Thursday, February 26, 2009
UK Bank Nationalisation
RBS said it needed to "insure" another £302bn of loans in case they went sour too. Not long ago these loans were deemed to be worth £325bn.
Fawkes calls this a '£325bn bet'. By now there seems to be little choice and it does not look like a bet at this late stage. The Government virtually 'owns' RBS anyway, so it is not 'insurance' in the normal sense of the word.
Fred the Shred should have been jailed rather than paid off big, but would the bankers care, Fred is no banker anyway, just a jumped-up ICI executive. And he was bailed out as a bank executive, but he could still be jailed for his reckless behaviour and maybe a little money could be got back, though Fred's pension is a red herring anyway compared to the fact that RBS is virtually nationalised.
Brown is now in a good position to revamp his PPP scheme, and eventually denationalise RBS. With Brown's public track record of doubt and hesitation, unfortunately this seems unlikely.
Guido also says "If this goes pear shaped Iceland will be nothing in comparison.".
IMO: I agree with that, so Brown should have a go with some strong positive policies, and unlike the Tories, Labor should have plenty. But, remembering Benn, Labor is apt to theorise well enough but not to act sensibly in practice. What UK Labor needs is their own version of Mamata Banerjee. Historically, remember Mahatma Gandhi in Liverpool ? Labor should. But the burnt out UK Labor crooks don't even have an effective Adolf Hitler.
RBS said it needed to "insure" another £302bn of loans in case they went sour too. Not long ago these loans were deemed to be worth £325bn.
Fawkes calls this a '£325bn bet'. By now there seems to be little choice and it does not look like a bet at this late stage. The Government virtually 'owns' RBS anyway, so it is not 'insurance' in the normal sense of the word.
Fred the Shred should have been jailed rather than paid off big, but would the bankers care, Fred is no banker anyway, just a jumped-up ICI executive. And he was bailed out as a bank executive, but he could still be jailed for his reckless behaviour and maybe a little money could be got back, though Fred's pension is a red herring anyway compared to the fact that RBS is virtually nationalised.
Brown is now in a good position to revamp his PPP scheme, and eventually denationalise RBS. With Brown's public track record of doubt and hesitation, unfortunately this seems unlikely.
Guido also says "If this goes pear shaped Iceland will be nothing in comparison.".
IMO: I agree with that, so Brown should have a go with some strong positive policies, and unlike the Tories, Labor should have plenty. But, remembering Benn, Labor is apt to theorise well enough but not to act sensibly in practice. What UK Labor needs is their own version of Mamata Banerjee. Historically, remember Mahatma Gandhi in Liverpool ? Labor should. But the burnt out UK Labor crooks don't even have an effective Adolf Hitler.
UK police will quietly hack YOUR PC
According to Australian sources.
Civil liberties groups and opposition MPs described this as a sinister extension of the surveillance state which drives “a coach and horses” through privacy laws.
One problem is that the police are probably not much good at computer hacking so the next time your computer goes wrong - it may be because of the UK police !
IMO: Sue the expense fiddling Home Secretary if this causes you any known damage. I probably shan't bother in case she runs me down in her car whilst 'texting', the way UK MPs do nowadays. Some say they have always been this bad.
According to Australian sources.
Civil liberties groups and opposition MPs described this as a sinister extension of the surveillance state which drives “a coach and horses” through privacy laws.
One problem is that the police are probably not much good at computer hacking so the next time your computer goes wrong - it may be because of the UK police !
IMO: Sue the expense fiddling Home Secretary if this causes you any known damage. I probably shan't bother in case she runs me down in her car whilst 'texting', the way UK MPs do nowadays. Some say they have always been this bad.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
UK labor peer gets 12 weeks jail for murder
IMO: The UK is definitely a less civilised country than India. Even a Bollywood star would get a heavier penalty, at least after public complaints and Lord Ahmed is certainly no star turn.
Ahmed was driving his Jaguar on Christmas Day 2007 when he hit a stationary car in the fast lane, killing the 28-year-old driver. The judge ruled there had been an "avoidable distraction", ie he seems to have been casually texting.
Someone's friend recently lost his brother when someone sending a text whilst driving ploughed into him on his bike - that person was jailed for 4 years.The law has been changed recently, I believe, to increase the maximum permissible sentence for such an offence to 7 years.
IMO: So as usual the corrupt English judges are kowtowing to the authorities though they very often penalise the innocent.
I suspect Labour won't be even advocating the stripping of Lord Ahmed's peerage on the basis of criminal conviction as they did Lord Black and Lord Archer. But after all, he is a Muslim and they were just kaffirs, and in Tony Blair's new "religious" society as the UK has become it is what we now expect.
IMO: The UK is definitely a less civilised country than India. Even a Bollywood star would get a heavier penalty, at least after public complaints and Lord Ahmed is certainly no star turn.
Ahmed was driving his Jaguar on Christmas Day 2007 when he hit a stationary car in the fast lane, killing the 28-year-old driver. The judge ruled there had been an "avoidable distraction", ie he seems to have been casually texting.
Someone's friend recently lost his brother when someone sending a text whilst driving ploughed into him on his bike - that person was jailed for 4 years.The law has been changed recently, I believe, to increase the maximum permissible sentence for such an offence to 7 years.
IMO: So as usual the corrupt English judges are kowtowing to the authorities though they very often penalise the innocent.
I suspect Labour won't be even advocating the stripping of Lord Ahmed's peerage on the basis of criminal conviction as they did Lord Black and Lord Archer. But after all, he is a Muslim and they were just kaffirs, and in Tony Blair's new "religious" society as the UK has become it is what we now expect.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Congress describes BJP as following a Nazi legacy
Political rhetoric perhaps, maybe it is the other way round as Hitler irrelevantly stole many good ideas from India (obviously, for example, the swaztik which seems to have been taken mainly because it looks good) just as many other countries in the West did.
More to the point, Tewari said that contrary to Mr. Advani’s claims, the NDA government had displayed no muscularity during its previous tenure. The Congress list of follies by the NDA included Kargil intrusions “they are culpable by negligence” the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s unilateral offer to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, IC-814 hijack and the exchange of terrorists at Kandahar, and Operation Parakram.
Referring to a recent statement by the former External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, that he would not defend Operation Parakram because he was not party to the decision to amass forces along the India-Pakistan border after the Parliament attack, Mr. Tewari said this amounted to collapse of the principle of collective responsibility of the Cabinet.
IMO: Strong words, indeed, and they seem to be accurate.
Also, the BJP/Sena alliance may be wearing thin. The tussle between the Shiv Sena and BJP turned bitter on Tuesday with the parties making contradictory statements on Bal Thackeray's refusal to meet LK Advani, in the city for a party function.
IMO: BJP really is beginning to sound too tame and unreal for some of its supporters and what is more, from a Maharashtrian standpoint some say it does not support Sena much if at all.
Thackeray’s refusal has made the BJP uneasy as the Sena is already leaning towards the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). A recent dinner meeting between Thackeray and NCP’s Chhagan Bhujbal is being seen as an indication that the two parties could come together in the future.
Political rhetoric perhaps, maybe it is the other way round as Hitler irrelevantly stole many good ideas from India (obviously, for example, the swaztik which seems to have been taken mainly because it looks good) just as many other countries in the West did.
More to the point, Tewari said that contrary to Mr. Advani’s claims, the NDA government had displayed no muscularity during its previous tenure. The Congress list of follies by the NDA included Kargil intrusions “they are culpable by negligence” the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s unilateral offer to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, IC-814 hijack and the exchange of terrorists at Kandahar, and Operation Parakram.
Referring to a recent statement by the former External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, that he would not defend Operation Parakram because he was not party to the decision to amass forces along the India-Pakistan border after the Parliament attack, Mr. Tewari said this amounted to collapse of the principle of collective responsibility of the Cabinet.
