An intersting piece by Jeffrey Wasserstrom and Kate Merkel Hess who refute some of the myths that are circulating about the internet in China.
Fisrtly they say that the common fact that it will swiftly lead to a freer and more open society is not correct.It,they say
" hasn't happened. China's still run by a Communist Party that takes harsh measures against organizations that threaten its hold on power."however
the Chinese public sphere has become a more freewheeling, interesting and chaotic arena for expressions of opinion than it was. This isn't all due to the Internet (crusading print journalists and activists have also done their part), but bloggers calling attention to official corruption or mocking government policies have definitely helped alter the political landscape.
Furthermore it is misleading to think of the net as being only important in terms of dissidents and protest
Often, the politically significant things happening online involve forms of communication, such as efforts to call attention to corrupt acts by local officials, that dovetail with policies that are promoted or at least given lip service by the central authorities. In many cases, these take the form of satirical discussions, which only gradually move toward anything like a "dissident"
position
and a lot of internet use is not political
Most Chinese Internet cafes are packed with students playing online video games, not checking out political websites. Online chat rooms are packed. Online commerce is growing rapidly. Online stock trading has taken off. And after the Sichuan earthquake, Chinese donated millions of dollars online.
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