nocabbages

Global Oil Reserves

2009-06-15T23:14:00.006+05:30

In an oil-intensive economic age, everyday we are reminded that we will run out of oil in the next few years. So what exactly is the reserve base today and how long will it last? Here's a video from British Petroleum, one of the world's largest energy companies.

Source: The Economist
http://www.economist.com/daily/chartgallery/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13851376

Market - efficient & rational?

2009-06-07T09:52:00.004+05:30

Most economists and marketers go with the belief that the market (consumers) knows what it is doing. Is the belief misplaced? Joe Nocera of The New York Times says that the market is neither efficient nor rational. (Registration-free-required)

The Tiananmen Episode

2009-06-05T13:47:00.004+05:30

Yesterday, June 4, was the 20th anniversary of the historic Tiananmen Square protests in China. Writing on democracy and freedom is one of fav pastimes. However, in this post I will only post a few links that shed light on what is, arguably, the most important event in post-1949 China.

For a complete timeline of the event click here: why, how, and what happened? (BBC)

Probably the single most powerful image of the protest episode was that of the 'Lone Protestor' who dared to stand in front of the military tanks that were called in to quell the protests. Here's a video of the Lone Protestor who was immediately arrested and has since 'disappeared'.

So what is the current mood at the Tiananmen Square like? (The Economist) Has China changed after the Tiananmen Episode? (This is a link to a range of views on the BBC.)

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

2009-06-04T12:38:00.003+05:30

It's been a pretty long time since I blogged on just about anything. Here's a cool video on how the global credit crisis came about.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Stimulating Stimulus Packages

2009-02-02T22:53:00.018+05:30

The global economic slowdown is taking its toll in myriad ways: rising unemployment, decreasing demand, spiralling bankruptcies (both personal as well as corporate), all leading to an adverse impact on the standard of life (and in some cases, quality of life).

On the same subject, today, I read a great piece on the Economist website. Let me cite some excerpts, including a cool interactive graphic, from the article.

Pl note that the interactive graphic feature details the stimulus packages announced by governments of major economies, including India. Pl move your cursor over the highlighted country to read the local stimulus package.

"To stem the slump, governments are fighting back with an activism rarely seen outside wartime. .. Weighted by their economies’ size, the plans of 11 big advanced and emerging economies are worth an average of 3.6% of GDP—though spread over several years. The IMF expects tax cuts and spending worth 1.5% of global GDP to kick in this year.

"In many rich countries the stimulus has been matched—and often dwarfed—by the upfront costs of financial rescues, including the recapitalisation of banks and guarantees for troubled assets. America’s Treasury has so far promised about $1 trillion (7% of GDP) for the finance industry.

"Emerging economies are spilling less red ink, both because their banking industries are in less of a mess and because their stimulus plans, in general, are smaller. But they, too, will shift from a budget surplus in 2007 to a deficit of 3% of GDP.

"If fiscal stimulus is no substitute for financial clean-ups, it is an important support at a time of slumping demand."

An important question here is: does a fiscal plan of spending huge amounts by the government the right response to fight a severe liquidity crunch of this scale?

"Economic theory suggests that makes sense. When firms and consumers are gripped with uncertainty, government spending is a surer way to boost demand. Consumers and firms might save the money. The empirical evidence, however, is less than conclusive. Economists’ estimates for the “multiplier” effect of government spending and tax cuts vary widely, with equally reputable studies showing opposite results. More important, the scale of the global slump means that historical multipliers may not mean very much. That suggests a broad strategy—involving both tax cuts and spending—is prudent."

To read the complete article, click here.

Source: The Economist

Survival Measure in Gaza

2009-01-16T09:44:00.001+05:30

I guess I need not write anything about how desperate times call for desperate ways.

© Patrick Chappatte, International Herald Tribune. Copyright belongs to the owner.

Bush's Fav Words

2009-01-13T16:38:00.005+05:30

The outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush is often the butt of jokes, especially for his way (or the lack of it) with words. The above image carries the words Bush loved to use in his eight State of the Union addresses. Must say one thing: American politicians are obsessed with words like freedom, liberty, and above all, the name of their own country.

India's Terror Dossier

2009-01-12T22:31:00.001+05:30

It's been five months since I blogged last. In this period, I have written, apart from several short essays, seven full-length essays:

(a) Outpost of Tyranny (on the dangerous political and economic situation in Zimbabwe),
(b) A Gate and a Wedge (on the volatile history of modern Afghanistan and the resurgence of the Taliban),
(c) Hades in Darfur (on the humanitarian disaster in Sudan),
(d) Russia's Resurgence (and the rise of a police state, well almost),
(e) 123... and it's done (on the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal),
(f) Island of Blood (on the history of the conflict between the State of Sri Lanka and the LTTE), and
(g) Living in a State of Denial (on the Indo-Pak relationship in the wake of the Mumbai Terror Attacks).

Of course, I can not, for copyright issues, post these essays, running into thousands of words,on this blog. However, what I can do is to blog on my take on issues that are close to my brain.

For those of you who wish to read India's dossier on Pak's terror machinations, click here (Part 1), here (Part 2), and here (Part 3).

From today, I will, for my own sanity, blog on a regular basis.

Video of Chinese soldiers shooting dead Tibetans

2008-07-12T13:09:00.004+05:30

Ever since China occupied Tibet in 1959, the homeland of the Dalai Lama has remained a festering wound in the body-politic of the communist giant.

Let me share with you a video, shot sometime in 2006, capturing the killing of the unarmed Tibetans by soldiers of the Red Army.

India submits Safeguards Agreement to the IAEA

2008-07-10T11:51:00.010+05:30

The Indo-U.S. Civilian Nuclear Agreement has hogged considerable time and space amid intense media scrutiny. The Left parties have withdrawn support; good riddance, I would say.

