Sunday, December 28, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist - China to the Rescue? Not! - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - China to the Rescue? Not! - NYTimes.com:
"It’s good advice. China is not going to rescue us or the world economy. We’re going to have to get out of this crisis the old-fashioned way: by digging inside ourselves and getting back to basics — improving U.S. productivity, saving more, studying harder and inventing more stuff to export. The days of phony prosperity — I borrow cheap money from China to build a house and then borrow on that house to buy cheap paintings from China to decorate my walls and everybody is a winner — are over."
"It’s good advice. China is not going to rescue us or the world economy. We’re going to have to get out of this crisis the old-fashioned way: by digging inside ourselves and getting back to basics — improving U.S. productivity, saving more, studying harder and inventing more stuff to export. The days of phony prosperity — I borrow cheap money from China to build a house and then borrow on that house to buy cheap paintings from China to decorate my walls and everybody is a winner — are over."
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid: 52 mpg and the darkness before dawn - Los Angeles Times
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid: 52 mpg and the darkness before dawn - Los Angeles Times
Seems like thanks to Alan Mulally Ford is finally getting it right. I hope the manufacturing quality is as good too.
Seems like thanks to Alan Mulally Ford is finally getting it right. I hope the manufacturing quality is as good too.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 08, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor - They Hate Us — and India Is Us - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Contributor - They Hate Us — and India Is Us - NYTimes.com:
"When these well-planned attacks unfolded, it was clear to anyone with experience of India that they were not homegrown, and almost certainly originated from Pakistan. Yet the reaction of the world’s news media was to rely on the outmoded idea of Pakistan-India hyphenation — as if a thriving and prosperous democracy of over a billion people must be compared only to an imploded state that is having to be bailed out by the I.M.F. Was Pakistan to blame, asked many pundits, or was India at fault because of its treatment of minority groups?
The terrorists themselves offered little explanation, and made no clear demands. Yet even as the siege continued, commentators were making chilling deductions on their behalf: their actions were because of American foreign policy, or Afghanistan, or the harassment of Indian Muslims. Personal moral responsibility was removed from the players in the atrocity. When officials said that the killers came from the Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, it was taken as proof that India’s misdeeds in the Kashmir Valley were the cause."
"When these well-planned attacks unfolded, it was clear to anyone with experience of India that they were not homegrown, and almost certainly originated from Pakistan. Yet the reaction of the world’s news media was to rely on the outmoded idea of Pakistan-India hyphenation — as if a thriving and prosperous democracy of over a billion people must be compared only to an imploded state that is having to be bailed out by the I.M.F. Was Pakistan to blame, asked many pundits, or was India at fault because of its treatment of minority groups?
The terrorists themselves offered little explanation, and made no clear demands. Yet even as the siege continued, commentators were making chilling deductions on their behalf: their actions were because of American foreign policy, or Afghanistan, or the harassment of Indian Muslims. Personal moral responsibility was removed from the players in the atrocity. When officials said that the killers came from the Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, it was taken as proof that India’s misdeeds in the Kashmir Valley were the cause."
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Ford to 'Aggressively Restructure,' Seeks $9 Billion in Bridge Financing - WSJ.com
Ford to 'Aggressively Restructure,' Seeks $9 Billion in Bridge Financing - WSJ.com:
"Ford, in the 30-page document submitted to legislators, said it will invest $14 billion in its U.S. operations over the next seven years on advanced technologies as the company retools its 2015 models to be 36% more fuel-efficient than its 2005 models. About 80% of Ford's total investment in 2010 will go toward cars and crossover vehicles, up from 60% in 2007."
"Ford, in the 30-page document submitted to legislators, said it will invest $14 billion in its U.S. operations over the next seven years on advanced technologies as the company retools its 2015 models to be 36% more fuel-efficient than its 2005 models. About 80% of Ford's total investment in 2010 will go toward cars and crossover vehicles, up from 60% in 2007."
Monday, December 01, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
On Religion - Between Israel and India, a Link Based on Culture and, Now, Terrorism - NYTimes.com
On Religion - Between Israel and India, a Link Based on Culture and, Now, Terrorism - NYTimes.com
Hinjew leaders today conceded the merger of Hinduism and Judaism has not worked out as planned, as instead of forming a super-religion to fight off the common Islamic enemy, they have instead created a race of 900 million people who, no matter how many times they are reincarnated, can never please their mothers.”
Hinjew leaders today conceded the merger of Hinduism and Judaism has not worked out as planned, as instead of forming a super-religion to fight off the common Islamic enemy, they have instead created a race of 900 million people who, no matter how many times they are reincarnated, can never please their mothers.”
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Azaadi to patriotism, a generational sweep-India-The Times of India
Azaadi to patriotism, a generational sweep-India-The Times of India
Abdul Hai Khateeb, 80, has never ever voted — he believes in "azaadi". He has no intention of changing his stand at this ripe old age and will not vote this time either. He is the resident-grand-old-man with his known "separatist views" in this town where both BJP candidate Daya Krishen Kotwal, as well as Congress nominee and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, are trying to woo him into casting his vote.
His son will not vote because he is not around. He crossed over 10 years ago — into Pakistan, along with militants. He is apparently still there. The family seems to have given up on his return.
Khateeb's grandson Abu Zarein Khateeb would have been a first-time voter at age 26. An MBA graduate from Bangalore, he runs the family shop in Sadarbazar, set up by his grandfather. Abu declares emphatically: "I am a hundred per cent Hindustani."
Abdul Hai Khateeb, 80, has never ever voted — he believes in "azaadi". He has no intention of changing his stand at this ripe old age and will not vote this time either. He is the resident-grand-old-man with his known "separatist views" in this town where both BJP candidate Daya Krishen Kotwal, as well as Congress nominee and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, are trying to woo him into casting his vote.
His son will not vote because he is not around. He crossed over 10 years ago — into Pakistan, along with militants. He is apparently still there. The family seems to have given up on his return.
Khateeb's grandson Abu Zarein Khateeb would have been a first-time voter at age 26. An MBA graduate from Bangalore, he runs the family shop in Sadarbazar, set up by his grandfather. Abu declares emphatically: "I am a hundred per cent Hindustani."
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Corporate America is playing us, Treasury like chumps
Corporate America is playing us, Treasury like chumps: "During the hearing, Cummings said what I've been feeling for months. In straight-from-the-'hood vernacular, Cummings captured what has been done to American taxpayers.
'Mr. Kashkari, in the neighborhood I grew up in, in the inner city of Baltimore, one of the things that you tried to do was make sure that you were not considered a chump,' Cummings said. 'And what 'chump' meant was that you didn't want people to see you as just somebody they could get over on.'
Without a doubt, corporate America is playing us like chumps. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and the folks he's assembled to try to get us out of the economic tempest are being played like chumps."
'Mr. Kashkari, in the neighborhood I grew up in, in the inner city of Baltimore, one of the things that you tried to do was make sure that you were not considered a chump,' Cummings said. 'And what 'chump' meant was that you didn't want people to see you as just somebody they could get over on.'
Without a doubt, corporate America is playing us like chumps. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and the folks he's assembled to try to get us out of the economic tempest are being played like chumps."
