11/9 for you!
Absolutely historical! Both for India and the world! And I am indeed happy!
I had decided to delay my editorial for 'The Sunday Indian' this month till today i.e. 11/9 (writing 9th of November the American way) because I wanted to write the edit on the next American President. But as the joke goes, Modi decided to upstage the American excitement, at least in India!
But before coming to Modi, let me finish writing on why Trump as POTUS makes me reasonably happy! I followed the elections in the US with maximum enthusiasm...only till Bernie lost. Have written earlier too. I wanted Bernie like no one else ever, including, Obama! And had it been Bernie, today most likely Democrats would have been the guys celebrating!
Post Hillary getting the nomination all my excitement died. Yes, I would have loved to see a woman finally breaking the Presidential glass ceiling! But did that mean supporting Hillary? When Susan Sarandon was asked why wouldn't she support Hillary when the man she supported - Bernie - wanted support for Hillary. She said "I don't vote with my vagina". That's the crux, you vote with your brains.
And I am glad Americans used their below average brains to vote. So the result? First the sad one... Bernie lost to Hillary and Americans proved that as a nation they were still intellectually dwarfed. Next the better one. Trump won. And Americans proved that though they were less educated as a nation on the whole, but not complete idiots yet. So why am I happy at Trump's victory?
Well I quite disliked that crooked -as Trump loves to call- woman, for certain. On the other hand, Trump has been a case study of business success in B Schools all over the world and is quite transparent. You get what you see. An arrogant, boisterous Billionaire with scant respect for anyone.. and absolutely practical. To me, Trump, represents in every which way, the majority of Americans. From the Great American dream of unlimited wealth in their eyes to their multiple partners, marriages and divorces to being absolutely coarse and racist illiterates... He is America. Rarely has anyone ever represented today's America more. At least in the Oval office.
As I told a friend of mine as she stood in a queue to vote yesterday... I wouldn't vote if I were in her place.. but if I were forced to, I would vote for Hillary and hope that she loses... that way I wouldn't live for 4 years with the guilt of electing an unscrupulous lady of totally suspect ethics and values nor live with the guilt of voting for an openly racist and misogynistic man.
Hillary has repeatedly used her and her husband's name and their joint official posts to join hands with the worst corporations and rulers around the world for personal gains directly, or, indirectly through the Clinton Foundation. Also I believe it's better even for women to have Melania out there inside the White House than Hillary... I mean for the future of feminism as well...Its better to have a woman who posed nude for magazines, and did so proudly, than to have a woman who for all her claims of championing the cause of women couldn't take a stance on her husband when he cheated - even if it was to tell the world boldly that so what if he got a blow job, I am absolutely happy to be with this intelligent man with so many other exceptional qualities. She didn't. Neither did she divorce. For feminists like Susan Sarandon, no wonder then, she was a strict no.
I also believe, unlike Hillary, Trump would be under no pressure to prove "I am as good as a man"... and chances are world will be more peaceful... First time a man openly respectful of Russia - and wanting to be friends with Putin- with a formerly communist wife is the president of US. In my understanding Hillary would have escalated the neo cold war. Trump on the other hand as per my guess-apart from US President being a lame duck- wouldn't do any over the top nonsense he kept saying during his campaign. That's my guess.. That was the marketing strategy of a true blue reality realty star. Totally don't believe he will do anything stupid... he will probably choose having a good ball in each room of white house or getting himself a new wife for all that matters over going for a war.
I sound disrespectful? Yes and No. I respect his business acumen and his leadership abilities. I don't respect his openly racist behaviour that he displayed and misogynistic attitude. But then as I said, that's the average American for you!
Also, I strongly feel, it was time Obama paid for doing nothing worth his while in 8 long years -apart from taking home the Nobel Peace Prize - despite his big words and charm. Yes he was a so called decent guy compared to Trump... but then we all know, decency is a completely over rated virtue. Two weeks post white house he could be caught having a foursome with two men and a sex worker. And yet that wouldn't really make any difference to who he is or make him any better or worse.