From the day the agreement was signed between India and the U.S. (July 18, 2005), I have been one of its biggest votaries. I believe the deal is strongly loaded in India's favour and we stand to gain immensely by gaining access to till-now denied dual use nuclear technology.

The deal is not with the U.S. alone; once we get a clearance from the NSG, we are free to trade with any nuclear state for purchase of fuel for civilian nuclear reactors. Basically, the deal is a commercial transaction where India would be a buyer in a market with many suppliers.

The skeptics are shouting from the rooftop that India will become a stooge of the "imperialist" U.S. I can understand this when the Commies, fossilised as their ideology is, say this; however, what is sad is that some nuclear scientists have joined the Commie chorus.

Critics of the deal allege that India, rather than depend on external suppliers, should ramp up its domestic capacity to generate fuel by harnessing thorium and to a limited extent, uranium.

While self-reliance is a great thing, it should not blind our eyes to the immense benefits that the transfer of dual technologies will bring in. And also, harnessing thorium reserves and bringing them to fuel stage will take another couple of decades. Why wait when we have got the money to buy stuff that we require so badly?

Now there is another nagging doubt: what if the U.S. stops supply of fuel? First, in what circumstances could that happen? Here, the provisions of the much-dreaded Hyde Act relate to the U.S. only; it is a piece of domestic legislation governing the U.S. administration's conduct in the case of India testing a nuclear device.

In case, the U.S. stops supply of fuel, then the 2005 agreement has an in-built provision which imposes an obligation on the U.S. to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel from OTHER members of the nuclear club. This provision will help India build a strategic fuel reserve.

Today, the Government of India submitted the draft Safeguards Agreement to Board of Governors of the IAEA, finally. In the draft Safeguards Agreement, the objectives & purposes of the Agreement are laid down clearly:

• India will place its civilian nuclear facilities under Agency safeguards so as to facilitate full civil nuclear cooperation between India and Member States of the Agency and to provide assurance against withdrawal of safeguarded nuclear material from civilian use at any time;

• An essential basis of India’s concurrence to accept Agency safeguards under an India-specific safeguards agreement (hereinafter referred to as “this Agreement”) is the conclusion of international cooperation arrangements creating the necessary conditions for India to obtain access to the international fuel market, including reliable, uninterrupted and continuous access to fuel supplies from companies in several nations, as well as support for an Indian effort to develop a strategic reserve of nuclear fuel to guard against any disruption of supply over the lifetime of India’s reactors; and

• India may take corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted operation of its civilian nuclear reactors in the event of disruption of foreign fuel supplies;

WHEREAS India is desirous of expanding civil nuclear cooperation with other Member States of the Agency;

WHEREAS the conclusion of this Agreement is intended to facilitate the broadest possible cooperation between India and Member States of the Agency in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and ensure international participation in the further development of India’s civilian nuclear programme on a sustained and long–term basis.

What has got the goat of the anti-deal and pro-non-proliferation lobby in the U.S. are the following words:

"India may take corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted operation of its civilian nuclear reactors in the event of disruption of foreign fuel supplies."

The anti-deal and pro-non-proliferation lobby wants India to specify what "corrective steps" will it take in case of disruption of fuel supplies. In fact, the provision reflects the care with which the GoI has framed the Safeguards Agreement.

You can read the complete text of the draft Safeguards Agreement here.

Watch this space for my next write-up on the contentious nuclear deal.

David Addington: Cheney's Brain

2008-06-30T12:55:00.009+05:30

George W. Bush is spending his last year as the president of the world’s most powerful country. Through his two terms in the office, people’s attitude toward Bush has swung wildly; his approval ratings shot up through the roof just after 9/11, while in recent years, they have touched the nadir.

However, if there is one person most people (expect neo-conservatives) dislike (I guess I am exception) it is Dick Cheney, Bush’s deputy. The guy is seen as the brains behind the War on Terror, invasion of Iraq, Guantanamo Bay detention centre, and controversial torture techniques like water-boarding.

However, few people have heard of David Addington. The guy is the brain behind Dick Cheney’s machinations. One of the most powerful behind-the-scenes operators, Addington has, in the process, hurt the ego of many a powerful American politicians.

Last week, Addington was summoned by a U.S. House Committee. Here’s a blow-by-blow account of what transpired in the stormy session. (This is an excerpt from the New Indian Express, which, in turn, culled it from Washington Post – so copyright rests with the original author(s) of the report.) Pl note that italics are mine, for added emphasis.

David Addington was there under subpoena. And he wasn't happy about it.

Could the president ever be justified in breaking the law? “I’m not going to answer a legal opinion on every imaginable set of facts any human being could think of,” Addington growled. Did he consult Congress when interpreting torture laws?

“That’s irrelevant,” he barked. Would it be legal to torture a detainee’s child? “I’m not here to render legal advice to your committee,” he snarled. “You do have attorneys of your own.” He had the grace of Gollum as he quarrelled with his questioners. In response to one of the chairman’s questions, he neither looked up nor spoke before finishing a note he was writing to himself. When Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz questioned his failure to remember conversations about interrogation techniques, he only looked at her and asked: “Is there a question pending, ma’am?” Finally at the end of the hearing, Addington was asked whether he would meet privately to discuss classified matters. “You have my number,” he said. “If you issue a subpoena, we’ll go through this again.” Think of Addington as the id of the Bush White House. Though his hidden hand is often merely suspected — in signing statements, torture policy and other brazen assertions of executive power — Addington’s unbridled hostility was live and unfiltered Thursday.

He sat slouched in his chair, scratching his moustache, as Jerry Nadler of New York, chairman of the Constitution subcommittee, warned about “the unaccountable monarchy” before offering Addington five minutes to make an opening statement. Addington spoke for a minute and 12 seconds — most of which was devoted to correcting two errors in Nadler’s introduction. “Is that the entirety of your statement?” the chairman asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Addington replied.

