Author: Atanu Dey

Economist.

Why is the US so Cheap?

A Simple Question

A friend of mine in California asked me one of those questions which seem simple on the surface yet is anything but. One of the “top women in storage” as a leading business publication had rated her, she had gone home to Ireland for the Christmas holidays. In an email detailing how everyone was and what happened in Ireland, she concluded by asking, “So, Mr Economist, tell me why is the US so cheap?” The context of her question included the price-levels of various places she is familiar with such as the US, Western European countries, NZ, and Australia. My own comparison of Indian and US prices adds further validity to that question since I find that the US is cheap relative to India. Why is it so?
Continue reading “Why is the US so Cheap?”

There Must be Violence Against Women

Despite such [Quranic] instructions, beating is considered a type of violence, according to human rights organizations, which urge women to complain to the police. I just wonder what kind of families our societies would have if Muslim women started doing this regarding their husbands.

Relationships between fathers and daughters or sisters and brothers also provoke argument from human rights organizations, which propose the suggested solutions for all relationships. Personally, I don’t think fathers or brothers would undertake such behavior unless there was a reason for it.

The above quote is from here.

There are always good reasons for violence against women. Take for example, the case of 16-year old Aqsa Parvez in Canada, strangled by her father last month because she refused to wear the hijab. Or the case of the Egyptian taxi-driver in Texas who shot and killed his two teenage daughters on Jan 1st because they were seeing non-Muslim guys.

Human rights? Oh come on, human rights have nothing to do with it as women are sub-humans anyway. OK, subhuman rights activists could get into it but human rights activists have no business in these matters.

Related to the above:

A 57-year-old Oak Forest man set a fire that killed his pregnant daughter, her husband and the couple’s 3-year-old son because he was angry that the son-in-law came from a “lower caste system” and had not asked for the daughter’s hand in marriage, prosecutors said Tuesday.

In a hearing at the Markham courthouse Tuesday morning, Subhash Chander was ordered held without bond by Cook County Judge Martin McDonough in connection with the arson and murder of Chander’s pregnant daughter Monika Rani, 22; her husband Rajesh Kumar, 30; and their son Vansh. [Source.]

Intel waves goodbye to OLPC

Barely six months after joining the OLPC project, Intel announced that it is leaving. The OLPC people wanted Intel to stop work on any products that are likely to compete with the OLPC. Which basically means that contrary to what the OLPC people were claiming–that it was not about the laptop but rather about education–is clearly not so. If indeed it was about education, wouldn’t they have welcomed more and varied efforts by others in the same game?

AtanuDey on MyToday

If you had been wondering when I will get with the new technology, wonder no more. I have created an SMS channel on MyToday.com and so you can keep abreast of announcements related to this blog and yours truly.

It’s simple. If you are in India, send an SMS saying “Start AtanuDey” (case insensitive, and without the quotes) to 575758 or to 098453 98453.

You will start receiving messages that I publish, starting with an acknowledgment message from “ATANUDEY”. What will it cost you? Nothing except whatever it costs to send that single “start” message. Anytime you wish to stop receiving messages from “ATANUDEY”, send an SMS saying “Stop AtanuDey” to 575758 or 098453 98453.

This is what is called the “pub sub”–publish subscribe–paradigm. Basically you are in control and so don’t have to suffer spam.

I intend to use the channel sparingly. Once in a while I will high-light some post of special significance. For instance, I may say, “Go read my opinion piece in today’s Mint”, or “Catch me on BBC World TV at 8 PM.”

I would also publish “Where in the world is Atanu today?” type of SMS. For instance, I am in New Delhi on the 9th and 10th. So I will send an SMS saying “Visiting N Delhi 9th and 10th. Meeting Esther Dyson for a chat about education and technology.”

Catch you on SMS.

By the by, you too can create any channel you want and keep in touch with your friends, family and colleagues. Just go to MyToday.com and get started. It’s the coolest thing to hit the mobile scene since sliced bread.

Karan Thapar is Clever

Karan Thapar is a columnist at Hindustan Times. In a Dec 29th piece titled “Modification of Politics,” I came across one of the most clever euphemisms for assassination. If you thought his ‘modification’ in the title of his piece was oh-so-clever, wait till you read how he phrases Modi’s murder. He calls it “the sudden removal of Modi”.

The context is that he is concerned about the growth of “moditva” and speculates that regional political parties will be forced to side with “Modi or Sonia, in the saffron camp or the liberal/secular one.” The Acorn asks “Why doesn’t Karan Thapar dare to call anti-Hindutva by its name?” and points out that “neither Sonia Gandhi, nor the Left nor any of the regional parties are truly secular. And they are far from being “liberal”.” The Acorn is right on the money.

The English language media is fairly pathetic. Many of the columnists like Thapar are bhade kay tattoo, eagerly carrying water for the establishment. But there are surprising exceptions. Take Swapan Dasgupta’s column in the Times of India of 30th Dec titled “The Modi Charishma“. A Bong last name like “Dasgupta” to me usually signals extreme prejudice — commies generally. Dasgupta is a welcome exception. He ends his piece with

The Gujarat model is not in conflict with the Bharat model. What has clicked in Gujarat is a leadership style built on innovation, dedication and a resolute defiance of a compromised Establishment. A Modi folklore has been created around an Angry Middle-aged Man with a 56-inch chest.

It has corresponded with subliminal perceptions of good leadership. And the Gujarat voter is no different from the Indian voter.

Modi has aroused great expectations. His political opponents will want him to be confined to Gujarat forever; the Establishment wouldn’t mind him in Race Course Road as long as he removes some of his vital organs surgically.

Let’s hope Modi stays the course. Let’s hope he injects politics with a dose of freshness.

Amen.

Cargo for Pakistan

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 that has something to do with informed choice based on differing perceptions of priorities that matter in the larger scheme of things.

Informed choice is not a matter that can be delegated to people who are not only not informed but for the most part cannot be informed even if you wanted to because the basic channels for information transmission are denied to them. Most of the electorate is illiterate to begin with and to add insult to injury, meaningful debate concerning the issues is entirely non-existent in the mass media. In the absence of substantial policy choices, it all boils down to names and faces. In every nook and cranny of the country, one comes face to face with huge billboards with the faces of people with names—never mind what they represent or what their accomplishments are.
Continue reading “Cargo for Pakistan”

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 sign of the Age of the Content-free Communications.
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 political body of the US. I don’t see much hope in the inevitable change of administration post the 2008 presidential elections in the US either. It’s stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.

I see India doing well. Narendra Modi’s win is going to cause some short-term trouble. The UPA led by Antonia Maino aka Sonia Gandhi is weakened sufficiently and therefore will not be able to make any policy changes desperately required to chart a reasonable course for the economy. The foxtrotting commies have the UPA by the short and curlies and will continue to threaten to bring down the government. But the commies are convulsing in their death throes, taking their last gasps as they choke on their stupidity. I believe that in 2008, India will be able to give the commies a decent burial. It is high time. India can only get on with life after the death of the commies and their fellow travelers.
Continue reading “Summing Up”

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.”