Saturday, December 12, 2015

Trumping The Intelligent Conversation On Terrorism

Security is important. Safety is important. It is the number one thing we expect government to provide. We want to be safe from crime and terrorism.

That is why Obama killed Bin Laden. The same government machinery, the same CIA, the same Navy Seal, the same Zero Dark Thirty movie crew, but W could not do it. It took a Barack Obama. I guess you have to be sharp.

I think Hillary is also sharp. She did give Obama a tough time in 2008, did she not? It was neck and neck for months until finally Obama squeaked in.

Indira Gandhi commanded the military like no Indian prime minister before or after. That thing is gender neutral. A strong leader is a strong leader. Gender is not a factor. Leadership is.

Terrorism is for real. 9/11 is still fresh in people's memories. Many major cities have been struck since. London, Mumbai, more recently Paris. It is a valid concern that they might be able to pull it off again in some place like L.A. or Chicago or Seattle. That can not be allowed to happen.

Ever since 9/11 I have maintained this War On Terror is the same magnitude as the Cold War. World War II was about taking democracy across from Britain over to Western Europe. The Cold War was about extending that to Eastern Europe. The only way this War On Terror ends is if every Arab country becomes a democracy. That is the big picture. How do you get there?

This is not about tracking down five, or 10, or 20 thousand bad people and physically eliminating them. That view is myopic. Although there is an obvious military element to the fight. But I am no military expert. I will leave that to the experts. The best in the game plot it out every waking hour. They are at it. They are doing everything humanly possible. Be it in terms of intelligence gathering, or surgical strikes, most of which we don't even hear about. They are doing it. And I am glad. And these are professionals. They don't really care if the person in the Oval Office is a Republican or a Democrat. They answer to the American people through their elected government. They are on the people's payroll, and they know it. More than salary, they are driver by a mission, and a sense of love for country and liberty. Country is territory but liberty is a universal value, and they know it. Where liberty does not exist, people aspire for it. That is true everywhere. I don't know if we are in good hands, but I do know we are in the best hands.

The law of political entropy says a country tends towards democracy granted there is a sufficient flow of information. So the thing to do, the top thing to do is to beam the internet from the sky and smuggle millions of cheap, solar powered Android phones into the target territories. You want to swamp ISIS with cat videos. It really is like that.

But if you are trying to spread democracy in Muslim countries, you have to show that democracy works for Muslims in countries that are already democracies, countries like America, and India, and Germany. Because if democracy does not work for Muslims, why will a Muslim country bother going democratic? Why not keep up whatever they have? Why bother? Because all strong, successful democracy movements are homegrown. There has to be a groundswell. Ordinary people have to actively want it.

Which means demonizing Muslims is the exact opposite of what needs to happen. Have you ever heard Barack Obama talk bad about Muslims? And it is nothing to do with the fact that some people think he himself is Muslim.

There is a sick person on the table. Donald Trump's prescription is let's inject poison. I am sure that will take care of the sick person. But I am not sure that is the kind of taking care we are looking for.

The Donald's prescription of demonizing Muslims is the exact opposite of what needs to happen. The Donald's way leads to situations where more Muslims inside democracies get radicalized, and there are more attacks like Paris, and if there are enough of those, next thing you know is we have another Vietnam on our hands.

Vietnam was an open-ended ground operation. Vietnam was a disaster. Vietnam is a blight on the history of this country. However that war started, it became inhuman very fast. America engaged in chemical warfare in Vietnam like Saddam could not imagine.

One of Barack Obama's legacies is going to be that he did everything in his power to prevent another Vietnam. I guess the guy is pretty powerful and pretty effective. We have not seen another Vietnam. It is said if JFK had not been assassinated, we would not have seen Vietnam. Stupid people entered the Oval Office and let it slide, people like Donald Trump.

Welcoming Syrian refugees into Germany is one of the smartest things Germany can do to fight the War On Terror. From the safety of Germany the Syrian diaspora can plot an eventual victory for democracy in Syria. And they can work their own jobs while they are at it. Germany gets to collect taxes in the process.

Every Muslim country that needs to end up a democracy has diaspora populations in America. These are assets. To Donald that is news. It is news he does not want to hear.

Democracy has to be seen working for Muslims. Capitalism has to be seen working for Muslims. And America is as good a country as any to make that happen.

Donald, you are a fool. You are a circus clown.



