Comparative Politics

From the BBC (5 December 07) ~ A homeless man
sits on a steam vent to keep warm in Beijing,
China. Photograph © Teh Eng Koon/AFP

From The Guardian (19 November 2007) ~ Caracas,
Venezuela: Antonela, 47, who has been a homeless since
she was 14, sits in her shelter under a highway.
Photograph © Rodrigo Abd/AP.

From The Guardian (5 December 07) ~ Washington, US:
Homeless men settle in for the evening at a subway stop
near the White House. Photograph © Paul J Richard/AFP.

Here in the U.S., there is a lot of talk in political circles these days, not just about our disaster in Iraq and projected fears about Iran, but also about China and Venezuela; there is, in this talk, much anxiety and, often hostility. It is as if we share nothing in common. So here is a reminder in the form of three recently published photographs - one each from the Capital City of the respective countries. Two of the countries are "developing," the third claims to be the richest and most powerful on earth.