$8 Billion Is Insufficient to End World Hunger

Here’s an $8 billion plan to address world hunger, combining immediate relief efforts with long-term strategies to create sustainable food systems:

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1. Immediate Relief: Emergency Food Assistance ($2 Billion)

• Target Areas: Conflict zones, disaster-stricken areas, and regions experiencing acute food insecurity (e.g., Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia).
• Implementation:
  • Partner with organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF for large-scale food distribution.
  • Focus on delivering fortified food, high-nutrition meals, and therapeutic feeding solutions for children.
  • Leverage existing logistical networks (air, sea, and land) to quickly transport food to affected regions.
• Technology Integration: Use blockchain for transparent tracking of food distribution.

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2. Sustainable Agriculture Development ($3 Billion)

• Goal: Empower smallholder farmers, improve productivity, and reduce post-harvest losses.
• Key Initiatives:
  • Climate-Resilient Crops: Develop and distribute seeds resistant to drought, pests, and extreme weather.
  • Irrigation Systems: Invest in low-cost, solar-powered irrigation systems for water-scarce areas.
  • Training Programs: Educate farmers on modern agricultural practices, agroforestry, and sustainable land management.
  • Post-Harvest Infrastructure: Build storage facilities, cold chains, and transport networks to reduce food waste.
• Regional Focus: Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and parts of Latin America with significant smallholder farming populations.

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3. Nutrition Education & Microfinance ($1 Billion)

• Nutrition Education:
  • Train local health workers to teach families about balanced diets and food preparation.
  • Partner with schools to include nutrition in curriculums and provide school meals as incentives for education.
• Microfinance for Farmers:
  • Provide small loans to farmers for seeds, tools, and equipment to boost yields.
  • Support women-led agricultural initiatives to ensure equitable access to resources.

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4. Urban Agriculture & Food Systems Innovation ($500 Million)

• Urban Farming:
  • Create community gardens and rooftop farming initiatives in urban areas to improve food security.
  • Utilize vertical farming technologies for high-yield crop production in cities.
• Food Recovery Programs:
  • Partner with supermarkets and restaurants to redirect surplus food to food banks and shelters.
  • Incentivize businesses to reduce food waste through tax benefits.

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5. Policy Advocacy & Research ($1 Billion)

• Advocacy:
  • Push governments to adopt pro-agriculture policies, including subsidies for small farmers and investments in rural infrastructure.
  • Advocate for gender equality in agriculture to empower women, who make up a large proportion of farmers in developing countries.
• Research:
  • Fund research into agricultural technology, food fortification, and climate change adaptation.
  • Establish data systems to track hunger hotspots and allocate resources more effectively.

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6. Digital Tools for Hunger Mapping & Farmer Support ($500 Million)

• Hunger Mapping:
  • Use satellite data and AI to identify regions at risk of food insecurity.
  • Develop apps that allow local governments and NGOs to coordinate responses.
• Farmer Support Platforms:
  • Build mobile apps that provide weather forecasts, market prices, and farming tips to rural farmers.
  • Leverage mobile payment systems to facilitate easy access to microloans.

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Execution Strategy:

1. Partner with international organizations (e.g., UN, FAO, WFP) for expertise and networks.
2. Work with governments in target countries to ensure policy alignment and local support.
3. Collaborate with the private sector (agribusiness, tech companies) to leverage innovation and scale efforts.
4. Establish transparent governance to track fund utilization and impact using technology like blockchain.

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Impact Metrics:

• Short-Term:
  • Provide emergency food assistance to 50 million people annually.
  • Reduce malnutrition rates in target areas by 20%.
• Long-Term:
  • Increase agricultural yields in target regions by 30%.
  • Lift 100 million people out of chronic hunger within a decade.
  • Reduce food waste globally by 25%.

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This plan tackles hunger through immediate aid, sustainable agriculture, technological innovation, and systemic reform, ensuring both short-term relief and long-term resilience.