Trump Inc. Is East China Company

English: TRIPOLI. With leader of the Libyan Re...
English: TRIPOLI. With leader of the Libyan Revolution Muammar Gaddafi. Русский: ТРИПОЛИ. С лидером ливийской революции Муамаром Каддафи. Deutsch: Wladimir Putin mit Muammar al-Gaddafi in Tripolis. Suomi: Vladimir Putin Muammar al-Gaddafin kanssa Tripolissa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Chinese have bought over 100 million dollars in real estate from Trump Inc. over the years. That is enough money to fund a presidential campaign. And it is all legal too. They are safely registered as business transactions.

100 million dollars is pocket change to the Chinese. They'd not blink to spill a billion dollars if the idea is to take over the White House. They routinely deal in trillions.

The Chinese are building a road to Berlin. But they are not going to stop at Europe. They are going to come all the way to America. 

Guess who is German

When the British wanted to take over China, they destroyed a robust country by pushing opium. The Chinese are banking on gambling to steal America's soul. Why do Trump's casinos not go out of business after repeated bankruptcies? Who is bankrolling them? Where is the money coming from? 

The Chinese were neutral on Gaddafi. Guess who hosted Gaddafi when Gaddafi was in town. 

The Chinese already own Wall Street. But they don't own the White House, not yet. 

Trump 2016? 


डोनाल्ड का विग उतारो



इस चुतिये की तो जम के पिटाई होने वाली है। ये हरामी का पिल्ला, हिटलर का नाजायज औलाद। ..... और एम्बुलेंस तैयार रखो। हम अपना कम्पैशन नहीं खो बैठे हैं। .... समझने वाले समझ जाएंगे ये भी रियल एस्टेट का ही लफड़ा है। पोलिटिकल रियल एस्टेट। ...... जब हम न्यु यॉर्क में आ गए हैं तो इसे चाहिए कहीं दुर चले जाए, अलाबामा या ऐसा ही कोई जगह।

Bobby Jindal 2024
Donald's Poll Numbers Are Name Recognition
Donald Trump: Marxist? Hitlerian?
Republicans Asked For Unlimited Money In Politics
The San Diego Shooting: Defining Terrorism

Friday, December 11, 2015

Eliot Spitzer, Barack Obama

Governor Eliot Spitzer and Senator Hillary Rod...
Governor Eliot Spitzer and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There was a time when Eliot Spitzer was the next President Of The United States and Barack Obama was this good looking Senator you saw on TV who showed no signs of even trying to pass any major bill, but Spitzer was cutting butter with his knife in a major executive position. Obama had announced not only was he not running for president in 2008, he was not even interested in being Vice President. When you have been in DC one month, what else could you say?

Bobby Jindal 2024
Preet Bharara, Eliot Spitzer Parallels

Jewish people are different. I had not met too many before I got to New York City. But the outsize influence was obvious: there was data. 12 million people have imprints that 200 million people don't. A billion have not. That outsize influence is because they have packed so much knowledge per cubic millimeter of brain matter. Generation after generation. As in, others could do this too. Stop throwing stones and sit down and read.

In some micro interactions it struck me as to the level of emotional intelligence. And it was so obvious it was not individual. Part of it was the cubic millimeter thing. Part of it also is the history of persecution. When Hitler kills six million of your kind, that gives you a heightened sense of reality. For example, I had a Beware The Ides Of March moment a few weeks before my cliff fall in 2008, but I did not pay attention. I only saw it in retrospect. It was a Jewish guy. I have had several such micro interactions.

There is this super gifted politician in India. Bihar was the superpower when India was world. I have Bihari heritage. And there is this Jewish-like knowledge heritage Biharis have. Buddha, who gave the world its first republic purely on knowledge power, was Bihari. If they could only get their house in order, they could lead India again, because the future is not in coal, or even solar, it is in knowledge. Nitish Kumar. In terms of political gifts, Nitish Kumar and Eliot Spitzer are alike. You see a butter-knife thing. Bill Gates is a fan. What Nitish has done for Bihar's poor, Bill can only imagine.

Nitish was in alliance with Modi's party for a decade and a half. He walked away a year before Modi ran for PM. Many people think Nitish made the mistake of his lifetime. I am not so sure.

It can be said Eliot Spitzer said, fuck it, the black folks have been wronged too much by this country. And it is possible he combusted. It was a conscious political decision. Like Nitish walked away from Modi.