“I’m ready to answer your questions.” He sure was. When John Conyers, Democrat–Michigan, inquired about Addington’s pet legal concept, a “unitary executive theory” that confers extreme powers on the president, Addington dished out disdain. “I frankly don’t know what you mean by unitary theory” Addington replied.

“Have you ever heard of that theory before?” “I see it in the newspapers all the time,” Addington replied.

“Do you support it?” “I don’t know what it is.” The usually mild Conyers was angry. “You’re telling me you don’t know what the unitary theory means?” “I don’t know what you mean by it,” Addington answered.

“Do you know what you mean by it?” “I know exactly what I mean by it.” Addington went on to explain how the enemy’s actions — “smoke was still rising. ... 3,000 Americans were just killed” — justified his legal reasoning. And he showed abundant disdain for dissenters, such as Rep Arthur Davis, Democrat – Alabama, who asked whether Addington consulted lawmakers about anti-torture statutes. “There is no reason their opinion would be relevant,” he answered.

Addington’s insolence appeared to embolden another witness on the panel John Yoo who took Rep Keith Ellison, Democrat – Minnesota, on a semantic spin when asked about whether a torture memo was implemented.

“What do you mean by ‘implemented’?” Yoo asked.

“Mr Yoo,” Ellison pressed, “are you denying knowledge of what the word ‘implement’ means?”

“You’re asking me to define what you mean by the word?” “No, I’m asking you to define what you mean by the word ‘implement’.” “It can mean a wide number of things,” Yoo demurred.
After several such dances around the questions, Rep Steve Cohen, Democrat – Tennessee, offered his grudging respect: “You guys are great on ‘Beat the Clock’,” he said.

“I don’t play basketball,” Yoo replied.

“That was a game show,” Cohen explained.

But Yoo was not about to win a nastiness contest with Addington. As Wasserman Schultz, Democrat – Florida, questioned him, he put his chin in his hand, stroked his beard and cut off the congresswoman with an offer of advice “that may be helpful to you in asking your questions.” Schultz, declining the offer, asked him to describe an interrogation he witnessed in Guantanamo Bay Cuba. “You could look and see mouths moving,” Addington answered. “I infer that there was communication going on.” Cohen asked Addington to explain his curious theory that the vice president is not part of the executive branch.

Addington explained that the vice president “belongs to neither” branch but is “attached by the Constitution” to the Congress.

“So he’s kind of a barnacle?” Cohen inquired.

“I don’t consider the Constitution a barnacle,” he said reproachfully.

Cheney’s Cheney continued to dole out the scorn (“You asked that question earlier today and I’ll give you the same answer.”) until Bill Delahunt, Democrat – Massachussetts, the last questioner, inquired about waterboarding. “I can’t talk to you — al-Qaida may watch these meetings,” Addington said.

“I’m glad they finally have a chance to see you, Mr Addington,” Delahunt joked.

“I’m sure you’re pleased,” he growled.

---------------

What guts! What temerity! I like this guy.

If you wish to watch the complete Q&A session video, here it is. Pls note that the video is 1 hour 26 min long. It's an engrossing watch.

India will be ruled by the Left

2008-06-16T17:10:00.003+05:30

A. B. Bardhan is one of the grand dads of the Communist movement in India. The man is anything but sane. If you think I am kidding then just read his response when he was asked:

Do you believe that Left still has a role to play?
A. B. Bardhan: Of course. In last five years, communists are ruling Latin America and sooner or later India would also come in its grip. Capitalism is no solution to the food security. As I said India will not be an exception.

What a scary, even if preposterous, thought!! Just imagine the horror of it all. I can't help echoing the profound cry of Kurtz in the Heart of Darkness: "Horror! Horror!!"

You can read the complete interview here.

Mugabe's goons burn opponent's wife alive

2008-06-13T20:20:00.005+05:30

If you had thought that Robert Mugabe could not do anything worse, his militant goons have perpetrated the most horrendous crime when they burnt alive the wife of Patson Chipiro, a well-known political rival of Mugabe. The incident comes just two weeks before Mugabe and his archrival, Morgan Tsvangirai, face a presidential race run-off.

Following is an extract from a news report from the Timesonline website:

"The men who pulled up in three white pickup trucks were looking for Patson Chipiro, head of the Zimbabwean opposition party in Mhondoro district. His wife, Dadirai, told them he was in Harare but would be back later in the day, and the men departed.

"An hour later they were back. They grabbed Mrs Chipiro and chopped off one of her hands and both her feet. Then they threw her into her hut, locked the door and threw a petrol bomb through the window.

"The killing last Friday – one of the most grotesque atrocities committed by Robert Mugabe’s regime since independence in 1980 – was carried out on a wave of worsening brutality before the run-off presidential elections in just over two weeks. It echoed the activities of Foday Sankoh, the rebel leader in the Sierra Leone civil war that ended in 2002, whose trade-mark was to chop off hands and feet."

The sheer horror of the act speaks of the depravity and inhumanness of the Mugabe regime - all in the name of power.

GoI's Energy Policy and Other Recommended Readings

2008-06-09T12:45:00.007+05:30

India is one of the largest importers & consumers of oil & gas in the world. The Government of India's energy policy, like most of its policies, has seldom been transparent. Eminent economic analyst Surjit Bhalla of Oxus Investments analyses the GoI's figure-juggling, and at times, convulated, energy policy.

Continuing the post-1991 Russian story of corruption, here's another story on how the Russian bureaucracy steals one-third of the annual budget.

Pervez Musharraf has seen better days. I guess the former General should cheer up for the worst is yet to come.

Check another incisive article on the Pakistani President; this time it is from the venerable Al Jazeera.

U.S. Strategy to Stay Put in Iraq

2008-06-06T21:59:00.002+05:30

Iraq is one of the most under-reported nations in our part of the world. Ever since the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, the country has been devastated by sectarian violence, suicide bombings, worsening security situation, and human rights abuses by all parties involved. If this was not enough, arbitrary detentions, Kurdish attacks, grinding poverty, and rising unemployment have only exacerbated the already fragile existence of the ordinary Iraqi.

