T-Plus 15 Years

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, a military assault by the government of China against peaceful protesters that left hundreds dead and thousands wounded. In Hong Kong, tens of thousands held a candlelight vigil to commemorate the event, while the current Chinese government arrested and detained countless dissidents including at least 16 activists in the square itself. Though clearly these are barbaric means, the Economist points out that it achieves exactly what the Chinese government wants: the non-existence of organized dissent. The Register republished an article five years ago about how the struggle for political rights moved to the web, a move blunted now by China's harsh internet censorship.

President Bush has met with the Pope, who asked Bush to make attempts to normalize the Iraq situation and giving the Iraqi people back their sovereignty. This visit is politically important to the President, who is in a battle with John Kerry over the Catholic vote. The visit doesn't seem to be helping him with Italians, for even though the government of Italy is on of America's chief allies in Iraq, relations with the people of Italy are still rather frosty. While on the subject of American/European relations, at the 60th anniversary of D-Day ceremony George Bush is apparently playing it like he's never met a Frenchman he hasn't liked. Looks like another case of the friendly flip-flop that I posted about yesterday. Do you think that George Tenant is now off the Christmas card list? And speaking of whom, the media fallout of George Tenant's resignation continues today, with a number of articles written on the close relationship between Tenant and Bush and whether or not he was forced out of his position.

In brief:
- It's hard to believe, but Microsoft has been granted a patent on double-clicking.
- 80% of spam originates from PCs infected by viruses.
- The European Space Agency has announced a plan to launch a satellite to study the Earth's magnetic field.
- Jack Layton has come out with a proposal to build 10 000 wind turbines and make Canadian buildings more energy efficient.
- The first war crimes tribunal has begun in Sierra Leone.
- An interesting article on an alternative view of Islam.
- The prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison may have the effect of slowing police and legal reforms surrounding torture in Middle Eastern countries.
- The Economist looks at how well the Bush administration is dealing with nuclear weapon proliferation.
- Donald Rumsfeld is to personally review the types of interrogation used in Guantanamo.
- The new government of Iraq is demanding a final say over whether American troops stay or leave their country.
- Another article about what it was like inside the Dean campaign.
- The protest song is apparently back.
- The 3rd annual Jerusalem gay pride parade is met with protests.
- A review of a new book offering what it believes to be a middle-ground proposal on gay marriage.
- An article about a new documentary called The Corporation.
- The Christian Science Monitor takes on the issue of media bias.