Thursday, January 18, 2007

Rediscovering DFNYC







I got an email from Jim Dean who I have had the good fortune to meet (Mixer For Ferrer) - "I googled your name and ended up on the homepage of the actor James Dean" - and the subject line says President Bhagat, and I am like, wait a minute Jim, I am not a citizen.

I am so glad DFA is getting ready to get involved. I would have been flabbergasted if the organization had stayed out. The organization was founded to take over the White House. Actually I am surprised that a Deaniac has emerged so soon to take up the challenge. Barack Obama is that Deaniac. I was thinking Barry Goldwater was there in 1964, and it was another 16 years before Reagan showed up. But then Dean is no Goldwater. He is much bigger. He presides over the entire party, for chrissake. (I think I misspelt that word, I am not a Christian).

I guess if DFA is getting ready to get behind Obama, I am going to have to take a second look at DFNYC. I visited that organization's page yesterday, and it looks like the mid-term elections are not over! There are a cramful of activities. That organization has always been so hyper.

My relationship with DFNYC has been anything but smooth although that is the first organization I really got to know when I landed in NYC in the summer of 2005.

First there was this utter lack of interest in the democracy movement in Nepal. And that's okay. But then it was like pride in that lack of interest. And all that boiled over. Then the April Revolution happened. And I got vibes of more credit than I deserve. Nepalis all over the world worked towards it. (The Virus Of The April Revolution )And there were interpersonal complications.

My Role In The April Revolution: The Butterfly Effect

Those who got so impressed by the April Revolution have not yet seen the second act. But the second act will not have the glamor of street action.

In the mean time I have gone to meetings of many other progressive organizations. And that is a good thing.

I see many events, but not any that interest me. I would like to just focus on the presidential stuff. DFNYC is really into local stuff, which is cool, that is what it was designed for.

First I got myself off the DFNYC mailing list, then when I signed back, someone else knocked me off, I wonder which of the four DFNYC Directors did that, maybe Cohen. But then once in a while there would be a DFA mail from Heather Woodfield, "your local host." I think that is how I got tricked to go to the voting machines hearing on the Upper West Side. (Voting Machines On The Upper West)

But if DFA were to formally get behind Barack Obama, I am going to renew my link to DFNYC, although I think my primary involvement is going to be through this blog, and through The Matrix. I guess I will show up primarily to express appreciation for stuff like phonebanking that DFNYC might do than to get my hands dirty. I am better at strategy and vision. I am not too much into the retail details. I admire those who are.

The thing about the Manhattan political circles is they are charged with race and class tensions. Just because people are packed up in the small physical space of the city does not mean rough edges have evened out. Like earlier today I went to this MYD event, their New Year celebration, and Liz, the about to be Vice President who I have always been decent to had to do her casual racist white woman thing. "I just wanted to make sure my purse was there." When I was standing behind a chair where her purse was. Like Barack Obama said on Charlie Rose, "Only a few years back, I would have people throw their keys at me in the parking lot."

Granted I have given a year and a half of my life to the democracy movement in Nepal, so I have not had the time to get rich yet, but me and my partners lost more money in the late 1990s than your family has not made in a thousand generations. (Money And Manhattan)

If you are a progressive, you are probably for universal health care, and how genuinely are you for that if you like to make classist comments?

I met the DFNYC Charles at the event. The guy was not doing surveys.

Maybe I should forgive all of DFNYC and start all over again with them for my minimal involvement in their numerous offline activities. Ha!

Hello Tracey. Hello Heather. Hello Leila. Hello Abhishek. Hello Lewis. Hello Merle. Hello David. Hello Catherine. Hello Dan. Hello Charles. Hello Bernadette. Hello Miriam. Hello Renna. Hello Dana. Hello Steve. Hello Andrew. Hello Judith. Hello Lisa. Hello Josh. Hello Kentucky.

But all this is conditional upon the DFA getting behind Barack Obama!

Looks like the organization has dropped its Mixer.




http://www.democracyforamerica.com/presidentialsurvey

Dean, DFNYC, Daily Kos, Justin, Brooklyn, Nepal
DFNYC, Drinking Liberally, DL21C, Cosmopolity
The French Revolution And DFNYC
DFNYC Socializing Is Circle 3 For Me
Thanks David For Bringing Me Back To DFNYC
A Piece On DFNYC
DFNYC, 100,000 Strong, Scalable Organization
DFNYC TV, DFNYC Wiki
DFNYC And This Blog
DFNYC In The News
DFNYC Research And Advocacy Group
Tracey Denton Of DFNYC


Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Burma: Shame On China, Russia




It is despicable that China and Russia have let the Burmese people down. The family of democratic countries will have to find other ways to be of help. That country has suffered long enough.

Through this act China and Russia have exposed themselves - if that was even necessary - that they are not democracies. Putin is but a Cold War spy gone fancy. China is a one party dictatorship.

Maybe the UN Security Council should try to pass a similar resolution on Burma, China and Russia all put together, if only to make a statement.

But we should not be surprised. Autocrats think alike. They bond. I mean, were we expecting anything different? This act on the part of the regimes ensconed in China and Russia should not be seen as a setback. This was the expected. We should bounce from it.

The cause of democracy will be served, with or without China, with or without Russia. One day democracy shall spread its wings in those countries also. That is only a matter of time.

The Burmese people will rise up. Ultimately that is what will do the trick. But external moral support helps. We should offer moral and logistical support to the fullest extent.

Democracy in Burma is one of the stepping stones to democracy in China. Maybe that is why China is fearful.

The military junta in Burma is but a drug cartel. They specialize in exporting poison.

Aang Sang Su Kyi's political party is going to have to grow more robust. There should be a whole hieararchy of prominent leaders. There needs to be a robust global organization. Alliances have to be formed with other democracy movements.

Bhutan nearby also needs democracy. Zimbabwe far away also does.

The Matrix, Vision, Spread Democracy, Revolution

On The Web

FreeBurma.org: Links to the best info on Burma, democracy movement ...
Free Burma Home: Educational info on Burma, democracy movement ...
VOA News - US Asks UN to Push Burma on Democracy
VOA News - Burma Frees 5 Jailed Pro-Democracy Activists
The Burma Campaign UK Home Page
BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Hopes fade for Burma's democracy
Democracy in Burma: Does Anybody Really Care?
U.S. Support for Democracy in Burma - US Department of State
Free Burma Coalition Mission
Japan Fails the Test on Democracy and Burma


In The News

Russia, China Veto UN Resolution on Burma
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
China & Russia Veto UN Security Council Resolution on Burma ChristianToday
NLD condemns China, Russia for blocking UNSC resolution on Burma Mizzima.com
China, Russia Failed Burma, Says Opposition The Irrawaddy News Magazine
Fury over Burma veto
The Universe, UK
Freedom's ring not reaching new ears
Christian Science Monitor, MA
China, Russia Veto Security Council Draft Resolution On Burma
All Headline News
China, Russia veto UN resolution on Burma
Democratic Voice of Burma, Norway
China, Russia veto UN Burma resolution
Bangkok Post, Thailand
China, Russia veto UN resolution on Burma
ABC Online, Australia
China, Russia veto Myanmar resolution
China Post, Taiwan
China, Russia veto US on Myanmar
The Daily Star, Bangladesh














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