Barackface

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

The Israeli Offensive

The scale of the Israeli attack has caught me by surprise. It is just so big and ongoing, no end in sight.

There are many ways to look at this conflict.

A tussle between a democracy and countries that are not so.
A tussle between divergent cultures, a clash of "civilizations."
The attribution of the actions of non state actors upon state actors to degrees that can not be accurate.
The right wing propensity to hit physically when offended.
A proxy regional war. Like a Corleone family small fish says in the movie Godfather, "This has to happen once every 10 years."

The regional dynamics are so very complex. There are so many threads. There are deep religious undercurrents. There are long histories of grievances on both sides.

Take the case of suicide bombers. A full fledged state with a standing army fights with that army. What does a non state hoping to become a state do? It ends up sending suicide bombers. Both soldiers and suicide bombers are people who, by definition, are ready to die. It is an ongoing war of asymmetry.

Syria is a poor country. Iran is not rich, although large. The Palestinians are a poor people. Israel is rich. There is a West-Third World divide there.

I think Clinton did a very good job of deescalation. But Bush is not even trying. It is against his ideology to try. His thrust is to just keep pounding. Strong on defense means a lot of defense companies make a lot of money when wars happen. Each missile is millions of dollars.

Peace making is a tricky proposition. It is hard enough when the parties to the conflict are trying. Here not only are the parties not attempting peace, there is no visible outside actor making such an attempt. Peace making is a proactive process. America is one power that could matter. America is disengaged. America has gone to sleep on the hapless Arabs.

Arafat is gone, but when he was around it always amused me when western peacemakers demanded that he "end" terrorism. That is akin to asking the mayor of New York City to bring the murder rate in the city down to zero. You deny the guy his state, and then you wonder why he is not doing a good job of law enforcement.

This is a war between power and powerlessness. Israel is rich. The Arab masses are poor.

I have long maintained the only way the Long War - War on Terror - will conclude is after all Arab countries become democracies. I wish there were a way to ignite local democracy movements. Lack of democracy really distorts ground sentiments. And you end up facing Israeli incomprehension.

What a mess we have at hand! Both sides harbor exaggerated fears. Israel is nowhere near being pushed into the sea. But it claims to be fighting for its right to exist. Syria and Iran feel under siege. I hear that is how World War I started, through sheer miscalculation.

The first goal has to be deescalation. Then a ceasefire. Then confidence building measures. Then meaningful talks, comprehensive peace.

What is going on right now is a dangerous game of brinkmanship.

