Power and Politics - I am Not the Yellow Peril

The life and times of an Asian American activist who tells all the truth (and dishes news and analysis) but with a leftwards slant.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Process and retreat

I originally started this blog as a way of processing what was happening to me in a previous (it feels like many moons ago) job. Since then, I've managed to forgive most of the people there, and really, it's not like they did me any huge wrongs. The organization was poorly run - so poorly run that after I left, it was discovered that 1 person had been stealing.

There are lots of things going on in my life now, and I need to keep blogging if only so that I have a place to sort these things out - if not on paper, then in bytes.

Writing has always always helped me to process change. This is no different than any of those times. The beauty and the joy of living is embedded in these moments of reflection. Of genuflection.

My life has been the tiniest bit in turmoil recently, and this is a change year in many ways, not just the election.

What I want now is a good solid ship to sail on.

Addendum: I got sucked into the whole tracking of my stats and it was exhilarating to watch it spike and climb exponentially. I started blogging just for the ego-feeding of it and felt a demand and need to publish and produce not unlike the unholy horror of academia. Now I think I am simply back to writing for the hell of it, for the need of it. Be forewarned, this is going to involve a fair bit of personal analysis of . . . well, me. Politics may come second for a little bit. But as they say, the personal is political.

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Where I'm going and where I'm at

I have been neglecting the blog for a bit lately. Things have been sorta rough, and I am trying to sort things out. As if you could handle life items the way you handle clothing that you take out of the dryer.

I started the blog when I was in confusion and disarray. It seemed to help me sort and process. So maybe it's back to blog therapy - who knows?

All I know is I have loads of angst to burn, and that leaves not much time in which to write, sort, or live.

In my previous years I have always retreated into my personal writing space as a way of coping and of making sense of the world. Perhaps its time to hit the political pause button and just wind up personal for a bit. I'm not even sure how many of these rants and processes are going to be made public but I need a separate space, a separate self to rant. And then I can come back later and pick through the pieces and put together the puzzle, just as I did with my "stop breathing" posts.

Sorry for those readers who are interested in my political analysis. I'll still throw in the odd tidbit here and there, but in the middle of a country that's falling apart, so am I.

(Yeah, I did just write something that narcissistic.)

Can't you tell that's why I desperately need to blog it?

Happy readings,
power & politics

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008

The Edwardses' differing preferences

It seems that Elizabeth likes Hillary's health care plan and that she would be the first female POTUS while John likes that Obama brings change, according to a People magazine interview.

But he cited two things he likes about the charismatic young senator from Illinois: "One is, I think he really does want to bring about serious change and a different way of doing things. And secondly, I think it's a great symbolic thing to have an African-American who could be president."

Differing Opinions?

At that, Mrs. Edwards rolled her eyes and, gripping the arms of her kitchen chair with some exaggeration, seemed about to lunge from her seat. "What about the great symbolic thing about a woman ..."

"It's important. It's important," her husband said. "I know it."

More importantly, they have decided to stay out of the primaries to focus on pursuing issues dear to them - health care and poverty.

I still respect John Edwards as a candidate, and think that he still can run in 2012. Meanwhile, Hillary is done in the party. This is no longer her party, nor Bill's party. They need to stop thinking that they are the reigning king and queen of the ball, because it now belongs to the people. If they saw Dean as a threat (and they still do, because he is the titular head of the party), Obama's their worst fear - someone who actually wants to include and respect all comers, without regard as to their length of duration in the party or their previous affiliation.

Hillary is acting as the Nader in this race, and she is ruining it for everyone, from talking and acting Rovian to taking away the best line that Democrats have against John McCain (100 years in Iraq) by stating that she thinks it's okay to stay 50 years.

Not okay, Hillary, not okay.