jan 30th, 2007
we saw ashok malik's terrific article on how well modi has managed gujarat economically.
here's a post (thanks, narayan) about how well modi has been received by the public in, of all places, kerala.
http://dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story3%2Etxt&counter_img=3
Modi's Kerala visit a grand success
Pioneer News Service | Thiruvananthapuram
Proving the perpetrators of paranoia wrong, Kerala welcomed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday when he reached here to take part in the Hindu Maha Mela organised by the RSS as part of the MS Golwalkar Birth Centenary celebrations.
Modi's visit, which was projected by his political opponents as "intended to create fissures in the social fabric of Kerala", turned out to be one of the most well-attended public programmes the State has ever witnessed. "The credit should go to the State Police and the Home Department for ensuring that the programme takes place as per plans," said an ecstatic organiser half way through the rally.
... more
then we turn around and see that the BJP has kicked modi out of its central committee (i saw this news item, but don't have a URL).
what is it, death wish?
modi is the one candidate they have who stands tall.
maybe the moles are active at the highest levels still. there was one guy who was an absolute mole in the top echelons of the bjp (obviously i am not going to name names) and he was a pure-bred nehruvian. don't these guys do background checks on people before they take them on board? sheesh!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
me on rediff on marxists continuing in imperial footsteps, bush's travails etc.
jan 30th, 2007
fyi
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jan/30rajeev.htm
i've posted it on my other blog as well.
fyi
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jan/30rajeev.htm
i've posted it on my other blog as well.
Tata Wins Auction for Corus
jan 30th, 2007
well, there is a lot more to the story, of course.
indians used to make the finest steel in the world, called wootz, which was known to european crusaders as damascene, the steel for the mohammedans' very fine swords.
we *lost* the technology during the semitic invasions.
i am not averse to steel, but i'd prefer it if the steel production were done in third countries by indian companies. for instance, in third-world backwaters like britain. they can supply the brawn, indians can ship the iron ore there, use their coal, and make value added products to be sold around the world.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kumar
From a talk given by LK Advani:
Britisher, who offered to eat Indian steel, had to eat his words!
Let's hope we see more of this kind of activity.
well, there is a lot more to the story, of course.
indians used to make the finest steel in the world, called wootz, which was known to european crusaders as damascene, the steel for the mohammedans' very fine swords.
we *lost* the technology during the semitic invasions.
i am not averse to steel, but i'd prefer it if the steel production were done in third countries by indian companies. for instance, in third-world backwaters like britain. they can supply the brawn, indians can ship the iron ore there, use their coal, and make value added products to be sold around the world.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kumar
From a talk given by LK Advani:
Britisher, who offered to eat Indian steel, had to eat his words!
Here I am particularly struck by the case of Tata Steel.
When Jamsetji Tata was dreaming of setting up a steel plant in India in the closing years of the 19th century and early years of the 20th century , he was encouraged by many patriotic Indians, including someone like Swami Vivekananda, who was far removed from the world of business. But Jamsetji's dream was also sneered and scorned at by the British, who thought that Indians were incapable of anything hi-tech. Steel-making, let's remember, was certainly hi-tech those days.
The chief commissioner of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway those days was Sir Frederick Upcott, a British gentleman. When he heard of the Tatas' plan to make steel in India and supply it to the Railways, which was then busy laying new lines in different parts of the country, he said, "Impossible. They just won't be able to do it. And if they do, I promise to eat every pound of steel rail the Tatas succeed in making."
Needless to say, history has kept no record of how many pounds of Indian steel this British gentleman ate after the Tatas' steel plant commenced production in 1912. But, surely, he would have turned in his grave after the media reported recently that Ratan Tata, the illustrious inheritor of the legacy of Jamsetji and JRD Tata, has made a bid to acquire Corus, the famous British steel company.
Let's hope we see more of this kind of activity.
corporate raider carl icahn sets his sights on MOT; corus; etc
jan 30th, 2007
immediately MOT shoots up 6%! i guess the market thinks he'll shake up old ed zander and crew.
btw, that reminds me: when i look at major US corporations, very few of them -- even in technology -- have indian-origin people at the top manager level. intel is one of the few that does, with arvind sodhani; motorola has padmashree warrior; of course there's pepsi and indra nooyi.
it seems to me that the much-trumpeted rise of indians in the executive suite is a flash in the pan: didn't rono dutta and menezies and the head of mckinsey all move on? then there was the disaster with CA and kumar. arun sarin is the only indian-origin CEO i can think of at a major global company (other than of course the mittals and ambanis and tatas).
btw, tata has won the corus beauty contest. did they pay too much? is this a pyrrhic victory? interesting though, two BRIC companies bidding over a brit company.
immediately MOT shoots up 6%! i guess the market thinks he'll shake up old ed zander and crew.
btw, that reminds me: when i look at major US corporations, very few of them -- even in technology -- have indian-origin people at the top manager level. intel is one of the few that does, with arvind sodhani; motorola has padmashree warrior; of course there's pepsi and indra nooyi.
it seems to me that the much-trumpeted rise of indians in the executive suite is a flash in the pan: didn't rono dutta and menezies and the head of mckinsey all move on? then there was the disaster with CA and kumar. arun sarin is the only indian-origin CEO i can think of at a major global company (other than of course the mittals and ambanis and tatas).
btw, tata has won the corus beauty contest. did they pay too much? is this a pyrrhic victory? interesting though, two BRIC companies bidding over a brit company.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
el nino, drought, inflation and other monsters
jan 30th, 2007
the extreme cold weather that hit california recently is supposed to be el nino related. and we know from good old mike davies (late victorian holocausts: el nino and the making of the third world) that the result is drought in the deccan.
what does this portend for the indian stock market? a sharp drop in 2007 as the rains fail?
with inflation already shooting up, this is a scary prospect.
if stocks are going to drop, have to abandon the equity mutual funds. if inflation is going up and interest rates too, then have to abandon the bond mutual funds.
if both are happening, then cash is king, i suppose. this might also burst the real estate bubble. i hear prices have stabilized in bangalore and delhi after shooting through the roof recently.
the extreme cold weather that hit california recently is supposed to be el nino related. and we know from good old mike davies (late victorian holocausts: el nino and the making of the third world) that the result is drought in the deccan.
what does this portend for the indian stock market? a sharp drop in 2007 as the rains fail?
with inflation already shooting up, this is a scary prospect.
if stocks are going to drop, have to abandon the equity mutual funds. if inflation is going up and interest rates too, then have to abandon the bond mutual funds.
if both are happening, then cash is king, i suppose. this might also burst the real estate bubble. i hear prices have stabilized in bangalore and delhi after shooting through the roof recently.
big retail comes to the grocery segment
jan 29th, 2007
is this good news or bad? we shall have to wait and see. there was a recent story about how the costcos and other hypermarkets depend on unnecessary impulse buys by people too.
on average, i think it's good for the producer, since the number of middlemen will go down. it's not good, obviously, for the small retailer. it's probably good for the consumer. most retail in india is dingy; although some have improved, eg. in bangalore, i find that the average retail store, eg. in trivandrum, is most off-putting in terms of a) lighting or lack thereof b) random stacking of stuff with no order c) dust d) poor merchandising and display
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/447fd92a-afce-11db-94ab-0000779e2340.html
is this good news or bad? we shall have to wait and see. there was a recent story about how the costcos and other hypermarkets depend on unnecessary impulse buys by people too.
on average, i think it's good for the producer, since the number of middlemen will go down. it's not good, obviously, for the small retailer. it's probably good for the consumer. most retail in india is dingy; although some have improved, eg. in bangalore, i find that the average retail store, eg. in trivandrum, is most off-putting in terms of a) lighting or lack thereof b) random stacking of stuff with no order c) dust d) poor merchandising and display
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/447fd92a-afce-11db-94ab-0000779e2340.html
nytimes: on food and "food"-like substances
jan 29th, 2007
i don't know if any of you ever read the (yup, limey magazine) New Scientist, which i used to regularly when i was a student. it had a series of cartoons about a lab developing what was known as 'nufud', a food-like substance that was sometimes indistinguishable from the real thing. looks like it wasn't humor after all... (btw, the magazine also had good writing, esp. from a columnist named ariadne.)
