El Comienzo: The beggining

I remember how confident I was on my first World Politics class. I was ready for this. I heard that this class was difficult. I knew that it would challenge what I knew about power politics. But thats ok, I thought. I knew Hubert Spencer and Kant. I knew what the meaning of humanity was. It was empathy. Empathy is universal. Simple. Done. I had all the jargon. But then classes began. I found my match: Christian T.R Cavendar. We were the mirror opposite. You see, I have always been Panglossian about humanity. To me, humanity is empathy. But he saw things differently. He saw humanity as quite the opposite. I could hold up. I understood the twists and turns in his logic. I was confident about my views. I had history to back me up: the zapatistas, philosophy, acts of kindness scrolled into our veins.

But then, midway in the semester, we read Todorov, and everything I prided myself on fell apart. It wasn't all at once. Little by little, my opinions were being defaced like limestone. Questions about poverty and sovereignty made me think, but that haunting quote on page 250 The man who finds his country sweet is only a raw beginner; the man for whom each country is as his own is already strong; but only the man for whom the whole world is as a foreign country is perfect was the last straw. Then what is culture? Was it worth preserving? And what of poverty? What of those in Chiapas? A horticultural society is being disrupted by NGOs coming in and telling them that they are poverty stricken. That their women are not empowered. They disrupt the way of life in the indigenous communities because the indigenous live off less than 2 dollars a day. The NGOs do not realize that the indigenas live off the land. But who cares about the perseverance of indigenous culture? If it is a product of post-colonial guilt, shouldn't we move on? Can't you see that I am more frustrated than before? I have so many questions. The only thing I have truly come to terms with the fact that my academic past and confidence was a product of me having my eyes shut. I used terms that were not even defined yet. And here I am, alone all over again. University College has made me an introvert. The social events, the tensions, the non-political relations on our floor that were in fact political tensions bubbled through. And all I know is that La Malinche and I were always more similar than I could have wanted. I hate it. I do not want to be La Malinche. Who ever wants to be her? I guess it is my shroud now and I must wear it out of obligation. So I shall wear it with pride. Out of the cerebral readings of constructivism and Wendt in the pantomime of bizarre occurrences in my life (Guyana, Generals, Girls, and Gigs), I was able to hold onto the most concrete thing here: Gunperi. I think I would have wilted away had it not been for her. She reminded me why I was here. I was here to learn. Always looking out for me, she is reason I pushed on.

Its been quite the ride for the past semester. Since all has been demolished, there's only one way to go and that is to rebuild. But who ever said that it was bad. It means once I have rediscovered what humanity really means and the meaning of "universality" if there really is one will be strong and resilient to attack. When someone asks me why indigenous people matter, I will be able to tell them. But for now, I know that it just does. Hopefully I will find those answers and be what Todorov deemed as political perfection: the man for whom

the whole world is as a foreign country is perfect. Oh how identity flux has made a mockery of my existence. The only place to go to now is forward.

Espero que la salida sea alegre, y espero no volver jamás. -Frida Kahlo

POST COLONIAL FEMINISM MIGHT SAVE ME THIS WEEK

This has been a crazy week. I am fried. It is almost 2 am in the morning. I just wrote 2 papers back to back: a 10 page paper on fair-trade in Chiapas and a 10 page ethnography on sarees and the Indian female immigrant micro culture. Did I also mention that a potential suitor spent my holiday with me? Yes, I am burned out. And the week hasn't even begun yet. I do not have an insightful thing to say tonight. I apologize for the lack of wisdom in my words tonight. But what will keep me up this week will be this song so I hope you enjoy:

Plus there is a feminist spoken word event at the perch on December 2nd. I think this is the only way I will restore my sanity: poetry. I already know what I am gonna write about:

NOT BEING THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN!

if you know what I mean...

Oh the joys of post-colonial feminism!

PAZ

Priyanka

Voy Caminando: And I keep Walking

The man who finds his country sweet is only a raw beginner; the man for whom each country is as his own is already strong; but only the man for whom the whole world is as a foreign country is perfect

-Tzetan Todorov.

Is this a quote about the global nomad? Is this the ultimate sense of universality? That we need to treat all people the same and not get tied down to these imagined communities that are wrapped up in sovereignties and national pride? The term global nomad is not about universality. Its about the individual. Its an attitude. Saying that you are a global nomad is a reflection on the self and not as the collective because the global nomad, if we follow Todrov's logic, is not tied down to a nation. He or she can pick him or herself up and drift.

