Empires die hard. The war that broke out last week between Russia and Georgia is a terrifying reminder that the disintegration of the Soviet Union is far from over.
Die Hard
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Postcard from… Dhaka
I hate malls, maybe more than anything else in this world. But I knew I was in for a mind-blowing experience the second I heard there was a brand–spanking-new mega-mall in the heart of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Opening in 2004, “Bashundhara City” is eerily and aptly named. It features 20 floors (eight for shopping, the rest for offices), 2,500 stores, a multi-screen movie theater, a Gold’s Gym, a swimming pool and yes, even an indoor amusement park. It claims to be “South Asia’s largest shopping-cum-recreation complex.”
Baseball Big and Little: Its Role in U.S.-Cuba Relations
The 1998 Orioles-Cuba baseball games did not, as we know, lead to Washington’s lifting of its embargo or travel ban. Baseball diplomacy led to the defection in 2002 of Cuba’s star pitcher, Jose Contreras, who had held the Orioles to two runs in nine innings. But instead of joining the O’s, he signed with the New York Yankees for millions of dollars. Even in the 21st Century, Dollar Diplomacy still functions.
The Double-Edged Sword of Sport and Political Protest
The potential for sport to be used in an effective manner for political protest is growing as sport gains greater prominence on the international stage. Increased political and commercial interest in mega sporting events – like the Olympics – is testament to that, as is the dramatic rise in the attempt to use of sport to further social development initiatives, particularly in low-income countries.
Rome vs. Beijing: Olympics that Change the World
In anticipation of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, debates have intensified over the appropriate role of politics during an international event meant to transcend exactly that. Numerous individuals and groups have promised to protest in Beijing, and in response, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) released a memo clarifying Rule 51 of the Olympics Charter, which prohibits demonstrations and propaganda in Olympic areas. Both Chinese officials and members of the IOC fear that protests will diminish the prestige of the Olympics.
Going for the Gold
Forty years after the historic 1968 Olympics, the eyes of the world are focused on Beijing. The torch traveled 85,000 miles across the globe, the longest trip it has taken before a game since the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin. Just as in 1936, the run-up to these games has been fraught with protests focusing on the host country’s human rights record, leaving many to question if China is using the games for political cover, just as Nazi Germany did.
Breaking Taboos: Mixing Sports and Politics with Team Darfur
The timing was purely coincidental. On Wednesday, July 10, came the news that dozens of armed men in SUVs and perhaps 200 men on horseback had attacked and killed seven United Nations peacekeepers in the Darfur region of Sudan. The next day, I was scheduled to interview Joey Cheek, co-founder of Team Darfur, a coalition of Olympic athletes whose goal is to end the genocide in Darfur.
Sinafrique
China’s growing economic presence in sub-Saharan Africa is normally portrayed in one of two ways. Either it’s cast as engaging in rapacious resource extraction without local employment and financial gain, or it’s portrayed as a source of beneficent foreign investment, bringing much-needed capital and building infrastructure in the world’s poorest region. The resistance to Chinese timber exploitation in the West African republic of Mali provides a more nuanced look at the Sino-African relationship, which, under certain circumstances, could act as a catalyst for positive political change in Africa.
Beyond Ping-Pong Diplomacy
You may wonder why the second week of October 2007 was proclaimed “National Tae Kwon Do Week” in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Here’s one good reason: That week, in the middle of a Cedar Rapids auditorium, eight people crouched shoulder to shoulder to form a human hurdle, like the row of cars that a stuntman jumps with his motorcycle. Another person stood at the far end of this human chain, holding up a small pine board. With only a short running start, his teammate leapt over all eight people and broke the board with his feet before landing.
Will He or Won’t He?
The debate has seesawed back and forth in the press, in blogs, on the street. Will George W. Bush, prodded by his pitchfork-wielding vice president, bomb Iran before the end of his term? According to one camp, an attack on Iran is so last term. In fact, the whole “evil axis” thing is passé. The administration has already done a 180 on North Korea. And, along with sending a negotiator to the talks with Iran in Geneva last week, the administration is considering opening a U.S. interest section in Tehran. The Pentagon is dead set against an attack. Our allies would freak. The poll numbers suggest that even though Iran tops the list of “enemies,” few Americans support bombing the country or even threatening to do so.