IMO: Strong words, indeed, and they seem to be accurate.
Also, the BJP/Sena alliance may be wearing thin. The tussle between the Shiv Sena and BJP turned bitter on Tuesday with the parties making contradictory statements on Bal Thackeray's refusal to meet LK Advani, in the city for a party function.
IMO: BJP really is beginning to sound too tame and unreal for some of its supporters and what is more, from a Maharashtrian standpoint some say it does not support Sena much if at all.
Thackeray’s refusal has made the BJP uneasy as the Sena is already leaning towards the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). A recent dinner meeting between Thackeray and NCP’s Chhagan Bhujbal is being seen as an indication that the two parties could come together in the future.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Pepsico
Lolly-water manufacturer Pepsico finds Frito-Lay India, a snack-making subsidiary, unable to take possession of land because two small factories, backed by Mamata Banerjee’s opposition Trinamool Congress, have refused to move out. It seems that Pepsico have no legitimate right to occupy the plot but the Marxist CPM are as usual trying to muscle it in at the expense of the locals.
IMO: MNCs like Pepsico are in the hands of non Indians and like the Russian Mafia, often bring only harm, overall, to India. One remembers Coca-Cola's pollution of the valuable drinking water in Kerala and its attempted selling of water polluted by carcinogens in Sidcup, England as "pure bottled water" until the UK health services stopped it. These non-Indian MNCs regularly attempt tax fraud on the Indian Government. So why destroy small Indian firms for Pepsico ? Get rid of Buddha and the CPM NOW.
Lolly-water manufacturer Pepsico finds Frito-Lay India, a snack-making subsidiary, unable to take possession of land because two small factories, backed by Mamata Banerjee’s opposition Trinamool Congress, have refused to move out. It seems that Pepsico have no legitimate right to occupy the plot but the Marxist CPM are as usual trying to muscle it in at the expense of the locals.
IMO: MNCs like Pepsico are in the hands of non Indians and like the Russian Mafia, often bring only harm, overall, to India. One remembers Coca-Cola's pollution of the valuable drinking water in Kerala and its attempted selling of water polluted by carcinogens in Sidcup, England as "pure bottled water" until the UK health services stopped it. These non-Indian MNCs regularly attempt tax fraud on the Indian Government. So why destroy small Indian firms for Pepsico ? Get rid of Buddha and the CPM NOW.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Watchdog to probe peer’s donations to Tories
The Election Commission will scrutinise multi-million pound donations made by Bearwood Corporate Services, a Berkshire-based company associated with Lord Ashcroft, who is also the Conservative deputy party chairman.
Donations by Bearwood to the party since David Cameron took over the leadership in 2005 have totalled more than £3m ($4m), including donations in kind, making it the party’s biggest corporate donor.
Labour MPs have long questioned whether the donations complied with strict laws banning overseas donations. Allegedly Lord Ashcroft is not just the Conservative party’s biggest donor but sits in Central Office running their election campaign.
IMO: Probably these donations are illegal under UK law but it will be interesting to know if that can be proved. International corruption rules are very gradually getting more stringent. I would be extremely surprised if there are not many more fraudulent involvements in Tory funds. I think Fawkes noted some other Tory matters recently. Compared to this lot the Smith Institute is probably ... well ...'Clean as W.H. Smiths' to use the Soho racketeers phrase.
The Election Commission will scrutinise multi-million pound donations made by Bearwood Corporate Services, a Berkshire-based company associated with Lord Ashcroft, who is also the Conservative deputy party chairman.
Donations by Bearwood to the party since David Cameron took over the leadership in 2005 have totalled more than £3m ($4m), including donations in kind, making it the party’s biggest corporate donor.
Labour MPs have long questioned whether the donations complied with strict laws banning overseas donations. Allegedly Lord Ashcroft is not just the Conservative party’s biggest donor but sits in Central Office running their election campaign.
IMO: Probably these donations are illegal under UK law but it will be interesting to know if that can be proved. International corruption rules are very gradually getting more stringent. I would be extremely surprised if there are not many more fraudulent involvements in Tory funds. I think Fawkes noted some other Tory matters recently. Compared to this lot the Smith Institute is probably ... well ...'Clean as W.H. Smiths' to use the Soho racketeers phrase.
Bengal is an applecart nobody is willing to upset
...not, at least, in a hurry. The drama would unfold in the days ahead. But if the Congress top brass does decide to join hands with Mamata, it would be because the party's arithmetic point at restricting the Left to less than 30 seats in the 15th Lok Sabha.
IMO: It is all votebank politics for Congress.
Experts feel that in a situation of a delimited seat spread, a Congress-Trinamul Congress combine could raise the opposition's tally in Bengal to 20 seats or thereabouts. The CPM itself has identified six seats- Contai and Tamluk in East Midnapore district, Diamond Harbour and Jadavpur in South 24-Parganas, Serampore in Hooghly and Krishnanagar in Nadia- as 'danger zones' where the Marxists might lose to arch-rival Trinamul. If the Congress-led UDF indeed manages to wrest about 15 seats or so in Kerala this time, the Bengal-Kerala united seat gain could reach up to 35 seats for the party. The question is, would that be enough to offset the dependence on Left support for forming government at the Centre for the second consecutive time? Because despite their hand-holding with the Trinamul Congress, if the Left forces manage to retain more than 40 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress would be in deep trouble. Surely with an anti-Left alliance in Bengal, Sonia Gandhi couldn't be expecting even support from outside from the CPM in the event of a hung Parliament or the eventuality of the BJP-led NDA breathing on her neck.
IMO: So in actual fact we have a lot of political rhetoric and little consolation for the voter.
Taking a dig at the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said development should be kept above party politics. He was referring to Banerjee’s criticism that he was strengthening the CPM by sharing the dias with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at various occasions.
Chatterjee said Mukherjee was siding up with the CPM against the people of Bengal. Chatterjee was speaking to media at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, where, incidentally, the Trinamool chief was not present.
"Bengal's hero (Mukherjee) is acting as the votary of the CPM. Where was Mukherjee when people were killed in Nandigram or Tapasi Malik was killed in Singur? He is not with the people of Bengal but with the CPM,” said Chatterjee.
Labelling Mukherjee as CPM’s mouthpiece, he said both Mukherjee and the CPM are rushing to lay the foundation of various projects before the elections. “In the 32 years of CPM rule how many projects have materialised? The Bengal’s hero and Bhattacharjee are going on laying the foundation of one project after another,” he added. “Mukherjee did nothing for the revival of Dunlop and Basumati and did not help PTTI students. But he is keen on helping the CPM,” Chatterjee added.
He claimed that the East West corridor project will be a disaster and said: “20 lakh people will be displaced in Kolkata and greater Kolkata by the project. Who will take care of their rehabilitation?” Chatterjee added. When asked whether Mukherjee’s actions will hamper the prospects of Trinamool’s alliance with the Congress, he said: “We will cross the bridge when we come to it.”
...not, at least, in a hurry. The drama would unfold in the days ahead. But if the Congress top brass does decide to join hands with Mamata, it would be because the party's arithmetic point at restricting the Left to less than 30 seats in the 15th Lok Sabha.
IMO: It is all votebank politics for Congress.