And this is where we come to La Malinche.
Why is it that every tableau of the native female describes a woman who is her so called ambassador for her people. It is not just some professional diplomatic self to her people. She also does it because of love. And when I say love, I mean lust. She is entrapped or she entraps him the blankito and releases her secrets of her people. Is she the global nomad? Is it about self interest? I mean power struggle is constant. So do we try to win in a hopeless situation? Is that the global nomad? Well in my opinion, the global nomad is an attitude that would not just be one person in society. The reason La Malinche is held to this standard of "betrayer" is because she understood the fluidity of bounderies. Her love and sex life became public for future generations forever because of the diplomatic position she had among her people. She was a global nomad because she was neither tied to her Aztec people of Spanairds. Regardless of what people tell you. Why else would she have acted in those ways? She did not answer to one world power over the other at the end of the day. I think we should all be like La Malinche. We should be global nomads. What is a sovereignty? IR theories of realism and liberalism often leave out a major structure of sovereignty: CULTURE. Why is it that the Zapatistas wanted their own region? They shared a "struggle" and mode of living. If we can understand the fluidity of culture, we can understand the imagined communities that are nations. Too much national pride adds to even more convolusion.

When it comes to me, I consider myself a global nomad because I have been raised by my Indian nationalist parents on US soil and became a woman in Mexico. I have no place to call home. And I am happy with that because I realize that I will have an open mind. I will be able to walk through doors and look behind only to dream of memories but I will not be too sad over the loss of a "home country". I use the system. I have an American passport. I have American opportunities and rights. But do I really have a burning love for this nation? No. I guess I am your La Malinche. Using your nation so that I can keep walking.

La Malinche: The Mother of Crucified Woman

In Chavela Vargas' song La Llorona, she sings "yo soy como el chili verde, llorona, picante, pero sabroso"
I am like a green chilli: spicy, but delicious.
I think this is the mantra of La Malinche and every intelligent woman who is in the midst of duty and pleasure.

What fascinates me is representation of these women. She is both the mother and the raped or the chingona. She was violated. Some people say that La Llorona did not have a choice in the matter. She was weak. The name La Llorona signifies this sentiment. But at the same time, she is strong, she is the suductress. Those lips, those eyes, the fiercity in her tongue. She is the mother of a bastardized land. Did she abandon her people? Was she selfish? To me, La Malinche will not be one or the other: weak or whorish. She is strength to me. Strong women find themselves fighthing themselves at the end. They are glorified for their intelligence and prized for their beauty like a jewel. But they are judged as possession. That is the mistake. They are not treated as women. If they refuse a man, she is a harlot. If she sleeps with him, she is a harlot. This is the ascribed identity of a La Malinche. And trust me, there are several of these mujeres walking amogst us: Cleopatra, Frida, Ms. Monroe, our mothers, even you.

But what we need to realize is that these women were women. Not gods. Not monsters. Women. They were full of life. Full of determination, love, lust, youth. Women who defy the norm are automatically categorized. But we are not weak. We are not La Llorona. We are La Malinche. Women of our own destiny. Choices we make are not for any man. In my mind, La Malinche, although lost her name, stole Cortes'. She became the face as he became the raper. I am not glorifiying La Malinche. I am paying homage. To me, La Malinche is not just a mother or a weeper. She is strength. She is intelligence. She had a duty to herself and no civilization and no man. How dare empire after empire puts her on trial. Trials in which men stand up and point the finger at a woman with hair thicker then huipiles. As my mother always says men will always point fingers, but it is up to us to hang our heads in shame or hold our backs tall and take the arrow with pride. But must we lose at the end? Have we? Have we coquetas lost everything? No. We are the winners at the end of the day. We live in songs, poetry, cantina songs in bars tucked in verdant Chiapaneca hills. That is where we live. We live between heaven and hell. We are Las Malinches de La Tierra. The Malinches of the Earth.

CORTEZ, the Interpreter and Manipulator of Maladies

Todrov in part 2 of THE CONQUEST OF AMERICA makes the argument that the Spaniards were able to conquer the Aztecs successively because they were able to communicate in the forums of interhuman communications. In fact, Todrov said on page 104, that "Communication among the Aztecs is above all a communication with the world". It was too holistic and left room for Spanaird manipulation.

I agree with him from a cultural anthropoligal persepective but what needs to be added is the fact that the Spaniards were able to manipulate the fact that Aztecs did not hold so much of an importance on interhuman communication as the Spanairds did in retrospect to other forms of communication such as communication with the Glods. The identities ascribed in Aztec societies were beyond the human domain. Gods could walk and Earth and were political actors in Aztec society. Everything was read into. Todrov describes the Aztec documentation of the sizes of fish or the swallowing of a fisherman by an aligator (p. 94). Omens were everywhere to the Aztecs. In fact, there were men who were trained to read these omens and decipher what it meant (p. 79). There was a cultural hierarchy with several systems. The Aztecs looked at history cyclically. So when Cortez came, Moctezuma was terrified that Cortez was a god who was once a Toltec, the civilization the Aztecs conquered. Moctezuma was not confident because he was afraid of exogenous attacks because it

was mentioned in history and in legends that the Gods would take action.

