The World and Things In It
{China} The new "law" passed by the Chinese government has almost no practical effect on the fear and loathing in the Strait of Taiwan. However, it should serve as notice to all the Pollyannas out there, like Thomas P.M. Barnett, who was a good thinker before he became drunk on his own celebrity, that there are still powerful hardline elements within the PRC leadership, elements who see reunification with Taiwan as being essential to China's dignity and prestige. War between the United States and China over Taiwan would be worse for China than for the US, but that doesn't guarantee such a war won't happen. Let us just hope the new anti-secession law will satisfy the hardliners and assuage their fears for the time being.

{Lebanon} In your face, Hezbollah! Daniel Schorr, the senior news analyst at NPR (and the worst Dan left in the mainstream media now that Rather has retired in disgrace), used last week's pro-Syria Hezbollah rally to say that no democratic progress would be possible in Lebanon (nor the entire Middle East) and that the demonstrations following Hariri's assassination would come to naught. O ye of little faith. Today's anti-Syria rally was the largest yet! Freedom kicks ass. First, get the Syrians out of the Beka Valley. Then, get rid of President Emile Lahoud, whose term-in-office was illegaly extended at Syria's behest. (The extension is what prompted the late Mr. Hariri's resignation as prime minister.) And lastly, as this will be the truly difficult part, disarm Hezbollah. And when those three thigs have been accomplished, Lebanon may once again be a land of milk and honey.

{The Sudan} The genocide continues in Darfur, even if the UN, which did such a bang-up job in rwanda, lacks the moral courage to use the word "genocide." There simply aren't enough African Union troops to protect the entire population fromteh janjaweed. This indifference to massive death in Africa, just as the world ignored Rwanda and continues to ignore the war in DR Congo, has been my greatest disappointment in President Bush. Send the Marines to Darfur, damn it! People are dying!