Which is the bigger threat?

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Which is the bigger threat?
Date:   Mon, 06 Feb 2006 01:41:22 -0500
From:   Gene Spafford <spaf () cerias purdue edu>
To:     Dave Farber <dave () farber net>



So here is a question for IP readers.

Which is the bigger threat?   Google's acceding to the Chinese  
government on censorship, or Islamic rioting and threats over  
publication of cartoons depicting Mohammed?  Both are issues of  
freedom of speech/information dissemination.   Both represent the  
clash over a very fundamental issue of culture.

We've seen it before, usually on a smaller scale.  Hate speech  
prohibitions, prohibitions against Nazi symbols in Germany, laws  
against publication of details during criminal trials in Canada,  
publication of research on bioweapons, restrictions on child  
pornography.....   We even see some of it in the debate over whether  
the NY Times publishing the story  of the President's wiretapping  
orders were justified or "treason."

What is "right" is very specific to each culture/country, and  
sometimes to a political party or ethnic group.   How do we all reach  
common ground to say when it is appropriate to restrict dissemination  
of information -- if it ever is?

Note, I'm not asking about the "right to free speech" which is  
actually a legal right, but only in some places.   I am asking about  
"right" in the ethical sense, as in it is the right thing to do, and  
to do otherwise is not right.



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