The Endorian Experience

The end is near my friend...

2007-10-15T22:17:00.000+02:00

The end for this totally forgotten blog that is. I've never been really active on it. It became more of a creative mental doodle once in a few months.

I will however start to blog a little more serious, just not here. If you can read dutch any other "creative mental doodles" can be found on the Dutch opinion Blog geencommentaar. A group blog focusing on the news, politics's and the works.

Chronicals of the downfall of the western empire (part I)

2007-09-10T16:04:00.000+02:00

"And we will abolish democracy to save it!" said the right-wing extremist, failing to realise he was the only real tread to democracy.

It's strange that...

2007-09-08T11:52:00.000+02:00

A jew comes to the rabbi and starts talking: "Where did I go wrong? All my life I've been teaching my son the best Jewish manners, from the very beginning, I've been spending most of the time with him talking about thora, I've paid him the best university education, and last week he came home and told me he wants to convert to Christianity... what did I do wrong?"
The rabbi answers: "It's strange that you are asking me... I have a son, from the very beginning I've been giving him only the best of Judaism, I've been taking him to the synagoga, then paid him the best university education, which costed me the most of my wealth, and some few days ago, he came home and told me he's converting to Christianity..."
The Jew asks him: "So what did you do?"
- "I've asked God for help"
- "And...?"
- "He said - It's strange that you're asking me..."

(source unknown - but I found it subtle and funny)

To you I dedicate this song...

2007-08-31T20:01:00.000+02:00

A song especially for you Mr. Wilders (and any other racist politicians):

Disclaimer: as I know Mr. Wilders is quite paranoid and tries to start lawsuits v.s. everybody mentioning his name, seeing threads to his life (he's a brave man), this song is not a thread. It's just the bleak future I believe people like him represent.

From the pantheon of oneliners

2007-08-22T22:48:00.001+02:00

Whatever doesn't kill me has a good change to cripple me for life...

How two wrongs made one right?

2007-08-18T17:24:00.000+02:00

Yes I realise I often ignore my blog for months, if not longer. Nobody reads it anyway so I am not to worried ha! Regardless, I thought it was time for another entry.

I doubt most non-Dutch are aware of the current situation within The Netherlands. Especially when it comes to the hate and fear of Muslims, or the general decline in morals and values (how I despise that term however). In recent years it has become quite popular to openly insult one and other, to be rude, generalise and overall show no respect for one and other. This has become the new standard in The Netherlands. If you disagree with this your anything from a freedom oppressing fascist, a left wing tree huger or "ignorant of the dangers in this world". It's penetrated every corner of society it seems. From politics to private live and of course the Dutch internet community as well.

I actually believe we became this way due to one incident a few years ago especially. The murder of movie maker Theo van Gogh. He was known for his extreme use of "freedom of speech". He for example loved to insult all immigrants by calling them "goat fuckers" publicaly on TV. Now I won't argue his freedom to say that (I do question it's wisdom). He got murdered at some point as it seemed his insults finally made some Muslim nuttjob snap. And there is no excuse for this! No body should ever be harmed, let alone killed, for his or her opinions or words.

I do think in this case we where dealing with 2 wrongs; the first is obvious. Murdering people ain't a good thing. The second is knowingly provoking people, insulting them. Bullying people to a degree that is humiliating and degrading. This is something Theo van Gogh specialised in, and now it seems most of the Dutch people have decided that because a wrong (murder) was committed due to another wrong (bullying and insulting) somehow this second wrong has become a right.

I always learned that two wrongs do not make a right.

Ignorance is our worst enemy

2006-08-02T22:45:00.000+02:00

"Any creative encounter with evil requires that we not distance ourselves from it by simply demonizing those who commit evil acts. In order to write about evil, a writer has to try to comprehend it, from the inside out; to understand the perpetrators and not necessarily sympathize with them. But Americans seem to have a very difficult time recocgnizing that there is a distinction between understanding and sympathizing... when it comes to coping with evil, ignorance is our worst enemy."
- Kathleen Norris

The truth about Mac's

2006-07-30T01:29:00.000+02:00

Old but still funny...

If everyone is right?

2006-07-24T00:39:00.000+02:00

If everyone is right, then who is wrong? If you look at the various news agencies today, they bring you news coloured to the audience they serve or the interests they represent. Some more then others of course. Even if you look at individual conflicts or minor arguments, often you get to see multiple versions of "the truth". The question of what is truth and if these is such a thing as absolute truth I leave to those wiser then myself. And enough books have been written about it, enough studies done towards it, and the outcome? Inconclusive.