Experts feel that in a situation of a delimited seat spread, a Congress-Trinamul Congress combine could raise the opposition's tally in Bengal to 20 seats or thereabouts. The CPM itself has identified six seats- Contai and Tamluk in East Midnapore district, Diamond Harbour and Jadavpur in South 24-Parganas, Serampore in Hooghly and Krishnanagar in Nadia- as 'danger zones' where the Marxists might lose to arch-rival Trinamul. If the Congress-led UDF indeed manages to wrest about 15 seats or so in Kerala this time, the Bengal-Kerala united seat gain could reach up to 35 seats for the party. The question is, would that be enough to offset the dependence on Left support for forming government at the Centre for the second consecutive time? Because despite their hand-holding with the Trinamul Congress, if the Left forces manage to retain more than 40 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress would be in deep trouble. Surely with an anti-Left alliance in Bengal, Sonia Gandhi couldn't be expecting even support from outside from the CPM in the event of a hung Parliament or the eventuality of the BJP-led NDA breathing on her neck.
IMO: So in actual fact we have a lot of political rhetoric and little consolation for the voter.
Taking a dig at the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said development should be kept above party politics. He was referring to Banerjee’s criticism that he was strengthening the CPM by sharing the dias with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at various occasions.
Chatterjee said Mukherjee was siding up with the CPM against the people of Bengal. Chatterjee was speaking to media at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, where, incidentally, the Trinamool chief was not present.
"Bengal's hero (Mukherjee) is acting as the votary of the CPM. Where was Mukherjee when people were killed in Nandigram or Tapasi Malik was killed in Singur? He is not with the people of Bengal but with the CPM,” said Chatterjee.
Labelling Mukherjee as CPM’s mouthpiece, he said both Mukherjee and the CPM are rushing to lay the foundation of various projects before the elections. “In the 32 years of CPM rule how many projects have materialised? The Bengal’s hero and Bhattacharjee are going on laying the foundation of one project after another,” he added. “Mukherjee did nothing for the revival of Dunlop and Basumati and did not help PTTI students. But he is keen on helping the CPM,” Chatterjee added.
He claimed that the East West corridor project will be a disaster and said: “20 lakh people will be displaced in Kolkata and greater Kolkata by the project. Who will take care of their rehabilitation?” Chatterjee added. When asked whether Mukherjee’s actions will hamper the prospects of Trinamool’s alliance with the Congress, he said: “We will cross the bridge when we come to it.”
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Ion-jet spacecraft heads for Vesta
Dawn will rely on the controlled venting of its plasma thrust to continuously accelerate toward Vesta. On its way, the spacecraft's ion engine will speed it up to about 24,600 miles per hour (11 kilometers per second), far more than any spacecraft has ever achieved.
Now that it has passed Mars, it will coast for about four months before powering up its ion drive engine and traveling another 26 months to asteroid Vesta.
Dawn is the first real interplanetary spaceship created by Earth humans ! Many spacecraft have gathered data at multiple bodies, but Dawn will be the first to go somewhere, go into orbit, and be able to linger there, and then travel to another body and do the same thing.
Dawn will rely on the controlled venting of its plasma thrust to continuously accelerate toward Vesta. On its way, the spacecraft's ion engine will speed it up to about 24,600 miles per hour (11 kilometers per second), far more than any spacecraft has ever achieved.
Now that it has passed Mars, it will coast for about four months before powering up its ion drive engine and traveling another 26 months to asteroid Vesta.
Dawn is the first real interplanetary spaceship created by Earth humans ! Many spacecraft have gathered data at multiple bodies, but Dawn will be the first to go somewhere, go into orbit, and be able to linger there, and then travel to another body and do the same thing.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Shoot-at-sight orders issued in Tamil Nadu
Shoot-at-sight orders were issued through out Tamil Nadu by Director-General of Police K P Jain late on Friday.
Lawyers, led by Tamil Nadu Advocates Association president S Prabakaran and Madras High Court Advocates Association president R C Paul Kanagaraj, took out a rally demanding the arrest of the city police commissioner and other senior officials. The advocates said they will continue to boycott the court till action is taken against the policemen who were involved in the violence. They also demanded action against director general of police and city police commissioner. Lawyers burnt copies of some dailies in the court complex alleging bias against advocates in the media coverage of Thursday's clashes.
Original protest by lawyers was against apparent attempts by Sri Lankan Sinhalese to murder many Sri Lankan Tamils, so far with the connivance of Delhi.
In USA, organizers said some 5,000 people -- mostly Tamil residents of the United States and Canada -- took part in the rally near the South Lawn of the White House, where they beat drums and chanted "Stop the genocide!"
IMO: "Shoot on sight" orders by KP Jain in Chennai speak for themselves in these circumstances, as does the situation in Tamil Nadu. Of course I do not know exactly what is going on in Sri Lanka but Delhi has to learn that even in Tamil Nadu, "You can't fool all the people all the time".
The recent air bombing attack by Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on the capital shows that while the LTTE conventional capacity has been drastically reduced, their ability to launch surprise attacks is undiminished.
IMO: So supposed Hitlerite activities by the Sinhalese has met with continued local protest.
Shoot-at-sight orders were issued through out Tamil Nadu by Director-General of Police K P Jain late on Friday.
Lawyers, led by Tamil Nadu Advocates Association president S Prabakaran and Madras High Court Advocates Association president R C Paul Kanagaraj, took out a rally demanding the arrest of the city police commissioner and other senior officials. The advocates said they will continue to boycott the court till action is taken against the policemen who were involved in the violence. They also demanded action against director general of police and city police commissioner. Lawyers burnt copies of some dailies in the court complex alleging bias against advocates in the media coverage of Thursday's clashes.
Original protest by lawyers was against apparent attempts by Sri Lankan Sinhalese to murder many Sri Lankan Tamils, so far with the connivance of Delhi.
In USA, organizers said some 5,000 people -- mostly Tamil residents of the United States and Canada -- took part in the rally near the South Lawn of the White House, where they beat drums and chanted "Stop the genocide!"
IMO: "Shoot on sight" orders by KP Jain in Chennai speak for themselves in these circumstances, as does the situation in Tamil Nadu. Of course I do not know exactly what is going on in Sri Lanka but Delhi has to learn that even in Tamil Nadu, "You can't fool all the people all the time".
The recent air bombing attack by Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on the capital shows that while the LTTE conventional capacity has been drastically reduced, their ability to launch surprise attacks is undiminished.
IMO: So supposed Hitlerite activities by the Sinhalese has met with continued local protest.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Lord Moonie's backers arrested.
Moonie is a close ally of Gordon Brown. £40,000 a year in consultancy fees involved at least.
After Alistair Darling's £70,000 apparent fiddle one is left wondering where on earth can honest politics be found for the UK. We know too well what theTories are like.
IMO: People like Fawkes perhaps miss the point that Labor have always cadged to get richer, and the Tories are often enough 'conserving' their existing wealth, worse in a way. You would think an opposition party could find a better plan than Gordon Brown's but so far thinking voters have the choice between the slumdog crooks running the UK as well as you would expert from such people, and an opposition who show even less appearance of honesty and would also do a bad job, due to mediocrity and worse.
Moonie is a close ally of Gordon Brown. £40,000 a year in consultancy fees involved at least.
After Alistair Darling's £70,000 apparent fiddle one is left wondering where on earth can honest politics be found for the UK. We know too well what theTories are like.
IMO: People like Fawkes perhaps miss the point that Labor have always cadged to get richer, and the Tories are often enough 'conserving' their existing wealth, worse in a way. You would think an opposition party could find a better plan than Gordon Brown's but so far thinking voters have the choice between the slumdog crooks running the UK as well as you would expert from such people, and an opposition who show even less appearance of honesty and would also do a bad job, due to mediocrity and worse.
1500 New Universities for India in next 6 years
The latest from University World News, 15th February. "Wanted: 1,500 universities; apply here".
IMO: We are surveying our new Goa campus in Assonora this week, and hope that the news on it will be favorable.
Assonora is also a place where they take film shootings and has been included in a list of the 10 most beautiful places in Goa.
The latest from University World News, 15th February. "Wanted: 1,500 universities; apply here".