In April 2003, the Americans were welcomed with open hands by desperate Iraqis as they broke free from the 24-year tyrannical rule of Saddam Hussein. In our part of the world, there is a saying: Guests should not overstay. It’s not that the Americans had invaded just to liberate the Iraqis from Saddam’s iron fist; they had come to stay put. The invasion was the first step to establish a strong base, not merely a foothold, in one of the most oil- & gas-rich nations in the world.

While the invasion ‘easily’ opened the door to Iraq, controlling and securing the country has taken a severe toll on the Americans – both in terms of money and men. In fact, it has become a major headache for policy honchos in the White House, Capitol Hill, and the Pentagon.

The war in Iraq is the costliest war in American history, with some estimates topping $1 trillion. It has also taken the lives of over 4000 American soldiers, the highest toll in any single war theatre since the end of the Cold War.

The American troop presence in Iraq is geared to meet the geo-strategic objectives of the world's lone superpower. The U.S. also looks at Iraq as a doorway to the energy storehouse of the world - Central Asia. With troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. has effectively encircled another thorn in its flesh: Iran. (I will focus on the Iran angle in another post.)

On June 5, The Independent published a startling revelation of American strategy to turn Iraq into a country-size military base. Here's an excerpt:

“Under the terms of the new treaty, the Americans would retain the long-term use of more than 50 bases in Iraq. American negotiators are also demanding immunity from Iraqi law for US troops and contractors, and a free hand to carry out arrests and conduct military activities in Iraq without consulting the Baghdad government.

“Washington also wants control of Iraqi airspace below 29,000ft and the right to pursue its “war on terror” in Iraq, giving it the authority to arrest anybody it wants and to launch military campaigns without consultation.”

The U.S. has already the hackles of the various Iraqi groups, opposed to the presence of the American troops, especially the Iran-backed Shiite groups.

The influential former Iranian president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has castigated the U.S. saying that "[The] essence of this agreement is to turn the Iraqis into slaves before the Americans, if it is sealed".

The U.S. plan is expected to generate heated debate within Iraq and without. I expect some crackling fireworks in the next few days.

Source:
Revealed: Secret plan to keep Iraq under US control
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/revealed-secret-plan-to-keep-iraq-under-us-control-840512.html

Zimbabwe: A snapshot

2008-06-03T17:41:00.010+05:30

It's been a month since my last post. It's been a busy summer. Quite busy.

Since May 3, a lot of water has flown down the Ganga. Remember it's summer.

Let me take you to Africa where Zimbabwe has moved from bad to worse. In the second week of May, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe issued a Z$500 million note, again with an expiry date. By the way, Z$500 million will get US$2 (yes, you read it right - two US dollars in exchange for 500 million Zimbabwean dollars). Check the picture of a Z$250 million note (issued a week before the Z$500 million bill came).

Inflation has zoomed to over 1,00,000 per cent. President Robert Mugabe and his archrival, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC, are bracing for a June 27 run-off in their battle for the presidency.

While the ordinary Zimbabweans suffer hunger and malnourishment, Mugabe, accompanied by his wife and a few cronies, is in Rome to deliberate at the FAO on the global food crisis. The irony can hardly be missed. Mugabe’s economic policies have systematically reduced the country to a basket case and rendered its people destitute.

Compounding the misery of the hapless Zimbabweans is the attitude of the country’s army. Martin Chedondo, the army chief, barely concealed his loyalty to Mugabe when he said that:

“The constitution says the country should be protected by voting and in the 27 June presidential election run-off pitting our defence chief Comrade Robert Mugabe (against) Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC, we should, therefore stand behind our commander-in-chief. [...] We have signed and agreed to fight and protect the ruling party's principles of defending the revolution.... If you have other thoughts, then you should remove that uniform. Or we will remove it for you.”

With the army hand in glove with the dictator, I see little hope for the Zimbabweans. Watch this space for updates on the situation in Zimbabwe.

Cuba, The Castro Clan's Fiefdom

2008-05-03T18:43:00.000+05:30

Politics is a cesspool in which opportunists wallow in a slime of corruption and nepotism. While this is old news in our part of the world, I found that this was pretty much the way of life even in the Communist Utopia of Cuba.

“During the past few years family members of both Fidel and Raul Castro have come to occupy important positions in Cuba's government. This Castro clan represents in addition to the military, the security apparatus and the Communist Party, a significant force in Cuba's political and economic structures.”

The list below is in the order of Name, Relationship, and Position held.

Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart
Fidel Castro's son
Advisor, Ministry of Basic Industry

Col. Alejandro Raul Castro Espin
Raul Castro's son
Chief, Intelligence Information Services, Ministry of the Interior; Coordinator, Intelligence Exchange with China

Ramon Castro Ruz
Fidel's and Raul's oldest brother
Advisor, Ministry of Sugar

Dr. Antonio Castro Soto
Fidel Castro's son
Investment Chief, Frank Pais Hospital. Doctor for Cuba's baseball team

Col. Luís Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja
Raul Castro's son-in-law
Chief Executive Officer of Grupo GAESA (Grupo de Administración de Empresas, S.A.) which supervises military enterprises

Major Raul Alejandro Rodríguez Castro
Raul Castro's grandson
Raul Castro's military guard in charge of his personal security

Deborah Castro Espin
Raul Castro's daughter
Advisor, Ministry of Education

Mariela Castro Espin
Raul Castro's daughter
Head, Center for Sexual Education

Marcos Portal Leon
Married to Raul Castro's niece
In charge of nickel industry, member of the Central Committee of Cuba's Communist Party

Alfonsito Fraga
Related to Raul Castro
Ministry of Foreign Relations

I would not worry about this kind of naked nepotism but for the fact that the Commies always accuse their ideological opponents of succumbing to the follies of power politics.

