Outis

don’t care much for refugees, or human rights, in general.

Talking Points Memo:

Here’s the story of another member of Congress who went to the floor of the House on Abramoff’s behalf to denounce a teenager filipino girl who was held captive as a sex slave on the islands. This stuff isn’t just about misfiled disclosures and skyboxes. It’s real dark.

Wow.

The New York Times: Where’s Mao? Chinese Revise History Books

When high school students in Shanghai crack their history textbooks this fall they may be in for a surprise. The new standard world history text drops wars, dynasties and Communist revolutions in favor of colorful tutorials on economics, technology, social customs and globalization.

Socialism has been reduced to a single, short chapter in the senior high school history course. Chinese Communism before the economic reform that began in 1979 is covered in a sentence. The text mentions Mao only once — in a chapter on etiquette.

Nearly overnight the country’s most prosperous schools have shelved the Marxist template that had dominated standard history texts since the 1950’s. The changes passed high-level scrutiny, the authors say, and are part of a broader effort to promote a more stable, less violent view of Chinese history that serves today’s economic and political goals.

BBC News: China activist ‘beat himself up’

Chinese investigators say activist Fu Xiancai, who was paralysed after a severe beating, inflicted the blows himself, according to a rights body.

Brad Plumer decribes and discusses the Japanese justice system. It’s neither cute nor sleek.