Weekend News Roundup

Religion:
Eternity for Atheists

"Is God necessary for immortality?"


Travel: (This trip sounds like it sucks, big time - and I'm a Greek! The author even provides advice on how to do an "educational vacation." This sounds like a busman's holiday!)

The Zeus Trip

"It takes a little homework, but knowing the difference between Agamemnon and Hercules can turn a family trip to Greece into a real education. Just be sure the lesson plan includes some time on the beach."


Egypt:
On this trip to Egypt, the beggars were the ones who gave

"Being a veteran traveler as well as having once lived in Egypt for a year, I was no stranger to children begging or people asking me for help. But seldom had I been so moved by the sincerity of the plea.

In my broken Arabic I asked when they had last eaten – about 16 hours ago, they said – and then I turned to look through the window beside us. For the boys, to look through this window was to gaze upon a world inaccessible to them; for me, it was to see familiar ground."


Bread graft taxes Egypt's poorest

"Officials say corruption is worsening a wheat shortage. Government-subsidized flour, meant for poor Egyptians, is often sold on the black market.

As central as bread is to life here, so too is corruption in the subsidized flour system. Many public bakeries, which receive cut-rate flour from the government, sell their flour on the black market to private bakeries. To compensate for the lack of ingredients, the public bakeries, who cater to the poor, often make bread smaller and lighter and sometimes simply bake less.

One sack of subsidized flour costs about 16 Egyptian pounds, or almost $3. A sack on the black market fetches almost ten times as much.

To cheat the system, black market flour dealers sometimes bribe bakery inspectors, who work for low state wages, say sources in the government."

Muslim sex therapist breaks taboos

"Cairo-based Heba Kotb tackles sensitive questions within the framework of Islam."



Censorship:
Bush Aide Blocked Report

"A surgeon general's report in 2006 that called on Americans to help tackle global health problems has been kept from the public by a Bush political appointee without any background or expertise in medicine or public health, chiefly because the report did not promote the administration's policy accomplishments, according to current and former public health officials.

The report described the link between poverty and poor health, urged the U.S. government to help combat widespread diseases as a key aim of its foreign policy, and called on corporations to help improve health conditions in the countries where they operate. A copy of the report was obtained by The Washington Post."

The draft can be found here.

Weekend News Roundup

Take it for what it is.


Sorry, but I spent a few hours at the Citadel, in scorching heat. I think you are all capable of reading the headlines and short quotes for yourselves. Suffice it to say, I am wiped out! I hope to get a photo blog together about our self guided tour. Maybe I forgot to mention the kids are in town too, complicating all sorts of daily life, which is actually a good thing, since it takes my mind off of Doggie's passing. On the other hand, the kids have taken to the Strange Cat on my Porch / Chair (feral - check out my flickr site), and have been baiting him with smoked salmon. More on that later, as well.


I'm not even going to bother separating the original quotes into the proper paragraphs this week. I just don't have the energy. Looks like Firefox did that for me, but if you're browser displays massive paragraphs, then you know what happened. Needless to say, any derogatory articles about the U.S.A. are embarrassing and we need need to fix it. What we don't need are stories about how we mistreat our expat workers in Iraq (much less in the U.S.) Someone tell me how far are we from slave labor in Iraq? And why are we allowing the abuses of the Gulf States expat worker practices to be carried out by our own government / contractors?


Islam in Europe:

In Europe, skylines reflect the rise of Islam

After decades of worshiping in basements and courtyards, Muslims are building hundreds of new mosques across the continent.

WIESBADEN, GERMANY - In the Rhine Valley city of Mannheim, the glittering minaret of Germany's biggest mosque overshadows what was once the region's most vibrant church, testifying to Muslims' new confidence as Christian churches are closing down.

