Google out of China: Doing no evil

[Commentary] Google cofounder Sergey Brin spent the early years of his childhood in the Soviet Union. His family felt firsthand what it was like to live under a totalitarian government. They didn't like it, and managed to escape to the United States while he was still a young boy. For all the talk about the business wisdom of Google's move to pull out of China, it may have finally rested on the Brin family's experiences under an oppressive political system. More than just a business decision, it was the right thing to do. China's ongoing censorship of access to the Internet has begun to embolden other countries to take similar steps, Mr. Brin said this week. The level of discomfort at Google in cooperating with Chinese censorship finally became too high, he said. Now, this step by giant Google might cause other censoring countries to think twice. In the long run, Google may profit from its stand. It's already boosted its image by more closely living up to its motto of "Don't be evil." And it still can hope to return someday to a more open China.