In The News

Never A Ceasefire For Mideast Hatreds A decades-long record shows that Hamas and Hezbollah always find new reasons to attack. Diplomatic skills and arm-twisting tactics have not yet been invented with the power to change the fundamental reality that these two terrorist groups still believe Israel can and must be defeated and the Jewish state destroyed. ...... The realism of Nixon, the idealism of Carter, the saber rattling of Reagan and Bush I and the secret diplomacy of Clinton have yielded more Nobel Peace prizes than actual peace.........
Arabs divided on Hezbollah over Israel Houston Chronicle, United States many vilifying it for provoking Israel's attack on Lebanon...... Backers, however, voice pride in Hezbollah's ability to fight back, landing missiles from its Iranian-supplied arsenal deep inside Israel.......Arabs on the whole have felt a historic frustration over their inability to defeat Israel. Hezbollah's missile strikes deep inside Israel generate pride because they inflicted pain on an opponent with clear military superiority..... Hezbollah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, represent "what is left of honor and dignity in times of submission" ....... "By striking Israel, he has restored the glories of the old Muslims" ........ "Beloved Nasrallah, hit Tel Aviv!" chanted the crowd, estimated at around 10,000 people....... "He reminds me of Saddam Hussein, who dragged Iraq into several similar adventures which have led to the complete destruction of Iraq" ...... "He is arrogant and irresponsible." ...... Hezbollah's political strength in Lebanon threatens the government's hold on power; its military power has made it impossible for the government and army to take control of the south......... "The Israelis aren't hurting Hezbollah. They're killing civilians and they are destroying Lebanon" ......
Israel says Hezbollah, Iran coordinated soldier abductions ABC Online
Arabs Divided on Hezbollah Over Israel Washington Post
Israel won't rule out invasion NEWS.com.au The Israeli retaliation has inflicted the heaviest destruction in Lebanon for two decades. ...... Hezbollah then attacked a naval vessel off Beirut and fired hundreds of rockets at northern Israel, killing at least 24 people..... Israel's Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said the country might have to negotiate over prisoners to end the crisis ....... Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said his country would pursue its offensive until the two soldiers were returned and the Lebanese army controlled all of south Lebanon.......
Israel claims Iran link to crisis BBC News, UK "Syria is trying to get back into Lebanon, it looks like to me," Mr Bush said in Washington. .......A British warship docked in Beirut at the start of a mission to transport up to 12,000 Britons and a further 10,000 people with dual British-Lebanese nationality to Cyprus..... UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said he expected European nations to contribute troops to a proposed stabilisation force to end the fighting ..... The Lebanese army has been ordered not to respond to the Israeli attacks........ Rockets also hit Haifa, Safed, Acre, Kiryat Shemona, and Gush Halav region near Safed ...... more than 700 Hezbollah rockets have now landed in Israel since the crisis began.
Israel's Olmert says no time limit to offensive Reuters.uk
Israel says Hizbollah, Iran coordinated abduction Reuters AlertNet
Israel sets its terms for end to campaign Sydney Morning Herald Israel would continue its military campaign until Hezbollah stopped firing rockets at Israel, pulled back from the border and returned two kidnapped Israeli soldiers. ..... The United Nations, which has sent a delegation to the region, has joined the European Union in calling for intervention by international peacekeeping troops. But the move has been resisted by the US ..... he does not believe the Lebanese Government is strong enough to take on Hezbollah. ...... - the return of the captured soldiers and a pullback by Hezbollah to the Litani River, about 30 kilometres north of the border. In 2000 Israel withdrew from a buffer zone it had patrolled in southern Lebanon since 1985, a move highly popular with the Israeli public. ..... Hezbollah has fired 1500 missiles and rockets into Israel from southern Lebanon ...... destroyed an Iranian-made Zelzal missile, which has a 160-kilometre-range and could reach Tel Aviv
Netanyahu: Israel Will Prevail in Mideast FOX News Israel is now girded with Iranian enclaves, Iranian-supported enclaves, Iranian directed enclaves, and Syria takes a part in helping both Hamas and Hezbollah with logistics and with weapons. ...... the missiles and the rockets that are being fired, as you point out, on Israeli citizens are getting deeper into Israel than they ever have. ....... We're the — remember we're the small Satan for the Islamic terror octopus...... Iran is arming itself with nuclear weapons right now and with the long-range rockets, long-range rockets that far exceed Israel and ultimately are destined to reach the Eastern Seaboard of the United States........ there was a killing of seven family members on a Gaza beach on June 9, after which Hamas called off its cease-fire........ You ask what is precipitating this? The answer is nothing that Israel does. It's just Israel being there, breathing........ all of this, what you see now, is the prelude. It's the promo to the real show....... It's a new Nazism. It's a new form of Nazism. It doesn't put race, but a twisted view of the Islamic religion as its credo. ...... I see a similarity in the tepid response from some quarters.
Italy slams Israel 'excess' The Australian, Australia the war had heightened regional risks and anti-Western fundamentalism. ...... "Israel's prevalently military vision of security, which is what has prevailed so far - targeted killings, reprisals, restrictions which aggravate living conditions of Palestinians - not only produce unsustainable human costs. ....... "But they increase the level of hatred and, therefore, insecurity." He said Israel's attacks in Gaza "went beyond any reasonable proportion"......... the political risk of Lebanon's collapse would not reinforce Israel's security
Italy slams Israel excess, failed Iraq policy Reuters AlertNet
Graham criticizes Harper for siding with Israel CTV.ca, Canada
Canada's Lebanon stand sparks domestic criticism Reuters AlertNet
PM: Canadians are getting out of Lebanon 'extraordinarily quickly' National Post
Canada's role as peacemaker at risk, says Graham National Post
G-8 Leaders Denounce Hezbollah Attacks on Israel Voice of America
Lebanon condemns Israel 'madness' BBC News
Israel won't rule out land invasion Advertiser Adelaide
Lebanese PM says Israel opening "gates of hell" Radio New Zealand
Syria not a target - Israel News24, South Africa several trucks carrying weapons that had entered Lebanon from Syria had been destroyed by Israeli aircraft on Lebanese territory.
Israel says Hizbollah smuggling weapons from Syria Reuters
Israel Will Not Attack Syria Despite Hezbollah Using Syrian ... Playfuls.com
Israel agrees to evacuee exodus The Australian, Australia
Israel refuses temporary ceasefire request ABC Online
No Israel ceasefire for Aussie evacuation Daily Telegraph
Australia says Israel refused to facilitate evacuation Jerusalem Post
Hundreds protest in Cairo against Israel SABC News, South Africa
Offensive likely to redefine West Asia political map Indian Express Israel’s assault on Lebanon threatens to weaken Arab moderates throughout the region, bolstering the image of Islamic militants at a time when anger among the Arab public is running high over the war on terror and America’s role in Iraq....... the punishing air campaign ...... But the military campaign is also the result of the deadlock in Arab-Israeli peacemaking after decades of false starts........ ‘‘Hizbollah wants to be recognised as a major Middle East player... Picking up a fight is a good way of doing this.’’ ....... Thousands have demonstrated in Arab capitals to protest the incursion and the lack of action by Arab governments to stop it. .....
Israel welcomes G8 statement TVNZ
Israel says it is ready for talks but the strikes will continue Times Online, UK Israeli political and military leaders are careful to put no time limits on their artillery and aerial bombardment of Lebanon ...... brings Lebanon’s death toll to approximately 240, mostly civilians. An Israeli was also killed in Nahariya by Hezbollah’s Katyusha rockets, raising the Israeli toll to 25. .....Securing that region required “activity by the Lebanese Government with the oversight (and) assistance of the international community,” she said....... Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, moved to assure Israel that the new force would be much stronger than the 2,000-strong United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, which has failed to disarm or restrain Hezbollah........ Diplomatic activity is picking up pace on other fronts. ....
No Apparent Solution to Israel's Crisis With Lebanon Los Angeles Times
Attacks continue; Israel sets ceasefire conditions Globe and Mail
UN Delegation Presents Ceasefire Ideas to Israel Voice of America Condoleezza Rice said she will travel to the region when it is appropriate, necessary and helpful to do so. ..... She said the international community must make sure that it deals with underlying conditions and finds a solution of lasting value.

