Failing world

The last quarter, the US growth was flat reportedly. The Europe is in recession already. Reforms are on the hold. Bail outs of Banks is fashionable in Western democracies apart from the criticism of the low growth of China at 7%. Now the sanctions on Russia which will worsen the recession. Are people waiting for a war really, which they think might bail them out?
The world seems like failing. BBC conducted a programme the other day, where most of the Americans interviewed lamented that the USA is almost a lost case–mostly due to the current administration. Really? How can it fail under one President only? It has started to fail long back. Read ‘The Great Gatsby’. This book is more than a sad love story.
When you run out of ideas, you look the most poor. We had no writer of his class after him.

Mandela and Mugabe

Mugabe was opposite of Mandela. Mandela allowed the colonials to control the wealth and resources of the country, while the natives had their freedom. Also he made some humiliating compromises in TRC, which allowed the most heinous crimes of the apartheid regime go unacknowledged. For it he won the Nobel and other accolades. Mugabe did the opposite. He snatched the wealth and resources from the colonials and distributed them among natives. Recently, it became public that he gets only four thousand dollars a month as salary and has no account in a Swiss bank. He rightly said that he deserves the Nobel prize. The academic world can not ignore Mugabe for long. The way he survived the protracted economic sanctions will be a subject of research. Also, many former colonies should take a leaf out of his book. To learn how to become truly independent. Any University worth its name must hurry to honour him.

The post colonial history of Zimbabwe is unlike any other country. This unique experiment of doing away with colonial institutions and replacing them with indigenous should be studies closely. For it the Zimbabwean should be proud of their country and its leader. Having a dispassionate debate about this nation is almost impossible as the economic sanctions making life of the country arduous. Mugabe survived all it. So he is no common leader. As I said, in the times ahead it will become more obvious.

An IMF man

Of all the people, a former IMF official is now the governor of Reserve Bank of India. It sounds very intriguing that English media is trying to build an image for him. Kejariwal will find a lot of things to clean, if he gets into power.

Arvind Kejariwal and Indian general elections

Arvind Kejariwal represented a change in Indian politics. He has shown the courage to join it unlike his mentor Anna Hajare. Hajare has the probity of a saint around him, which can be only compared to that of Gandhi. But he has shown no inclination to join active politics and is happy to remain an activist. Also, he has not fully accepted Arvind as his protegee.
A problem with former bureaucrats is that they turn to populism in no time. Kejariwal too offered to reduce the cost of power to half, once he became the chief minister of Delhi. (An office he could not retain for long, for the political imperative of a country like India stretched him too thin.) Power is chronically deficient in India. So it leaves a gap in his understanding of Indian politics and it needs. Because he can not outdo the existing politicians in the competition of looking more populist.
Elections are due in India soon. After nearly seventy years of democracy, it has roughly seven hundred million people living below poverty line, though it’s media prefers to talk about the seventy billionaires it also has. Nearly two trillion dollars have escaped from India to safer heavens in EU nations or the USA, while the media here talked about the benefits of a free economy and reforms, during the last twenty five years. Had there been policies to prevent that, the picture of Indian economy has not looked so poor. So the list of policy failures, deliberate or otherwise, could be very long.
But this can not go on like it for long. Politicians like Kejariwal inspire hope among the people tired of endless unfolding of corruption scandals, irrespective of the party in power at the center. India matters to the world for its economic potential and its survival so far as a democracy, in spite of a stunning diversity. Rightfully, it is getting the due attention in recent days. The outcome of its elections are of seminal importance to the world powers, engaged in an ugly confrontation in Ukraine now.
May be, if Indian people vote him into political significance that may prove lasting, in the next general elections, Arvind kejariwal has a potential to create change in a society which so badly needs it. It is asking too much from a single person but often a single person makes all the difference in India. Young and charming, and untainted so far, Arvind has a lot to learn and nothing to lose.
Had he not been there, the Indian elections might have looked routine this time as well.

War with Russia?

The way things are developing, it appears as if the politicians are contemplating a war with Russia. Will such a war get popular support in EU nations is the question. Deep in economical crisis, EU nations have some of the most corrupt people in the leadership. Will a war help cover them up the matters and linger the reforms? I do not think diplomacy can not solve this crisis. The first thing needed is to tone down the voice of a provocative English press, owned by a few Moguls only.

Press freedom

India is a little ahead of China in Press freedom. But BBC is a sold out thing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2014/11/ws-indiapressforsale.html

Rich, poor and democracy

There are 700m poor for 70 Indian billionaires. So much for democracy and welfare economics of Amartya.

Criminal state

Things remains the same since Tolstoy. Coup is the need.

Free speech

As the outlook worsens for Europe and the crisis in Syria deepens, the USA looks like again being sucked into the vortex of possible greater conflict. For Europeans are unwilling to work their way out of their debts. Germany can not bail them out for ever.
I find a kind of MacCarthyism taking hold in the former colonies and other countries, where English is almost the national language. The carefully managed show is finally coming apart–it may seem.
The crisis is deepening and the plot thickening.

Don’t vote

Abstain. It is the wisest thing to do. It will be your revenge on the politics. Your indifference will haunt the politicians who disrupt so much of your daily life.