VBVW for July 18, 2008: Over Here, Over There

• The Very Best

Chinese restaurants in Bejing have been instructed not to serve dog meat during the 2008 Summer Olympics. They will, however, continue to serve donkey meat. Lassie is breathing a little easier tonight. Shrek’s sidekick . . . not so much.

The prosecutor for the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir as an international war criminal. Wow–after only millions of deaths, somebody’s finally paying attention over there.

The FDA says it’s okay for you to eat tomatoes again. But considering the agency still hasn’t found the source of the salmonella outbreak, it’s a good excuse to eat ice cream instead.

• The Very Worst

Several dozen people were seriously injured after a spinning theme-park ride collapsed in Gothenburg, Sweden. Following in the wake of other carnival calamities, maybe it’s time to just turn amusement parks into giant mortuary rides.

General Motors announced plans cut 20% of its work force. Once upon a time, GM was the largest employer in the U.S. and adhered to the mottto “What’s good for GM is good for America.” Today, it’s a shadow of its former self. Now Wal-Mart is the biggest employer in this country. Let that sink in for a moment.

The Bush Administration proposed a $300 billion bailout of mortgage lenders. Meanwhile, Congress argues over whether millions of foreclosed homeowners should get help or be blamed for their own lack of fiscal expertise. Do we really need to remind you who’s getting screwed here?