On The Web

Middle East Peace Process
Foundation for Middle East Peace
MidEast Web - Middle East Conflict and Peace Process Historical ...
Churches for Middle East Peace
CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE & ECONOMIC COOPERATION
CNN - Struggle for Peace
Middle East Peace Camp for Children
Colorado Campaign For Middle East Peace
Foreign & Commonwealth Office Middle East Peace Process

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Tuesday, July 11, 2006

America: Number One

	2006	2016	2026	2036	2046	2056
Nepal	$ 1200	$ 2400	$ 4800	$ 9600	$ 19,200	$ 38,400
India	$ 3000	$ 6000	$ 12,000	$ 24,000	$ 48,000	$ 96,000
China	$ 6000	$ 12,000	$ 24,000	$ 48,000	$ 96,000	$ 192,000
America	$ 40,000		$ 80,000		$ 160,000

If Nepal, India and China were to grow 10% a year all the way to 2056, and America were to grow at 5%, America will still remain the number one country in terms of per capita income. These figures assume income doubles every 10 years at 10%, whereas it doubles every 20 years at 5%. It is a simplistic assumption. And those growth rates are nowhere near certain.

This leads me to believe America will continue to be the number one country for my work life. But then the GDP figures come in, and there India and China become 800 pound gorillas pretty soon, if they are not already. And then there is always the issue of the ethnics doing well in America. The Indian Americans are already the most successful ethnic group in America in that an average Indian family makes twice as much as an average white family. I first learned that in 1999.

The reason I am bringing up these numbers is so as to counter alarmist right wing thinking in America when it comes to robust Asian growth. We do want economies to grow and trade with each other across the board.