Now the Spaniards on the other hand had a great resource. La Malinche. A woman who will be forever be revered and hated in Mexican history. She was the intelligent interpreter who was the lover of Cortez who was able to narrate to Cortez the stories and attitudes of the Aztec people. So not much was a priori to the Spanairds. They were able to focus on interhuman connections with Malinche and other Indians who were on the fringes of Aztec society. They were the minorities that were marginalized by the powerful state of the Aztecs. The Spanairds were able to decifer signs that the Aztecs decifered thanks to internal connections to the Aztecs. But since they had that knowledge they were able to manipulate it. The best example is when Moctezuma and Cortez are climbing the stares of the palace and Moctezuma is tired. Cortez knows that the Gods never feel pain in the Aztec religion so he says that he is not tired. He is ascribing the identity of GOD with his action. He is duping Moctezuma because he is making himself look like the divine (114).

Of course Cortez had guns, germs, and steel on his side to conquest the Aztecs. But the manipulation of the knowledge of signs led them to the position to assert the 3(GGS) in the first place.

PAINTING ABOVE BY José Clemente Orozco, Cortés and Malinche, 1926.

The Riddle of Development and Post Colonialism

I am afraid that I have more questions than answers and I can't believe it. Just September, I used to speak about the empowerment of women, the right to education, and the issues with poverty. And if someone questioned me, I quoted the UN's Declaration of Human Rights. But what is Human Rights? Can someone have the right for education? Is it a right? Well, if we applied the golden rule that all people are created equal and treat people as you would do onto yourself, I would want the ability to complete my college or even PhD education as well. But in indigenous communities in Chiapas Mexico, education would disturb the mode of life: horticulturalism. It takes the entire community from children to elders to participate on working the land. Breaking up this mode of life contributes to illegal immigration which leads to a whole slew of problems. What do I do in this case? Was all my rhetoric a waste? I still do not think so. I think in post colonial communities, the morale is down. Some people do not know where to go next. Some continue the spurs of a spencerian economy which is where money lust/ power lust is justified like what is going in India. To me, I do not like the definition of poverty being a person living on less than 2 dollars a day because in Chenalo, the community I lived in, a person lived on 20 pesos but they had access to food and clean water. It is

(My little niece and nephew in Chiapas)

really hard to "develop" those areas because one must understand what women's issues are about. But I think I have the answer to this one: THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY. Through the documentations of these indigenous and post colonialized marginalized people can we empower them. With our empathy and us wanting to support them, but through exchange, give them incentive can we achieve an integration of these people. I want to give an example of Guyana. President Jagdeo has done wonderful things and Guyana is the only country in the world to increase its indigenous populations in the past decade from 7% to 15%

. He put indigenous people in places of position where they did not need a college education. He started out by training them as police officers. This motivated other Amerindian people to look into higher education. Now several of their cabinet members are indigenous. I have hope for humanity. And I do not think interest in those who are marginalized is due to self interest or post colonial guilt. A lot of it is empathy. The reason I went to Chiapas was because I could not believe the Mexican government would steal land from the horticultural indigenous people. It upset me. I thought about India and my history and I could relate. Empathy. I think it drives the world more than we think.

(this is precisely why I have faith in humanity. I love him more than anything I know)

The Campesino, The Immigrant, and the Emperor: Riddles of Fairness within the Realms of International Economy

Case Number 1: December 31, 1994, the day that Mexico reached out to her blankita sisters and signed the NAFTA free trade agreement in hopes to catapult the third North American country into the first world. Mexico wanted a higher GDP, but to do so, the government had to hold back on its plans in Chiapas to redistribute land for indigenous people. The Eido model was abandoned so that wealthy rancheros could provide The US and Canada with agricultural goods while the Mayan people were pulled out of their ancestral lands and forced to leave. According to the IMF, post NAFTA, the Mexican economy grew by 3.6% and kept growing at a steady but promising rate. It may have helped Mexico, but what about the famers in Chenalo, Oventic, Chamula, all of these indigenous municipalities now inhabited by wealthy rancheros? Was this fair?

Case Number 2: My father, one of five children, grew up in the small village of Nangali. His family was so poor that he had to steal rice sacks from the local rice factory so that he had a pair of shorts for school. He walked three miles to school from home and back every day because it was all he had. He studied by candle light early in the mornings, his youth spent bent over English books until one day he stood out in his village school. His teachers applied my father for governmental scholarships. He lived in hostel after hostel, leaving the sleepy village of Nangali. Finally, he gained admittance to a medical program in Valure, one of the best in the country. He graduated as number one in his class and was offered a job in America. He could not believe it. His entire life spent working with no time to rest and he was going to America! He read and read everything that he could about that country. And then he had a daughter. She grew up reading Marx and Hegel. To his dismay, she did not read about math or science like him, but what the meaning of life was. One day, my dad asked me why I was so interested in defending indigenous rights. He told me that some people have to be at the bottom. Some people had to be marginalized for others to prosper. But he also said, opportunities should be provided boys and girls like him could make it big. Spoken like a true devotee of Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie, who left his village in Scotland, built an empire of coal and steel. But he did build great libraries, museums, and foundations for the public so that they too could make it like he did. My father and Carnegie would argue that the system is fair because the opportunity is available.

