Taking care of a child is the hardest thing anyone can
do ... it has certainly forced me to examine what I
know and what I can do and what I need to learn and
all that ... often it can be overwhelming ... it is
interesting that now that some boundaries have fallen
- men getting custody of chidren - I hope there is
more awareness of "true family values" which should
include an appreciation of what stay-at-home moms do
and not penalize them for not working (and not just
the marriage penalty taxes) ... In this the
Republicans have failed miserably also ... they talk
about "family values" but those are code words for
"church going" "sunday school attending" "male
dominated" and all that ... with no real recognition
of "family values"
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Family Values
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Abuse of Power
The War on Terror has turned inwards with the VP Cheney running roughshod over the principles upon which the US was founded. The current President Bush appears to be an appendage to that of the office of the VP - Historians will examine this period in our history and their jaws will drop as to the extent to which there has been an abuse of power by the executive branch. President Nixon will look like a saint in comparison.
During these waning days of the administration, the VP seems to be taking even more stringent steps to protect what he and his office does and in effect is daring everyone to challenge his authority. Warrantless spying, secret courts, the suspension of habeas corpus - these are some things we know.
It is time for General Powell and individuals like him who had run-in's with the CreeVP to come out and paint the picture of how one man has taken over the Presidency and is essentially unchecked. The courts have taken some notice, but too little, too late.
During these waning days of the administration, the VP seems to be taking even more stringent steps to protect what he and his office does and in effect is daring everyone to challenge his authority. Warrantless spying, secret courts, the suspension of habeas corpus - these are some things we know.
It is time for General Powell and individuals like him who had run-in's with the CreeVP to come out and paint the picture of how one man has taken over the Presidency and is essentially unchecked. The courts have taken some notice, but too little, too late.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
National Schizophrenia
This schizoid attitude in foreign trade and currency flows and markets and all that that seems to be prevalent everywhere is strange. In the US there was this outcry when China wanted to invest in Unocal and again when Dubai Ports international swaddled in the economic waters and were scolded as it were ... Perhaps there are reasons in few, specific cases where there may be clear national interest in letting certain industries or sectors not be controlled by "foreign" companies/governments - yet more of it seems to be driven by considerations other than any clear national interest. When Lenovo took over the PC making part of IBM, there were some grumblings - but it happened.
I'll stick to the US perspective. So, the politicians here do not want China to have too much say in companies/etc in the US - yet feel they can demand that China revalue their currency vis-a-vis the dollar - If over night, the Chinese revalue their currency, the "dollar" value of their holdings will increase if they can sell their currency at those prices (given the Chinese economy, it may yet be possible to do so) - thus, in the short term the US will "enrich" the Chinese - so what are they allowed to do with their money? "Invest" - yet not anywhere that they want to ... So, we tell the Chinese what to do with their currency and yet tell them how they can spend it ... Ah, makes sense to some.
In the 80's/90's when the Japanese were buying real estate with their dollars, there was an outcry also as to how they were pushing up prices ... those dollars were earned in part/largely from their more efficient cars and taking market share from Detroit ... thus the public bought Japanese cars - yet demanded some control on how that money ought to be spent ... The american consumer is buying all things Chinese - yet rail against WalMart or any such company that contracts with Chinese companies - yet turn around and rail against Chinese money when it comes back to the US ...
The Japanese were thrashing Detroit (GM/Ford/Chrysler) when the Yen was far cheaper (200+ yean to the dollar) - today they continue to beat GM/Ford ... Yet I can iamgine the outcry if Toyota were to buy GM (which they can several times over and still have money to spend) ... I guess like most countries, the US wants to have it's cake and eat it too.
The current schizoid attitude with respect to illegal immigrants in the US is similar - 12 million people are apparently illegal in the US - and if one pays attention to some, you would think they are sitting around on the public dole doing nothing ... Yet the reality is that if these immigrants were to stop coming and the US were to ask the 12 million to go "home", the US economy will collapse. So, do we want them or not? Do we want a functioning economy or not? The answer is - We want their labor but are not willing to accept the reality of their economic worth and demagogues keep yelling and screaming and nothing happens.
Free flow of ideas, resources amd capital - human and otherwise is what has allowed much of the world's economies to develop the way they have.
I'll stick to the US perspective. So, the politicians here do not want China to have too much say in companies/etc in the US - yet feel they can demand that China revalue their currency vis-a-vis the dollar - If over night, the Chinese revalue their currency, the "dollar" value of their holdings will increase if they can sell their currency at those prices (given the Chinese economy, it may yet be possible to do so) - thus, in the short term the US will "enrich" the Chinese - so what are they allowed to do with their money? "Invest" - yet not anywhere that they want to ... So, we tell the Chinese what to do with their currency and yet tell them how they can spend it ... Ah, makes sense to some.
In the 80's/90's when the Japanese were buying real estate with their dollars, there was an outcry also as to how they were pushing up prices ... those dollars were earned in part/largely from their more efficient cars and taking market share from Detroit ... thus the public bought Japanese cars - yet demanded some control on how that money ought to be spent ... The american consumer is buying all things Chinese - yet rail against WalMart or any such company that contracts with Chinese companies - yet turn around and rail against Chinese money when it comes back to the US ...
