Blogging and civil society

I've had several discussions in recent months about the prospects of internet communications to change the way people relate to government and each other. This article in the Times hints at the importance of blogs, even in China. The article notes some success in curbing blogs messages:

So far, Chinese authorities have mostly relied on Internet service providers to police the Web logs. Commentary that is too provocative or directly critical of the government is often blocked by the provider. Sometimes the sites are swamped by opposing comment - many believe by official censors - that is more favorable to the government.

While this may be effective in impeding certain sorts of political speech, I wonder if it will be enough to limit the deeper, less obvious effects of blogs. In my mind, the importance of blogging and the internet in general is that individuals can have so much impact, that you don't need to be a huge, monied company or political party to have a voice.

Chinese communist ideology and state control seems somewhat dependent on the subversion of the individual to the will and message of the state. Does it matter then, what an independent voice is saying, or just that the voice exists? It seems to me that by allowing blogs at all, China is setting itself up for change in the long term, as the internalized collectivism of its people dissolves in the blogosphere.