Two U.S. House of Representatives members reported recently that their computers on Capitol Hill containing information about political dissidents had been hacked by sources "apparently working out of China," several stories said this week.
Virginia Rep. Frank Wolf says four of his computers were hacked. New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith says two of his computers were compromised in December 2006 and March 2007, according to an Associated Press report.
The two lawmakers are longtime critics of China's record on human rights, the story noted.
Rep. Wolf suggested the problem was likely to be shared by some in the Senate. AP reports that he is calling for hearings in both the House and Senate, and well he should.
This is not the first time that hacking accusations have been thrown at China, however. Last September, several sources, including Fox News, reported that the Chinese government had hacked a non-critical Defense Department computer, according to a Pentagon source.
Combine this information with widely circulated stories about the Chinese shipping tainted seafood and dangerous toys to the United States (repeatedly), and it makes you wonder why we are so anxious to do business with that nation. Even the normally conservative insurance industry is drooling like a Pavlovian dog in a bell tower at the prospect of expanding operations in China.
Sad to say, but in the end, money rules. Who cares if we get tainted food? Who cares if our kids eat lead paint off of poorly designed or manufactured toys? Who cares if a foreign government with less than friendly intent toward the U.S. is hacking into sensitive computer systems that contain information vital to the defense of our nation?
Apparently no one cares. We keep lapping up the inexpensive Chinese goods in our stores and ramping up a huge trade deficit with that nation. We allow all this to happen without holding the Chinese government accountable for serious security breaches and potentially serious health problems from shoddy products.
And somehow, we all believe that's OK, because, well, think of the size of the market that awaits in China.
Well, it's not OK, and our weak-kneed federal government needs to step up and do something--yesterday.
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