The Commies with a capital ‘C’ are the same everywhere: opportunists, frauds, and blood-suckers. A life of sweat and toil is for the masses while perks and luxuries are for the Red Hued.

In the light of the above list, I can say that Fidel Castro was certainly NOT the Last Man Standing (with apologies to David Baldacci).

Long Live the Revolution!! The Revolution to Deprive People of their Freedom and Happiness!!!

Source:
Cuba Transition Project
http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu/FACTS_Web/Cuba%20Facts%20Issue%2039%20April.htm

Essential Readings for May 2

2008-05-02T12:30:00.007+05:30

Starting today, this blog will carry, in addition to my ramblings, links, with short commentaries, to some good reads on the web. So here we go.

In the last leg of the Olympic torch relay, the flame will pass through many parts of the host country including Lhasa. Check out this cool interactive feature to know the path of the torch relay in China.

Water is the elixir of life. Or so it is said. When a river passes through more than one country, it often turns into a source of conflict between the nations. It's not just that states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are fighting over sharing of river water; nations also are going to war. Today strategic thinkers say that the next round of civil wars or international wars would be fought over sharing of scarce water resources. Does water always lead to trouble? I strongly recommend this long but superb article on this important issue.

On the entertainment side, check out this picture slideshow of the $2 billion palace being built by Mukesh Ambani. The slideshow takes us right into the world's first billion dollar home.

What the Chinese think about the West

2008-05-02T11:42:00.007+05:30

It's been an age since I last blogged about my biggest interest: foreign affairs. I do not know how much has the world changed in the last twelve days. Has it changed for a Zimbabwean, for an Iraqi, for an Afghan, and for a Chinese?

The last word brings to the mind the 'torch travails' of the Chinese. The autocrats in China would have believed that the torch relay would be a great way of showcasing the best of China to the world. Little would they have anticipated that it would turn into a public relations disaster.

The 'torch relay' has put the human rights abuses, especially in Tibet, under the scanner. Critics say that these abuses are being perpretated by the commie regime in Beijing. In India, the torch relay generated its own controversy, an issue to which the Indian media has already devoted reams of newsprint and space (and I don't intend to).

The native Chinese feel hurt and dismayed at the double-standards of the western governments and the media alike. What do the overseas Chinese living in the USA and Europe feel about this issue?

I recently came across this poem written by an overseas Chinese. I am reproducing some parts of the poem:

"When we closed our doors, you smuggled drugs to our markets.
When we embraced Free Trade, you blame us for taking away your jobs.

When we were falling apart, you marched in your troops and wanted your “fair share”.
When we were putting the broken pieces together again, “Free Tibet” you scream, “it was an invasion!”

So, we tried communism, you hated us for being communists.
When we embraced capitalism, you hate us for being capitalists.

When we have a billion people, you said we were destroying the planet.
When we tried limiting our numbers, you said it is human rights abuse.

When we were poor, you thought we were dogs.
When we loan you cash, you blame us for your debts.

When we build our industries, you called us polluters.
When we sell you goods, you blame us for global warming.

When we buy oil, you call that exploitation and genocide.
When you fight for oil, you call that liberation and democracy.

When we were lost in chaos and rampage, you wanted rule of law for us.
When we uphold law and order against violence, you call that violating human rights."

If you wish to read the complete poem, check it out here.

Putin's Romance with Power

2008-04-20T17:12:00.011+05:30

Love stories of politicians (of all hues) fascinate us all. Such affairs, most kept under wraps for obvious reasons, help the media make money, lend political rivals ammo, and the general public fun and scandal (depending on your point of view).

Last week, Moskovsky Korrespondent, a racy tabloid, published an editorial stating that Russian President Vladimir Putin had divorced Ludmila (Lyudmila), his wife of 25 years, and is all set to marry Alina Kabayeva, an Olympian gold medalist gymnast and a sitting member of the Parliament (she represents Putin's party). My first reaction? I thought Putin was going the Sarkozy way!!

While Putin reacted angrily to the news report, the gymnast also rubbished the story.

It is a rare first for a Russian publication to carry a story on their President's love life. In a polity whose every nuance is controlled by Putin, the publication of such a story, unsubstantiated at that, was bound to have repercussions. Heads had to roll.

And heads did roll. The editor of the publication resigned. The company that financed the publication backed out. It is now widely believed that the publication is all set to shut shop.

In the current international system, Putin is an exception. Exception because of his I-don't-give-a-damn-attitude towards the U.S. and western Europe. An autocrat, the former KGB spy has only one goal: to turn Russia into a global military powerhouse.

Putin believes that he can achieve this on the back of military technology amid an unprecedented oil boom - the idea being that energy money would help finance the development of highly advanced military technology.

More on Putin's plans for Russia later. But here's a peep (published in 2005 - well, three years in a marriage is an age) into the Russian President's conjugal life, in the words of his wife, Ludmila. And yes, Putin is a typical Oriental husband.

After stepping down from the presidency, Putin is returning as the Prime Minister. Who said that autocracy died with the demise of the Soviet Union?

XP's going out

2008-04-18T10:16:00.000+05:30

Almost all posts on this blog feature issues concerning our national security, defence, foreign policy, and international terrorism.

This time around, I am posting a note, albeit a short one, on a tech-related issue that concerns most computer users. Microsoft has announced that Windows XP will be phased out by June 30. So what does it mean for XP users? Check out this article.

Commie Doublespeak

2008-04-16T16:38:00.005+05:30

It is an open secret that the Communists in India owe their allegiance to China. That they care more for the progress, welfare, and 'image' of China than for their motherland could be known from their policies on defence and economic issues.

Last week, the ruling Communist party banned protests by Tibetan exiles. For a change, the print media (count out The Hindu) spoke out against commie doublespeak.