IMO: We are surveying our new Goa campus in Assonora this week, and hope that the news on it will be favorable.
Assonora is also a place where they take film shootings and has been included in a list of the 10 most beautiful places in Goa.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Cocaine now cheaper than lager in England
Twenty quid a gram. 10-20 lines per gram, so users can get a hit for £1 UK.
New Labor has sent France's toxic junk in to the North of England, to help to balance Gordon Brown's books. Toxic Waste to be dumped in Hartlepool. Egypt understandibly will not have the French Clemenceau, a former nuclear vessel with 700 tons of asbestos etc. The North of England area has been a dumping ground for waste for so many years steelworks, ICI’s old chemical plant and now this. Good profits for industry, they love it, hence votes for Brown.
IMO: So back in the UK, you will be able to enjoy your lines of cocaine whilst you die of Government pollution. I fear that beer is now too dear for the depressed North West.
Twenty quid a gram. 10-20 lines per gram, so users can get a hit for £1 UK.
New Labor has sent France's toxic junk in to the North of England, to help to balance Gordon Brown's books. Toxic Waste to be dumped in Hartlepool. Egypt understandibly will not have the French Clemenceau, a former nuclear vessel with 700 tons of asbestos etc. The North of England area has been a dumping ground for waste for so many years steelworks, ICI’s old chemical plant and now this. Good profits for industry, they love it, hence votes for Brown.
IMO: So back in the UK, you will be able to enjoy your lines of cocaine whilst you die of Government pollution. I fear that beer is now too dear for the depressed North West.
Sinhalese news suppression
The Sri Lankan government appears determined that the war being waged in the north remains out of sight of the international community. Journalists have been banned from the war zone, except those travelling on specially escorted tours. Sri Lankan journalists, meanwhile, have suffered a wave of intimidation. Editors have been threatened and many others detained without charge. Around 14 journalists have been murdered by unknown assailants, most recent prominent case being Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of The Sunday Leader.
IMO: Outside Tamil Nadu it appears that nobody but Tamils are aware of Sinhalese murders in Sri Lanka, which however there is still hope to control even though the Sinhalese are behaving on the whole badly and foolishly, reflecting in medium term on Sri Lankan prospects for foreign investment and trade. Indian Congress do not seem to care, they persisently pander to North India. Evidently Delhi still has a lot to learn a lot. As usual Delhi are creating a stick to beat their own backs. And I doubt if Tamil Nadu will sort out the problems on their doorstep as it is generally still of a rather rural and very local attitude, even though for example Chennai produces more films than Bollywood or Hollywood. We do not often go even to Tamil Nadu nowadays, usually being no further south than the Konkani coast, Maharashtra or Goa.
UN intervention is needed in Sri Lanka probably. Although the UN tried for years (a little bit) there is still a lot left to do.
The Sri Lankan government appears determined that the war being waged in the north remains out of sight of the international community. Journalists have been banned from the war zone, except those travelling on specially escorted tours. Sri Lankan journalists, meanwhile, have suffered a wave of intimidation. Editors have been threatened and many others detained without charge. Around 14 journalists have been murdered by unknown assailants, most recent prominent case being Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of The Sunday Leader.
IMO: Outside Tamil Nadu it appears that nobody but Tamils are aware of Sinhalese murders in Sri Lanka, which however there is still hope to control even though the Sinhalese are behaving on the whole badly and foolishly, reflecting in medium term on Sri Lankan prospects for foreign investment and trade. Indian Congress do not seem to care, they persisently pander to North India. Evidently Delhi still has a lot to learn a lot. As usual Delhi are creating a stick to beat their own backs. And I doubt if Tamil Nadu will sort out the problems on their doorstep as it is generally still of a rather rural and very local attitude, even though for example Chennai produces more films than Bollywood or Hollywood. We do not often go even to Tamil Nadu nowadays, usually being no further south than the Konkani coast, Maharashtra or Goa.
UN intervention is needed in Sri Lanka probably. Although the UN tried for years (a little bit) there is still a lot left to do.
Secular bigots also destroy Valentines Day
Some Hindus and Muslims have threatened to disrupt Valentine's Day programs, but others, including Christians, see such actions as politically motivated moves in an election year.
Hindu groups have threatened that their members would look out for couples celebrating the special day in public and take them to temples where they would be married.Other Hindu groups also vowed not to allow "vulgarity" on Valentine's Day, and a Muslim group joined them.
IMO: Some disrupters may be overdoing it, and reducing the impact of those who genuinely want to stop corrupt practices such as those commonly used in the West. This is partly because such protests can encourage libertarian groups who often have a personal and a financial aim. That sort of thing can be encouraged by the media and by pubs etc. This has increased the decline of the West already. Even secular bigots can see this in cases like FOREST in the West, a pro-smoking group joined by ignorant idealists and tobacco companies.
And it is no good the Churches claiming 'tolerance' and saying it is all political. What do they think they are themselves ? Often enough intolerant and political is what they are as well, like it or not.
IMO: I would feel I have to largely agree that "vulgarity" shouldn't be tolerated. The Christian Churches have often been far too vulgar, and particularly at some Catholic churches the sexual morality at their dances is intolerable even to some catholic westerners, but most "just do not want to know" about what goes on just like the alleged spectators of the alleged fate of Jesus.
IMO: Hindus, Muslims and thinking seculars all have a problem. Nobody wants to suppress freedom but much of current trends - desire for cars and other material possessions as well as well as promiscuous behaviour - often not only run against faith and common sense but also spectacularly harm others and the enviroment. And the current trend to pub culture is not only harmful but like cigarette smoking, bad for the environment. People have a rather basic right to their own freedom but, purely as an example, I do not see that big firms which cause mischief, like Kingfisher Beer, have ANY basic rights of that sort and it is these which ultimately have to be targeted. People like Lakoff have studied such matters and something can be done. We must remember though that secularists, often for self defense, can often be a group with more problems than even the established churches.
Some Hindus and Muslims have threatened to disrupt Valentine's Day programs, but others, including Christians, see such actions as politically motivated moves in an election year.
Hindu groups have threatened that their members would look out for couples celebrating the special day in public and take them to temples where they would be married.Other Hindu groups also vowed not to allow "vulgarity" on Valentine's Day, and a Muslim group joined them.
IMO: Some disrupters may be overdoing it, and reducing the impact of those who genuinely want to stop corrupt practices such as those commonly used in the West. This is partly because such protests can encourage libertarian groups who often have a personal and a financial aim. That sort of thing can be encouraged by the media and by pubs etc. This has increased the decline of the West already. Even secular bigots can see this in cases like FOREST in the West, a pro-smoking group joined by ignorant idealists and tobacco companies.
And it is no good the Churches claiming 'tolerance' and saying it is all political. What do they think they are themselves ? Often enough intolerant and political is what they are as well, like it or not.
IMO: I would feel I have to largely agree that "vulgarity" shouldn't be tolerated. The Christian Churches have often been far too vulgar, and particularly at some Catholic churches the sexual morality at their dances is intolerable even to some catholic westerners, but most "just do not want to know" about what goes on just like the alleged spectators of the alleged fate of Jesus.
IMO: Hindus, Muslims and thinking seculars all have a problem. Nobody wants to suppress freedom but much of current trends - desire for cars and other material possessions as well as well as promiscuous behaviour - often not only run against faith and common sense but also spectacularly harm others and the enviroment. And the current trend to pub culture is not only harmful but like cigarette smoking, bad for the environment. People have a rather basic right to their own freedom but, purely as an example, I do not see that big firms which cause mischief, like Kingfisher Beer, have ANY basic rights of that sort and it is these which ultimately have to be targeted. People like Lakoff have studied such matters and something can be done. We must remember though that secularists, often for self defense, can often be a group with more problems than even the established churches.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Brown’s chance to save himself
The UK prime minister’s handling of last year’s bank rescue looked strong and confident. He did well this year at Davos.