If we put two and two together, I understand where my father was coming from. He was a success story. He worked very hard. But those success stories, although we hear them often, are quite rare. Can there be success stories in Chiapas? Where is the opportunity? The Mexican government is starting to do something for its Indigenous populations. Why? Out of love of its marginalized people? Did they all of a sudden find Indigenous culture worth protecting? Not really. Carnegie did the same thing. Carnegie set up these institutions in part because he believed in it, but also to save face. Do we see Andrew Carnegie as a money lusting factory owning pig? Not really. We see him as an innovative entrepreneur who inspired his workers but things were not that sugar coated. He did after all have strikes and he was not initially popular at all. Building these forums of education enabled him to change his image while motivating the masses. In Mexico, the government is bringing medical aid and makes it mandatory for medical students to go to Indigenous communities and provide aid for a couple months to a years. The government is also providing electricity to places stretching out to the Mayans in the Lacandon Indians outside the Lacandon jungle. Saving Face. Providing those opportunities. The world scrutinized the Mexican government because of their blatant acts of injustice. Who wants the identity of a sinner? Mexico’s sudden interest in the perseverance of Chiapanecan culture is o save face. The world is full of flux. There are tidal waves of injustice followed up by programs to benefit those who are marginalized. Is motive important? Not really. Indigenous communities in Chiapas have access to medical care, clean water, and electricity. They at least have them. And looking at my father? Why do you think India has all these government scholarships for the poor? Its because India wants to change its image because it knows that those in villages are marginalized and dont have the opportunities that those in cities have. My father achieved what he was because of a major PR campaign. But that's ok. I am happy my dad is here and has achieved what he has regardless of the reason.

Sources

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2000/03/gurria.htm

Book by Andrew Carnegie that inspired me. You should check it out

THE GOSPEL OF WEALTH

A Case for Diwali: A reflection

Friday when I was packing my suitcase to visit my family for the weekend, my fellow floormates came in, wondering where I was going. Home I said. They asked why. I said Diwali. They gave me a weird look. Diwali? Whats that? I stared at them. How did they not know what Diwali is. And then I remembered. Hinduism is not an Abrahamic Faith so the Western World is quite naive of its key tenets. So here is Hinduism in a nut shell:

1. Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world.

2. No where is it written in Hinduism that we should be converting people and we do not actively do so. So if you meet white people who are Hindu, its because they chose it willingly. You will never really see some brown man running around saying "have you heard the truth from our god". No it is quite the passive religion when it comes to converts.

3. The term for one who follows the tenets of Hinduism is called a Hindu. Not Hindi. Holy crap, Hindi is a language for crying out loud. Hindu and Hindi are not the same thing. If you say Hindi while describing my religion, you are quite ignorant and may sound stupid. I am sorry. Just saying.

4. We are not a polytheistic religion. Think about our demigods as Catholics' saints. There is one power in our religion. His name is Braman. Similar to the might of Allah or Christ or Jehova. But we manifest his energy in idols so that one day you will be able to see that God is everywhere.

5. God to us everything. It is empathy. It is nature. It is love. It is music. Everything on earth is holy. Even those we consider evil. They make poor decisions, but they are not bad people. That is why there is no such thing as Hell in Hinduism. There is a perpetual cycle of life and death(reincarnation)until one attains moksha. Moksha is bliss and eternal rest. The path to enlightenment is not linear like Abrahamic faiths. You can attain moksha through bhakti or devotion, tantra (yes this is a sexual way to attain moksha. You harness physical desire until you tire it out) or through meditation. These are just some of the ways.

6. There are so many different levels in Hinduism. It begins with idol worship. The final battle of Hinduism is to look at your religion and denounce its very existence and say that God was always within us and feel it.

7. There are many holidays in Hinduism. One includes Diwali. This holiday is the celebration of lights and we light candles, a symbol for knowledge.

8. We have several texts in Hinduism and it is a religion full of knowledge. Did you know that the Pythagorean is found in the Brama Sutra written by Bramacharaya. In Hinduism since everything is holy, math described in religion is not a weird sight. There are several holy books. Thousands. Some of the main ones include the Vedas. These are instructions for life. The Upanishads, famous philosophical discussions between teacher and student, and the Gita, a beautiful narrative about the complexities that are actually simplicities in life.