I identify with Jews on many levels.

When Punjab started combusting as a state in India, it was the leading state measured by per capita income. Both Bobby Jindal and Preet Bharara, I think also Nicky Haley, have Punjabi heritage. It is not rocket science that the most successful group felt acute disrespect. As in, if the disrespect is happening, you are going to feel it. There is no brushing it aside. Why can't people digest headgear? Why do you struggle with turbans and naqabs? The violent part was tragic, beyond tragic. Sikhs are like Jews, small in number but large in impact.


Thursday, December 10, 2015

नीतिश को ग्रैंड अलायन्स के लिए सुझाव


  • ग्रैंड अलायन्स को एक राष्ट्रिय स्वरुप देने का प्रयास हो। 
  • सदस्य पार्टी यो को सभी तह पर एक पद एक उम्मेदवार पर जाना होगा। 
  • सदस्य पार्टी के दिल्ली में जितने सांसद हैं सब एक जगह आएंगे, वो निर्वाचक मंडल हुवा। उसमें ५०% से ज्यादा मत जो बटोरे वो ग्रैंड अलायन्स का राष्ट्रिय अध्यक्ष हुवा। 
  • वही फोर्मुला राज्य स्तर पर भी लागु हो। 
  • लेकिन ये तो संगठन वाली बात हुई। उससे ज्यादा महत्वपुर्ण बात है विज़न। Anti-BJP is not a vision. 
  • ५ स: सुशासन, शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य, संरचना, सुलभता। 
  • लक्ष्य है डबल डिजिट ग्रोथ रेट। 

युपी में ऐसा नहीं हो सकता? मायावती और अखिलेश ५०-५० सीट डिस्ट्रीब्यूशन करें २०१७ में। जो ज्यादा सीट जितेगा वो मुख मंत्री। ये बात मायावती को बोलो तो वो कहेंगी आप अपनी हवा मिठाई घी के साथ खाओ। 

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Bipolar Politics In India?

As Nitish Kumar Meets Assam Leader, Signs Of A Bihar-Like Formula



I have no idea what Nitish is upto, but a few days back I read he wants a Bihar repeat in Uttar Pradesh. And I was skeptical. Mayawati revolves in a world of her own. For the Nitish swearing in ceremony, her terse response was: "Jana jaroori hai kya?"

But Grand Alliance is a catchy name. It feels like a fresh start. The Third Front has been put to rest. The Federal Front never materialized, except in Mamata's brain.

Never underestimate a Bihari. Biharis are like Greeks. Ek samay ke superpower jab sirf India hi duniya tha. Modi and Nitish are the two most talented Indian politicians of their generation. Easily. Obvious baat hai. And Laloo is a powerhouse on his own. And Laloo's conviction, in a strange way, has turned him into a Nitish Hanuman, which probably would have been hard, perhaps impossible otherwise. Yane ke Laloo ko to koi pad lena nahin. Us sthiti mein political relevance hi bahut bara puraskar ho jata hai. Yane ke alag party hote bhi Laloo ke sare ke sare MP Nitish apna gin sakte hain. Bhagwan deta hai to chhappar far ke. Isi ko kahte hain.

To Bihar ke 40 MP ek nucleus ban jate hain. A national alternative can be imagined around that nucleus.

Pechinda baat ye hai ki Uttar Pradesh is galaxy mein hi nahin. Uska apna hi alag orbit hai. Kucchh planets hote hain, na is galaxy mein, na us galaxy mein. Wo between galaxies fenka jate hain. Andhere mein lattoo ki tarah golchakkar lagate rah jate hain.

Abhi desh ka rajniti na unipolar hai, na bipolar, na multi-polar. Desh ka rajniti abhi comet ki tarah hai. Sirf ek banda PM ke liye lada pichhle saal. Aur us ke pichhe ek lamba dhunwa sa hai koso tak.

To agar Grand Alliance Bihar se failte failte Assam pahunch jaye to badi baat hai. Laloo barishth neta ke rup mein sab jagah golchakkar lagate rahenge. Agar rashtriya star par hi ek Grand Alliance banti hai aur desh ke rajniti mein ek clean bi-polarization ho jati hai to wo desh ke liye, loktantr ke liye, double digit growth ke liye bahut achha hoga. PM bhi development man, Opposition Leader bhi development man ho jaye to sustained double digit growth shayad mil jaye desh ko.

