Thursday, July 05, 2012
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
Sunday, July 01, 2012
Narendra Modi
Manmohan Singh has done well by India. Laloo did well by the Indian Railways. Modi has done well by Gujrat.
I have been aware of the BJP background of Modi. But if you believe in democracy as I do you are at peace with people from different ideological backgrounds.
I tried to zero in on Godhra and the aftermath. India has had a long history of cycles of violence where Hindu and Muslim extremists take turns committing heinous acts of terror.
Godhra happened. Right after Modi as the sitting Chief Minister urged calm. But riots followed regardless. Out of control mobs came into the fore and committed major crimes. It was wrong and unfortunate.
Both Godhra and the aftermath were wrong. The aftermath had to be prevented as much as possible. It will remain a blight on India's image.
But I don't think Modi was a Hindu KKK figure actively orchestrating the aftermath. He was not actively involved, although he should have done more to try and control it.
But then there have been Hindu-Muslim riots in Bihar, just not on Laloo's watch.
What Modi has done for Gujrat's development is commendable. Water, road, electricity, broadband. He has focused on the basics and has beat China's growth rates. Gujrat has seen 11% growth.
Going into 2014 Modi is obviously BJP's strongest contender for the PM post. As a distant onlooker I am surely curious as to how 2014 might play out for India. I do think Modi is a strong contender. That is my political observation.
I am also impressed with Modi's modest middle class background. The guy does not have a bank account. For a politician to not be corrupt is a big deal for India.
My number one observation on Modi is to do with development. And there he gets an A+ grade.
As to what will happen in 2014, two years are a really long time in Indian politics.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
2012: The Year The Republican Party Could Die
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 16: An Occupy Wall Street protester sits in Zuccotti Park a day after it was cleared of the Occupy Wall Street camp in an early morning police raid on November 16, 2011 in New York city. Hundreds of protesters, who rallied against economic inequality in America, have slept in tents and under tarps since Sept. 17 in Zuccotti Park. A New York judge ruled Tuesday that the protesters could return to Zuccotti Park but couldn’t set up tents or sleep in the park. Zuccotti Park became the epicenter of the global Occupy Wall Street movement. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)The Right To Peaceful Assembly In New York CityThere is no stopping The Occupy Movement, TOM. Winter is over. Spring is here. And that is all the movement was waiting for. (Occupy Wall Street Could Legitimately Go Indoors) If the movement had not known the winter was going to be as mild as it was, there was never even going to be a break.
The Democratic Mayors of America have a choice to make. Granted the Mayor of NYC is not a Democrat, but he is a former Democrat. And every other elected official in the city is a Democrat, pretty much. The Democratic Party has a choice to make. Either the Occupy movement will breathe new life into the Democratic Party, or it will end up being its own political party.
America might continue to be a two party democracy. But one of those two parties might as well be the Occupy Party. Not now. But who knows where we will stand a year from now?
All the Democratic Mayors have to do is facilitate and celebrate the Occupiers' right to peaceful assembly. If they can't do that the Occupy movement is going to split from the Democratic Party and create its own party.
Total campaign finance reform within the first 100 days of Barack Obama's second term is the only thing that will quench the Occupy movement. Nothing less will. Should that goal be met, then the leaders of the Occupy movement could move on to running for elected office all over the country at all levels of government, armed with nothing more than social media. A new breed politician is about to be born.
The Right To Peaceful Assembly In New York City
Occupy Wall Street protesters have taken over Zuccotti Park as a base of operations. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)It blows my mind that Zuccotti Park is private. It absolutely blows my mind. While we are at it why don't we privatize Central Park as well? Maybe The Donald will buy it. What about Prospect Park? I mean. Isn't there a budget deficit or something? What are parks for? This city needs to buy back Zuccotti Park at the earliest, like this year. And give it to the Occupy people. The Occupy people put New York City on the world map last year like nobody and nothing else. That has to be honored. It is called saying thank you.
Ends up there is no right to peaceful assembly in New York City. There is a right to peaceful assembly in New York City just like there is a right to free speech in Syria. Assad was asked about free speech a few years back. He said, there is free speech in Syria. As long as people are respectful and decent in what they say. Otherwise you will have chaos, he said. Imagine that. Chaos.
There are people in this city who think the Occupy people doing their 24/7 thing in Zuccotti Park last year was chaos. Do they smell? They asked. It took a Time magazine to see the Occupier's worth, and people running this city still don't get it.
And this city is supposed to be the progressive capital of the world? I am not feeling it. I am not feeling the love.
10 million people joining a Facebook group could not have done what 200 people camping out 24/7 in Zuccotti Park did. It had to happen in person. It had to happen 24/7. It needed to happen in a public place.
