Comments on: Vote

By: Guru

Guru — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:13:53 +0000

A beautiful piece of writing - as I indicated to you over email. It has taken me this long to articulate the same as a comment on the blog.

There were several deep insights in this pithy note. With the elections over and done with, I will steer the conversation in a different direction.

The one insight that struck a chord with me was the one on the exaggerated sense of US exceptionalism. I see this sense on display very loudly in the media. Not sure if the average American Citizen shares this sense of uniqueness. However, I see this same sense of exceptionalism in India as well - usually in the context of “tradition” and “cultural/family values”. I am willing to wager that this sense of being exceptional is a trait shared to varying degrees by most nations - probably an existential necessity, like patriotism (a blind version of which I am a strong opponent of).

Would love to hear your thoughts on this…

By: anasuya

anasuya — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:00:49 +0000

Hey Sonadi, didn’t know you read my blog! I agree with you that symbolism isn’t enough, and that iconography is suspect, but I honestly do believe it’s a start. When Mayawati became CM, friends on the ground talked about how Dalits said that for the first time in their lives, they didn’t fear going into a police station; when KR Narayan became Pres., it was held up to me by a lot of Dalit groups that this too was possible. How far this shifts the ground realities of material discrimination is tough to measure - and I absolutely agree that is what we need in the end, but I’m certain it will begin causing some shifts. Perhaps not enough, certainly not straight away, but some.

At the very least, a different kind of attention gets paid to the issues of discrimination. I’m not sure how easy it will be for the cops who beat up Rodney King to be acquitted in an Obama Presidency, for instance.

By: Atreyi

Atreyi — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:12:15 +0000

Dearest Alo,
Wonderful write-up and revealing information regarding who can vote in Britain. And yes, in democracy, the power of vote is amazing.
I do recognize the elation and the sense of “yes, we too can” feel that was in the heart and mind of the black americans yesterday. I do see how it would work to help a community to shed some of its collective deep depression that they carry from the shadows of slavery. But still, how would it affect the discrimination that goes on everyday in this country, now, or even ten years from now? Did having a Mayabati or a K.R. Naryanan change anything for the people in the margin in India?

- Sonadidi.

By: anasuya

anasuya — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:28:53 +0000

@Manu: I’m really disappointed with the Yes on Prop 8. I was up till late at night, watching the five per cent difference between the Ayes and Nays, and it never got whittled down. Some bridges take time being constructed.

By: anasuya

anasuya — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:23:50 +0000

@Aditi: Glad you did, and yes, I’ll do my best to keep writing blog posts (as a useful procrastination device for doctoral dissertations). Keep dropping by!

@Roi: Thank you, and I know how you feel. As we were walking home last night, post the celebrations, the two homeless guys who live every night in the doorway of the well-named Goodwill store, were already asleep in their raggedy sleeping bags, with shopping carts as windbreakers. Clearly they didn’t think change was coming to them. Still, hope does matter. Symbolically, even if it doesn’t always mean material change.

And yes, I am definitely waiting to see if Obama surprises us with his choice of Treasury Secretary. My views on Lawrence Summers have been expressed on these pages - and to you - before!

By: Manu

Manu — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:55:52 +0000

What bridge did you walk on today? It’s a great day in California…you elect a black man, and take away rights from gay couples, on the same day! Gays are the new blacks…when do we get the first gay president?? :) Just kidding, of course.

By: Roykale

Roykale — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:54:25 +0000

A beautiful piece, Alo.

And as for questions of disappointment: As I was walking down Berkeley’s telegraph avenue, watching hundreds of liberal college kids climbing the traffic lights, I couldn’t help wondering what exactly is it that “we can.” Somewhere behind this euphoria, I think, hides the cold truth which I saw at ABC when I came back home: the three leading candidates for the secretary of treasury are Paul Volker, Lawrence Summers, and Warren Buffet.

Shall we say “no, we can’t”?

By: aditi

aditi — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:26:00 +0000

Enjoyed your musings. You need to do this more often.

By: anasuya

anasuya — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:27:39 +0000

Ah, TR, that’s another story. I mean… and the rest is Silence. :-)

By: tabula rasa

tabula rasa — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:16:50 +0000

Yes, About Time You Did — lovely!

but what - no Silence?! ;-)