Tech companies defend profiteering to Holocaust survivor Congressman

Rep. Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor in Congress, put thescrews to Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and Cisco for their active role inprofiteering from human rights abuses in totalitarian regimes aroundthe world. The transcript on CNet is amazing and shameful; like manygeeks, I identify to some extent with the people who make up thesecompanies. For better or for worse, they're part of my tribe. It'sembarrassing to read their dismal defenses of raw greed at any cost:

Lantos, to Yahoo: Are you ashamed?
Yahoo: We are very distressed about the consequences of having tocomply with Chinese law...We are certainly troubled by that and we lookforward to working with our peers.
Lantos: Do you think that individuals or families have beennegatively impacted by some of the activities we have been told, likebeing in prison for 10 years? Have any of the companies reached out tothese families and asked if you could be of any help to them?
Yahoo: We have expressed our condemnation of the prosecution ofthis person, expressed our views to the Chinese government...We haveapproached the Chinese government on these issues.
Lantos: Have you reached out to the family? I can ask it 10 more times if you refuse to answer it. You are under oath.

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