a
Panasonic one.
The main problem in Russia is not government control of the Russian radio and
television stations. The main problem is that most Russians genuinely support
Putin and his authoritarian polices.
Similar comments apply to mainland China. Most Chinese who study at American
universities support the occupation and brutalization of Tibetans. The Chinese
in the USA know the truth (from CNN, Fox News, etc.) but reject it. They prefer
Chinese nationalism.