Major mosque projects from Cologne, Germany, to Amsterdam to Seville, Spain, have met with fierce opposition and fears that they will serve as breeding grounds for terrorists. Family members of two of the suspects in the Glasgow, Scotland, car bombings this month said the men had been radicalized by Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic revivalist group with plans for an 18-acre complex near London's 2012 Olympic stadium that would house Europe's largest mosque.

Only a handful existed 10 years ago, but today 159 mosques dot Germany today, with 184 under construction, according to the Central Institute for Islamic Archives in Söst.

Vatican City: Islam a Threat, Pope’s Adviser Says

Msgr. Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict XVI’s secretary and close adviser, warned of the Islamization of Europe and stressed the need for the Continent’s Christian roots not to be ignored. In comments released in advance of an interview to be published today in the German weekly Süeddeutsche Magazin, he said: “Attempts to Islamize the West cannot be denied. The danger for the identity of Europe that is connected with it should not be ignored out of a wrongly understood respectfulness.” He also defended a speech Benedict gave last year linking Islam and violence, saying it was an attempt by the pope to “act against a certain naïveté.”

Exapt Workers:

Foreign Workers Abused at Embassy, Panel Told

Foreign workers lived in tightly packed trailers and had "insufficient equipment and basic needs -- stuff like shoes and gloves," Owens said.

They worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and made as little as $240 a month, he said. They were "verbally and physically abused" and had their salaries docked for petty infractions, he added.

Rory J. Mayberry, an emergency medical technician who worked briefly at the embassy site under a subcontract, testified that he was asked by First Kuwaiti managers to escort 51 Filipinos through the Kuwait airport and onto a flight to Baghdad. However, "all of our tickets said we were going to Dubai," he said, adding that a First Kuwaiti manager instructed him not to tell any of the Filipinos that they were going to Baghdad.

He said the men were basically "kidnapped by First Kuwaiti to work on the U.S. Embassy." Their passports had been confiscated, and they were driven away on buses after landing in Baghdad, then were "smuggled into the Green Zone," he said.

Culture:

Two Cultures, Slowly Uniting In Matrimony

The result has been the rise of a hybrid wedding scene in which ever more Caucasian couples eschew pastels in favor of South Asian reds; Middle Eastern and African couples use the ornate South Asian wedding canopies known as mandaps; and South Asian couples include bridesmaids, unthinkable in India or Pakistan.

"It's been fascinating to watch the cross-cultural exchange going on," said Sachi Sood, 27, of Gaithersburg-based Partyland Flowers & Event Decorators. "I feel like I'm witnessing the melting pot in action."

With the melting comes a few misfires, of course. When Foxchase Manor, a wedding hall in Manassas, hosted its first Hindu wedding, the havan, or sacred fire, nearly set off the ballroom's sprinklers.

At Filipino weddings, Cisek is careful to get almost as many photographs of the couple's ninong and ninang -- godparent-like figures -- as she takes of the parents.

For Muslim weddings at which male and female guests celebrate in separate rooms, Cisek dons modest long sleeves and skirts. And she uses only women to process the photos because it would be improper for men who are not related to the female guests to look at them.

Cisek has also learned never to suggest that a Nigerian woman put down her purse for a formal group shot. "A lot of times the purse is considered an essential part of the outfit, along with matching shoes and these fabulous, enormous head wraps," she explained.

Travel:

Suitcases: a window on the traveler's soul

A guide to packing predicaments, from sartorial crises to rides on the baggage carousel.

THE OH-NO-NOT-ANOTHER-BLACK-BAG PACKER: Round and round they go on every baggage carousel: an endless circle of black suitcases, each without any identifying mark. "I know what my bag looks like," the owner insists. Yet he picks up each one to make sure it isn't his – then tosses it back so carelessly that the real owner must scramble onto the still-revolving carousel to retrieve it before it goes around again ... and again ... and ...

A Withered Greek Summer Festival Bursts Into Bloom

The complex at the heart of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival has been transformed from a moribund event into a vibrant arts experience.

