Can we just pause a second and think?

It's almost Friday, which means the (work) week is almost over. I've been listening and reading the news a lot this week, and I'd just like to point out that I feel like this week has been one of the more exciting weeks in recent world history. There are a great many things going on in places that are not the US - not great things, but a great many. These things could turn out to be amazing victories for values like justice, fair representation, human rights, and peace. To review just a few:

• Hu Jia, a human rights activist in China was arrested, and in an epic 20 minute hearing, sentenced to 3 years in prison for subversion. In the run up to the Summer 2008 Olympics, this incident is being closely scrutinized by the global community, and is putting the spotlight on human rights infringements in China. This ludicrous miscarriage of justice really highlights the unfairness of the Chinese legal system, and the vehemence with which they are going after people who even remotely go against the will of the state. With any hope there will be some real action from this attention, after decades of a truly heinous human rights record.
• Bhaichung Bhutia, the captain of the Indian National Soccer Team has declined an opportunity to run in the Olympic torch relay, in solidarity with the Tibetan people, and in objection to recent crackdowns on protesters in and about Tibet. With support like this, I'm hoping that pressure will be applied, and yielded to. The Olympics in Beijing this summer really offers an opportunity to make a point to the Chinese, and I am glad that Bhaichung Bhutia is happy to be part of the vanguard of this effort.
  
• Almost a week after elections in Zimbabwe to elect members of parliament as well as the president, Robert Mugabe's hold over the country seems to be weakening. After 28 years of rule, Zimbabwe has never seen another head of state, and it is likely that there will at least be a run-off election between him and Morgan Tsvangirai. With inflation somewhere around 100,000%, Zimbabwe is facing many problems, including lines for bread, colossal unemployment, and many infringements on human rights and the democratic process. At the very least, a new leader and new majority in parliament will provide an opportunity for change and general straightening out. Since independence, countries like Zimbabwe have suffered growing pains and a hard struggle against forces such as corruption, resource shortages, HIV/AIDS,  in addition to the usual stresses of coming out from under colonialism and European domination. I don't know much about Tsvangirai, but maybe Zimbabwe's time has come.
• The NATO summit taking place this week in Bucharest, Romania is President Bush's last NATO summit, and one where NATO member states are facing life in a post-Soviet world. I was listening to an NPR story about it the other day and the absurdity of a body like NATO really struck me in a laugh-out-loud way. The heads of state are maintaining that NATO is important in fighting the global war on terror, maintaining safety and security, blah blah blah. What a strange thing we have, NATO! I feel like this is a great chance for Europe and North America to really confront the obsolescence here, even though I know they won't. However, it is an interesting global event that will have ramifications felt worldwide, and is an interesting event to watch.

These surely aren't the only things going on, of course, but of the top of my head, it seems we've got a big week on our hands, friends. Keep reading and watching.