The Japanese were thrashing Detroit (GM/Ford/Chrysler) when the Yen was far cheaper (200+ yean to the dollar) - today they continue to beat GM/Ford ... Yet I can iamgine the outcry if Toyota were to buy GM (which they can several times over and still have money to spend) ... I guess like most countries, the US wants to have it's cake and eat it too.
The current schizoid attitude with respect to illegal immigrants in the US is similar - 12 million people are apparently illegal in the US - and if one pays attention to some, you would think they are sitting around on the public dole doing nothing ... Yet the reality is that if these immigrants were to stop coming and the US were to ask the 12 million to go "home", the US economy will collapse. So, do we want them or not? Do we want a functioning economy or not? The answer is - We want their labor but are not willing to accept the reality of their economic worth and demagogues keep yelling and screaming and nothing happens.
Free flow of ideas, resources amd capital - human and otherwise is what has allowed much of the world's economies to develop the way they have.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Israel and the Palestinian Conflict
Perhaps religion will remain the true weapon of mass destruction for all time.
The American Israel PAC (AIPAC) is very strong, yes. Often they get away with things that other lobbies may not get away with - their aim is to protect Israel at all costs perhaps even at times at the expense of the US (according to some). Nevertheless.
Israelis more than anyone are ready (in my opinion) to trade land/anything for peace - IF there is genuine acceptance of their right to exist. Israel is a vibrant democracy where even Palestinians get their say in Court and where the Courts are not shy to rule against the ruling party/leaders. If an Anwar sadat like figure were to emerge from the Palestinians, peace would be possible and the killings can stop. But such leaders do not exist today - I think it is possible to shame Israelis and their leaders to compromise in the name of peace, but such efforts have not worked at all with the Palestinians.
The world and the Arab world has poured billions of dollars to the Palestinian cause without much impact - the corruption seems to be endemic with no real solution in sight. For a displaced people their only solution seems to be to keep fighting and determined to kill anyone who does not conform to their views.
I can understand perfectly why Israel remains suspicious of anyone who keep prodding them to make more and more concessions without getting much in return. The world watched while Hitler systematically killed Jews, yes, even the US ignored much of the information about systematic killings. I, for one, am glad that the Jews are constantly reminding the world of the dangers of genocide and what happens when we do not act.
The Palestinians need a home, absolutely. They are not going to "drive the Jews to the sea" and unless Israel is convinced of the fact that they CAN exist as a nation, I am certain they will compromise on anything else. I am aware of extremist elements in Israel that will not accept ANY concessions to the Palestinians - yet concessions have and will be made by brave leaders and the nation as a whole. As long as the President of Iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons AND continues to threaten the nation of Israel, yes, they have every reason to worry and so am sure they will do whatever THEY decide to protect themselves.
The Palestinians cannot continue to blame Israel for ALL of their problems - they should clean house, take care of their own and make an offer to the Israelis that they cannot refuse - "We are part of this land also, like you all - Let us figure out how to coexist. After all, we are children of Abraham"
The American Israel PAC (AIPAC) is very strong, yes. Often they get away with things that other lobbies may not get away with - their aim is to protect Israel at all costs perhaps even at times at the expense of the US (according to some). Nevertheless.
Israelis more than anyone are ready (in my opinion) to trade land/anything for peace - IF there is genuine acceptance of their right to exist. Israel is a vibrant democracy where even Palestinians get their say in Court and where the Courts are not shy to rule against the ruling party/leaders. If an Anwar sadat like figure were to emerge from the Palestinians, peace would be possible and the killings can stop. But such leaders do not exist today - I think it is possible to shame Israelis and their leaders to compromise in the name of peace, but such efforts have not worked at all with the Palestinians.
The world and the Arab world has poured billions of dollars to the Palestinian cause without much impact - the corruption seems to be endemic with no real solution in sight. For a displaced people their only solution seems to be to keep fighting and determined to kill anyone who does not conform to their views.
I can understand perfectly why Israel remains suspicious of anyone who keep prodding them to make more and more concessions without getting much in return. The world watched while Hitler systematically killed Jews, yes, even the US ignored much of the information about systematic killings. I, for one, am glad that the Jews are constantly reminding the world of the dangers of genocide and what happens when we do not act.
The Palestinians need a home, absolutely. They are not going to "drive the Jews to the sea" and unless Israel is convinced of the fact that they CAN exist as a nation, I am certain they will compromise on anything else. I am aware of extremist elements in Israel that will not accept ANY concessions to the Palestinians - yet concessions have and will be made by brave leaders and the nation as a whole. As long as the President of Iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons AND continues to threaten the nation of Israel, yes, they have every reason to worry and so am sure they will do whatever THEY decide to protect themselves.