Why $8 Billion Is Insufficient to End World Hunger

While $8 billion can make a significant dent in alleviating hunger, it falls short of addressing the structural and systemic causes of food insecurity, which include poverty, climate change, conflict, and weak agricultural infrastructure. An effective solution requires addressing these interconnected issues simultaneously and at scale. Here's why a $20 billion plan is more realistic to sustainably end world hunger in five years:

1. Scale of the Problem:

   • Global Hunger Statistics: Over 735 million people are undernourished, requiring resources far beyond $8 billion for food, agricultural development, and nutrition education.
   • Conflict Zones: Hunger is exacerbated by wars and crises, which need high-cost interventions like airlifting food and rebuilding destroyed infrastructure.

2. Structural Barriers:

   • Climate change, poor infrastructure, and lack of access to technology cannot be solved with short-term funding.
   • Achieving global food security demands massive investments in long-term solutions.

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$20 Billion Plan to End World Hunger in Five Years

Here’s how $20 billion can be allocated effectively:

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1. Immediate Relief & Resilience ($5 Billion)

Goal: Address acute hunger and build systems to prevent future crises.

• Emergency Food Assistance ($2.5 Billion):
  • Double the scale of operations by organizations like WFP and UNICEF to reach 100 million people annually.
  • Focus on high-risk regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, Yemen, and Afghanistan.
• Resilience Programs ($2.5 Billion):
  • Stockpile emergency food reserves in strategic locations for rapid deployment.
  • Build disaster-resistant community food storage facilities.

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2. Transforming Agriculture Systems ($8 Billion)

Goal: Ensure sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural production globally.

• Climate-Resilient Agriculture ($3 Billion):
  • Scale up R&D for drought-resistant crops and eco-friendly farming methods.
  • Distribute seeds, fertilizers, and technology to 50 million smallholder farmers.
• Irrigation & Water Management ($2 Billion):
  • Install low-cost irrigation systems in water-scarce regions.
  • Build reservoirs and invest in water desalination for agriculture.
• Post-Harvest Infrastructure ($2 Billion):
  • Create storage and transport systems to reduce the 30% of food lost post-harvest.
  • Establish agro-processing hubs to add value to raw produce.
• Market Access ($1 Billion):
  • Build rural roads and transport networks to connect farmers to markets.
  • Invest in digital platforms to enable farmers to sell directly to buyers.

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3. Fighting Malnutrition & Education ($2 Billion)

Goal: End malnutrition through targeted nutrition programs.

• Nutrition Programs ($1.5 Billion):
  • Expand therapeutic feeding for malnourished children.
  • Fortify staple foods with essential vitamins and minerals.
• Education ($500 Million):
  • Integrate nutrition education into school curriculums.
  • Provide free school meals to 100 million children annually to incentivize education and improve health.

---

4. Conflict Resolution & Governance Support ($3 Billion)

Goal: Address political and systemic barriers to food security.

• Conflict Mediation ($1 Billion):
  • Invest in peace-building initiatives in regions like Yemen, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
  • Protect humanitarian corridors to ensure food reaches conflict-affected areas.
• Policy Reforms ($2 Billion):
  • Support governments to adopt pro-agriculture policies, including subsidies for small farmers and equitable land distribution.
  • Strengthen local food systems by creating safety nets for the poor.

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5. Technology & Innovation ($2 Billion)

Goal: Leverage technology to modernize food systems and empower farmers.

• Digital Platforms ($1 Billion):
  • Build apps for weather forecasting, crop advice, and market prices tailored for rural farmers.
  • Use mobile money platforms to provide microloans to farmers.
• AI & Big Data ($500 Million):
  • Develop AI-powered systems to map hunger hotspots and predict food shortages.
• Smart Farming ($500 Million):
  • Promote precision agriculture, drones, and IoT sensors for large-scale farms.

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6. Urban Agriculture & Food Recovery ($2 Billion)

Goal: Tackle hunger in urban areas while reducing food waste.

• Urban Farming ($1.5 Billion):
  • Scale vertical farming, rooftop gardening, and community gardens in cities.
  • Focus on densely populated regions like South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Food Recovery Programs ($500 Million):
  • Partner with corporations to rescue surplus food from supply chains.
  • Create tax incentives for businesses to donate food to shelters and food banks.

