September 3, 2002

NEW YORK -- They may as well try and catch the wind. Over the weekend, ham-handed leaders in the People's Republic of China, not to be redundant, were able to block the People's access to the search engine Google.

Speculation has it that the leaders blocked Google to diminish distribution of subversive material ahead of the Communist Party Congress, which begins on Nov. 8. It is also said that the government wants to cut off news and opinion about the banned Falun Gong [group].

Who knows? What we do know here in the U.S., and elsewhere, although apparently it's not known in PRC leadership circles, is that the Internet is irresistible. It can't be blocked. And certain it is that it can't be blocked by neutralizing one of several search engines.

If the Internet could be blocked, think of all the things most users would want blocked. All spam, including, but not limited to, unwanted pitches for pornography, high colonics, and earning $1,200 a day while working at home.

If you let the Internet in - yes, you, President Jiang Zemin - it's in. You can't check ID at the door. Even if, in theory, you could, there are too many doors and too many people and too many messages coming and going from too many places.

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