Olympic Protests Still Exist, Even After Beijing

Image from media.nowpublic.net

The intense protests that plagued this summer's Beijing Olympics are not anything new, and they represent history that is sure to repeat itself soon. The Summer Games were contested by several different groups, many for various human rights violations, such as their involvement with arming the Janjaweed in Darfur, while also their refusal to allow autonomy to Tibet. The Games still went about normally, but it brought all of the country's shortcomings to light rather than show off its positives, which was certainly the government's intentions in obtaining the Games. In the 2010 Vancouver Games, which are to occur next winter, protests have already been occurring on the grounds that events will be played on Indigenous territories. Some of these have gotten out of hand and led to outright vandalism and violence. There are even potential perceived threats from al-Qaida, as Canada's involvement in Afghanistan is increasing. Here's an article I wrote last May for Buzzsaw Magazine about the significant Native protests. (Click the issue on the left in the Spring 2008 section, then it's on pages 18-19) Even then, they had been going on for quite some time.

School of Americas: Protesting A Crooked Institution

On November 21-23, the School of Americas Watch staged a protest against the SOA. The school, which is located in Fort Benning, Georgia, was established following World War II and was supposed to be a place where democracy was taught to people of Latin American nations. However, it has instead been a starting point for some of the most notorious human right violators on this side of the world, such as brutal leaders Augusto Pinochet in Chile and Manuel Noriega of Panama. An estimated 61,000 soldiers and policemen were been trained at SOA between 1946 and 2001. There were about 12,000 people on the second day of the protests, which were elaborately planned and were made in honor of all those who have died at the hands of SOA graduates, who have their education funded and provided by the U.S. government. The Ithacan covered a story on the protests earlier this month.

What Happened To The Simpsons?

"The Simpsons," the animated show which has aired well over 400 episodes since its original release on television since 1989, is still around, but definitely not better than ever. In many ways, the show has become a mere caricature of itself, maintaining the necessary, familiar elements just without the same entertainment quality of the old days. In 2003, Slate writer Chris Suellentrop compared "The Simpsons" to Pete Rose in the later days of his career: "There's still greatness there, and you get to see a home run now and then, but mostly it's a halo of reflected glory." With the show progressing through its 21st season and episodes costing about 5 million dollars to produce and ratings falling a bit each year, it seems the show may be becoming too financially cumbersome to continue airing. With its contract up at the end of this year, it seems the Simpsons may be coming to an end, at which point it will be about time.

Milk and California's Ban On Gay Marriage

The new film "Milk," documents the political life of Harvey Milk, a gay man who was elected to San Fransisco's Board of Supervisors in 1977 on his third attempt. He was shot to death in the following year by Dan White, the man who formerly held his position. White was only sentenced to seven years in jail, although he killed himself soon after release from prison. The film has received exceedingly positive reviews, depicting a time when the gay community made a significant step forward before being forced back again. In many ways, that mirrors the situation in California today, as the State Supreme Court announced that the ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional in May, although the ban was reinstated when Proposition 8 passed on Election Day. It is sad to think that California, supposedly one of the country's most progressive states, is still so conservative on its views on homosexuality.

Record Labels: Are They Necessary?

In October 2007, Radiohead released their new album, "In Rainbows," online available for free download. Frustrated by the fact that their previous four albums had been leaked prior to their release date, they decided to leak it themselves, giving fans the option of paying however much they liked, which included paying nothing at all. Initially, the move was motivated by the idea that the album would sell better once it went into stores (and it was eventually number 1 on the Billboard charts upon its store debut in January). However, the financial success obtained through the online release was uncanny, as 1.2 million downloads were made during the first day and people paid an average 8 dollars for the record, as opposed to the meager one dollar bands can get on average for royalties. Thom Yorke of Radiohead admits that this was not what the band anticipated, although it seems they have started somewhat of a revolution. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails chose to release his new album "The Slip" for free download in May as well, having just been freed from his problematic contract with Interscope Records the year before. In fact, upon the release of his final album with the label, he became exceedingly frustrated with the process, telling liveDaily, "Artists these days are not encouraged to experiment or take risks, and my punishment is on its way [for being creative.]" Reznor has even released tracks in formats that can be remixed and posted on the web. All of this seems to point to the Internet as being a place where artists can be in closer connection with their fans, without the unpleasant buffer of a label. However, these bands are each very well known with significant followings, so the label free approach is not as applicable for new bands that need the help, but the business for the big bands of the industry could be changing.


Trent Reznor, from blog.news-record.com

Russians in Georgia
Courtesy of abc.net

Russia-Georgia Conflict Being Investigated

The European Union has began looking into the Russian invasion of Georgia in August earlier this year. Heidi Tagliavini is leading the EU commission that is looking into the causes of the conflict. Georgians are welcoming the group, as it seems justice is very clearly on their side. Even now, Russians are keeping troops just 30 miles outside of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, showing an unusual amount of aggression towards a small nation. This has caused several people to believe that a new Cold War is on the rise, as Russia is trying to consolidate power in a new era. It is scary to see one of the biggest world powers throwing its power around in a way that was, let's face it, an even more unjustified war then America's conflict with Iraq.