Bidu is catching Google in its stock price.
China is still governed with iron fists. No matter how much Google wants to spread the democracy, people in some countries are just happy they way their governments operate. There is a hierarchy of needs: food, clothing, shelter, money and self actualization (this is a variation of Maslow's hierarchy of needs).
If the country was poor, and the government - like China - was able to lift up the standard of living, the people are happy because their basic needs are met. They could care (relatively) less if there is a censorship. Google's motto "Don't Be Evil" tries to spread freedom of speech, expression etc. That is way high in the hierarchy when the lower needs have not been met.
This is the problem with many politicians: spread democracy around the world, and they do it by forcing them to hold fair elections etc. Look at us, they say. We have free election.
Then go back to 2000 when the Supreme Court dictated who the President should be. All of our votes did not count. Just the swing vote of that Supreme Court Justice O'Conner. Also look at the election in Afghanistan, what a joke while we decry the stolen election in Iran.
Try to force democracy in Brunei. It won't work. The Sultan is an absolute monarch, and his people love him. The Sultan has a lot of money, he has a Boeing plane decorated with gold, and yet there is enough money to go around such that health care is free, any student will get a scholarship to study anywhere in the world. Should we force democracy in that country?
Finally, we can say that democracy is a good system - considering the alternatives, but it does not necessarily mean that is welcome in every country. |