Here's an excerpt from an editorial in The Telegraph, published from Kolkata:

“Many years ago, the walls of Calcutta buildings used to declare in ugly graffiti that “China’s chairman is our chairman”. The possessive pronoun in the slogan signified the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). This craven loyalty to China was resurrected by none other than the government of West Bengal, when last week it prohibited a rally to protest against the repression being carried out in Tibet by the Chinese government. That prohibition order is somewhat unique: neither the government of India nor any other state government has instituted such a ban on any show of protest by Tibetans against the Chinese government. To see such an order being passed on a protest rally in a city like Calcutta is enough to take anyone’s breath away. Calcutta is famous (or infamous) as a city of processions and rallies; the party that heads the government of West Bengal, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has on innumerable occasions taken out rallies to protest against acts of “imperialist aggression” by the United States of America. But when it comes to China, the CPI(M) and the government it runs quietly and shamelessly retract their radical fangs... The exhibition of this kind of solidarity has only served to reveal the scant respect the CPI(M) and the government of West Bengal have for democracy and its rights. This might win the CPI(M) a few points in China but will fetch it none in India. It has covered the party in shame.”

I could have hardly put my views better than this.

Source:
Doublespeak
Editorial
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080416/jsp/opinion/story_9141947.jsp

China's Cyber War

2008-04-15T21:48:00.005+05:30

China has, over the years, been indulging in industrial espionage. It has been trying various means to get its hands on sophisticated western technology.

China has, in fact, penetrated (with alarming success) American and western European companies and research labs to get access to sensitive military and industrial technology, especially related to missile defence and advanced weaponry.

The Communist giant is now waging a cyber war through hacking the networks of the western industrial behemoths. It's only natural that these attacks have left the governments in these countries nervous and shaky.

Shaken by these attacks, the western intelligence agencies, backed by their political masters, all pulling all stops to stop the Chinese hackers. Will they succeed?

Just last week, the Government of India vehemently denied that Chinese hackers have crashed the computer networks belonging to the Ministry of External Affairs.

We in India always live in denial.

A cup of tea for $204 million!!

2008-04-13T17:16:00.003+05:30

Would you buy a cup of tea for Z$204 million? Yes? No? Or are you simply confounded? I guess you would not be if you were in Mugabeland. Check it out here.

In this article Chris McGreal of The Observer traces the history of the current crisis in Mugabeland. In this superb article, the author talks of how a seemingly innocuous letter sent a decade earlier could have ignited the flames which have engulfed today's Zimbabwe.

And yes, do not forget to read why Mugabe has called Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister, a tiny dot.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Mugabeland

2008-04-10T21:45:00.008+05:30

I became interested in countries like Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa when I was around 13. A land's physical geography, history, people, culture, and polity have always fascinated me.

I remember the names of three leaders from Africa: Robert Mugabe, Sam Nujoma, and Nelson Mandela. Let me ramble about Mugabe's Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is one of Africa's most 'in-the-news' countries. The history of Zimbabwe since its independence from Great Britain in 1980 runs parallel to the history of the presidency of Robert Mugabe, one of the world's longest serving head of state.

Under Mugabe, Zimbabwe has turned into an international basket case. Polity-wise, Mugabe has, with an iron fist, turned the country's sham democratic system into a one-man rule. There is press censorship, political repression, and arbitrary detention of political rivals. In fact, last year Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe’s biggest rival and head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was tortured after being arrested on a trumped charge of treason.

Also, Mugabe has systematically, and, to the dismay of ordinary Zimbabweans, 'successfully', destroyed the country's economy. He pursued radical and arbitrary land reforms, which saw the transfer of land from white farmers to blacks. Like his other corrupt policies, the end beneficiaries here were not the poor Zimbabweans but Mugabe’s political supporters. (Come to think of it, politicians everywhere are the same.)

Foreign investment has dried up. Unemployment is peaking. Power supply is almost non-existent. Infrastructure is crumbling.

Today, Zimbabwe has the world’s highest inflation rate – 26,000 per cent, though unofficial figures put it at a staggering 8,00,000 per cent!! The purchasing value of the currency has plunged so much so that it is now being issued with expiry date!!!

In a recent article, Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe's biggest challenger, has voiced fear that Mugabe might use force to 'steal' the presidential election. Mugabe's ZANU-PF has already lost the recent parliamentary election to the MDC.

Will there will be change in Harare? The events in the next few days will give us the answer.

9/11 hatched by the CIA?

2008-04-08T16:44:00.005+05:30

How often have you heard that the 9/11 attacks were a conspiracy hatched by the CIA, hand in glove with the Bush Administration? Another famous conspiracy theory is that these spectacular attacks were the end result of a plot hatched by The Mossad.

Were these attacks really conspired by the CIA / Bush Administration / The Mossad? How about a rebuttal from Al-Qaeda itself?

Check this Video.

When all else fails, cry conspiracy.

Lies, Distortions, & The Hindu

2008-04-04T23:43:00.004+05:30

An independent press is one of the four pillars of democracy, a genuine one at that. The press in India is free, well largely, of government control. But is it free from prejudice?

The Indian Express is largely anti-establishment while The Times of India is pro-whatever increases its bottom-line.

Even regional newspapers have their own axe to grind. Take for example, the Hyderabad-based Deccan Chronicle which is pro-Congress while the vernacular daily, Eenadu, is pro-TDP and vehemently anti-Congress.

Not that I care about these newspapers. Newspapers tell us what they want to tell us.

When it comes to reflecting bias and a deep prejudice, one newspaper, which calls itself India’s only national newspaper, takes the cake. No marks for guessing the name of the newspaper. Yes, I am referring to The Hindu.

The Hindu is owned, managed, and edited by hardcore communists. Run like a family enterprise, The Hindu is unabashedly pro-Communism, pro-China, anti-Hinduism, anti-BJP, anti-America, and anti-Capitalism.

Never mind, the “liberal and secular” intellectuals would have us believe otherwise.

