Glorified Evil

That which I know is reality, the rest is fantasy.

Google has agreed to restrict information for Chinese citizens. One of my roommates argued that they will just get a smaller set of information, not incorrect information. But in this age of extreme connectivity, with a zillion sources putting forth their news and views, is not a subset of information inherently misleading? If reality (especially about situations and incidents that are taking place away from the eyes) is created be information, then a lack of that information would create a warped reality.

Let me take another example: Say Google was instructed to cut-off most results for things like Abu-Ghraib, or prisoner-abuse. And Google complied. [Google of course is an example, the point is the effect of restriction of information]. Let us also take a person who relies on Google as a primary source of information (Don’t many of us do that? ) When faced by sudden information on the above topics, say on a foreign trip, would not this person feel that this is all fabricated lies to defame his country? For prisoner abuse would be outside his reality, and the sudden information might challenge his otherwise self-consistent picture of a just and clean war of good vs. evil.

Another example. There was little spotlight on the severe human rights violations in East Timor carried out by the Indonesian military. It took the masaccre of hundreds of innocent lives in a single attack to finally create some amout of stir. I recently came to learn about it from Democracy Now archives. Preventing that information from reaching the world is what enabled Indonesia to continue the atrocities.

Information is power. And the power should be with the people. Democracy, of course. When the people are prevented from access to that power, it is then that war, torture and atrocities continue. Lack of information prevents public outrage and political pressure. So I ask the following questions:
Was it socially respponsible of NYT to restrict information about the wire-taps?
Was it socially responsible of The Post to restrict information about the secret renditions and prisons?

Indeed, news agencies and media outlets are creating reality today. With great power should come great responsibility. Unfortuanately, petty profits and political gain have as usual transcended social responsibility.