Madhu Kishwar writing in OutlookIndia.com says, “I fail to understand why almost every commentator, every TV anchor, every editorial writer feels compelled to pay ritual obeisance to the “personal honesty and integrity” of Dr Manmohan Singh.” I note that Madhu qualifies the statement with “almost every.” As a blogger, I have been insisting that the appointed prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh is despicably dishonest man, and that he will be remembered for his venality. That he is getting a free pass right now can only be because Indians are not the most clued in people in the world and it takes a few generations for the truth to dawn on the country. But eventually, as the Indian motto goes, satyam eva jayate.
Continue reading “Manmohan Singh is a Seriously Despicably Dishonest Spineless Toady Who Will Pay for his Crimes Against India”
Month: July 2011
The Coming “Citizen War”
The Citizen at War
Political freedom must be used to fight for economic freedom
July 2011.
Witnessing the recent skirmishes between some segments of the “civil society” and the central government of India, it is hard to keep cynicism at bay. On the one side there are sincere people with not inconsiderable following who are trying to bring about change in governance and the reduction of public corruption which has reached astronomical proportions. While they may be motivated by worthy goals, not all their means are above reproach. Their passion is not matched by their understanding of what should be done and how.
On the other side are powerful people in the government who are not particularly perturbed about the reports that allege, often with substantial evidence, their involvement in scams that run into billions of dollars. These people have the power of the state on their side and are not hesitant in using overwhelming force to defeat the people on the other side. Not just the police force, but they have used government agencies—such as investigative and taxation institutions—to fight their opponents. Continue reading “The Coming “Citizen War””
Weekend Edition: They Fell From Grace
This is the weekend edition — a round up of things that have caught my eye over the week. As it happens, there appears to be a theme: how the powerful have fallen. Three tales about three entities — two people and one firm — tell about their descent from rarefied heights to close to the mean sea level. They are about Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Rajat Gupta, and Infosys.
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MMS & SG Cartoon
Dr Manmohan Singh is a despicably dishonest man. The Supreme Court is slowly realizing that.
[Hat tip: Santosh.]
The Age of Superfluous Information — Revisited
The Economist’s article, “Too much information: How to cope with data overload,” deals with information overload. (Hat tip Prasanna Viswanathan @prasannavishy for the link.) For a few years I have been concerned about it since I have a very low threshold for information. In 2005, I pondered the matter in a number of blog posts. I realize the irony in writing yet another blog post on information overload, but there you have it. The Economist article underlines my fears.
Continue reading “The Age of Superfluous Information — Revisited”
The BJP Must Get its Act Together
It is widely rumored that India is a vibrant democracy but one wonders if the rumors are wild exaggerations with little bearing to reality. I could be wrong but doesn’t the idea of a democracy include having an effective opposition to the ruling party? Or is it still a democracy if it is a one-party rule which does whatever suits its narrow interests because there is no opposition to provide the checks and balances that are needed to assure that the ruling party does not use its rule to enrich itself at the cost of the national interest? In a sense, one cannot entirely blame the staggering misgovernance of the Antonia Maino, aka Sonia Gandhi, led UPA — it is partly a consequence of the utter failure of the BJP to provide a suitable opposition to the misrule of the UPA.
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Open Thread: Say What You Will
I have been neglecting my blog because I have a lot to do, what with the teaching and other things. Fortunately, the long 4th of July weekend has given me time to take a breather and I hope to write a few posts today and tomorrow. Do tell what’s on your mind. So while I go and write something sensible, here’s a link to Rajan Parrikar’s photo blog. He’s once again gone photographing in Iceland and the results are phenomenal. Samples below the fold.
Continue reading “Open Thread: Say What You Will”
Life is a Random Draw 