James C Scott--half page obit in NYT--7-30-2024
Thu, Aug 1 at 4:53 PM
I do so wish I had jumped off the stage in 2002 in Gottenberg, when I was on a panel--with the late Dr. Chao Tzang Yawngwe , U Thet Htun (former Dr. Central Stats and Ecos Dept--Burma) and others incld Steinberg and Zarni--
Zarni almost felled Steinberg, a known junta-apologist. S. got his nose out of joint, snatched the mic from my hand--I was the MC who invited all these anti-junta folks--
and did not allow Ko Aung Zaw--(Irrawaddy) in--saying "Enough of your people."
I took a photo--Zarni probably has his copy.
Scott later was walking at the back of the room--after the panel.
I wish I had jumped off the stage and gone to talk to Scott.
Excuse my sentence.
James C. Scott was of course already famous.
I knew his first book was based on his observations of the hill people of Burma--he was there on a fellowship in 1958-59. From this book I thought he was an anthropologist.
But I did not know he was a political scientist, and I did not know he was more a systems person than an area specialist.
I am more a systems person than a area/regional person.
I received my Ph.D. in 1994.
F
YI--Burma Studies Center based in DeKalb IL is very Burma-focused (area)--
moreover to my very great annoyance, they only look at before 1886--
Look what has come of this selective blind spot.
Bah!
I
studied command economies and their problems--like then USSR, India, Zaire, China and of course, Burma.
BTW--it was David Steinberg who came to The Burma Fund--affiliated to the Burmese Exile Govt. in the Bowen Building in downtown DC--and asked me to co-chair the Burma Studies panel--
I a
sked if he wished to see Dr Sein Win, P.M of Exile Govt.
I went upstairs --Dr. Sein Win said, in his very mild manner, "Why should I see him just because he wants to see me?"
I went downstairs and lied, "I'm so sorry. Dr. Sein Win just stepped out."
He knew I was lying.
His face fell to the ground floor.
I don't have the link to James C. Scott's NYT obit--I read it at the Village Center--you can Google on your own.
Kyi May Kaung
8-1-2024
