Out Of The Box Thinking On Burma: Total Engagement?

I am for a total engagement with Cuba, for example. That is the best way to bring about political plurality on that island.

Freedom rings in every human heart. When given a choice, people want to be free. But the message from sanctions ends up being, you starve the population and they will be forced to come out into the streets. I am not sure that is the best way to go about it.

The question we have to ask is, whatever it is that we are doing, is it working?

I think one of the two extremes has to be followed, either total sanctions, or total engagement. Forget China, not even Britain is on board with the idea of sanctions. A lot of British companies are making a lot of money doing business in Burma. And India has decided it can't let China run the only show inside Burma.

And whatever we decide has to be done in close coordination with the National League for Democracy, Suu Kyi's party. If they want continued sanctions, so be it. But I think all big powers speaking in unison saying lifting of all sanctions is on the table if the junta will set Suu Kyi free will be a big step in the right direction. If the junta will agree to free all political prisoners, and they will agree to a roadmap to democracy as agreed to by the NLD, I think we should be open to the possibility of engagement.

What I am most worried about right now is that momentum might be lost. Soon it will be winter, And then it might be lost for good for at least half a year.

India Has To Get Into The Business Of Aggressively Exporting Democracy
Bush Meeting Dalai Lama: Is That All You Can Do For Burma?
Burma: 400, 000 Members, 400,000 Dollars
Burma: Time For Nonviolent Guerilla Warfare
Burma: Time For Hyper Action
The World Is Failing Burma
Burma: Than Shwe Is Going To The Hague
Britain Is Betraying Burma
Burma: Time For All Out Sanctions By All Powers
Burma: Momentum Is Key To Victory
Shame On The Top Politicians Of The World: Burma Asks For More
In Solidarity With The Burmese People




New York City For Barack Obama 8
New York City For Barack Obama 9

In The News

UN Envoy Says Burma Should be Offered Incentives Voice of America
United Nations Envoy in Talks for Early Return to Burma Voice of America
Can Ibrahim Gambari Save Burma? TIME
Burma junta: 3000 detained in protest USA Today
Burma Junta: Crackdown continues on protesters USA Today
Burmese regime frees high-profile protesters Guardian Unlimited freed the country's leading comedian and a revered actor and his wife ...... Oscar-winning actor Kyaw Thu ..... Burma's leaders said they would continue to hunt down the leaders of the demonstrations ..... The regime acknowledged that almost 3,000 had been arrested, though it said only about 500 were still being held; those freed had been made to sign "pledges". ...... the regime claimed it had discovered large quantities of explosives at a Rangoon monastery ..... 48 blocks of US-manufactured high-explosive had been found at the Nan Oo monastery ....... growing testimony emerging from Burma told of deaths, torture, starvation and lack medical treatment in overcrowded detention facilities.
Burma blames monks for violence Melbourne Herald Sun
Burma admits holding 468 protesters Bangkok Post
UN demands help for hungry in Burma Bangkok Post, Thailand
UN Seeks More Aid For Burma AHN
HRW calls on China to end repression in Burma Bangkok Post, Thailand
China: Take Concrete Action on Burma Now Human Rights Watch
China urged to slap arms embargo on Myanmar AFP
Don't let the Burmese become forgotten people The Age, Australia
Britain Prepared to Offer Burma Aid in Exchange for Reform Voice of America
India's policy flounders on Burma Rediff
Experts Urge China, India to Exert Pressure on Burmese Government Voice of America
Crisis in Burma: Can the US Bring About a Peaceful Resolution? US Department of State, DC Three weeks have now passed since the start of Burmese military and security forces’ brutal crackdown on civilians and Buddhist monks for peacefully expressing their desire for democracy and change. ...... While the streets of Rangoon are now eerily “calm” and the regime tries to project a return to “normalcy and stability,” the situation is anything but normal. ........ October 13 arrest of “88 Generation Students” activist Htay Kywe and four others ...... continues to raid monasteries and arrest activists, and is holding hundreds – possibly thousands – of detainees, including “88 Generation” leaders Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Htay Kywe, Pyone Cho, Jimmy, and others. ......... death last week of National League for Democracy (NLD) member Win Shwe, who was arrested and tortured ....... maintain maximum pressure on the regime, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to end the repression, release the prisoners, and initiate a genuine dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and the democratic opposition, and with the ethnic minority group, that leads to a peaceful transition to civilian, democratic rule. ....... of a broader effort to build the strongest possible international diplomatic pressure on the regime. ..... The First Lady’s continued personal attention to the Burma crisis has effectively helped keep the international spotlight on the regime’s brutal behavior and the need for peaceful transition now. House and Senate resolutions and letters have also been tremendously helpful. ........ The adoption by the UN Security Council of an unprecedented Presidential Statement on Burma on October 11 ........ Gambari is the only one in the international community who has been able to gain access to both the regime leadership and to Aung San Suu Kyi. ..... The Department of State also identified additional senior regime officials and their immediate family members – now totaling over 800 names – as potentially subject to the Presidential Proclamation that suspends the entry into the United States of persons who formulate, implement, or benefit from policies that impede Burma’s transition to democracy. ....... tough economic measures are necessary and perhaps the only way of getting the regime’s attention ....... doubled Burmese language programming on Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. ....... we are dealing with a military entrenched in power for over four decades that will not easily or willingly give up the absolute power and perquisites it enjoys. ..... The Burmese military has forcefully insinuated itself over four decades into every fiber of the country and runs a parallel economic and social system that enriches it while impoverishing the rest of Burma. ........ On October 15, EU Foreign Ministers imposed additional sanctions banning the export of logging and mining equipment to Burma, barring the import from Burma of such products, and prohibiting investment in these sectors in Burma. The Government of Australia also announced its intention to implement targeted financial sanctions against regime figures and supporters. ....... India’s message and support for U.S. efforts in the United Nations is undercut by actions, such as its announcement to invest over $100 million in a transportation development project in western Burma, which is adjacent to recently explored offshore gas fields. India can and should do more given its stature as the world’s largest democracy; its voice and actions, at this time, are critical. ...... China has the most influence on the regime and its policies. China facilitated UN Special Advisor Gambari’s September 29 – October 2 visit to Burma by urging the regime to allow him to meet with Senior General Than Shwe and Aung San Suu Kyi. Significantly, China also joined the international consensus to speak out about the situation in Burma by supporting the UN Security Council’s October 11 Presidential Statement on Burma.
Canada gives honary citizenship to Burma's democracy leader Radio Australia
China faces a tricky balancing act in Burma Financial Times, UK the insular, defiant Burmese military regime ........ China, which shares a 1,400-mile border with Burma, has growing economic interests in the country and has until now shielded its regime from international action. ........ during the Cultural Revolution when China supported serious communist insurgencies in Burma. ...... China must also consider its interests in harnessing Burmese energy and raw materials to the development of its economically backward province of Yunnan ....... Beijing must balance its support for the current regime with the prospects for maintaining good relations with a future civilian democratic government in Burma. ....... must be careful not to foster resentment among the Burmese public that might turn into violence against the large Chinese immigrant population in Burma, as it has in the past. ........ While Beijing is undoubtedly disgusted with the generals’ performance both politically and economically, it is unlikely to act unilaterally to bring them into line. Rather, Chinese leaders will find it more attractive to keep the UN in the lead, supporting its efforts to press the Burmese regime into genuine dialogue and political reform, but working at the same time to moderate the language of UN statements and resolutions
We will step up sanctions on Burma - PM 10 Downing Street
Pressure Myanmar, UK tells India Times of India India does not want to be drawn down the sanctions route. There's a way to prevent that. India should offer Burma incentives to change, more engagements but with the threat that if the regime does not change there will be consequences." ..... India, he said, has "not yet had the opportunity to state itself quite so strongly as the others, or demonstrate so strongly". .... India also has a substantial diaspora in Myanmar and the government does not want to jeopardise their future.
Brown pledges Burma support InTheNews.co.uk
Burma tourist tells of chained children, pregnant women The Age, Australia children and pregnant women among the families of pro-democracy supporters, chained together and under heavy guard on a river ferry deep inside Burma. ...... crackdown on dissidents now probably extends to their relatives and is being carried out in a thorough and ruthless fashion by the ruling military junta, even in remote parts of the country. ........ From the look on their faces and their frequent tears, it was clear that they believed they were travelling to almost certain death." ....... One of the shackled women was nine months pregnant ...... "There were 10 men, 10 women and four boys in chains," he said. "The youngest was about eight. Because there was no room on the boat, they were placed next to us and we had to walk through the group whenever we went to the toilet. The prisoners were kept in pairs, handcuffed together. "They would be taken to the toilet in pairs, escorted each time by three guys carrying machine guns. There were about 15 armed guards all told." .......... bound for a detention centre in Tayet.
China Needs to Act on Burma Associated Content, CO
US calls on world to increase pressure on Myanmar AFP
Burma: EU approves tougher sanctions Adnkronos International Italia

