The Thoughts Within
My take on how the world is run & the people who inhabit it. Learnings from living & working in both the World’s Largest Democracy (India) & it’s Oldest (USA)
If unions have to go, so do lobbyists. They’re both collective bargaining.
The difference being that Unions represent the workers in X industry while Lobbyists represent the business owners in X industry!
Why should owners get to make their point with unity but not the workers?
Ever tried asking a cop, Why the Nakabandi? or Why the search of your personal belongings? Or even a clerk at a government office: Why the Delay? Why the extra fees?
If you haven’t, You’re Smart and/or Lucky. If you have you noticed that it was, to say the least, Ill-received.
Governments are like brothers -They can be helpful in times of need, aspiring in their accomplishments, protective towards their loved ones Or they can be bullies and everything negative that comes with it.
Sadly what we have now in India is the latter. A governement and it’s employees that is such a mafia organization that they will punish and make examples of any who question their authority. They wish to work with impunity and in order to continue doing so they silence all calls for transparency.
How long can we have a government that bullies us, that steals from us, that wants to be a controlling influence and not a calming and supportive one.
One of my favorite writers Salman Rushdie speaks on what he knows best “Freedom of Speech”. Salman Rushdie is the author of numerous books, a multiple award winner & has been in hiding since the late 80’s because the Iranian Ayatollah issued a Fatwa (A Death Edict – Asking any & all Muslims who see him to kill him) against him for his book “The Satanic Verses”.
But most importantly he beautifully sums up how today “Offense” & “Respect” are being used to muffle free speech, stifle debate & undermine any criticism.
He chides Indian Congress Party leader and heir-apparent Rahul Gandhi for indulging in vote-bank politics by banning him (Salman Rushdie is an Indian born author) from attending the Jaipur Literary fest and using the issue for political mileage in the recently held UP Elections (a state with a sizeable muslim population).
See the Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzGgYvz92s
Talk about whiners over at the AMCHA.. Can’t even take a lil criticism. People should be entitled to their opinions and being anti-zionist (Fighting the UN resolution which took Palestinian land and made it an Israeli state) is not the same as being anti-semitic.
Sanctions & embargo’s against the South African Apartheid government were tolerated and encouraged .. why can’t one even talk about it when it comes to Israel.
As Winston Churchill once said “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
Read on…http://www.salon.com/2012/04/24/ucla_professor_warned_about_israel_views/
Since it’s virtually impossible to criticize the Israeli state without being branded an Anti-Semite or worse. Perhaps Anti-Zion criticism should be directed towards the UN for it’s Palestinian Partition Plan and pressure should be applied on them to roll back the plan. Since they started this mess perhaps it’s best if they resolved it.
Using the UN as the forum for resolution will also address some concerns 1. US and other western “peace brokers” are biased and heavily influenced by organizations such as AIPAC 2. Are motivated by geo-political balance of power issues i.e. It’s a resource rich region 3. Influenced by Business interests which want to keep the status quo i.e. parties that profit from the current situation will fight & stifle any change 4. Very little emphasis on the Humanitarian Agenda. The UN cannot shrug off it’s humanitarian responsibilities as easily as the US or any Nation State.
In my opinion the bid for Palestinian state membership to the UN is a crucial first step in the resolution of Palestinian – Israeli differences.
If History has taught us anything, it is that All empire’s will fall.
History also shows us that in hindsight the demise was obvious, power gets centralized and abused by a few while the masses suffer, till they can suffer no more and the system comes crumbling down once it loses the support of it’s foundation (the Masses).
The world’s oldest democracy is facing it’s biggest challenge yet. How to stop Billionaire’s from controlling government policies that enrich them while depriving millions of others of basic necessities. To follow the path that led the US to this point and to learn if this scenario will play out the same way in other democracies around the world… Read on..
http://www.salon.com/2012/04/01/how_billionaires_destroy_democracy/
There is renewed interest in the debate on multiculturalism & whether it’s truly possible for society to be secular. Many have stated that it is a failure & the recent attacks in France have only charged the debate further.
I though am a firm believer in multiculturalism and its benefits. Opponents to multiculturalism, in my opinion, are merely slow-adapters to change (you have some of those everywhere, many were adverse to the internet!)
The dangerous & disturbing trend is how those who oppose it are resorting to violence. Whether it be far right groups in Europe or marginalized minorities in western & developing countries.
To see how the benefits outweigh the teething problems read on…
http://www.salon.com/2012/03/17/multiculturalism_can_be_saved/singleton/
BomBay before it was Mumbai. When romance was in the air and royalty walked the streets. Exotic & Amazing Bombay!!
The financial desperation of many women (students & single moms) in this recession, is being capitalized on by single “Sugar Daddy” men who are offering financial assistance in return for sexual favors.
Salon After Dark investigates this social phenomenon.
http://www.salon.com/2012/03/06/the_sugar_daddy_recession/singleton/
A beautiful story about how one man can make a difference.
News today is a bit like a cough drop: The medicine (serious news content) has to be concealed within a sugary package (entertainment) in order for it to be consumed.
I’m not the greatest fan of Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert’s new (for 2 yrs now since they got mass) theatrical style, but if a little silly entertainment helps the uninformed get informed then I can deal with it.
Only the upcoming US presidential elections and how well the misinformation is dispelled will show if it was worth it.