“A Future Worth Creating: Defense Transformation and the New Security Environment,” by Thomas Barnett, Council on Foreign Relations, 11 February 2003, http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/media/CFRBriefTranscript.htm.

“Investigation Shows Big Business Funding Sex Chat Rooms,” WFTV, 1 June 2005, http://www.wftv.com/technology/4554266/detail.html (from Slashdot).

Dr. Barnett notes that Islamic Republics like Iran or violent Gap states like Nigeria have problems with horizontal content flow — the peer-to-peer flow of thoughts and ideas from one person to another.

Now I’ll draw you a different map, based on what we think we saw crystallize with 9/11, but in reality we think has been emerging since 1980s. And remember, those 22 emerging markets begin to be integrated into a global economy. I’m talking about regions or countries in the world that are functioning within globalizing. By functioning, I mean they basically exhibit several of these characteristics. First, they welcome both connectivity and a content flow associated with globalization. And everybody likes connectivity. Bin Laden likes connectivity. Not everybody can handle the content flow. My favorite example, Barbie the doll was tossed out of Iran about a few months ago. Barbie the doll has infiltrated retail stores in Iran, through all that connectivity. She began appearing on toy store shelves, little Iranian girls started buying her. The mullahs didn’t like it. They created an anti-Barbie doll, basically a Barbie covered head to toe in black cloth. She did not sell like hot cakes, Barbie got the boot. A good example of content flow that you can’t handle. Another good example. When they tried to hold the Miss World competition in Nigeria, that was a classic.

These are states where the leaders do not trust their own people — and the people do not trust themselves. Disturbed by rapid changes, they chose to clamp down on freedoms and reinforce traditions with laws. Of course it never works — laws weaken traditions, destroying the dreams the politicians wanted to defend — but if History was on the side of oppressors, we would be living in a different world.

So these puritan states use vertical controls — laws, like electric shocks — to disrupt and peaceful and consensual flow of commerce, desires, and entertainment.

In the United States, we use America Rules: the peaceful settlement of dispute through agreement on what is “normal”

Several well-known companies have pulled ads from a popular online chat room service after an investigation by Houston television station KPRC revealed to them what their money was funding.

…

Among the thousands of chat room titles, where people can look for common interests like music or movies, there are other rooms with some disturbing titles, such as:

• 9-17-Year-Olds Wantin’ Sex
  
• Younger Girls 4 Older Guys
  
• Girls 13 And Under For Older Guys
  
• Girls 13 And Up For Much Older Man
  
• Girls 8 to 13 Watch Boys (In A Particular Sex Act)

…

Before entering the chat room titled “5 To 13-Year-Old Kiddies Who Love Sex” or “Girls 5 To 13 For Older Men,” guests were required to click on a Star Wars-themed ad from Diet Pepsi.

Not that the American ways stops “virtue” thugs from trying Tehran Rules

Yahoo! is facing a $10 million lawsuit that accuses it of cashing in on some disturbing chat rooms.

…

“Yes, more legislation is required. The law has not kept up with this type of criminal activity [if it is legal how is it criminal? -- tdaxp],” U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, told the station.

…
Inside the chat rooms, not only were men trying to meet children or even take them away from home to run away, the station found countless adult men using Web cameras to send children in the room lewd pictures or display live nude images of themselves.

However, the nation’s top law enforcement officers said it is all legal [garbled journalism -- what is "legal" here? vague agitprop -- tdaxp ].

Update: Typically the technophile solution has bad side-effects. Doesn’t deter flit or instapundit from something similar, though…