Day: June 29, 2024

In February 2023, I stood outside the Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting handing out flyers. It was a bright, sunny day in downtown Philadelphia, but bone-chillingly cold; within just ten minutes I had lost feeling in my toes and fingers.

I, along with a handful of other volunteers, was there to spread a heterodox and unpopular message: that Joe Biden, then cruising to his party’s renomination, should not seek another term in 2024.

Our flyers pointed to Biden’s shortcomings in his first term and how they would affect his candidacy in 2024—how a lack of progressive policy achievements had damaged his reputation with critical constituencies that propelled him to victory in 2020, including young people, people of color, and grassroots activists.

We highlighted his cratering popularity within his own party, how many Democrats already said that they preferred a different nominee at the top of the ticket in 2024. We implored DNC members to take seriously the acute threat a second Trump term posed to our country’s democracy and earnestly reconsider whether Joe Biden was as well-positioned to defeat Trump as he had been in 2020.

As we flyered in front of the hotel where DNC meetings were being held, a mobile billboard truck circled the block bearing our campaign slogan—“Don’t Run, Joe!”

How did DNC members, staffers, and media attendees react to our open display of dissent? About how you would expect—most ignored us, a few others mocked us, one or two even angrily confronted our ragtag group.

U.S. media, when they grudgingly agreed to hear us out, wanted to know why, if our stance was truly held by a majority of Democrats, no one within the party agreed with us. Most of the U.S. journalists I spoke to that weekend approached me with a mix of bemusement and mild derision. None of our interviews made it into their coverage of the Winter Meeting.

In contrast, international press wanted to speak with us about our campaign. They asked thoughtful questions that revealed their honest impressions on the precarity of Biden’s position.

Meanwhile, something notable kept happening that weekend. Convention attendees would approach us, most looking over their shoulders, to express their quiet agreement with our position. “Who else is with you?” they wanted to know. Journalists told me that DNC members, even Democratic members of Congress, had privately expressed their concerns about Biden’s candidacy, but that none would go on the record.

One DNC member approached me to say that he agreed completely with us, but that there was no way of changing the party’s approach at this late stage (never mind that the election was still nearly two years away).

There was palpable anxiety bubbling under the surface of an apparently sober and pro forma party convening, but no one was willing to say the quiet part out loud.

Now, of course, the;Step Aside Joe;campaign is no longer the lone dissenting voice. Since Biden’s disastrous debate appearance on Thursday night, what was a long-simmering conversation has erupted into a full boil, with a growing chorus of voices, from across the political spectrum, in agreement that Biden is, as one commentator put it, past his “sell-by date.”

Still time for the Democrats to find someone else

There is, of course, still time for the Democrats to find someone else who can take up the party’s mantle and avert a likely electoral catastrophe, but it will require a concerted effort from voters, party leaders, electeds, and media figures to pressure Biden to end his campaign.

Nothing can happen unless Biden himself agrees to step aside. For those who are new to the Step Aside Joe terrain, I’d like to offer a few quick insights gleaned from my handful of years as one of the few inhabitants of SAJ island:

First, there is far more anxiety among party insiders than has been reported. Last night was not the beginning of a period of worry for those who have been closely following Biden’s re-election campaign; rather, it was the culminating moment wherein all of their worst fears and anxieties were realized and concretized in one, faltering performance.

Unfortunately, in modern electoral politics, to be isolated is to be on the precipice of extinction, and so almost no Democrat who has to run for re-election themselves in the coming years can afford to publicly express their misgivings about Biden’s candidacy. However, if a few brave electeds in prominent positions were to speak out, my guess is that the tide would turn quite rapidly.

Second, members of the media have long fielded concerns about Biden’s candidacy from those aforementioned party insiders. This has been going on at least as far back as the February 2023 Winter Meeting, and I suspect much farther than that.

But these sources are at pains to stay completely off the record or not for attribution by name, meaning that the media ultimately has very little fodder from which to generate a compelling story.

As we saw on Friday morning though, the sheer volume of anxious messages coming in from sources inside the Democratic Party machinery was enough for mainstream media to finally declare that a desire for Biden to step aside was widespread within the party.

In the coming weeks, Biden’s camp will want to tamp down lasting concerns about his debate performance and proceed in a business-as-usual fashion. It will be up to journalists to keep this story alive, even if it costs them access to sources within the White House.

Finally, the gulf between the Democratic Party and its constituents can be incredibly vast, party’s current approach—and they should be—they must;let their representatives know. Members of Congress are ultimately beholden to their constituents, although that fact is often easy to forget, and enough pressure from in-district voters could help nudge these elected into taking a more confrontational approach to those in the party leadership who want to stay the course.

We do not have to smash heedlessly into the approaching iceberg, but voters must take active steps to steer the party away from the consequences of its own bad decision-making. It is unlikely the party will course correct on its own.

It is not an exaggeration to say that replacing Joe Biden at the top of the ticket is critical to saving our very imperfect democracy. This is an opportunity for activists and voters to make their voices heard, but an effort needs to take hold quickly, and with urgency, if we want to avoid the coming catastrophe.