Obama chats about cousin Cheney with Leno Chicago Tribune
Does Obama's Message Match the Moment? Washington Post, United States
Edwards Takes on Clinton's Character Washington Post
Can Obama Criticize and Unite? Washington Post
Obama Hopes to "Close the Gap" Washington Post
Democrats 2008: Hillary 45%, Obama 20% Angus Reid Global Monitor
Clinton disappointed as Obama closes funding gap Independent "This race for the White House has been brought to you by American Express..." ...... It hasn't reached that stage yet, but the money chase for the 2008 presidential election is already on track to collect an unprecedented $1bn total. ........ the two were not very far apart. .... He appealed to them to overthrow the "most entrenched political machine in Democratic politics", thereby highlighting concerns about the dynastic nature of American politics. Mr Obama doesn't mind reminding voters that 40 per cent of Americans have only known a Bush or a Clinton in the White House. ......... Giuliani ..... he has been spending more than he has raised, some $13.3m. All of this has gone on salaries, security and consultants, without a dollar being spent so far on advertising. ........ the money pouring in to the anti-Iraq war campaign of Ron Paul. He raised $5.3m in the last quarter – nearly matching John McCain
Next MySpace-MTV 'presidential dialogue' to feature Obama CNET News.com, CA
Barack Obama To Participate In MySpace/MTV Dialogue On October 29 MTV.com
Hillary Clinton’s Wall Street Windfall New York Times, United States
Next New Networks buys 'Obama Girl' site Reuters An online entertainment network founded by former MTV Networks Vice Chairman Herb Scannell has acquired BarelyPolitical.com, creators of the wildly popular "Obama Girl" Web music video.
Obama, Romney top money chase in Northwest Seattle Post Intelligencer Obama has raised far more Washington state money than any other presidential candidate. ....... Romney is the top fundraiser in Oregon and Idaho. ...... Obama has raised more than $1.1 million in Washington ..... the presidential candidates have raised more than $6 million in the three Northwest states - a fraction of the $416 million they have raised nationwide in the first nine months of the year. ...... Among Republicans, Romney is the clear choice in the Northwest money race. He was the top GOP fundraiser in all three states, raising $558,273 in Washington, $457,248 in Idaho and $392,260 in Oregon.