Especially the recent conflict between Israel and Lebanon (or I should say Hizbolla, with Lebanon caught in-between) has made this all to clear once again. Sometimes the propaganda of both sides is easily recognised, other times it draws you right in there. And at yet other times, you can not help but feel that the atrocities reported are shamefully not propaganda, but as close as one can get to the cold hard truth.

While I believe news reporting is one of the most important things there is, I also believe it to in a way inherently flawed. It needs to be there, people need to see and know about things. Else we would go right back into the dark-ages. But news can never fully tell the story, never fully be independent. Luckily there is a lot of information and different sides available. But sifting through all the information available is a dawning task to say the least.

Perhaps one of the most important things to realise is simple the fact that this is the way of things. Realise it before drawing conclusions to quickly, and to quickly be suckered into believing things told to you that fit your own idea's about the world best. But perhaps it is also a thought to cherish for small inter-personal communication.

"I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance."
- Socrates

Fox News; your un-ending source of propaganda

Breeding hate in the middle-east

2006-07-23T13:43:00.000+02:00

Since 1 picture has been used so much to breed more hate and cause a conflict already never-ending to for sure be never ending, the following link I believe is very important.

http://ontheface.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2006/7/20/2142505.html

One arab person on a forum spouting hatred, lies and intolerance when I told him off asked me "what is your solution then?". Just because there is no solution, does not mean you need to become part of the problem. And perhaps just that is the solution: Stop being part of the problem.

Medical insanity

2006-07-21T12:34:00.000+02:00

For those not familiar with the Dutch medial system I'll briefly explain. In the Netherlands the state takes care of all finances for medical care. Every civilian is by law required to pay for medical insurance and out of this money the hospitals and doctors are paid. Everybody gets helped, no requirements to fill in credit card numbers, etc. If you want more luxurious care, you can get extra insurance or go to a private hospital.

Today Minster of healthcare, Hoogervorst, announced he is considering cutting the budgets of all hospitals. Why? Because they spend more money then he had planned for it. The primary reason for this is that he himself miscalculated the growing demand for health-care. Calculating it at a rise of 2% and it turned out to be 4%. Hospitals are already starting to treat patients worse and worse due to having to cut costs, and they simply can not cut it any further. They can't make the base that is set for them. So what is this brilliant man's solution? Lets give them even less money.

Not to mention most of his cost-cuts actually cause higher costs. He cuts down on cheap prevention measures, causing more illness and higher costs for eventually treatment of long term health issues. He's the living example of the saying in the Netherlands that "if your completely incompetent to get a real job, you go into politics'".

Amnesty report on IT companies in China

2006-07-21T00:37:00.000+02:00

I've written about this before, so I thought I would add a link now to a report of Amnesty International about what Google, Yahoo! And Microsoft are doing to promote and support an oppressive dictatorship like China. It still angers me also to see people in the west wave this away as "it's China's laws". Violating human rights again loses out to money and the sad part is so many... sorry to use this word.. complete idiots... in the western world seem to think that's just fine. I guess because it doesn't affect them directly?

Amnesty report (PDF)

Fire that man!

2006-07-20T11:11:00.000+02:00

It's happened again. I've read it yet again. And yet again it angers me, or rather saddens me. Intel's profits are down this quarter to a mere 885 million dollars. And of course the company is as such firing people and re-organising. One company of many who are firing common people based on massive profits that just weren't massive enough. I've even at times read about companies who start to downsize not because of their profits going down, in fact their profits rose above previous profits. But because the expected rise in profits was lower then... expected.

I understand the fact that a company needs to act pre-emptive before they go into the red number. But I don't think this is the case usually. We are talking about very healthy companies that sometimes make a little less profit, or who's profits rose a little less then expected. Which I believe is quite normal, markets fluctuate and you can't endlessly expand and grow and grow. Making a huge 885 million dollars profit I think is something most companies only dream about. And it keeps the boat afloat for sure.

What also bothers me is how financial agencies report about this. Using negative terms like that Intel is in trouble or in stormy weather. Excuse me? They are making a huge profit! Sometimes I do think the economy has become a multi-headed beast that we sacrifice everything too. I think a healthy, free-market economy is one of the most important things there is. But the economy should serve the people, not people the economy. Human beings, us, we are the most important thing on this planet for ourselves as a race. Not the economy, it's the well-being of us as a human race that matters more. We need to use the economy to service us there, not be serviced up as a human race to a non living, created mechanism.

