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Showing posts with label india. Show all posts
Showing posts with label india. Show all posts

Saturday, May 24, 2025

24: Jaishankar

Rethinking Trade: A Blueprint for a Just and Thriving Global Economy
The $500 Billion Pivot: How the India-US Alliance Can Reshape Global Trade
Trump’s Trade War
Peace For Taiwan Is Possible
Formula For Peace In Ukraine
The Last Age of War, The First Age of Peace: Lord Kalki, Prophecies, and the Path to Global Redemption
AOC 2028: : The Future of American Progressivism

Rethinking Trade: A Blueprint for a Just and Thriving Global Economy
The $500 Billion Pivot: How the India-US Alliance Can Reshape Global Trade
Trump’s Trade War
Peace For Taiwan Is Possible
Formula For Peace In Ukraine
The Last Age of War, The First Age of Peace: Lord Kalki, Prophecies, and the Path to Global Redemption
AOC 2028: : The Future of American Progressivism

Rethinking Trade: A Blueprint for a Just and Thriving Global Economy
The $500 Billion Pivot: How the India-US Alliance Can Reshape Global Trade
Trump’s Trade War
Peace For Taiwan Is Possible
Formula For Peace In Ukraine
The Last Age of War, The First Age of Peace: Lord Kalki, Prophecies, and the Path to Global Redemption
AOC 2028: : The Future of American Progressivism

Velocity Money: Crypto, Karma, and the End of Traditional Economics
The Next Decade of Biotech: Convergence, Innovation, and Transformation
Beyond Motion: How Robots Will Redefine The Art Of Movement
ChatGPT For Business: A Workbook
Becoming an AI-First Organization
Quantum Computing: Applications And Implications
Challenges In AI Safety
AI-Era Social Network: Reimagined for Truth, Trust & Transformation

Harvard Derangement Syndrome President Trump’s opinion that Harvard is “an Anti-Semitic, Far Left Institution,” a “Liberal mess” and a “threat to Democracy,” which has been “hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called future leaders.” ......... the Trump administration has singled out Harvard to receive no federal grants at all ........ the administration just moved to stop Harvard from enrolling foreign students and has threatened to multiply the tax on its endowment as much as fifteenfold, as well as to remove its tax-free nonprofit status. ......... One loudmouth lefty becomes a Maoist indoctrination camp. ...... universities are committed to free speech, which includes speech we don’t like. A corporation can fire an outspoken employee; a university can’t, or shouldn’t. ............. Most of our graduate students and faculty members were trained elsewhere and go to the same conferences and read the same publications as everyone else in academia. Despite Harvard’s conceit of specialness, just about everything that happens here may be found at other research-intensive universities. ......... Young people are shaped by peers more than most people realize. Students are shaped by the peer cultures in their high schools, at Harvard and (especially with social media) in the world. In many cases, students’ politics are no more attributable to indoctrination by professors than are their green hair and pierced septums. .......... In 2021 the biologist Carole Hooven was demonized and ostracized, effectively driving her out of Harvard, for explaining in an interview how biology defines male and female. ........... The epidemiologist Tyler VanderWeele was forced to grovel in “restorative justice” sessions when someone discovered that he had co-signed an amicus brief in the 2015 Supreme Court case arguing against same-sex marriage. A class by the bioengineer Kit Parker on evaluating crime prevention programs was quashed after students found it “disturbing.” The legal scholar Ronald Sullivan was dismissed as faculty dean of a residential house when his legal representation of Harvey Weinstein made students feel “unsafe.” The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression tallies such incidents, and in the past two years ranked Harvard last in free speech among some 250 surveyed colleges and universities. ............... Honest scholarly inquiry is difficult if researchers constantly have to watch their backs lest a professional remark expose them to character assassination, or if a conservative opinion is treated as a crime. In the Sullivan case, the university abdicated its responsibility to educate mature citizens by indulging its students’ emotions rather than teaching them about the Sixth Amendment and the difference between mob justice and the rule of law. .............

But a woke madrasa?

