FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONGRESS JERKS OFF, GANG OF FOUR REACH FOR RAINCOATS

Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, and Cisco Take Heat For Failed American Policy In
China

LUBBOCK, TX 15 February 2006 -- CULT OF THE DEAD COW, an impossibly
attractive and talented group of computer enthusiasts, has a few things to
say about today's Congressional hearings.

Let's get the obvious out of the way.  Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, and Cisco
(not to mention the legion of other predatory IT firms doing business in
China) suck a fat one.  You can't have it both ways, guys.  You can't reap
the rewards of developing your business in the home of the free and the land
of the brave, then turn around and flush hard won democratic values down the
crapper.  OK, enough about your sorry asses.

The real issue here is government, or rather, the absence of it.

China has consistently been rewarded for bad behavior - by everyone.  By the
European Union, by America, Canada, Australia, the UK, ad nauseaum.  China
has always demanded special treatment, and has gotten it.  So it's not really
a big surprise that we're having a "censorship" problem in China.  Come on, 
ladies.  Pretend to be surprised. Pretend like Western companies haven't been
bootstrapping Chinese censorship online for the past ten years.  Pretend like
Cisco, Websense, et al, haven't been working with Peking [1] to build a
better Goolag.  CULT OF THE DEAD COW has been screaming about this from day
one.  Where have you been?

Sadly, you can't be too pissed off at these firms for going into China [feel
free to insert additional despotisms of your choice] and making money.
That's what they do best.  But do us all a favor.  Take a critical look at 
their rationale. Engagement.  That's the big buzzword.  Engagement.
Government and industry spins it like this.  Even though it's a repugnant
situation, it's better to be there than not.  With economic development we'll
eventually see democratic development.  A growing middle class will make sure
that this happens, eventually.

Horseshit.

There is not now nor has there ever been any correlation between economic and
political development in China.  And quite frankly, you can't even make that
argument here in the West.  Look at historical Italy, Germany, and Spain.
Three very fine countries with strong economies and large middle class
ballast.  Now insert the words Mussolini, Hitler, and Franco.  Oops.  So
please, let's dispense with any talk of engagement.  Totalitarian regimes
negate all wooly ideas.  And make no mistake.  China is the mother of all
totalitarian regimes.

So what's a guy to do?

China needs to learn that it's not a special case, and that it doesn't always
get special treatment.  Public hectoring isn't the way to go.  Quiet, firm,
consistent, and respectful criticism of Chinese political policies is what we
expect of our leaders.  The boundaries have to be set, which of course should
be lots of fun because they've already been trampled on.  But maybe, just
maybe, some political leader, or leaders, will have the sack to take a stand.
One can only hope.

In the meantime, we expect a lot of pious arm waving and finger pointing at
the Gang of Four.  It wouldn't be right otherwise.  But at the very least, we
expect the press to look into this issue more closely.  Freedoms are eroding
faster than the ozone layer.  The press will be the first to melt if this
heats up any further.

***

[1] It's Peking, not Beijing.  Does anyone say Lisboa for Lisbon?  No.  We
have a perfectly fine word in English for the capital of China.  Peking.  If
and when the PRC improves its human rights record and marches towards
democracy, we'll start using the word Beijing.  Thank you.  Hi.

PRESS CONTACT
Oxblood Ruffin
oxblood@cultdeadcow.com

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