And robust growth does not have to be at the expense of the environment. There will be much production and consumption of mind food. Much of the future growth will be because we are in the information age. Vehicles can become clean. Fossil fuels do not have to be the mainstay.

Basically you are talking political, economic and social infrastructure. Introducing democracy where it does not exist, deepening it where it does exist, creating the right policy framework, law enforcement and property rights, and creating harmony for ethnic, religious, racial and gender diversity is the progressive homework. There is room for everybody. Poor countries growing is more kids getting vaccinated, more kids going to schools, more kids eating proper lunches.

And it really is not about ego, although I at times do get carried away by the Asian Century talk. It is about growth as it positively impacts the individual. Individuals in the Global South, individuals in the inner cities.

Prosperity is kind of like the internet. The more computers that get connected to the internet, the more valuable the internet becomes. Similarly when more individuals and countries prosper, the already prosperous become even more well off.

And so root for China and India.

On The Web

CIA World Factbook: China
China Today
China - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
China the Beautiful - Chinese Art and Literature
BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Country profiles | Country ...
China - A Country Study
China Daily
China News Digest
Wikipedia - India
CIA World Factbook: India
India Tourist Office
India Image
Yahoo! India
The Times of India
Lonely Planet - World Guide: India
Maps of India
Incredible India
Government of India

In The News

China's Booming Car Market Defies Pundits BusinessWeek
GM Sets New First Half Marks for Sales and Market Share in China Auto Spectator
China Said to Begin Commercial Oil Imports MSN Money
Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline opens to commercial operation People's Daily Online
China macro-controls having little effect, interest rate hikes ... Forbes
China June trade surplus at record 14.5 bln usd - UPDATE Forbes
China trade data stronger than expected, import growth slows ... Forbes
China H1 exports 3 mln tons of crude oil, down 17 pct yr-on-yr Forbes
China's economy may expand up to 10.4% People's Daily Online, China
Economy may expand up to 10.4 Xinhua
China beats Australia Daily Telegraph, Australia

Mumbai Train Blasts

Seven bombs hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour .... killing 131 people and wounding more than 300 in what authorities called a well-coordinated terrorist attack..... bombings, which came in quick succession — a common tactic employed by Kashmiri militants....... Chaos engulfed the crowded rail network in India's financial capital following the blasts that ripped apart train compartments ...... authorities struggled to treat the wounded amid heavy monsoon downpours. Doors and windows were blown off the train cars, and witnesses said body parts were strewn near stations....... Luggage and debris were spattered with blood. Survivors clutched bandages to their heads and faces, and some frantically dialed their cell phones....... bystanders carrying victims to ambulances and searching wreckage for survivors and bodies.... Bombay bombings came hours after a series of grenade attacks by Islamic extremists killed eight people in the main city of India's part of Kashmir ....... Police also reportedly carried out raids across the country following the Bombay blasts....... authorities had had some information that an attack was coming, "but place and time was not known." ...... all the blasts had hit first-class cars..... all train service had been suspended and appealed to the public to stay away from stations in the city of 16 million people ........ Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf offered condolences over the loss of life, the Foreign Ministry said, adding: "Terrorism is a bane of our times and it must be condemned, rejected and countered effectively and comprehensively." ...... Accusations of Pakistani involvement in a 2001 attack on India's parliament put the nuclear-armed rivals on the brink of a fourth war

In The News

More than 100 dead in Mumbai blasts
Scotsman, United Kingdom - 50 minutes ago
MORE than 100 people have died after seven explosions rocked Mumbai's rail network during the evening rush hour. According to the ...

Blasts kill scores on Bombay trains: report
MarketWatch - 59 minutes ago
By MarketWatch. NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- A series of explosions tore through cars of a commuter railroad in Bombay Tuesday evening ...

100 killed as explosions rock Mumbai's suburban trains
Hindu, India - 52 minutes ago
Mumbai, July 11 (AP): Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush hour, killing as many as 100 people, police said. ...

Mumbai blasts kill at least 100
Swissinfo, Switzerland - 35 minutes ago
MUMBAI (Reuters) - More than 100 people were killed and hundreds injured in seven explosions on packed commuter trains and stations during rush hour on Tuesday ...