........... Race has some biological reality. Marriage reduces crime. So does hot-spot policing. Racism has been in decline. Phonics is essential to reading instruction. Trigger warnings can do more harm than good. Africans were active in the slave trade. Educational attainment is partly in the genes. Cracking down on drugs has benefits, and legalizing them has harms. Markets can make people fairer and more generous. For all the headlines, day-to-day life at Harvard consists of publishing ideas without fear or favor. .................. According to a 2023 survey in The Harvard Crimson, 45 percent of members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences identified their politics as “liberal,” 32 percent as “very liberal,” 20 percent as “moderate” and only 3 percent as “conservative” or “very conservative.” (The survey did not include the option “woke Radical Left idiot birdbrain.”) FIRE’s estimate of conservative faculty members is slightly higher, at 6 percent. ........... political narrowness had skewed research in their specialties. In climate policy, it led to a focus on demonizing fossil fuel companies rather than acknowledging the universal desire for abundant energy; in pediatrics, taking all adolescents’ reported gender dysphoria at face value; in public health, advocating maximalist government interventions rather than cost-benefit analyses; in history, emphasizing the harms of colonialism but not of communism or Islamism; in social science, attributing all group disparities to racism but never to culture; and in women’s studies, permitting the study of sexism and stereotypes but not sexual selection, sexology or hormones .............. For years the most popular undergraduate courses have been the introduction to mainstream economics taught by a succession of conservatives and neoliberals, and the resolutely apolitical introductions to probability, computer science and life sciences. ............ The most popular undergraduate concentrations are economics and computer science, and half of our graduates march from their commencement ceremony straight into jobs in finance, consulting and technology. .......... The universe of ideas is infinite, and many of them are not worthy of serious attention, such as astrology, flat earthism, and Holocaust denial. ............. “Ideology is like breath: You never smell your own.” .......... Jewish students have felt intimidated by anti-Israel protests that have disrupted classes, ceremonies and everyday campus life, often met with a confused response by the university. Members of the teaching staff have gratuitously injected pro-Palestinian activism into courses or university programming. Many Jewish students, particularly Israelis, reported being ostracized or demonized by their peers. .............. In response to the infamous statement by 34 student groups after Oct. 7 holding Israel “entirely responsible” for the massacre, more than 400 Harvard faculty members posted an open letter in protest. A new collective, Harvard Faculty for Israel, has attracted 450 members. Harvard offers more than 60 courses with Jewish themes, including eight Yiddish language courses. And though the 300-page antisemitism report reviews every instance it could find in the past century, down to the last graffito and social media post, it cited no expressions of a goal to “destroy the Jews,” let alone signs that it was the “dominant view on campus.” ................. For what it’s worth, I have experienced no antisemitism in my two decades at Harvard, and nor have other prominent Jewish faculty members. My own discomfort instead is captured in a Crimson essay by the Harvard senior Jacob Miller, who called the claim that one in four Jewish students feels “physically unsafe” on campus “an absurd statistic I struggle to take seriously as someone who publicly and proudly wears a kippah around campus each day.” ............... One set has already been adopted: to enforce regulations already on the books that prevent protests from crossing the line from expressions of opinion to campaigns of disruption, coercion and intimidation. ............ Contrary to a widespread misunderstanding, a federal grant is not alms to the university, nor may the executive branch dangle it to force grantees to do whatever it wants. It is a fee for a service — namely, a research project that the government decides (after fierce competitive review) would benefit the country. The grant pays for the people and equipment needed to carry out that research, which would not be done otherwise. ............. Worse still is the effect on the far larger number of gentiles in science, who are being told that their labs and careers are being snuffed out to advance Jewish interests. ......... As JD Vance put it in the title of a 2021 speech: “The Universities Are the Enemy.” ........... A business in the red can fire its chief executive; a losing team can replace its coach. But most academic fields don’t have objective metrics of success and rely instead on peer review, which can amount to professors conferring prestige on one another in self-affirming cliques. ............. The uncomfortable fact is that many of these reforms followed Mr. Trump’s inauguration and overlap with his demands. But if you’re standing in a downpour and Mr. Trump tells you to put up an umbrella, you shouldn’t refuse just to spite him. ........... Fifty-two faculty members have won Nobel Prizes, and more than 5,800 patents are held by Harvard. Its researchers invented baking powder, the first organ transplant, the programmable computer, the defibrillator, the syphilis test and oral rehydration therapy (a cheap treatment that has saved tens of millions of lives). They developed the theory of nuclear stability that has saved the world from Armageddon. They invented the golf tee and the catcher’s mask. Harvard spawned “Sesame Street,” The National Lampoon, “The Simpsons,” Microsoft and Facebook. ............... Ongoing research at Harvard includes methane-tracking satellites, robotic catheters, next-generation batteries and wearable robotics for stroke victims. Federal grants are supporting research on metastasis, tumor suppression, radiation and chemotherapy in children, multidrug-resistant infections, pandemic prevention, dementia, anesthesia, toxin reduction in firefighting and the military, the physiological effects of spaceflight and battlefield wound care. Harvard’s technologists are pushing innovations in quantum computing, A.I., nanomaterials, biomechanics, foldable bridges for the military, hack-resistant computer networks and smart living environments for the elderly. One lab has developed what may be a cure for Type 1 diabetes. ............ It is a phantasmagoria of ideas, a Disneyland of the mind. Learning about my colleagues’ research is a source of endless delight, and when I look at our course catalog, I wish I were 18 again. DNA extracted from human fossils reveals the origin of the Indo-European languages. Grimm’s fairy tales, with their murder, infanticide, cannibalism and incest, reveal our eternal fascination with the morbid. A single network in the brain underlies remembering the past and daydreaming about the future. Nonviolent resistance movements are more successful than violent ones. The ailments of pregnancy come from a Darwinian struggle between mother and fetus. The “Who is like you?” prayer in the Jewish liturgy suggests that the ancient Israelites were ambivalent about their monotheism. ............ Do you think that the number of children who die every year from cancer is just about right? Are you content with your current chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease? Do you feel our current understanding of which government policies are effective and which ones are wasteful is perfect? Are you happy with the way the climate is going, given our current energy technology? ............ “Everything that is not forbidden by laws of nature is achievable, given the right knowledge.”