Nitishism akhir hai kya? Nitish ne kabhi codify nahin kiya. Karna chahiye. Ki humne Bihar mein aise kiya. Wo dusre jagah bhi kiye jaa sakte hain. Usi tarah Laloo ko codify karna chahiye. Railway mein unhone jo kiya so kaise kiya. Kisi paschima textbook mein hi nahin hai. Laloo ke populism ("I am a man of the people!") ne western capitalism ko maat kar diya. And it is relevant to India. Jis desh mein ghans kam aadmi jyada ho, wahan people intensive economic activity ki sakht jaroorat hai shayad. Bagair katni chhantni kiye kaise logon ke marfat bumper profit karein. 

National level par Modi bahut aage hain. Indian economy ke fundamental level par itna bejod kaam ho raha hai, iska asar kuchh saal ke baad bade thos kism se padega.

Gelling the Grand Alliance at the national level is hard. Jaise Mayawati ko lo. Unhe to lagta hai BJP aur Congress ke baad hum hi to hain. To pahle unke charan sparsh karo tab koi alliance ki baat karo. Nahin to wo to mere to lagta hai chai pe bhi nahin bulayegi. Akhilesh kam nahin. Mulayam ko PM mano pahle, uske baad hi koi allaince balaince ki baat shuru ho sakti hai. Kahan na maine, kuchh planets galaxy ko hi chhod dete hain. Spin out ho jate hain. Aur Mulayam. Safal rajnitigya rahe hain. Dimag bhi shayad chalta ho. Lekin boli se to nahin lagta. Aur waise bhi wo ek apne hi kism ke Advani hain: way past retirement age. Lekin neta logon ko pata hi nahin chalta. Ghadi mein time kya hai, nabj mein daudahat banki hai bhi ki nahin. Log salam karte rahte hain. To lagta hai ek round aur dekh lete hain, rakha kya hai, log pyar de hi rahe hain.

Nitish ne Bihar mein vikas kar diya. Honestly bol raha hoon, maine kabhi kalpana bhi nahin kiya tha ki koi bhi sakhs Bihar mein vikas kar sakta hai. Like how? Where would you start? Lekin Bihar mein vikas se jyada kathin baat hai UP mein Mayawati aur Akhilesh ko ek jagah lana, usse bhi kathin unhe manana ki koi teesra neta banega. Unhe lagta hai wo hain Amrika, banki Bharat hai Fiji. Size to dekho.

Bobby Jindal 2024

photo of gurudwara ponta sahib
photo of gurudwara ponta sahib (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

  • You have to be yourself. If you talk fast, if that is you, don't slow down. You can be only one person, and that is you. Just be yourself. You slowed down artificially for that speech in 2009, and that was the beginning of your end. 
  • You became particularly shrill after that. Two reasons. One, the Great Recession hit you and your state. When that happens, people sometimes end up in dark corners. Two, that counter Obama speech in 2009 put you at the receiving end of racism. People who say they are only individuals, they don't have group identities are two dimensional creatures. And racism is a three dimensional reality. When 2D creatures get hit with a 3D reality, they don't know what hit them. You got infantilized. That was racist. But you will not understand if you keep claiming you are only an individual. 
  • I have had hundreds of meals at the local Gurudwara. India is sorry 1984 happened. Now own up to it. You are Indian. Like JFK was Irish. He wore it on his sleeve. You are Indian, your wife is Indian, your kids are Indian. Your Indian identity goes back thousands of years. America would not be great if it did not allow you room for your Indian identity. I mean, my favorite thing about America are inter-racial, cross-cultural kids. But that does not take away from heritage, mine, or yours, or anyone else's.
  • On social issues you may hold any view you want, that does not bother people. But to say the alternative view is not valid is Taliban, it is not America. So on the social issues, you have to be live and let live. And since America is a free country, and social views don't change fast, it is best to push the social views to the background. You know where you stand, you respect where others stand, and you make them feel like you respect them, and you are done. No one is convincing nobody. Everybody is too smart by one and a half. 
  • And focus hard core on the economic issues. This is where you will sink or swim. If you can show America you can help create the industries of tomorrow, you will regain your pre-2008 aura and seeming invincibility. Barack Obama is a tough guy to go against. Hillary knows. So do you. But she is running again. 
  • As for the industries of tomorrow, talk to Vivek Wadhwa, the smartest dude in Silicon Valley. He was your active supporter, before you became shrill.