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Thursday, November 06, 2008
USAF Pilot Critiques Red Flag Action | AVIATION WEEK
USAF Pilot Critiques Red Flag Action | AVIATION WEEK
He praised the Indians as extremely professional and said they had no training rule violations. However, they "killed a lot of friendlies" because they were tied to a Russian-made data link system that didn't allow them to see the picture of the battlefield available to everyone else. The lack of combat identification of the other aircraft caused confusion.
He praised the Indians as extremely professional and said they had no training rule violations. However, they "killed a lot of friendlies" because they were tied to a Russian-made data link system that didn't allow them to see the picture of the battlefield available to everyone else. The lack of combat identification of the other aircraft caused confusion.
But the U.S. apparently isn't ignorant of the Su-30MKI's radar either.
The Su-30 electronically scanned radar is not as accurate as the U.S.-built active electronically scanned radar carried by the F-22 and some F-15s. Also, "it paints less, sees less" and is not as discriminating.
He praised the F-22 as the next great dogfighter. But he faulted the fact that it carries too few missiles and contends that the on-board cannon could be a life-saver, particularly against aircraft like the MiG-21 Bison flown by the Indians. It has a small radar cross section, as well as an Israeli-made F-16 radar and jammer. The latter makes them "almost invisible to legacy F-15C and F-16 radars" until the aerial merge or until it fires one of its Archer, active radar missiles, the U.S. pilot says.
Against the much larger RCS Su-30MKI, the F-16s and F-15s won consistently during the first three days of air-to-air combat, he continues. However, that was the result of trying to immediately go into a post-stall, thrust-vectored turn when attacked. The turn then creates massive drag and the aircraft starts sinking and losing altitude. "It starts dropping so fast you don't have to go vertical [first]. The low-speed tail slide allowed the U.S. aircraft to dive from above and "get one chance to come down to shoot," the pilot says. "You go to guns and drill his brains out." The Su-30 is jamming your missiles so...you go to guns and drill his brains out."
U.S. pilots conclude that the Su-30MKI is "not [an F-22] Raptor," he further says. "That was good for us to find out." But when the Indian pilots really learn to fight their new aircraft - "they were too anxious to go to the post-stall maneuver," he says-- the USAF pilot predicts that they would regularly defeat the F-16C Block 50 and the F-15C with conventional radar.
A final weakness in the Su-30MKI was its engine's vulnerability to foreign object damage which required them to space takeoffs a minute apart and slowed mission launches.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Cut your food bills in half - Telegraph
Cut your food bills in half - Telegraph:
"When you're not thinking about the money, you can spend a lot. The hardest part was checking prices between stores. It's something my mum used to do, going from shop to shop, knowing where was cheaper.
'A lot of her generation did this, but it's difficult to do when you're short of time.'"
"When you're not thinking about the money, you can spend a lot. The hardest part was checking prices between stores. It's something my mum used to do, going from shop to shop, knowing where was cheaper.
'A lot of her generation did this, but it's difficult to do when you're short of time.'"
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Boeing strike: High stakes in outsourcing - Los Angeles Times
Boeing strike: High stakes in outsourcing - Los Angeles Times
Yet the company would argue that building next-generation planes like the 787 requires not only an injection of outside development capital, but also outside expertise.
"Take composites: This is a huge, huge change in the way airplanes are built, moving from aluminum as the dominant technology for the skin of the airplane to composites. Boeing doesn't have the same experience with composites. As it turns out, there is a fair amount of experience over in Japan," said Richard L. Nolan, management professor at the University of Washington and a former Boeing employee.
The move to outsourcing, he said, "is not just an issue of low-cost labor. It's tapping into a global workforce, a global market and building strategies that will allow you to effectively compete."
Yet the company would argue that building next-generation planes like the 787 requires not only an injection of outside development capital, but also outside expertise.
"Take composites: This is a huge, huge change in the way airplanes are built, moving from aluminum as the dominant technology for the skin of the airplane to composites. Boeing doesn't have the same experience with composites. As it turns out, there is a fair amount of experience over in Japan," said Richard L. Nolan, management professor at the University of Washington and a former Boeing employee.
The move to outsourcing, he said, "is not just an issue of low-cost labor. It's tapping into a global workforce, a global market and building strategies that will allow you to effectively compete."
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The fright and the wrong
The fright and the wrong
we are not a small economy. Exports are only 13 per cent of our GDP and while some will suffer due to a global recession, some sectors will benefit hugely from a weaker rupee. There is an enormous domestic demand for goods and services and hundreds of billions worth of infrastructure to build. Yes, capital will be scarce, but why don’t we also factor in the cost reduction because of crashing commodity prices? Because of falling crude prices, the Government could save Rs 100,000 crore this year alone on fuel and fertiliser subsidies; going ahead it could be two and a half times as much. Over the next few weeks, we see Inflation falling drastically, a cut in fuel prices, a drop in interest rates and the release of Pay Commission arrears. Households in India are heading for a much better year compared to the last couple, though of course those invested in stocks would rue the loss of their net worth. You are still looking at an economy on the up, and one that is uniquely positioned to fight back, and take advantage of this global crisis. But, for that, something has to inspire us to hunker down with confident stoicism, and fight back, much like Sundarji’s platoon on that second hill feature.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Greenspan's blind spot - Los Angeles Times
Greenspan's blind spot - Los Angeles Times
What Greenspan and the rest of the aiders-and-abettors of Wall Street's greed spree don't want to admit is that there's something wrong in the economy and financial system that new regulations on trading and disclosure won't correct. Long before the financial system melted down, American business' share of the social compact melted completely away. The corrosion didn't begin at the top but at the bottom -- with the renunciation of any corporate loyalty toward working men and women. For nearly as long as Greenspan has hovered in the financial stratosphere, U.S. companies have been encouraged to treat their workers like any other "expense." Wall Street has rewarded -- indeed, lionized -- companies "tough enough" to treat workers like the electric bill. Presto! Layoffs became "cost management."
No one begrudges a company about to go out of business the right to cut payroll, but now nobody blinks when a CEO throws people out of work for an uptick in the stock price or to ease the service of ill-considered debt. It's been a long time since anyone who analyzes the economy has been willing to say that it's immoral for a profitable firm to deprive families of their income and health insurance, to strip hardworking men and women of labor's dignity.Perhaps only an economic education prepares a man to draw as his conclusion from catastrophe the gnomic declaration that fallible human beings are not infallible. Some things, however, are true 100% of the time: Societies in which the few are allowed to fatten themselves without limit on the labor of many are not just; they aren't even particularly productive for very long. Countries -- like companies -- that cling to notions that allow some to pursue their own interests by behaving indecently toward others come to bad ends.
What Greenspan and the rest of the aiders-and-abettors of Wall Street's greed spree don't want to admit is that there's something wrong in the economy and financial system that new regulations on trading and disclosure won't correct. Long before the financial system melted down, American business' share of the social compact melted completely away. The corrosion didn't begin at the top but at the bottom -- with the renunciation of any corporate loyalty toward working men and women. For nearly as long as Greenspan has hovered in the financial stratosphere, U.S. companies have been encouraged to treat their workers like any other "expense." Wall Street has rewarded -- indeed, lionized -- companies "tough enough" to treat workers like the electric bill. Presto! Layoffs became "cost management."