The Palestinians cannot continue to blame Israel for ALL of their problems - they should clean house, take care of their own and make an offer to the Israelis that they cannot refuse - "We are part of this land also, like you all - Let us figure out how to coexist. After all, we are children of Abraham"
Sunday, June 03, 2007
About hypocrisy
I am a state employee and thus taxpayers of the state allow me to support myself and my family. It may be possible to calculate how much of this support comes directly from the State coffers and how much of that is voluntary (taxes on things that people buy) and what fraction is involuntary (income, real estate and such taxes) but that is irrelevant. The question is - Since I am on the public dole as it were, should I not be a liberal and actively support the public expenditure for anything and anytime? Am I being hypocritical by expressing conservative or
libertarian views? Why do I not work for a private company but depend on public coffers?
It does get worse. My undergraduate education was funded almost entirely by public funds and yet I left my country of birth and proceeded to graduate school in the US, thereby the tax payers who funded my education can claim that they have not benefited by their expenditure (according to one view). Should I be forced to pay back the taxpayers of India for the education that enabled me to come to the US and support myself?
An issue I confront is about hypocrisy - what it is and how does one avoid being one (if one wants to).
I support the idea of vouchers for kids to go to private schools - I would be a hypocrite if I oppose any such voucher attempts for higher education, I do not. The fact that about 30% of our university funding comes directly from State appropriations with the rest from tuition and other sources may be somewhat relevant, but the fact remains that tax payers do support me. If we lose that 30% we would be in trouble for sure. The University of Virginia (state supported) gets about 10 to 15 % of their funds from the State, they are considering taking it private.
Milton Friedman criticized public education (certainly at the college level) - anything that forced all taxpayers to fund something that they did not have much control over, he was opposed to it - and I admire Milton Friedman. Yet, I remain on the public dole, I do not resign and find a job in the private sector.
Private Colleges and schools. At the K-12 level, private schools get almost no funds from public sources, while public schools are almost entirely funded by taxes. Private colleges on the other hand do have access to funds that are private - yet it is naive to think that Harvard can do as well as they do without access to public funds like that from the NIH and NSF - so are they private or public?
I detest Al Gore and how he has advanced his own career by scaring people about Global Warming. I have remarked that he does not truly believe in Global Warming since he does nothing to reduce his own Carbon footprint - His energy consumption in his home is way beyond that of normal households - yet he chastises others for similar behavior - He is a hypocrite I have said many times. If so, then I am a hypocrite also since I am on the public dole and criticize public funding for different purposes.
Fine, so be it - it is possible for many to conclude that I am a hypocrite then for living off the public dole and saying bad things about the very source of such funds. I disagree, but there is not much I can do - and in the eyes of some unless I resign and earn money from purely private sources, I am a hypocrite.
I disagree. No, not that I am not a hypocrite but that speaking out on such issues makes me one. "Yes, I am a hypocrite" sounds very much like the "I am a sinner" that we hear just before that person donates some money to someone to absolve himself of such sins or find ways to get brownie points to make some good and improve his/her standing.
I will have more to say on this issue.
libertarian views? Why do I not work for a private company but depend on public coffers?
It does get worse. My undergraduate education was funded almost entirely by public funds and yet I left my country of birth and proceeded to graduate school in the US, thereby the tax payers who funded my education can claim that they have not benefited by their expenditure (according to one view). Should I be forced to pay back the taxpayers of India for the education that enabled me to come to the US and support myself?
An issue I confront is about hypocrisy - what it is and how does one avoid being one (if one wants to).
I support the idea of vouchers for kids to go to private schools - I would be a hypocrite if I oppose any such voucher attempts for higher education, I do not. The fact that about 30% of our university funding comes directly from State appropriations with the rest from tuition and other sources may be somewhat relevant, but the fact remains that tax payers do support me. If we lose that 30% we would be in trouble for sure. The University of Virginia (state supported) gets about 10 to 15 % of their funds from the State, they are considering taking it private.
Milton Friedman criticized public education (certainly at the college level) - anything that forced all taxpayers to fund something that they did not have much control over, he was opposed to it - and I admire Milton Friedman. Yet, I remain on the public dole, I do not resign and find a job in the private sector.
Private Colleges and schools. At the K-12 level, private schools get almost no funds from public sources, while public schools are almost entirely funded by taxes. Private colleges on the other hand do have access to funds that are private - yet it is naive to think that Harvard can do as well as they do without access to public funds like that from the NIH and NSF - so are they private or public?
I detest Al Gore and how he has advanced his own career by scaring people about Global Warming. I have remarked that he does not truly believe in Global Warming since he does nothing to reduce his own Carbon footprint - His energy consumption in his home is way beyond that of normal households - yet he chastises others for similar behavior - He is a hypocrite I have said many times. If so, then I am a hypocrite also since I am on the public dole and criticize public funding for different purposes.
Fine, so be it - it is possible for many to conclude that I am a hypocrite then for living off the public dole and saying bad things about the very source of such funds. I disagree, but there is not much I can do - and in the eyes of some unless I resign and earn money from purely private sources, I am a hypocrite.
I disagree. No, not that I am not a hypocrite but that speaking out on such issues makes me one. "Yes, I am a hypocrite" sounds very much like the "I am a sinner" that we hear just before that person donates some money to someone to absolve himself of such sins or find ways to get brownie points to make some good and improve his/her standing.
I will have more to say on this issue.
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