Nepal crisis BBS and link page

[Karl]

I found a site that's trying to fill in for Nepalnews.com and others.

Check out http://www.nepalbbs.com

[Linwood]

I saw yesterday on the news feed that there is an International Relations committee meeting in the US House of Reps tomorrow about the situation in Nepal. And I've learned a couple of things since then that may be of interest to others here.

First, if you are a US citizen, it is not possible (as far as I have been able to discover in the last 24 hours) to email any Senators or Reps other than your own! This does not seem right to me. So if I have no representative on a particular subcommittee meeting, there is no way to voice an opinion via email?? I guess I am hopelessly naive. Anyhow, I discovered this when I tried to email Jim Leach, who chairs the subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and who will be chairing the above-referenced meeting. So I called him on the phone instead, to offer my two cents to one of his lackeys.

I also discovered that it may (I say may because I have never done this before) be possible to watch this meeting live on the computer. Here is the link, which also lists the date and time of the meeting. It will be Eastern Standard time in the US, since it is taking place in Washington, DC.

http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/

I used to go to subcommittee meeting on my days off, when I lived a little closer to DC and had a non-standard work schedule. It was interesting, but also frustrating, so be prepared not to be thrilled about what you are seeing. As they say, one shouldn't be too curious about how they make laws or sausage.

best wishes

linwood

[yakshaver]

Maybe the present US administration should just mind their own business regarding Nepal. I mean, this amazing eagerness they have to fix every problem in the world must be tiring. Look at the mess they have just created over the last couple of years in another part of Asia. Nepal is child's play compared to Irak. At least in Nepal you can still visit and feel reasonably safe in most tourist area. In Irak scores of innocent people die every day, needlessly and no, I would not go trekking there right now. So how about the US just keep quiet and do nothing about Nepal. It's the best they can do.

[Rakshi]

Agreed!!! Let US clean their own land!!! Who the hell are they? Ii is hard to believe. Worse to worse UN is the party to get involved if at all...

[Linwood]

As you are no doubt aware, there are many Americans (myself included) who are very upset with the current administration, especially about Iraq, and who have protested the whole thing quite vigorously. There is a broad spectrum of philosophies within the US regarding US intervention in any situation, and it varies with the situation.

I think each situation where the US and/or the UN and/or any other nation gets involved in a certain country or region must be evaluated on it's own merits (or demerits). There are appropriate interventions and inappropriate ones, and more or less skillful ways of handling them.

I can understand and sympathize with the emphatic response "mind your own business". But what does that mean exactly (to you) in this current situation... withdraw aid now? Which aid, for how long, under what conditions might it be restored? I have a feeling that that might be one of the purposes of this meeting... should the US follow suit with Britain and India? It is easy to say "mind your own business", but, right or wrong, that has potentially far-reaching implications for the Nepali government, and more importantly for the Nepali people at this point.

I am interested in your thoughts...

linwood

[Linwood]

I just wanted to add a few thoughts, since I'll be leaving for Nepal tomorrow and I'll soon be meeting others on the trail who share your sentiments towards the current US administration...

Just from my own experience last fall, most of the people we met in Nepal (not many Americans, btw) were also opposed to the Bush administration. My trekking buddy was vocal about his opposition to Bush, and frequently engaged other trekkers in conversation about this (I am equally opposed but not quite as vocal). Fortunately, the folks we met were all very cordial, although perhaps some of them privately thought the same things that have been posted above. I don't recall meeting a single person who supported GWB, either American or otherwise. At any rate, I offer this for your consideration:

Those Americans who oppose GWB are having a tough time right now. I'm not whining, and I won't go into the litany of offenses he and his administration have foisted upon our country, not to mention the world, but PLEASE UNDERSTAND that a lot of us are expending considerable energy trying to keep the damage under control, and we face four more years of the same. It takes a toll on time, energy, and morale. The election last fall was absolutely devastating. I am not complaining, just explaining.

SO, if you, as a fellow trekker and citizen of this earth, oppose GWB and his cronies, please be gentle with the Americans who also oppose him. We (the Americans who oppose Bush) are more likely to be EFFECTIVE, in terms of time, energy and emotion, in our opposition of his administration if we feel the support of like-minded brothers and sisters from other countries, rather than their condemnation. Believe me. It is all too easy to lose hope at this point, and we just can't afford to do that. Not for our sake, not for the sake of the world.

