Tom might want to wish China had those guys. Behold the reasonable enlightenment!
In the northeast China is entering the smog season. Thanks to air pollution sensors on the roof of foreign embassies, and posting of those readings to an embassy web site, the government has been forced to do something about the pollution. These embassy efforts was one of many to call attention to the obvious; the air in the capital had become a health hazard. Earlier this year China allowed the mass media (state controlled and independent) to publish data on air and other types of pollution. Up until this year it was illegal to publish this data. But despite all the censorship, such pollution was being measured and the data getting to the public. Last year, without naming names, China warned foreign embassies that using pollution monitors on embassy property (which the Chinese government cannot touch) and releasing that information to the public was illegal. Embassies post this information on their websites for the benefit of their citizens visiting Beijing (the Chinese capital). China does not want to publicize how bad the pollution is in Beijing (or anywhere else in China).
Huh. Tom wants this for America?
Choking smog all but shut down one of northeastern China's largest cities [Harbin] on Monday, forcing schools to suspended classes, snarling traffic and closing the airport, in the country's first major air pollution crisis of the winter.
Behold the enlightenment (although not in Harbin):
The article says China has adopted a color-coded pollution alert system. Judged useless for the war on terror here, China puts it in place for their war on pollution. Let the mockery begin.
Wait for it. You know it's coming.
I'm not saying that you couldn't drown in a pool of Thomas Friedman's wisdom. But you would have to be drunk and faced down to do so.
And apparently, you can choke on his wisdom and develop lung ailments.
