I don’t usually post political stuff, and i most definitely won’t be posting Olympics stuff, or anything else related to circus-maximus, coliseum entertainment (the new, improved opiate of the masses).
But here’s a clever nexus of the two from the innovative and effective AVAAZ.org activist organization, in the form of an Olympic handshake from the world to China. From the site:
The Beijing Olympics should be a moment to bring citizens around the world together. But the Chinese government still hasn’t opened meaningful dialogue on Tibet, or made progress on Burma and Darfur — and global activists’ messages are too often lost in a firestorm of accusations about being anti-Chinese.
We’ve decided to take the moment back with a powerful, unambiguous message of peace, friendship and dialogue — the Olympic Handshake. The handshake began with the Dalai Lama, passing through the streets of London, now it’s gone online where all of us can join in — help the handshake travel toward Beijing, where our message will be delivered through a big Olympic media campaign before the closing ceremonies. Join the handshake, and see yourself and others as it goes around the globe!
It’s one way to harness the power of the Internet for something beyond porn and email. Go forth and multiplex.
Greg Blee 