To me it really is Obama's loss, Bill's loss and then Hillary's. She was in any case reflected glory somehow managing to pull off a campaign without falling off the stage anywhere. She actually almost did once.
Untrustworthy, conniving, greedy and a complete hypocrite. She will perhaps go back and try to make money from Wall Street in the name of her daughter's future possible election... that is unless Trump actually doesn't send her to jail for playing with the nation's security and striking deals with questionable characters around the world -using her official status- for the Clinton Foundation.
I pity Trump could never get across this message properly to the elite because he was always blabbering incohesively... but then the majority of Americans are hardly educated, and his communication worked with them. They did get his simple message in between all the incoherent stuff he blabbered - Crooked Hillary - because he kept saying it a million times. Absolutely exceptional case study of political marketing!
Internally for Americans, after a few days, the stock markets will be back and the economy will be as it was, Trump really won't make it any worse. In fact there might be a few more casinos attracting some more tourists - the Vegas way - as an added attraction. But on the flip side, apart from continuing their devious tradition of coups and attempted coups in Latin American countries, Obama and Hillary and their war mongering made a mess of the world.. from Afghanistan to Libya to Syria. They actually funded and created terror groups and called them moderate jihadists and indirectly funded ISIS. It would have continued and become worse. That may however get cleaned up due to Trump. And illegal immigration might be down inside America. And China and Pakistan will probably face real heat...
So, let's celebrate Trump's victory and look forward towards a more practical and peace loving America.
Let's hope for a better world. A Trump-Modi-Putin axis too? Let's keep that for another day.
Coming now to the Indian 11/9 and Modi!
Modi after his complete let down for three years with rubbish Swachch Bharat type campaigns -which resulted more into selfie opportunities for celebrities and politicians than real work- while allowing fringe elements to feast on divisive messages, finally Dared to think Beyond as 11/9 set in, in India! What a courageous and brilliant move to ban 500 and 1000 rupee notes! Absolutely the greatest thing he could ever do! This is what people expected from him. A man who would have the courage to take tough steps unlike his predecessors. A man who would really go behind the corrupt. And he did it with elan.
There is absolutely nothing bigger as well as symbolic that he could have done - to give Indians hope as well as to wipe off black cash circulating inside India! Two thumbs up! Now of course we await another move to attack the real big hoarders of black money. Those who have it stashed abroad... am sure since he has done this, he will do something about that too...soon!
Till then let's rejoice this almost once in a lifetime moment! At IIPM Think Tank we are specially happy because we have always supported the idea of abolishing 500 and 1000 rupee notes (here is a link from one of our 2011 articles in support of the same http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/dictatorship-of-the-sycophants/16135/ ).
But yes let's admit that this doesn't solve the black money problem. A huge proportion of black money is stored in land and gold. So, the truth is too much to be done yet. But I do believe this is a huge beginning because a substantial amount of black money is in cash... And even those who have it in property/gold, the rates will fall now.
So, many of those Indians who avoided paying taxes despite being fully aware of them; and kept making black money will surely suffer.
Yes, the big guys have it mostly stored abroad. And Modi knows it very well. So one would still await his promise on that front specially because many of these guys are his supposed close friends.
It's also interesting to note that most politicians get their funds from smaller business guys in India. So this move of Modi is a political master stroke too, with UP and Punjab elections coming up. Most political rivals will suffer big time! As of now Mamta Bannerji at least is openly livid, though for other reasons and plans to file a PIL. I am certain it will be dismissed.
I believe this could just be the beginning of real action from Modi. And this might continue not just till 2019 but till 2024 because he surely realizes eye wash policies like Swachch Bharat and divisive attempts to polarize India isn't the way forward. Before elections he spoke of toilets before temples and the constitution of India being his only religious book. I think he has finally remembered his good words.
The question is now will he take similarly path breaking steps towards education, health, employment and judicial reforms? If he does that, he could end up being one of the greatest world leaders, because, changing India is like changing the world.
