It seems that there are two Googles: One is the internet company that is resisting Bush administration demands that it turn over records on millions of searches in the hopes of catching a terrorist or two, when others such as Yahoo are knuckling under. The other is the internet company that has decided to collude with the repressive Chinese government in censoring content by directing traffic to a special, ideologically cleansed site.

What is the difference between these Googles? Perhaps the first one realizes that a stand in favor of privacy and freedom is not only the principled course but also good for PR and business. The second one realizes that it will lose a huge market if it does not comply with Chinese demands. A hard choice, I agree, but is it any wonder that human rights abuses continue with impunity in China when everyone is buying into the system that produces them?