fascinating article in the nytimes. i've begun to dread the words 'high-fructose corn syrup', but it's so hard to avoid that ingredient in anything you buy in the US! fortunately, indian food technologists haven't discovered this ingredient yet. but oh yes, they will. it'll probably be high-fructose sugarcane syrup or something.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ei=5087%0A&em=&en=ce28063f61d4a925&ex=1170219600&pagewanted=all
i listened to an interview with michael pollen when his book 'omnivore's dilemma' first came out. sounded fascinating. amazing that his answer is simple: eat local food, not stuff transported from far off (partly because it's fresh, partly because you have evolved alongside the food and it's most suited to the local climate and soil and so forth, partly because it costs less in oil to transport it). eat less (or preferably no) meat. eat lots of vegetables and fruit, especially green leafy things. eat less of everything. pretty much what Mom has been saying all along.
this monstrousness is what you get with too much industrialization of food technology. it is a bit of a nightmare. in many ways, it's better to be less efficient in food production, even if that wastes land and effort, to not get to bizarre things like what we are eating. once again, this shows food security is not an option. we have to invest in it. india is abandoning food security in a headlong rush towards industrialization, which we shall regret at leisure.
as a result of eating all this food-like stuff, children are getting so laden with hormones that girls are menstruating at the age of 8 in america.
conversely, and i don't remember what the medical explanation was, there was a story about women ceasing to menstruate at 30 in india.
vatican, rogue state: der spiegel
jan 29th, 2007
the theme is pertinent, the content is not :-)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,460967,00.html
the vatican *is* a rogue state, and it's not because of those pickpockets and petty thieves. it's because it is the largest purveyor of hoaxes in history, as well as the biggest ethnic cleanser in history. it killed hundreds of millions of people all over europe, asia, latin america, africa. it is also the oldest and richest, and most ruthless MNC in the world, masquerading as a state. it is like saudi arabia in a sense: a grand extorter of money using people's blind faith as a weapon. (i believe the meccans worked a bargain with mohammed so that he would urge all mohammedans to come to mecca, which of course generates nice profits for the locals providing victuals and housing. similarly pilgrimage to the vatican is a big money-earner for them godmen.)
the entire der spiegel issue is interesting:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,k-7054,00.html
thanks to habc for the original link, on the hilarious "we capitulate" story. hilarious, if it weren't for the fact that this is what the kaangress, the marxists, and other invertebrates have been foisting on india for a long time. it is, therefore, more like black humor. you feel like weeping rather than laughing.
here's the link:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,462149,00.html
the theme is pertinent, the content is not :-)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,460967,00.html
the vatican *is* a rogue state, and it's not because of those pickpockets and petty thieves. it's because it is the largest purveyor of hoaxes in history, as well as the biggest ethnic cleanser in history. it killed hundreds of millions of people all over europe, asia, latin america, africa. it is also the oldest and richest, and most ruthless MNC in the world, masquerading as a state. it is like saudi arabia in a sense: a grand extorter of money using people's blind faith as a weapon. (i believe the meccans worked a bargain with mohammed so that he would urge all mohammedans to come to mecca, which of course generates nice profits for the locals providing victuals and housing. similarly pilgrimage to the vatican is a big money-earner for them godmen.)
the entire der spiegel issue is interesting:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,k-7054,00.html
thanks to habc for the original link, on the hilarious "we capitulate" story. hilarious, if it weren't for the fact that this is what the kaangress, the marxists, and other invertebrates have been foisting on india for a long time. it is, therefore, more like black humor. you feel like weeping rather than laughing.
here's the link:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,462149,00.html
why the 'eminent donkeys' will never see the aryan invasion bullshit is wrong
jan 29th, 2007
as pointed out in this book, it usually takes people from another field to come in and blow the cobwebs off the brains of the groupthinkers in an ossified field.
this is why the witzels and other pseudo-historians steeped in religio-fascist lies are deathly afraid of engineers using simple tools like: "let's look at this from first principles", "does this follow from the axioms without extraordinary leaps of faith?", "is this circular reasoning?"
no, the eminent donkeys do not want you to ask embarrassing questions.
http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml;jsessionid=QPLASBK3O1ZNQAKRGWDSELQBKE0YIISW?id=2823
as pointed out in this book, it usually takes people from another field to come in and blow the cobwebs off the brains of the groupthinkers in an ossified field.
this is why the witzels and other pseudo-historians steeped in religio-fascist lies are deathly afraid of engineers using simple tools like: "let's look at this from first principles", "does this follow from the axioms without extraordinary leaps of faith?", "is this circular reasoning?"
no, the eminent donkeys do not want you to ask embarrassing questions.
http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml;jsessionid=QPLASBK3O1ZNQAKRGWDSELQBKE0YIISW?id=2823
Monday, January 29, 2007
intel and ibm on new chip technology
jan 28th, 2007
the new intel 'breakthrough' has been hyped a lot (and ibm is claiming they have the same thing too) -- something to do with new hafnium-based processes to improve the insulation and thus reduce the leakage current and thus heat generation.
intel has always had an edge in the chip design and the *process* such as CMOS, HMOS, etc. and have not been that good at the actual manufacturing activity.
any comments by anyone on these new developments?
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2088078,00.asp
i own intel stock and am hoping this will push it up. i missed out on buying some texas instruments stock, and it has done rather well recently.
the new intel 'breakthrough' has been hyped a lot (and ibm is claiming they have the same thing too) -- something to do with new hafnium-based processes to improve the insulation and thus reduce the leakage current and thus heat generation.
intel has always had an edge in the chip design and the *process* such as CMOS, HMOS, etc. and have not been that good at the actual manufacturing activity.
any comments by anyone on these new developments?
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2088078,00.asp
i own intel stock and am hoping this will push it up. i missed out on buying some texas instruments stock, and it has done rather well recently.
ballmer's vision for microsoft
jan 28th, 2007
a lot of people are talking about the end of microsoft's dominance. they may have met their match this time, but i thought that about java also in the past.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/business/yourmoney/28ballmer.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all
a lot of people are talking about the end of microsoft's dominance. they may have met their match this time, but i thought that about java also in the past.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/business/yourmoney/28ballmer.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all
PINR: china's anti-satellite test
jan 28th, 2007
this is quite a significant escalation, and india should not take it too lightly and blithely, whatever soothing noises 'china's national newspaper' and sitaram yechuri make.
http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=609&language_id=1
this is quite a significant escalation, and india should not take it too lightly and blithely, whatever soothing noises 'china's national newspaper' and sitaram yechuri make.
http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=609&language_id=1
firm evidence that jesus *did not* exist
jan 28, 2007
complete fabrication. total lies. yeah, the 'greatest story ever told' -- the biggest hoax ever perpetrated.
www.jesusneverexisted.com
complete fabrication. total lies. yeah, the 'greatest story ever told' -- the biggest hoax ever perpetrated.
www.jesusneverexisted.com
missionaries trespassing at Hindu festivals...
jan 28th, 2007
these people ought to be drawn and quartered. disgusting bigots.
also note that KPYohannan is yet another religious scamster of kerala christist origin. if you look around, a large number of the major christist scams have a solid kerala christist component. if someone digs around, they'll probably find that KPYohannan was also an imported nurse-husband who latched onto the ignorance of yanks to make big bucks for himself.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Moksha
these people ought to be drawn and quartered. disgusting bigots.
also note that KPYohannan is yet another religious scamster of kerala christist origin. if you look around, a large number of the major christist scams have a solid kerala christist component. if someone digs around, they'll probably find that KPYohannan was also an imported nurse-husband who latched onto the ignorance of yanks to make big bucks for himself.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Moksha
rajeev,
too bad these missionaries can't intrude at the Haj festival in Saudi Arabia ..we all know where that would lead them to ...straight to the gallows :)
***
GFA missionaries arrested at Ardh Kumbh
Posted January 24, 2007
January 23, 2007
Crusadewatch.org
http://www.crusadewatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=614&Itemid=67
Allahabad : Police arrested six Gospel for Asia missionaries for tresspassing at Ardh Kumbh festival. Scores of Gospel for Asia leaders and missionaries camped at the Ardh Kumbh location to "offer the pilgrims an alternative to the traditional rituals by introducing them to Jesus".
Some piligrims got into an argument with some missionaries who were denigrating Hindu gods. Police sensed trouble and asked missionaries to leave the place as it is against law to deinigrate other religions. The women's team retreated while the men's team was belligerent. Police arrested the leaders and released them a day after. The missionaries claimed that they had talked about Christianity to over 200,000 pilgrims.