Sam Rosenthal is Political Director at RootsAction.

The post What Will It Take For Joe Biden To Step Aside? – OpEd first appeared on The South Caucasus News.

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‘Divine Power’ Versus ‘The Bully’: US, India Join Hands To Prevent China From Imposing Its ‘Puppet’ Over Tibet – OpEd

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date June 29, 2024

Tibetan prayer wheels.

The timing of the US ‘Resolve Tibet Act’ Bill holds significance not only for the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet but also for India, which has been suffering from China’s bullying for over 70 years because of China’s illegal and colonial presence in Tibet.

Tibet’s exiled leader and the world’s most sought after spiritual personality, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, Buddhist monk Tenzin Gyatso, is one of the most gentle, charming, kind and compassionate human beings that walk the planet. I had the good fortune to meet the Dalai Lama, for the first time in 2007, in one of the remotest states of India that borders Bangladesh. With eyes that shine from behind his iconic spectacles,; to the yellow-maroon robe that he dons, the man carries the most disarming smile that can completely bowl anyone over.

The 89-year old octogenarian monk was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, in recognition of his non-violent campaign to end China’s domination of Tibet, his homeland. The peaceful monk has set an example for the world by sustaining a campaign for the last seven decades to advocate for peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect.;

I was meeting him for a television interview and before we formally started, I told him that in the true Indian spirit of accepting someone as a Guru (teacher), we touch their feet and seek their blessings. To my utter surprise as I reached out to touch his feet, he got up and bent down and gave me a hug, looked into my eyes and said “I’m a simple monk. Call all your team members and let me give them all a big hug”. I stood there in deep admiration of the man as he kept speaking while he called out to each one of our crew members and hugged them, getting photographs clicked,while words of wisdom continued to flow from his lips. There was a timelessness about those ten minutes which I have never forgotten.;

A man on whom rests the fate of a nation in exile… A man who is himself in exile thousands of miles away from his homeland… A man who has been fighting for several decades for a cause that has filled up his entire existence…. A man who can infect anyone with that miraculous smile ..;

Yes, the Dalai Lama stepped down in 2011 as the political leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile, which Beijing does not recognise and views as a violation of China’s constitution. And yet, China continues to fume at any interaction that the Dalai Lama has with political personalities or even officials of other countries. They keep an eagle’s eye on his activities calling him “a dangerous separatist”.

Currently, this ‘Divine Power’ has China infuriated ! The Chinese are having sleepless nights as US lawmakers are pressing President Joe Biden to sign the bill that will push China to secure a negotiated and peaceful agreement on Tibet. The ‘Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act’, also known as the ‘Resolve Tibet Act’, recently passed the House of Representatives 391-26 and now awaits President Joe Biden for a signature to become law.

China’s restiveness began on June 19, 2024 when a group of US lawmakers met the Dalai Lama and said they would not allow China to influence the choice of his successor. Political analysts say that while so far Washington recognises Tibet as a part of China, the new bill reverses that position.;

Beijing, on its part, has rejected the Act, saying Tibet is part of China and brooks no interference from external forces. China’s foreign ministry has urged President Biden not to sign the ‘bipartisan’ Bill, reiterating that Tibet’s affairs are China’s domestic matters and warning against external interference.;

What exactly is this Act which has set the cat among the pigeons?

On 12th of June, the US House of Representatives passed the ‘Resolve Tibet Act’ which for the first time clearly stated Washington’s position on Tibet not constituting ‘a part of China since ancient times’. The Act also called for the dispute between Tibet and China to be ‘resolved in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter, by peaceful means, through dialogue, without pre-conditions’ while enhancing bipartisan US support to the Tibetan issue. The Act can be termed ‘historic’ in the sense that the wording clearly posits Tibet and China as two separate entities locked in a long-standing international dispute instead of the former being a part of the latter’s territory and hence the dispute being ‘internal.’ Also noteworthy is the fact that the Act stipulates the US government to counter Beijing’s disinformation of Chinese historical claims over the Tibetan plateau including not just the current Tibet Autonomous Region but also the provinces of Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan.

Beijing is further intrigued and infuriated as the Dalai Lama arrived in New York last Sunday, ahead of medical treatment for his knees and was greeted by thousands of cheering supporters. This marked his first visit to the country since 2017.;

Interestingly, Dalai Lama’s US visit comes just days after a group of lawmakers including former US House Speaker Representative Nancy Pelosi met him at his exile home in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India. During the meeting, the American delegation assured the Tibetan leader that the US would not allow China to influence the choice of his successor. Pelosi, during her visit to Dharamsala, criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping and expressed support for the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan cause. This visit coincided with the US Congress passing the Act, which urges China to resume negotiations with Tibetan leaders. It is also well known that some of these lawmakers are also trying to push Beijing to restart talks with Tibetan leaders, which have been stalled since 2010.;

In a bid to further tantalize China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the seven-member US delegation and took stock of their visit to Dharamshala. Modi reiterated his commitment to strengthening bilateral relations for global benefit, recalling his State Visit to the US last year. He asserted that India recognises the Dalai Lama as an “honored guest” and a “religious leader” with a significant following.;

