Blogging can be a Dangerous Sport

I came across this story from the Malaysian Star, the country’s major newspaper. It’s the kind of bubble-gum reporting I would expect from a pseudo-democracy/dicatorship.

It reminded the Bloke of the time when he lived abroad and was hired as a journalist for the Star. One day sitting in the lunch room I asked the boss how he was able to deal with all the censorship.

His face suddenly turned ashen grey as he looked nervously to his left and right. He turned his gaze towards me with an intensity in his face and wide staring eyes. Cautiously he whispered “you can’t talk like that here“.

Needless to say I was served with my walking papers shortly thereafter and told that I’m “too dangerous“. True story.

The fact is blogging (as with any ‘freedom’ of expression) is a dangerous sport in the third-world. It is articles like this that tell the real story and the Bloke salutes his fellow bloggers with the kahunas to speak their mind. After all, that is what blogging is really all about.

When I read about Microsoft, Google and Yahoo assuming the missionary position and backing down to the Chinese it really gets my knickers in a knot. I don’t care if the Chinese have the world’s largest (and exploitable) work force left in the world. For once they should forget about the $$$ bottom line and make a stand for human rights. If the Chinese want to connect with the rest of us tell them it’s all or nothing, or they can just shove it and pull the plug.

“Never in the history of mankind since the invention of the printing press has so much been given to so many” (© BB). It is all about empowerment and it’s our collective responsibility to keep it that way. That is what makes the blogosphere so intriguing and worth protecting.

Blog on!