Censorship:

Snow demands reporter change 'twisted words' in article

Referring to Snow's words on Wednesday to Kinsolving, Farah writes, "This is a rebuke, and a threat, and an attempt to control Les Kinsolving and WND's right to ask questions at the White House."

Oddly, Farah complains that longtime correspondent Helen Thomas has been "treated with with respect – even deference by Snow," when compared to Kinsolving. However, the most notable occurrences inside the briefing room the last few years have been the contentious battles between Thomas and the White House secretary, including the time when Snow thanked her "for the Hezbollah view."

Farah's column also announces that "Kinsolving will no longer attend" the "Tony-Snow-censored White House news briefings."

Study: Internet censorship spreading

"Recent moves against free speech on the Internet in a number of countries have provided a bitter reminder of the ease with which some regimes, democracies and dictatorships alike, seek to suppress speech that they disapprove of, dislike, or simply fear," the report by the 56-nation OSCE said.

"Speaking out has never been easier than on the Web. Yet at the same time, we are witnessing the spread of Internet censorship," the 212-page report said

.

Israeli textbooks anger nationalists

ABU GHOSH, ISRAEL - When Issa Jaber was teaching civics and history, he tried as much as possible to stick to the books. The texts, issued by the Israeli Ministry of Education, teach the history of the Jewish state's establishment in 1948 from a natural perspective – its Zionist founders.

Except that for an Arab teacher to stand in front of a classroom and speak about Israel's War of Independence and not mention that Palestinians call the same event the Nakba (Catastrophe) isn't so natural. Recognizing that, this week Israel's Minister of Education approved an Arabic textbook mentioning the Nakba, a move that is garnering applause in some corners and outrage in others.

This article seems very similar to one I posted previously.
Sarkozy's tight circle of media friends

The concentration of media ownership in the hands of a few well-connected industrialists has been building for years. But the circles of influence, wealth, and political power have converged to an unusual degree in Mr. Sarkozy's France. This month, the country's richest man, who was also the best man at the president's wedding 11 years ago, is negotiating to buy France's leading financial newspaper, Les Échos.

Photos embarrassing to Sarkozy have been suppressed, and unflattering articles pulled before publication. Sarkozy has denied meddling, but whether they were prompted by direct interference from above or self-censorship on the part of overly cautious editors, the incidents have set off newsroom protests.

Among Sarkozy's intimates is Serge Dassault, owner of the historically conservative Le Figaro newspaper and a senator from the president's right-wing party. Martin Bouygues, godfather to Sarkozy's youngest son, controls the biggest French television channel, TF1. A string of media properties is also owned by Arnaud Lagardère, an aerospace company chairman who once said he and Sarkozy were as close as brothers. Journalists at his publications have repeatedly accused Mr. Lagardère of politically motivated interference.

The latest focus of journalists' suspicion is Bernard Arnault, chairman of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. The prospect of him controlling Les Échos is causing as much journalistic angst here as Rupert Murdoch's impending purchase of The Wall Street Journal in the US.

Bad News Tests China's Propaganda Arm

After a meeting of top Beijing propaganda officials, for instance, the capital's newspaper editors and television news directors last week were handed a list of newly off-limits subjects, Beijing journalists reported. The list included food safety as well as riots, fires, deadly auto accidents and bloody murder cases, they said.

"Our bosses said the next couple of months, preceding the 17th Party Congress, will be very tense," a Beijing reporter said after getting the new instructions.

Weekend News Roundup

My personal favorite from this week has got to be: TSA Moron Mistakes iPod Charger for Bomb Equipment.  This just displays the intellectual capacity of the average TSA worker and, just leads us deeper into the Stupid Well.  On the other hand, who would be so insane, and so addicted to their iPod that the normal battery time isn't enough?  With TSA questioning geeks and their inventions at a regular pace, our lives are invariably going to be more frustrating.  I like people who can make their own stuff like at make.com, but just like I say to the fat lady in the bikini - put it in the backyard.  Nobody wants to see that shit, especially at security in an airport.   You're doing nobody service making us miserable having to live with your addictions / ego.  And to the TSA workers, "go back to working at KMART!"