7 Train Bombings in India Kill Up to 100
Houston Chronicle, United States - 1 hour ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM Associated Press Writer. BOMBAY, India — Seven bombs hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour ...

Up to 100 feared killed in Bombay blasts
Independent Online, South Africa - 58 minutes ago
By Ramola Talwar Badam. Bombay - Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush hour, ripping ...

At Least 20 Dead in Bombay Train Blasts
Houston Chronicle, United States - 1 hour ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM Associated Press Writer. BOMBAY, India — Seven explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush ...

Dozens killed in Mumbai blasts
Toronto Star, Canada - 1 hour ago
MUMBAI, India — Seven explosions rocked Bombay’s commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush hour, ripping apart train compartments, a railway ...

Explosions strike Bombay trains: reports
MarketWatch - 1 hour ago
By MarketWatch. NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Explosions have struck trains in Mumbai during the evening rush hour Tuesday, according to media reports. ...

Bombay Train Blasts Described As Bombings
MSN Money - 1 hour ago
BOMBAY, India (AP) - Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush hour, killing as many as 100 people, police said. ...

At Least 20 Dead in Bombay Train Blasts
Forbes - 1 hour ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM , 07.11.2006, 10:34 AM. Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening rush ...

100 feared dead after train explosions
Ireland Online, Ireland - 1 hour ago
Seven explosions rocked Mumbai’s commuter rail network during today’s evening rush hour, killing at least 80 people, police said, warning the death toll ...

Indian rail blasts kill at least 40
Channel 4 News, UK - 1 hour ago
At least 40 people have been killed in a series of blasts on commuter trains in the Indian city of Mumbai. Police confirmed seven ...

Blasts rock Mumbai rail network
BBC News, UK - 2 hours ago
There have been at least six blasts on commuter trains in the Indian financial capital, Mumbai (Bombay), police say. It is not yet ...

At Least 20 Dead in Bombay Train Blasts
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - 1 hour ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM, Associated Press Writer. Seven explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour Tuesday evening ...

Dozens Reported Killed in India Bombings
Forbes - 2 hours ago
Seven explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network Tuesday evening during rush hour, ripping apart train compartments, officials said. ...

Seven blasts hit commuter trains in Bombay, dozens reported dead
EiTB, Spain - 2 hours ago
All of India's major cities were reportedly on high alert following the attacks. Bombay, a metropolis of about 17 million, has been ...

Dozens hurt as blasts hit Bombay trains
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 2 hours ago
BOMBAY, India - Seven explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour Tuesday evening, ripping apart train compartments and reportedly injuring ...

Explosions rock Bombay
Times Online, UK - 2 hours ago
By Times Online and agencies. At least six explosions rocked commuter trains and stations in the suburbs of the Indian financial ...

Explosions Hit Train Stations in India
Salon - 2 hours ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM Associated Press Writer. July 11,2006 | BOMBAY, India -- An explosion struck a packed commuter train in a ...

Terrorists bomb Bombay railway
Bangkok Post, Thailand - 2 hours ago
New Delhi (dpa) - At least seven people were killed and many others injured as a series of seven bombs exploded on the rail network of India's western Bombay ...

7 Explosions Hit Trains in Bombay, India
Forbes - 2 hours ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM , 07.11.2006, 10:09 AM. Seven explosions rocked Bombay's commuter rail network during Tuesday evening's rush hour. ...

Blasts hit commuter trains in Bombay, at least 15 reported dead
EiTB, Spain - 2 hours ago
Bombay, India's financial center, and New Delhi, the capital, were reportedly on high alert. Bombay, a metropolis of about 17 million ...

Explosions rock packed Mumbai commuter trains
CTV.ca, Canada - 2 hours ago
Dozens are feared injured after at least five explosions struck Mumbai's commuter rail network during evening rush hour on Tuesday. ...

6 explosions reported on trains in Mumbai, India; dozens reported ...
Canada.com, Canada - 2 hours ago
MUMBAI, India (AP) - Six explosions rocked Mumbai's commuter rail network during Tuesday's evening rush hour, ripping apart train compartments and reportedly ...