Velocity Money: Crypto, Karma, and the End of Traditional Economics
The Next Decade of Biotech: Convergence, Innovation, and Transformation
Beyond Motion: How Robots Will Redefine The Art Of Movement
ChatGPT For Business: A Workbook
Becoming an AI-First Organization
Quantum Computing: Applications And Implications
Challenges In AI Safety
AI-Era Social Network: Reimagined for Truth, Trust & Transformation

Rethinking Trade: A Blueprint for a Just and Thriving Global Economy
The $500 Billion Pivot: How the India-US Alliance Can Reshape Global Trade
Trump’s Trade War
Peace For Taiwan Is Possible
Formula For Peace In Ukraine
The Last Age of War, The First Age of Peace: Lord Kalki, Prophecies, and the Path to Global Redemption
AOC 2028: : The Future of American Progressivism

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Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Engineering Lasting Peace Between India and Pakistan: The Path Through Democracy

 


Engineering Lasting Peace Between India and Pakistan: The Path Through Democracy

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a prominent Pakistani politician, recently stated that “Pakistan is one of the biggest victims of terrorism” while emphasizing the need for dialogue to resolve three critical issues—Kashmir, terrorism, and water—for sustainable peace in the region. While his call for dialogue is commendable, the root of the India-Pakistan conflict lies deeper than these issues alone. For lasting peace to take hold, Pakistan must transform into a full-fledged democracy where its military and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are unequivocally accountable to a democratically elected parliament, much like in India. Without this fundamental shift, discussions on Kashmir, water, or any other issue will remain superficial, unable to address the core obstacle: Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism.
The Crux of the Problem: Pakistan’s Military and ISI
At the heart of the India-Pakistan impasse is the uncomfortable reality that Pakistan’s military and ISI wield disproportionate power, often operating independently of—or even dictating to—the country’s elected government. Unlike India, where the armed forces and intelligence agencies function under civilian oversight, Pakistan’s democratic institutions are frequently undermined by its military establishment. The ISI’s documented history of aiding and abetting terrorist groups, particularly in the context of Kashmir, is a significant barrier to peace. From supporting militant outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba to providing safe havens for insurgents, the Pakistani state’s complicity in terrorism is an open secret—one that democratically elected leaders are often powerless to confront.
This lack of accountability creates a vicious cycle. Terrorism, which Bilawal claims victimizes Pakistan, is in part a byproduct of the state’s own policies. The military and ISI’s unchecked influence prevents meaningful reforms, perpetuates regional instability, and fuels distrust with India. For dialogue to succeed, Pakistan must first establish a democratic framework where the military and ISI are answerable to elected representatives. Only then can the state credibly commit to dismantling terror networks and fostering peace.
Kashmir: A Divided Region, Not a Divided Destiny
Bilawal’s mention of Kashmir as a key issue is unsurprising, given its centrality to India-Pakistan tensions. However, the narrative around Kashmir often ignores a broader historical context: the partition of the Indian subcontinent created multiple divided regions, not just Kashmir. Punjab, Bengal, and even lesser-discussed regions like Mithila span both countries, yet they do not provoke the same level of conflict. The difference lies in the militarization of the Kashmir issue, driven largely by Pakistan’s support for cross-border insurgency.