Can Benazir Bhutto save Pakistan's President Musharraf? Christian Science Monitor
Benazir Bhutto's Massive Welcome TIME
Bhutto makes triumphant return to Pakistan USA Today
Brownback Said to Be Dropping Out New York Times
China summons US ambassador to protest over Dalai Lama AFP
Iran dialogue better than sanctions: Putin Reuters

Putin attacks US foreign policy, announces new nuclear weapon AFP said he wanted the ruling United Russia party to preserve his policies after December parliamentary elections, confirming that he wants to retain major political influence after leaving office. ........ called the US intervention in Iraq a "dead end" and called on Washington to set a deadline for the withdrawal of troops. ........ energy-rich Russia could not suffer the same fate. To think so, he said, was "political erotica." ....... Iran's nuclear power programme, saying Moscow's insistence on negotiations was better than "threats, sanctions or even force." ........ was also planning a "completely new" atomic weapon. ...... sixth phone-in during eight years in power ....... saying this party's victory would ensure that his policies over the last eight years continued. ........ he was "against cutting the powers of the president of Russia" ....... economic growth of 7.7 percent ...... he remains by far the dominant political force in a country where there is almost no outspoken opposition. ........ no major politician has yet expressed interest in seeking the presidency, while polls indicate the parliamentary election will give Putin's United Russia party an overwhelming majority. ........ he may return to the Kremlin for a third term after a break -- something the constitution does not bar. ....... Later Thursday Putin was to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Moscow for talks expected to focus on Iran's Russian-backed nuclear programme.
Russian chess: Kasparov vs. Putin The Christian Science Monitor The virtual Putin autocracy (Russia hardly qualifies as a democracy anymore) draws its overwhelming popular support from a well-oiled economy. Last year, it grew 6.6 percent. ....... inflation, unemployment, and poverty have dropped significantly, while real incomes have increased, along with the state's petro-driven budget surplus. Whomever Putin handpicks as his successor is just fine with most Russians, polls show. ........... "The goal of the Other Russia is not winning elections, but to have an election" ...... New election rules mean further demise of opposition parties ....... Russian TV shuts out Kasparov (except as a subject of ridicule). Nashi, the pro-Putin youth group, disrupts Other Russia meetings, and Other Russia protesters have been arrested. Kasparov spends a small fortune on bodyguards. His celebrity is a protection but not a guarantee.
Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan AP More than 150,00 jubilant supporters gathered to greet her amid massive security. ..... was in tears as she descended the steps of a commercial flight that brought her ...... "I counted the hours, I counted the minutes and the seconds, just to see this land, to see the grass, to see the sky. I feel so emotionally overwhelmed" ..... clutched prayer beads in her right hand ....... She said she was fighting for democracy and to help this nuclear-armed country of 160 million people defeat the extremism that gave it the reputation as a hotbed of international terrorism. ....... It would take a constitutional amendment for her to be prime minister again ...... the spirit of huge crowds forming in Karachi. ..... Hundreds of buses and other vehicles festooned with billboards welcoming her back were parked bumper-to-bumper along the boulevard from the airport to the city center. ...... groups of men performed traditional dances, beat drums or shook maracas along the way. ...... said he had "blind faith" in Bhutto's leadership. ....... a government spokesman claimed her rally was a flop. ...... The crowd seemed far smaller than the 3 million Bhutto claimed had turned out to welcome her. Its size was estimated at 150,000 ....... showed that Bhutto's party machinery remained intact despite her absence. ...... Bhutto told reporters that her homecoming felt like a miracle. ...... 20,000 officers were deployed there and along the route into the city. .... "People are intelligent now, they don't buy this rubbish," said Kamran Saleen, a 38-year-old businessman who lives near Karachi airport. "They know politicians can't make much difference." ........ Musharraf has seen his popularity plunge since a failed attempt to oust the country's top judge in the spring. The rapprochement with Bhutto appears aimed at boosting his political base as he vies to extend his rule. ...... Bhutto said she doubted the judges would stop either
Swearing at work boosts team spirt, morale: research AFP Regular swearing at work can help boost team spirit among staff, allowing them to express better their feelings as well as develop social relationships ........ swearing would become more common as traditional taboos are broken down ...... helped foster solidarity among employees and express frustration, stress or other feelings. ...... Banning swear words and reprimanding staff might represent strong leadership, but could remove key links between staff and impact on morale and motivation ...... leaders sometimes need to 'think differently' and be open to intriguing ideas. ...... master the 'art' of knowing when to turn a blind eye
BBC unveils 1,800 job cuts AFP some of the biggest staff cuts in the corporation's history. ...... a swathe of other cost-saving measures including selling its west London headquarters, three percent annual efficiency targets for the next six years and making 10 percent fewer new programmes ...... will also merge its largely separate television, radio and online news operations into one newsroom. ....... "smaller but fitter" organisation.

India Proposes to Rein in Foreign Investment New York Times a plan to ban anonymous investment and curb derivatives issues. ...... The proposal could affect half of foreign market investments in India. ..... Reining in runaway stock markets has become a focus of finance ministers across Asia in recent months. ...... Many investors welcomed the announcement.
Obama: What, Me Worry? Guardian Unlimited ``Hillary is not the first politician in Washington to declare 'Mission Accomplished' a little too soon,'' Obama said, referring to President Bush's 2003 speech in which he stood beneath a banner with those words and declared the end of major combat in Iraq. ..... predicted that his wife, Michelle, could best former President Clinton in a debate. He also groused about Bush's Iran policy and fessed up to sloppy housekeeping. ..... Obama's appearance on Leno's stage was one of three talk-show interviews he has scheduled on a swing through Los Angeles. He also was taping segments for Public Broadcasting Service's ``Tavis Smiley,'' to air Thursday, and ``The Ellen DeGeneres Show,'' which will run Oct. 29. ..... ``I don't want to be invited to the family hunting party,'' he said
Putin Is Said to Offer Idea on Standoff Over Iran New York Times during an extraordinary meeting with Iran’s supreme leader ...... “We will think about what you said and about your proposal,” even as he added that Iran was “determined to provide our country’s need for nuclear energy.” ....... Putin also warned the West against a military attack on Iran, stressing that Tehran had a right to peaceful nuclear energy. ...... Putin said during his meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei that Russia was ready to “expand ties without limitations.” As Iran’s most senior official, the ayatollah has final word on state matters, and his decision to see Mr. Putin was regarded as significant in itself.
Gore’s Campaign Donations New York Times
Obama is vice-president's distant cousin, says Cheney's wife Guardian Unlimited
Obama and Cheney are 'cousins' Aljazeera.net
Veep's Wife Says Hubby and Obama RelatedThe Associated Press
Former Clinton administration aid endorses Obama Reuters
More bad polling news for Obama Baltimore Sun
Patrick to endorse Obama Boston Herald
Hoosiers gave most money to Obama, Giuliani Indianapolis Star
How wooing pig farmers might stop Hillary Clinton hogging the votes Times Online

