Apple is not in the business of free speech, they're in the business of making money. If censoring one song means they can keep making money, they will.
Companies are required to obey the law. Apple didn't make the law requiring certain terms and topics to be censored in China, but they are required to obey it, just like they are required to obey censorship laws in other countries, including America.
It is not the job of western corporations to "fix" China. That is up to the Chinese.
Google complied with Chinese law by ceasing to do business in China. I imagine that opponents of censorship would prefer that Apple follow suit.
Good luck if anyone expects apple to choose morals when sales are on the line. And I don't think apple would be willing to risk all that sweet, sweet sweatshop labour.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
The problem is not that Apple lacks courage, but that you lack wisdom.
There's also a difference between seeing a pool of shit and diving on in anyway because that's where the gold is and saying, I don't want to swim in this, I have enough gold.
Business as usual (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple is not in the business of free speech, they're in the business of making money. If censoring one song means they can keep making money, they will.
Re: Business as usual (Score:0)
So whatever makes them money is OK with you?
Re: (Score:4, Insightful)
Companies are required to obey the law. Apple didn't make the law requiring certain terms and topics to be censored in China, but they are required to obey it, just like they are required to obey censorship laws in other countries, including America.
It is not the job of western corporations to "fix" China. That is up to the Chinese.
Could always pull out of China (Score:5, Insightful)
Google complied with Chinese law by ceasing to do business in China. I imagine that opponents of censorship would prefer that Apple follow suit.
Re: (Score:3)
Google complied with Chinese law by ceasing to do business in China. I imagine that opponents of censorship would prefer that Apple follow suit.
Good luck if anyone expects apple to choose morals when sales are on the line. And I don't think apple would be willing to risk all that sweet, sweet sweatshop labour.
Re: (Score:2)
There is no "moral" choice, because Apple's actions are not going to change anything either way.
These are the choices Apple faces:
1. Stay in China, and do nothing to fix China's problems.
2. Leave China, and do nothing to fix China's problems.
This is the famous Serenity Prayer [wikipedia.org]:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
The problem is not that Apple lacks courage, but that you lack wisdom.
Re:Could always pull out of China (Score:2)
There is no "moral" choice, because Apple's actions are not going to change anything either way.
These are the choices Apple faces:
1. Stay in China, and do nothing to fix China's problems. 2. Leave China, and do nothing to fix China's problems.
This is the famous Serenity Prayer [wikipedia.org]:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.
The problem is not that Apple lacks courage, but that you lack wisdom.
There's also a difference between seeing a pool of shit and diving on in anyway because that's where the gold is and saying, I don't want to swim in this, I have enough gold.