Tough Blogging in China; How 'bout in America?

China's sclerotic and corrupt leadership, led by President Hu Jintao, continues its attempt to prevent the growth of civil society in spite of some increase in economic freedoms. The latest chapter in this saga is their crackdown on bloggers. In a move that the "reform lobby" in America might like to emulate, Chinese censors are requiring bloggers to register or, as this morning's Times puts it, "be forced offline." Users of Internet cafes will need to acquire a user number, the better to track them across the Net.

While this news is disheartening, it's hardly surprising. After all, China continues to be one of the most abusive states on earth, with civil liberties severely curtailed whenever the Communist government feels threatened by freedom of speech, religion, or conscience. Even though incomes in China have increased markedly since the late Deng Xiaoping began his nation's move toward a market economy, the building blocks of civil society -- private ownership of property, rule of law, freedom of speech and religion, a free judiciary, a free and independent press -- are missing. That's because none of those liberties, or the institutions that support them, can be trusted to support the ruling Party functionaries. Indeed, there's little doubt that a free China would toss the bums out in an instant.

All of which makes me wonder precisely what kind of society our would-be masters in the reform lobby desire here at home. They've already restricted political speech by parties and candidates; they now wish to reign in free-wheeling bloggers, who pose the same problems for them as our Chinese counterparts do for their leaders. That's not to claim that Trevor Potter, Sean Treglia, and their cohorts are, down deep, the moral or political equivalent of Chinese Communists. It is to emphasize, however, that those who would limit political speech all share a fear of what others might say if left untended. And it's difficult not to conclude that what they fear most is also something they share: a loss of power and prestige. In both cases, it's a loss they richly deserve.

Update: Bloggers taking note of the Beijing/Washington "bloggers can't be trusted" meme include Michelle Malkin, and (via Michelle) Marc at USS Neverdock. Robert Mayer at Publius Pundit thinks China will gradually move toward political reform. If it does, given the economic reforms that are occurring, democracy will have a better chance to take hold there according to Fareed Zakaria.