Google Says Its Health Platform Is Due In Early 2008 InformationWeek
Google to supply health record services Xinhua Google will provide personal health record services which allow consumers to travel around the world and supply their medical records protected by passwords to local doctors ...... the scale of health-related information is huge, with an estimated 2 billion X-rays alone created every year. ..... looking at creating a special layer of doctor and medical-related locations on its online Google Maps service. This could help people find local doctors, understand their specialties or related practitioners. ...... by noticing the number of searches users perform with its Web search services for hard-to-diagnose health problems, often simply by typing symptoms into a Web browser. ........ an electronic health record service called Microsoft HealthVault.
Google Says 'Stay Tuned' For Google Health CRN

India Has To Get Into The Business Of Aggressively Exporting Democracy

Spread Democracy
Revolution

India has to get into the business of aggressively exporting democracy. That is the only way it can become America's number one ally in the world. That is the only way it can become a global superpower.

It is rather easy to do. You allow for the diaspora of the target country to work freely in your land, and you provide them with maximum moral and logistical support. When you can't do that directly, do it through the private and NGO sectors. China can't ask the Prime Minister of India to make an Indian CEO not give a million dollars to a Burma democracy group, for example. India is a free country. What if that CEO is a friend of the Prime Minister? And a friend of a friend of both delivered a secret, back channel message that the Prime Minister would like it a whole lot if the CEO would pump the money. The reward would be a vacation together somewhere down the line.

For India to compete with China to try to please the thugs in Burma is stupid, it is insane, it is outlandish, it is hurtful, it is plain defeatist. That is to suggest the one party ideology in China and Burma are superior to the free ways of India. And when you put a bright guy like Manmohan Singh at the helm, India has shown a democracy can grow just as fast.

Burma is a total test case. India needs to rediscover its zeal for Suu Kyi that it had in the early 1990s. I propose nonviolent guerrilla warfare. You get the Burmese democracy activists super organized, you fund them to the hilt, and you let them loose upon the junta. A Burma that might receive active help from India to become a democracy is going to be a Burma that will be in the best economic interests of India once we attain victory. Suu Kyi as Prime Minister is going to remember her friends in need.

Spreading democracy is a science, it can work like clockwork. Burma and Zimbabwe are ripe targets. Let these two countries give reason for America and India to form a super partnership that brings not only the two governments, but also their private and NGO sectors together for the cause of democracy.

Millions of people coming out into the streets to shut the country down completely day after day until the junta gets out of power totally and unconditionally: that is the only way. Momentum has already been lost once, because the world only extended moral support. Sophisticated logistical support has to be provided. It is still not too late.

Let's not kid ourselves. Ultimately China itself is game. That country is going to have to become a federal, multi-party democracy of state funded parties. It does not have to become a democracy like America is today, but it will have to meet half way. Tibet is going to be a state in China like Texas is in America. Or maybe not Texas, that is not a great example.

Bush Meeting Dalai Lama: Is That All You Can Do For Burma?
Burma: 400, 000 Members, 400,000 Dollars
Burma: Time For Nonviolent Guerilla Warfare
Burma: Time For Hyper Action
The World Is Failing Burma
Burma: Than Shwe Is Going To The Hague
Britain Is Betraying Burma
Burma: Time For All Out Sanctions By All Powers
Burma: Momentum Is Key To Victory
Shame On The Top Politicians Of The World: Burma Asks For More
In Solidarity With The Burmese People