Antiquities:

More on Marbles in Motion

This is called architecture as moral pressure. 

Fashionable Fundies / Hijab:

The New Swimsuit Issue
Move over, Tankini. Since the full-coverage swimsuit dubbed the Burqini (as in burqa plus bikini) hit the international market in January, devout Muslim women have been snapping them up. T

The Stupid Well aka Passports / Gate Rape:
TSA Moron Mistakes Ipod Charger For Bomb Equipment


U.S. Will Allow Most Types of Lighters on Planes
Aviation authorities concluded that it was a waste of time to search for the lighters before passengers boarded.

Lawmakers said that if Mr. Reid had used a lighter, instead of matches, he might have been able to ignite the bomb, but Kip Hawley, assistant secretary for the Transportation Security Administration, said in an interview on Thursday that the ban had done little to improve aviation security because small batteries could be used to set off a bomb.

Matches have never been prohibited on flights.

“Taking lighters away is security theater,” Mr. Hawley said. “It trivializes the security process.” The policy change, which is to go into effect on Aug. 4, applies to disposable butane lighters, like Bics, and refillable lighters, like Zippos. Torch lighters, which have thin, hotter flames, will continue to be banned. A ban on liquids in containers greater than three ounces, which was imposed last summer after the disruption of a plot based in London to blow up planes headed to the United States, will remain in effect, but the security agency will modify its rules related to breast milk. Passengers will be allowed to carry breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint. Currently, breast milk is allowed only if a passenger is traveling with an infant. In late 2005, security officials lifted a ban on small scissors, screwdrivers and other small tools, making a similar argument that searching for them was a waste of time. 

In the coming months, the agency will install new equipment intended to improve its ability to intercept explosives. The new equipment will include advanced X-ray machines that rapidly examine carry-on bags from many angles, making it easier to identify bomb components, and hand-held devices that can determine whether a liquid might be explosive. 

International Politics: 

Why Did the Cairene Cross the Road? 

To the uninitiated, Cairo traffic is ferocious and dangerous. (The July 17 New York Times described it as "chaos.") Yet Cairenes think nothing of walking in the street (unavoidable, given the dilapidated or nonexistent state of sidewalks in many areas), darting across four lanes of traffic, and wading into masses of oncoming cars, buses, and trucks. Although Egypt has its share of traffic deaths (about 6,000 per year, not too much more than Turkey—a country of roughly comparable population—which averages 4,500 traffic fatalities a year), most Cairenes seem fearless. After a few months, even I had no problem ambling through traffic along Cairo's central axes. Why? Well, I didn't go to Egyptian driving school, and I didn't study Cairo's traffic laws, because they don't matter much. Instead, like most Cairenes, I became habituated to the informal rules of the road. I eventually grew to learn—after quite a few near misses—when to cross a busy street, when to stay put, when a car would swerve, and when it wouldn't. As a result, Cairo traffic doesn't look so menacing to me anymore. 

The point of all this is not simply to reminisce, but to point out one of the least understood but critically important factors that influence politics: informal institutions. These uncodified rules shape people's behaviors and expectations and contrast with formal institutions—such as constitutions, laws, decrees, and regulations—that also frame the way people think and act.

Muslims in America: 

From Muslim Youths, a Push for Change

Participants at Unprecedented Summit With U.S. Officials Confront Extremist Images Attending what Muslim American activists say is the highest-level meeting ever between Muslim American youths and U.S. officials, Mohamed Sabur couldn't help but notice a frustrating paradox. Part of what motivated the 23-year-old to leave computer science for politics was anger at seeing his community constantly defined by extreme topics such as religious violence. And yet Sabur sat last week through unprecedented meetings with officials from the departments of Homeland Security, State and Justice, and one subject kept coming up: Muslim American youth radicalization. A video accessible on same page, as well. 