But then we had Crosby, Balls, and now Jacqui Smith. And attention has also shifted to how the City of London was run during Mr Brown’s tenure at the Treasury - appallingly badly, and Brown should have shown more courage then, which could have been well rewarded. 'Fred the Shred' seems to have behaved bizarrely for a start, as I often say, and the RBS 5% of Bank of China purchase looked outstandingly appalling. And that is before you get to this public-private partnership idea, which in practice far from improving things allowed the fat cats to leech the taxpayers almost as much as the Tories do.
IMO: As the FT says, the government must act as soon as it is clear what it wants to do and not a moment sooner. The recent decision to delay announcing the Budget until late April is probably wise: there is much to be prepared. But more haste, please, and more speed. And what to do is on the one hand to forever destroy the free play of the fat cats, as Obama should have started to do already in the US (please, no more Reaganomics ever, and in the USA more democracy not more fat cat handouts ). Obama who is new and can welcome new ideas, might with prompting follow Brown. Brown should certainly not let the 'Yes,Minister' scum types in Whitehall to rule the roost, either. All this should not be unduly difficult but will need a level of speed and courage Brown is capable of.
The UK prime minister’s handling of last year’s bank rescue looked strong and confident. He did well this year at Davos.
But then we had Crosby, Balls, and now Jacqui Smith. And attention has also shifted to how the City of London was run during Mr Brown’s tenure at the Treasury - appallingly badly, and Brown should have shown more courage then, which could have been well rewarded. 'Fred the Shred' seems to have behaved bizarrely for a start, as I often say, and the RBS 5% of Bank of China purchase looked outstandingly appalling. And that is before you get to this public-private partnership idea, which in practice far from improving things allowed the fat cats to leech the taxpayers almost as much as the Tories do.
IMO: As the FT says, the government must act as soon as it is clear what it wants to do and not a moment sooner. The recent decision to delay announcing the Budget until late April is probably wise: there is much to be prepared. But more haste, please, and more speed. And what to do is on the one hand to forever destroy the free play of the fat cats, as Obama should have started to do already in the US (please, no more Reaganomics ever, and in the USA more democracy not more fat cat handouts ). Obama who is new and can welcome new ideas, might with prompting follow Brown. Brown should certainly not let the 'Yes,Minister' scum types in Whitehall to rule the roost, either. All this should not be unduly difficult but will need a level of speed and courage Brown is capable of.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Boris Johnson
London Mayor Boris Johnson has been accused of swearing abusively at a senior Labour MP over the phone, saying the f-word 10 times and accusing Keith Vaz of “bull****”.
The Mayor was “so f***ing angry” because Mr Vaz had suggested he might have to be recalled by the committee as it disputed some of his evidence. Or in short, that Boris was a falsifier and a general denier.
Mr Johnson allegedly yelled: “I used to think that you were a straight guy. A man that you could do business with. This is f***ing ridiculous.” There is said to be a tape of all this going around.
IMO: I was not of the view that in the UK one "did business" with politicians. I thought "doing business" with politicians was what people like convicted Tory criminal Mark Thatcher did with so-called corrupt "golliwogs". Anyway at least the tape does not say Mr. Johnson called poor Vaz a "golliwog" or Boris might have had to do a reeducation course, like Princes do. O tempora! O mores!
London Mayor Boris Johnson has been accused of swearing abusively at a senior Labour MP over the phone, saying the f-word 10 times and accusing Keith Vaz of “bull****”.
The Mayor was “so f***ing angry” because Mr Vaz had suggested he might have to be recalled by the committee as it disputed some of his evidence. Or in short, that Boris was a falsifier and a general denier.
Mr Johnson allegedly yelled: “I used to think that you were a straight guy. A man that you could do business with. This is f***ing ridiculous.” There is said to be a tape of all this going around.
IMO: I was not of the view that in the UK one "did business" with politicians. I thought "doing business" with politicians was what people like convicted Tory criminal Mark Thatcher did with so-called corrupt "golliwogs". Anyway at least the tape does not say Mr. Johnson called poor Vaz a "golliwog" or Boris might have had to do a reeducation course, like Princes do. O tempora! O mores!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Gain for TMC
Congress has just a few minutes ago announced withdrawal of its candidate for an assembly bypoll in favour of the Trinamool Congress, giving a fillip to the efforts for an alliance between the two parties in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections.
IMO: Very wise. Cong need as many friends as they can get. It could help to oust Buddha etc, also, as Didi wants.
Congress has just a few minutes ago announced withdrawal of its candidate for an assembly bypoll in favour of the Trinamool Congress, giving a fillip to the efforts for an alliance between the two parties in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections.
IMO: Very wise. Cong need as many friends as they can get. It could help to oust Buddha etc, also, as Didi wants.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Four names - 7 years each ?
The following four men appear before the UK Treasury Select Committee today.Stevenson was a former marketing consultant and quangocrat with no banking experience. Sir Tom Goodwin was a chemist who had run ICI. Mr Hornby was a marketing man who joined HBOS from Asda. Can this lack of experience in proper banking be a coincidence?
IMO: It seems to me that this emphasises the fact of lack of care, to the extent of reckless behaviour. In other words, their situation is in a sense analogous to the idea of a learner driver who knowingly drives a racing car very fast on the street. He is clearly being reckless. Under theft regulation such recklessness can amount to fraud. At least seven years each ? But will they get this from the expenses-diddling Home Secretary ? I doubt it.
The following four men appear before the UK Treasury Select Committee today.Stevenson was a former marketing consultant and quangocrat with no banking experience. Sir Tom Goodwin was a chemist who had run ICI. Mr Hornby was a marketing man who joined HBOS from Asda. Can this lack of experience in proper banking be a coincidence?
IMO: It seems to me that this emphasises the fact of lack of care, to the extent of reckless behaviour. In other words, their situation is in a sense analogous to the idea of a learner driver who knowingly drives a racing car very fast on the street. He is clearly being reckless. Under theft regulation such recklessness can amount to fraud. At least seven years each ? But will they get this from the expenses-diddling Home Secretary ? I doubt it.
Anti-Corruption Group Calls for Investigation of Jacqui Smith
The Centre for Open Politics has allegedly written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards making a formal complaint regarding Jacqui Smith's expense fiddles.
Sources reasonably suggest "The obtaining by deception offences under the Theft Act 1967 are no longer law. The conduct might, however, amount to an offence under the Fraud Act. However, liability hinges on "dishonesty", and as so many MPs have their snouts in the trough it is quite possible Ms Smith could argue that she (like other MPs) did not realise normal people would consider her conduct dishonest!"
IMO: I think that public standards in the UK have fallen grossly. Profumo had to resign, effectively simply because of consorting with a lady with whom it was suggested that consorting with would be disapproved of by society, something good enough for Christ. Then it got to the point where at least one Tory minister was running at least one brothel, perhaps a chain of brothels, and simply seems to have been given a foreign posting. Now, irrespective of politics, the UK has come down to this ! God help us all !
The Centre for Open Politics has allegedly written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards making a formal complaint regarding Jacqui Smith's expense fiddles.
Sources reasonably suggest "The obtaining by deception offences under the Theft Act 1967 are no longer law. The conduct might, however, amount to an offence under the Fraud Act. However, liability hinges on "dishonesty", and as so many MPs have their snouts in the trough it is quite possible Ms Smith could argue that she (like other MPs) did not realise normal people would consider her conduct dishonest!"
IMO: I think that public standards in the UK have fallen grossly. Profumo had to resign, effectively simply because of consorting with a lady with whom it was suggested that consorting with would be disapproved of by society, something good enough for Christ. Then it got to the point where at least one Tory minister was running at least one brothel, perhaps a chain of brothels, and simply seems to have been given a foreign posting. Now, irrespective of politics, the UK has come down to this ! God help us all !
