5SR - November 13, 2023

Hitha on Bangladesh, on mid things we love, and the existential threat to this country

Author

Hitha Palepu
November 13, 2023

Today’s curator is the founder of #5SmartReads, Hitha Palepu. She’s a consummate multihyphenate - CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, author of WE’RE SPEAKING: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris and How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip, and professional speaker. Hitha is an unabashed fan of Taco Bell, Philadelphia sports teams & F1, romance novels, and is a mediocre crafter. She lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.

I know most American voters are frustrated that the 2024 election is going to be a repeat of the last presidential election.

But 2024 could be the last fair and free election this nation has if Trump wins - and this article details his post-election victory plan in terrifying, authoritarian detail.

Our justice and intelligence groups will be replaced by Trump loyalists and directed to battle his purported enemies. The Department of Homeland Security will be deployed on a dystopian, inhumane crusade against undocumented immigrants.

I fear that our First Amendment rights - the right to free speech, of assembly - will no longer exist because of an autocratic maniac who demands fealty and praise for every little thing he does.

But don’t take my words for it:

“Trump doesn't hide his intentions. It's important to tune out the theatrical language that drives social media and cable TV, and focus intently on the directional guidance of his second term.

He's telling us exactly what he intends to do — like it or loathe it. And this time, he'll have prefabbed institutional muscle to turn pugilistic words into policies and action from the get-go.”

Yesterday was Deepavali (a holiday that has never felt more urgent or necessary than it does right now).

Today, it’s a holiday that’s increasingly mainstream (from the seminal episode of The Office to decor and crafts being sold at Target and Homegoods to having the day off in certain cities and towns in the United States). But when I was a kid, it was a very private celebration, observed in our home and fellow desi homes in our community. Anarghya Vardhana’s childhood celebrations are nearly identical to my own, and documented so beautifully:

“The holiday rekindles fond memories of waking up early in our home in Beaverton, Oregon, being chased around the house by our parents who would coerce us into engaging in the ritual of applying oil to our hair and skin, something I hated then but love now. You are supposed to receive and wear new clothes on Deepavali, but my parents didn’t believe in the commercial part of it, so teenage Anarghya never got her share of Deepavali Abercrombie. But our house was alive with the smell of sugar and ghee, as our mom prepared for weeks with feasts of sweets and other treats. She boxed them into neat plastic containers and my sister and I would embark from house to house, handing out our mom’s famous Deepavali sweets with our dad. No new clothes, but we were immensely blessed with the gratitude and connection in the Oregon Indian community. After school, we’d head over to another Indian family’s house and spend the night lighting firecrackers in an unsuspecting cul-de-sac and devour plate upon plate of delicious, home cooked, Indian aunty, potluck food. This was our Christmas and New Years thrown into one.”

For as much as I loved the glamorous parties and impactful charity events this Diwali season, I’m also wistful for these intimate, cozy celebrations that marked the holiday for much of my life. Here’s to light overcoming darkness, good overcoming evil, and celebrating the holiday with more intention next year.

There is a woman that is the longest-serving female head of government, survived 19 assassination attempts, and brought the fundamentalist factions within your country under control.

She has also been accused of subverting democracy in the past two elections (with charges of stuffing ballot boxes and allowing thousands of phantom voters), and the opposition party’s protests and legal challenges have resulted in violence and millions of cases brought against them.

Rarely does an article encompass all the factors of a leader - personal actions, actions of their party and against opposition, internal and external impact of their leadership, their own personal character - in a single piece. Sheikh Hasina’s rise and authoritarian consolidation of power in a Bangladesh that’s increasingly globalist reads like a contradiction, but is a necessary read in this rapidly changing world.

My tastes in books, shows, and films is unapologetically mid. And frankly, it’s what my brain needs after juggling work and family and living in this particular universe in the year 2023.

“It’s not like I’m arguing against good taste. It’s great to have high standards, obviously, but is it necessary to have them all the time, for everything? Sometimes I want to challenge myself, and sometimes I just want to be comfy. There’s a security I envy in people who simply like what they like without feeling the need to justify it. It takes confidence to be mid! I tell myself this when I resist the temptation to be cool and just let a bowl of chips and a slutty little novel take over my weekend.”

I couldn’t have said it better than Hayley. Relish in the mid things you love and celebrate them - it will make your life better. Trust me.

The problem with plastic is one that climate activists have been ringing the alarm about for decades, with minimal action from governments and global governing bodies.

But seeing some alignment between governments on concrete, drastic reduction in the production of “virgin” plastic is hopeful.

“Eirik Lindebjerg, the global plastics policy lead at WWF, said the “zero draft” captures some “good concrete measures” that could make a difference, he said, as well as some vague, voluntary and non-binding clauses. Importantly, it creates a path for discussion of global bans that can be built on, he said.
“Despite the setbacks I’m very encouraged that a clear majority of countries have stated in the process that they want a strong treaty with binding rules and they have proposed a global basis for phase-outs of materials,” said Lindebjerg.
“There are large economic interests vested in keeping the status quo,” he said. “But you
 also have a strong public outcry and public pressure, against those interests. We will see who will win in the end.””

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