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7. Global Partnerships & Monitoring ($1 Billion)

Goal: Ensure accountability and foster collaboration.

• Global Coalition: Establish a coalition of governments, NGOs, and private sector stakeholders.
• Monitoring & Transparency: Use blockchain and AI for real-time tracking of funds, resources, and outcomes.

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Impact Goals:

• Eliminate chronic hunger for 735 million people in five years.
• Reduce global food waste by 50%.
• Achieve sustainable food systems in 50+ countries.
• Build climate-resilient agriculture for 500 million people.

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Why $20 Billion Is Realistic

• It represents just 0.02% of the global GDP (~$100 trillion).
• Public-private partnerships and global collaboration can easily mobilize the funds.
• The scale of interventions ensures the money addresses both immediate needs and structural reforms.

This $20 billion plan balances urgency with sustainability, ensuring the world not only ends hunger but prevents its recurrence.

$8 Billion Is Insufficient to End World Hunger @elonmusk https://t.co/8OQ9vM1bLM

— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) January 14, 2025

Ending White Minority Rule Across America

The Donald Trump-inspired political phenomenon across America that seems to refuse to die down is not an attempt to take America to an era of white minority rule. America has always had white minority rule. It is an attempt to retain white minority rule when the demographics of the country, the economic growth happening across the world, and all-around political consciousness ask America to take yet another stride towards becoming a more perfect union. Democracy is one person one vote, no ifs, no buts about it. All human beings are created equal, white or not, American citizen or not.

But sometimes hubris takes over, like in the case of Brexit. A people refusing to let go of old attitudes, habits of mind that supported unequal structures of power will not hesitate to rob the next generation of its future. A significant proportion of the population across America right now is trying too hard to go the way of a Brexit. A country of immigrants wants to stench the flow of immigration. You might as well cut the oxygen supply.

To be fair, America has always been a messy democracy. All democracies are messy. When you let everyone speak, when you let everyone vote, you will likely end up with a cacophony. The political spectrum houses every zany idea that ever existed somewhere along its length. As someone said, the past is not even past.

Every great crisis is an opportunity. But then every great crisis is also a potential disaster. The political will has to be mustered not to keep America as the sole global superpower - that was never an ideal situation to begin with - but so as to optimize the lifestyle and living standards and spiritual well-being of current and future generations, in America as well as the world. America is still the leading nation, and its signals are still picked up around the world. Ask Bolsonaro.

China is obvious competition and a potential threat. China might have picked up the market to an extent in response to the implosion of the Soviet Union, but it still retains one party’s political monopoly. The godlessness that is at the core of the Chinese political system is the reason for its immense cruelties: organ harvesting of the Falun Gong practitioners, social engineering to turn Uighurs into Han Chinese, killing the hen that laid the golden egg, namely Hong Kong, saber-rattling in the skies of Taiwan, border disputes with pretty much every bordering nation large and small, and round-the-clock surveillance of the entire population. Always being watched robs you of your basic humanity.

But white supremacist tendencies in America are hardly godly. The black population might as well be American Uighurs. Too many Uighurs are in detention camps, too many blacks are in prison. China erased poverty, America is not even working on it. Crass wealth inequality, left on its current trajectory, will bring America down. America will go the way of the Soviet Union. It will implode.

America today is not a democracy, never has been. It is not a one-person, one-vote arrangement. America is not a free-market economy. There are too many entrenched pockets of uncompetitive terrains segment after segment, architected by bribing politicians. Money has deformed the political process. The vast majority are voiceless as evidenced by policy after sensible policy that falls on deaf ears in the corridors of power.

Perhaps what America needs is a constitutional convention, ala Philadelphia. Elected representatives from across the country should gather again for the sole purpose of writing a new constitution that would expire automatically in 50 years. That might be the only way to make sure winners of the popular vote do not routinely lose the presidential election, the Senate is not a House of Lords, under the grip of less than 20% of the population, the people elect politicians and it is not the other way round. America needs to make an attempt at one person one vote democracy. America needs to try and become a democracy.