I also strongly believe that all this downsizing only works on the short-term. Fire some people, see profits go up. On the long term see customers disappear because you can't service them correctly anymore, see your best staff leave because they are unhappy, see everything decline. Al through not fully related a recent study by DolmatConnel & Partners also showed the IT top-managers who make the most money are achieving the worst. Their companies are doing the worst of all IT companies. Of course what the correlation and relation between the two is, is unknown at the time. But it does make you wonder a bit. To many companies focus on short-term profits to keep stockholders happy, sacrificing long-term survivability even. Let alone making the world as a whole better by providing quality to their customers.

Israeli-Lebanese conflict

2006-07-18T10:18:00.000+02:00

A lot can be said about the Israeli-Lebanese conflict at the moment. A lot also has already been said. Some of it has been very wise, some of it has been very stupid (Bush speaking through an accidentally open microphone, showing this man is so far beyond incompetent its just sad). Both sides in the conflict also have valid and less valid points. But I think the thing that bugs me most at this point and time is the following.

Inside Lebanon there is a private army, Hezbollah, this private army is outside of control of the government. As far as I understand, due to religious differences within the Muslim community, as well as many other factors the Lebanese government would rather see them go then stay. This army is illegal, not government sponsored, but the current government is too weak to disarm them. Especially due to the foreign aid Hezbollah gets of countries like Syria and Iran. Not to mention Syria's residual influence over Lebanon and sometimes treating this country like a province they need to keep under control.

So, when Hezbollah attacks Israel, Israel attacks? Lebanese civilians! They bomb the infrastructure of the country (re-build with western money after their civil war) back into the stone-ages, they actively target Lebanese civilians and some of the weak (not involved in the conflict at all) Lebanese army. Aside from the horrific crime of directly and willingly murdering civilians, making them no better then Hezbollah, they weaken the government who was to weak in the first place to take care of Hezbollah? Talk about attacking the wrong target and the effects will be the reverse. Obviously now people will side with Hezbollah there, and the one force who might eventually be able to disarm Hezbollah gets weakened to a point Hezbollah can thrive and grow for decades to come.

I am in no way defending Hezbollah here, I think they are despicable. But if there is a conflict between 2 parties, why is 1 of these parties attacking a 3rd party essentially not involved in the conflict? One you actually need to strengthen so they can get involved in the conflict and solve it. And if you want to attack 3rd parties? Why not be a man and actually got for the real influences behind Hezbollah like Syria and Iran? (aside from that truly causing the region to explode).

The Corruptibles

2006-06-27T00:55:00.000+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-5INcUuoEs

Thought for the day

2006-06-03T14:53:00.000+02:00

We used to call it slavery, now we call it outsourcing.

Congratulations to Lordi

2006-05-21T14:39:00.000+02:00

Last night I for the first time ever saw the Eurovision song festival, and I must admit I had a blast. This festival has little to do with "song". A nearly endless stream of euro-valium-pop, more based on performance then actual skill past the review. It's over the top smoothness, dress up Barbie dolls and Ken's made for a most amusing spectacle. But what made my evening was the Finnish group Lordi. A mediocre heavy metal act that much like Gwar like to dress up as monsters. A non-serious cross between Kiss and Gwar at best. The fact a metal act however mediocre (as there are so much better around) made it into this festival of dress up dolls was hilarious on its own. But even greater... they won!!

In an age where neighbouring countries pretty much just vote for one and other (Cyprus always votes for Greece for example) this band showed the hypocrisy and the overdone focus on imagery. While I am a huge metal fan and as such can tell you the band and song are an awful representation of what metal music stands for, it still in a way warmed my heart to see them win. And win by a landslide! Another act, one clearly also taking the piss out of the contest ended up 6th place I think.

What I also think this shows is that the formula of this festival needs to be redone. The Barbie's and Ken's need to make place for something more solid. The focus on huge acts and not on musical performance has finally stuck a fatal blow in the face of the organisers. The public also clearly showed they wanted something fresh, something challenging. And while Lordi to my ears is mediocre metal, it to a lot of people is something new. People are more and more tired of the slick, mass produced crap that they are being force-fed. Perhaps voting for Lordi can be best summed up by a lyric from an actually great metal band, Skyclad: "I'm sick of eating shit, can I try another flavour?".

From major terrorist to progressive Muslim?

