I just came across this site courtesy of Brad Feld: Save Google Free China
Let me state at the outset that I am disappointed that Google is censoring results in China. However, I don’t believe they have a choice. If you set up shop in a foreign country, you have to follow their laws. Period. The only option is for Google not to set up in China. Some argue that they shouldn’t be there at all. Here’s my take on why China’s citizens are ultimately better off with Google there.
I believe that a democratic revolution in China will not be because of people yearning for abstract concepts like democracy and freedom. Rather, it will be driven by kitchen-table issues such as the environment (safe drinking water), workplace safety (China loses a tremendous number of people in mining accidents every year) and property rights (the government is quick to condemn old neighborhoods in favor of developers).
Contrary to the image of China as an authoritarian place with no free speech, there are already thousands of protests every year, usually around these issues.
Because of this, I think the value Google brings to China is not pictures of Tianenman Square crackdown, but rather information about, say, PCBs, or how workplace safety is managed in the West. Or even better, tips for organizing a protest. These real-world issues are not censored in China to the same extent that politically explosive (embarrassing, face-breaking) things like Tianenmen Square are.
Many things are openly discussed. For example, everyone there agrees that the Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward were disasters, and they’re free to say so on web sites, in print and on TV.
Don’t get me wrong: China is far from a model of liberty and democracy. But it’s better today than it was 10 years ago, and the Internet (along with western investment) has helped create that reality. I would bet all kinds of money that will be saying the same thing 10 years from now, and Google will have played an important role, much more so than if they stay out.