In The News

America's Strategic Opportunity with India: The New U.S.-India Partnership By Nicholas Burns Foreign Affairs The rise of a democratic and increasingly powerful India is a positive development for U.S. interests. Rarely has the United States shared so many interests and values with a growing power as we do today with India. By reaching out to India, we have made the bet that the future lies in pluralism, democracy, and market economics. ........ building a close U.S.-India partnership should be one of the United States' highest priorities for the future. ....... a unique opportunity with real promise for the global balance of power. ....... share an abundance of political, economic, and military interests ....... Our open societies face similar threats from terrorism and organized crime. ....... an instinctive mistrust of authoritarianism. ........ six in ten Indians view the United States favorably. ..... our fastest-developing friendship with any major country in the world. ....... explosion in private-sector ties, the greatest strength in the relationship ....... a growing U.S.-India campaign to promote stable, well-governed democracies around the world ........ can attain a true global partnership ....... put American and Indian principles and power together .... President Franklin Roosevelt had been an ardent champion of India's cause; many Americans saw the vision of the United States' separation from the British Empire reflected in the hopes and dreams of Indian freedom fighters. ........ large multiethnic, multireligious democracies. ....... collaborated on India's extraordinary "green revolution," which helped end India's famines; and rushed military assistance to India during its border war with China in 1962. ....... India's "Smiling Buddha" nuclear test in 1974 ...... recent dramatic strengthening of U.S.-India ties. ....... India's historic economic reforms of the early 1990s, led by Manmohan Singh, then finance minister and now prime minister, opened India to the global economy for the first time and catalyzed the extraordinary boom in private-sector trade and investment between the United States and India that continues today. ........ as the twenty-first century began, the global order started to undergo a tectonic shift, and India's emergence as a global force was obvious for all to see. ........ the greatest of globalization's challenges -- international drug and other criminal cartels, trafficking in women and children, climate change, and especially the rise of terrorism and its potential intersection with weapons of mass destruction -- ......... In this radically changed global landscape, the basic interests of India and the United States -- the world's largest democracy and the world's oldest -- increasingly converged. ......... India's May 1998 nuclear tests ...... 14 rounds of talks over two and a half years. Talbott's negotiations with Singh were Washington's first truly sustained strategic engagement with the Indian leadership. ......... jump-start their relationship in four strategic areas: civil nuclear energy, civilian space programs, high-tech commerce, and missile defense. ...... full civil nuclear cooperation with energy-starved India. ....... long and sometimes difficult negotiations. ...... For the first time in three decades, India will submit its entire civil nuclear program to international inspection by permanently placing 14 of its 22 nuclear power plants and all of its future civil reactors under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Within a generation, nearly 90 percent of India's reactors will likely be covered by the agreement. ......... a mark of U.S. respect for India. ....... U.S. firms to work with India to construct nuclear power plants to meet its need for electricity. ....... forced to dig deep into our reserves of creativity and tenacity ..... Afghanistan ..... has pledged over $750 million for reconstruction ....... cooperation between the United States and India in Afghanistan has been close and encouraging. ....... A considerable peace dividend awaits both India and Pakistan ....... we in Washington view its growing influence in the world as broadly congruent with U.S. interests. Both countries seek to promote democratic principles and institutions around the world because we know that stable democracies are largely peaceful and better able to manage the consequences of globalization. ......... it is hard to think of two other countries with as much at stake or as much to offer to global stability. ........ UN Democracy Fund in 2005 ...... active leaders in the Community of Democracies, a group of over 120 nations committed to assisting other countries on their path to democratization. ........ science, advanced information technologies, and health services. ........ realistically, guarding against undue optimism and excessive expectations ....... Differing histories, cultures, and geographies will make for a healthy but sometimes argumentative friendship. The United States and India will need to work together more effectively in four primary areas: military and intelligence, agriculture and education, energy and the environment, and freedom and democracy. ........ counter terrorism, drug trafficking, and nuclear proliferation ....... strengthen their military, intelligence, and law enforcement relationships ...... annual joint air force and naval exercises .... India's robust navy travels the sea-lanes linking the Middle East and Africa with East Asia ....... peacekeeping, an area in which India is a major global force. ....... terrorism is a central threat to both countries. ........ a second green revolution to help India's rural poor. ...... nearly 700 million of its citizens -- 25 percent of the world's poor -- live on less than $2 a day. ........ cold-storage facilities, supply chains, and food-processing technology ...... An Indian global trade policy that increases liberalization and stimulates significant and sustained trade in agriculture and manufactured goods would benefit all, and so would the opening of India's retail, banking, and insurance sectors. ....... more students from India at colleges and universities in the United States than there are students from any other country ........ Georgia Institute of Technology will open a campus in India ...... global climate change will be the most significant challenge of the future ....... increasingly dynamic, creative, and high-tech societies. ...... India, home to .. the world's most profitable wind energy company ........ Some of India's fellow nonaligned countries are among the world's most oppressive and antidemocratic regimes. India's defense of those countries in resolutions at the United Nations and its political and military cooperation with some of them -- most notably Burma -- is anachronistic. Burma is a cruel dictatorship ....... Indians will need to ask themselves if their civilizational link with the Iranian people shall be confused with support for the interests of the irresponsible theocratic regime in Tehran. ....... with other rising democracies, such as Brazil and Indonesia. ...... international institutions, including the UN, will need to adapt to permit a greater leadership role for a rising India. ...... the big breakthrough in U.S.-India relations was achieved originally by the private sector. ....... both governments are playing catch-up with the extraordinary business-led trade and investment growth of the last two decades ......... Boeing alone sold $11 billion worth of aircraft last year to India, one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets. ...... General Electric houses its second-largest research center in Bangalore. A number of India's blue-chip companies -- in banking, pharmaceuticals, and information technology -- are listed on U.S. stock exchanges. ...... Microsoft's largest such enterprise outside of Redmond, Washington. ....... The virtual bridge between U.S. high-tech centers and the Hyderabad-Bangalore corridor in India is the most obvious example of the high-tech future. ...... more than one in seven start-ups in Silicon Valley is founded by an immigrant from India. ..... 2.5 million Indian Americans ...... the wealthiest and best-educated immigrant community in the country. ...... 720,000 Indian U.S. visa applications this year ...... the U.S. consulate in Chennai issues more U.S. visas for skilled workers (43,000 last year) than any other U.S. diplomatic post in the world ....... substantial contributions in both countries and across diverse fields. ....... Stanford graduates Sabeer Bhatia and Vinod Khosla founded Hotmail and Sun Microsystems ....... Yale graduate Indra Nooyi became the CEO of PepsiCo last year .... Harvard Business School graduate Rajat Gupta went on to head McKinsey worldwide. ...... astronaut Kalpana Chawla ....... The rise of a new U.S.-India strategic partnership over the last two decades is one of the most significant and positive developments in international politics. ....... Today there is more of a strategic upside to our relationship with India than there is with any other major power. ...... unique opportunity over the next generation to rewrite history as it ought to have been written in the first place: the world's oldest democracy will finally count the world's largest as one of its closest partners ....... the planet's future lies in pluralism, democracy, and market economics rather than in intolerance, despotism, and state planning.