No one begrudges a company about to go out of business the right to cut payroll, but now nobody blinks when a CEO throws people out of work for an uptick in the stock price or to ease the service of ill-considered debt. It's been a long time since anyone who analyzes the economy has been willing to say that it's immoral for a profitable firm to deprive families of their income and health insurance, to strip hardworking men and women of labor's dignity.Perhaps only an economic education prepares a man to draw as his conclusion from catastrophe the gnomic declaration that fallible human beings are not infallible. Some things, however, are true 100% of the time: Societies in which the few are allowed to fatten themselves without limit on the labor of many are not just; they aren't even particularly productive for very long. Countries -- like companies -- that cling to notions that allow some to pursue their own interests by behaving indecently toward others come to bad ends.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Aus outplayed, out-verballed in Mohali: Oz media
Aus outplayed, out-verballed in Mohali: Oz media
Australia has been seriously outplayed and out-verballed in the match. A colossus which strode the world virtually unchallenged for more than a decade, Australia is now finding that India is treating it in the same way that Australia confronted the West Indies to claim the world crown in 1995.
Australia has been seriously outplayed and out-verballed in the match. A colossus which strode the world virtually unchallenged for more than a decade, Australia is now finding that India is treating it in the same way that Australia confronted the West Indies to claim the world crown in 1995.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Shortcuts - When Job Hunting, Be Your Own Salesman - NYTimes.com
Shortcuts - When Job Hunting, Be Your Own Salesman - NYTimes.com
In that case, he is one step ahead of a lot of people. William Wright-Swadel, executive director of career services at Duke University, said job hunters had to acknowledge first that “networking is not an easy thing. People think there’s a magic wand that will make it simple.”
It is important, especially if you’ve been at it awhile, to step back and see how you are perceived. You don’t want to project a “you wouldn’t want to hire me,” attitude. Or thinly veiled desperation.
In that case, he is one step ahead of a lot of people. William Wright-Swadel, executive director of career services at Duke University, said job hunters had to acknowledge first that “networking is not an easy thing. People think there’s a magic wand that will make it simple.”
The trouble is, networking brings up many of the same emotions as dating — fear of rejection, fear of looking like an idiot, fear of overstepping boundaries, fear of failing.
Rather, think specifically about what your aims are and what information you’re trying to transmit. Learn how to tell your story — what you’ve done, what your strengths are, what you’re looking for — clearly and concisely. Or in the parlance of networking, practice your “elevator speech”: how you can sell yourself in as short a time as an elevator ride.
“Don’t just say, ‘I have very good communications skills,’ ” Mr. Wright-Swadel said. “What does that mean? Say, ‘I listen well, I can create trust relations with a wide variety
“What does that mean? Say, ‘I listen well, I can create trust relations with a wide varietyIt is important, especially if you’ve been at it awhile, to step back and see how you are perceived. You don’t want to project a “you wouldn’t want to hire me,” attitude. Or thinly veiled desperation.
Finally, listen to the messages you are getting. It may be painful to acknowledge, but perhaps you need to reconsider your job expectations, at least in these economic times.
“If someone tells you that you’re overshooting the mark, that’s great information,” Mr. Wright-Swadel said. It does not mean you have to give up your aspirations, but take such comments into consideration. And perhaps revise your networking strategy.
My last piece of advice is trite but true. Be nice, or at least civil to everyone, if possible. Because the one person whose phone calls you ignored in the past may be the very person you are now asking to hire you. And if there is one thing harder than getting a job, it’s explaining to a potential boss why you acted like a jerk.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
BBC NEWS | Europe | Russia fleet 'may leave Ukraine'
BBC NEWS | Europe | Russia fleet 'may leave Ukraine'
Nearly 20 years since the end of the Cold War, Russians feel let down by the West. Gone is the early euphoria. Instead most Russians now feel encircled by the West as a result of Nato's enlargement and are convinced the West wants Russia to be weak.
They also feel misunderstood by the West and argue that we are the true Cold War warriors, not them.
Yes Russia is in many ways its own worst enemy," said Vladimir Pozner, a Soviet propagandist during Communist times who is now one of Russia's sharpest commentators.
"But there are far too many things the West does not get about Russia. Most of all it does not want to understand that if you are a country which has never had democracy in its entire history then you cannot expect it in the space of 15 or 20 years to go 'Bingo - we're now democratic'. It's going to take generations. This country is still run by people who grew up in Soviet times."
Give this country a break. Let the Russians evolve and don't put that much pressure on them because if you do you'll bring out the worst. You'll bring out the super patriots who will say: 'You see, we told you can't trust the West'."
It is a warning echoed less diplomatically by one of Mr Putin's greatest admirers - Nikita Mikhailkov, the most powerful figure in Russia's film industry who is a personal friend of the prime minister.
"You don't like me, Englishman," he told Panorama. "You haven't liked me for centuries, but I respect you. I want to engage with you, but on equal terms. I want you to respect me as I respect you."
"Russia must be respected, not least because it's strong and can answer back. It can say no, you want to talk let's talk. You want to fight, let's fight. But then don't complain."
Friday, October 17, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor - Buy American. I Am. - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Contributor - Buy American. I Am. - NYTimes.com
A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. And most certainly, fear is now widespread, gripping even seasoned investors. To be sure, investors are right to be wary of highly leveraged entities or businesses in weak competitive positions. But fears regarding the long-term prosperity of the nation’s many sound companies make no sense. These businesses will indeed suffer earnings hiccups, as they always have. But most major companies will be setting new profit records 5, 10 and 20 years from now.
A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. And most certainly, fear is now widespread, gripping even seasoned investors. To be sure, investors are right to be wary of highly leveraged entities or businesses in weak competitive positions. But fears regarding the long-term prosperity of the nation’s many sound companies make no sense. These businesses will indeed suffer earnings hiccups, as they always have. But most major companies will be setting new profit records 5, 10 and 20 years from now.
Let me be clear on one point: I can’t predict the short-term movements of the stock market. I haven’t the faintest idea as to whether stocks will be higher or lower a month — or a year — from now. What is likely, however, is that the market will move higher, perhaps substantially so, well before either sentiment or the economy turns up. So if you wait for the robins, spring will be over.
A little history here: During the Depression, the Dow hit its low, 41, on July 8, 1932. Economic conditions, though, kept deteriorating until Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in March 1933. By that time, the market had already advanced 30 percent. Or think back to the early days of World War II, when things were going badly for the United States in Europe and the Pacific. The market hit bottom in April 1942, well before Allied fortunes turned. Again, in the early 1980s, the time to buy stocks was when inflation raged and the economy was in the tank. In short, bad news is an investor’s best friend. It lets you buy a slice of America’s future at a marked-down price.
Over the long term, the stock market news will be good. In the 20th century, the United States endured two world wars and other traumatic and expensive military conflicts; the Depression; a dozen or so recessions and financial panics; oil shocks; a flu epidemic; and the resignation of a disgraced president. Yet the Dow rose from 66 to 11,497.Thursday, October 16, 2008
RIA Novosti - Opinion & analysis - Greece to buy new Russian infantry fighting vehicles
RIA Novosti - Opinion & analysis - Greece to buy new Russian infantry fighting vehicles
Greece subsequently bought the S-300 delivery contract from Russia, while deciding not to purchase Patriot missiles. So, the entire Greek air-defense system, which is part of joint NATO air defenses, now comprises Russian-made weaponry.
The S-300 example shows that Brussels' reluctance to implement military-technical cooperation projects with Moscow under the pretext that Russian weapons are incompatible with NATO standards is absolutely unjustified.
