I have previously observed here that India has what I call a “cargo cult democracy.” In India’s neighborhood that is not a distinction. The entire Indian subcontinent suffers from that malady. The short version is that around here democracy as practiced is a simulation, a facsimile that should not be confused with the real thing … Continue reading Cargo for Pakistan
Month: December 2007
The Age of Content-free Communications
One of the more irritating aspects of the change of calendar years is the increase in meaningless messages that land in one's inbox. I love the internet and the world wide web, but that love is severely strained when I have to wade through gratuitous messages wishing "All" a happy new year. It's a palpable … Continue reading The Age of Content-free Communications
Summing Up
Time to take stock. It's been a good year overall, but I am sure that 2008 is going to be even better. The trends are all good. Except in the US, thanks to George W Bush. No, I take that back. GWB is only the visible sign of decay, the festering pustule on the diseased … Continue reading Summing Up
Solar Power
Benazir Bhutto, the Benevolent
Good riddance. "Those that live by the sword, die by the sword" as Jesus is supposed to have cautioned Peter according to Matthew. And as they say in India, "Indian government, hai, hai."
The Most Important Image Ever Taken
The Hubble Deep Field and the Most Important Image Ever Taken by Humanity. Watch it and wonder. Wonder how insignificant our concerns are, how parochial our interests, how utterly immaterial even our greatest conflicts are. Watch it and wonder how ignorant the so-called sacred scriptures of humanity are. The visible universe is 78 billion light-years … Continue reading The Most Important Image Ever Taken
Walking Around the Elephant
Today's Mint carries my opinion piece "Walking Around the Elephant" -- a write-up on my conversation with Pranab Bardhan, professor of economics at UC Berkeley. The transcript of the conversation is also up on the Mint website under the title "Reforms do not address the anxieties of the general population."