*
Christian persecution? an oxymoron..
Gospel For Asia Missionaries Beaten, Arrested at Indian Festival
Added: Jan 23rd, 2007 10:35 PM
ALLAHABAD, INDIA (ANS) -- Gospel for Asia (GFA) native missionaries--including a state leader--have been driven away, beaten and even arrested by police at the site of the Ardh Kumbh, a massive festival during which millions of Hindu pilgrims bathe in the confluence of two sacred rivers at the north Indian town of Allahabad.
Yesterday (Monday, January 22), an estimated 20 million people bathed in the Ganges where it meets the Yamuna River, and up to 60 million are expected to have taken the religious plunge before the 45-day event is over on February 16. To help accommodate the huge crowds and promote safety, officials have set up a "city" of 50,000 tents over a 30 square-mile area, brought in 25,000 toilets and deployed a police force of around 20,000.
Traffic has been rerouted from all roads leading to the river. As a result, GFA native missionaries ministering at the event had to walk or ride bicycles about 10 kilometers (6 miles) to reach the festival site. GFA native missionaries and Bible college students were attending the event to offer the pilgrims an alternative to the traditional rituals by introducing them to Jesus.
The team for the festival outreach included staff members from the GFA state office, women from local churches, students and staff members from Bible colleges as well as pastors from Allahabad. As of January 21, more than 200,000 pilgrims had happily accepted the Gospel tracts.
On that day, however, radical anti-Christian thugs beat up three native missionaries, stole their materials and told them to leave the festival. One of the missionaries was taken to the hospital with severe injuries, although he is responding well to treatment.
Anti-Christian sentiment was also evident yesterday morning, when police told a GFA women's team to leave. The women retreated, but a men's team, headed by a state leader and two pastors, continued to share the Good News with those attending the festival. The police then arrested six of the Christians, questioning them for a day before releasing them. One of the arrested pastors called it "an honor" to be persecuted for the sake of the Gospel.
GFA President K.P. Yohannan asks Christians to pray that the persecution will not escalate. "Please pray for our workers who were serving at this event, and that many pilgrims will receive the Good News of forgiveness through our Lord," he said.
http://www.christianpersecution.info/
turning god's own country into devil's own country
jan 28th, 2007
the worshipers of he-who-doesn't exist are at it again -- stealing culture.
following in the esteemed footsteps of archbishop nikon, i think it would be quite appropriate to call these thieves devil-worshipers.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Moksha
the worshipers of he-who-doesn't exist are at it again -- stealing culture.
following in the esteemed footsteps of archbishop nikon, i think it would be quite appropriate to call these thieves devil-worshipers.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Moksha
Jesus in 'yogic posture' to adorn church hall
Kollam (Kerala), Jan 25: In a fusion of Indian and Western spiritual streams, an idol of Jesus Christ resembling the Buddha meditating under a 'bodhi' tree is to be consecrated in a Church prayer hall at a lakeside hamlet near here shortly.
The idol in golden-and-copper hues installed in the meditation hall named 'Jagat Jyoti Mandir', built by the Catholic church at Parimanam village, depicts the Christ sitting cross-legged in 'padmasanam' posture with his right hand raised showing the 'yogic mudra' and the left hand resting on the lap as Hindu and Buddhist sages are often depicted in Indian art for centuries.
The mantra "aum yeshu christuve namaha", echoing the vedic invocation of the supreme being, has been displayed prominently in the prayer hall.
"It is an attempt in incarnating the Christian experience in the religious ethos of India by bringing about a blending of Western and Indian art forms to transfuse the Christian theology in Indian motifs. The mandir will provide the right ambience for meditation," said Fr Romance Antony, Director of the Quilon Service Society under the Kollam Catholic diocese.
Set on the sylvan banks of the Ashtamudi lake, the mandir was also designed as a place to promote inter-religious dialogue through meditation, prayer and conventions, he said.
The idol in golden-and-copper hues installed in the meditation hall named 'Jagat Jyoti Mandir', built by the Catholic church at Parimanam village, depicts the Christ sitting cross-legged in 'padmasanam' posture with his right hand raised showing the 'yogic mudra' and the left hand resting on the lap as Hindu and Buddhist sages are often depicted in Indian art for centuries.
The mantra "aum yeshu christuve namaha", echoing the vedic invocation of the supreme being, has been displayed prominently in the prayer hall.
"It is an attempt in incarnating the Christian experience in the religious ethos of India by bringing about a blending of Western and Indian art forms to transfuse the Christian theology in Indian motifs. The mandir will provide the right ambience for meditation," said Fr Romance Antony, Director of the Quilon Service Society under the Kollam Catholic diocese.
Set on the sylvan banks of the Ashtamudi lake, the mandir was also designed as a place to promote inter-religious dialogue through meditation, prayer and conventions, he said.
--- PTI
Goldman Sachs commences operations in India
jan 28th, 2007
alas, ananth may be right. this may explain the extreme bullishness exhibited by goldman sachs.
on the other hand, the big ibanks entering india is good news. it means they expect massive growth, and what's more, they'll talk things up so that such high growth does occur. also remember that the treasury secretary poulson is a former goldman sachs guy.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ananth
To:
alas, ananth may be right. this may explain the extreme bullishness exhibited by goldman sachs.
on the other hand, the big ibanks entering india is good news. it means they expect massive growth, and what's more, they'll talk things up so that such high growth does occur. also remember that the treasury secretary poulson is a former goldman sachs guy.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ananth
To:
Perhaps, this is a partial explanation for the latest bullish report of GS on India wherein they project an annual average GDP growth rate of 8% in India, up to 2020.
Regards,
Ananth
---------------------------------------
Financial Times
Goldman joins rush to provide services to India
By Joe Leahy in Mumbai
Published: January 10 2007 02:00 | Last updated: January 10 2007 02:00
Goldman Sachs is poised to begin stockbroking and advisory services in India, joining a growing number of international investment banks that are either expanding operations in the country or starting from scratch.
The bank, which has spent much of the past year building a new team after splitting with local company Kotak Mahindra Bank in March, received licences for investment banking and stockbroking operations in the country in December.
It has so far hired 60people for its investment banking, securities trading, asset management and private equity businesses. India has been attracting growing interest from global investment banks because of a boom in its equity markets and rising interest among its companies in overseas mergers and acquisitions.
... deleted
Regards,
Ananth
---------------------------------------
Financial Times
Goldman joins rush to provide services to India
By Joe Leahy in Mumbai
Published: January 10 2007 02:00 | Last updated: January 10 2007 02:00
Goldman Sachs is poised to begin stockbroking and advisory services in India, joining a growing number of international investment banks that are either expanding operations in the country or starting from scratch.
The bank, which has spent much of the past year building a new team after splitting with local company Kotak Mahindra Bank in March, received licences for investment banking and stockbroking operations in the country in December.
It has so far hired 60people for its investment banking, securities trading, asset management and private equity businesses. India has been attracting growing interest from global investment banks because of a boom in its equity markets and rising interest among its companies in overseas mergers and acquisitions.
... deleted
Saturday, January 27, 2007
who recently got VC money in the valley?
jan 26th, 2007
to those looking for investment opportunities down the road, or a job at a startup :-)
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/financial_markets/venture_capital/15952030.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
to those looking for investment opportunities down the road, or a job at a startup :-)
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/financial_markets/venture_capital/15952030.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
indian ambassador speaks at stanford feb 1
jan 26th, 2007
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: South Asia Electronic Mailing for Seminars/Conferences < sa-mailing@lists.stanford.edu>
Date: Jan 25, 2007 12:13 AM
Subject: Invitation: Thursday, February 1 - Contemporary Asia Seminar
To: sa-mailing@lists.stanford.edu
Thursday, February 1 – Contemporary Asia Seminar
"Changing Dynamics in US-India Relations"
Ronen Sen, Ambassador of India to the United States
Mr. Sen was born on 9 April 1944. After graduating from college he
joined the Indian Foreign Service in July 1966. From May 1968 to July
1984, Sen served in Indian missions and posts in Moscow, San
Francisco and in Dhaka and in the Ministry of External Affairs. He
has also served as secretary to the Atomic Energy Commission of India.
