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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

2016: Open Racism, Open Sexism Season? In The Age Of Global, Social Media

There's the issue of the Democratic front runner being pilloried for a dead ambassador. Strictly speaking, it is sexist because it was the job of the Department Of Defense to protect, not the Secretary of State. No one is arguing the death was not tragic, it was gruesome, beyond the pale of imagination. I for one sure had not imagined an American ambassador could be killed.

And then there are all these stupid, racist comments Donald Trump has been making at the rate of one per week, which are very harmful. I believe his opening remark the day he announced he was running was a racist remark. Racist comments are his platform. I am not aware of any other aspect of his platform.

What do you think of this open racism and sexism? Used to be racism was insinuated. When Bush I ran the famed ads in 1988, there was this insinuation. But this election season is different. How does this all play out?

I believe at some point women across party lines are going to start connecting the dots. For the first time they might feel day to day sexism they might experience maybe is connected to a presidential campaign after all. And the right to vote picks up from there. And we all go home happy.

Donald Trump is on no one's radar in Mexico right now. Except maybe a billionaire or two, and that dude slapped The Donald hard and fast. Where it hurts: in the money department. But ordinary Mexicans still don't know Trump exists. Social media does not change human psychology. When people don't care, they don't care. But should he become the nominee, maybe he will get on the radar. And my bet is on the Mexicans when it comes to colorful language. The puss comes out and the wound heals. If you feel it, Donald, you might as well say it, but be prepared for the counter hashtags on Twitter. At some point even The Anonymous might decide to come after him. I mean, at this rate.

What happens in America does not stay in America, not in this age of social media.

When the Internet dawned upon Julia Roberts, she very quickly realized she is not that universally loved. There were all these trolls that came out of the wood works, best left ignored.


Database Of Muslims

I want to create a database of people who wear wigs.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

The Donald's Blind Spots

Jesse Helms. Copy from: http://en.wikipedia.or...
Jesse Helms. Copy from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:JesseHelms.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on Februar...
speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 10, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I have not been following the presidential election closely. At all. I have yet to watch a debate. And Trump gets very boring very fast. But I was just thinking, should Trump end up the Republican nominee, Hillary is going to make mincemeat out of him. The reason is the guy has these massive blind spots on policy issues. Not only are you supposed to have stated positions, they are also supposed to be well thought out. The presidential campaign is designed to expose you if you don't have the stuff. And Trump clearly doesn't.

The guy has been making racist comments left and right. One, it is designed to cover up his policy shortcomings. It is too late for him to start. It takes a lifetime. Two, he thinks he is appealing to people in places like Iowa. This is a snobbish New Yorker who thinks he needs to talk severely racist, that is the only way to reach to the people back there. And people in Iowa sense that. That is part of the reason they are giving such a thumbs up to Ben Carson. They are like, let me show you Donald.

When you say you want a database of Muslims, you are exposing the fact that you don't understand (a) databases and (b) Muslims. That's a double whammy. There's a limit to how many racist comments you make before you start looking like an out and out buffoon. When someone like Jesse Helms would make his racist comment, it was different. You could feel the guy is laying out his deeply held worldview. With The Donald, it does not come across that way. It comes across as pandering. Only this pandering is coming to backfire fast and furious. Iowans, for one, are offended. They are not offended with the racist remarks. They are offended he thinks that is how he needs to appeal to them. If there is one thing white folks in this country hate more than other, it is being called a racist. And The Donald is calling Iowans racist. They are not liking it one bit.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

America Does Not Want Another Vietnam

Português do Brasil: O presidente Lula recebe ...
Português do Brasil: O presidente Lula recebe o presidente da República Árabe Síria, Bashar al-Assad, no Itamaraty. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If the War On Terror is like the Cold War, which I have maintained it is since 9/11, will this war also see a Vietnam? ISIS sure wants one. Their central mission is to get enemy troops on the ground. But giving in would be a mistake. And that is where I find myself agreeing with President Obama. Troops on the ground are always a tricky operation, even when fighting a traditional state.

But there is no wishing ISIS away. And it is not a force that can be contained. They have to engage in far flung acts of terror to stay alive as an organization. They can not stay in their territory. If they did, they would die out.

Vietnam was an open-ended ground operation that ended very very badly and lasted way too long. Luckily, there are better options available. But the goal does have to be to deny ISIS territory. Working with Russia for an Assad-less Syrian transition might be one way. Smart, sustained aerial strikes might be another.

But this is a global fight. Better intelligence sharing among the democracies of the world would go a long way.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

बिहार में हुवा क्या?

नीतिश जिते। वही हुवा। नीतिश को बिहार ने १० साल के लिए मैंडेट दिया है होलसेल में।

नीतीश का मुकाबला खुद अपने आप से है। वो बिहार को २०% ग्रोथ रेट दे सकते हैं या नहीं। मुकाबला वो है। 

२०१९ में मोदी बिहार फिर से स्वीप करेंगे। ४० सीट है बिहार से। २०-२० कर के नीतिश और लालु लड़ते हैं और नीतिश १००% स्कोर करते हैं, तो हुवा २० सीट। २० MP ले के कोइ प्राइम मिनिस्टर बनता है? ये नेपाल है?

वैसे भी बिहार अगर देश होता तो दुनिया का १२ हवा बड़ा देश होता। फ्रांस और जर्मनी का प्रेसिडेन्ट या चांसलर से तो नीतिश आगे हुवे। बिहार के सामने पाकिस्तान क्या है? कुछ नहीं। पाकिस्तान में न तो इकनोमिक ग्रोथ रेट है न कुछ। 

लालु का कभी कभी भाषण सुनो तो लगता है कह रहे हैं, मुसलमान भाइयों, मेरे को वोट दो, सुरक्षित रहो, बीजेपी को वोट दो तो मारे जाओगे। ये कैसी बात हुइ? 

