Editorial: Celebrate the Olympic Games
Hundreds of nations will participate in the 2008 Olympics, many of whom are in conflict, even at war with each other. All will be part of a single, peaceful event. Politics and the Olympics have always been intertwined. This year, the Olympics will also take place in a political context.
Obama in Berlin
I attended the big rally with Barack Obama here, July 24, not as a press representative but as one of the crowd. And what a giant crowd it was! The news reports counted “over 200,000” but to someone sandwiched in so tight I could hardly lift my hand to scratch my itching nose, much less applaud, it seemed like a million! The predictions had been for “anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000” and the official start was at 7, so I stupidly arrived at 6.30, too late to find anything but a tiny spot to stand on (when the pushing ceased), so far back from the monument where Obama spoke that I couldn’t even see the big screen. I saw only the heads and backs of those in front of me.
