Could have just been redundancy built into the command-and-control network. If you're running a <i>huge</i> spying program... why not?  It's a lot easier for regular traffic to/from a google IP address to avoid attention than traffic to/from a personal cable modem.<p>And just <i>saying</i> what Google has said, the way they've said it, is pretty much the end of their business in China. It would take something like a glastnost event or revolution for things to change course now.<p>That's an awfully high a price to pay unless you're pretty damn sure the government is directly responsible, or protecting those that are.