Ghost of a flea: One World, One Dream

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August 09, 2008

One World, One Dream

The English translation of the slogan is distinctive in sentence structure. The two "One's are perfectly used in parallel, and the words "World" and "Dream" form a good match. The slogan is simple, meaningful, inspiring, and easy to remember, read and spread.

Good enough for the CBC. During the Beijing opening ceremonies, Peter Mansbridge farted out an opinion to the effect that Western governments considering a boycott could hardly ignore a "quarter of humanity" but managed to leave the entrance of the Iraqi delegation totally unremarked. Canada is in the peculiar position of being able to say whatever it wants about its largest trading partner, say nothing that is not muttered from kowtowing position to its second largest parter and to do so while sporting a smug grimace in place of a smile. This as we celebrate "the Olympic spirit" and recapitulate every moral and strategic failure of the 1930s.

Not to worry; I expect Canada's future Prime Ministers will have no trouble finding another meaningless apology to offer the survivors.

Suggested reading: Kenneth Dean and Brian Massumi's First and Last Emperors, Chapter 2; "The Elimination of Strength: Absolutism, the Body of the Despot, and the Rise of the Chinese Empire".

Posted by Ghost of a flea at August 9, 2008 06:27 AM