There is so much more in Hinduism and I hope this has interested you to look into Hinduism and want to know more. Hinduism is one of those religions that have stood the tests of time because of its lack of demand on conversion in my opinion. People have been attracted to it by its strong principles that are so fluid and resonate beautifully. If you are still interested, here is a really cool video to understand what Hinduism is. Nothing is wrong with being ignorant about Hinduism. Its cool that you ask and are interested in it.

This is on reincarnation

(in)Sanity and Security

This week was the epitome of insanity. Like an unstable chemical compound, Aubrey and I thought we were going to implode. From the improbable text messages from a world leader to a man in a peculiar green costume on the metro on a Friday evening, nothing was sane. The true irony is that this week in World Politics we discussed security and threats and what does security really mea. I remember writing a blog that the environment is the next most important concern other than terrorism. But after the rally and after the past couple events, INSANITY IS THE NEXT BIG THREAT. Haha I cant believe I just said it like that. My wording was is the antithesis of that statement. When John Stuart said that the media is a powerful tool but we are making EVERYTHING important so the big stories are tucked into those about strange chemicals in bottled water, I think he was so right. We often get confused and sucked into the trivialities of some matters. Or as Mill says, we make a threat bigger than it truly is. If we look at this from a realist point of view, its not too bad of a thing because it controls people. Fear controls people as Machiavelli says. And if they are afraid or thinking about one triviality, the bigger picture is fogged by other things. I think as a nation, no. I think more as a people, we need to be smart about what we hear. And especially how we phrase things. The way we use words is what brings us together. This has now become my mantra but "words are the currency in our business" and I think we need to live by it so that we can come together and prosper. 

America the beautiful(for now): National Security and Environmental Security

In Katherine Lee Bates' song "America the Beautiful", our country is hailed for its "spacious skies/ For amber/ waves of grain/ For purple mountain majesties/ Above the fruited plain". But the face of Lady America is changing before our eyes. Her waters grow grey from pollutants, those purple mountains are shattered for black rocks the size of fists. That fruited plain becomes barren. America is losing her beauty. 

 If we excluded terrorism in the list of challenges for the United States in terms of National Security, I think the next line on the list is ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY. There are several reasons for this. And like most national security concerns, this one is quite confusing. The reason is twofold: 

1. We as the United States do not want to blame ourselves for the issues. Who really wants to blame themselves? It could make us look weak in front of the rest of the world. Or it could exemplify our responsibility. This is where the forum of word choice is super important. If we stress that we want to work together than we can accomplish so much. The environmental conference in Copenhagen, or "Hopenhagen (yah right. Thank you USA and China) made me pretty miffed. The tension between these two economic powerhouses did not lead to any signing that was for the betterment of the planet. But when self interest is involved, who cares right if half of Guyana is submerged under water? WRONG! If we work with other nations and lead the world in environmental protection it could A. Better our image on the world stage and other countries will trust our services. Do we still want to be po

rtrayed as gas guzzling monsters? Our image is being tarnished by our primitive industries while EU and Asian car companies create alternative energy cars and technologies. We are slaves to the oil princes of the Middle East. That is a huge reason why we are fighting so hard. And do not even try to justify that we are not. Why is it that when the US invaded Iraq, thy destroyed all the cabinets but the oil sector? And B. Countries that we trade with are having environmental issues. If we need raw materials such as wood from Brazil and use it all, our industries will fail. WE HAVE FINITE RESOURCES ON A FINITE PLANET IN A FINATE SPACE. Its NOT gonna last FOREVER. So we need to help other nations out so that our industries can survive. Also, this brings environmental issues straight into the heart of America.  We are in the midst of environmental problems on our very lawns! We have environmental issues right here on US soil! This leads into my second point. 

2. Environmental Safety is an umbrella of several issues including but not limited to water woes in Las Vegas and surrounding regions, pollution and deforestation in Chesapeake Bay area where fishing industries once thrived, strong fertilizers that dry out agricultural lands and become unusable while polluting water that the very farmers who are using the very fertilizers drink. And the worst of all: the moving of mountains of West Virginia and the harm coal companies are doing wildlife and the people who are tucked into those once verdant hills. 

National security is a forum to protect the American people. Then why is it that the quality of water is slipping in West Virginia? Why is water running black in taps and children are getting sick from mercury poisoning? And we need to protect American industries from failing in the near future because of the lack of raw material for us to work with. We need to protect our image on the global stage. We shou

ld be leading coalitions to do so because we have the resources and it could boost our image. There are several reasons why we should protect our natural resources. Its based on self interest and interdependence and it empowers those who do. It brings me pride when I read about legislation for the protection of wildlife and our environment for America the Beautiful. But one day that beauty could be gone. Lets keep American beautiful for me, for you, for our nation, for the rest of the world. 