A constitution is just the playground, the football field if you will. The game is political action. Voters asserting their rights, and that of others, realizing their responsibilities, leaders challenging as well as responding to an awakening population, robustly borrowing from imaginative academics and thinkers, idea people, and all collectively seizing the future for an unprecedented Age of Abundance that is already knocking on the door: that is the clarion call of the day. There are major reasons for optimism if only the moment will be seized.

Perhaps the president should be directly elected. Open primaries might be the antidote to shameless gerrymandering. No taxation without representation was right for Boston. It is right for DC and Puerto Rico. Maybe every state should get a minimum of one Senator, but above that it should be proportional to the population for a total of 200 Senators. A state like California might as well end up with 20 Senatorial districts, or 10 even if the Senate’s number is capped at the current 100. Non-citizen white immigrants voted. All immigrants should similarly get the right to vote, regardless of what papers they carry. If you pay a phone bill, you vote. If you pay the utility bill, you vote.

You can not have one person one vote democracy at the local level but have something else at the state level, or something else at the national level. Why stop at the national borders? It is high time for a world government that adheres to the basic principle of democracy, that of one person one vote. The global economy asks for a genuine world government. The five veto-wielding powers at the UN are a relic of World War II. Nobody alive today remembers World War II. The UN is the ultimate white minority rule. Four of the five veto faces are white. And all five are male.

Ending White Minority Rule Across America https://t.co/i1g6C3Duoi #BetoForTexas #DonaldTrump #wealthtax @ewarren @AOC @KamalaHarris @VP @AndrewYang @RoKhanna @nick_rathod @PramilaJayapal @justicedems @sunrisemvmt @LiuNewYork @JenMetzgerNY @elonmusk @BernieSanders #UnitedStates

— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) November 19, 2021

2016: The Year For Barack Obama's Revolution From The Top

2016: The Year For Barack Obama's Revolution From The Top



Barack Obama’s autobiography Dreams From My Father is full of little references to what Nelson Mandela in his autobiography called “a thousand little indignities.” But one was talking mostly about America, the other about apartheid South Africa. Can one black man’s ascension to the top make up for racist snarls at the highest levels of government like in the US Senate?

It is time we faced the fact the United Nations is not a world government. It is time to call a spade a spade. It is time to see this institution designed by the World War II victors no longer works. This is not a world government by the far stretches of the imagination. Often when we talk of civil rights movements, we think in terms of ordinary people marching out in the streets. But now is the time for a civil rights movement in which the heads of state march.

What we have is essentially apartheid. The leading country remains fundamentally racist, nowhere more evident than in the country’s criminal justice system. There is no world government. There is a need for one. The thorniest global problems, the loftiest trade deals are worked on outside the UN framework.

America itself needs to be reimagined if it is to fulfill its original mission of a total spread of democracy. It needs to become a country where African immigrants are as at home as European immigrants. White is black is white.

In a democracy you get to vote because you are a human being, not because you are literate or rich. But in the community of nations, there are countries that are rich and have guns, and most have neither. The entire continent of Africa stands disenfranchised. This landmass that is the most central of all, from where we all originated, is still in the clutches of a contemporary incarnation of colonization, slavery and apartheid. We don’t have a name for it yet, but the affliction is very real. Its poverty and disease stem from that disempowerment, not the other way round. And so, any voice that seeks to address its poverty and disease without taking stock of its disenfranchisement is shedding crocodile tears.

What is Barack Obama going to do? Leave the White House and do paid speeches? Write books? Launch a foundation? Raise money for AIDS? Share a stage or two with Bono and George Clooney? The guy is still young. This guy who has cleared up half century old cobwebs every year he has been in office is best suited to lead this revolution from the top. And this is not a cry for Africa, although Africa could use some empowerment. This is a cry for the world. Right now we are a species looking down a sinkhole of uncontrolled weather patterns that just might wipe out life and civilization as we know it. We still have immense poverty and disease that Bill Gates says “only a world government can solve,” and Gates is a guy who has thrown the kitchen sink at the problem, one of the leading entrepreneurs of the era in whose wake many billionaires have given money to fight basic poverty. We face security threats that no one government can solve. Globalization continues to move at breakneck speeds speeding up as the Internet takes deeper roots everywhere, but we have not done the task of institution building that that globalization requires.