Russia's Strategy: 'What's Looming in Ukraine Is more Threatening than Georgia' - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
Russia's Strategy: 'What's Looming in Ukraine Is more Threatening than Georgia' - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
Nikonov: Yes, Ukraine is an existential issue for us. Our military analysts say if Ukraine joins NATO our last defense against a military emergency would be gone.
Nikonov: Yes, Ukraine is an existential issue for us. Our military analysts say if Ukraine joins NATO our last defense against a military emergency would be gone.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Bash-Bushonomics
Bash-Bushonomics
Read Krugman and you get the sense that he will sacrifice almost anything, logic included, to have another go at the George Bush administration. Many, many examples can be given. Let’s take the latest one: the column he wrote a day before he got the Nobel. Krugman praised the British government’s bank bailout strategy — buy equity and therefore infuse funds — and said the Bush administration was hamstrung by its ideology and is only now being forced into taking the same route.Let’s examine this a little closely. The Paulson-Bernanke plan on buying up toxic financial assets was greeted by howls of protest from the right and the left in America. The right protested because it didn’t want any Government support for failed firms. The left protested because it thought government support was a parachute for crooked, greedy bankers. Would a plan that from the beginning spoke of injecting government equity on a mass scale into all big US financial firms have found political acceptance at that time? Plus, it is not as if the Paulson-Bernanke team (Krugman blames Paulson more) was ideologically inflexible on emergency government takeover. What happened to AIG? What happened to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? And as for the apparently unwavering brilliance of Britain’s Labour government, it let Northern Rock go under when clearly it should have saved that financial institution.
Read Krugman and you get the sense that he will sacrifice almost anything, logic included, to have another go at the George Bush administration. Many, many examples can be given. Let’s take the latest one: the column he wrote a day before he got the Nobel. Krugman praised the British government’s bank bailout strategy — buy equity and therefore infuse funds — and said the Bush administration was hamstrung by its ideology and is only now being forced into taking the same route.Let’s examine this a little closely. The Paulson-Bernanke plan on buying up toxic financial assets was greeted by howls of protest from the right and the left in America. The right protested because it didn’t want any Government support for failed firms. The left protested because it thought government support was a parachute for crooked, greedy bankers. Would a plan that from the beginning spoke of injecting government equity on a mass scale into all big US financial firms have found political acceptance at that time? Plus, it is not as if the Paulson-Bernanke team (Krugman blames Paulson more) was ideologically inflexible on emergency government takeover. What happened to AIG? What happened to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? And as for the apparently unwavering brilliance of Britain’s Labour government, it let Northern Rock go under when clearly it should have saved that financial institution.
The sensible thing to observe here is that in this crisis everyone is stumbling and learning, the Bush administration included. The Germans first said Europe could not have a financial crisis like America, then a week later rescued one of their biggest financial firms, then said a Europe-wide plan to buy equity into banks was a bad idea, and now has come up with a big chunk of money to do precisely that. Does that make the German government a schizophrenic incompetent or just another government trying to understand on the fly how to deal with a biggest financial crisis in 75 years? So why only pick on the Bush administration?
Monday, October 13, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Vote Republican If You Want Equal Pay - WSJ.com
Vote Republican If You Want Equal Pay - WSJ.com
Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Joseph Biden have proclaimed that they favor equal pay for women, and have alleged that Republicans do not. Sen. Biden has also insisted that Republicans, including vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, represent a step backwards for women. The economic record says exactly the opposite.
Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Joseph Biden have proclaimed that they favor equal pay for women, and have alleged that Republicans do not. Sen. Biden has also insisted that Republicans, including vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, represent a step backwards for women. The economic record says exactly the opposite.
One nuclear deal done, more lined up
One nuclear deal done, more lined up:
"Early December is when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will visit India, and when the Indo-Russian agreement for civil nuclear cooperation will be signed. With intense pressure from the US, Russia and France to effect long-term commercial deals, sources said, India has decided to operationalise all three agreements simultaneously. In fact, France is said to be keen on starting uranium supply immediately and wants India to sign the agreement that would allow Areva to set up European Pressurised Reactors in India.
Looking beyond, India has extended an invitation to Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev to be the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day Parade. Kazakhstan has 15 per cent of the world’s uranium reserves and is an important prospective seller for India. Negotiations are also underway with Niger for uranium, shortage of which is currently hampering the Indian programme.
The government also plans to amend the Atomic Energy Act to strengthen the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board as a precursor to allowing private investment. Discussions are underway whether to go in for a one-time amendment that opens doors for private investment or to move one step at a time by first strengthening the regulatory mechanism"
"Early December is when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will visit India, and when the Indo-Russian agreement for civil nuclear cooperation will be signed. With intense pressure from the US, Russia and France to effect long-term commercial deals, sources said, India has decided to operationalise all three agreements simultaneously. In fact, France is said to be keen on starting uranium supply immediately and wants India to sign the agreement that would allow Areva to set up European Pressurised Reactors in India.
Looking beyond, India has extended an invitation to Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev to be the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day Parade. Kazakhstan has 15 per cent of the world’s uranium reserves and is an important prospective seller for India. Negotiations are also underway with Niger for uranium, shortage of which is currently hampering the Indian programme.
The government also plans to amend the Atomic Energy Act to strengthen the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board as a precursor to allowing private investment. Discussions are underway whether to go in for a one-time amendment that opens doors for private investment or to move one step at a time by first strengthening the regulatory mechanism"
Op-Ed Contributor - No, Really, the Fundamentals of the Economy Are Strong - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Contributor - No, Really, the Fundamentals of the Economy Are Strong - NYTimes.com:
"THE Treasury Department is now thinking about using some of the $700 billion it has been given to rescue Wall Street to buy ownership stakes in American banks. The idea is that banking is so central to the American economy that the government is justified in virtually nationalizing much of the industry in order to save us from a potential depression.
There are two faulty assumptions here. First, saving America’s banks won’t save the economy. And second, the economy doesn’t really need saving. It’s stronger than we think."
"THE Treasury Department is now thinking about using some of the $700 billion it has been given to rescue Wall Street to buy ownership stakes in American banks. The idea is that banking is so central to the American economy that the government is justified in virtually nationalizing much of the industry in order to save us from a potential depression.
There are two faulty assumptions here. First, saving America’s banks won’t save the economy. And second, the economy doesn’t really need saving. It’s stronger than we think."
Nuke deal is signed, sealed, and delivered-USA-World-The Times of India
Nuke deal is signed, sealed, and delivered-USA-World-The Times of India:
"Having assured itself that US President George Bush asserted his executive stamp over legislative opinion in his statement that accompanied the signing of the nuclear bill into law, New Delhi sent its entire negotiating team led by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on a 10,000-mile, 12-hour visit to Washington for the 123 Agreement signing ceremony -- a modest affair in the State Department’s glittering Benjamin Franklin room. The team arrived in the afternoon, signed the agreement in the evening, and left for Delhi in the night.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, whose visit to New Delhi last week for the same purpose was rendered fruitless because of India’s anxiety over Bush’s signing statement, politely and pointedly thanked Mukherjee ''who flew all the way here from New Delhi to do this signing,'' before seeing them off without even a meal (the team dined at the their hotel). But for Mukherjee, a diplomatic maestro with nearly three-decades in the business, the objective of asserting India’s stand one last time in Washington was achieved.
