The People Won't Take It!

How strange that there are two major stories this week about garbage collection turning into riots. What is the karmic connection between the struggle in Naples, Italy, and the horrific murder in Hubei, China over a similar issue. Although not exactly the same conditions prevailed, the citizenry responded with similar displays of rage and solidarity. Bella Italia, con la grazia delgli poppoli, tends to have a more enlightened police force. In general, they aren't alienated from their own roots, and so understand the plight of their own people. Or perhaps Italy's recent history with the ugly faccia of corporatism, Il Duce, has sensitized the politicians. I dunno. If you're interested, here's a sample of what's happening in Naples: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22505149/
China Blogger Beaten To Death
By Christine
Authorities have fired an official in central China after city inspectors beat to death a man who filmed their confrontation with villagers, China’s Xinhua news agency reports.
The killing has sparked outrage in China, with thousands expressing outrage in Chinese Internet chat rooms, often the only outlet for public criticism of the government.
On Monday Wei happened on a confrontation in the central Chinese province of Hubei between city inspectors and villagers protesting over the dumping of waste near their homes.
A scuffle developed when residents tried to prevent trucks from unloading the rubbish, Xinhua said.
When Wei took out his cell phone to record the protest, more than 50 municipal inspectors turned on him, attacking him for five minutes, Xinhua said. Wei was dead on arrival at a Tianmen hospital, the report said.
[...] An international press freedom group, Reporters Without Borders, protested the killing.
“Wei is the first ‘citizen journalist’ to die in China because of what he was trying to film,” the group said in a statement.
http://www.mediachannel.org/wordpress/2008/01/11/china-blogger-beaten-to-death/

Rest in peace, Citizen Wei Wenhua.
Here's more information from Reporters Without Borders:
Shock at beating death of executive who filmed police violence with mobile phone
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24999