Politics and sport should not, as a rule, be mixed. But here on the day that Karl Rove resigned and after even an Economist leader about America's left turn, I feel a compelling need to share the following video clip from 1994 with as many people as possible. After you've seen it, I expect you'll understand.
The bravery of U.S. troops is not in question. Unfortunately, neither is the degree to which they have been misled.
In Britain, the rights of private land owners have long been balanced with those of the recreational public and a new initiative now seeks to ensure that last step of the coastline is made accessible. The right to roam became a hot political topic following the death of Labour party leader John Smith in 1994. He had been an avid hiker. Ensuring wider public access to Britain's land was quickly seen as a chance to provide him with a durable legacy and has been well received.
The new move will be popular too: 94% of Britons want access to the coastline of their island, with 30% of 2,500 miles being in private hands. The plan is to create a ten yard / meter corridor all along the coast, with provisions for waymarking, moving the corridor in case of erosion, etc. With walking generally agreed upon as something we all could stand to do a whole lot more of, let's hope the British plan inspires others.
China has acted quickly to head off the burgeoning "Genocide Olympics" campaign linking its government, Darfur and the Olympic Games. In response to a letter to Premier Hu Jintao signed by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Tom Lantos (D. Calif.) and 106 of his colleagues, China has appointed Liu Guijin to the newly created post of Special Representative on African Affairs.
"It would be a disaster for China if the Games were to be marred by protests, from concerned individuals and groups, who will undoubtedly link your government to the continued atrocities in Darfur, if there is no significant improvement in the conditions," said the letter.
The rub lies in "significant improvement". Can China ever do enough to satisfy the protest groups? Will the Games simply give rise to debate on how much human rights progress China has made and whether it was enough to match their bid's promises to the IOC?
What's certain is that the "Genocide Olympics" story will run and run. Pro baller Ira Newble is gathering NBA signatures for an open letter that is sure to score another news hit in the coming weeks.
The Chinese, meanwhile, continue to crack down hard on activists in advance of the Games. The order has come from the top. Minister of Public Security Zhou Yongkang said in March: "We must make efforts to create a harmonious society and a good social environment for successfully holding the 17th Communist Party Congress and the Beijing Olympic Games[…]We must strike hard at hostile forces at home and abroad, such as ethnic separatists, religious extremists, violent terrorists and ‘heretical organizations’ like the Falun Gong who carry out destabilizing activities."
The House of Representatives was all but empty Tuesday, for a resolution on Physical Education (P.E.) week. There were only two speakers. Debate, such as it was, admitted the stark facts: a quarter of young Americans do not participate in physical education at all. Two thirds of kids aged 9-13 do no exercise outside of school. Obesity-related diseases already cost over $100 billion a year.
Now we need to admit some stark facts about the negative impact of the U.S. political system on the health of children. The “Leave No Child Behind” Act of 2001, for example, exacerbated the lack of P.E. by encouraging a resource shift towards core academic areas. Fewer than half of States include P.E. in students' Grade Point Averages. And here’s a real shocker: a quarter of States allow students to gain P.E. credit by taking courses online. That’s right, P.E. credit for sitting in front of the internets.
On Tuesday the Senate, meanwhile, was far busier than the House, as it debated various issues related to drug prescriptions that impact “big pharma”. Not much of a lobby, it seems, for having healthy kids to start with.
