And so she is.
Some countries are not unlike a bashful debutante. It seems that in the midst of a technological storm that’s bridging people, cultures and countries; some governments are all frets over people discussing, opinionating, debating, and shredding to bits the actions (including follies) of politicians and the like.
You could almost hear certain quarters of governments say, “Oh, why would anyone want to speak in a popular and benevolent manner of such matters as rights, freedoms, conspiracies and other such fancies? Oh, the embarrassment! Off with their heads!”
The word is as old as the light. The fact remains that to speak is to be. To be heard is to be a citizen rather than a partisan to overlords. This is a basic tenet of modern civilization and society. It’s an expectation that cannot be simply dismissed with frantic hand waving, beard pulling and devious internet proxies.
Is censorship an anachronism in an age where information is owned by no one? Funny how when not even legit commercial information is containable as a result of rampant piracy, some regimes will still seek power through censorship. What they fail to realize is that today the censored are the ones gaining power. They’re the ones who’ll have more publicity and more listeners than ever.


#1 by bint battuta on November 1, 2006 - 4:29 pm
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I like the image of a country as a bashful debutante! Or perhaps an insecure teenager who gets in a rage if someone comments on his/her clothes or hairstyle. But teenagers grow out of it… Will this country?
#2 by Anonymous on November 14, 2006 - 9:14 am
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how about a naked emperor?