From July 1984 to December 1985, Mr. Sen served as the joint
secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He was thereafter
joint secretary to the prime minister of India from January 1986 to
July 1991 where he was responsible for foreign affairs, defense, and
science and technology.
Mr. Sen was ambassador to Mexico from September 1991 to August 1992;
ambassador to the Russian Federation from October 1992 to October
1998; ambassador to Germany from October 1998 to May 2002; and high
commissioner to the United Kingdom from May 2002 to April 2004. Sen
assumed charge as ambassador of India to the United States of America
in August 2004.
The Ambassador participated in summit meetings in the United Nations,
Commonwealth, Non-Aligned Movement, Six Nation Five Continent Peace
Initiative, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, IAEA,
G-15 and other forums and also in over 160 bilateral summit meetings.
He had several assignments as special envoy of the prime minister of
India for meetings with foreign government representatives and heads
of state.
4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Philippines Conference Room
Encina Hall, third floor, central
616 Serra Street, Stanford University
http://aparc.stanford.edu/events/4771/
Contact Neeley Main at nmain@stanford.edu or 650-723-8387 for more
information.
The Ambassador's visit is co-sponsored with the Center for
International Security and Cooperation at Freeman Spogli Institute
and the Stanford Center for International Development at Stanford
Institute for Economic Policy Research.
******************************************************************
sa-mailing mailing list
sa-mailing@lists.stanford.edu
https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/sa-mailing
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: South Asia Electronic Mailing for Seminars/Conferences < sa-mailing@lists.stanford.edu>
Date: Jan 25, 2007 12:13 AM
Subject: Invitation: Thursday, February 1 - Contemporary Asia Seminar
To: sa-mailing@lists.stanford.edu
Thursday, February 1 – Contemporary Asia Seminar
"Changing Dynamics in US-India Relations"
Ronen Sen, Ambassador of India to the United States
Mr. Sen was born on 9 April 1944. After graduating from college he
joined the Indian Foreign Service in July 1966. From May 1968 to July
1984, Sen served in Indian missions and posts in Moscow, San
Francisco and in Dhaka and in the Ministry of External Affairs. He
has also served as secretary to the Atomic Energy Commission of India.
From July 1984 to December 1985, Mr. Sen served as the joint
secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He was thereafter
joint secretary to the prime minister of India from January 1986 to
July 1991 where he was responsible for foreign affairs, defense, and
science and technology.
Mr. Sen was ambassador to Mexico from September 1991 to August 1992;
ambassador to the Russian Federation from October 1992 to October
1998; ambassador to Germany from October 1998 to May 2002; and high
commissioner to the United Kingdom from May 2002 to April 2004. Sen
assumed charge as ambassador of India to the United States of America
in August 2004.
The Ambassador participated in summit meetings in the United Nations,
Commonwealth, Non-Aligned Movement, Six Nation Five Continent Peace
Initiative, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, IAEA,
G-15 and other forums and also in over 160 bilateral summit meetings.
He had several assignments as special envoy of the prime minister of
India for meetings with foreign government representatives and heads
of state.
4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Philippines Conference Room
Encina Hall, third floor, central
616 Serra Street, Stanford University
http://aparc.stanford.edu/events/4771/
Contact Neeley Main at nmain@stanford.edu or 650-723-8387 for more
information.
The Ambassador's visit is co-sponsored with the Center for
International Security and Cooperation at Freeman Spogli Institute
and the Stanford Center for International Development at Stanford
Institute for Economic Policy Research.
******************************************************************
sa-mailing mailing list
sa-mailing@lists.stanford.edu
https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/sa-mailing
wharton: IK@W January 26 - February 8, 2007
jan 26th, 2007
wharton's india focused stuff
you can get it by SMS in india as well, see above page for details
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Knowledge at Wharton < knowledge@wharton.upenn.edu>
Date: Jan 26, 2007 6:36 AM
Subject: IK@W January 26 - February 8, 2007
To: rajeev
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Knowledge at Wharton < knowledge@wharton.upenn.edu>
Date: Jan 26, 2007 6:36 AM
Subject: IK@W January 26 - February 8, 2007
To: rajeev
Raoul Maino Implicated on Gang Rape Charges
jan 26th, 2007
disclaimer: i am just forwarding this message without verifying it.
there's been a slew of messages about this. maybe there's something to it, although the usual pseudo-secular, dynasty-sucking-up-to EL media has clammed up about it. on the other hand, would even rahul, not exactly a genius, do something as self-destructive as this, especially immediately after the white world has anointed him crown-prince?
but then, he did apparently get caught trying to smuggle $200,000 into the us a few years ago. and he did (does?) have a colombian drug-cartel girlfriend. maybe his handlers didnt tell him what to do.
i have been thinking of obama as a manchurian candidate, but rahul would be the perfect manchurian candidate, wouldn't he? (anybody seen the original film? i saw the recent one, which was not bad, not great.)
kumar asks a good question -- where are the women's rights banshees, shabana azmi, teesta setalvad, et al? or is it ok if a woman is allegedly raped by the dynasty scion? i guess since the woman is only a hindu, it's ok.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kumar
http://scotland.indymedia.org/newswire/display/3659/index.php
Rajeev,
Is there any way to campaign for this poor girl's rights? Can we press the UN or any women's rights groups to condemn this crime? Just because he's a member of the most powerful clan in India doesn'r mean he should be allowed to get away with this crime.
disclaimer: i am just forwarding this message without verifying it.
there's been a slew of messages about this. maybe there's something to it, although the usual pseudo-secular, dynasty-sucking-up-to EL media has clammed up about it. on the other hand, would even rahul, not exactly a genius, do something as self-destructive as this, especially immediately after the white world has anointed him crown-prince?
but then, he did apparently get caught trying to smuggle $200,000 into the us a few years ago. and he did (does?) have a colombian drug-cartel girlfriend. maybe his handlers didnt tell him what to do.
i have been thinking of obama as a manchurian candidate, but rahul would be the perfect manchurian candidate, wouldn't he? (anybody seen the original film? i saw the recent one, which was not bad, not great.)
kumar asks a good question -- where are the women's rights banshees, shabana azmi, teesta setalvad, et al? or is it ok if a woman is allegedly raped by the dynasty scion? i guess since the woman is only a hindu, it's ok.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kumar
http://scotland.indymedia.org/newswire/display/3659/index.php
Rajeev,
Is there any way to campaign for this poor girl's rights? Can we press the UN or any women's rights groups to condemn this crime? Just because he's a member of the most powerful clan in India doesn'r mean he should be allowed to get away with this crime.
[PINR] 26 January 2007: Intelligence Brief: U.S. Moves to Regain Leverage over Iran
jan 26th, 2007
the iran-us tango continues. at the moment, iran seems to be winning.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: PINR Dispatch
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: PINR Dispatch
Intelligence Brief: U.S. Moves to Regain Leverage over Iran
Drafted By:
http://www.pinr.com
Drafted By:
http://www.pinr.com
4M Report - 25 Jan 2007
26th jan, 2007
as usual SABHA is mocking all those frailties of the self-important :-)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: SABHA < sabha@sabha.info>
Date: Jan 26, 2007 7:12 AM
Subject: 4M Report - 25 Jan 2007
To: 4mreport@sabha.info
as usual SABHA is mocking all those frailties of the self-important :-)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: SABHA < sabha@sabha.info>
Date: Jan 26, 2007 7:12 AM
Subject: 4M Report - 25 Jan 2007
To: 4mreport@sabha.info
| ||||||||||
| South Asian Bleeding Hearts Association welcomes comments, suggestions and leads for items published here. Please send your comments to feedback@sabha.info. If you wish to unsubscribe, or have been forwarded this mail and would like to subscribe, click here. | ||||||||||
Thursday, January 25, 2007
a chastened state of the union address by bush
jan 24th, 2007
the enormity of it all dawns on bush. iraq has become a tar baby.
but the americans simply can't leave. if they do, the mohammedan terrorists would have won, and then they will feel divine sanction to take the fight everywhere.
so what if a bunch of grunts die? this is the cost of being the world's hyperpower: you have to spill blood and treasure for that great guiding principle, oil, er... democracy.
not exactly nationalism, it's jingoism
jan 24th, 2007
chinese are utterly jingoistic, as you can see from their bloviations on the net.
mohammedans are proud to be mohammedans.
christists are proud to be christists.
chinese are proud to be chinese.
indians are proud to be... 'secular' and kicked in the rear by everybody.
indo-Pak ties in dangerous phase - Arun Jaitley
jan 24th, 2007
true, but it is a good question as to why the BJP did not at least attempt to amend art 370 when in power.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Article 370 a blunder - Indo-Pak ties in dangerous phase
- Arun Jaitley
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), national general secretary and former Union Law Minister, Arun Jaitley termed the Article 370 a historical blunder and blamed the ideological milieu of that time for incorporating this Article in the Constitution that gave the special status to J&K state. This Article is the root cause of all problems as its objective was to create a separate society in Kashmir , he said, adding the Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) have become the victims of this blunder that resulted in conspiracy hatched during 1989 to force their migration from Valley and the Government was caught napping.
