Category: Random Draws

We can learn from the United States

The particular strength of the US is that it has a great education system. As a consequence, it produces many people who are articulate, intelligent, thoughtful and above all, reasonable. That thought struck me forcefully once again when I was reading James Fallows’ essay in the recent issue of The Atlantic titled “How America can Rise Again.” Of course, the reason it has a good educational system is simply because it has a good set of rules, the primary source of which is the constitution of the US. Below the fold, I have some extended excerpts from the essay by Fallows. It’s one heck of a fine essay and I am certain you would learn from it.
Continue reading “We can learn from the United States”

Yeah but India is a Democracy

As tired as that cliche is, India does need to wake up and smell the coffee. The world is moving on while India is still stuck in the socialist swamp created by the government after independence. I write this as a public service. I have no doubt that writing this for the edification of Indian policymakers is as useful as trying to teach a pig to sing (which as they say, cannot be done and it merely annoys the pig), but perhaps the general public will take note.
Continue reading “Yeah but India is a Democracy”

A Tragic Tale of Callous Hindu Indifference

The Russian word “pogrom” means “to destroy, to wreak havoc, to demolish violently” and is applied to “any incident of wanton and unrestrained destruction on a mass scale.” According to the wiki, the word came into English via Yiddish. The etymology of the word makes sense. Yiddish literally means “Jewish”. Jews have been the victim of pogroms by Christians and Muslims for millennia everywhere in the world except for India. The world will never be allowed to forget that because the Jews will make sure that they themselves will not forget what is the most tragic part of their civilizational history. Continue reading “A Tragic Tale of Callous Hindu Indifference”

India needs a New Set of Rules, not Rulers

“we should invite britishers again to manage our country step by step. first Bihar & UP last kerala. like they developed Hong kong.”

That’s a direct quote of a comment from a reader, Jitendra, on a rediff.com article, “India’s ‘real’ Poverty“. Don’t bother reading that rather pointless article — it goes into details of how the poverty line should be defined and what the level of real poverty is in India — but let’s ponder that non sequitur quoted above. Continue reading “India needs a New Set of Rules, not Rulers”

From the archives: “The Lumpy Universe”

I am off to Mumbai for a couple of days. I hope to write a real post later today but for now, I recommend this one hauled from the archives of “the tangled web” series on “The Lumpy Universe.” Now I must go as I have a train to catch. Bye.

In Defense of Village Idiots

If the people of the village, in the best traditions of the hallowed democratic process, elect the village idiot as the King and Supreme Ruler of the village, I cannot for the life of me bring myself to find fault with the village idiot. It’s not the idiot’s fault that nature dealt him or her a lousy hand in the random genetic draw of life. He’s a congenital idiot and makes no demands on being recognized as a paragon of wisdom and insight. Based on that principle, I indicted the American voter for electing — not once but twice — Mr George W Bush. I can see no reason for not applying that principle to India. Continue reading “In Defense of Village Idiots”