From the WSJ, coverage of the impact of the Net on China:
The Party's rescue mission was staged to quell public discontent -- not out of any real obligation to upholding the rule of law. Which brings us to the real problem: The Party can't wholly enforce the rule of law without allowing a free press, and it can't loosen the reins on the press without exposing its own corruption. It's a catch-22, and China's citizens, especially its poorest, are the ones who suffer.Some citizens, like the brick kiln fathers, are brave enough to take justice into their own hands. Armed with the Internet, they now have a mechanism to do so.