Arun Jaitley also accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) of bringing dead issues at the cost of those who have actually suffered during the 17-year long terrorism in the State. The senior BJP leader said over the 17th death anniversary of Prem Nath Bhat, the function was organised by Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust in Jammu. Terrorists had gunned down Bhat, a Kashmiri Hindu, on December 27, 1989
...
Give poor Muslims guidance, not dole
jan 24th, 2007
sound advice by sri kamath. the dole hasn't done a thing to dis-alienate or enfranchise mohammedans in the west. so why should it in india?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From
Give poor Muslims guidance, not dole
By M.V. Kamath
By M.V. Kamath
Questionable tactics seldom pay. Economic discrimination, howsoever well meant, will only invite retaliation. There is no single answer to the alleviation of poverty among any one class of people.
We do not need to be told what poverty is: It is a perpetual agony, devastating and unbearable. The poor, whether they are Muslims, Hindus, Christians or Sikhs need help as much as possible and as quickly as possible. Poverty among Hindus is not more bearable than among Muslims and if the State intends to help the poor, it cannot discriminate on grounds of caste, creed, ideology or religion. That is why when Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh says that Muslim poor should get first preference in any State poverty alleviation programme, one can only feel sick in the stomach. No doubt Dr Singh means well.
... deleted
Cong losing sleep over BJP’s ‘silent march’ in Karnataka
jan 24th, 2007
go, bjp, in karnataka!
unfortunately, they are quarreling in kerala. sigh!
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Manju
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Manju
Cong losing sleep over BJP's 'silent march' in
Karnataka
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070123/nation.htm#7
Karnataka
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070123/nation.htm#7
thanks to reader horizon for the new BRIC report
jan 24th, 2007
this is absolutely awesome. it is indeed the true 'hindu rate of growth'. watch out, america.
fabulous article on modi by ashok malik
jan 24th, 2007
thank you very much, kapidhwaja. do you have a (permanent) URL for this? i'd like to quote this piece in a column i am writing.
i had heard about vibrant gujarat but didnt realize that it was such a huge success.
i was in ahmedabad some time ago, and i was struck by the new departure lounge in the airport terminal: a very nice one, with the best bathrooms (gleaming, spotless, 5-star-hotel class).
the fact that modi's tenure is so succesful has a lot to do with the fact that he has kept close tabs on mohammedan mischief-makers.
also, in 2002, he did far more to quell disturbances than rajiv gandhi did in 1984 after the indira gandhi murder: but the marxist media does not give him credit. he is their worst nightmare: a hindu and a nationalist who is also bringing jobs and wealth to his state, brutally exposing the hollowness of their slogans, while bengal and kerala slide further down the drain.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
new BRIC report from goldman sachs
jan 23rd, 2007
that is apparently even more enthusiastic about india than the last one dating from 2003. does any kind soul have a URL or other access to this report authored by tushar poddar and eva yi?
Christian Indian-American group expresses concern over HP Conversion bill
jan 23rd, 2007
this fiacona is quite an entertaining entity. it consists mostly, so far as i can tell, of kerala christist men who have been imported as husbands by their nurse wives -- this combination accounts for roughly 80% of kerala-origin people in the US.
now these men -- usually with some liberal arts or law degree from a third-rate college in kerala -- show up in the US, find themselves employable only as menial types. which of course offends their amour-propre.
therefore they do one of the following:
a) work in gas stations
b) set up scams -- like the guy in texas who is the 'last surviving artist following the ancient tradition of cut-straw-on-black-cloth painting' and creates a 'museum' of this stuff, whereas in reality there are ten thousand such 'artists' on the streets of kerala selling this stuff for rs. 10
c) set up christist religious scams and get lots of money from dumb yanks
d) write unbelievable twaddle and get it published by some christist press -- like the guy who claims that 'christists and nairs migrated to kerala from madras'
this fiacona is obviously part of item c) above.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Moksha
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Moksha
Christian Indian-American group expresses concern over HP Conversion bill
An Indian-American Christian outfit in the United States has expressed concern over a bill passed by Himachal Pradesh, alleging that it was aimed at harassing Christian workers in the Congress-ruled state.
In a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the Federation of Indian American Christian Organisations sought help in stopping the bill passed by Himachal Pradesh in December 2006, saying the law will be used to harass and intimidate minorities.
Protesting the "so-called anti-conversion legislation", the letter, copies of which were sent to President A P J Abdul Kalam and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, said, "We cannot understand the basis of these anti-conversion bills/laws.
We wish to point out that past experience shows that these laws will be used to harass and intimidate minorities and unethically prosecute Christian institutions and their workers," Dr Joseph Nidiry, president of the federation, has said in the letter.
"Many legal experts attest that these laws would be hard to implement, but easy to be abused for harassing and intimidating minority institutions. We've already seen several instances of such abuse," he said.
"As you mentioned on several occasions, particularly in your letter to Dr John Dayal of the All India Christian Council on July 27, 2006, the Congress party was opposed to this divisive, hate-filled anti-religion strategy used by some bigoted members of certain political parties," he said.
"Everyone knew about your views on this issue. The development in Himachal therefore comes as a profound shock to us. We express our utmost disappointment and urge you to use your influence to ask the state to rescind the law or withdraw it altogether," he added.
The vice-president of the federation Abraham Mammen has also appealed to Sonia that she, as the president of the Indian National Congress and leader of the coalition partners in the state of Himachal Pradesh, "must undo the grievous damage being done to the sanctity of the Indian Constitution and to the freedom of faith of the Indian people."
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jan/23hp.htm
Congress-sponsored communal brutality
jan 23rd, 2007
shades of the moplah rebellion. then the turkish caliph was deposed by the british, so mohammedans killed 10,000 hindus in malabar.
now saddam hussein is killed by iraqis, so mohammedans go out and attack hindus.
moral of the story: whatever happens in the world is a good excuse for mohammedans to go on a good old-fashioned rampage against hindus because there will be no pain to the them in reverse.
this, of course, is why they were really startled when in gujarat in 2002, there *was* pain applied to their bottoms. they, and the kaangress, and the marxists, just couldn't believe that mohammedans could also be at the receiving end of pain.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Congress-sponsored communal brutality
- V SUNDARAM
It has been reported that several people were injured, vehicles damaged, houses and shops looted and ransacked during the communal violence that rocked Bharatinagar and surrounding areas in Bangalore on 19 January (Friday). It continued for three days. According to the Police, the trouble erupted when a group of people were marching towards Shivajinagar Stadium from K G Halli to attend a rally organized by the newly formed People's Front to protest against the execution of Saddam Hussain and 'American imperialism'. It is understood that the processionists set on fire some banners on Seppings Road in Bharatinagar. A group of people took objection to this which led to a clash. Those who were part of the procession started attacking houses, vehicles and shops with stones, the police said. The mob started pelting stones and burning vehicles parked on Thimmaiah Road. The arsonists barged into a web-designing centre, damaged computers and set them on fire. The mob barged into several houses and shops, ransacked them and looted valuables.