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Sri Lankan Government attacks Red Cross
The Red Cross said its office in Colombo had been physically attacked by protesters, apparently spurred on by the Government.
ICRC says that hundreds of civilians have been killed by the (national) fighting and about 250,000 people are trapped. Sri Lankan government has accused the Red Cross of inciting panic over the military operation against Tamil Tiger rebels in the north. A spokesman said the ICRC had ordered 35,000 body bags for the battle zone to create what he called a fear psychosis among the international community, but the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed a routine order of body bags but nowhere near that number.
IMO: The Sri Lankan Government seem to have replaced fact by incompetent lies throughout this matter. Congress have another Tamil Nadu situation on their hands.Tamil Nadu situations they seem to handle rather like the Catholic Church dealt with Hitler during the holocaust - badly and wrongly. Does TMC, for example, really want to deal with such a party as Congress?
The Red Cross said its office in Colombo had been physically attacked by protesters, apparently spurred on by the Government.
ICRC says that hundreds of civilians have been killed by the (national) fighting and about 250,000 people are trapped. Sri Lankan government has accused the Red Cross of inciting panic over the military operation against Tamil Tiger rebels in the north. A spokesman said the ICRC had ordered 35,000 body bags for the battle zone to create what he called a fear psychosis among the international community, but the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed a routine order of body bags but nowhere near that number.
IMO: The Sri Lankan Government seem to have replaced fact by incompetent lies throughout this matter. Congress have another Tamil Nadu situation on their hands.Tamil Nadu situations they seem to handle rather like the Catholic Church dealt with Hitler during the holocaust - badly and wrongly. Does TMC, for example, really want to deal with such a party as Congress?
Karnataka attacks due to 'political patronage' ?
Condemning the kidnapping of a party legislator's daughter and her friend in Mangalore, the CPI(M) today said such attacks on minorities and women were taking place in Karnataka due to the "patronage, if not connivance" of the BJP government there.
IMO: The party legislator's daughter case could well have been set up by CPM looking for a sympathy vote as there is no evidence whatsoever of any CPM associate being actually injured. Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sena have denied involvement, and since the male was a muslim this suggests that they may not be involved.
As for the pub case involving Sri Ram Sena, they are not the official BJP and anyway I heard the report that the girls were there to make an illegal porn video in the pub. This seems to fit in with the other reports.
I think Sri Ram Sena act with the voice of desperation as much as anything, as their latest prank seems to be to tackle any young unmarried Hindu couple they regard as behaving inappropropriately in public on Valentine's day and actually force them to marry. Perhaps the worst punishment some people could get.
Condemning the kidnapping of a party legislator's daughter and her friend in Mangalore, the CPI(M) today said such attacks on minorities and women were taking place in Karnataka due to the "patronage, if not connivance" of the BJP government there.
IMO: The party legislator's daughter case could well have been set up by CPM looking for a sympathy vote as there is no evidence whatsoever of any CPM associate being actually injured. Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sena have denied involvement, and since the male was a muslim this suggests that they may not be involved.
As for the pub case involving Sri Ram Sena, they are not the official BJP and anyway I heard the report that the girls were there to make an illegal porn video in the pub. This seems to fit in with the other reports.
I think Sri Ram Sena act with the voice of desperation as much as anything, as their latest prank seems to be to tackle any young unmarried Hindu couple they regard as behaving inappropropriately in public on Valentine's day and actually force them to marry. Perhaps the worst punishment some people could get.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Didi against chemical hub
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is dead against chemical hub. "We are opposed to the very idea of a chemical hub. People are all aware of the Bhopal gas tragedy. The state government is bringing the perpetrators of the tragedy to this state," the Trinamool chief said.
CP(marxist) state secretary Biman Bose is upbeat with the project. If CPM favor the project, one may expect the worst. The technology report is to come out in March and all persons conerned with it should consider it very carefully. It could be covering up a lot.
IMO: I certainly remember Bhopal and the consequences. The CPM state government have been shown to be unconcerned with health and safety, especially for example in the malaria cases. Some say industrialisation is needed but not of the quite likely cost of another Bhopal. We cannot let that happen again. Also, it has to be remembered that it is the CPM which is at stake here, particularly in Bengal.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is dead against chemical hub. "We are opposed to the very idea of a chemical hub. People are all aware of the Bhopal gas tragedy. The state government is bringing the perpetrators of the tragedy to this state," the Trinamool chief said.
CP(marxist) state secretary Biman Bose is upbeat with the project. If CPM favor the project, one may expect the worst. The technology report is to come out in March and all persons conerned with it should consider it very carefully. It could be covering up a lot.
IMO: I certainly remember Bhopal and the consequences. The CPM state government have been shown to be unconcerned with health and safety, especially for example in the malaria cases. Some say industrialisation is needed but not of the quite likely cost of another Bhopal. We cannot let that happen again. Also, it has to be remembered that it is the CPM which is at stake here, particularly in Bengal.
Jacqui Smith said to stolen £116,000 from taxpayers
According to The Mail on Sunday, the UK Home Secretary has fiddled her expenses to the amount of £116,000.00. And it may be that her husband takes £40,000 a year for "nominal" work.
Gordon Brown has realistically 'shamed' the crooked bankers - who could well be executed in some countries (like China where it has happened), so you would think he could ensure that his own cabinet will behave honestly.
Obama would have had to sack such people, but the UK is a 'small' country in more ways than one.
IMO: Brown spoke reasonably (from the UK standpoint) at Davos and it seems a pity that his work is undermined by usual UK petty criminals, like the Home Secretary. Some consider that all the UK people are crooks, though I think that is exaggerating the problem. It is different in India, a poor country where people try hard to better themselves and families.
According to The Mail on Sunday, the UK Home Secretary has fiddled her expenses to the amount of £116,000.00. And it may be that her husband takes £40,000 a year for "nominal" work.
Gordon Brown has realistically 'shamed' the crooked bankers - who could well be executed in some countries (like China where it has happened), so you would think he could ensure that his own cabinet will behave honestly.
Obama would have had to sack such people, but the UK is a 'small' country in more ways than one.
IMO: Brown spoke reasonably (from the UK standpoint) at Davos and it seems a pity that his work is undermined by usual UK petty criminals, like the Home Secretary. Some consider that all the UK people are crooks, though I think that is exaggerating the problem. It is different in India, a poor country where people try hard to better themselves and families.
New $10 Indian laptop!
I have not seen one of these laptops but from what I have read - adverse comments in papers like FoxNews and the Guardian suggest it might be very good for ten bucks. I know full well what those papers are like - comparing my view to that of Guido Fawkes, Fawkes is their best friend.
Certainly a lot depends on what happens next, but the computer could be a real milestone, though the press seem to want it to be a millstone. Anybody who has owned the old Hindustan Ambassador car for years, as I did, may think differently.
Callind it a pendrive with wifi may actually not be far from the truth, but it sounds like it could be extremely worthwhile and I may buy more than one of them, depending on how well it goes. It could be an equal milestone for India to the Ambassador, but it may well be more like the old UK 'groundnut scheme'. Partly it depends on loyalty and patriotism.
I have not seen one of these laptops but from what I have read - adverse comments in papers like FoxNews and the Guardian suggest it might be very good for ten bucks. I know full well what those papers are like - comparing my view to that of Guido Fawkes, Fawkes is their best friend.
Certainly a lot depends on what happens next, but the computer could be a real milestone, though the press seem to want it to be a millstone. Anybody who has owned the old Hindustan Ambassador car for years, as I did, may think differently.
