Indian government bans certain sites

The thing with socialism is that it gives bureaucrats and politicians a status higher than the average person. They then begin to think they are better than everyone else, because they have access to favouritism and can practise nepotism while the common man starves.

At some point - and that point has already been reached in India, a supposedly democratic country - officials stop explaining, or provide pitiful excuses as justification for their actions.

As India is, tragically, a socialist country it is not surprising to find another example of this perverse government action - in the news that certain websites have been blocked based on terrorism related concerns.

My uncle in Guwahati sent me an email today saying he could not access this weblog. I've only just made the connection between his troubles and the attempt at censorship.

Atanu Dey points out this is only an attempt, as you can't really block anything on the net. Or, if you do, human ingenuity will soon find a way to break the ban. Here's one way already worked out. Hat-tip to Heath over at Catallaxy for first bringing this to my attention.

Update: The Hindustan Times reports this was apparently a stuff-up, not a deliberate ban. The original intention was to prevent access to 17 sites. Follow the latest developments here and here. Incidentally, some info on a rule that I didn't know existed, banning the publication of foreign newspapers in India .