No Subject Given

[tozzi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I joined Burmanet not so much because I am troubled by the current state of
affairs in Burma but because of the list's outstanding news summaries which
I have found very helpful in my work on foreign policy.  I am not an
activist, only a student with an interest in how the events in Southeast
Asia relates to American foreign policy.  I am, however, becoming
increasingly intrigued by the dynamic of the activist groups which I see
developing.  The recent complaint by Ken and Visakha Kawasaki which I read
today is an outstanding example of this dynamic.  Clearly the posting was a
demand for credit which is not unexpected among professionals but which is
rather disturbing when posted by activist groups as it leads one to believe
that the motive for taking action is somehow impure.  Student activist
groups have been tainted by such feelings for some time; a study of
activism in the 1960s, for example, will demonstrate that many students, I
would even argue the vast majority, did not really care about the issues
that they were addressing and that the issues were merely a medium for
social interaction among the students.  I wonder if this is becoming a
problem for those who seemingly take interest in Burma.


Gregory Tozzi