Let’s open our eyes and take a look at the elephant in the room. Yes, what we need is a world government, and there is no person better than Barack Obama to take the lead on it. We are lucky we have a George Washington precisely when we need one. And lucky us that the guy is almost done with his current job where he has been stellar every year. Heads of state across the world should join in this chorus and shape this revolution from the top. Lucky us that our thorniest global problems have solutions in political concepts we have already designed, like one person one vote taken to its logical, global conclusion.

There is always inertia. Every monumental political change that in hindsight looks so obviously positive has faced inertia. And this likely will be no different. But the blueprint has to be made, and it has to be presented to ordinary peoples on all continents, so a groundswell of support can build around it.

We want to live in a world where human beings can feel equal everywhere. We want to live in a world with abundant clean energy. We want to live in a world with abundant water, and food and green space. We want clean air. We want to create the industries of tomorrow. We seek unprecedented rises in productivity, as well equitable distribution. We want people to be happy.

It is time the heads of state across the world came together and created the world’s first world government in the leadership of Barack Obama. In his birth as well as personality and outlook, he bridges the world. In his person the world has a chance to come together to reach new heights. This century can not only be the best ever, it can also be one where we have gone past our existential worries, where we have created a truly global civilization, one grand village where everyone can feel a sense of belonging everywhere, where people can take pride in their heritage and claim the common future at the same time, without hassle.

This is in essence a political struggle, where all you start with is a voice. Ordinary people have done it many times before. Heads of state can do it this one time.

It is still about Hope. It is still about Change.

We need a world government because it is time we established rule of law between nations. That is the civilized way.



राजेंद्र महतो लाई ICU पुर्याउने सरकार राजीनामा दे, काठमाण्डु छोड़, देश छोड़, ये धरती हमारी, ये मुल्क हमारा
E for Education, E for Entrepreneurship, E for Energy
Barack Obama: George Washington
आर्थिक क्रांतिका पाँच पाण्डव: सुशासन, शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य, संरचना, (उद्योगव्यापार) सुलभता
Barack Obama Is Biologically Superior
An Open Letter To Barack Obama

1,050 Indian Islamic Scholars And Clerics Against ISIS

Ban Ki-moon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Indian clerics issue fatwa againt ISIS, declare it un-Islamic

Over 1,050 Indian Islamic scholars and clerics have issued fatwa against the Islamic State terror group and described its acts and actions as against the basic tenets of Islam ..... "Islam shuns violence while Daesh perpetuates it," the edict said. ..... Abdul Rehman Anjari, president of the Mumbai's Islamic defence cyber cell, collected the edicts from Muslims scholars and leaders over the past few months. ....... These fatwas are in 15 volumes, and copies were sent to UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and other leaders to convey Indian Muslims' views on IS activities....... It urged the international community to take immediate steps to eliminate this terror group that has caused mayhem in the region and is spreading its tentacles in the South Asian region. ..... The signatories to the fatwa include the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari, head priests of Dargah Ajmer Sharief and Nizamuddin Aulia, functionaries of Mumbai's Raza Academy, Mumbai's Jamait Ulema and the Ulema Council. Hundreds of imams and various religious leaders have also endorsed it. ...... Anjari said muftis and imams of all sections and sects of Islam have condemned the activities of Daesh and acknowledged it has tarnished Islam's image. ..... The fatwa was issued at a time when reports say that Daesh mercenaries are trying to lure Indian youth to join them.

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A Genuine World Government

World Government And Federal States
Does The World Government Have To Await A Total Spread Of Democracy?