Let me cite a couple of examples. The Hindu advocates a tough line against the Indo-U.S. civil nuclear deal. The daily says that the government should not go ahead with the deal as it is loaded in favour of the U.S., the epitome of imperialism. It also says that the deal impinges on our national sovereignty.

All the while the newspaper maintains an eerie silence on China’s nuclear deal with the U.S. To get the deal, China agreed to all terms dictated by the U.S. To propel its fast-growing economy, China needs energy. So it got the deal, whatever be the conditions.

So what about India? Well, the daily says that India should rely on indigenous technology to get energy and also import such resources from untrustworthy nations like Iran (I will reserve this for some other day). China should progress, India should not. Why? Because China is communist!!

Just look at what’s happening in Tibet. While the unrest, riots, and consequent repressive measures unleashed by the Chinese authorities made headlines across the world, The Hindu didn’t carry any major news story on the explosive situation. The commie mouthpiece simply toed the Chinese government’s line, copied reports from the Chinese official media agency and published them in its pages.

Like the Chinese government, The Hindu has called the Dalai Lama a liar and a subversive element. In fact, in an op-ed in the edition dated April 3, 2008, The Hindu had this to say about the Dalai Lama:

"What those urging China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama fail to recognise is the fact that Beijing’s main constituency is not the international community but its own domestic public. For Beijing to appear ‘soft’ on the Dalai Lama would be as politically unpalatable domestically asit would be in the United States were Washington to decide to engage in dialogue with Osama bin Laden."

To read the article, click here.

Just look at the comparison: the Dalai Lama is like Osama bin Laden!! One of the greatest pacifists of our time is being equated with the most dangerous terrorist the world has ever seen. A bankrupt ideology (read Communism) has coloured the way The Hindu reports the truth.

Think. Think hard.

India's Tibet Travails

2008-04-02T22:30:00.005+05:30

A short backgrounder on Tibet:
Tibet, before its occupation by China in 1959, was a theocracy. The occupation saw the killing of thousands of Buddhist monks by communist China’s military. In the years after the escape of the Dalai Lama, the besieged nation’s top spiritual leader, on horseback to India, almost all symbols of the ancient heritage of Tibet have been systematically erased. Jawaharlal Nehru had, even before the ’62 war, recognized Tibet as part of China.

Today there is a Tibetan government-in-exile with its headquarters in McLeodganj in Himachal Pradesh. Thousands of Tibetans—both first generation refugees and their descendants—have made India their home. Over the years, India extended moral and diplomatic support to the Tibetans.

All that is changing and how.

Last year the U.S. Congress conferred the 'Congressional Gold Medal' on the Dalai Lama. China was quick to denounce the U.S. move to honour its bête noire.

For fear of antagonising China and its stooges in India – the Indian commies (like Prakash Karat & A. B. Bardhan), the UPA government asked its ministers (& top bureaucrats) to avoid meeting the Dalai Lama upon his return from the U.S. (In more normal times, such meetings would not even classify as news. But then we live in not-so normal times.)

In March this year, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM), Pranab Mukherjee, ‘advised’ the Dalai Lama not to conduct any political activities from India. The EAM said that “[We] will continue to extend the Dalai Lama all hospitality, but during his stay in India, he should not do any political activity that could adversely affect relations between India and China”.

I believe that this policy of publicly distancing herself from the Tibetans is a deliberate move by the Government of India. The reasons for this significant shift are not far to seek:

(a) Nuclear Deal. India needs China’s approval in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to get a waiver;
(b) Trade. Burgeoning trade between the two nations – as of now, China is India’s second biggest trade partner;
(c) Reciprocity. Kashmir is India’s bugbear just as Tibet is China’s.
(d) 1962 defeat. Rarely acknowledged but nevertheless our humiliating defeat continues to shape our almost condescending attitude towards China.

However, what worries me more is that if this could happen when the Dalai Lama is around, imagine what would happen after his death. As of now, the Tibetan community (outside Tibet) does not boast of even a single individual with the charisma, and more importantly, spiritual hold, to replace the Dalai Lama. So is the Tibetan movement doomed? Let me not sit in judgement here.

I hate to sound pessimistic, but maybe the Indian government is simply waiting for the Dalai Lama to pass away. At least then, we would not have to put up the charade of standing up for the freedom-loving, oppressed, and repressed.

Afghanistan's Opium Brides

2008-03-31T15:05:00.016+05:30

One of my major interests is to read and write on international affairs. (I write for my company publication.) Societies especially those that promote violence elsewhere have always sustained my interest for a good 19 years now. As a logical corollary, I am equally interested in societies that are at the receiving end of such exported, often proxy, violence.

One such society is Afghanistan. A God-forsaken place (the Taliban would kill me for this blasphemy!), Afghanistan is one of the world's most lawless states wracked by ethnic, sectarian, and political violence. Almost all violence is perpetrated by the Taliban (the word comes from Talib, meaning 'student'), created and nurtured by Pakistan.

Pakistan promoted the Taliban and helped it capture Kabul in 1996, in the process ousting a pro-India regime. One major objective behind this Paki move was to secure the Durand Line (the boundary line between Afghanistan & Pakistan). Why? Well, Pakistan strategised that if the western border could be secured by putting in place a pro-Pak regime in Kabul, then it could move its military forces away from the Durand Line to the eastern border with India, esp. in Kashmir. (In light of these facts, we can well appreciate the rise in infiltration and terrorist activity in J&K, all culminating in the Kargil misadventure by the Pak army.)

When the Taliban captured power, of course in league with Al-Qaeda, it became the first terrorist organisation in the world to run a state. The Taliban government was, as expected, recognised by three states only - Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

The Taliban imposed a very strict and ultra-orthodox variety of Islam on the multi-ethnic society of Afghanistan. Men had to grow beards; women had to sit at home and could venture out only if accompanied by male member of the family. All forms of entertainment - TV, cinema, music - were banned on grounds of being unIslamic.