नेपाल में एक पॉलिटिशियन हुवा करता था। नाम था मिर्जा दिल साद वेग। वो मंच पर चढ़ जाता था। कहता था लोगों को: "वोट दो नहीं तो बस्ती जला देंगे!" (बॉलीवुड इन्फ्लुएंस रहा होगा)

लोग सोंचते थे, सड़क पिचिंग नहीं हुई तो कोइ बात नहीं, स्कुलमें मास्टर न आए कोइ बात नहीं, गाओं में बिजली पानी नपहुँचे तो क्या हुवा अभी तक उसके बगैर काम चला लिए तो आगे भी चला लेंगे। लेकिन बस्ती जल गयी तो दिक्कत है। तो मिर्जा ने कभी इलेक्शन हारा ही नहीं। पार्टी बदला एक दो बार फिर भी नहीं हारा। 

एक बार मेरे को मिल गया। मैं अपने एक मन पसंद नेता के ऑफिस में बैठा हुवा था अकेले। कहाँ से न कहाँ से आ पहुँचे मिर्जा। मैंने हाई हेलो कह दिया। वैसे कहाँ मैं सीता नगरी से और वो बुद्ध नगरी से। फिर भी सोंचा हाई हेलो बोल दो पाँच सेकंड में और अपनी बस्ती बचा लो। बचा लिया। 

इसु होना चाहिए कि देश में कानुन है कि नहीं। और जो कानुन है वो अप्लाई हो रहा है कि नहीं? जैसे कि दादरी। हत्या का घटना है। एक तो मर्डर है। जो कि अपराध है। और उपर से hate crime भी है। दोनों गैर कानुनी होना चाहिए। नहीं है तो वैसा कानुन बनाओ। और उसको अप्लाई करना तो पुलिस का काम है। मुख मंत्री या प्रधान मंत्री का नहीं। हालाँकि हाई प्रोफाइल केस है। देश की राजनीति हिल गई। हिलना जरुरी भी है। मुसलमान बीफ नहीं खायेगा तो क्या खायेगा? खरगोश? आप अपना धर्म औरो पर थोपने का काम मत करो, प्रयास ही मत करो। ये मानव अधिकार का मामिला है। Freedom of Religion

अपने धर्म के प्रति गर्व करो। लेकिन और किसी के धर्म के बारे में गलत बोल्ने की क्या जरुरत है?

दूसरा मैंने न्यूज़ में पढ़ा चेहरे पर कालिख पोता गया। तो मैंने मन में कहा मोदी उस पर कमेंट करते हैं तो प्रमाणित होगा वो अपना काम नहीं कर रहे हैं। इतना बड़ा देश चलाना है, और आप चेहरे पर कालिख पोते जाने के घटना पर कमेंट करते हो, आप के पास उतना समय है तो अपने पद से राजीनामा दो और दिन भर बैठ के, हात पर हात रख के क्रिकेट कमेंट्री करो। 

मेरे कहने का मतलब भारत का प्रधान मंत्री अगर अपना काम कर रहा है तो उसके पास उतना समय होना ही नहीं चाहिए की वो प्रत्येक घटना पर कमेंट मारता रहे। चेहरे पर कालिख गलत बात है। लेकिन प्राइम मिनिस्टर को malnutrition के मुद्दे पर समय बिताना चाहिए। 

दल से बड़ा देश मोदीजी। तो दिजिए बिहार को दिल खोल के मदत। 



Saturday, November 14, 2015

Paris: Alternate View

The Paris Attack Builds Political Pressure For A Direct Attack On ISIS

There was no way America could not have attacked Afghanistan after 9/11. An attack like 9/11 builds so much pressure. The Paris attacks are not 9/11 size, but they are still big, and such a frontal assault on the French capital city.

I believe Arabs have genuine grievances, foremost among them being that most of them are ruled by dictators. But ISIS is dictatorship and primitiveness all in one. The ISIS is no solution to Arab grievances.

This was not just an attack on Paris. These attacks have been targeted at the gathering that will be the Paris climate talks.

World leaders will now find it hard not to build a coalition to go after ISIS. A direct, sustained aerial assault on ISIS territory perhaps is now imminent.

The Al Qaeda has never had its own country. Afghanistan under Taliban rule was a host country. It was a parasite situation. Al Qaeda was mobile. ISIS has a territory it directly rules. It generates massive revenue. It is not a country though. It is not seeking a seat at the UN. It is a deformity passing for a state.

ISIS is atrocious to the population it rules. And that should have been reason enough to go after it. Previously I have called ISIS Rwanda in the making. If they can't keep expanding, they will turn upon themselves, like a cult.

Driving ISIS out of its territory would liberate people.

I don't believe in violence, but ISIS is so evil, there seems to be no other choice. Society permits lawful police action against evil members. Humanity has an obligation to use force against ISIS and take war to its territory.

Boots on the ground is always a tricky proposition. But aerial assaults can be decisive, and might pave the way for boots on the ground. To clean up, and to set up a proper, democratic, modern state.

Use of force is sometimes necessary, and the only way to combat evil.

If Assad has to go, Assad has to go. It could be a package deal. Syria deserves democracy as much as anyone else.

But the military assault can not be open ended. It has to be precise and time bound. You don't "liberate" and then clean up ground just for chaos. There has to be a clear plan involving local populations. Syria left to fester gives you ISIS. ISIS left to fester gives you Paris.