The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights is a pretty amazing document, the Magna Carta of our times. I envision a world government that has two chambers. In the lower chamber's voting right is in direct proportion to a country's population. In the upper chamber each country's voting right is in direct proportion to its GDP. Each member country pays one per cent of its GDP as the price for membership in the world body. And this need not wait until every country has become a democracy. This, on the other hand, will expedite the spread of democracy. This also will bring about rule of law between nations just like there is rule of law within nations. That will make room for a dramatic downsizing of the US defense budget by over 90%. God knows America needs to pay down on its debt. And if that cut is spread over 10 years, it need not be painful. The resources can go elsewhere, like in the energy sector.

The right to self determination is as fundamental as the right to free speech, the freedom of religion. What that means is all peoples have a right to federalism, and federalism means you can vote to secede at any time. On the other hand, a country could also vote to join another country and become its newest state, granted that country's legislature's accepts. Mexico might choose to join America. Or not. Mexico might wish, America might not so desire. Nepal might choose to join India, as might Burma, perhaps Bangladesh.

The good news is, this might be the only way to tackle Climate Change and avert catastrophe. Unless humanity can create a genuine world government, that is a sign humanity can not come together even in the face of certain disaster.

योग, हिंदी और भिटो पावर

मोदी का अंतर राष्ट्रिय योग Day वाला मुभ बहुत अच्छा रहा। आजका जमाना है, विश्व शक्ति बनना है तो सॉफ्ट पावर के बल पर बनो। दो शक्ति के पास nuclear पावर है तो दोनों में traditional लड़ाई तो होगी नहीं। Under those circumstances if and when the war might go hot, you strike with a small group of super trained people in a clear, short, surgical operation. You are in and out. But those are limited, rare moves.

UN में भारत को भिटो पावर मिलना चाहिए ----- इस बात पर अमरीका भी तैयार, चीन भी तैयार ----- मौसी भी तैयार, बसंती भी तैयार। मेरे विचार में भिटो पावर से भी ज्यादा मायने रखेगी हिंदी को UN का छठा भाषा बनवाना। Bollywood को चार चाँद लग जाये। वैसे भी Google पुरे इंटरनेट को हिंदी में मशीन से अनुवाद कराने के उपाय ढूँढ रहा है।



Democracy और Development और moDi का D ---------- three Ds जैसे कि मोदी बोलेंगे। Democracy and Development are export items. Democracy export करने के नाम पर अमेरिका से गहरा अलायन्स बनाओ। Development export करने के नाम पर चीनसे गहरा अलायन्स बनाओ। चीन के साथ झगड़ा थोड़े करना है --- थोड़ा मोड़ा posturing करनी है इधर उधर। चिनिया लोग बहुत pragmatic तरीके से सरकार चलाते आए हैं। उनको सब से ज्यादा जो चीज चाहिए वो है trade ------ झगड़ा करने को वो लोग कहते हैं waste है। बेकारकी फ़ालतु चीज।

The Debates

Mitt Romney (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

October 3 at 9:00 p.m. ET (Presidential)
October 11 at 9:00 p.m. ET (Vice Presidential)
October 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET (Presidential)
October 22 at 9:00 p.m. ET (Presidential)

Watch on YouTube.

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GOP bid to retake Senate looks good in homestretch
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Re-rise Of Rupee Likely To Continue On Reform Hopes, Capital Inflows
Muslim Rage: Why they won’t calm down
Xi Jinping: Back in the frame
Mitt Romney's problems: Elite defection
Indian reform: At last Politics in India: Sister sledgehammer
The war in Syria: Death from the skies
Meddling at their peril

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To Zimbabwe Through Ivory Coast

Image via Wikipedia

New York Times: U.N. and France Strike Leader’s Forces in Ivory Coast: The United Nations and France went on the offensive Monday against Ivory Coast’s strongman, Laurent Gbagbo, striking his forces in a significant ratcheting-up of the months-long campaign to force him to cede power. ..... France, which has over 1,500 troops stationed in the former colony, announced that it would carry out attacks on Mr. Gbagbo’s military hardware at the request of the United Nations, joining an operation “aimed at neutralizing heavy weapons that are used against the civilian population and United Nations personnel in Abidjan,” a statement from the French presidency said..... Mig-24 helicopters had been deployed against Gbagbo military bases to “render harmless” the mortar-launchers “that are firing” on the United Nations headquarters in Abidjan and on “the civilian population.” ..... Mr. Gbagbo has refused to step down after losing an election last November to Alassane Ouattara, who was recognized as the winner by international organizations. .... Gbagbo, a former university historian who has transformed himself into a hardline autocrat over the course of a long political career.

