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Comment by olinj2 | Hacker News Reader

Did I use the term "evil" west? This is a sign you guys come with your own pre-programming just like we do. And you need to be more aware of it. Delusional is what I said and I stand by it. You guys have elaborate rules governing contact and treatment of indigenous people from the amazon to the serengeti. But for some strange reason you guys are totally incapable of understanding putting people in under developed/mostly illiterate societies in contact with the massive ever increasing noise that is the "free internet" is damaging in the same way as non regulated contact with indigenous people. And this is why I said thank god for the "non free regulated Chinese internet" cause there is a counter point to the western way of thinking about an unregulated "free" internet which is really irresponsible.

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So you are saying that governments are doing their citizens a service by filtering the internet for them? That's an interesting viewpoint, but not an easy sell to a delusional Westerner. We don't let our governments tell us how to think. That's the job of advertising.

> So you are saying that governments are doing their citizens a service by filtering the internet for them?

If it was a service, they would fund an Ad-Block like add-on that their people could install on their browsers by their own choice. They could offer opt-in filtering on an internet provider level. It's obviously not a service.

There seems to be some assumption that just because a majority may or may not want something in Pakistan, that they should suddenly enforce that on everybody.

> That's an interesting viewpoint, but not an easy sell to a delusional Westerner. We don't let our governments tell us how to think. That's the job of advertising.

In the UK, there is an advertising authority to ensure that advertising in the UK remains tasteful. In the UK, if you have some content that is sponsored by a company you have to make it clear from the start that is it so.

I think it's fair to say that in the UK, not even the advertising authorities are aloud to tell the people what to do. And the recent brexit supports the idea that the government doesn't either.

You didn't use the word "evil", I wasn't quoting you. I'm not sure if you can call it pre-programming... I'm not sure how you deduce the rest of what you've said from simply echoing what is often said in non-Western Countries. I don't hold it against you though, a lot of people are the same regardless of where they are from.

> You guys have elaborate rules governing contact and treatment of indigenous people from the amazon to the serengeti.

The difference is, to the tribes - technology isn't beneficial and to Pakistan, it is. The tribes are so far removed from the world that it would take multiple generations to bring them up to speed. Pakistan wants to be more connected to the world but doesn't want to listen to what the world has to say. That's the difference.

> But for some strange reason you guys are totally incapable of understanding putting people in under developed/mostly illiterate societies in contact with the massive ever increasing noise that is the "free internet" is damaging in the same way as non regulated contact with indigenous people.

Pakistan is not underdeveloped - it's at the perfect time for growth, just like India currently is. Lying to the people (which is what you're suggesting) - you think will really help progress people's thinking on the world stage? Or do you think it will reinforce a culture that already hates difference? We're talking about a Country where in the villages, they kill people for "black magic", believe in ghosts and beat their women. I think they've had enough unchallenged thinking.

> thank god for the "non free regulated Chinese internet" cause there is a counter point to the western way of thinking about an unregulated "free" internet which is really irresponsible

Oh yes, I often forget that the Chinese Communist Party actually makes rules to better the world and not just it's own agenda.

By the way, for all that blocking in China - the Chinese are considered highly racist and rude by other Asian cultures, let alone the rest of the world.

Better to have access to information and not need it (Western model) than to need it and not have access due to government censorship (Chinese model).

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