Articles On Egypt:

 Mahfouz Illuminates Hidden Horrors 

Like Arthur Koestler's "Darkness at Noon" or Victor Serge's "The Case of Comrade Tulayev," this fierce yet subtle novel lays bare the worst evil of totalitarian states. The evil lies not solely in the sudden arrests, the interrogations, and tortures, all of which are conveyed in stammered disclosures in "Café Karnak" — a device that gives them the impact of testimony — but in the way in which state terror contaminates its victims. Friendship becomes suspect and love is riddled with mistrust. In the characters of Qurunfula, the retired dancer who runs the café (and whose name means "clove," a fragrant but biting spice), the young dreamers Isma'il and Zaynab, as well as the sinister Khalid Safwan, we witness the relentless extinction of hope. 

Female circumcision holds sway in Egypt 

Cairo: To Sayeda, a mother of three girls, the Egyptian authorities' high-profile campaign to eradicate the age-old practice of female circumcision is due to "Western pressure". "My three girls have already been circumcised because this protects their chastity and is in line with our religious teachings," says Sayeda, a 38-year-old Muslim, who lives in a slum on the outskirts of Cairo. "My neighbours have circumcised their girls too. I have been told that only Jews do not circumcise their girls." 

Egypt: Inside the school of the Egyptian blogosphere

In other words, the Egyptians aren't merely sitting in front of their computer screens, blogging about the change they'd like to see happen — they are deeply committed to being a part of the process. By acting as watchdogs on the government and on the country's mainstream media, they have gained credibility beyond their local audience and attracted the attention of regional and international media that is following their every move.

Egypt: Inside the school of the Egyptian blogosphere (Part 2)
In order to better understand this highly organized Egyptian blogosphere and how bloggers perceive their role in this new, turbulent phase in their country's history, on March 15, 2007, I talked to three young Egyptian bloggers and activists: Rami Siam, Arabesque and Amr Gharbeia.



Internet Anonymity (Not!):

On the Internet, everyone may find you're a dog
Anonymity on the Web may seem attractive, but how you use it raises interesting ethical dilemmas.

There is also that nasty ethical issue: Just because you can write under a pseudonym doesn't mean you should, especially if it compromises your integrity or threatens your company.

Avoiding the use of pseudonyms online is not just good advice for public figures, it works for everyone. The freedom of the Internet doesn't mean you can do whatever you want without consequence. Many ways exist to trace "anonymous" posts. The Los Angeles Times, for example, used Internet addresses to trace Hiltzik's postings back to his work computer.

When speaking about the Internet at conferences or seminars, I give this advice about e-mail, posting comments in a forum, or sending instant messages: Don't write anything online that you would not like to see on the front page of The New York Times. Ask Bill Gates: That's where his e-mails ended up during the Microsoft antitrust case in the late 1990s.

On the Internet nobody may know you're a dog. But don't count on the fact that someone won't be able to find out where that dog lives.

Censorship: 

How Porn and Family-Friendly Photos Coexist on Flickr 

A country in crisis as fearful government cracks down on Islamist opposition 

Mubarak's obsession with Muslim Brotherhood deals blow to multiparty politics

House Committee Examines Human Rights in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Cuba

Weekend News Roundup

Antiquities:

High Heels and Gum Erode a Piece of Greece’s Heritage

Nestled at the foot of the Acropolis, the country’s most revered ancient theater is under fresh assault. Chewing gum and stilettos are eroding the vast theater’s marble. Strengthened by a metal rod, stiletto heels and their metal tips transmit more pressure per square inch than a 6,000-pound elephant, architects and archaeologists say.

“They had been advised ahead of the event,” said Dimtris Simopoulos, an usher in the theater’s V.I.P. section. “They obviously put their Manolo Blahniks over theater rules.” “I guess our ancient ancestors knew best,” said Korina Krothaki, 25, a painter. “They all came barefoot and chewed on laurel leaves.”