''This is an agreement about civil nuclear cooperation and reflects a careful balance of rights and obligations. The agreement has been passed by the U.S. Congress without any amendment. This provision is now legally binding on bot"
"Having assured itself that US President George Bush asserted his executive stamp over legislative opinion in his statement that accompanied the signing of the nuclear bill into law, New Delhi sent its entire negotiating team led by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on a 10,000-mile, 12-hour visit to Washington for the 123 Agreement signing ceremony -- a modest affair in the State Department’s glittering Benjamin Franklin room. The team arrived in the afternoon, signed the agreement in the evening, and left for Delhi in the night.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, whose visit to New Delhi last week for the same purpose was rendered fruitless because of India’s anxiety over Bush’s signing statement, politely and pointedly thanked Mukherjee ''who flew all the way here from New Delhi to do this signing,'' before seeing them off without even a meal (the team dined at the their hotel). But for Mukherjee, a diplomatic maestro with nearly three-decades in the business, the objective of asserting India’s stand one last time in Washington was achieved.
''This is an agreement about civil nuclear cooperation and reflects a careful balance of rights and obligations. The agreement has been passed by the U.S. Congress without any amendment. This provision is now legally binding on bot"
Friday, October 10, 2008
India, US sign landmark 123 Agreement-India-The Times of India
India, US sign landmark 123 Agreement-India-The Times of India:
"External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice put the final seal on the agreement at an impressive ceremony held in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department, culminating a crisis-ridden process initiated on July 18, 2005 in Washington during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit for talks with US President George W Bush."
"External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice put the final seal on the agreement at an impressive ceremony held in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department, culminating a crisis-ridden process initiated on July 18, 2005 in Washington during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit for talks with US President George W Bush."
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Bush keeps his word on nuke deal, assures fuel supply and reprocessing rights-USA-World-The Times of India
Bush keeps his word on nuke deal, assures fuel supply and reprocessing rights-USA-World-The Times of India
U.S President will be remembered for Iraq War, but I think he will be remembered for changing the dynamics of Indo-US Relationship and helping India on to the World Stage.
No matter how much people today dislike him, but when history is written, it won't be as bad.
Like a friend told me under this president we haven't had one terrorist attack after 9/11/2001.
U.S President will be remembered for Iraq War, but I think he will be remembered for changing the dynamics of Indo-US Relationship and helping India on to the World Stage.
No matter how much people today dislike him, but when history is written, it won't be as bad.
Like a friend told me under this president we haven't had one terrorist attack after 9/11/2001.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
US and us
US and us
India got its nuclear deal from America as America was writing its new New Deal. This was a coincidence but a powerfully symbolic one. The substance behind this symbol is this: it’s in India’s interest that America emerges from the financial crisis without significant damage to its geopolitical influence. Wishing this is of course not the same as assuming it. It is necessary to ask what are the chances the crisis will undermine American power. The answers may not be as gloomy as some people around the world would hope them to be. But first let’s take a look at those people. That will explain why staking our future on a world with a weakened America is a worse bet than anything seen on Wall Street.
India got its nuclear deal from America as America was writing its new New Deal. This was a coincidence but a powerfully symbolic one. The substance behind this symbol is this: it’s in India’s interest that America emerges from the financial crisis without significant damage to its geopolitical influence. Wishing this is of course not the same as assuming it. It is necessary to ask what are the chances the crisis will undermine American power. The answers may not be as gloomy as some people around the world would hope them to be. But first let’s take a look at those people. That will explain why staking our future on a world with a weakened America is a worse bet than anything seen on Wall Street.
So we may see a rough repeat of what happened after the oil shock led the West into stagflation in the 1970s: America is affected by the crisis, but other major players are affected probably even more, and their capacity for remedial action seems less than America’s. In relative terms, America emerged stronger geopolitically after the oil shock. The same may happen this time. Certainly, shifting confidence from the dollar to the euro when euro-nations are bickering in the midst of a crisis seems an odd choice.
So chances are that post-crisis America will emerge with its geopolitical pole position intact.
Ratan Tata announces Nano plant in Gujarat
Ratan Tata announces Nano plant in Gujarat-Business-Broadband - Indiatimes.com
I love it how he says that 'he belongs to the land of Gujarat' in Gujarati.
I love it how he says that 'he belongs to the land of Gujarat' in Gujarati.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
Friday, October 03, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist - Save the Fat Cats - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - Save the Fat Cats - NYTimes.com:
"Then Japanese politicians, acting with the same sublime ineptitude that our own House of Representatives displayed this week, ignored a growing banking crisis and dithered on a bailout. And so I watched from Tokyo as a mighty economy melted like an iceberg in the Caribbean.
Japan’s failure to respond urgently and decisively to its banking mess caused the country to endure a “lost decade” of economic stagnation. If America wants to avoid Japan’s decline, the House should follow the Senate’s lead and approve the bailout — immediately.
Just as in the U.S. today, most Japanese did not initially appreciate how devastating a banking crisis could be to the real economy. Banks and real estate tycoons in Japan were corrupt, profligate and unsympathetic figures, and no one wanted to help them. On corporate expense accounts, they sipped coffee with gold leaf and patronized “no-panties shabu-shabu” restaurants, which had mirrored floors and miniskirted waitresses."
"Then Japanese politicians, acting with the same sublime ineptitude that our own House of Representatives displayed this week, ignored a growing banking crisis and dithered on a bailout. And so I watched from Tokyo as a mighty economy melted like an iceberg in the Caribbean.
Japan’s failure to respond urgently and decisively to its banking mess caused the country to endure a “lost decade” of economic stagnation. If America wants to avoid Japan’s decline, the House should follow the Senate’s lead and approve the bailout — immediately.
Just as in the U.S. today, most Japanese did not initially appreciate how devastating a banking crisis could be to the real economy. Banks and real estate tycoons in Japan were corrupt, profligate and unsympathetic figures, and no one wanted to help them. On corporate expense accounts, they sipped coffee with gold leaf and patronized “no-panties shabu-shabu” restaurants, which had mirrored floors and miniskirted waitresses."
Editorial - Legal Immigration? Anybody? - NYTimes.com
Editorial - Legal Immigration? Anybody? - NYTimes.com:
"Every year Congress authorizes a certain number of permanent-resident visas, or green cards, for immigrants to come to work in the United States or to rejoin their families. And every year bureaucratic delays prevent a certain portion of those visas from being claimed.
It seems unlikely that a visa-recapture bill would make it through this year. But don’t blame Congress’s focus on the economic mess for that. Recapturing visas is a modest fix that should have been made a long time ago. The country needs to build a smoother path to legal entry and citizenship. The blame for its failure to do that lies squarely with the hard-liners who rage against illegal immigrants, but are strangely uninterested in helping people who “play by the rules” and “wait in line.”"
"Every year Congress authorizes a certain number of permanent-resident visas, or green cards, for immigrants to come to work in the United States or to rejoin their families. And every year bureaucratic delays prevent a certain portion of those visas from being claimed.
The result? Every year thousands of potential green cards vanish, like unused cellphone minutes. The huge backlogs in legal immigration, which span years or even decades for applicants from some countries, continue to fester. The myth of Ellis Island becomes more mythical.
Teachers, nurses, engineers, researchers and other aspiring immigrants who follow the rules, file their paperwork, pay their fees and wait — and wait — get the chilly message that they are not wanted. Some of them feel great pressure to go illegally around the immigration system, instead of through it, as their wait to rejoin their loved ones becomes intolerable.