Bracing for a Turkish Strike in Iraq TIME The Turkish Parliament on Wednesday authorized military operations into neighboring Iraq to hunt down guerrillas of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK, which continues to launch attacks inside Turkey that have killed more than 30 Turks in recent weeks. ....... after a "large-scale initial land offensive." He added that "as far as is possible, Turkish troops will not venture into heavily populated territory. This will be a surgical operation. Turkey's aim is not to invade Iraq." ...... The situation is also complicated by the desire of the Turkish military to improve its standing among ordinary Turks after its failed attempt to block the election of the moderate Islamist Abdullah Gul as the country's President earlier this year.
The Republicans' Big Senate Fear it has become irresistibly imaginable: the idea that Democrats might gain a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate after the 2008 elections. ...... five long-serving Senators recently announced their retirements ..... the G.O.P. has 22 seats up in 2008, while the Democrats must defend just 12 ....... Democrats have even latched on to the 60-seat dream as a fundraising tool. ....... if former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey decides to return to the political stage in his home state ...... Cook predicts a Democratic pickup of up to five seats with Virginia, Colorado, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Maine ........ Minnesota, where the strongest Dem candidate appears to be comedian Al Franken. ...... The four — Maine's Susan Collins, New Hampshire's John Sununu, Gordon Smith of Oregon and Norm Coleman of Minnesota — are constantly on the spot, whether it's because of near-weekly votes on President Bush's strategy in Iraq or popular legislation to expand stem cell research and children's health care. The strategy has forced some defections, such as Collins and Coleman on Iraq and Sununu on children's health care. ........ Governor Jeanne Shaheen, who plans on tying Sununu to Bush as much as possible. "On the war, he's essentially voted with President Bush seven times now." There are some signs the strategy is working: Sununu is trailing Shaheen in most New Hampshire polls.
China's Next Big Export: Inflation
Does the Dalai Lama Still Matter?
The Point of Putin's Tehran Trip

Beware Dick Cheney

Hillary Must Have Known

Only a few weeks back Hillary called Dick Cheney Darth Vader. She must have known Dick Cheney and Barack Obama are cousins. I think Hillary has decided to go negative this primary season.

Impeach Bush-Cheney, Nancy Pelosi Gets To Become First Female President
Dick Cheney, Nelson Mandela, Howard Dean

So

Does this mean Barack Obama is good with a gun or bad with a gun? I am trying to figure out.

NYC

I took to NYC like duck to water. This city is custom-made for me. I like the whole package deal, the filth, the stench, the noise, the street food, the crowds, especially the crowds. Welcome to the Third World. I am in total love with New York City.

• Zone 3/The Blue Zone: Positive, Creative Group Dynamics.
• Social Concentric Circles.

Reverend, What Do You Do?

I think the hardest thing for me being in New York City for over two years now has been to explain to people as to what exactly it is that I do. I used to try and give an honest answer, try and be as precise as possible. I am working to win the Nobel Peace Prize. I am going to be bigger than Michael Dell. One of them is enough to lose people. When you mix both, it sounds like more than a career switch, it makes people want to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. People don't get the impression they are in the presence of greatness. They think it outlandish. So now I try to do the nice, diplomatic thing. I have a young company that I can't tell you anything about because you are not one of my investors. People can live with that.

From inventing nonviolent militancy to the IC vision is no career switch. It is a continuation of your work. You are still moving in the same direction. In my worldview, democracy is the starting point for any country. And then if you want to bridge the gap between the so-called First World and Third World, the internet is the only way to do it, so you try to get as many people in the Global South online as possible through market efforts. Where is the career switch? I don't see one. Inventing nonviolent militancy means I am great with group dynamics.

A black reporter once asked Jesse Jackson on national television, "But, Reverend, what exactly it is that you do!"

At the last DL21C event I went to, this guy who accompanied the guest speaker asked me, I found myself sitting at the same table, "What do you do? Are you a doctor?"

"I am not a doctor, but I am very smart!"

In my travels all over America, I got that so very often. I don't think there is any small town in America anywhere that does not have an Indian doctor and a Chinese restaurant. Way to go.

"Are you a Patel?" That was another big one. I once saw this huge billboard in Tennessee off the interstate, "Motel, run by Americans!"



Racial Politics In America Just Got Very Complicated

Now I find myself rooting for a Dick Cheney cousin. Could that still count for progressive?

