Sometimes the stupidity of politicians baffles even the most cynical observers. Such is the case in the decision made by the US House of Representatives to pass a bill renaming the street in DC on which the Chinese Embassy sits to “Liu Xiaobo Plaza.” Mr. Liu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his pursuit of human rights in China, and there is little question that he deserves recognition as he remains in prison for his efforts. But now ““[E]very piece of incoming mail to the embassy would bear the name of the imprisoned Nobel laureate,” said Rep. Frank Wolf, the Congressperson who proposed the change. There are probably many streets in DC that would proudly bear the name–there still is no “J” Street–and Congress has shown that there is no limit to petulance.
Some residents of Detroit, Michigan, have appealed to the United Nations, after the city cut off water to about 3,000 homes and businesses because of unpaid water bills. In 2008, the United Nations established a Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, acknowledging that access to clean and affordable water is a human right. Detroit is a city in bankruptcy, and its economic problems are well-known. Nonetheless, all governments have the obligation to protect the health and safety of their citizens.
The outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa has been labelled as “out of control” by Doctors Without Borders. There have been about 600 confirmed cases and 360 deaths from this outbreak. The virus usually surfaces in remote areas of East and Central Africa, and this time is the first time it has been confirmed in West Africa, affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The outbreak in areas near the heavily urbanized area of Guinea has contributed to its rapid spread. The World Health Organization is mobilizing its forces to contain the outbreak before it spreads further.
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