2006-05-20T11:45:00.000+02:00

Saturday morning TV isn't really well known for being inspiring, or even remotely interesting. Zapping past a multitude of children's cartoons and Infomercials I stumbled upon airtime for the "Nederlandse Islamitische Omroep" (Dutch Islamic Broadcast-association). Saturday mornings are usually the time small Broadcast organisations get a chance to some airtime on 1 of the 3 state-tv stations (also Hindu, Frysian, etc.). In general I do find it interesting to watch and see what lives in the minds of these other communities living in The Netherlands, so I watched for a while.

One piece they showed actually seemed to be very promising for the Muslim community. A former Muslim Fundamentalist Leader that has now become a fighter for women's rights and a much more liberal interpretation of the Koran; Hassan al-Turabi. In an interview by phone he explained that the Koran does not state women need to wear anything to cover their hair, face or entire bodies. That in fact in the time of Mohammed women did not dress like that either. The only references he directly found where for women to cover up their breasts. He also mentioned that the Koran wants women to be free, and responsible individuals. Not owned by men. Overall I found his views to be very hopeful in bringing some enlightenment to the more radical Muslim faith. So I googled him...

And this caused some confusion with me. "former Muslim Fundamentalist" does not do the man credit. It's far and far worse apparently! This is the man who founded various extremist Muslim groups, the personal tutor to al Qaeda's second in command Al-Zawahiri and personal friend to Bin Laden! There are also claims he is linked to some of the terror-groups doing ethnic cleansing in Darfur. In short, all information found on this man on the world wide web does not paint a very warm, inspiring picture of this man.

I also don't know enough about the subject if this man has truly seen the error of his ways and is now inspiring his people to become more sensible, or if it's just a mask, a play he puts on. What is however certain is that it's interesting to look at these developments and the history of Islam, terrorism beyond just the usual suspects. If he is genuine, can more extremists see the error of their ways?

Al-Turabi's website | Article on women in Islam (PDF)
Turabi as Islamic Extremist

How far the Dutch have fallen

2006-05-19T16:27:00.000+02:00

The past few days I think about all Dutch media has covered the story of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and I can only imagine how many weblogs and blogs have been written about the matter. As I understand it, non Dutch media also jumped on the story. So why should I still comment on it?

Well, a few things during the entire debate, or be it debacle, stood out for me. First of all I must make it perfectly clear that I am in no way a supporter of Ayaan Hirsi Ali. My view of her is of a scorned woman out of indiscriminate vengeance towards all Muslims. Somebody who lets her raw and pure hatred for the wrongs done to her lead her words and actions, and as such causes damage to the cause she herself stands for.

Now having said that you might think I would be happy with the way things turned out in the Netherlands for her. But actually I am not. While I did not and do not agree with her in any possible way, there is nothing but shame and disgrace in the way she was dealt with. And I honestly believe the way she was handled was a combination of pure stupidity combined with blind ambition of Rita Verdonk (the immigration Minster).

Two things in the debate struck me, and one thing in publications from the foreign media. Lets first address the issue of the foreign media. They all condemned the Dutch political parties for letting Ayaan Hirsi Ali fall. But if you watched the debates, I think only two people in the entire government supported what was done to her. Everybody else, from her supporters to her opponents felt she had been done a great wrong, one that needed to be righted. Yes, the eventual motion to try and return the decision to strip Ayaan of her Dutch citizenship was weak, but most foreign newspapers commented on the matter long before the motion. The motion also was clearly meant to be "strict", but not so strict to make the cabinete fall. Political safety before bravery. Which sadly is the way of the Dutch...

The two issues that struck me in the debate. The first is, what where we actually talking about? She wasn't stripped of her citizenship for lying as most people implied. If you really followed the debate you understood what actually happened. Because she gave a false name and date of birth for her naturalisation according to law she technically wasn't naturalist to Dutch citizenship. Basically if your name is "Alli Babba" and you say your name is "Mohamed Agban" then "Mohaman Agban" become Dutch and not you who is actually called "Alli Babba". It really is as simple as that. It's a legal technicality. Nothing more, nothing less. No stripping of your nationality happens, you technically just never got it. As your name is used to identify you.

Basically this is the application of rules above common sense. Your name becomes your primary and unique identifier and your nationality is connected to that unique identifier. Which is exactly where the mistakes start. For one a name is hardly a unique identifier. There are many "Alli Babbas" in the world so to say. Also it treats people to much as machines, as well a database. And it rules out our humanity.