Callind it a pendrive with wifi may actually not be far from the truth, but it sounds like it could be extremely worthwhile and I may buy more than one of them, depending on how well it goes. It could be an equal milestone for India to the Ambassador, but it may well be more like the old UK 'groundnut scheme'. Partly it depends on loyalty and patriotism.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Release of A.Q. Kahn
It is alarming news for the world that Kahn has been released.
Pakistan's indication that he is by now a spent force would even to a non scientist seem to be extremely premature and to anyone else it is obvious that his numerous existing contacts etc. provide a serious danger to world security.
Well within my memory, India and Pakistan were the same nation, and even today the people are the same. Because of the links of Pakistan to the USA, Pakistan has become a failed nation with a future of only disreputable leaders. Whilst India is a Hindu nation, as Pakistan some day may become, with all the problems that could bring, religion is not the problem. A current Muslim President of the USA testifies to that. Obama may well say he is not a Muslim and that may well be his view. That is his right in a free society.
But the problem currently is the bankrupcy of Pakistan, the continued corruption and waste in Pakistan, the thoroughly rotten and certainly not Muslim politics in Pakistan and many other things, including very importantly the release of A.Q. Kahn.
What should be done ? The traditional European comic's suggestion would be. "We are bankrupt, our only hope now is to declare war on the United States". With A.Q. Kahn on the loose, we can hope that will not happen.
It is alarming news for the world that Kahn has been released.
Pakistan's indication that he is by now a spent force would even to a non scientist seem to be extremely premature and to anyone else it is obvious that his numerous existing contacts etc. provide a serious danger to world security.
Well within my memory, India and Pakistan were the same nation, and even today the people are the same. Because of the links of Pakistan to the USA, Pakistan has become a failed nation with a future of only disreputable leaders. Whilst India is a Hindu nation, as Pakistan some day may become, with all the problems that could bring, religion is not the problem. A current Muslim President of the USA testifies to that. Obama may well say he is not a Muslim and that may well be his view. That is his right in a free society.
But the problem currently is the bankrupcy of Pakistan, the continued corruption and waste in Pakistan, the thoroughly rotten and certainly not Muslim politics in Pakistan and many other things, including very importantly the release of A.Q. Kahn.
What should be done ? The traditional European comic's suggestion would be. "We are bankrupt, our only hope now is to declare war on the United States". With A.Q. Kahn on the loose, we can hope that will not happen.
Is USA in a losing Ponzi scheme ?
Is USA in a losing Ponzi scheme against itself ? Here in Mumbai, India, many people think so.
The situation was put simply today in D.N.A. (personal finance section, p24). Very briefly "The US Government is spending a lot of money and at the same time trying to ensure that people start borrowing again ... This in turn will revive private consumption". DNA thinks "The right thing to do ... would be to reduce spending... and try to get people to pay their debts... But the Government wants early growth ...".
Overall it certainly looks as if USA is in a big Ponzi scheme, read the article above if in doubt. If the USA were a democracy things might be better. But in USA they have a peculiar system which superficially looks democratic but at best needs tweaking.
For years the Republicans have been imposing neo-Reagonomics on Americans. If you do not know what Reaganomics is, ask some well informed piece of trailor-trash in the USA.
USA certainly needs public works done urgently. Dams (I have even blogged on that matter), highways and many other things. This is not political, just fact. The Democrats usually do those things to avert further Depression, Obama seems to be trying this, and that has to be good. So that is good, and things may take a turn for the better, but the strange series of economic cycles America is involved in should stop.
As an outsider, it looks to me as if the USA should become a democracy. The Democrats have so far made only muffled noises about how they will tweak the system but Obama has it in his hands to at least try to do so. I'm not referring to America's present "golliwog politics" which does clearly show signs of improvement with the election of President Obama, but to essential systemic improvements, of which the present depression is a symptom rather than a cause.
Yes, America can 'do it' and lets hope it will. And its most urgent need is not "Mr.Bush's depression" to paraphrase Huey Long, but to at least tweak the system to make it more democratic.
Is USA in a losing Ponzi scheme against itself ? Here in Mumbai, India, many people think so.
The situation was put simply today in D.N.A. (personal finance section, p24). Very briefly "The US Government is spending a lot of money and at the same time trying to ensure that people start borrowing again ... This in turn will revive private consumption". DNA thinks "The right thing to do ... would be to reduce spending... and try to get people to pay their debts... But the Government wants early growth ...".
Overall it certainly looks as if USA is in a big Ponzi scheme, read the article above if in doubt. If the USA were a democracy things might be better. But in USA they have a peculiar system which superficially looks democratic but at best needs tweaking.
For years the Republicans have been imposing neo-Reagonomics on Americans. If you do not know what Reaganomics is, ask some well informed piece of trailor-trash in the USA.
USA certainly needs public works done urgently. Dams (I have even blogged on that matter), highways and many other things. This is not political, just fact. The Democrats usually do those things to avert further Depression, Obama seems to be trying this, and that has to be good. So that is good, and things may take a turn for the better, but the strange series of economic cycles America is involved in should stop.
As an outsider, it looks to me as if the USA should become a democracy. The Democrats have so far made only muffled noises about how they will tweak the system but Obama has it in his hands to at least try to do so. I'm not referring to America's present "golliwog politics" which does clearly show signs of improvement with the election of President Obama, but to essential systemic improvements, of which the present depression is a symptom rather than a cause.
Yes, America can 'do it' and lets hope it will. And its most urgent need is not "Mr.Bush's depression" to paraphrase Huey Long, but to at least tweak the system to make it more democratic.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
I SUPPORT THE BANDH TODAY AT BORIVILI 100%
Today there was a bandh (or protest) at Borivili station. I needed to get to DN road near Churchgate and knew nothing of the bandh.
"Times Now" TV seemed to imply by 10:30 am that the problem was over and I construed from their comments that they believed that the bandh at least partly caused the delay. When my wife and I got to Vasai Road station shortly after 10:30 am, people were spilling from the platform and station staff would not even sell tickets because they did not know when, if ever, trains would start again.
So "Times Now" TV was quite misleading, and so cannot be trusted for actual travel news at this time. Maybe Lalu Prasad is paying "Times Now" bribes to publish false information, who knows ?
We know what caused the delay. The Government, the opposition parties, and I suppose up to a point the railways and associated enterprises. We know what happened after track quadrupling, which obviously sounds as if it should have made some improvement, and took years for travellers to obtain. THINGS ACTUALLY GOT WORSE.
DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY POLITICAN WHO WILL NOT IMPROVE WESTERN RAILWAYS DRAMATICALLY.
Today there was a bandh (or protest) at Borivili station. I needed to get to DN road near Churchgate and knew nothing of the bandh.
"Times Now" TV seemed to imply by 10:30 am that the problem was over and I construed from their comments that they believed that the bandh at least partly caused the delay. When my wife and I got to Vasai Road station shortly after 10:30 am, people were spilling from the platform and station staff would not even sell tickets because they did not know when, if ever, trains would start again.
So "Times Now" TV was quite misleading, and so cannot be trusted for actual travel news at this time. Maybe Lalu Prasad is paying "Times Now" bribes to publish false information, who knows ?
We know what caused the delay. The Government, the opposition parties, and I suppose up to a point the railways and associated enterprises. We know what happened after track quadrupling, which obviously sounds as if it should have made some improvement, and took years for travellers to obtain. THINGS ACTUALLY GOT WORSE.
DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY POLITICAN WHO WILL NOT IMPROVE WESTERN RAILWAYS DRAMATICALLY.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Identity Theft hazard to YOU apparently caused by US Border Protection Department
Rights of free individuals placed at risk by US Government.