Muslims in America:

Muslims Open A Window To Faith

This is the third year that the Muslim group, the Islamic Circle of North America, has held its annual convention in Hartford. Families mostly from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania crowded the Connecticut Convention Center to shop at a huge bazaar and attend seminars on topics including "what you need to know before you get married" and "Muslim teen rebellion: causes and solutions."

Public schools grapple with Muslim prayer

The First Amendment seeks to balance an individual's right to practice one's religion without undue government interference while at the same time barring the government from endorsing or favoring any particular faith. In addition, in 2000, Congress approved the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which requires religious accommodations in many instances.

Schools elsewhere in the country have made decisions quietly, such as allowing Muslim students to avoid strenuous exercise while they're fasting.

In Dearborn, Mich., schools offer students the option of eating hot dogs and chicken nuggets made with meat that has been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law. The Dearborn district, where at least 1 in 3 students is of Middle Eastern descent – some of which are Muslim – also schedules two days off during the Islamic holiday of Ramadan. That may sound unusual, "but most Americans don't think about the fact that schools naturally accommodate Christians," says Lisa Soronen, an attorney with the National School Boards Association. "There's no school on Sunday, and we get days off for most of the major Christian holidays."

Boston mosque rises above the fray

Muslim and Jewish groups drop lengthy lawsuits, and a house of worship moves forward.

Do Business and Islam Mix? Ask Him

Aiming to present a less threatening face of Islam on the global stage, the Aga Khan, one of the world’s wealthiest Muslim investors, preaches the ethical use of wealth. “If you travel the developing world, you see poverty is the driver of tragic despair, and there is the possibility that any means out will be taken,” he says in a telephone interview from Paris.

By assisting the poor through business, he says, “we are developing protection against extremism.” Paul Collier, an economist at Oxford University who specializes in the problems of poor countries, says he believes that aid agencies could benefit from operating more like venture capitalists — and more like the Aga Khan.

“He gets a multiplier effect from his investments that’s really lacking in foreign aid,” Mr. Collier says. “I’m impressed with his way of accepting risk and thinking long term.” He says he prefers to put money into unglamorous enterprises that are engines of employment and have great long-term potential — even if profits aren’t immediate. Mixing business and charity, while long at odds with mainstream capitalist practice, is growing in prominence, making the Aga Khan an unlikely innovator.

Egypt and Travel:

In Cairo, getting a prayer in edgewise

Zawiyas, simple rooms where the faithful gather, offer space in a city with little room for politics or rest. Many elude the state's grasp. The zawiya has endured since the days of the great caravans when merchants sought rest and God on journeys across the desert. Partly inspired by the mystic Sufi branch of Islam, zawiyas spread from hinterland to city, providing spiritual fulfillment and help for the poor. These days, with Egyptians disgruntled over a corrupt government and President Hosni Mubarak's aloofness and failure to improve their lives, zawiyas have become entrenched community outposts.

Talking Fabric and Politics in Cairo's Tentmaker's Alley

"Every year brings less and less business," Ayman said over cold hibiscus juice a few weeks ago. "Before, in the 90s, our best customers were Americans. Now it's the opposite. The foreigners now are not like they were before, when they would ask any Egyptian in the street, 'Can you help me find this, I want to buy that." "Now I think they are scared a little. Now, it's only 'le shukran' (no, thank you) or 'leave me alone.'"

Emaar Properties’ subsidiary unveils largest mall in Egypt

For Arab tourists, Cairo can be sin city

Worried by violence in popular Lebanon, Arab tourists are heading to Egypt instead, and causing waves as they ignore Islamic customs adhered to at home. To be sure, tourists of all stripes in Egypt drink more than their share of the locally brewed Stella beer, but the exceptional wealth of the Arab tourists coupled with what Egyptians see as violations of religious rules grates more than the bad behavior of Westerners.