A democratic Pakistan, with a military subordinate to civilian rule, could shift the paradigm. Instead of viewing Kashmir as a territorial dispute, both nations could prioritize robust trade and people-to-people connections across their shared borders. Punjab and Bengal demonstrate that divided regions can coexist peacefully when economic and cultural ties are strong. A democratic Pakistan would be better positioned to negotiate confidence-building measures, such as increased trade, visa relaxations, and cultural exchanges, which could de-escalate tensions in Kashmir. Without democratic accountability, however, Pakistan’s military establishment will continue to exploit Kashmir as a tool for domestic legitimacy and regional leverage, perpetuating the conflict.
Water: A Treaty in Place, Cooperation Needed
On the issue of water, Bilawal’s concerns are valid but overstated. The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, brokered by the World Bank, remains one of the most successful bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan, governing the sharing of the Indus River system. Despite decades of hostility, the treaty has held firm, proving that cooperation is possible even in tense times. However, mistrust—fueled by Pakistan’s internal power dynamics—often leads to exaggerated fears about India’s upstream water management.
A democratic Pakistan, with transparent governance and a military accountable to civilian leadership, could engage in constructive dialogue to modernize the treaty’s implementation. Joint monitoring mechanisms, data-sharing agreements, and collaborative water conservation projects could address concerns while building trust. Such cooperation requires a Pakistani state that prioritizes diplomacy over posturing, which is only feasible under a robust democratic system.
The Path Forward: Democracy as the Foundation
Bilawal’s call for dialogue is a step in the right direction, but it cannot succeed without addressing the structural flaws in Pakistan’s governance. A full-fledged democracy, where the military and ISI are subordinate to elected officials, is the prerequisite for tackling terrorism, Kashmir, and water disputes. India’s own experience demonstrates the stabilizing power of democratic accountability: its military operates under civilian control, and its intelligence agencies do not dictate foreign policy. Pakistan must emulate this model to break the cycle of mistrust and violence.
To achieve this, Pakistan’s political leaders, including figures like Bilawal, must champion institutional reforms that curb the military’s influence. This includes strengthening parliamentary oversight, ensuring judicial independence, and fostering a free press to hold power accountable. International partners, including India, can support this process by engaging with Pakistan’s civilian leadership while maintaining pressure on its military to relinquish control over foreign and security policy.
Conclusion: Peace Through Democracy
Lasting peace between India and Pakistan is not a pipe dream, but it hinges on a fundamental transformation in Pakistan’s polity. A democratic Pakistan, where the military and ISI answer to elected representatives, can dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism, normalize relations over Kashmir through trade and dialogue, and strengthen cooperation on water management. Without this shift, talks on any issue will remain mired in suspicion and sabotage. Bilawal’s vision for peace is achievable, but it begins with Pakistan embracing true democracy—a step that would not only benefit the region but also liberate Pakistan from its own internal contradictions.



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China, Russia And The India Pakistan Conflict



The recent India-Pakistan conflict, sparked by the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, has seen China and Russia play complex and contrasting roles behind the scenes. Their actions reflect strategic interests, historical alliances, and efforts to balance regional influence, often shaped by their broader geopolitical goals.

