--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I were a Chinese dissident, I'd be…" description: "\"If I were a Chinese dissident, I'd be grateful that Cisco had helped bring the Internet to China, but I'd also be outraged that Cisco may have helped t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_activities_if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-gra_2404608.jpg" --- # If I were a Chinese dissident, I'd be grateful that Cisco… ![“If I were a Chinese dissident, I'd be grateful that Cisco had helped bring the Internet to China, but I'd also be outraged that Cisco may have helped the cops keep me under surveillance and catch me trying to organize protest activities.” quote by Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_activities_if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-gra_2404608.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_activities_if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-gra_2404608.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_activities_if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-gra_2404608.jpg) > “If I were a Chinese dissident, I'd be grateful that Cisco had helped bring the Internet to China, but I'd also be outraged that Cisco may have helped the cops keep me under surveillance and catch me trying to organize protest activities.” [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Technology can both empower dissent and enable surveillance, creating ethical dilemmas for activists. **In simple terms:** Tech can help and harm activists. Key Takeaway Weigh benefits against risks. Themes surveillance digital rights activism Mood concerned analytical Type political critical When to use this quote - protest planning - online communication - policy advocacy Key Concepts ethics privacy state control Questions to Reflect On - How can activists protect privacy? - What responsibilities do tech firms have? A Different Perspective Balancing security and freedom is complex; no easy answers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Cops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cops/) [Grateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) ## Related quotes > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Religion, morality, and patriotism are feelings that are manifested only when they are outraged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/religion-morality-and-patriotism-are-feelings-that-are-manifested/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [The outraged citizens of Indonesia - lawyers, doctors, engineers, scientists - should be speaking up; they should be shouting. And of course, the voices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-outraged-citizens-of-indonesia-lawyers-doctors-engineers/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [Many Americans, and many more people around the world, have been outraged by what they see as President George W. Bush's radical reordering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/many-americans-and-many-more-people-around-the-world-have-been/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [There isn’t going to be a ‘next lover,’” Grant said automatically, outraged by the idea. “I’m the only man she’s going to have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/there-isn-t-going-to-be-a-next-lover-grant-said-automatically/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [As long as people allow themselves to be shocked, outraged or disgusted, there will be those who see that this happens, just so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-caro/as-long-as-people-allow-themselves-to-be-shocked-outraged-or/) [Mike Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-caro/) > [Far from seeking to justify, as does the Church, the necessity of torments and afflictions, he cried, in his outraged pity: 'If a God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joris-karl-huysmans/far-from-seeking-to-justify-as-does-the-church-the-necessity-of/) [Joris-Karl Huysmans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joris-karl-huysmans/) > [Each one of us, in his timidity, has a limit beyond which he is outraged. It is inevitable that he who by concentrated application…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/each-one-of-us-in-his-timidity-has-a-limit-beyond-which-he-is/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [Let us rise in the moral power of womanhood; and give utterance to the voice of outraged mercy, and insulted justice, and eternal truth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-weston-chapman/let-us-rise-in-the-moral-power-of-womanhood-and-give-utterance-to-the/) [Maria Weston Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-weston-chapman/) > [Despite one or two minority appeals our society is not outraged at man's unremitting use of the animal world. Ecologists and environmentalists may talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/despite-one-or-two-minority-appeals-our-society-is-not-outraged-at/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [For me, comedy starts as a spew, a kind of explosion, and then you sculpt it from there, if at all. It comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/for-me-comedy-starts-as-a-spew-a-kind-of-explosion-and-then-you/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [“Wow. My feminist sensibilities are outraged,” she murmured. “Yeah? I’ll outrage them like they’ve never been outraged before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-mckenna/wow-my-feminist-sensibilities-are-outraged-she-murmured-yeah-i-ll/) [Shannon McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-mckenna/) > [An empty canvas, apparently really empty, that says nothing and is without significance – almost dull, in fact – in reality, is crammed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wassily-kandinsky/an-empty-canvas-apparently-really-empty-that-says-nothing-and-is/) [Wassily Kandinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wassily-kandinsky/) > [During his presidency, Truman and the Republicans were locked in a series of furious assaults on each other that outraged him and made Truman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/during-his-presidency-truman-and-the-republicans-were-locked-in-a/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [The one thing man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-one-thing-man-fears-is-the-unknown-when-presented-with-this/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) ## More by Rebecca MacKinnon > [If China someday gains a more fair, just, and accountable system of government, it will be due to the hard work and efforts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-china-someday-gains-a-more-fair-just-and-accountable-system-of/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [In January 2012, Google Plus started to roll out support for nicknames and pseudonyms, but those registering with a name other than their real-life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/in-january-2012-google-plus-started-to-roll-out-support-for-nicknames/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [It becomes dangerous for somebody who doesn't want their boss to know their sexual preference to use online networks to push for laws supporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/it-becomes-dangerous-for-somebody-who-doesn-t-want-their-boss-to-know/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [If high-tech companies are serious about doing the right thing, they can join together and lobby for more transparency and accountability in the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-high-tech-companies-are-serious-about-doing-the-right-thing-they/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Any new legal measures, or cooperative arrangements between government and companies meant to keep people from organizing violence or criminal actions, must not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/any-new-legal-measures-or-cooperative-arrangements-between-government/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Every news organization needs a social media strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/every-news-organization-needs-a-social-media-strategy/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Professional camera crews are rarely there when a bomb goes off or a rocket lands. They usually show up afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/professional-camera-crews-are-rarely-there-when-a-bomb-goes-off-or-a/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Google's entire business model and its planning for the future are banking on an open and free Internet. And it will not succeed if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/google-s-entire-business-model-and-its-planning-for-the-future-are/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [A number of countries, including Russia and China, have put forward proposals to regulate aspects of the Internet like 'crime' and 'security' that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/a-number-of-countries-including-russia-and-china-have-put-forward/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [You don't have to be a nerd or a programmer or a network engineer to make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-nerd-or-a-programmer-or-a-network-engineer-to/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [A moral argument about whether censorship is good or bad deteriorates quickly into accusations about who is more or less patriotic, moral, pious, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/a-moral-argument-about-whether-censorship-is-good-or-bad-deteriorates/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [There's a real contradiction that's difficult to explain to the West and the outside world about China and about the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/there-s-a-real-contradiction-that-s-difficult-to-explain-to-the-west/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [The relationship between citizens and government is increasingly mediated through the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/the-relationship-between-citizens-and-government-is-increasingly/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Consistently, Baidu has censored politically sensitive search results much more thoroughly than Google.cn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/consistently-baidu-has-censored-politically-sensitive-search-results/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Human rights in cyberspace are really no different from rights in the physical world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/human-rights-in-cyberspace-are-really-no-different-from-rights-in-the/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) [Explore all 206 Rebecca MacKinnon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) ## More Activities quotes > [“Doing activities that you love to do, even a few minutes a day, can help you experience more flow, improve your well-being, and help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-e-smith/doing-activities-that-you-love-to-do-even-a-few-minutes-a-day-can/) [Laurie E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-e-smith/) > [The activities that went on at Camp King between 1946 and the late 1950s have never been fully accounted for by either the Department…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/the-activities-that-went-on-at-camp-king-between-1946-and-the-late/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [I was pursuing the arts with theater in school, and I was doing after-school activities, but not in any real movement towards a professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-was-pursuing-the-arts-with-theater-in-school-and-i-was-doing-after/) [Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/) > [A day at the beach with my kids is one of the least relaxing activities I can think of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-morocco/a-day-at-the-beach-with-my-kids-is-one-of-the-least-relaxing/) [Chris Morocco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-morocco/) > [I love downtown Seattle. It's a city that has all of the outdoor activities and is still a very cosmopolitan city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lemond/i-love-downtown-seattle-it-s-a-city-that-has-all-of-the-outdoor/) [Greg LeMond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lemond/) > [We didn't discuss Covid at home and did activities like Tik Tok to divert our minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuzvendra-chahal/we-didn-t-discuss-covid-at-home-and-did-activities-like-tik-tok-to/) [Yuzvendra Chahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuzvendra-chahal/) > [The United Nations will be at the heart of our international activities. France will assume its full responsibilities at the Security Council by putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/the-united-nations-will-be-at-the-heart-of-our-international/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [In my spare time, I volunteer at my daughters' schools so I can stay involved with the activities and parent/teacher community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-johnson/in-my-spare-time-i-volunteer-at-my-daughters-schools-so-i-can-stay/) [Belinda Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-johnson/) > [“Society has got a lot of activities and attractions to steal your time and to make you think less about your diminishing life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/society-has-got-a-lot-of-activities-and-attractions-to-steal-your/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I had never been much for outdoor activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-blake/i-had-never-been-much-for-outdoor-activities/) [Amanda Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-blake/) > [At Natura, we have long been committed to measure and improve the impacts of our activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guilherme-leal/at-natura-we-have-long-been-committed-to-measure-and-improve-the/) [Guilherme Leal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guilherme-leal/) > [There is much more to schools than buildings. There are academic activities, how it reaches the community and its proximity to other programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warner/there-is-much-more-to-schools-than-buildings-there-are-academic/) [John Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warner/) > [To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my predecessors in the union had detected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-became-national-secretary-and/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [Activism could be defined as activities engaged in by individuals to change there of others situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-edwards/activism-could-be-defined-as-activities-engaged-in-by-individuals-to/) [Ben Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-edwards/) > [Sin may result from activities that begin innocently or that are perfectly legitimate in moderation, but in excess they can cause us to veer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/sin-may-result-from-activities-that-begin-innocently-or-that-are/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) Browse all 215 Activities quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I were a Chinese dissident, I'd be grateful that Cisco had helped bring the Internet to China, but I'd also be outraged that Cisco may have helped the cops keep me under surveillance and catch me trying to organize protest activities.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rebecca MacKinnon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-grateful-that-cisco-had-helped/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Activities" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-grateful-that-cisco-had-helped/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_activities_if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-gra_2404608.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_activities_if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-gra_2404608.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_activities_if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-gra_2404608.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I were a Chinese dissident, I'd be grateful that Cisco had helped bring the Internet to China, but I'd…” — Rebecca MacKinnon", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rebecca MacKinnon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I were a Chinese dissident,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-grateful-that-cisco-had-helped/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-i-were-a-chinese-dissident-i-d-be-grateful-that-cisco-had-helped/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```