A House bill that could recapture an estimated 550,000 lost visas, sponsored by Representative Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, has been moving slowly through the committee process Congress has already authorized these green cards, and many would go to highly skilled workers who have already lived here for years on temporary visas. The bill is as much about keeping workers as gaining them.It seems unlikely that a visa-recapture bill would make it through this year. But don’t blame Congress’s focus on the economic mess for that. Recapturing visas is a modest fix that should have been made a long time ago. The country needs to build a smoother path to legal entry and citizenship. The blame for its failure to do that lies squarely with the hard-liners who rage against illegal immigrants, but are strangely uninterested in helping people who “play by the rules” and “wait in line.”"
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Rise of the Rest: The Challenges of the New World Order - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
Rise of the Rest: The Challenges of the New World Order - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
A number of new books published in the United States describe these shifts in the political landscape. The new administration that arrives in Washington in 2009 ought to consider taking a close look at "The Post American World" by Fareed Zakaria, "The Second World" by Parag Khanna, "The Great Experiment" by Strobe Talbott, as well as "Rivals" by Bill Emmott and " The War for Wealth" by Gabor Steingart. Each of these authors accepts the premise of a multipolar world, though their analyses and policy prescriptions are vastly different. Bill Emmott, Fareed Zakaria, and Gabor Steingart imagine continued American or transatlantic leadership, while Parag Khanna sees a burgeoning competition between Europe, China, and the United States to win the favor of states like Russia and India, which he assigns to the "second world." Whatever their differences though, each of the authors takes a clear-eyed look at the realities of the present day -- unlike the neoconservatives who have been largely responsible for steering American foreign policy during the last eight years.
A number of new books published in the United States describe these shifts in the political landscape. The new administration that arrives in Washington in 2009 ought to consider taking a close look at "The Post American World" by Fareed Zakaria, "The Second World" by Parag Khanna, "The Great Experiment" by Strobe Talbott, as well as "Rivals" by Bill Emmott and " The War for Wealth" by Gabor Steingart. Each of these authors accepts the premise of a multipolar world, though their analyses and policy prescriptions are vastly different. Bill Emmott, Fareed Zakaria, and Gabor Steingart imagine continued American or transatlantic leadership, while Parag Khanna sees a burgeoning competition between Europe, China, and the United States to win the favor of states like Russia and India, which he assigns to the "second world." Whatever their differences though, each of the authors takes a clear-eyed look at the realities of the present day -- unlike the neoconservatives who have been largely responsible for steering American foreign policy during the last eight years.
These countries are neither enemies of one another, nor are they friends; they are "frenemies," competitors for the world’s scarce resources. These countries assure their people that they can shape the coming global order and provide for their future welfare, but their respective visions of the future can differ greatly. A potential "clash of futures" looms on the horizon of the multipolar world.
Not all "frenemies" are democracies in the Western sense. The successes of Singapore and China, as well as of the Gulf states, prove that states need not be democratic to guarantee their people a high standard of living. But, that need not be cause for pessimism. Within the new nondemocratic world powers, productive elites are replacing parasitic elites. Where the former get the upper hand, they produce a system more free and just than the one they inherited. Their goal is to develop the economy and correct social inequalities. They know that where there are slums there will be "failing cities" and "failing states."
In the league of extraordinary PMs-India-The Times of India
In the league of extraordinary PMs-India-The Times of India:
"Manmohan Singh understood well the changes in the international trends and the opportunities the post-cold-war world order presented to India. He enabled Indian entrepreneurship to take full advantage of the favourable international trends.
The result was the unprecedented 8% growth rate. His handicap was the political alliance with the Left, still steeped in Stalinist and cold war orthodoxy. This resulted in his reform programme being slowed down.
In the first four years he appears to have opted to keep the government going. However, in the fifth year he faced a choice between sacrificing the opportunity to achieve for India the liberation from technology apartheid and recognition as a legitimate sixth nuclear power, or, a few more months in office without risking a confidence vote. He decided to stake the life of the coalition government.
He succeeded in winning the vote of confidence for his government and timed it well. That timing generated pressures on international community to get India the IAEA safeguards, the NSG waiver and completion of the Indo-US nuclear deal in quick succession.
Manmohan Singh has been reviled by his opponents — that is nothing new in Indian politics. Shastri was called a ‘‘prisoner of indecision’’. Indira Gandhi was called a ‘‘Goongi"
"Manmohan Singh understood well the changes in the international trends and the opportunities the post-cold-war world order presented to India. He enabled Indian entrepreneurship to take full advantage of the favourable international trends.
The result was the unprecedented 8% growth rate. His handicap was the political alliance with the Left, still steeped in Stalinist and cold war orthodoxy. This resulted in his reform programme being slowed down.
In the first four years he appears to have opted to keep the government going. However, in the fifth year he faced a choice between sacrificing the opportunity to achieve for India the liberation from technology apartheid and recognition as a legitimate sixth nuclear power, or, a few more months in office without risking a confidence vote. He decided to stake the life of the coalition government.
He succeeded in winning the vote of confidence for his government and timed it well. That timing generated pressures on international community to get India the IAEA safeguards, the NSG waiver and completion of the Indo-US nuclear deal in quick succession.
Manmohan Singh has been reviled by his opponents — that is nothing new in Indian politics. Shastri was called a ‘‘prisoner of indecision’’. Indira Gandhi was called a ‘‘Goongi"
Nuclear deal to be a win-win for India, US-Intl Business-Business-The Times of India
Nuclear deal to be a win-win for India, US-Intl Business-Business-The Times of India
One of the first reactions to the landmark deal came from the little-known Thorium Power Ltd, a McLean, Virginia-based company which recognizes India’s leadership in the use of thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle and which claims to have engaged various entities in India's private and governmental sectors for many years.
"India is in the forefront of the world in recognizing the distinct advantages of using thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle while Thorium Power is the world leader in developing non-proliferative, low waste thorium nuclear fuels. There is much we can learn from each other and much we can do together," the company said in a statement following the passage of the nuclear legislation. "This agreement allows us to hold advanced discussions with some of the leading entities and we anticipate that these business opportunities will move forward."
Thorium Power Ltd president and CEO Seth Crae reckons that India will become a "significant player" on the international nuclear market "given the nations great number of highly skilled nuclear engineers and scientists, and successful and far reaching multinational corporations." The 123 Agreement, he says, "affords a unique opportunity to combine India's great strengths with innovative American technology to significantly advance the world-wide nuclear renaissance."
One of the first reactions to the landmark deal came from the little-known Thorium Power Ltd, a McLean, Virginia-based company which recognizes India’s leadership in the use of thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle and which claims to have engaged various entities in India's private and governmental sectors for many years.
"India is in the forefront of the world in recognizing the distinct advantages of using thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle while Thorium Power is the world leader in developing non-proliferative, low waste thorium nuclear fuels. There is much we can learn from each other and much we can do together," the company said in a statement following the passage of the nuclear legislation. "This agreement allows us to hold advanced discussions with some of the leading entities and we anticipate that these business opportunities will move forward."
Thorium Power Ltd president and CEO Seth Crae reckons that India will become a "significant player" on the international nuclear market "given the nations great number of highly skilled nuclear engineers and scientists, and successful and far reaching multinational corporations." The 123 Agreement, he says, "affords a unique opportunity to combine India's great strengths with innovative American technology to significantly advance the world-wide nuclear renaissance."