China's Role
China has been Pakistan’s primary backer, leveraging its deep economic and military ties to support Islamabad while gathering intelligence and testing its military technology. Key aspects of China’s role include:
  • Military Support and Technology Testing: China has supplied Pakistan with advanced weaponry, including J-10C fighter jets, which Pakistan claimed shot down Indian aircraft, such as French-made Rafale jets, during the conflict. These claims, though unconfirmed by India, highlight the conflict as a testing ground for Chinese military exports against Western and Russian hardware. Chinese defense stocks, like AVIC Chengdu Aircraft, surged 40% amid these developments, reflecting confidence in their technology’s performance.
  • Intelligence Gathering: China has capitalized on the conflict to collect data on Indian military capabilities, particularly air defenses and missile systems like the BrahMos, co-developed with Russia. Chinese intelligence teams have been active in monitoring Indian actions from border installations, space assets, and naval deployments in the Indian Ocean, including coordinated movements of Chinese fishing vessels acting as militia for intelligence purposes.
  • Diplomatic Support: China has consistently supported Pakistan diplomatically, framing India’s military actions as “regrettable” and avoiding labeling the Pahalgam attack as terrorism until after a ceasefire was agreed upon. Beijing also claimed a role in brokering the May 10, 2025, ceasefire, stating that Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s talks with Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar and India’s Ajit Doval facilitated de-escalation. However, India has not corroborated this narrative, suggesting China’s claims may be exaggerated for diplomatic leverage.
  • Strategic Leverage: China’s support for Pakistan aligns with its long-standing rivalry with India, particularly over border disputes and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Some posts on X suggest China has signaled potential intervention if India escalates along the Line of Control (LoC), though this remains speculative and unverified. China’s actions also aim to counter U.S. influence in the region, as a prolonged conflict could strengthen Washington’s role, which Beijing seeks to avoid.
Russia’s Role
Russia, traditionally a close ally of India, has adopted a more neutral stance, attempting to balance its ties with both India and Pakistan while maintaining its strategic partnership with China. Its behind-the-scenes role includes:
  • Arms Supply to India: Russia has continued to provide India with critical military equipment, such as Igla-S air defense missiles, deployed to forward areas in Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam attack. These supplies, facilitated under India’s emergency procurement powers, bolster India’s tactical capabilities along the disputed border.
  • Mediation Offers: Russia has positioned itself as a potential mediator, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offering to facilitate a political settlement between India and Pakistan. Lavrov held talks with both Pakistani and Indian counterparts on May 2 and May 4, 2025, emphasizing restraint and dialogue. This reflects Russia’s historical role as a neutral broker, as seen in the 1966 Tashkent summit.
  • Diplomatic Nuances: Unlike China, Russia explicitly condemned the Pahalgam attack as terrorism, aligning more closely with India’s narrative. However, its call for restraint and de-escalation mirrors China’s, though with less overt bias toward one side. Russia’s neutrality is partly driven by its growing, albeit limited, ties with Pakistan, including energy cooperation and membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
  • Strategic Balancing: Russia’s deepening partnership with China complicates its position. While it remains India’s largest arms supplier, Moscow’s relations with Pakistan have warmed, raising concerns in New Delhi about a potential Russia-China-Pakistan axis. However, Russia has avoided major arms sales to Pakistan to preserve its strategic ties with India, which it views as a hedge against China’s regional dominance.
Comparative Dynamics
  • Diverging Interests: The conflict has strained the Russia-China axis, with China openly backing Pakistan and Russia leaning toward India while advocating neutrality. This split, rare given their alignment on issues like Ukraine, underscores their differing stakes in South Asia. China’s support for Pakistan is driven by its anti-India stance and the BRI, while Russia’s ties with India are rooted in decades of defense and diplomatic cooperation.
  • Geopolitical Implications: Both nations prefer a de-escalated South Asia to avoid empowering the U.S., which could leverage a prolonged conflict to strengthen its regional influence. However, China’s intelligence-gathering and military testing contrast with Russia’s focus on mediation and maintaining its arms market in India.
  • Backchannel Influence: Both countries likely engaged in discreet backchannel diplomacy, as historical India-Pakistan crises have often relied on third-party facilitation. China’s role in easing UN Security Council language on the Pahalgam attack and Russia’s mediation offers suggest such efforts, though their effectiveness remains unclear.
Conclusion
China has played a proactive role behind the scenes, bolstering Pakistan militarily and diplomatically while using the conflict to test its weapons and gather intelligence on India. Russia, conversely, has maintained a more balanced approach, supplying India with arms and offering mediation to both sides, reflecting its strategic interest in preserving ties with New Delhi while cautiously engaging Islamabad. Both nations seek to limit escalation to avoid a stronger U.S. presence, but their differing alignments—China with Pakistan and Russia with India—highlight tensions in their broader partnership. The lack of transparency in backchannel efforts and conflicting ceasefire narratives underscore the complexity of their roles.
Note: Some claims, particularly from X posts about Chinese intervention threats, are speculative and lack corroboration from primary sources. Always cross-reference such information for accuracy.


China, Pakistan agree with Taliban to expand Economic Corridor into Afghanistan China, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday agreed to expand the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan as top leaders from the three nations agreed to deepen trilateral cooperation.

China seizes rare intelligence opportunity amid India-Pakistan standoff Security analysts and diplomats say China's military modernisation has reached a point where it has the ability to deeply scrutinise Indian actions in real time from its border installations and Indian Ocean fleets as well as from space

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