Using inexpensive off-the-shelf components, an information security expert has built a mobile platform that can clone large numbers of the unique electronic identifiers used in US passport cards and next generation drivers licenses. The $250 proof-of-concept device - which researcher Chris Paget built in his spare time - operates out of his vehicle and contains everything needed to sniff and then clone RFID, or radio frequency identification, tags. During a recent 20-minute drive in downtown San Francisco, it successfully copied the RFID tags of two passport cards without the knowledge of their owners. Paget's device consists of a Symbol XR400 RFID reader (now manufactured by Motorola), a Motorola AN400 patch antenna mounted to the side of his Volvo XC90, and a Dell 710m that's connected to the RFID reader by ethernet cable. The laptop runs a Windows application Paget developed that continuously prompts the RFID reader to look for tags and logs the serial number each time one is detected. He bought most of the gear via auctions listed on eBay.
Officials with the US Customs and Border Protection Department say they have no plans to overhaul the technology used in passport cards.
ACLU Northern California warn: "It can be used for tracking, stalking, identity theft, and counterfeiting. If the government continues to stick its head in the sand and ignore the very real privacy and security threats that researchers, civil liberties organizations, and even industry groups have repeatedly brought to its attention, the American people will pay a very high price."
IMO: Either the US Government will have to account for their own faulty security or jail honest individuals ('white hat hackers') who report such possibilities to the public. I, presumably like many others, was aware (in principle) of this passport cloning abuse possibility as soon as they thought of introducing it. It is not putting an unduly kind face on it to say that the US Government has systematically, at least over the period of the last Administration, tried to cover up for its inadequacies simply by jailing potential whistle blowers and causing legitimate fear to those who wish to exercise their rights as free individuals.
Rights of free individuals placed at risk by US Government.
Using inexpensive off-the-shelf components, an information security expert has built a mobile platform that can clone large numbers of the unique electronic identifiers used in US passport cards and next generation drivers licenses. The $250 proof-of-concept device - which researcher Chris Paget built in his spare time - operates out of his vehicle and contains everything needed to sniff and then clone RFID, or radio frequency identification, tags. During a recent 20-minute drive in downtown San Francisco, it successfully copied the RFID tags of two passport cards without the knowledge of their owners. Paget's device consists of a Symbol XR400 RFID reader (now manufactured by Motorola), a Motorola AN400 patch antenna mounted to the side of his Volvo XC90, and a Dell 710m that's connected to the RFID reader by ethernet cable. The laptop runs a Windows application Paget developed that continuously prompts the RFID reader to look for tags and logs the serial number each time one is detected. He bought most of the gear via auctions listed on eBay.
Officials with the US Customs and Border Protection Department say they have no plans to overhaul the technology used in passport cards.
ACLU Northern California warn: "It can be used for tracking, stalking, identity theft, and counterfeiting. If the government continues to stick its head in the sand and ignore the very real privacy and security threats that researchers, civil liberties organizations, and even industry groups have repeatedly brought to its attention, the American people will pay a very high price."
IMO: Either the US Government will have to account for their own faulty security or jail honest individuals ('white hat hackers') who report such possibilities to the public. I, presumably like many others, was aware (in principle) of this passport cloning abuse possibility as soon as they thought of introducing it. It is not putting an unduly kind face on it to say that the US Government has systematically, at least over the period of the last Administration, tried to cover up for its inadequacies simply by jailing potential whistle blowers and causing legitimate fear to those who wish to exercise their rights as free individuals.
Monday, February 02, 2009
How the world wags today
Some say that the lowest form of blogging is to write blogs on other people's blogs who have in turn felt they needed to comment on some crappy news item, usually effectively worked out or written by a blogger who blogs for the newspapers. Never mind, its only a blog, so here goes ...
I simply mention two recent posts by Guido Fawkes, which to me seemed worth reading.
Obama Bitterly Disappoints Liberals
Guardian's Tax Hypocrisy is Ridiculous
IMO: On Obama, my main worry was that here we may have another Dinkins (of New York). But whilst Guido tries to somewhat stereotype Obama with a mildly neocon image, Obama certainly does not sound like a Dinkins yet - or for that matter like a neocon - and he may have some (favorable) surprises for us.
IMO: On the Guardian, I would say that the spirit that they would like to think they have may be strong, but the flesh is certainly weak. In other words the Guardian en bloc, unfortunately, does leave the impression of a bunch of wishywashy hypocrites who really should know better. The paper is enough to make you want to read the Daily Mail.
Some say that the lowest form of blogging is to write blogs on other people's blogs who have in turn felt they needed to comment on some crappy news item, usually effectively worked out or written by a blogger who blogs for the newspapers. Never mind, its only a blog, so here goes ...
I simply mention two recent posts by Guido Fawkes, which to me seemed worth reading.
Obama Bitterly Disappoints Liberals
Guardian's Tax Hypocrisy is Ridiculous
IMO: On Obama, my main worry was that here we may have another Dinkins (of New York). But whilst Guido tries to somewhat stereotype Obama with a mildly neocon image, Obama certainly does not sound like a Dinkins yet - or for that matter like a neocon - and he may have some (favorable) surprises for us.
IMO: On the Guardian, I would say that the spirit that they would like to think they have may be strong, but the flesh is certainly weak. In other words the Guardian en bloc, unfortunately, does leave the impression of a bunch of wishywashy hypocrites who really should know better. The paper is enough to make you want to read the Daily Mail.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
The Mangalore Issue
Recently in Mangalore, a number of members of Sri Ram Sena, a religious group which takes upon itself the function of some religious policing, beat up some women in Mangalore pubs.
The local BJP party did not appear to want to take the Sri Ram Sena members into custody, though because of media intervention this did eventually happen and some sort of trial may eventually take place. The women concerned do not seem to have been hurt unduly and most people in India think that women should not drink alcohol, in pubs or anywhere else, and indeed dispute and deeply disagree with the so-called "American pub culture".
IMO: The UK seems to be full of drunken women and nasty pubs, often enough verminous pubs, according to a Hammersmith health officer. This has been involved with the moral decline and financial deterioration of the UK.
So initial feeling in the matter had to be "How can I join Sri Ram Sena" but this cannot be a practical or a wise option. Practically all the political parties and even women's rights group (and I'm clearly treading on dangerous ground here) did not seem to differ in a very substantial way from that view. The media, who are paid by Kingfisher Beer and other such organisations, are pushing the "women's rights betrayed" angle.
IMO: Everyone sensible places freedom of the individual as being important in India. But this used to be achieved without pubs. What we seem to be facing is the pressure of the oligarchies against the common people, and this must be resisted to allow Indians to retain the freedoms which they have.
Recently in Mangalore, a number of members of Sri Ram Sena, a religious group which takes upon itself the function of some religious policing, beat up some women in Mangalore pubs.
The local BJP party did not appear to want to take the Sri Ram Sena members into custody, though because of media intervention this did eventually happen and some sort of trial may eventually take place. The women concerned do not seem to have been hurt unduly and most people in India think that women should not drink alcohol, in pubs or anywhere else, and indeed dispute and deeply disagree with the so-called "American pub culture".
IMO: The UK seems to be full of drunken women and nasty pubs, often enough verminous pubs, according to a Hammersmith health officer. This has been involved with the moral decline and financial deterioration of the UK.
So initial feeling in the matter had to be "How can I join Sri Ram Sena" but this cannot be a practical or a wise option. Practically all the political parties and even women's rights group (and I'm clearly treading on dangerous ground here) did not seem to differ in a very substantial way from that view. The media, who are paid by Kingfisher Beer and other such organisations, are pushing the "women's rights betrayed" angle.
IMO: Everyone sensible places freedom of the individual as being important in India. But this used to be achieved without pubs. What we seem to be facing is the pressure of the oligarchies against the common people, and this must be resisted to allow Indians to retain the freedoms which they have.
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