Friday, September 26, 2008
Singh song: Love in the time of crisis-USA-World-The Times of India
Singh song: Love in the time of crisis-USA-World-The Times of India:
"Love? Affection? For George Bush??? Hardened journalists looked at each other quizzically, never having heard such words in bilateral exchanges between leaders, let alone relating to Bush. But Indian officials defended the sentiments expressed, insisting that for all the world's cynicism, polls showed that Bush and the United States had high rating in India for the ''fair manner'' in which they treated India and its aspirations."
"Love? Affection? For George Bush??? Hardened journalists looked at each other quizzically, never having heard such words in bilateral exchanges between leaders, let alone relating to Bush. But Indian officials defended the sentiments expressed, insisting that for all the world's cynicism, polls showed that Bush and the United States had high rating in India for the ''fair manner'' in which they treated India and its aspirations."
Monday, September 22, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Crisis schmisis - there's money to be made - Telegraph
Crisis schmisis - there's money to be made - Telegraph:
"They don't tend to stay on the floor too long after they've had a kicking. It's a gritty, ruthlessly pragmatic, sometimes - like the man in the Lehman T-shirt - purely self-interested resilience that is rooted in the country's can-do psyche and centuries-old belief in self-help. And rooted, too, in America's belief in itself. Those philosophical ideas of American exceptionalism and the United States's Manifest Destiny - as the Puritans were first to outline it, that God created America as a 'city on the hill' to provide an example to others - smack of chauvinism. But they certainly don't hurt when a country needs to pull through a gloomy patch."
"They don't tend to stay on the floor too long after they've had a kicking. It's a gritty, ruthlessly pragmatic, sometimes - like the man in the Lehman T-shirt - purely self-interested resilience that is rooted in the country's can-do psyche and centuries-old belief in self-help. And rooted, too, in America's belief in itself. Those philosophical ideas of American exceptionalism and the United States's Manifest Destiny - as the Puritans were first to outline it, that God created America as a 'city on the hill' to provide an example to others - smack of chauvinism. But they certainly don't hurt when a country needs to pull through a gloomy patch."
Monday, September 15, 2008
Did Saakashvili Lie?: The West Begins to Doubt Georgian Leader - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
Did Saakashvili Lie?: The West Begins to Doubt Georgian Leader - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International:
"Did we embolden the Georgians in any way' to use military force? she asks the members of the committee. Did the Bush administration really warn Moscow and Georgia sufficiently about the consequences of a war? And how could it be that the United States was so taken by surprise by this outbreak of hostilities? These questions, says Clinton, should be examined by a US commission, which should 'in the first place determine the actual facts.'"
"Did we embolden the Georgians in any way' to use military force? she asks the members of the committee. Did the Bush administration really warn Moscow and Georgia sufficiently about the consequences of a war? And how could it be that the United States was so taken by surprise by this outbreak of hostilities? These questions, says Clinton, should be examined by a US commission, which should 'in the first place determine the actual facts.'"
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Clinton questions US freeze on Russian nuclear pact
Clinton questions US freeze on Russian nuclear pact:
"'I think we ought to be able to hold competing thoughts in our mind at the same time -- Is Russia more aggressive, are they more intent upon pursuing their own interests as they define them territorially, economically politically?
'Of course they are. I don't know why anybody is surprised by that,' she said, replying to her own question."
"'I think we ought to be able to hold competing thoughts in our mind at the same time -- Is Russia more aggressive, are they more intent upon pursuing their own interests as they define them territorially, economically politically?
'Of course they are. I don't know why anybody is surprised by that,' she said, replying to her own question."
Clinton also called for a commission to be established to determine, among other things, the circumstances under which the Russian-Georgian conflict occurred and to complement an international commission being called for by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
"I believe that the administration will be served to create this US commission, which then could cooperate with the international commission ... to in the first place determine the actual facts because there is a dispute about the facts, which may or may not be real."
Outside View: Russia-NATO split -- Part Two
Outside View: Russia-NATO split -- Part Two:
"Incidentally, shortly before that Washington vetoed Russia's request to hold an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at which Russia's envoy to the bloc, Dmitry Rogozin, was to tell his partners the truth about what really happened in South Ossetia. He would have given facts undistorted by Western propaganda, which, unfortunately, was what Western media did."
"Incidentally, shortly before that Washington vetoed Russia's request to hold an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at which Russia's envoy to the bloc, Dmitry Rogozin, was to tell his partners the truth about what really happened in South Ossetia. He would have given facts undistorted by Western propaganda, which, unfortunately, was what Western media did."
Saturday, September 06, 2008
IndianExpress.com :: India won’t, can’t give up
IndianExpress.com :: India won’t, can’t give up:
1. India is not going to give up Kashmir. If you have been hearing that several so-called intellectuals have advocated this, then please do not over-estimate their influence. They can be concerned about abstractions like the arithmetic or the algebra of justice. That is irrelevant and inconsequential. The Republic of India is not going to confer Azadi on part or all of Kashmir. Nor are we going to let you join Pakistan. Please do not be misled by anyone who tells you anything to the contrary.
2. If the current unrest continues in the state, many people, mostly young people will be affected by violence. That is avoidable. Because there is not a hope in hell that all of this violence will persuade any government in India to let you secede.
The plain and simple fact is that
1. India is not going to give up Kashmir. If you have been hearing that several so-called intellectuals have advocated this, then please do not over-estimate their influence. They can be concerned about abstractions like the arithmetic or the algebra of justice. That is irrelevant and inconsequential. The Republic of India is not going to confer Azadi on part or all of Kashmir. Nor are we going to let you join Pakistan. Please do not be misled by anyone who tells you anything to the contrary.
2. If the current unrest continues in the state, many people, mostly young people will be affected by violence. That is avoidable. Because there is not a hope in hell that all of this violence will persuade any government in India to let you secede.
The plain and simple fact is that
India is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual country. We are not a nation-state based on one race, language or church. In this we resemble the empires of old. Consider the Austro-Hungarian Empire where Czechs from Bohemia, Jews from Vienna, Magyars from Hungary and German-speaking Catholics from the Tyrol all lived together peacefully and, more importantly, talented individuals from all of these groups were able to blossom, thrive and prosper. That is theIndian model with the added accoutrements of a democratic republic. We know what happens when great empires break up. For decades after that, the ensuing violence and anarchy turn the lives of millions of ordinary individuals and families into a living hell. In recent times as the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia have broken up we have again witnessed this tragic phenomenon
Let me close by appealing to each of you as individuals. My appeal is particularly directed to young people. Instead of spending time in agitations, demonstrations, attacking the police, etc I suggest that you learn skills such as computer programming, financial analysis and so on. Seek meaningful jobs anywhere in the vast integrated and fast-growing Indian marketplace. Get ahead in life as individuals. Fulfil your individual dreams. If you are stuck to a small state and do not see a large country and indeed the world as your canvas you as an individual will be the loser. The collective identity of being Kashmiri or Moslem or a Hindoo or a Buddhist is a seductive trap. You are individuals and you deserve a better life than screaming unrealistic and impossible slogans.
