What's The News Here, You Ask?

Washington is all a-twitter with news of the most recent shakeup at The New Republic, where I onced farmed myself out for hire. (No dice.) Editor Peter Beinart is out, leaving 31-year-old Franklin Foer in the driver's seat. I've always liked his stuff and think he's a good writer and all, but for my purposes this is the more interesting news from that office this week: Sudan is basically on the receiving end of a Chinese protection racket, and is using Chinese cover to get away with genocide in Darfur. China has been shopping its influence and money around Africa since the 1950s and is now reaping all sorts of rewards America didn't foresee, including oil and mineral contracts and client states less friendly toward the U.S. (Since, essentially, with China looking out for them on the Security Council they don't have to pretend to like us any more.) It's an interesting story, if you can get past the Darfur body count.