Only in Egypt!

Don-key Juan arrested after beastly tryst

A MAN from Lower Egypt's Sharkia district was recently arrested on charges of bestiality, after having been caught engaging in coitus with his neighbor's donkey.

Imagine his horror when he discovered that the burdened beast's cries were due to its being sexually assaulted by his stark-naked neighbor and erstwhile friend.

The owner's attorney also argued that the defendant's offense should be classed as a major crime against donkey's rights, given that public appreciation for these animals, today, was at record levels, and citing the popular hit, "I Love You Donkey," in support of his point. (Al Nas)

CHRONOLOGY: History of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt



Censorship:
Ex-Surgeon General Says White House Hushed Him

"Much of the discussion was being driven by theology, ideology, [and] preconceived beliefs that were scientifically incorrect," said Carmona, one of three former surgeons general who testified at yesterday's hearing. "I thought, 'This is a perfect example of the surgeon general being able to step forward, educate the American public.' . . . I was blocked at every turn. I was told the decision had already been made -- 'Stand down. Don't talk about it.' That information was removed from my speeches."

Carmona said that when the administration touted funding for abstinence-only education, he was prevented from discussing research on the effectiveness of teaching about condoms as well as abstinence. "There was already a policy in place that did not want to hear the science but wanted to just preach abstinence, which I felt was scientifically incorrect," Carmona said.

He is the latest in a string of government employees to complain that ideology is trumping science in the Bush administration.

Satcher, Carmona's predecessor, who served from 1998 to 2002, said that under President Bill Clinton he could not release a report on sexuality and public health, in part because of sensitivities triggered by the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Clinton also forced out Joycelyn Elders as surgeon general in 1994 after her controversial remarks that public schools should consider teaching about masturbation.

Koop, who served as surgeon general under President Ronald Reagan, spoke out on AIDS, despite political pressure not to do so. He said Reagan was pressured to fire him every day -- but he did not.

Google's Half-Hearted Commitment to Transparency

The common thread is transparency. If you're forced to do evil, Google believes, you should at least make everyone aware of it. That lets users in on what's happening, and ultimately might lead to a change from the grassroots level or through international pressure.

It's a good policy for dealing with censorship. But, sadly, Google takes the opposite approach on the equally-important issue of user privacy.

The company collects and retains forever an enormous amount of information from the public, including a record of every search query a Google user has ever run. If the user is also signed up with Gmail, the company can pull those search results by name. If not, Google can still get them by IP address, or look them up through the everlasting cookie it installs on every user's PC.

And now the company is even offering to store users' word processing documents and spreadsheets.

This is particularly troubling with civil subpoenas, which typically aren't seen by any judge unless the subpoena is challenged in court. At the very least, Google should revise its privacy policy to guarantee that it will make every reasonable effort to notify a customer before turning over private data, giving that customer a chance to ask a judge to quash an inappropriate subpoena.

Until it does, Google's stated devotion to transparency is transparently flawed.

Under fire from US, Iran reacts by cracking down at home

The government has put restrictions on the media, targeted academics, and detained 150,000 – including four Iranian-Americans.

That is the result of a new Machiavellian calculation, says Sadjadpour: "Whereas Khatami and the reformists said our best security is people's happiness, [this hard-line] worldview is that it is much better to be feared than to be loved.

"Their behavior is much more out of desperation than of strength," he adds. "It doesn't show that you are very confident about your place as a regime, when 67-year-old women are being suspected of undermining Iran's national security."

Magazine covering civil-society groups is shut down in China

For Chinese NGOs, much of the Chinese language edition's value lies in its role as a "very effective, friendly hub for Chinese NGOs to communicate and exchange information," said Ms. Ge, who heads the Xinjiang Conservation Fund. The publication's closure would leave China's budding civil society groups atomized and out of touch with one another.