Cheers!
Absolutely historical! Both for India and the world! And I am indeed happy!
I had decided to delay my editorial for 'The Sunday Indian' this month till today i.e. 11/9 (writing 9th of November the American way) because I wanted to write the edit on the next American President. But as the joke goes, Modi decided to upstage the American excitement, at least in India!
But before coming to Modi, let me finish writing on why Trump as POTUS makes me reasonably happy! I followed the elections in the US with maximum enthusiasm...only till Bernie lost. Have written earlier too. I wanted Bernie like no one else ever, including, Obama! And had it been Bernie, today most likely Democrats would have been the guys celebrating!
Post Hillary getting the nomination all my excitement died. Yes, I would have loved to see a woman finally breaking the Presidential glass ceiling! But did that mean supporting Hillary? When Susan Sarandon was asked why wouldn't she support Hillary when the man she supported - Bernie - wanted support for Hillary. She said "I don't vote with my vagina". That's the crux, you vote with your brains.
And I am glad Americans used their below average brains to vote. So the result? First the sad one... Bernie lost to Hillary and Americans proved that as a nation they were still intellectually dwarfed. Next the better one. Trump won. And Americans proved that though they were less educated as a nation on the whole, but not complete idiots yet. So why am I happy at Trump's victory?
Well I quite disliked that crooked -as Trump loves to call- woman, for certain. On the other hand, Trump has been a case study of business success in B Schools all over the world and is quite transparent. You get what you see. An arrogant, boisterous Billionaire with scant respect for anyone.. and absolutely practical. To me, Trump, represents in every which way, the majority of Americans. From the Great American dream of unlimited wealth in their eyes to their multiple partners, marriages and divorces to being absolutely coarse and racist illiterates... He is America. Rarely has anyone ever represented today's America more. At least in the Oval office.
As I told a friend of mine as she stood in a queue to vote yesterday... I wouldn't vote if I were in her place.. but if I were forced to, I would vote for Hillary and hope that she loses... that way I wouldn't live for 4 years with the guilt of electing an unscrupulous lady of totally suspect ethics and values nor live with the guilt of voting for an openly racist and misogynistic man.
Hillary has repeatedly used her and her husband's name and their joint official posts to join hands with the worst corporations and rulers around the world for personal gains directly, or, indirectly through the Clinton Foundation. Also I believe it's better even for women to have Melania out there inside the White House than Hillary... I mean for the future of feminism as well...Its better to have a woman who posed nude for magazines, and did so proudly, than to have a woman who for all her claims of championing the cause of women couldn't take a stance on her husband when he cheated - even if it was to tell the world boldly that so what if he got a blow job, I am absolutely happy to be with this intelligent man with so many other exceptional qualities. She didn't. Neither did she divorce. For feminists like Susan Sarandon, no wonder then, she was a strict no.
I also believe, unlike Hillary, Trump would be under no pressure to prove "I am as good as a man"... and chances are world will be more peaceful... First time a man openly respectful of Russia - and wanting to be friends with Putin- with a formerly communist wife is the president of US. In my understanding Hillary would have escalated the neo cold war. Trump on the other hand as per my guess-apart from US President being a lame duck- wouldn't do any over the top nonsense he kept saying during his campaign. That's my guess.. That was the marketing strategy of a true blue reality realty star. Totally don't believe he will do anything stupid... he will probably choose having a good ball in each room of white house or getting himself a new wife for all that matters over going for a war.
I sound disrespectful? Yes and No. I respect his business acumen and his leadership abilities. I don't respect his openly racist behaviour that he displayed and misogynistic attitude. But then as I said, that's the average American for you!
Also, I strongly feel, it was time Obama paid for doing nothing worth his while in 8 long years -apart from taking home the Nobel Peace Prize - despite his big words and charm. Yes he was a so called decent guy compared to Trump... but then we all know, decency is a completely over rated virtue. Two weeks post white house he could be caught having a foursome with two men and a sex worker. And yet that wouldn't really make any difference to who he is or make him any better or worse.