BHANGRA

This week has been tough. From late nights of bhangra practice held till 12 am followed by anthropology homework and reading about "lost semen complex"and the intricacy of kin to people ripping up my blog, I need a little detox. Tomorrow is the SASA culture show. And NOTHING calms the nerves like BHANGRA. Being on the bhangra team is the best thing because I live in this tiny south asian micro-culture for about 10 hours a week with my team. Its intense but beautiful. When I need a bring from homework, I often listen to bhangra remixes of popular songs with traditional bhangra beats like Soulja Boy Bhangra style: 

Amazing right? Well Bhangra is not just a cool dance to look at. It is steeped in history. In Punjab, before the Harvest, farmers did bhangra dances with these crazy dance steps and stunts to motivate and get the community together for the harvest. As the Indian economy grew, a lot of Punjabis left those villages to go to college in the cities, then come to the US. So now Punjabi Bhangra is now a synthesis of some really upbeat mezcla of music that has Western influences, but keeps true to that traditional entertainment in Punjabi tribes. So this is for you. This is a video of the best Bhangra team in North America. This was decided at a huge competition last year. By the way, the reason we have bhangra teams, and not bhangra groups is because it is a competitive dance form. There are competitions all over the country and all over the world. Here you go! Have a great and relaxing weekend. O BALE!

Why there is no such thing as the las pawn in the chess box

To say there is a winner on the real global stage(RISK doesn't count), is frankly, a naive statement. In my opinion, a nation-state is established to protect and govern her people while at the same time, ensuring that the nation-state is recognize and has peaceful relations with others. I do not think that states are inherently always going to be at war with one another. With that said, I do think that there are tensions that result in identity shift(constructivist, I know). See, states, they never really have a one defined goal. A nation-state has internal conflicts while dealing with the image other nation-states assume for it. Look at the US. How are we more of a winner than Sweden? I mean Sweden's citizens get free education all the way through college and wonderful health care benefits. But then the US assumes the title as global leader and this title is accepted by other countries. Yet in this nation, there are people who can not afford a simple surgery that could be detrimental their health. Who is the real winner? 

Why not both? Or why even establish a winner? When we are so interconnected. The US can not be a global leader until other nation-states accept it. When the US is the global leader, it does not need to dictate its positions. It can in fact just have its opinion or pass legislation, and the world will take notice. It does not matter if other countries will follow suit as much as its noticing the US and her voice. To illustrate, during President Ahmadinejad’s speech addressing the UN’s General Assembly in which he discussed The US and 9/11, the US walked out on the assembly. Right when the US delegates left, Israeli and EU delegates followed suite. 

So tell me, how can there be a winner when we are so interdependent and we are evolving into each other everyday.

O for Opulence

Oh the Opera. 

How I have missed you. Going to Salome was what my young bones needed: to be steeped in the with the sophisticado. I remember going about every month or so to the opera from 6th to 12th grade, often watching the same melodramatic stories uncurling beneath my very feet. The reason I love it so much is three fold: 1. the ritual of mentally preparing yourself(or not) for it. 2. the sheer melodrama in the plot itself. And 3. The very primordial word choices that cause me to melt into my seat.

When I get ready for the opera, I love to channel my inner diosa. For

 me, Cariña Frida is invoked. I love the pearls, the gems, the clicks and glides on my wrist. Oh, we haven't even begun without the silks! And its a communal activity. Imagine six or seven girls who become women with the flick of the hand as gentle strokes of kohl rims lids. As they chatter and enthusiastically tie lace strings on their back, they so adoringly forget that they are doing all of this to sit, back straight in black room. Through this process, the identity of the opera is established in the hearts and minds of everyone: the epitome of class. I love that. I love how the opera is loved for a select few of pretentious ones. There I said it! The epiphany was made!I AM PRETENTIOUS. And I love it.Opera brings the best out of us, does it not? 

The opera makes me demonic. I laugh and love the jagged heart wrenching tales of women who are declared whores. Ironic isn't it? I mean I talk about being so foreword for women's rights yet when Salome just wanted to kiss the prophet, a part of me wanted to as well. The opera enables us to identify with extremes. Yes in many ways we women are the essence of Salome: FICKLE. Hadn't brother Shakespeare gotten it right when he vicariously spoke his mind while Hamlet uttered to his damned mother: frailty thy name is women. Breathtaking. You know, I am beginning to accept and embody my chingona status as a woman. We are fickle. It means little to me when people judge that. We just are. And opera is wonderful because its in our faces! We are the violated and the wronged! The only difference is that we own up to it now. We laugh at ourselves. So here it is for the coquetas. To humanity. And its vile nature. And the beauty that lurks in the stickiness in our souls. Oh Salome, you are the prophet! Not the dead lips you caressed. 

