Monday, July 02, 2012
Sunday, July 01, 2012
Narendra Modi
I spent much of yesterday watching Narendra Modi video clips on YouTube.
Manmohan Singh has done well by India. Laloo did well by the Indian Railways. Modi has done well by Gujrat.
I have been aware of the BJP background of Modi. But if you believe in democracy as I do you are at peace with people from different ideological backgrounds.
I tried to zero in on Godhra and the aftermath. India has had a long history of cycles of violence where Hindu and Muslim extremists take turns committing heinous acts of terror.
Godhra happened. Right after Modi as the sitting Chief Minister urged calm. But riots followed regardless. Out of control mobs came into the fore and committed major crimes. It was wrong and unfortunate.
Both Godhra and the aftermath were wrong. The aftermath had to be prevented as much as possible. It will remain a blight on India's image.
But I don't think Modi was a Hindu KKK figure actively orchestrating the aftermath. He was not actively involved, although he should have done more to try and control it.
But then there have been Hindu-Muslim riots in Bihar, just not on Laloo's watch.
What Modi has done for Gujrat's development is commendable. Water, road, electricity, broadband. He has focused on the basics and has beat China's growth rates. Gujrat has seen 11% growth.
Going into 2014 Modi is obviously BJP's strongest contender for the PM post. As a distant onlooker I am surely curious as to how 2014 might play out for India. I do think Modi is a strong contender. That is my political observation.
I am also impressed with Modi's modest middle class background. The guy does not have a bank account. For a politician to not be corrupt is a big deal for India.
My number one observation on Modi is to do with development. And there he gets an A+ grade.
As to what will happen in 2014, two years are a really long time in Indian politics.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
2012: The Year The Republican Party Could Die
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 16: An Occupy Wall Street protester sits in Zuccotti Park a day after it was cleared of the Occupy Wall Street camp in an early morning police raid on November 16, 2011 in New York city. Hundreds of protesters, who rallied against economic inequality in America, have slept in tents and under tarps since Sept. 17 in Zuccotti Park. A New York judge ruled Tuesday that the protesters could return to Zuccotti Park but couldn’t set up tents or sleep in the park. Zuccotti Park became the epicenter of the global Occupy Wall Street movement. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)The Right To Peaceful Assembly In New York CityThere is no stopping The Occupy Movement, TOM. Winter is over. Spring is here. And that is all the movement was waiting for. (Occupy Wall Street Could Legitimately Go Indoors) If the movement had not known the winter was going to be as mild as it was, there was never even going to be a break.
The Democratic Mayors of America have a choice to make. Granted the Mayor of NYC is not a Democrat, but he is a former Democrat. And every other elected official in the city is a Democrat, pretty much. The Democratic Party has a choice to make. Either the Occupy movement will breathe new life into the Democratic Party, or it will end up being its own political party.
America might continue to be a two party democracy. But one of those two parties might as well be the Occupy Party. Not now. But who knows where we will stand a year from now?
All the Democratic Mayors have to do is facilitate and celebrate the Occupiers' right to peaceful assembly. If they can't do that the Occupy movement is going to split from the Democratic Party and create its own party.
Total campaign finance reform within the first 100 days of Barack Obama's second term is the only thing that will quench the Occupy movement. Nothing less will. Should that goal be met, then the leaders of the Occupy movement could move on to running for elected office all over the country at all levels of government, armed with nothing more than social media. A new breed politician is about to be born.
The Right To Peaceful Assembly In New York City
Occupy Wall Street protesters have taken over Zuccotti Park as a base of operations. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)It blows my mind that Zuccotti Park is private. It absolutely blows my mind. While we are at it why don't we privatize Central Park as well? Maybe The Donald will buy it. What about Prospect Park? I mean. Isn't there a budget deficit or something? What are parks for? This city needs to buy back Zuccotti Park at the earliest, like this year. And give it to the Occupy people. The Occupy people put New York City on the world map last year like nobody and nothing else. That has to be honored. It is called saying thank you.
Ends up there is no right to peaceful assembly in New York City. There is a right to peaceful assembly in New York City just like there is a right to free speech in Syria. Assad was asked about free speech a few years back. He said, there is free speech in Syria. As long as people are respectful and decent in what they say. Otherwise you will have chaos, he said. Imagine that. Chaos.
There are people in this city who think the Occupy people doing their 24/7 thing in Zuccotti Park last year was chaos. Do they smell? They asked. It took a Time magazine to see the Occupier's worth, and people running this city still don't get it.
And this city is supposed to be the progressive capital of the world? I am not feeling it. I am not feeling the love.
10 million people joining a Facebook group could not have done what 200 people camping out 24/7 in Zuccotti Park did. It had to happen in person. It had to happen 24/7. It needed to happen in a public place.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Russian, Chinese Stands On Syria: Great News
Russia's Putin Feeding Bashar Assad Syrian's Blood (Photo credit: FreedomHouse)For those who don't think Russia and China are just too big, and so there's no hope for democracy entering those domains, their wrong stands on Syria is an opportunity to expose them. Unless they come on board, Libya like military action is not possible, necessary but not possible. But there are so many other options. There is always room for unilateral military action. Aerial bombardments are an option for NATO. America is not seeking Russian and Chinese approval for any possible military action on Iran. But there are several options before that. One is getting the Syrian opposition better organized. That is political work. And the opposition army in Syria could be provided help. So there is no global military action. But there is action on the ground by those who have rightfully defected from the Syrian Army.
Homs Is Benghazi
The best strategy on Russia and China is to engage them. Let them spell out all their arguments. The more they speak in support of a dictator the more they themselves get exposed. People in Russia are listening. People in China are listening. Syria is a great opportunity to expose the dictatorship in Russia. Russia is an example of how you can have elections and still not have democracy.
MSNBC: US drones monitoring clashes in Syria
In a show of support for Assad, China's vice foreign minister, Zhai Jun, arrived in Damascus after the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution telling the increasingly isolated president to halt the crackdown and surrender power.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Republican Porridge (2)
Santorum Drops By Iowa State Fair (Photo credit: Talk Radio News Service)Republican PorridgeWall Street Journal: Santorum Delivers a GOP Stunner
Rick Santorum jolted the Republican presidential race Tuesday with a three-state sweep of nominating contests in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota, puncturing Mitt Romney's claim to be the unstoppable front-runner...... Of the eight nominating contests so far, Mr. Santorum has now won four, while Mr. Romney has won three and Newt Gingrich one—a tally that seemed unlikely only a few days ago. ..... Mr. Santorum's Missouri victory margin was substantial: He won 75,000 more votes than Mr. Romney and 29,000 more than Mr. Romney's combined Iowa and Nevada totals..... what could be a long, state-by-state fight for convention delegates. ...... Super Tuesday..... In a sign of how the race was leaping toward that showdown, Mr. Gingrich spent most of Tuesday campaigning in Ohio, a Super Tuesday state, while Mr. Romney planned to fly Wednesday to Georgia, which also votes that day.
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