Beijing, however, views the Dalai Lama as a political figure engaged in anti-China separatist activities. The Dalai Lama, regarded as the supreme Tibetan spiritual leader, fled to India in 1959 following a failed revolt against Chinese rule. Based in Dharamsala, his advanced age has raised concerns about the selection of his successor, a potential flashpoint between Beijing and the exiled Tibetan community.;

Veteran journalist, Tibetologist and Chairman, Centre for Himalayan Asia Studies & Engagement Dr Vijay Kranti says that the sequence of events during which the seven-member US Congressional delegation, led by Republican Michael McCaul, met the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, followed it up with a meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi, greeted Modi on his historic third consecutive term as PM and praised the fairness of India’s recent elections … “All this shows that the timing of the visit, the composition of this American delegation and the actual content of these US Bills hold big significance not only for the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet but also for India, which has been suffering from China’s bullying for over 70 years because of China’s illegal and colonial presence in Tibet.”

Dr Kranti, who has been extremely vocal on the Tibet issue for the last three decades and is considered an authority on the subject, said that Tibet used to play as a ‘safety buffer’ between India and China for millennia. Interestingly, the new American laws say everything formally and clearly, which New Delhi wanted to tell Beijing but never had the courage to say in plain words. “It is high time New Delhi grabs this as a God-sent opportunity and joins the proposed ‘International Diplomatic Coalition’. Rather, India can also play an important role in expanding such a coalition to a dozen countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia that are suffering because of China’s “water bullying” on the strength of controlling Tibetan rivers.”

It is a matter of record that a dozen countries in south and southeast Asia, fed by Tibetan rivers since time immemorial, are now feeling the fear of perpetual droughts because of over-exploitation by China. And countries like India and Bangladesh are facing the danger of being bombed with manipulated floods by China from across the Tibetan borders.

Not that India and China have ever enjoyed a cordial relationship, but off late there have been other reasons for India to be upset. Just before the recent general elections, there were reports from the Virginia-based Microsoft Threat Analysis Centre (MTAC) highlighting China’s attempts to use AI-generated content to influence elections in various countries, including India, the US, and South Korea. Similar tactics were reportedly tested during Taiwan’s presidential elections. The Modi government has not taken kindly to this bid by China to manipulate elections in favor of the Congress party.

Similarly, in the US, China is using fake social media accounts to poll voters on what divides them most so as to sow division and possibly influence the outcome of the US presidential election in its favor. China has also increased its use of AI-generated content to further its goals around the world. North Korea has increased its cryptocurrency heists and supply chain attacks to fund and further its military goals and intelligence collection. It has also begun to use AI to make its operations more effective and efficient.

Among the MTAC – “Same targets, new playbooks : East Asia threat actors employ unique methods”, key findings confirmed that deceptive social media accounts by Chinese Communist Party-affiliated actors have started to pose contentious questions on controversial US domestic issues to better understand the key issues that divide the American voters. This quite obviously was done to gather intelligence and precision on key voting demographics ahead of their presidential election. It is not difficult to imagine how the US would have reacted to these findings indicative of the surreptitious and mischievous role that China is playing.

Not only this, fake social media accounts also made a bid to create deep mistrust in the minds of the US voters by accusing the US administration of purposefully poisoning other countries’ water supplies to maintain “water hegemony”. This was part of a wider multilingual campaign, principally focused on Japan and its government’s decision to dispose of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. The campaign called ‘Storm-1376’ tried to cast doubts on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) scientific assessment that the disposal was safe.

Having borne the brunt of these fake social media campaigns by Chinese organizations, both the US and India have decided to teach China a lesson. India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is already on record stating that India will not let China dictate the play’.

“Previous Indian governments have even put Chinese interests ahead of our own,” Jaishankar said. “I cannot, in the name of an open economy, open up my national security to work with a country which is laying claim to my territory. Both our economic and national security are at stake”.

In his article in The Organiser, Dr Kranti quotes a Tibetan activist and renowned Tibetan intellectual, Tenzin Tsundu, who summed up the significance of this US bill and the visit of the US delegation, saying, “This is the first time in the history of the Tibetan struggle for freedom that any country has come out openly and formally in support of Tibet with clear assertions that Tibet is an occupied country and that Tibet has never been a part of China.

More than anything else, it is the actual text of all these bills of 2002, 2019, and 2024, passed by the US Congress, which reflect the real spirit of American support for Tibet. In short, at least seven major assertions and points underlined in these bills pointedly challenge and blast every single claim and narrative of Xi Jinping on Tibet. Put together, these American assertions on Tibet and China amount to rejecting Xi’s most shouted idea of the ‘One China Policy’. These points also reflect the emergence of an unambiguous American approach towards China.

The post ‘Divine Power’ Versus ‘The Bully’: US, India Join Hands To Prevent China From Imposing Its ‘Puppet’ Over Tibet – OpEd first appeared on The South Caucasus News.