But everything else isn't equal - the reason why 'their' governments can and 'our' governments can't is because it is so much worse there. It's silly saying that 'at least the chinese gov't is honest' because for a start it's not, and secondly because they already have the strongarm power to halt dissenting opinions. First-world countries generally have a ton of avenues to make your voice heard with some degree of fairness. Lauding China because the government already has such iron-fisted control that it can be more straightforward is just stupid.