Now the second thing that struck me. After much debate it turned out this can be easily fixed by a simple administrative task. You correct your name in a government database and redo the procedure. A bit clumsy, but there you go. However!! The government doesn't inform you of this and in fact deports people after the fact before they can do a simple administrative task! In the case of Ayaan Hirsi Ali she had a permanent refuge status she can fall back on to stay in the country basically. But many people whom this befalls where on a temporary status. So say Alli Babba had a temp. status till 2004. In 2003 he became of the Dutch Nationality. In 2005 they discover he is really named differently, Dutch nationality as such was not officially granted. Now he falls back on his previous status, which ended in 2004. And as such.. he is deported!! And that is an outrage! The government deports people over a written, legal technicality.

This furthermore comes to light in something else also mentioned in the debate. If you lie during your initial intake as a refugee you can also later be deported without any further reason and this happens. Well, rules are rules not? This also includes women who when they first arrive here are scared and don't in the initial briefing mention they have been raped or even gang rapped. This counts as lying as well and is a reason for being deported! Or Muslim homosexuals who don't immediately mention they are homosexual. Two cases you can very easily understand people would not be open about it, one out of shame and the other out of fear.

And then you have people who claim this to be fair? Isn't the immigration policy meant to keep out economic refugees (not that I agree with that, but I can understand it) and protect political refugees and those who need our protection? This has nothing to do with this anymore! This means actual political refugees are send back based on... based on nothing! On a legal formality! This has nothing to do with humanity anymore, with fairness, with civilisation. This is a farce, a black-mark... something so shameful and spiteful... is this what the Dutch nation stands for? Have we honestly lost our humanity so badly? Have we fallen so far? I guess we have.

I am sorry for Ayaan Hirsi Ali and what happened to her. I wish her situation will be righted and she will remain a Dutch citizen. I may not agree with her, but this is not right. And I wish this situation will shine light on the horrible crimes done in our, the Dutch peoples, name and be righted not just for Ayaan, but for all those who suffer under it. Ironically I don't think Ayaan did anything for anybody in a constructive way (to much hate to actually be constructive), but this might be her gift to those in a less famous position then her. I am glad however the protection of Ayaan stays in place and they didn't remove that when she resigned from the Dutch government, as she lives in permanent danger due to what she says. And I fear the fact she found a job advising Bush in the US. Do we honestly wish a spiteful hatemonger like Ayaan whispering in the ear of one of the worst war-criminals and warmongers the world has ever seen? But at least her future is ensured. Let is also be ensured for all others in her position.

The Polish savage

2006-05-06T16:31:00.000+02:00

One of the hot-issues in the Netherlands at the moment is the influx of cheap-Polish labour. One of the lesser issues about this debate stuck me this morning however. One of the owners of a firm that employs Polish people to work in the Netherlands was on TV in a small news/documentary about the issue. His, legal, workforce is housed in vacation homes in the Netherlands. There they have to follow strict rules 24/7. One of these companies even employ private security firms to check on the workforce.

What are these checks and rules about? That they clean up their bed, are not allowed to drink, when they get up, etc. These things are all OFF work time. No Dutch person would allow their company to send round guards to inspect if they cleaned their house and what they did in their free time. So why is this necessary exactly? Well our good company director explains...

In a very degrading tone he talks about "those people". How in Poland "those people" are used to washing themselves outside with a bucked of water. How "those people" are not used to tiding up their bed. If you in Poland stink people are used to that. But here you need to live to Dutch values (but not be paid Dutch wages). How "those people" think it's normal in their country to work with a bottle of Vodka next to them during work. In short, these backward savages have to be taught how to clean themselves and to keep of the booze. Next to providing them work, this director speaks with pride how he is bringing values and morals to these poor savages. These beasts of labour.... Except the wee bit about paying them normal wages of course.

I can't believe anybody can use such blatant lies to excuse himself with. And the worst part is, I think he actually believes it. How can you think and speak so degrading about others? And be so unnatural and think yourself so superior. I can start to understand why some people I know of what used to be eastern Europe, whom are just as advanced as anybody else (bah that I felt the need to say that!), are so protective and defensive about this. Bahbahbah...

