I was surfing my regular news sites this morning, when I came across the following article on BBC News: "Obama speech censored in China." Authorities didn't like Obama's references to communism and silent dissent, according to the article. And certain parts were omitted from Chinese translations, like the following: In "Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions," the word communism was removed for Chinese translations. And "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history." This sentence was deleted entirely. It's hard not to take offense to China deleting whole sections of our new president's first speech. But it also serves as a blunt reminer... As the world becomes an ever-flatter place, and emerging markets gain ground and find an equal spot at the table, it's easy to forget that there are real differences in ideology in the world... And that those differences aren't just limited to religious fanatics hunkered down on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan; or a lone group of political reformists on some secluded compound in Montana. They're engrained in the policies of some of our biggest trading partners, and some of the biggest economies in the world. China is the largest holder of U.S. debt in the world, with $681.9 billion by the end of November 2008. That's an increase of 48.6% over November 2007's debt. In fact, our debt to all other countries jumped by 32.2% in that same timeframe. But our debt to oil exporters jumped 43.5%... As President Obama takes office, will the world work through these differences? Or will they lead to an increase in strained relations? There is no doubt that we are dealing with fundamental differences in entire systems... It will take compromise without compromising on our values. Is that even possible? I welcome your comments, and also, since I'm not a fan of censorship, here's a link to President Obama's speech, and here's a translator for our Chinese friends... Choose English to Chinese in the drop-down menu.