What I am criticizing is the suggestion/claim/insinuation that Americans can’t criticize China, because we are…

…

?

Here it gets tricky.

…because we are “just as bad?”

Apparently, that is NOT what Aziz is saying, and is offended that I suggest so.

Apology extended, but then why can’t we criticize China, again?

Because, apparently, if you look hard enough, you can find some censorship in America, and it does not matter how much (little) or what the justification is. There is **some,** and it is **similar,** and – HERE’S THE RUB – if you disagree that all censorship is identical, then you are an American exceptionalist, because only an American exceptionalist “right winger” is so deluded.

This, as I said, is a position intended to STOP debate, not advance it.

Not everyone, but those who do are certainly his main demographic.

And I am not surprised you make excuses for the censorship apparatus that now exists in our nation, solely on teh technicalitieies of how it is used, rather than the very fact that it exists at all. Because we all know that once in place, restrictions on freedom dissipate over time and are never abused for uses beyond original intent by the all-benevolent government, right?

Yep, damn those speed limits retricting our ability to travel. It won’t be long now before the cops start asking “Papers Please!” will it Aziz? After all, we wouldn’t want to make excuses for the infringment on the right to travel due to technicalilties of how it’s used, rather than that the mechanism of oppression exists at all.

And did you just accuse me of not being sufficiently critical of the Chinese? OK, then.

Aziz Poonawalla’s last blog post..freedom of religion in Qatar

And I am not surprised you make excuses for the censorship apparatus that now exists in our nation, solely on teh technicalitieies of how it is used, rather than the very fact that it exists at all. Because we all know that once in place, restrictions on freedom dissipate over time and are never abused for uses beyond original intent by the all-benevolent government, right?

Aziz Poonawalla’s last blog post..freedom of religion in Qatar

As for his celebrity, how many people would even remember him for ‘Bowling for Columbine’ unless you reminded them?

You just can’t go to websites to arrange travel there. That may be restrictive, but it’s not censorship.

We’re playing word games.

Yes – ‘restriction’ is ‘restriction.’

I cannot deny that.

Every single aspect of American life is restricted at some point.

To say you cannot criticize China because America restricts this that or the other in a thecnically ‘similar’ fashion obscures, rather than clarifies.

When you gound your child, your “restrict” his behavior.

When you jail a person for criticizing the government, you “restrict” his behavior in a similar way.

If the restrictions imposed by China and America are not comparably onerous, then why can you not – in good faith – criticize Chinese censorship? Why can’t you call the kettle black?

Malcolm X

Spike Lee

Noam Chomsky

Rosie O’Donnel

And that is why he is a celebrity? evidence?

Aziz Poonawalla’s last blog post..freedom of religion in Qatar

our censorship is very, very similar to Chinese censorship. But it is not as onerous. You specifically imputed to me the contention that the *average* American experiences censorship *as onerous* as the *average* Chinese. All of that is your invention.

Aziz Poonawalla’s last blog post..freedom of religion in Qatar

Scott Kirwin’s last blog post..The ?Victimless? Crime