Barack: Black Enough For Me

In The News

Dalai Lama Says His Successor Could be Chosen by Unorthodox Method Voice of America
China calls US medal for Dalai Lama a "farce" Reuters
US honor for Dalai Lama angers China CNN International
Clinton Eclipses Obama, Giuliani, Romney in Wall Street Money Bloomberg Clinton raised more money on Wall Street last quarter than Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney combined. ..... $748,896 .... $177,456 for Obama ..... lead in public opinion polls and disciplined campaign ..... Clinton supporters say raising money became easier in recent months as she showed she can run a largely mistake-free campaign. Her debate performances and surge in the polls also helped ......... Clinton's biggest third-quarter take came from Morgan Stanley, the world's second-largest securities firm. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Mack held an event for Clinton ....... second quarter, when Obama, 46, raised $739,579 and Clinton followed with $424,545 ...... a market correction ..... ``The promise of Obama was sort of like the tech start-up that got people very excited early on, but he really hasn't delivered the steak with the sizzle.'' ........ Democratic strategist Steve McMahon said that while Wall Street ``behaves like a futures market,'' Obama still has a good shot at the nomination. ``Barack's future is going to be determined not on Wall Street, but on Main Street -- in small towns all across Iowa and New Hampshire and if he wins there, Wall Street doesn't matter,'' said McMahon, who isn't aligned with any campaign.
IMF warns about impact of biofuels on food prices Forbes
IMF trims 2008 global economic forecast MarketWatch
IMF raises China's 2007 economic growth forecast to 11.5 percent International Herald Tribune
NTPC to set up 1980 MW project in Bihar Hindu a 1,980 MW (3 x 660 MW) coal based power project at Nabinagar in Aurangabad district in Bihar. ..... the existing 220 MW capacity under renovation at Muzzaffarpur in Bihar.
Gore Says He Doesn't Plan Run for US Presidency (Update1) Bloomberg
Support Wanes in House for Genocide Vote New York Times
Parliamentary Democracy In Russia? Forbes
Cheney, Obama are 'cousins'. Sydney Morning Herald
Barack Obama and Dick Cheney 'are cousins' Times Online
Obama and Cheney, Making ConnectionsWashington Post
Clinton disappointed as Obama closes funding gap Independent
First thoughts: Calendar madness MSNBC The possibility that both parties will have two separate primary calendars is growing more likely by the day, especially after the Iowa GOP set Jan. 3 as its date and the South Carolina Dems are set for Jan. 26 (when the SC GOP is going on Jan. 19). While it may make sense in the backrooms of a rules and bylaws committee meeting at the RNC or DNC, the average voter is probably going to be confused. ....... And this is the democracy we're trying to export around the world? ...... Obama went after Clinton yesterday -- both complimenting her and describing the politics she practices as timid and divisive. ...... “If every move you’re making is based on a static politics where you are looking backwards and this is what the polls tell me, this how much room we have to maneuver … you’ll be a vast improvement over George Bush,” he said. “But you are not going to deliver on the major challenges, and you are not going to set a broad vision for the country.” .......... So far, the Clinton camp has responded to all Obama attacks the same way: Is this the "politics of hope"?
Giuliani, Clinton Lead in Tri-State Area The Associated Press New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. ......NEW YORK ..... Hillary Rodham Clinton, 49 percent ..... Barack Obama, 12 percent ...... NEW JERSEY ..... Hillary Rodham Clinton, 46 percent ...... Barack Obama, 20 percent ..... CONNECTICUT ...... Hillary Rodham Clinton, 43 percent ..... Barack Obama, 16 percent ....... New Yorkers Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Rodham Clinton hold commanding leads on their home turf and could sweep presidential primaries in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Feb. 5. With the Republicans' winner-take-all primary rules, Giuliani could win all 183 tri-state delegates, giving him 15 percent of the 1,228 he needs to secure the nomination. Because Democrats allocate primary votes proportionally, Barack Obama and John Edwards could win some tri-state delegates, but Clinton could win more than 250 of the 2,181 she'd need for the Democratic nomination.
Poll: Giuliani, Clinton poised for tri-state primary sweep Newsday Giuliani and Clinton "can count on their Northeast neighbors to give them an early bumper crop of delegates ....... Edwards ... in Connecticut he runs third with 8 percent, just ahead of the state's senior senator, Christopher Dodd, with 7 percent. ...... Clinton could win more than half the 468 delegates at stake, giving her 250 of the 2,181 she'd need ...... Clinton trumps Giuliani in New York, 50 percent to 36 percent. But the matchup between them in both Connecticut and New Jersey is a statistical tie
Thompson cautions against Clinton obsession Boston Globe
Widow of Paul Tsongas Wins House Seat in Possible Preview of '08 ABC News In the end, though, Tsongas credited her ideas more than her name for her victory. ...... Tsongas is the first woman this state has sent to Congress in more than two decades. ....... Ogonowski's loss by six percentage points "sent a message." ...... This race was noted around the country as a possible indicator of voting trends in the presidential primaries and caucuses. Tsongas made opposition to Iraq her central theme. ....... the first woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts in 25 years
Giuliani has built a national campaign machine New York Daily News also has opened offices in half a dozen other states: California, Florida, North Dakota, Illinois, Missouri and New Jersey. ....... Super-Duper Tuesday because of the 20 primaries planned for the day, enough to seal a potential victory. ....... Giuliani has been able to stay atop the national polls without having to spend a dime on expensive TV commercials - a benefit of his post-9/11 fame. ...... the campaign has staffers on the payroll in less traditional states, among them Delaware, Connecticut, Georgia and Michigan. ...... His campaign teams in Florida and California, meanwhile, are now equal in size to those in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina
India-US accord on nuclear energy in doubt Globe and Mail The pact would reverse three decades of U.S. anti-proliferation policy by allowing the United States to send nuclear fuel and technology to India, which has been cut off from the global atomic trade by its refusal to sign non-proliferation treaties and its testing of nuclear weapons. But Communist parties key to the survival of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government argue against closer ties with the United States.
India plans to impose restrictions on foreign investors International Herald Tribune Some foreign investors may desert India's red-hot stock markets, after regulators unveiled a plan to ban anonymous investment and curb derivatives issues - a proposal that triggered a plunge of almost 10 percent ....... The proposal affects half of all foreign market investments. A recent rush of overseas cash has driven up the rupee, propelled markets to record highs and raised concerns about inflows of laundered money. ....... India's markets have enjoyed unprecedented appreciation in recent weeks, becoming some of the best performing in Asia, after foreign investors piled in, some looking for refuge from America's housing market problems. ....... "Exporters are hurting" and there are concerns about job losses in jewelry, textile, footwear and leather industries ....... About half of all foreign investment in India's equity markets is made through participatory notes. ....... Foreign investors are drawn to these instruments because they allow them to necessary to buy stock directly on India's markets - and because they are skip the paperwork-heavy registration processcheaper. ....... The proposal has the backing of the Reserve Bank of India and the Ministry of Finance and is expected to be passed ....... The move will "take some of the wind out of the sails" of India's markets in the short term, but is unlikely to have a long-term effect ....... Investors say the registration process can take three to six months, and is often delayed by layers of bureaucracy. ...... speed up the process for direct registration
