Michael is a friend, possibly (nobody is certain) in Kate's, my ex, large, multi-dimensioned old American family: Forbes, Emerson, Hughes, Hathaway, Cunningham, Kerry, et al. A now 150 yr. old diary is still kept. i played chess with rock-ribbed titular head, David Forbes. We discussed, argued, worked, sailed and had lots of fun. He would be utterly dismayed today, as am I. Michael is a chip off this old, wonderful block. -Ed
From: "Michael W. Hathaway" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2010 7:13 PM Subject: Notes: 1. Yesterday's D C March and Demonstration. 2. China's Premier Wen JiaBao on Zakaria's GPS Dear Friends --- I thought these notes might interest you. LIfe is wonderfully busy, AND much too busy. Fondly, Michael I was able to watch about 3 hours of the D C gathering yesterday on CSPAN, and waa glad I did. It felt GOOD and looked to be quite large. So many of the famous (to us) names of the various movements were there. Two of the STRONGEST speakers were Benjamin Jealous of the NAACP and Van Jones of resent fame (whom I really like, of course). Marion Edelman was very strong herself, moving almost into the mythic. And though Harry Belafonte's voice strains and cracks, he's still potent, and was probably the closest of the speakers to the range of issues you and I would want expressed. Trumka pretty good too. Lots of black speakers. JOBS JOBS JOBS. A lot of minor speakers were allowed on for 2-3 minutes each, and since they maintained time discipline they worked out well, and certainly WIDENED the range of people and issues being covered. I think there's a new readiness for issue groups to realize that they must take to heart (or at least more than half- heart) most of what they hear, as part of working toward the success for their own issue. Several efforts to describe a decent eduction through college as a right, and as something worthwhile for the nation to support. Several students, of all possible genders and colors spoke of debts of $30,000 to $60,000. The crowds looked big to me. AT one point they announced that aerial photography showed that they had by this point significantly larger than Beck's crowd. (A rightwing blogger said the opposite this morning, and I haven't seen *any* reports, which of course are so subjective anyway. But aerial photographs *should* provide a measure... High school friend Fritz and his wife attended, and I'm to hear from them. There were 40-50 other demonstrations and/or work parties around the country, but I don't know that I'll learn anything about them. School friend Clair went to the one in Seattle, so perhaps I'll hear. Some new phrases: "...regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion or zip code." Placard: "I believe in Separation of Corporation and State" Did you see today's Zakaria and GPS? Quite unexpectedly, I found myself deeply moved by the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. He's one of the 10? 50? most important men in the world after all, so I watched with great interest. Zakaria bragged that this interview was Wen's first in two years with a western news source, and that the last such appearance had also been on Zakaria's show. This IS impressive. But, on to Wen Jiabao. He was trained as an engineer, as apparently some 80% of the people in leadership positions in China are. What an ordered, modest, profound mind this man has. He expressed himself so quietly and precisely, matter-of-factly, always in logical sequences, always keeping the largest contexts in mind. Always respectful of the interviewer, of the U.S., of other countries, even of what could be called opposition currents in China (and two days ago the U S Congress.)* I got no overt sense of power, as with Mao, or Gorbachev's dynamism and it was an interesting challenge for me to keep in mind that this almost retiring, kindly Chinese uncle was the sometimes authoritarian leader of 1.3 billion people. For lovers of red wine, perhaps, he is like a 40 year old very good Cabernet. It turns out that he has been brave several times in his career. At the beginning of the Tien an Manh Square demonstrations, he was the rare senior leader who went out to talk directly with the students. He pushed hard for China's gigantic stimulus, against major opposition, and is now justly credited for its phenomenal success. The Tien an Manh demonstrations began as students memorializing the death of a prominent (and purged) progressive leader. That leader's name has not been in print ever since, according to Zakaria. But recently, Wen wrote an article, praising the man's many achievements and, in effect, rehabilitating him. I found him to be quietly astonishing. My eyes teared up several times---to my utter surprise---at the profoundly simple , direct and well-crafted responses he made, in complete friendly calm. I cannot think of any politician in America remotely like him. I am sure that there are many things that he's done or furthered that would anger me, but still, he is a wonder, and I'd say we're very lucky that *he* is China's main leader. When Fareed asked about his recent reading, and/or what Wen might recommend to the American public, he said he reads a lot, but in travelling he always takes with him Adam Smith's "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" and Marcus Aurelius' "Reflections"!! If you find the time, it'd be worth your time to have a rare look at him, at CNN.com for Zakaria's GPS for today, October 3, 2010 *As to the exchange rate arguments, he claimed that the Chinese currency has in less than 20 years climbed 50% against the dollar, and similarly against China's Asian neighbors. He further claimed that for a century in US history the US had maintained similar currency policies, appropriate to its development then, at the stage China is at now. In the tit-for-tat department, I found it piquant that China's first response to Congress'es voting to penalize China with tariffs by LOWERING the renminbi's value still further!! ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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