lack of intrigue

I was intrigued about the stories that came out of Madrid after the terrorist bombings last spring about how they managed to get a million people to take to the streets, calling on the government to tell the truth about what had happened. In the end, the governments missteps led to their being ousted from power.

It was that intrigue (and a growing interest in "word of mouth") that led me to read the article in today's Washington Post about the role that Internet is playing in the youth-led riots in Paris.

Unfortunately, the authors don't seem to share my same fascination. There's no context, there's no real analysis of what the Internet can do, and there's no sense of an awareness that the way that the young rioters are using the Internet to organize is hardly new.

If you are looking for something good to read, read E.J. Dionne's piece about Tuesday's elections and, specifically, the Democratic victory in the Virginia gubernatorial race. As far as E.J. is concerned, it's not just about Bush backlash. No, Democrats might actually be getting it right.