Connect the dots…China, Internet, Cartoons, Middle East

Much the same bloggers who care about freedom have posted about the complicity of U.S. hi-tech companies with Chinese censorship of the Internet, and separately about the manufactured assault by Middle East governments on Western freedom of the press to publish satirical cartoons about Mohammed.

But, none have directly connected the dots.

They are one and the same issue: freedom of speech. And, the same danger is posed by this: hostile states’ ability to channel their citizens into hostility against the West, while denying them fuller perspective.

Thus, international freedom of speech is a fundamental foreign policy issue for the United States and for Europe.

The same U.S. companies that have supplied the software and the hardware that is used by China have supplied it to Middle East countries to censor the Internet access by their citizens.

This is about much more than commercial profits or about free trade. This is about whether the United States will allow U.S. companies to provide the tools that directly undermine our foreign policy.

Please write an email to NJ congressman Christopher Smith in support of trade controls over such dual-use technology. Rep. Smith’s International Relations Subcommittee (Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations) will be holding hearings on February 15 on this issue.

Rep. Smith’s Communications Director, Brad Dayspring, has agreed to forward your emails to his attention. Brad.Dayspring@mail.house.gov

For reference, here are some of my recent posts (with more links) on the Internet freedom issue.
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/002309.html
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/002306.html
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/002299.html
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/002290.html
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/002253.html
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/002250.html
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/002235.html
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/002208.html

Also, don't miss Tom Lipscomb's latest column.