Finally, the words. Oh the word. Words are the most rich part of the opera. In the opening scene of Salome, the description the moon was seen in three different lights: beautiful, vile, tired. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Once a man from the state department said that language was his currency in his business. Thats amazing. I love that. Language is the best weapon for anything. Not just to inflict pain but love as well. 

At AU, for a couple weeks, I had been disappointed. I was wondering where the sophistication went? Why didn't people quote Proust in regular conversation? Why do people tell me I speak in an elevated manner? How pretentious right? Well I have the opera. And that's what keeps me grounded. I have found my secret by the Potomac. 

If Alexander Wendt wore Fabric Roses

Today, I was outside the Davenport smoking a Parliament, a “gentlemen caller” was staring at me as though I was Boticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” without a single word. I rolled my eyes and turned my back to him. A lot of my guy friends here tell me that they feel like they do not want to make the first move. I laugh at them for their sense of a priori. You see, there is no such thing as the lack of the empirical when it comes to women. Honey, we make the most subtle first moves. Whether it is a pair of pearl earrings or a slight smile, we invite your approach. By the way, ladies, men are like mocking birds; they can not resist a single shiny object. So with that in mind, men think they are the ones attempting conquest when in reality, the conquest is nothing but an exchange for the better. Realist turned Liberal, if you will. And yes, that was an IR theory reference, for you SIS studentettes out there. 

So if we have established the premise that there is no such thing as a priori in courting, we must invoke Alexander Wendt, a German social scholar who saw international relations as a forum for communication. So let us apply his argument to dating, shall we?  Wendt loves talking about mirror theory as a solid form of communication. The mirror theory is based off of “the principle of identity formation is captured by the symbolic interactionist notion of the ‘looking glass self’ which asserts that the self is a reflection of an actor’s socialization”. 

In other terms, if you illustrate interest by the way you smile, if he is interested, he will do so too. Communication works in such an egalitarian way here if done properly. You know what I am talking about: You in your confident stride attracts his gaze. You cause him to discreetly(or not so discreetly, sometimes they stumble. In that case, job well done, chika!) walk over and talk to you. Names are exchanged, and soon numbers. Just keep Wendt in mind that you cause him with your feminine mystique and confidence to come over. You call the shots, not him. And it is all in the subtle behaviors before the “first move” that cause them to go mad. So chin up, you never know whose watching. Secretly smile just knowing that they are. 

Besos Besos 

Mis Malinchitas. 

porque nosotros placticamos en cafes en frente de tu NAFTA

When Cloth slips from Lips

Ringing in ears, gurgling of valley stream

Chiapas speaks her own language

the language of centuries old traditions 

of wool skirts and clay births

but we were listening to fiesta bells, too. 

We saw him hold you, want you

pull you to him

him holding papeles from Blankita towers

where was the blanket of corn?

Abuela, 

she knew the language of maize

but now she sits in silence

lips sown shut and hands mangled

Rancheros kiss soft thighs

while we once braided your hair with ribbons. 

Familia. Did you promise us bread?

We cast baskets for armas

we will never forget our reality. 

We, children of the night have seen 

mothers turned to stone

but now we have nothing to lose 

ya basta, mama

the montañas are not our defense anymore

our voices will be heard. 

I wrote the name CHIAPAS

on a piece of cloth

and tied it in my heart

we tie black cloth over our faces. 

We the children of the night

are ready to ripen. 

Chingadas, violated? I think not. 

Ya basta, mama. 

Ya basta.

The Bridge to another World

My biggest fear in the entire world, no joke, is an alien. Ever since I can remember, the mysterious extra terrestrials have been the very epitome of all things unknown. It is not that I am scared that they will be mean or I find them menacing because I know nothing about them. It is because they are unknown! There are no empirical studies with them. We have no idea how they would communicate with us or how they would react. So, let’s just call this situation A PRIORI or essentially the theoretical deduction, rather than the observation of our co-living… species? Things? See we have no idea! I think what we need is an ambassador. Someone to communicate with the aliens. Now if we utilized the different International Relations Theories(I guess now they could be “Inter-global Theories” I think the best way we would approach this was from a Constructivist point of view.

Why constructivist? Well for one thing, there aren’t really such strong preconceived notions as the other two. Realists would have a general because these aliens would be seen as, well as Hobbes so wonderfully puts it: SOLITARY, POOR, NASTY, BRUTISH, AND SHORT. So we should dominate them. Take it as you will. Because after all we are in a anarchic interglobal order with no checks and balances and although realism does not = militarism but here, this might be the most obvious form of dominance. A liberal ambassador would be interested in inter global trade. But why? I mean we don’t even know if the aliens have a form of trade like ours. So that leaves constructivism because honestly we don’t know. Remember, we are working with no previous experience with the aliens. Constructivism is all about situationalism. The epoch of time dictates social and cultural mores. Constructivists also believe that it takes hard work on both sides to sustain a good relationship. Our relationship with the aliens could progress into friendship, but there is an etiquette in this. I think Wendt’s article on ANARCHY IS WHAT STATES MAKE OF IT is completely applicable here. On page 404 he discusses the “mirror” and how “the self is a reflection of an actor’s socialization”(404). I love it when Wednt says “society would be impossible if people made decisions purely on the basis of worst-case possibilities. Instead most decisions are and should be made on the basis of probabilities”(404). In our situation, when the aliens come down, our ambassador should be very observant and open to what the aliens will do. If they come with open arms, we shall embrace them. If there is a possibility for attach, we should be on security and be cautious. We should illustrate our strength too. This is similar to Wendt’s paradigm on page 405. We are creating intersubjective meanings.

