Simply as a human being, people need to recognize how censorship violates the human right of freedom of expression. It is important to be empathetic towards others and try to walk in their shoes; if someone's human rights are being violated, everybody has a duty to acknowledge and take action in order to create a better and more peaceful world where people are not afraid of expressing themselves. It is important to advocate for people who can not advocate as freely as others. Chinese citizens are prevented from speaking their thoughts on the internet because of the Great Firewall. Because they are not able to express their opinions as freely as others around the world, it is important for people to voice the Chinese's protests against censorship. If enough people rise and fight for freedom of expression in China, there may be hope for relaxing the censorship. Especially in today's world, censorship in China is an important topic to address because of how connected all the countries are. If a country were to collapse, because of globalization, it would have many effects on other countries that perhaps rely on the former country for imports or aid. On a larger scale, if China, a huge competitor in the world's economy, were to experience any kind of downturn, it would most definitely affect many other countries, including the United States. Globalization has made the world closer and more connected but with it comes the responsibility to take care of others. The United States and other countries around the world need to take action against censorship to advance their own societies, but more importantly, everybody, as a fellow human being, has a duty to help out others in need.
Petition Against Censorship in China
After revealing that it would continue to block so-called "subversive" websites, China has tightened its reigns on censorship. This site created a petition that pressures China to eliminate the blocks against these websites and demands that information on past movements, such as the Tiananmen Square rebellion, be open to the public. This petition mainly aims to open sites such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the BBC.
News About Internet Censorship in China
This site, from the New York Times, provides up-to-date news articles on censorship in China. Topics covered include self-censorship, the Great Firewall, protests against censorship, and much more. This site serves to increase awareness about censorship and encourages people to take action against it.
Tech Companies and Censorship
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This article outlines how tech companies can help overcome Chinese censorship by making their services indispensable to China's economy. Originally, when these tech companies installed programs into China, the Chinese government censored messages and information. By making their services absolutely necessary to Chinese companies, these outside tech companies reduce Chinese censorship.
Cracking the Great Firewall
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This website provides excellent objective information about censorship in China for people who want to research more on the topic. The article provides information on the official media policy, censorship groups, how the government exerts control, and additional resources for the reader to look in to.
I think the government of China is probably aware of the problems you discuss, but they continue their policies as a way of maintaining their power. Some citizens of China may believe its OK to be ignorant, but if you were told from birth that certain ideas are propaganda from hostile countries (or people) whose goal is to overthrow your government, you may believe that its better to have those voices silenced also.
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