Series of bombs hit Bombay's rail network
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 2 hours ago
At least three explosions have hit Bombay's commuter rail network during the evening rush hour, reportedly injuring dozens of people. ...

Explosion Hits Train in Bombay Suburb
Washington Post, United States - 3 hours ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM. Nora Boustany 's column reporting on Washington's diplomatic community appears each Wednesday and Friday in The Post. ...

Explosions Hit Train Stations in India
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 2 hours ago
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM. BOMBAY, India (AP) - An explosion struck a packed commuter train in a Bombay suburb during the Tuesday evening ...

6 explosions hit trains in Bombay, India
Boston Globe, United States - 2 hours ago
By Ramola Talwar Badam, Associated Press Writer | July 11, 2006. BOMBAY, India --Six explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network ...

Blast rocks commuter train in Bombay suburb
Jerusalem Post, Israel - 2 hours ago
An explosion rocked a packed commuter train in a Bombay suburb during Tuesday's evening rush hour, and police said there were casualties. ...

Mumbai blasts: Terror on the 5:36 Slow
Business Standard, India - 34 minutes ago
Karanukar Hegde is thanking his lucky stars he chose the other of the two first class compartments on the 5.36 pm slow train from Churchgate. ...

Over 100 killed in Mumbai serial blasts
Times of India, India - 1 hour ago
MUMBAI: Mumbai relived a nightmare when seven explosions shook the city within minutes on Tuesday evening. Reports said more than ...

Bombs hit trains in Mumbai, at least 135 dead
Reuters - 41 minutes ago
MUMBAI (Reuters) - At least 135 people were killed and hundreds injured in seven bomb explosions on packed commuter trains and stations during rush hour on ...

Mumbai Blasts Kill at Least 137 People, Injure 450 (Update1)
Bloomberg - 54 minutes ago
July 11 (Bloomberg) -- Mumbai, India's commercial hub, was hit by seven blasts, killing as many as 137 people and injuring 450 in the city's worst terror ...

Mumbai blasts: Commissioner appeals for calm
Business Standard, India - 1 hour ago
Mumbai's Police Commissioner AN Roy appealed to the citizens to stay calm while the police tried to bring order in the city, particularly along the north-south ...

Serial blasts in India kill over 100
The Age, Australia - 1 hour ago
A video grab shows the damage done to a train close to Mahim Station in Mumbai. More than 100 people were killed today in seven ...

100 dead in Indian train explosions
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 54 minutes ago
Seven explosions have rocked Mumbai's commuter rail network during the evening rush hour, killing up to 100 people, police said. ...

At least 40 dead in Mumbai city blasts: official
Boston Globe, United States - 1 hour ago
A video grab shows Mahim Station in Mumbai after a blast, July 11, 2006. (REUTERS/Times Now TV). MUMBAI (Reuters) - At least 40 people ...

Blasts kill 60 on Mumbai rail network
Monsters and Critics.com, UK - 54 minutes ago
New Delhi - At least 60 people were killed and 50 injured as a series of seven bombs exploded on the rail network in India's financial capital Mumbai on Tuesday ...

Chaos prevails on Western Railway line
NDTV.com, India - 1 hour ago
An atmosphere of chaos and confusion prevailed on the Western Railway lines as thousands of commuters were left bewildered by the serial blasts in Mumbai. ...

Serial blasts in India kill 40
The Age, Australia - 1 hour ago
At least 40 people died in blasts on the rail network in the Indian city of Mumbai yesterday, a top state official said. "At least 40 people have died. ...

Mumbai Serial Train Blasts Kill at Least 75 People, Injures 450
Bloomberg - 1 hour ago
July 11 (Bloomberg) -- At least 75 people were killed and 450 injured in Mumbai after the suburban rail network in India's commercial hub was attacked in a ...

At least 100 die as India rocked by blasts
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 1 hour ago
MUMBAI: More than 100 people were killed on Tuesday in seven bomb explosions that closed the railway network in India's financial hub, Mumbai, police said. ...