This was never just about Tunisia. Egypt was a huge victory, but it was never just about Egypt. This thing could really grow. I want Mugabe out. I am thinking China. I am thinking Russia.

The techies of the world have to aim for the Chinese firewall. There has got to be a way in. They have managed to block sites. But they can't take the internet down. So break in. Just do it.

This is about Syria, and Iran. This is about Jordan.

But the Arab world is not enough. This democracy wave has to also engulf Africa.

The Fuck With Mugabe

Libya was a major turning point. The world sent a clear message that when people peacefully protest they will be protected.
Image via Wikipedia
A Rwanda Was Prevented

When the Russian president reprimanded Putin that is when I knew this wave will also crash against the Russian shores. But Russia is a big country, and we will have to build plenty of momentum elsewhere. Elsewhere is the Arab world and Africa.

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• Would those opposing intervention in Libya also do so for Ivory Coast? (liberalconspiracy.org)
• "French troops take control of Abidjan Airport in Ivory Coast" and related posts (journeyetc.com)
• Ivory Coast's Gbagbo must go - and so should other African leaders who overstay | Ian Birrell (guardian.co.uk)
• Un Backs a President Who Massacres Its People in Africa (tripolitrip.wordpress.com)
• 1,000 slaughtered in Ivory Coast, 11 killed in Libya - but we bomb Libya. (compuadept.net)
• Army chief for Ivory Coast strongman leaves refuge (ctv.ca)

Time For Nonviolent Protests In Libya

Image via WikipediaA Rwanda Was Prevented

The mass murder imminent in Benghazi was prevented. And the UN continues to demand of Gaddafi that he not unleash animal brutality on peacefully protesting Libyans. Armed rebels in Libya have done a swift job of retaking all the territory they had lost.

But now is time for some shift in strategy. Instead of relying solely on military advances, the rebels have to consolidate. They have to organize massive peaceful demonstrations against Gaddafi in all towns and cities they control. The people of Libya have to come out into the streets in large numbers.

The idea is to inspire the people in Tripoli to also come out into the streets. When they first came out, Gaddafi basically declared war on them. And they went into hiding. Now they have to muster the strength all over again. They need to come out all over again. This time if Gaddafi performs a repeat the UN sanctioned powers have to do in Tripoli what they did in Benghazi. Bomb all government installations in Tripoli so as to destroy completely all command and control structures in Gaddafi's army.

The next phase of the drive against dictator Gaddafi has to be nonviolent consolidation of gains made so far.

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The Anatomy Of Revolutions For Democracy

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• Libya rebels set conditions for any ceasefire - msnbc.com (news.google.com)
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• Libya: Rebels Offer Ceasefire To Gaddafi (news.sky.com)
• Secrets of Gaddafi regime revealed, rebels count on NATO (rt.com)
• Libya rebels flee as Gaddafi retakes Brega (ironmill.wordpress.com)
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The Response To Benghazi Has To Be In Tripoli

Image by US Army Korea - IMCOM via FlickrGaddafi not only did not respect the UN Security Council resolution, he lied about it first, then openly came out not only defying it, but also went on to threaten Europe. Attacking his troops that have encircled Benghazi is not sufficient. Because the orders are not coming from the outskirts of Benghazi. The orders for those military acts are coming from Tripoli. It is fundamentally important to destroy the command and control centers that are based in Tripoli. All that infrastructure that makes it possible for Gaddafi to make his ground maneuvers have to be destroyed.

