Unless you live in a cave somewhere or simply have no contact to the internet or mass-media you’ve probably heard umpteen dozen times on the Google/China showdown, etc. Obviously the drama is heightened by the actors being the largest country in the world’s gov’t and ruling party and one of the largest and richest corporations in the world. What is of most interest to me is how the China expatriate bloggers so readily jumped to defend China against Google saying how Google’s poorly run China operation was an embarrassment to them and they seized the opportunity to pull out by making it a politicized human rights issue. Many of the tech bloggers and bloggers else where all seized the moment to take Google’s part, the darling of the tech world who has pledged, “Don’t be evi”‘ as their motto. Well in the theme of Kurasawa’s Roshomon the truth falls somewhere between both of those sides.
What I like here is that both sides have to think more about the big picture and issues-the Chinese side on how it is and will be perceived by the rest of the world. It needs to overcome it’s sensitivity towards criticism and learn from it. China has made strides in some areas and needs to learn the part of superpower a little more thoroughly if she chooses to play it out. Also Google which has done many impressive things in a very counter-intuitive against the business administration text book kind of way can also be a little sanctimonious. Let’s face it-they’re motto is worthy of a religious sect. Is it conceivable that any corporation that is motivated by profit can maintain clean hands throughout their corporate life? Ironically, that motto sounds much like the Chinese in their history of idealism and Confucian values aspired to but never actually realized.
In essence, when two giants huff and puff and put their hands up above their heads like bulls horns it is both humorous and a little un-nerving. Time will tell how the drama plays out. One thing is certain, Chinese people’s appetite for information will only get stronger. The more they get of it the more they’ll make better informed decisions about the course of their nation and it’s part in the rest of the world. Google is now clearer on the true cost of doing business in China. They will still offer the best served meals out of any corporate cafeteria paid for by clicks. Do you ever wonder who the people that actually click on those links are? I mean I’ve only done it once or twice… 