60 feared killed in Mumbai blasts
NDTV.com, India - 1 hour ago
At least 60 people are feared killed in the series of blasts that rocked Mumbai today. Seven blasts have taken place on different railway stations in the city. ...

At least 40 dead in Mumbai blasts
Reuters.uk, UK - 1 hour ago
MUMBAI (Reuters) - At least 40 people died in blasts on the rail network in the Indian city of Mumbai on Tuesday, a top state official said. ...

Mumbai Train Explosions, 15 Reported Dead
Zaman Online, Turkey - 1 hour ago
At least four packed commuter trains were rocked by explosions during the rush hour Tuesday in India's financial city, Mumbai, officials said. ...

Mumbai blasts:Six trains hit, 15 likely killed
Business Standard, India - 1 hour ago
Commuters with bloodied faces and clothes staggered out of railway stations after six powerful bomb blasts ripped through as many north-bound suburban trains ...

Serial blasts rock Mumbai
Moneycontrol.com, India - 1 hour ago
Mumbai has been rocked by serial bomb blasts. All the blasts have taken place on the western lines. The scale of the causality is still unknown. ...

Blasts hit trains in Mumbai, 15 reported dead
Reuters - 2 hours ago
MUMBAI, July 11 (Reuters) - Explosions hit at least five packed commuter trains during the rush hour on Tuesday in India's financial hub, Mumbai injuring ...

Tuesday terror: Six blasts rock Mumbai railway stations
Times of India, India - 2 hours ago
MUMBAI: Mumbai relived a nightmare when six explosions shook the city in quick succession on Tuesday evening. Early reports said ...

At least 40 dead in Mumbai city blasts: official
Washington Post, United States - 1 hour ago
Nora Boustany 's column reporting on Washington's diplomatic community appears each Wednesday and Friday in The Post. MUMBAI (Reuters ...

Mumbai train blasts 'kill dozens'
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 1 hour ago
Dozens of people are reported to have been killed when a series of explosions hit packed commuter trains in Mumbai, India's financial centre, today. ...

India's Commercial Hub Mumbai Rocked by 5 Explosions (Update2)
Bloomberg - 2 hours ago
July 11 (Bloomberg) -- India's commercial hub Mumbai was rocked by at least five explosions on the city's suburban train network during the evening rush hour ...

Centre keeping close watch
Hindustan Times, India - 1 hour ago
The Centre is in constant touch with Maharashtra government in the wake of the serial blasts in suburban trains in Mumbai on Tuesday and is closely monitoring ...

Blasts hit Indian rail network
ITV.com, UK - 2 hours ago
At least 15 people have been killed in a series of blasts on commuter trains in the Indian city of Mumbai. Police confirmed at least ...

Blasts rock many Mumbai suburban Rly. stations
Hindu, India - 2 hours ago
Mumbai, July. 11 (PTI): A series of blasts took place at Matunga, Khar, Santacruz, Jogeshwari, Borivali and Bhayendar suburban railway stations today. ...

Blasts rock Mumbai rail network
BBC News, UK - 2 hours ago
There have been at least six blasts on commuter trains in the Indian financial capital, Mumbai (Bombay), police say. It is not yet ...

Serial blasts rock Mumbai
NDTV.com, India - 2 hours ago
The first blast has been reported near Khar Railway station in Mumbai, which has left several people injured. The incident took ...

Saturday, July 08, 2006

August 16

August 16 is Pakistan Independence Day. There is a major parade on Fifth Avenue.

Leila Noor is one of the 30 and counting hosts - if you sell 10 tickets, you are a host - of an event that day. It is to do with the pro-choice stance and the South Dakota fiasco. We got to talk yesterday. I got an invite. I pitched in 50 bucks. But showing up is tough.

There is the micro, and there is the macro. John is micro, Abdul in micro. White Male is macro, Arab Male is macro. There is the white woman. You do have to talk of these macros like they were individuals. They are very real. Our collective identities matter all the time.

In this country it is assumed there is the white male, the white woman, the minority male, the minority woman. This country has its own caste system. And so you find white women who pay their homage to the white male, and turn around and try to show the minority male his place in the scheme of things. That is not cool. That will not fly.