The police had enough indication of the impending violence as some of the processionists were carrying weapons. Taking advantage of the lax security, a section of the processionists went on the rampage and targeted the homes and properties of the majority Hindu community who live in the lanes and by-lanes of the Muslim-dominated areas of Shivajinagar, Commercial Street, Bharati Nagar and Fraser Town. According to the police, around 50 vehicles, including cars and police vehicles, were set on fire. The police rushed additional forces to the area. The situation was very tense and explosive. Similar incidents were also reported from Thimmaiah Road, Narayana Pillai Street, Seppings Road, etc. The whole area was strewn with glass pieces, mangled vehicles and burnt tyres. The injured have been admitted to various hospitals. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (Fraser Town) Puttathimme Gowda has stated: 'In order to quell the mob, a head constable fired three rounds in the air. Later, I used my service revolver and fired four rounds in the air. This did not control the situation and people started throwing stones at me and my men.' Puttathimme Gowda, sub-inspector M Malalingaiah, police constables Ratnakar and Siddaramaiah were injured in stone-throwing. V Anand, another constable, was stabbed. In all, 20 police personnel who were injured have been admitted to a private hospital. The police resorted to lathi-charge and burst teargas shells to disperse the mob. Later they opened fire in the air.
... deleted
The Arabs’ Suddenly Sensitive Feelings
jan 23rd, 2007
this is reflected in the kaangress' suddenly sensitive feelings whenever a mohammedan comes to some grief. otherwise they are not sensitive at all.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
The Arabs' Suddenly Sensitive Feelings
- by Mumin Salih
Like all young Muslim, I was brainwashed to believe that Islam is the perfect way of life. My mind was happy to accept everything that came in the Islamic package and carries the Islamic label. Without ever doubting their wisdom, I had no trouble in accepting the Islamic sharia law with all its absurdities like polygamy and wife-beating. However, I had real difficulty in accepting that part in sharia, which deals with corporal punishment (hudud) like cutting off hands and capital punishment for trivial offences such as leaving Islam or criticising Mohammed. During all my 'Islamic years', I deliberately attempted to dissuade such thoughts to intrude my mind, because the mere thought of those draconian Islamic provisions was too disturbing to my natural feelings. So it was a tremendous relief for me, after I left the circle of darkness, to be able to go by my natural human feelings and say a big no to ending anyone's life, even for a proven criminal. After all, I thought, even notorious criminals and serial killers, once in captivity, become only as good as dead.
... deleted
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
PINR: russia scared of chinese missiles
jan 23, 2007
india should be even more scared, but of course the 'what, me worry?' generation of alfred e. neumans who masquerade as politicians go on their merry way no doubt lubricated by some chinese dollars.
Republic of the dynasty - Sandhya Jain
jan 23, 2007
more on rahul gandhi's educational and business qualifications from the inimitable sandhya.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Republic of the dynasty
- Sandhya Jain
- Sandhya Jain
PINR on the pakistanis saying 'the taliban have won'
jan 23, 2007
well, why not? after all taliban == pakistani ISI
how embarrassing that this fellow is at stanford's hoover institution!
jan 23rd, 2007
why is it that some indian-origin pundits in the US are such asses?
eg. 1) farid zakaria who just about fell over genuflecting to rahul gandhi, groveling that newsweek intl had made a mistake in suggesting that rahul gandhi's academic credentials are dubious (which in fact they are. young raoul does not appear to have actually graduated from any college anywhere in the world. but then he's following in the esteemed footsteps of his father, mother and grandmother. after j. nehru, the first dynasty scion to actually graduate with a degree -- any degree -- was varun. not that college degrees mean that much, but to not even make it through advanced basket-weaving at rollins college is quite an achievement.)
2) this dinesh d'souza who (per tallindian) is happy that mohammedans did not kill all hindus in india even though they could have (well, there's a good reason for that, the hindus resisted and they resisted continously and vigorously with armed force. the mohammedans did kill all others in egypt and persia, and christists did kill all others in europe, because they did not resist)
dsouza's premise that the left in the us is treacherous is worth considering, but his embrace of jehadi mohammedans shows he's doing the equivalent of taking off his clothes to attract attention.
but i do think it's delicious that he pinpoints that minor twerp martha nussbaum (amartya sen's jilted old squeeze) as a prominent villain: she's no philosopher, she's a foul-mouthed banshee.
it is embarrassing that this fellow has an indian name, and is associated with stanford.
Club America
jan 22nd, 2007
good questions from the hoover institution guy. yes, why on earth is musharraf's son in the us?
pertinently, why isn't RAW targeting pakistani generals' offspring in the US? that would cool off their ardor for terrorism pronto.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shahryar
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shahryar
January 22, 2007
Club America
by Victor Davis Hanson
Tribune Media Services
When Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman pulled up to Savannah, Ga., after his legendary March to the Sea in December 1864, he was savagely slandered in the Southern press as a renegade leader of a "vandal horde."
But at that same time, leading Confederate officers privately appealed to him, hoping he would guarantee the safety of the relatives they had left behind in Savannah. Why, Sherman wondered, would his sworn enemies trust that such an enemy might be kind to their loved ones — unless they knew that their own slurs about him were mere rhetoric?
That same sort of pretense is evident in the Middle East, where the leaders of countries and organizations hostile to or critical of the United States often trust us far more than they let on.
Nabih Berri, the Lebanese Amal militia chief who is now allied with both the anti-American Hezbollah and Syria, has much of his family residing in Dearborn, Mich.
Amr Salem, until recently a cabinet minister in Bashar Assad's anti-American government in Syria, was a senior program manager at Microsoft. His family still lives in the U.S.
Bilal Musharraf, son of Pakistan strongman Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has been a Boston-based consultant and a Stanford business and education student. Meanwhile, his father's government is either unwilling or unable to arrest on his soil the remnants of al-Qaeda, among them, most likely, Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Prince Bandar bin Sultan, former Saudi ambassador to the United States and high cabinet official in a monarchy that funds much of the world's radical Islamist madrassas, is selling his 56,000-square-foot mansion in tony Aspen. The asking price is $135 million — the most expensive home ever put up for sale in the United States.
What are we to make of these incongruities and others like them?
First is the obvious hypocrisy. Allying with radical Shiites in Lebanon, anti-American Syrians or Islamists in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia does not seem to disqualify Middle Eastern politicos from appreciating the freedom, security and opportunity of the United States.
For all the talk of America's faults, no Middle Easterner worries about vengeful Americans kidnapping or car-bombing his relatives. And few seem to consider that if the worldview of a present-day Lebanese militia or Saudi Arabia ever sweeps the globe, there would be no Dearborn or Aspen for their kin to find sanctuary.
Second, the wide gap between what many in the Middle East say and do should be a reminder that much anti-Americanism is poorly thought out or mostly for show. Many who decry America to the press and cameras privately prefer to send their loved ones here to take advantage of our success brought about by secular education, gender equality, meritocratic democracy and the primacy of law.
Third, the families of leaders of autocratic nations often hostile to the United States are kept safe and sound in this country precisely because of our openness and respect for guests and foreigners. Unlike most of the Middle East, where it is nearly impossible for Christians, single women or homosexuals to live openly and freely, Americans are a tolerant people who are not captive to tribal, religious or sectarian vengeance.
Americans may also think that these personal ties of Middle East authoritarians to the United States will lead to either liberalization back home or at least more favorable impressions of us there. Sadly, that hasn't happened. In the case of Syria's Amr Salem, his tenure at Bill Gates' Microsoft seems to have made him only a more perfect minister of computer surveillance.
Indeed, sometimes exposure to American culture creates feelings of ambiguity — a sense of guilt among conservative arrivals at their newfound liberal appetites. In other cases, the perception arises that someone or something must have prevented the Middle East from enjoying what Americans take for granted.
The United States probably will not — and probably should not — deny entry to the families of Lebanese militia leaders, Pakistani dictators, Saudi sheiks or Syrian high officials. But we should at least point out to them, as Gen. Sherman once did to his grandstanding detractors, that there is certainly a reason why Bandar, Berri, Musharraf and Salem want their children over here — and apparently as far away as possible from the countries where they themselves are in charge.
Club America
by Victor Davis Hanson
Tribune Media Services
When Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman pulled up to Savannah, Ga., after his legendary March to the Sea in December 1864, he was savagely slandered in the Southern press as a renegade leader of a "vandal horde."
But at that same time, leading Confederate officers privately appealed to him, hoping he would guarantee the safety of the relatives they had left behind in Savannah. Why, Sherman wondered, would his sworn enemies trust that such an enemy might be kind to their loved ones — unless they knew that their own slurs about him were mere rhetoric?
That same sort of pretense is evident in the Middle East, where the leaders of countries and organizations hostile to or critical of the United States often trust us far more than they let on.
