chaos and honey

part of the human condition is the need to be part of a crowd, an entity that is bigger than the self, something in which you are a mere cell in an organism of violence........regarding the moronic actions of crowds and riots, i have recommended here before and do so again, read - among the thugs - it is one of the great modern studies on how innocents get caught up in the swelter of the crowd. it is a basic instinct. the book is fall down funny and spine tingling scary......it is a true story about an american who is assigned to england to write for a publication and suddenly finds himself caught up in the frenzy of english football crowds - mind you the fellow doesnt understand a thing about football - but what he admits to is that the rush of being part of the crowd leaves him hankering for more.......that is, i should add, until he has seen a bit too much, heard too much and suddenly grasps that being part of the crowd is like a drug that allows for a high but also can cause you to crash.

Chinese Pollution Riots

above an article on protests in china and touching upon the organizing of such 'festivals'. would love to know the exact nature on the quality of personalities making up such a massive protest in china.
what is spurring on these people? pollution seems like a fairly abstract thing to protest unless one has read widely and somehow has gleaned idealism from greenpeace or some other like brethren.
my point, if china is really having protests over enviromental impact then they have certainly joined the rest of......but then again, they have always been a part of us, it is we who were not a part of them.
the following is a short note written to me by a chinese associate who lives in shanghai........of which his candor surprised me and i am including for all to read,

"Mass protest re environmental issues is everywhere in China nowadays..Legitimate concern for the folks and those factories which cause such a havoc should all be shut down too..They are just ordinary folks who are worried about their safety..The folks were shocked when the first Chinese orbitting the earth brought back the picture of China from the space..Balding mountains and loss of forests all over the places compared to 20 years ago..The campaign is underway to build green-cities and villages but it will be a few decades before these balding mountains and dirty rivers get any improvement..If someone organize the Green-Party in China,I am almost certain it will outnumber the ruling party."

Settlers Upon Gaza Demonstrations and this from ha'aretz on the settlers massing....