Back in Black

2006-05-05T12:12:00.000+02:00

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack,
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back"

Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos.
But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

You Should Be An Aquarius

What's good about you: philosophical and idealistic, you are a great thinker

What's bad about you: you require a lot of space - it's hard to get close to you

In love: you're quirky and playful, but you hate to be smothered

In friendship, you're: likely to have many acquaintances and very few good friends

Your ideal job: pilot, snow boarder, or science fiction writer

Your sense of fashion: unconventional, unique outfits that turn heads

You like to pig out on: anything with garlic or unique spices

What Sign Should You Be?

igod

2006-05-03T20:18:00.000+02:00

Feel the burning need to talk to god online? Now you can!

igod (link)

Dutch political party hits back at "watvooreikelbenjij" campaign

2006-04-30T16:13:00.000+02:00

I spoke about the disgrace the "watvooreikelbenjij" campaign was 2 posts earlier. Especially how it's one big government sponsored commercial for Microsoft. It seems one political opposition party also agrees, the sp. Asking questions why we are wasting money on a doomed to fail campaign and promoting Microsoft to boot. They launched their own parody website "whatvooreikelzijnjullie" (what kind of an idiots are you) to the campaign. It's in Dutch only and can be viewed here: http://www.watvooreikelszijnjullie.nl/

Sorry Darfur, maybe next year

2006-04-30T15:57:00.000+02:00

The UN announced it is cutting it's food supply and relieve effort basically in half in Darfur. This because the wealthy nations of our wonderful planet Earth did not make true their promises of financial aid. The fact the international community has so far stood by as entire villages get slaughtered and genocide is being executed on a large scale is a crime onto itself of a magnitude one can not even be ashamed enough for. That an entire population is being murderd; men, women, children and even babies.... "hey we want to help, but right now we are 'busy'. Have some patience". This does not sit well on the eternal scale of human beings as being civilised and helping one and other.

What also bothers me now is that the little help that was promised was only just that... promised! A hollow promise that looked good on TV when it was made, but never actually backed up with action. Now the refugees there are cut back to the absolute minimum to survive and many more will die due to broken, hollow promises of aid. At least be so honest mr. Present to go on TV and proclaim "Sorry, we are selfish bastards and you are not getting a single dime!". Letting people starve is a horrible crime, but claiming your going to help when you fully well know your not makes it even worse.

The only good thing I've heard in this matter is that the Dutch government has promised (ohnoes!) to aside from the money already given, to give even more money to make up for the broken promises of countries like the US. Lets hope it's not another hollow promise.

And for the rest, another cartoon of my favourite political cartoon site: pre-emptive apology

The madness within

2006-04-21T12:43:00.000+02:00

Sometimes people confuse me greatly. Recently it became known that Yahoo! Has been actively helping the Chinese government to persecute it's citizens who wish China to become more free and a democracy. I would have expected a huge outcry about this. Here you have a US company for profit helping a dictatorship oppress it's people. Of course Yahoo! Here just follows in line with a long range of companies through the ages who have supported dictators for a few bucks extra. But what has surprised me is how many people have jumped in to defend Yahoo! And especially the arguments used.

The most favoured argument seems to be that if you want to do business in a country you need to follow it's rules. This indeed is true. That however is not an argument that in any possible way absolves blame. The argument itself actually indicates that sometimes a company should not choose morals and common decency over financial gain. I wonder if Frans van Anraat (Dutch businessman who provided the base materials to Saddam Hussein used to murder his own people) will use the same defence and people will think this to be a solid defence? "Well, yes I know my actions caused a lot of deaths, but those where just the laws of the country and I wanted to do business".

Don't get me wrong, if businesses want to operate in China they should go for it. But operating a business and actively helping to round up activists are two different things. And if a dictatorship gives you no other option then to help them oppress their own population, perhaps it is time to pack up and go?

Other strange defences I've heard of people included that "perhaps these people where really criminals? How do we know?" and "If they had helped to arrest nazi's you would be cheering them". The first one must make any oppressive government very happy. When China has one of the worst human rights records around (mass executions of political dissidents and torture on a large scale), you want to bring in doubt that the people they arrest for wanting an democratic China without human rights violations might actually be real criminals? The other comment is just to silly for words. Yes, if somebody helps arrest really bad people who want to hurt others or who do hurt others of course that is a good thing. But that is not the issue here. If I say I don't like the colour of that green car it hardly is an argument to shut me up to say "but if it had been blue you would have liked the colour. So don't speak up!". My head can't get around such comments.

It is just a funny old world how people can start to justify a regime that tortures and murders it's own subjects and oppresses them, a regime that is systematically purging the Tibetan people from the face of the earth through slow genocide and social migrations, a regime that is nothing more then a common dictatorship can somehow be defended. All because of economic interests that may be interesting for large corporations, but irrelevant for an individual.

IRepress (cartoon regarding recent IT companies in China)