SA, India and Brazil discuss ties BBC News the developing world's most influential nations - South Africa, Brazil and India .... stalled world trade talks and co-operation in energy and access to natural resources ...... the three nations are trying to ease their reliance on trade with Europe and the US. ..... All three countries also have ambitions to join the UN Security Council. .... an effort by India to compete for energy and markets with China and the West.
Judges Weigh Musharraf Election Win New York Times after an eight-year absence, despite threats from militants and pressure from the government to delay her return. ...... a “sea of people” would greet her ...... is planning to run in parliamentary elections set for the first half of January. ....... Bhutto said that she recognized that she was returning to many unknowns .... Ms. Bhutto holds that the corruption charges against her are politically motivated. But if the amnesty is found to be unconstitutional, numerous charges could be resurrected, and she could face jail. ......... Asif Zardari, who served eight years in prison in Pakistan after she was removed from power in 1996 ....... The former prime minister displayed a bold and passionate stance today that heralded a shakeup in Pakistani politics with her return. ....... “Threats have been made by Afghan militants, Arab militants and Red Mosque militants ....... “I have heard this morning that more than a million people are gathering in Karachi from far-flung areas. People have gathered together and pooled their money, their life savings, to rent a car, to rent a van, to rent a motorcycle, to rent a bus, to hitch a ride to come to Karachi, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.” ......... she said she had to try to work out a transition to democracy. She took credit for persuading General Musharraf to resign his military post and continue as a civilian president, which will almost certainly reduce his control over the country. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” she said. ......... her party would continue to try to negotiate with General Musharraf for a transition to democracy, but if that failed, they would take to the streets. ........ we don’t have to agree on everything but we must agree that we will resolve our differences peacefully and politically,” she said.
In Diabetes, a Complex of Causes The fifth leading killer of Americans, with 73,000 deaths a year ........ Until very recently, the regulation of glucose — how much sugar is present in a person’s blood, how much is taken up by cells for fuel, and how much is released from energy stores — was regarded as a conversation between a few key players: the pancreas, the liver, muscle and fat. Now, however, the party is proving to be much louder and more complex than anyone had shown before. ........ the reasons for abnormal sugar seem to “differ tremendously from person to person” ........ “providing the right care for each person each day, rather than giving everyone the same drug.” ....... researchers at Columbia University Medical Center published startling results showing that a hormone released from bone may help regulate blood glucose. ....... “For the first time,” he went on, “we see that the skeleton is actually an endocrine organ,” producing hormones that act outside of bone. ........ could turn out to be a “unique new treatment” for Type 2 diabetes ...... the relationship of obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance ........ the hypothalamus, which also regulates appetite, temperature and sex drive. ....... side effects — chattering helpfully with one organ, but problematically with another. ..... “The picture is becoming more and more complicated,” Dr. Saltiel said. “And let’s face it, it was pretty complicated before.”
Well: The Family Meal Is What Counts, TV On or Off The biggest factor wasn’t whether the TV was on or off, but whether the family was eating the meal together. ...... the power of the family meal. ....... many parents worry about what their kids are eating — vegetables versus junk — ....... the best strategy for improving a child’s diet is simply putting food on the table and sitting down together to eat it. ...... those who regularly have meals with their parents eat more fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich foods, ingest more vitamins and nutrients, and consume less junk food. Some of the research has shown that kids who regularly sit down to a family meal are at lower risk for behaviors like smoking and drug and alcohol use. ........ “family connectedness,” which essentially measures the psychological health of a family. ...... Children from highly connected families have been shown to eat healthier foods, get better grades and have lower risk for smoking and drug and alcohol use. ......... even after controlling for family connectedness, kids who had seven or more family meals a week were far less likely to smoke, drink alcohol or use marijuana than those who had just one or none. ........ Girls who dined alone ate fewer fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich foods and more soft drinks and snack foods than girls who ate with their parents. .... Boys who didn’t eat with their parents had fewer vegetables and calcium-rich foods than family diners. ....... Why a family meal can make such a difference isn’t entirely clear. ...... mealtime is often the only chance parents have to actually look over their busy teenagers, catch up on their lives and visually assess behavioral or physical changes that might signal problems. ..... “I think many people just don’t realize how important the family meal really is.”
Pakistan Prepares for Bhutto Return ABC News
Attack fears as Bhutto heads home CNN International
China officially rebukes Bush over Dalai Lama meeting ABC Online
China's Communists Now Welcoming Foreign Press Forbes
Secrets Aplenty As China Communists Meet The Associated Press
Congress Calls Yahoo to Explain its Action in China PC World
Google's YouTube Debuts Copyright Enforcement System InformationWeek
JFK Workers Moved Drugs, Authorities Say New York Times
Facebook to Improve Safety PC World following an New York Attorney General investigation .... .... policing of pornography, harassment and inappropriate behavior ..... sending email to the abuse@facebook.com address. The company will respond to these complaints within 24 hours ....... perceptions it is a haven for pornography and sexual predators. ....... Investigators posing as minors on Facebook were repeatedly solicited by adult predators, and the site did a poor job of responding to complaints from investigators posing as minors or their parents ....... calling for Facebook to add age and identity verification for users 18 and older, filtering technology that would weed out inappropriate content, and a variety of other steps to protect minors.
Madonna deal more about money than music Chicago Tribune has very little to do with ensuring the future of great music or serving the dedicated music fan. ...... a deal for the few, the rich, the branded. ...... using the Internet to get music from band to fan as directly and inexpensively as possible ....... Madonna's global megadeal with the nation's largest concert promoter is all about maximizing revenue streams. ...... the idea that an aggressive entertainment company can sell Madonna in more ways than ever. ....... even less about innovative music, and even more about innovative marketing. ...... Executives valued for their ability to find talented bands and artists who excel only at music, and not glamour, will become extinct at this mega-corporation level. ........ Madonna's business smarts. She saw this as a way to get even more rich and more famous, if that's possible. ........ concert tickets, where the two shared $86 million in revenue last year ...... record sales, merchandising, fan clubs, Web sites, DVDs, music-related television and film projects, and sponsorship deals.
......... The deal likely means the rich will get richer ....... Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Eminem, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, U2's Bono ........ Live Nation presents a threat to the near monopoly once enjoyed by Warner Brothers, with whom Madonna has been contracted for 25 years, as well as Sony BMG, Universal and Capitol/EMI. ....... gunning to sign the same big-name artists that have been the majors' meal ticket for a half-century and offering them one-stop shopping benefits. ....... For a new or midsize band with a niche audience, the Live Nation-Madonna model has nothing to do with their reality, and probably never will. ........ Hello, Madonna -- a celebrity with a profound understanding of who she is at this stage in her career. She no longer needs a record company.
Cry Me A River Ellen DeGeneres! Washington Post











New York City For Barack Obama 8