To me it really is Obama's loss, Bill's loss and then Hillary's. She was in any case reflected glory somehow managing to pull off a campaign without falling off the stage anywhere. She actually almost did once.
Untrustworthy, conniving, greedy and a complete hypocrite. She will perhaps go back and try to make money from Wall Street in the name of her daughter's future possible election... that is unless Trump actually doesn't send her to jail for playing with the nation's security and striking deals with questionable characters around the world -using her official status- for the Clinton Foundation.
I pity Trump could never get across this message properly to the elite because he was always blabbering incohesively... but then the majority of Americans are hardly educated, and his communication worked with them. They did get his simple message in between all the incoherent stuff he blabbered - Crooked Hillary - because he kept saying it a million times. Absolutely exceptional case study of political marketing!
Internally for Americans, after a few days, the stock markets will be back and the economy will be as it was, Trump really won't make it any worse. In fact there might be a few more casinos attracting some more tourists - the Vegas way - as an added attraction. But on the flip side, apart from continuing their devious tradition of coups and attempted coups in Latin American countries, Obama and Hillary and their war mongering made a mess of the world.. from Afghanistan to Libya to Syria. They actually funded and created terror groups and called them moderate jihadists and indirectly funded ISIS. It would have continued and become worse. That may however get cleaned up due to Trump. And illegal immigration might be down inside America. And China and Pakistan will probably face real heat...
So, let's celebrate Trump's victory and look forward towards a more practical and peace loving America.
Let's hope for a better world. A Trump-Modi-Putin axis too? Let's keep that for another day.
Coming now to the Indian 11/9 and Modi!
Modi after his complete let down for three years with rubbish Swachch Bharat type campaigns -which resulted more into selfie opportunities for celebrities and politicians than real work- while allowing fringe elements to feast on divisive messages, finally Dared to think Beyond as 11/9 set in, in India! What a courageous and brilliant move to ban 500 and 1000 rupee notes! Absolutely the greatest thing he could ever do! This is what people expected from him. A man who would have the courage to take tough steps unlike his predecessors. A man who would really go behind the corrupt. And he did it with elan.
There is absolutely nothing bigger as well as symbolic that he could have done - to give Indians hope as well as to wipe off black cash circulating inside India! Two thumbs up! Now of course we await another move to attack the real big hoarders of black money. Those who have it stashed abroad... am sure since he has done this, he will do something about that too...soon!
Till then let's rejoice this almost once in a lifetime moment! At IIPM Think Tank we are specially happy because we have always supported the idea of abolishing 500 and 1000 rupee notes (here is a link from one of our 2011 articles in support of the same http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/dictatorship-of-the-sycophants/16135/ ).
But yes let's admit that this doesn't solve the black money problem. A huge proportion of black money is stored in land and gold. So, the truth is too much to be done yet. But I do believe this is a huge beginning because a substantial amount of black money is in cash... And even those who have it in property/gold, the rates will fall now.
So, many of those Indians who avoided paying taxes despite being fully aware of them; and kept making black money will surely suffer.
Yes, the big guys have it mostly stored abroad. And Modi knows it very well. So one would still await his promise on that front specially because many of these guys are his supposed close friends.
It's also interesting to note that most politicians get their funds from smaller business guys in India. So this move of Modi is a political master stroke too, with UP and Punjab elections coming up. Most political rivals will suffer big time! As of now Mamta Bannerji at least is openly livid, though for other reasons and plans to file a PIL. I am certain it will be dismissed.
I believe this could just be the beginning of real action from Modi. And this might continue not just till 2019 but till 2024 because he surely realizes eye wash policies like Swachch Bharat and divisive attempts to polarize India isn't the way forward. Before elections he spoke of toilets before temples and the constitution of India being his only religious book. I think he has finally remembered his good words.
The question is now will he take similarly path breaking steps towards education, health, employment and judicial reforms? If he does that, he could end up being one of the greatest world leaders, because, changing India is like changing the world.
Cheers!
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