Really fantastic New Yorker this week. I would highly suggest two columns. The first, is Malcolm Gladwell, Why the revolution will not be tweeted. Whether you are a fan of Gladwell or not it is extraordinarily enjoyable to read a piece about how completely bullshit it is to assert that 255 character tweets are capable of motivating the masses and bringing about social revolution and change. "Facebook activism succeeds not by motivating people to make a real sacrifice but motivating them to do the things that people do when they are not motivated enough to make a real sacrifice." OK. that's pretty standard Gladwell pith, but, for gods sake just because you're plugged into daily Darfur tweets doesn't mean a damn thing about your commitment to anything. The second article is about the worlds most beloved lama (the Dalai), giggly and mischievous and turning 75. But what, with the prospect of choosing a successor looming and discontent brewing in Tibet, does the future hold for a lama who himself says "retirement is also my human right." In 1989 after the death of the Panchen Lama, "the second most prominent lama in in Tibet," a six year old boy was chosen as his reincarnation by the Dalai Lama. "Chinese authorities were incensed by the Dalai Lama's involvement from abroad , and the boy and his family were placed in seclusion. They have not been seen since." In fact, the Chinese government has gone so far as to as to stipulate "that it has ultimate authority over the management of living Buddha reincarnation." As the article notes, this quite astounding given the officially atheist standing of the Communist Party. A really fascinating look at a Nobel laureate who never travelled to the West until he was nearly 40, and to this day has no passport. Incidentally, followers can keep track of the Dalai Lama on Twitter, just search for HHDL (His Holiness the Dalai Lama).
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