EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA
"In the wake of a deadly Chinese earthquake, the Associated Press reports that China has not had a great few months . . . it's worth pointing out that China didn't have a great 2007 either. A rash of health and safety scares affected China's brand image. Beijing began to experience significant blowback from its investment footprint in Africa. The Saffron Revolution in Burma made things very uncomfortable in Beijing as well. So this isn't just about 2008."
DANIEL DREZNER
Danieldrezner.com
"Natural disasters in China mean more than they do in the West. Many Chinese hold a view that the government is responsible for maintaining the harmony under heaven. If the earth buckles and shakes, it's a harbinger of political or social upheaval.
"China's communist government spent decades trying to stamp out superstitions and feudal beliefs such as these, but it has failed. The last two decades of economic reform have sparked an explosion of traditional beliefs and renewed interest in Chinese Buddhist-like sects. In recent years, even senior party officials embraced traditional creeds, the precepts of feng shui, and qi gong . . . So, now, we have the deadly earthquake in Sichuan. So far, at least [15,000] are believed dead. [More than 100,000] soldiers have been dispatched into the area to help with rescue operations. And already I have notes from several friends wondering is this dynasty next."
JOHN POMFRET
newsweek.washingtonpost.com
"The devastating earthquake in the Sichuan province of China - [15,000] dead and counting - is spawning the usual blogospheric chatter about the "Mandate of Heaven." As in, has the Chinese Communist Party lost it? . . . Even with all the environmental consquences of China's recent economic growth, longstanding grievances of workers and peasants against corruption, and intellectual discontent with the party's control over political discourse, the current dislocations don't seem comparable at all to the upheavals that Mao perpetrated in the 1960s, or the vast incompetence that characterized the failing years of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Quite the contrary - as long as China's economy continues to boom, the CCP will keep its mandate - especially with no credible opposition in the wings. Because China's history demonstrates that mandates aren't just lost. They're taken."
ANDREW LEONARD
Salon.com
SPYGATE INVESTIGATION
"The news was music to the ears of any New England Patriots fan: After meeting with former video lackey Matt Walsh on Tuesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said nothing new was learned about the Pats' Spygate scandal and that the infamous videotaping episode was basically dead.
"Thank God . . . Goodell, of course, had to leave the door open to possibly punishing the Patriots further down the line if new information came out. Otherwise [Senator Arlen] Specter and a bunch of Pennsylvania farmers would be lining up outside NFL headquarters in New York with pitchforks. At this point, though, Specter is risking backlash in the national media if he won't shut up about this scandal. Even outlets like ESPN, who have been riding the Spygate train for all it's worth, are now saying it's time to close the book on this thing."
FRANK COPPOLA
Blogthecoast.com
"As a Patriots fan, I really just want this to go away. I want the season to begin so I can forget about Spygate and 18-1. They were punished, and fans and opponents will likely question the legitimacy of their championships for years. As an NFL fan, I want to know why this is still a story."
MATT PFLEGER
Bleacherreport.com