The country under the Taliban resembled a medievel state with terrorism and opium being its major exports. It was from here that Osama planned the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. In hindsight, the spectacular attack on the twin towers also brought about the terrorist regime's downfall.

America issued an ultimatum: Either you are with us, or against us. Pakistan, faced with a Hobson's choice and afraid of dire consequences, preferred to sleep with the Taliban's enemy. The War on Terror had begun when the Pakis threw out their baby (read Taliban) with the hot water.

Backed by the U.S.-led coalition forces and India, the Northern Alliance, a ragtag alliance of desperate warlords all united by their fear and hatred of the Taliban, captured power. Ever since, the Taliban, now covertly supported by the Pak military and the ISI, has been trying, albeit in vain, to recapture Kabul.

Where do the Taliban get money to fund their military strikes against the U.S. & NATO peace-keeping forces? The zealots extract ransom from opium farmers. While Islam forbids the cultivation of such crops, it is a matter of convenience for the Taliban. (I guess 'faith in religion' has always been a matter of convenience.)

Today Afghanistan contributes 91 per cent of all opium produced in the world. Most of it is grown in the south, especially in the Helmand province controlled by the Taliban.

The Hamid Karzai administration, under pressure from the U.S., has systematically destroyed thousands of acres of opium farms. While the move appears positive, it has brought in its wake massive suffering to those whose farmlands have been destroyed. How?

In a land where the State, if we look at the welfare function of it, is absent, eking out the simplest form of existence often becomes a matter of life and death. No irrigation, no organised credit, no seed bank, and no help of any kind from the State have pushed even the unwilling farmer into producing opium.

A dangerous consequence of the destruction of the opium farms has been the growth in the number of the opium brides. What's this?

Let me explain this social tragedy. When an opium farmer borrows money from a drug trafficker, who's hand-in-glove with the Taliban and corrupt government officials, to raise a crop, he promises to pay the trafficker a particular quantity of the crop (opium).

The razing of thousand of acres of standing crop by the government has driven the opium farmer to the edge. The ruthless drug trafficker, as is his wont, presents a stark choice to the opium farmer: face death or give the daughter in marriage.

More than the fear of death, it is for his love of the whole family, the farmer is forced to 'sell' his daughter to the drug trafficker. The girl, in most cases is under 14; the drug trafficker is generally not below 40. Girls married off in this fashion are called opium brides.

Such opium brides live a life worse than death. They are not allowed to commit suicide, for death would be an escape, escape from the clutches of hell.

She works like a slave, from the crack of the dawn to the end of the day. She can't leave the house without being accompanied by a male member of the family; can't talk to anyone deemed a stranger; can't attend school or educate herself, and is covered from head to toe by a burqa.

For all practical purposes, she remains the trafficker's sex slave, to be sexually and physical assaulted by him. All this would happen to someone who is below 14.

If a farmer would say no i.e. not 'sell' his daughter, then he meets death in a ghastly manner. Wish to know how?

First, the farmer's hands and legs are bound. Next, he is thrown into a windowless room with a smouldering fire. The farmer slowly chokes his way to death.

I strongly believe that violence is endemic to societies which lack respect for basic human freedoms. The Taliban's atrocities have only reinforced my belief.

Rowing through Hell

2008-03-29T15:57:00.005+05:30

I am being rowed through Paradise on a river of Hell:
Exquisite ghost, it is night.
The paddle it is a heart; it breaks the porcelain waves...

I'm everything you lost. You won't forgive me.
My memory keeps getting in the way of your history.
There is nothing to forgive. You won't forgive me.
I hid my pain even from myself; I revealed my pain
only to myself.
There is everything to forgive. You can't forgive me.
If only somehow you could have been mine,
what would not have been possible in this world?

- Agha Shahid Ali, The Country Without a Post Office

20 Great Money Rules

2008-03-28T15:03:00.001+05:30

Recently, I came across this list of so-called great money rules. Are they? Post your comments.

1. Be humble
When you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it -- this is knowledge. (Confucius)

2. Take calculated risks
He that is overcautious will accomplish little. (Friedrich von Schiller)

3. Have an emergency fund
For age and want, save while you may; no morning sun lasts a whole day. (Benjamin Franklin)

4. Mix it up
It is the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow and not to venture all his eggs in one basket. (Miguel de Cervantes)

5. It's the portfolio, stupid
Asset allocation...is the overwhelmingly dominant contributor to total return. (Gary Brinson)

6. Average is the new best
The best way to own common stocks is through an index fund. (Warren Buffett)

7. Practice patience
It never was my thinking that made the big money for me. It was always my sitting. Got that? My sitting tight! (Edwin Lefevre)

8. Don't time the market
The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them. (Peter Lynch)

9. Be a cheapskate
Performance comes and goes, but costs roll on forever. (Jack Bogle)

10. Don't follow the crowd
Fashion is made to become unfashionable. (Coco Chanel)

11. Buy low
If a business is worth a dollar and I can buy it for 40 cents, something good may happen to me. (Warren Buffett)

12. Invest abroad
The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. (St. Augustine)

13. Keep perspective

There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know. (Harry Truman)

14. Just do it
It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

15. Borrow responsibly
As life closes in on someone who has borrowed far too much money on the strength of far too little income, there are no fire escapes. (John K. Galbraith)

16. Talk to your spouse
In every house of marriage there's room for an interpreter. (Stanley Kunitz)

17. Exit gracefully
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. (Pablo Picasso)

18. Pay only your share
The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that carries any reward. (John M. Keynes)

19. Give wisely

The time is always right to do the right thing. (Martin Luther King Jr.)

20. Keep money in its place
A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart. (Jonathan Swift)

Source:
20 Timeless Money Rules

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0708/gallery.20_rules.moneymag/index.html

My First Post

2008-03-28T13:51:00.003+05:30

Here's one of my most fav poems:

She by the river sat,
And sitting there, she wept,
And made the river,
Deeper by a tear.