8-8-08 in China and Burma

Today marks the opening of the Beijing Olympics; and in nearby Burma, the 20th anniversary of the 8-8-88 student-led uprising.* China, of course, remains the major guarantor of the Burmese military regime's stranglehold over the resource-rich nation.

Journalist James Fallows, blogging from Beijing today writes:

I simply do not have the heart to show what it looks like today -- August 8, the magical 08/08/08 chosen for its positive auspices for the Olympics. I'll just say, it looks very much like this view [photo left] from six weeks ago. This is a disaster.**

I suspect many Burmese would call China's predicament "karma."
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*For more about the 8888 Uprising, see Wikipedia or the Irrawaddy.
Photo: left one is by Fallows. The photo on the right is by Jotman. It shows U Pan Cher, a leader of the 2007 Burma anti-government protests -- demonstrations which had been inspired by the '88 generation.