Nabih Berri, the Lebanese Amal militia chief who is now allied with both the anti-American Hezbollah and Syria, has much of his family residing in Dearborn, Mich.
Amr Salem, until recently a cabinet minister in Bashar Assad's anti-American government in Syria, was a senior program manager at Microsoft. His family still lives in the U.S.
Bilal Musharraf, son of Pakistan strongman Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has been a Boston-based consultant and a Stanford business and education student. Meanwhile, his father's government is either unwilling or unable to arrest on his soil the remnants of al-Qaeda, among them, most likely, Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Prince Bandar bin Sultan, former Saudi ambassador to the United States and high cabinet official in a monarchy that funds much of the world's radical Islamist madrassas, is selling his 56,000-square-foot mansion in tony Aspen. The asking price is $135 million — the most expensive home ever put up for sale in the United States.
What are we to make of these incongruities and others like them?
First is the obvious hypocrisy. Allying with radical Shiites in Lebanon, anti-American Syrians or Islamists in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia does not seem to disqualify Middle Eastern politicos from appreciating the freedom, security and opportunity of the United States.
For all the talk of America's faults, no Middle Easterner worries about vengeful Americans kidnapping or car-bombing his relatives. And few seem to consider that if the worldview of a present-day Lebanese militia or Saudi Arabia ever sweeps the globe, there would be no Dearborn or Aspen for their kin to find sanctuary.
Second, the wide gap between what many in the Middle East say and do should be a reminder that much anti-Americanism is poorly thought out or mostly for show. Many who decry America to the press and cameras privately prefer to send their loved ones here to take advantage of our success brought about by secular education, gender equality, meritocratic democracy and the primacy of law.
Third, the families of leaders of autocratic nations often hostile to the United States are kept safe and sound in this country precisely because of our openness and respect for guests and foreigners. Unlike most of the Middle East, where it is nearly impossible for Christians, single women or homosexuals to live openly and freely, Americans are a tolerant people who are not captive to tribal, religious or sectarian vengeance.
Americans may also think that these personal ties of Middle East authoritarians to the United States will lead to either liberalization back home or at least more favorable impressions of us there. Sadly, that hasn't happened. In the case of Syria's Amr Salem, his tenure at Bill Gates' Microsoft seems to have made him only a more perfect minister of computer surveillance.
Indeed, sometimes exposure to American culture creates feelings of ambiguity — a sense of guilt among conservative arrivals at their newfound liberal appetites. In other cases, the perception arises that someone or something must have prevented the Middle East from enjoying what Americans take for granted.
The United States probably will not — and probably should not — deny entry to the families of Lebanese militia leaders, Pakistani dictators, Saudi sheiks or Syrian high officials. But we should at least point out to them, as Gen. Sherman once did to his grandstanding detractors, that there is certainly a reason why Bandar, Berri, Musharraf and Salem want their children over here — and apparently as far away as possible from the countries where they themselves are in charge.
©2007 Tribune Media Services
All new Yahoo! Mail "The new Interface is stunning in its simplicity and ease of use." - PC Magazine
book on limey barbarity
jan 22nd, 2007
these murderous thugs are the epitome of semitic imperialist death-cult behavior. nation of shop-keepers: grasping, petty, violent yobs.
they also have a highly advanced instinct for lying, similar to the mohammedan al-taqiyah.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Rajeev,
Here's a more complete history of the brits. A
bloodthirsty bunch if there ever was one. "Hinsra
jaat" according to my grandmother!
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS00vMjAwNy8wMS8xNCNBcjAwODAw&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
Rudra
____________________________________________________________________________________
Don't pick lemons.
See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.
http://autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html
Here's a more complete history of the brits. A
bloodthirsty bunch if there ever was one. "Hinsra
jaat" according to my grandmother!
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS00vMjAwNy8wMS8xNCNBcjAwODAw&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
Rudra
____________________________________________________________________________________
Don't pick lemons.
See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.
http://autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html
is this deliberate yank naivete? they must know taliban == ISI
jan 22nd, 2007
either the yanks are dumber than i think they are, or else they are playing an extremely cynical game. look at the wide-eyed 'golly, gee-whiz' NYTimes approach. and where do they get all these bimbos from who are so appreciative of the virile punjabis in the pakistani army -- names such as the very unlamented barbara crossette, molly something, pamela constable, and now young carlotta, leap to mind, not to mention john burns?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
burmese counterpoint to pat robertson, 10-40 club, joshua project etc.
jan 21st, 2007
you try to wipe out others, others may do the same to you.
can someone find this 'secret' burmese document and post it?
of course, this could be a red herring intended to bring about a white 'peace-keeping force' in burma, as they did in east timor. then these guys can hook up with the nagas and mizos and demand 'greater christianstan' including parts of india and parts of burma.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kaushal
Date: Jan 21, 2007 12:55 PM
Subject: Burma 'orders Christians to be wiped out'
To: Rajeev Srinivasan
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=AC3F4052YJL13QFIQMGCFGGAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/21/wburma21.xml
By Peter Pattisson in Kayin State, southern Burma, Sunday Telegraph
you try to wipe out others, others may do the same to you.
can someone find this 'secret' burmese document and post it?
of course, this could be a red herring intended to bring about a white 'peace-keeping force' in burma, as they did in east timor. then these guys can hook up with the nagas and mizos and demand 'greater christianstan' including parts of india and parts of burma.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kaushal
Date: Jan 21, 2007 12:55 PM
Subject: Burma 'orders Christians to be wiped out'
To: Rajeev Srinivasan
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=AC3F4052YJL13QFIQMGCFGGAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/21/wburma21.xml
Burma 'orders Christians to be wiped out'
By Peter Pattisson in Kayin State, southern Burma, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:02am GMT 21/01/2007
The military regime in Burma is intent on wiping out Christianity in the country, according to claims in a secret document believed to have been leaked from a government ministry. Entitled "Programme to destroy the Christian religion in Burma", the incendiary memo contains point by point instructions on how to drive Christians out of the state.
The text, which opens with the line "There shall be no home where the Christian religion is practised", calls for anyone caught evangelising to be imprisoned. It advises: "The Christian religion is very gentle – identify and utilise its weakness."
Its discovery follows widespread reports of religious persecution, with churches burnt to the ground, Christians forced to convert to the state religion, Buddhism, and their children barred from school.
advertisement
Human rights groups claim that the treatment meted out to Christians, who make up six per cent of the population, is part of a wider campaign by the regime, also targeted at ethnic minority tribes, to create a uniform society in which the race and language is Burmese and the only accepted religion is Buddhism.
In the past year, an estimated 27,000 members of the predominantly Christian Karen tribe were driven from their homes in eastern Burma.
In Koh Kyi village, in Arakan State, a monk backed by the military burnt down the local church. In another state, 300 monks were allegedly sent by the regime to forcibly convert the populace, all of whom belonged to the Chin ethnic group, which is mostly Christian.
The document, shown to The Sunday Telegraph by human rights groups, may have been produced by a state-sponsored Buddhist group, but with the tacit approval of the military junta. The regime has denied authorship of the document – which also calls for teenagers to be prevented from wearing Western clothes – but has made no public attempt to refute or repudiate its contents.
The dictatorship has long been accused of large-scale human rights abuses. In power since 1988, the generals annulled the National League for Democracy's sweeping 1990 election victory and jailed its leader, the Nobel peace prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi. She remains under house arrest. Last week she was accused of tax evasion for failing to hand over any of her Nobel prize winnings to the authorities.
Eha Hsar Paw, a Karen Christian, who fled her village while heavily pregnant to a refugee camp near the border with Thailand, said: "The journey here was very difficult. It was hard to leave our village, but if we had stayed there we would all be dead."
Pakistan fuelling its nuclear arsenal
jan 20th, 2007
while manmohan 'nehruvian patron saint' singh is playing footsie with musharraf, the chinese are supplying pakistanis with far more nuclear material.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kanchan
while manmohan 'nehruvian patron saint' singh is playing footsie with musharraf, the chinese are supplying pakistanis with far more nuclear material.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kanchan
The Sunday Pioneer / Front page lead story / January 21, 2007
Pak fuelling Nuclear arsenal – US sat images give game away
Kanchan Gupta / New Delhi
At a time when security experts are expressing serious concern that India, under the civilian nuclear deal with the US, is shutting down one of its two research reactors producing weapons-grade plutonium, Pakistan is reported to be in an advanced stage of building a second research reactor and a second reprocessing plant as part of its nuclear military programme.