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• VIDEO: Gaddafi troops head to Benghazi (bbc.co.uk)
• In Libyan Airspace (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
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• Plane shot down over rebel city (mirror.co.uk)
• If the world is Crazy, we will be Crazy too! Gaddafi (attendingtheworld.wordpress.com)
• Libya's Gaddafi forces try to storm Benghazi (newsworldwide.wordpress.com)
• Libya: Allied Forces Begin Military Action Against Gaddafi Forces: UPDATED (lostchildreninthewilderness.wordpress.com)
• Gadaffi moves on Benghazi: appeal to stop "exterminating civilians" (boingboing.net)
• Benghazi rebels plead for Libya air strikes as Gaddafi forces advance (guardian.co.uk)
• U.S. accuses Gaddafi of violating U.N. resolution (reuters.com)

The Military Options

The no fly zone has been announced. If Gaddafi continues to fly planes, shoot them down. Bomb the airports that those planes came out of. Bomb the air bases. Bomb the control towers. Bomb the command center in Tripoli.

If you only bomb the planes in the sky, you are agreeing to play the cat and mouse game that Gaddafi wants to play with you. When he announced a ceasefire he lied. That was his way of saying just give me 48 more hours, and I will have Benghazi by then. Then there would be nothing for you to do.

This dude is not going to do the ceasefire thing. It is the nature of the beast.
Image by Abode of Chaos via Flickr
You bomb the planes in the sky. And if there are reports - as there are - that he has, if anything, accelerated military action on the ground, then that would be a clear signal that he has not understood the concept of the no fly zone. The concept is to protect Libyan civilians. If he continues to attack civilians, you look for all movements on the ground by the Gaddafi forces, and you conduct aerial strikes upon them. There are open roads that his forces use. They are not hard to find. These are not exactly the jungles of Vietnam. There is nowhere to hide. This is a freaking desert. There are open skies.

But if there is action on the ground on his part, you attack his military establishments in Tripoli. You hit the core of his military organization. You hit the presidential palace, because that is where the orders are coming from.

All this until all military action on his part ceases, not very likely. Instead the guy is threatening to go into a whole different direction. He is threatening military action against France.

It is like this. A criminal with a gun is on rampage at a department store. The police decide to take action. When he is finally surrounded and it is decided gunning him down is the only way to end the rampage, he sends a message that he is going to come next for the police station - maybe he will blow up the building - if the police try to gun him down.

Do you weigh his words? Do you want to think if it is worth taking the chances? Or do you get further confirmed in your suspicious that what you are facing is a criminal?

Gaddafi has done what Bin Laden did not do. At least Bin Laden went into hiding before he started issuing his tireless fatwas. Gaddafi is issuing his threats against entire countries and he is doing it without going into hiding.

This guy is not the president of Libya. He has no formal title. By his own admission he has no claim to any kind of representation to Libyan sovereignty. This guy is a criminal first, last and foremost.

It is not Al Qaeda that took over Benghazi. The people who took over Benghazi are people who aspire to turn Libya into a modern democracy. I wish that upon all Arab countries.

The uprising in Benghazi was not violent. Gaddafi's army units in Benghazi defected. Can't blame them.
Image by BlatantNews.com via Flickr
The way this drama is going to end is this guy Gaddafi is going to commit suicide. As days have passed, he has become even less and less compromising. That is a warning sign. My judgment is he will kill as many people as possible before he will kill himself.

Exile is no longer an option for him. He has killed too many people. If he is captured alive, he gets to go to the International Criminal Court. But I doubt he will want to get captured alive.

The choice is between putting the mad dog to sleep and letting him kill a few thousand more people before he kills himself.

I wish it were otherwise. I wish he would do the ceasefire thing. That there would be no more attacks on civilians anywhere in Libya. Then the people of Libya would have the option to protest peacefully or keep him as their leader.

The international community does not have a democracy agenda. It is the Libyan people who have a democracy agenda. Liberty rings from within the human heart.

Christian Science Monitor: With Libya, is ‘Obama doctrine’ on war emerging?
New York Times: In Yemen, Opposition Encourages Protesters
BBC: French military jet opens fire in Libya
New York Times: Allies Open Push in Libya to Block Qaddafi Assaults
Voice Of America: Fresh Protests in Yemen Despite State of Emergency

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