So I'm begging you... rather than resort to America-bashing, please help us fix this situation in any way you can think of. And if you meet one of us on the trail, please be kind. We are in the middle of eight dark years. And a great many of us are very sorry about what has happened.

www.sorryeverybody.com

Thanks and happy trails everyone,

linwood

[Weka]

Guilty (as charged). Humbled (as intended).
Well said indeed Linwood!

[Rakshi]

I just wanted to add a few thoughts, since I'll be leaving for Nepal tomorrow and I'll soon be meeting others on the trail who share your sentiments towards the current US administration...

Just from my own experience last fall, most of the people we met in Nepal (not many Americans, btw) were also opposed to the Bush administration. My trekking buddy was vocal about his opposition to Bush, and frequently engaged other trekkers in conversation about this (I am equally opposed but not quite as vocal). Fortunately, the folks we met were all very cordial, although perhaps some of them privately thought the same things that have been posted above. I don't recall meeting a single person who supported GWB, either American or otherwise. At any rate, I offer this for your consideration:

Those Americans who oppose GWB are having a tough time right now. I'm not whining, and I won't go into the litany of offenses he and his administration have foisted upon our country, not to mention the world, but PLEASE UNDERSTAND that a lot of us are expending considerable energy trying to keep the damage under control, and we face four more years of the same. It takes a toll on time, energy, and morale. The election last fall was absolutely devastating. I am not complaining, just explaining.

SO, if you, as a fellow trekker and citizen of this earth, oppose GWB and his cronies, please be gentle with the Americans who also oppose him. We (the Americans who oppose Bush) are more likely to be EFFECTIVE, in terms of time, energy and emotion, in our opposition of his administration if we feel the support of like-minded brothers and sisters from other countries, rather than their condemnation. Believe me. It is all too easy to lose hope at this point, and we just can't afford to do that. Not for our sake, not for the sake of the world.

So I'm begging you... rather than resort to America-bashing, please help us fix this situation in any way you can think of. And if you meet one of us on the trail, please be kind. We are in the middle of eight dark years. And a great many of us are very sorry about what has happened.

www.sorryeverybody.com

Thanks and happy trails everyone,

linwood


I did not mean to harm nor upset any American. Of course administration brings all of bad publicity and bad talking. You people carry the Bush administration on your shoulders. Hope it will get better..:-)

[Alain]

Wow! All that "American-bashing" simply for mentionning that Congress (H.R.) will hold a hearing on Nepal. As a Canadian who stayed in D.C., I'd rather have Congress hold as many hearings as they want on Nepal. Westerners' governments are doing more harm to Nepal (through their foreign departments) by advertising on their official website not to go to Nepal. According to governments' websites, due to the Maoists insurection, it is very dangerous for tourists to visit Nepal. So if they talk about it, perhaps they/we would understand the situation better... and have the facts instead of political bullshit.
AJ

[yakshaver]

My reaction was a strong one and I apologise to all Americans who did not vote for GWB, and to those who voted for him and feel sorry right now... Please note that I only ever mentioned the present American administration, and not the American people or the USA in general. The people of the USA have greately conributed to the world in a very positive way over the last 200 years or so.
I agree also with Alain & Linwood. I guess the more people talk to one another (provided they are not of the same mindset, and there is some genuine debate) the more they get to understand the situation. So the US Congress discussing Nepal is probably a good thing.

Anayway, this is a trekking website and not a political one. In that sense my starting this is somewhat inapropriate. I guess I figured it's got something to do with Nepal. If it moves away from the Nepal subject it's obvously no longer appropriate for this forum. I am surprised that our Webmaster has not deleted the thread yet. If it gets out of hand I will do so myself.

[Rakshi]

Well said Yakshaver. As always you are right....

[mieke]

Re. the OP and Karl's mentioning of links on the nepalbbs board, fyi this is the thread started by me to try and bring a number of direct-newslinks together:

Online Resources (http://www.nepalbbs.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=41)

In view of real political news (or the lack of it), it seems you can sometimes indeed see the influence of the current censorship. But what the Nepali newsmedia publish about the situation on the road and about events in certain areas, in comparison to what you'll find in reportings from trekkers who are or were 'on the spot', seems accurate enough to me.