Pakistan already has one reprocessing plant, New Labs facility at PINSTECH near Islamabad, to produce weapons-grade plutonium. The second plant is being built at the Chashma facility, according to satellite imagery analysed by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security.
An ISIS report, prepared by nuclear affairs specialists David Albright and Paul Brannan, says, "We believe that the most likely building to house the main reprocessing operations is a large, tall building with an adjacent stack. (See satellite image.) It is not yet clear whether this facility at Chashma is operational. However, the nature and rate of the construction suggests that the facility may soon start operations, if it has not done so already."
Although nothing specific can be said at this stage about the plutonium separation capacity of the new plant at Chashma, the report has indicated it could be "100 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel per year from its KANUPP reactor in Karachi".
France was supposed to help Pakistan build the Chashma facility, conceived in 1974. But the French suppliers of hardware and technology backed out after the US raised objections in 1979. "Since the cancellation of the Chashma reprocessing deal… Pakistan may have continued obtaining equipment for the plant – perhaps from China," the report says.
A couple of months ago, senior US Administration officials had acknowledged that Pakistan was seeking to complete a second but larger research reactor at Chashma to augment its nuclear military capability. Pakistan's first research reactor, also used for deriving weapons-useable plutonium from its spent fuel, is located at Khushab. With the new facilities, its capacity to produce weapons grade plutonium and its application is expected to increase by leaps and bounds.
"The imagery raises the question of whether Pakistan may intend on bringing into operation a new reprocessing facility – capable of separating weapons grade plutonium out of spent reactor fuel," the report says.
"The large size of the building, the resumption of construction activities, the presence of rail lines leading up to it, the adjacent tall stack, and the system of trenches among the buildings all constitute circumstantial evidence that the site is intended for reprocessing," the report adds.
What should alert policy-makers in New Delhi is the fact that "such a capability, combined with Pakistan's ability to make large quantities of highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons, would aid Pakistan in developing thermonuclear weapons as well as increasing the size of its nuclear arsenal".
At present spent fuel from the heavy-water research reactor at Khushab is reprocessed at New Labs. "Bringing into operation a reprocessing facility at Chashma would significantly increase Pakistan's plutonium separation capability," the report says. The authors of the study insist that this shall "account for what will soon be an expanded plutonium production capacity – as represented by the second heavy water reactor at Khushab".
Reacting to the ISIS report, security affairs analysts in New Delhi point out to the rapid role reversal between India and Pakistan and the irony of the situation. While there is every possibility of a marked decline in India's weapons-grade plutonium production capability that will directly impinge on its nuclear weapons programme, Pakistan is steadily adding to its weapons-grade plutonium production capacity.
Under the Separation Plan submitted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Parliament as part of the India-US civilian nuclear deal, India has pledged to shut down by 2010 its Cirus research reactor, located at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre near Mumbai. This decision was taken at the political level despite the fact that Cirus, operational since 1960, has been the most significant contributor to India's weapons-grade plutonium stockpile. After India commissioned the Dhruva research reactor in the late 1980s, Cirus has been contributing more than a third of India's total weapons-grade plutonium produced annually.
Although the Prime Minister had promised not to undertake actions "limiting or inhibiting our strategic nuclear-weapons programme," the decision to shut down Cirus has become a sore issue with nuclear scientists. Significantly, no replacement reactor has been ordered to date, although it will take at least four years to build one.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
china to yanks: drop dead!
jan 20th, 2007
more on the 'peaceful rise' of china. bwahahahaha. (ROTFL)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/20/world/asia/20china.html?_r=1&th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all
more on the 'peaceful rise' of china. bwahahahaha. (ROTFL)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/20/world/asia/20china.html?_r=1&th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all
a limey on jihadwatch blog tells it like it is
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rajeev Srinivasan <rajeev>
Subject: a limey on jihadwatch blog tells it like it is
To:
jan 19th, 2007
couldn't have put it better myself. a limey comes clean about the lying SOBs that they are.
they lie, cheat, steal, rape, pillage, and *then* write history books (and btw prostitute themselves to other villains to write *their* history books) that make them come out smelling of roses.
the true brit == football hooligan, like in 'A Clockwork Orange': a violent thug. this they hide behind BBC accents.
why is the pound strong? because they still have hung on to the $10 trillion they stole from india. that's a *lot* of money. and they are overtaking new york as the money center of the world, for instance in IPOs especially as the dollar comes under a cloud. M&As etc. are big business in londonistan and a lot of mohammedan windfall-profit money is parked in brit banks.
from an old post on jihadwatch.org
thanks to habc
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/012642.php#c254823
=======
I think that many of you are missing the essential point here. The plot to blow up several planes (probably sixteen) was, apparently, hatched by al-quaida, in some form or another, but was to be executed using British moslems, British airspace, British security, British airports and, by all accounts so far, materielle purchased in Britain. Obviously, my country is perceived by the islamofascists as weak and ineffective. However, this is not the case, since British Intelligence, British police, British financial institutions and British companies thwarted the proposed, alleged attacks.
Has it ever occurred to any of you in the USA that we Brits seldom say exactly what we mean, seldom give anybody a clue as to exactly what we think, seldom tell the whole truth, or indeed any truth at all when a lie might just, possibly, work better, seldom actually stick by any agreement which is not in our favour - in short, we are the past masters (by several hundred years) in the nefarious arts of taqiya and kitman.
Despite all sorts of attempts to impose Sharia Law upon us (or at least some parts of it) we have remained sublimely resistant to such proposals. For the vast majority of us the idea that we should help moslems to integrate (i.e. give into them) is still the most risible thing that we have ever heard. Moslems in British society, at all levels, remain beyond the pale, unintegrated, unaccepted, outcast, reviled, objects of ridicule and disgust. They have singularly failed to cross what we normally refer to as the marriage hurdle - the point at which an immigrant community can say it has been accepted (roughly, when about thirty per cent of marriages in such a community involve one or other of the partners coming from a long established (three-hundred years or more) British family.
Most of you in the USA have absolutely no conception of how little attention is paid by the average Brit to his/her government. The government has very little influence on our day-to-day lives. Most of us lie, cheat, twist our affairs and generally ignore the government. Most of us laugh at the idea that the British government has more than a passing reference to our lives. You probably think that we take elections seriously. Think again! For most of us they are nothing more than a glorified opinion pole and really we couldn't care less who is elected to represent us. Most British people see politics for the stupidity it really is.
Britain is not an easy country to govern. The official, known about by government, economy places us third or fourth in the world rankings of economies. It is generally estimated, however, by Her Majesty's Treasury, that the black (illegal - whatever the hell that might mean) British economy is four to six times larger than the official economy. Certainly, the strength of the British exchange rate (£ to all other currencies) is not supported out by the size of the official economy but is manifestly and obviously supported by the black economy.
Our society, likewise, is not summed up by simplistic newspaper reports, oversimplifications by line services such as Reuters or AP, wishful thinking by American freepers or stupidities vocalised by supercilious American government officials whose world view could be cogently summarised by the words of Sullivan - "It is much easier to make measurements than to know exactly what you are measuring".
It amuses me, and, I presume, most British posters to this site, that you Americans think that you can predict the future of the UK, predict what we will think or do, predict how we will feel and respond. We are a deeply violent people, a deeply duplicitous people, sneaky, without conscience (except where our own self-interests lie), self-centered and wholly pre-occupied by our own comfort and our own self-preservation. If the moslem invaders ever really do truly get on our wick then, believe me, we will deal with them ruthlessly, just as we always have done with every other immigrant group. We are not a pleasant people - read our history. Whatever fictions you Americans might entertain about us dispell yourselves of them. We are not nice and we bite.
For example, you helped us out in '39 through '45. You could have expected some degree of gratitude. Instead what you got was, in 1946, a prominent British politician saying, with the vociferous approval of most British people, "Damn the Americans, the most ill-bred, mongrel apologists for reaction whom I have ever encountered". We're nasty, and when the time comes we will be nasty again. Make no mistake, most Brits just don't like anybody else and that includes you (regretably - and the French, but then, who likes the French) and the moslems, with whom we will deal, in the appropriate fashion, at the appropriate time - and you probably won't like that, either.
Dominic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)