Where I grew up, women have it tough. But for those women, I have and am doing more than any white woman in America. Besides, if sexism is an issue, and I am a man, it has to be specific, and it has to be policy, but the white woman will not go for that since that will dig up race as an issue.

I am not like some Italian whose grandfather took the boat. I was in my early 20s when I came to America. Nepal and India are very active parts of who I am. I am a global citizen. I so gave up on the Hindu caste system, I became a Buddhist. I am not about to subscribe to the American caste system, especially when it is just social. I have no job plans.

I am going to trade with the white woman. I become pro-choice, you become pro-affirmative action. You denounce racist comments, I will denounce sexist comments. We trade.

Leila Noor is an exception. Otherwise every other person at DFNYC and an Indian makes and defends racist comments. And I am like, you are trying your luck. A racist comment is the tip of the iceberg. These must be whites who abandoned Charles McCall. If a black dude wins the Democratic primary, the whites abandon. How come blacks don't abandon Kerry because he is white?

I grew out of DFNYC. My plate is full. Between my own activism and entrepreneurship, I am busy. My last offer was to (1) only show up for a few select events and no other participation (ah, the white fantassy to get you to "do" things, the foot soldier things ... I have nothing against doing things, it is just that I am not cut for it, I am cut for things like vision: Three Pillars, Draft 2), and (2) not put up with racist comments. Neither could fly. If you make a racist comment you did not mean to, you say I am sorry, and we move on. Or you get out of my face.

And I have serious personal space issues with some of the DFNYC folks. This blog does not have guest editors. There are parts of my life where you don't belong. DFNYC is not the only thing happening in my life, no thank you. Don't tell me how to feel.

And there is the Nepal gripe. DFNYC is full of people who took pride in having zero interest in Nepal. I once emailed around an online petition. There were zero signatures. Now we know the April Revolution is one for world history. It is still work in progress. And you want me to pro-choice da what?

The pace and tempo of political discussions in the blogosphere are to my liking. DFNYC meetings were not intense enough. Too pre-set. Not intense.

I am for voting rights for non-citizens in the city. No taxation without representation: that is what this country was founded on. If you want me pro-choice, you walk that mile.

I am a refugee into New York City from Kentucky and Indiana. At some level, New York is not that different. Only this is a brown city, non-whites are around in large numbers. The outer boroughs fascinate me like Manhattan does not. I love to drive around, get a feel for the outer boroughs.

The subway is what makes NYC NYC. It is that which makes this "the city that never sleeps."

We live in an era of social segregation, an era of glass walls and ceilings. That has to change. Let's trade.

A lot of people underestimate the internet's impact on the political discourse. Globalization and the internet. See Asia grow leaps and bounds. Welcome to the Asian Century.

But all this boils down to Hillary. White women want to abandon her like they abandon McCall, and for some of the same reasons. Hillary is not a Brahmin. She will not win, the argument goes, so she has to be abandoned. The country is not ready. The country will get a black man before it gets a woman.

To that I say, Mark Warner founded Nextel, Hillary Clinton founded Bill Clinton. She is qualified, she happens to be a woman.

I will become pro-choice if you will become pro-Hillary. I will trade.

There are women and there are politically conscious women. It is time to discuss gender front and center. The pro-choice stand is such a limitation. Expand the canvass. Create a common minimum program.

Better policing for domestic violence.
Equal pay for equal work.
Pro-choice, anti anti-choice. Reproductive health across the planet.
More women in top corporate positions.
More women in Congress. Nepal is about to make it mandatory that at least one third of its members must be women. Learn.

The Spectrum Concept: Wide Applications
The Spectrum/Dialogue Concept Is Key To Power
The Spectrum On Gender

It boils down to talking, it boils down to basic organizing into small groups of five or 10 people, all woven into a larger national network.

This is not about Hillary, this is about women in the plural. There is only so much positive gender impact Hillary can push down the system's throat, but that can be more if women at the grassroots level get organized.

Expand the agenda. Get organized. Get talking. Reach out.

CIA - The World Factbook -- Pakistan
Wikipedia - Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan
US Library of Congress - Country Study: Pakistan
Welcome to Pakistan
Lonely Planet - World Guide: Pakistan
An Introduction to Pakistan

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