IndianExpress.com :: How the deal on NSG waiver was struck in Vienna
IndianExpress.com :: How the deal on NSG waiver was struck in Vienna: "The NSG waiver for India involved three days of hectic and tough negotiations with both the proponent and skeptic countries sticking to their positions but finally reaching a common ground on Saturday morning after US prodding and deft diplomacy by New Delhi. The major turning point came with the issuance of the statement by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in which he talked about India's a External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in which he talked about India's abiding commitment to strengthening the nonproliferation system and unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing"
Thumbs up, nails frayed: Delhi sent demarche to Beijing, Bush called Hu
Thumbs up, nails frayed: Delhi sent demarche to Beijing, Bush called Hu:
"Last night, China had delivered a surprise by threatening to leave, objecting to the manner in which US was “forcing” a consensus. Clearly, Beijing decided to make its dissent open and, very quickly, countermeasures were put in place. Closely coordinating with the US, New Delhi issued a strong demarche to China in Beijing late last night. The same was conveyed to the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi this morning, which was gearing up for Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi’s visit starting tomorrow. Sources said South Block worked through the night passing on the tough message to Beijing that its position was contrary to assurances it had given at the political level that it wouldn’t come in the way of an NSG consensus for India.
Washington simultaneously stepped up gears and US President George W. Bush contacted his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao asking him not to block the waiver. Sources said “everyone in the US government below the President” leaned on someone in the Chinese government in a closely coordinated effort. In short, the US “pulled out all stops,” including reminding the Chinese of the evidence Washington had of its past proliferation activities, particularly in Pakistan"
"Last night, China had delivered a surprise by threatening to leave, objecting to the manner in which US was “forcing” a consensus. Clearly, Beijing decided to make its dissent open and, very quickly, countermeasures were put in place. Closely coordinating with the US, New Delhi issued a strong demarche to China in Beijing late last night. The same was conveyed to the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi this morning, which was gearing up for Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi’s visit starting tomorrow. Sources said South Block worked through the night passing on the tough message to Beijing that its position was contrary to assurances it had given at the political level that it wouldn’t come in the way of an NSG consensus for India.
Washington simultaneously stepped up gears and US President George W. Bush contacted his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao asking him not to block the waiver. Sources said “everyone in the US government below the President” leaned on someone in the Chinese government in a closely coordinated effort. In short, the US “pulled out all stops,” including reminding the Chinese of the evidence Washington had of its past proliferation activities, particularly in Pakistan"
Isn’t just about n-trade, it’s about a rising India
indianexpress.com:
"Only a decade ago, in the wake of the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan in May 1998, the United Nations Security Council, in a unanimous resolution No 1172 in June 1998, demanded that the two nations sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and end their nuclear and missile programmes. The history of international relations tells us that great powers agree to change the existing security norms only when they have to accommodate a rising power. The NSG decision to turn the solid international consensus in 1998 against New Delhi’s strategic programmes on its head is a bow to India’s rise."
"Only a decade ago, in the wake of the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan in May 1998, the United Nations Security Council, in a unanimous resolution No 1172 in June 1998, demanded that the two nations sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and end their nuclear and missile programmes. The history of international relations tells us that great powers agree to change the existing security norms only when they have to accommodate a rising power. The NSG decision to turn the solid international consensus in 1998 against New Delhi’s strategic programmes on its head is a bow to India’s rise."
Max Americana: US shows the way at NSG-USA-World-The Times of India
Max Americana: US shows the way at NSG-USA-World-The Times of India
"The decline of US power and the fading days of President Bush have been subject of drawing room chatter in strategic circles for months now, but on Saturday, both Washington and the American president showed that when push comes to shove, they can still pack plenty of punch."
"The decline of US power and the fading days of President Bush have been subject of drawing room chatter in strategic circles for months now, but on Saturday, both Washington and the American president showed that when push comes to shove, they can still pack plenty of punch."
Thursday, September 04, 2008
What's The Big Deal?-Editorial-Opinion-The Times of India
What's The Big Deal?-Editorial-Opinion-The Times of India:
"The July 18, 2005 understanding included an Indian commitment to maintaining its testing moratorium. If we now change policy, the other party cannot be reasonably expected to maintain its half of the bargain. At the end of the day, the US cannot take any position other than to assert that it has the right to terminate cooperation in such an eventuality. On India’s part, we have been equally vigorous in maintaining our right to test in compelling circumstances. This argument would be decided by sovereign decisions and national interests, not by legalistic wording.
In any case, an outcome in India’s favour at the NSG renders this debate meaningless. It is improbable that India will build a strategic reserve sourced from a country that imposes onerous obligations. Once the NSG passes the deal, other major suppliers, who follow different practices, will not jeopardise their prospects in India. The few countries which want to emphasise their non-proliferation credentials can choose to have their versions of the Hyde Act if they do not want to do business with India. What India now needs is a positive outcome in Vienna, not opportunistic politics at home."
"The July 18, 2005 understanding included an Indian commitment to maintaining its testing moratorium. If we now change policy, the other party cannot be reasonably expected to maintain its half of the bargain. At the end of the day, the US cannot take any position other than to assert that it has the right to terminate cooperation in such an eventuality. On India’s part, we have been equally vigorous in maintaining our right to test in compelling circumstances. This argument would be decided by sovereign decisions and national interests, not by legalistic wording.
In any case, an outcome in India’s favour at the NSG renders this debate meaningless. It is improbable that India will build a strategic reserve sourced from a country that imposes onerous obligations. Once the NSG passes the deal, other major suppliers, who follow different practices, will not jeopardise their prospects in India. The few countries which want to emphasise their non-proliferation credentials can choose to have their versions of the Hyde Act if they do not want to do business with India. What India now needs is a positive outcome in Vienna, not opportunistic politics at home."
Nuclear deal: NSG stuck on the 'testing' clause-India-The Times of India
Nuclear deal: NSG stuck on the 'testing' clause-India-The Times of India:
"A number of countries in the 'holdout pen' are asking for similar language from the NSG that the US is asking for bilaterally. The debate continues. A diplomat said, 'We're stuck on the testing clause''.
The transfers of ENR are not even mentioned in the waiver. This happened under severe Indian pressure, which said that since ENR was not in the NSG guidelines, it should not show up for India.
The concession by India is on the 'review' demand. The new draft asks NSG members to tell each other about their N-dealings with India. The NSG chair will also have to 'confer and consult' with India under the rubric of 'greater partnership' and discuss any changes in the guidelines with India before execution - this gives India a handle on the future."
"A number of countries in the 'holdout pen' are asking for similar language from the NSG that the US is asking for bilaterally. The debate continues. A diplomat said, 'We're stuck on the testing clause''.
The transfers of ENR are not even mentioned in the waiver. This happened under severe Indian pressure, which said that since ENR was not in the NSG guidelines, it should not show up for India.
The concession by India is on the 'review' demand. The new draft asks NSG members to tell each other about their N-dealings with India. The NSG chair will also have to 'confer and consult' with India under the rubric of 'greater partnership' and discuss any changes in the guidelines with India before execution - this gives India a handle on the future."
Monday, September 01, 2008
Is Stealing Cows Good? :
Is Stealing Cows Good? : outlookindia.com:
"If he steals my cow, that is bad. If I steal his cow, that is good'. It's hard not to be reminded of this when the Western countries cry out against Russia's recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two provinces which seceded from Georgia."
"If he steals my cow, that is bad. If I steal his cow, that is good'. It's hard not to be reminded of this when the Western countries cry out against Russia's recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two provinces which seceded from Georgia."
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