Going Ons
So, Southeast Asia. People ask why I like it here. A number of reasons actually, including: beautiful beaches, beautiful highland and countryside, interesting people, and a region in transition. You can find the simple life on rice paddies, you can find the metropolis and malls, you can have normal sized food portions, but more importantly you feel a unique vitality of movement. I love Europe for its history and past, but that's the point, Western Europe feels old and accomplished, as though it's seen its time and shakes it head at the world today. The United States is moving but it's older, it's established, it's a 40 year old about to reach a mid-life crisis. Asia (I don't mention Latin America, Africa, Australia, because I haven't been there) is a teenager, a young adolescent, where it hungers for more, and is wholly excited about things in the world and about its future in the world to come.So a couple of cases in point, last weekend I went to a civil society meeting on Batam to discuss IMF/WB reform. I have many gripes coming out of that, but I'll keep it to myself. It was interesting, although I will say this, there comes a point when the whining needs to stop and some practical positive action should take place. For those who care, click here.
On another amazing note, Thailand had a coup last night. Interesting, exciting times. I won't go into detail, but an interim government is to take power in two weeks with general elections slated for October 2007. The Thai I've talked to have been thrilled. For complete coverage check out the BBC and The Nation
posted by Mai-Lan @ 18:10
1 Comments:
se asia a teenager? wiki & i disagree.
malaysia: numerous kingdoms develop in the c.2-3rd ce from port cities, gains independence from uk in 1957, booms economically in late c.20th after regaining relative civic peace following race riots
singapore: c.3rd ce records place it as a sumatran empire outpost, later to undergo several national possessions, gains independence from uk in 1963, gains independence from malaysia in 1965, booms economically in c.20th after regaining civic peace following race riots
cambodia: first kingdom dated to c.1st ce, khmer empire flourishes from c.9-15th ce, gains independence from france in 1953, still in the process of recovering from civil and political unrest and war in c.20th after khmer rouge
laos: earliest kingdom lasts from c.14-18th ce, under siamese rule in c.18-19th, gains independence from france in 1949, still in the process of recovering from economic independence in c.20th after soviet fall and drying commie financial aid through vietnam
thailand: gains independence from khmer empire in c.13th ce, expands northwards by driving out burmese, booms economically in late c.20th until asian financial crisis in 1997, impacting economies of other se asia nations but bounces back quickly
myanmar: first kingdoms dated to c.1st bce, followed by influx of burmese in c.9th ce, gains independence from uk in 1949, still in the process of recovering after political unrest and economic breakdown in c.20th
vietnam: gains independence from dynastic china in c.10th ce, expands southwards by slowly conquering champa and khmer kingdoms from c.14-18th, gains independence from france in 1945, mostly recovered economically from vietnam war and booming after economic reform in late c.20th
____
united states: first influx of european explorers in late c.15th ce, first english colony established in 1607, gains independence from uk in 1776, expands westward late c.18-mid 19th by “purchasing” territory from foreign countries and displacing natives, economy booms until collapse in 1929 but bounces back following economic reform in mid c.20th
____
instead of not having a history, i think se asia has been there, done that. it is in the midst of reinvention and rejuvenation, while the u.s. has yet to experience total conquest and utter ruin.
america is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilizaton in-between.
: wilde.
Post a Comment
<< Home