2008 - Well, it was a slow start...

JustHangin, you've confirmed my overall impression of Chavez and the current state of affairs in Venezuela. Looks like Venezuela is essentially a police state. Too bad there's still a lot of apologists elsewhere in the world.

Actually you CANT trust the police there... they are the ones that mug you, rape you, kidnap you... :S nice huh? ... The among of crimes against human rights is OVERWHELMING... and nobody does anything :S... Jimmy carter went there and did NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A GUY WITH A NOBEL PRIZE FOR PEACE..... PEACE?!?!?!?! YOU FUCKIN ASSHOLE!!!! and the UN guy also did NOTHING... corruption makes everybody look away... :S...

If China's environment doesn't implode first.

Don't ever ask if things can get worse.

Oh, now we're way beyond worse...

Tony Blair to teach at Yale - Yahoo! News UK

P.S.

SG, it seems we have Windy Miller heading our way - ETA Monday. Any insider info I should know about?

I'm thinking of 1987 as I ask this.

Tony Blair is a great man. He is well respected in our country. This is great news.

I'm not even from your country and I like the man. Something just... charismatic about him, IMO.

I suspect that respect may be rooted more in his ability to articulate a coherent sentence, than any intrinsic value in what he's actually saying.

His toadying up to Bush over a certain pretty much disastrous escapade in the Middle East may also be a factor. Or am I being too cynical, again?
Can't help you there...

Israel stirs the pot once again. Naturally it's nothing to do with recent activities.

Olmert approves West Bank settlement plans - Yahoo! News UK

On the bright side, Pakistan's two leading parties are to form a coalition after inconclusive elections. Quite possibly this is the beginning of the end for Musharraf, especially with the reversal of his sacking of Judges late last year.

In other news; Spain's General election is underway today. I wonder if the Socialists will retain power for a another term, being reportedly just ahead of the conservatives - who have been playing on immigration and terrorism fears. The Eta killing of Isaías Carrasco on Friday may play into Rajoy's hands, or it may invoke a sympathy vote for Zapetero ...perhaps DaveyR can shed some light ...?

Rhetorical question: If the Israelis unilaterally quit building in the "occupied" areas, would the Pal's quit firing rockets at Sredot?

Iran's elections seem to be a damp squib, but further North, after the fiercest clashes with Government in close to two decades, Lhasa looks as if it may be on the verge of meltdown, again.

There are said to be blockades around key monastaries as well as demonstrations in northern India, Nepal and elsewhere. Perhaps the Tibetans are aiming to take advantage of the spotlight on China for the Olympics to draw attention to their own plight.

And who could blame them?

It's a good time to do it, with Bejing (perhaps) being 'distracted' with preparations and the 'concerns' (Spielberg, athlete gag orders etc) that have already been loudly expressed here in the west. They may thus perceive Beijing as being on the defensive, or at least rather more capable of being pushed on to the defensive than hitherto.

I can't see Beijing being happy about Tibet raining on their parade so I imagine Beijing is itching to crack down hard. If it does, I wonder, would we in the west boycott the games, for a second time? Or, if we stood by (also a second time) while Tibet is kicked in the teeth, could we consider ourselves much better than willing accomplices?

To play Devil's advocate, the cynic in me wonders what are some of athletes thinking? Is it - Wow, this is a great second opportunity to help the Tibetan people, or, Damn, this could blow what could be a once in a lifetime shot, why can't they pipe down?

Regardless of what transpires today, I imagine there may will be serious payback come wintertime when the world's eyes are focussed elsewhere.

S'truth. Sad, but true.

I was going to add (but didn't) a snarky question about why the 82nd Airborne Division isn't hurriedly being readied for a drop into Tibet like it did in Saudi within days of Saddam's invasion of Kuwait.

Yes. Which makes some kind of meaningful action on our part all the more important.

It could be that the Chinese will get their revenge in ahead of the games, perhaps hoping the fuss will die down? I doubt they will expect anything more than harsh words from the west, they're almost certainly right.

I'd all but rule out a Government sponsored boycott; US and other Western economies are rather too (economically) dependent on China to risk rocking the boat, especially in today's shaky financial situation. That doesn't preclude athletes taking unilateral action of course.

With a US election campaign in full swing I doubt the American people would support an 'armed' or other type of intervention (sanctions etc), regardless of whether there is a vested interest, which really there isn't - in that prevention of cultural and religious genocide, outright brutality and such like isn't really enough, sadly.

I note that another Holywood(er), Richard Gere has called for a boycott if Beijing screws up (even more) in Tibet. Such calls for a boycott have been bubbling for months, longer from other areas, so that's little surprise. The EU stance so far is one of dismissal, the IOC have expressed 'concern'. I'm sure that concern is of a rather more selfish nature.

I thought at the time it was a mistake to award the 2008 games to Beijing. Today, I'm even more convinced of that. The idea is so riddled with paradox and irony, it's hard to know where to start.

Deadline set for Tibet rioters to surrender - Yahoo! News UK