This shared set of values and assumptions typical of the Internet becomes apparent when it spreads its roots to states where the ideas of liberalism, egalitarianism, and democracy face violent resistance from the political authorities. The newsgroup soc.culture.burma, for example, is used by Burmese dissidents living abroad to spread information which would not be known otherwise. It is no surprise that the Burmese government even requires its citizens to ask for official permission to own a modem. Failure to do so can make one a political prisoner. That is what happens when governments actively attempt to stop the wishes of its people, and it shows how potent the Internet can be as a political force.8 It also shows that, if we take the ideas of democracy and respect for human rights as universal, then the Internet could be seen as a harbinger of these ideals to the areas where the ideals are not appreciated by the authorities.
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