All in all, as Wendt says, “interaction rewards actors for holding certain ideas about each other and discourages them from holding others(405)” and this will “create a relatively stable self and other regarding the issue at stake in reaction(405). We could have something WONDERFUL with these aliens if we focus on communication and observe them. I have hope for our inter global communication. Cultures can be shared and through this osmosis of communication can we begin to understand each other. The shrouds of mystery can be cast and my fear will become comfort.

Oh the Spools of Communication

I really enjoyed Wendt's article. Through the thick wool that was his rhetoric, a strong aspect of his argument unfolded before my very eyes: COMMUNICATION

INTERACTION REWARDS ACTORS FOR HOLDING CERTAIN IDEAS ABOUT EACH OTHER AND DISCOURAGES THEM FROM HOLDING OTHERS. this is page 405 by the way. By my capital letters, you can tell how excited I am. Communication is the antithesis of Hobbsian state of humanity that man is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" because someone who thought like that would say humanity can not be trusted. And the type of communication that I am discussing is the type that is very Hegelian. Hegel was all about the process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. As in the synthesis, through this osmosis of conversation, if you will, is about a mutual understanding. It is intersubjectivity and cooperation. How exciting is that? And through this intersubjectivity and through these little syntheses that occur, we as a nation state can change our image. But how? And what does this change in identity mean? THIS IS SO FASCINATING! Ok sorry for freaking out, its just that constructivism gives me hope because I like the fact that we are not these stagnant figures. We are constantly fluxing, but the concept of a FLUX is an institution. So back to the 4 ways: 

4 STAGES 2 TRANSFORMING IMAGE

1. intentional transformation.  

2. denaturalization. identify practices that reproduce seemingly inevitable ideas about self and other 

3. change identity of others that help sustain those systems of interaction

4. teach other states ones own state to be trusted, not a threat. 

A good example of this is the USSR. The USSR utilized ALL of these to break down and for Russia to change her image. 1. the state cast the principles of Lenin. 2. recognized/ became SELF AWARE(I love this term because it leaves room and potential for change. Emerson, and please look him up, talks about the sudden importance of Epiphany and how when we have it, we are the most motivated to do something about it because it is innate of us. Innateness is by the way a huge ideal of constructivism)crucial role of  soviet aggresive practices played in conflict and why things had to change. 3. An example of changing identity of others is through communication and discussing what the Soviet was doing about the image. Its like when statements were issued about what EXACTLY is the identity of Russia and how change was going to go underway. And finally 4. Gorbachev pulled troops out of Afghanistan to demonstrate a change in Russian foreign policy. You see why this excites me? Because through discussion, WE CAN MOVE FOREWORD. And I love that. But you are probably wondering why I love it or why change is so exciting to me. Because through the exchange of ideas and foils and differences, we can REFLECT on our history and the spread of ideas. We can adjust our state for the betterment of our societies. Stability does not always mean stagnant behavior. A leader can still be considered strong, yet listen to his people and change policies appropriately after the osmosis os discussion. But keep in mind there has to be checks and balances. If you flip too fast, your people will question your ruling. But you must keep in mind that you, yourself, as a leader, are listening because it is not always about stability. In my opinion, a good government is one that adheres to the will of her people. 

But at the same time, I want to address another issue. That does not mean that if a crazy leader wants to come to power he can because the people will it so. Due to the osmosis of conversation and discussion, a happy medium can be found. At the same time, I will NOT allow history to meld issues. I believe on a one to one level or a short term level, there should be catalysts in the works. Kierkagard would certainly agree that if we see something wrong, we should stand up and address it. I AGREE COMPLETELY. I think that through these little catalysts, discussions can form, and with that syntheses can be reached, and with that, the face of governance will change. Don't you see? Its a cycle people! Change is our institution. We can make things happen. If we act and discuss. Oh, the spools of communication. Indeed. See what happens when you pull a thread, you are left with hands tied in string. Liberating? I hope so. 

The awesome philosophers I was talking about:

kierkegaard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Søren_Kierkegaard

hegel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Wilhelm_Friedrich_Hegel

emerson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson