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China: Writings on the walls

Back in the day, big character posters were mostly used for vile purposes, so when they started popping up recently on shop fronts in a remote corner of China's Yunnan province, it's no surprise mention was made at major Chinese forum Tianya. From Tianya blogger Big Reporter (大记者):

云南石林县惊现”大字报”

Shilin County, Yunnan province's shocking “big character posters“.

10月22日上午，在云南省石林彝族自治县县城，很多单位的门口出现了一张印刷精美的海报，大标题赫然写着：”十问柳文炜”。
云南省石林彝族自治县是世界著名的喀斯特旅游所在地，也是著名的阿诗玛的故乡，自1956年成立彝族自治县，至今已达50年，今年年初，该县决定举行一次隆重的庆祝活动，跟”县庆”配套的一项重要工作就是改造整个县城的建筑风貌。

On the morning of October 22, a finely-printed poster appeared on the doors of many workplaces of Yunnan province's Shilin Yi minority autonomous region county seat which the big flashy title, “Ten Questions for Liu Wenwei”.
Yunnan province's Shilin Yi minority autonomous region county seat is home to the world-famous Karst region, as well as the famous Ashima's hometown. Established as a Yi minority autonomous region in 1956, the region decided to hold a grand celebration at the end of this year. Accompanying the “county celebration' is a work project aimed at improving the entire county's scenic structures.

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Lebanon: Political Uncertainty and Men

Moussa Bashir · 14:02 · Middle East & North Africa

Many Lebanese blogs are reflecting the internal political bickering that is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty about the future of the country. Most of the posts in this weeks review are bleak with little hope for the future. This is something that is very unusual for a people who take pride in being life-lovers. But then this may just be a phase Lebanon is passing through.

As the “war of words escalates” Blacksmiths of Lebanon compiled a list of pro and con quotes that have lead to a general sense of unease.

Hilal (Ar) summarizes the situation by stating: “this is a country hanging in void”.

And to add to the political uncertainty some elements of security doubts, Bech tells us about gun silencers caught by security forces at the airport in Beirut.

The Grateful Arab describes the infinite cycle of crumpling and rebuilding of the Lebanese society by comparing it to the myth of the Sisyphus. Then points out that:

The response of the Lebanese civil society to the July War is infinitely more important for the future of our country than anything that happened on March 14, 2005. We urgently have to build on these achievements as our only hope of survival as a country at this point is the strengthening of our civil society. NGOs in Lebanon need to be supported at all costs, they need both volunteers and funds (an area where expatriates can particularly help). Change will only happen from the bottom up.

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Swahili Blogosphere: Madonna, power rationing, and illiterate thieves

J. Nambiza Tungaraza · 13:15 · Sub-Saharan Africa

Chemi Che Mponda sums up her feelings about critics of Madonna's adoption of a Malawian baby, David Banda:

David Banda kazaliwa katika umaskini, lakini leo anaishi katika utajiri. Na lazima kuna watu wanamwonea wivu!

David Banda was born poor and became rich overnight. Some people must be jealous of him.

Little David has been in Madonna's family home in England since mid October. His adoption has sparked a debate about poverty, orphans and adoption in Africa. Human rights groups in Malawi are still protesting the legality of the process that paved the way for David's adoption and vowing to have the court order reversed.

Writing about the same issue, Simon Kitururu asks: Was it a publicity stunt? Is adoption to a wealthy entertainer better than living in an orphanage? What about David's ties to his family and culture?:

…tunavyodai watoto wa kiafrika wanapochukuliwa kwenda nchi za magharibi wanapoteza Uafrika wao, je ni nini kinachotunza Uafrika wamtoto wa kiafrika Afrika kitamaduni sasa hivi? Kwa maana ni ukweli asilimia kubwa za mambo yanayozidi kumzunguka mtoto wa kiafrika Afrika yanamizinguo ya kimagharibi. Yaonyeshwayo kwenye televisheni ya asilimia kubwa ni ya kimagharibi. Shule zetu zinashinikiza elimu ya kimagharibi. Dini zetu ndio hizo zakutoka nje.

…when we claim that African orphans who are raised in the West end up losing their identity, what is there in Africa to preserve their Africanness? African children are surrounded by Western culture: tv content, education system, religion.

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Hugo Chavez in the Iranian left-wing blogs

Farid Pouya · 12:26 · Middle East & North Africa , Americas

Hugo Chavez, the leftist Venezuelan President, has developed a very friendly relationship with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian Islamist President. Iran even awarded the Venezuelan President its highest state medal for supporting Tehran in its nuclear standoff against the international community. This alliance was discussed a couple of months ago among Iranian left-wing bloggers. Let’s look at how they've been are looking at Chavez and his relationship with the Iranian government.

History lesson for Chavez

Chape No (which means “new left” in Persian) published an open letter written by Leftwing Students of Iranian Universities [Fa]. In this letter, the importance of Venezuelan-style revolution for Iranian workers was highlighted and Chavez was informed that Iranian regime has already executed thousands of left-wing militants.

In this letter we read:

کارگران و زحمتکشان ایران در سال 1979 رژیم شاه را سرنگون کردند اما متاسفانه در حکومت جمهوری اسلامی نتوانستند سهمی داشته باشند. در دهه 1980 تمامی اتحادیه ها و سندیکاهای کارگری برچیده شد و فعالان کارگری و احزاب چپ بدون استثنا سرکوب و هزاران نفر از فعالان آنها اعدام شدند… در سال 2003 که رژیم ایران برنامه خصوصی سازی دانشگاه ها را در پیش گرفته بود، دانشجویان دانشگاههای سراسر کشور دست به تظاهرات وسیعی زدند و … تمامی نیروهای سرکوبگر خود را برای سرکوب جنبش دانشجویی به کار گرفت.

Iranian workers toppled Shah’s regime in 1979 but unfortunately they did not get any share in the Islamic Republic. In 1980’s all unions, workers and syndicates were closed down and worker activists and left-wing parties, without exception, were repressed and thousands of activists were executed…. In 2003, the regime was engaged in the privatization of the universities. Students protested in massive demonstrations all over country…. the government used all its repressive force to repress the student movement…..

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