A Roof Over Every American’s Head: Addressing the Core of our Current Crisis of Confidence
posted by Rayman Mathoda on January 12, 2009 at 11:06 AM
What is the #1 worry that most Americans have when they get laid off? I believe it is that they might lose the roof over their and their families’ heads in a worst case scenario (i.e., if they are unable to find adequate alternate sources of income).
How to Defeat Hamas -- Face Up to the Truth
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 06, 2009 at 03:29 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: Hamas leaders claim that their understanding of Islam makes Israel's survival a theological and moral impossibility. What's your response to that? How should Israel respond? How should other Muslims respond?
Continue reading "How to Defeat Hamas -- Face Up to the Truth"
Dear Mr. Obama, It’s Time For a Peace Plan That Works
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 05, 2009 at 01:14 PM
Israel's massive assault on Gaza is the worst sort of déjà vu all over again. As news commentators wearily point out that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a never-ending story, there are shifts in that story. The most important was George Bush's decision to studiously ignore the whole problem. For eight years the U.S. has abandoned its responsibility to broker peace. The result has been an ongoing catastrophe. No one needs reminding of that.
Read the rest of the article here at the San Francisco Chronicle
Query: Israel-Palestine and Obama
posted by DK Matai on December 28, 2008 at 02:06 AM
Dear Friends, we note the escalating conflict between Israel & Palestine with potential repercussions across the world. In particular, the Arab world, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and also, Russia. Obama where art thou? How do you feel about this?
Continue reading "Query: Israel-Palestine and Obama"
Untapped and Under-tapped Foreclosure Prevention Strategies: “Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom”
posted by Rayman Mathoda on December 23, 2008 at 10:29 AM
There is widespread agreement among key national political, economic and housing stakeholders (the government and regulators, consumers and Banks among others) on the need to help prevent foreclosures, keep as many people as possible in their homes, and “clear the housing market” of troubled assets quickly and fairly. This would help the housing market find a bottom more quickly - which housing market bottom will mark a turning point in our nations’ economic recovery.
We Don't Need Rick Warren's Blessing, Or Anyone Else's
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 22, 2008 at 12:18 PM
Since God didn't vote for President, why should he get a seat on the inauguration platform? In the midst of controversy over picking Rick Warren to offer an invocation, it's been overlooked that reality is shifting in America. We are a largely secular society where the vast majority of people do not attend church. When religion enters the picture, we are a pluralistic society, not a Christian one. The right wing may posture as if Christianity deserves special privilege and pride of place. Their posturing has convinced a lot of people for the past twenty years, but it's high time we threw the whole charade out the window.
Continue reading "We Don't Need Rick Warren's Blessing, Or Anyone Else's"
Obama’s slap in the face to the gay community
posted by Rayman Mathoda on December 22, 2008 at 10:50 AM
A few days before November 4th, the evangelical/right wing proponents of Proposition 8 (the anti-gay marriage ballot initiative) widely broadcast President Elect Obama’s words on the issue of gay marriage to Californian’s. Although Obama was against Proposition 8 and supports civil unions for same sex couples, he does not support gay marriage and has said on many occasions that he believes marriage is appropriate only between a man and a woman.
Continue reading "Obama’s slap in the face to the gay community"
George W. Bush Has Been Throwing Shoes at Us
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 16, 2008 at 06:23 PM
Most commentators took the shoe-throwing incident that happened over the weekend as a bit of grotesque political slapstick. The Iraqi television reporter who threw his shoes at President Bush apparently considered himself a martyr, according to a note he passed to a colleague on the spot. No doubt he anticipated some extremely cruel reprisal for his symbolic protest. It's up in the air what will happen to Muntadar al-Zeidi. The fact that he became an instant hero in the Arab street carries small significance in the West, since that tinder box doesn't need even a spark to ignite it.
Continue reading "George W. Bush Has Been Throwing Shoes at Us"
Opinionators in Paradise
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 15, 2008 at 08:32 AM
It's a golden time to have an opinion. Broadcasting your personal viewpoint to the world has never been easier. The chances of fame, if only momentary, are the same for millions of bloggers. The risk of retribution is basically nil. Therefore, a new democracy has arisen, the democracy of "You want to know what I think?" It used to be that a cat could look at a king. Now the cat can post on the Web every tidbit of court gossip, and the king can do absolutely nothing about it.
Continue reading in the San Francisco Chronicle
Visit www.intent.com to read more from Deepak Chopra and other prominent voices.
Cursed are the peacemakers
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 08, 2008 at 01:42 PM
The catastrophic and horrendous attacks in Mumbai are being labeled as India's 9/11. Several thousand innocent civilians have already died in India as the result of bombings over the past few years. But this particular attack, striking at the most prestigious sites in the country's most prestigious city, has had a unique psychological effect. As with 9/11, a symbolic wound has been opened. The image of India as progressive and modern has been shattered.
Read the rest of this article in the San Francisco Chronicle
Continue reading "Cursed are the peacemakers"
Equality for all: US Supreme Court Decision and Timing
posted by Rayman Mathoda on November 17, 2008 at 06:10 PM
I am a strong believer that civil rights issues should be resolved through the legal (not political) process and feel it is only a matter of time until the US Supreme Court strikes all the discrimination that has been “constitutionalized” during the last 8 Bush years on the issue of gay marriage (sadly, fully 30 states now “ban” gay marriage via their constitutions). I was feeling like a naive optimist after a conversation over brunch this past weekend, where a (clearly very smart) lawyer made a strong argument that the US Supreme court wouldn’t do what I say it will…at least not for the next 20 years!
Continue reading "Equality for all: US Supreme Court Decision and Timing"
I’m heartbroken…
posted by Avantika Shahi on November 10, 2008 at 07:50 AM
Nov 4, 2008 will go down in history as an extremely bittersweet and historic day. Millions of Americans crossed the ultimate racial barrier and elected their first African American president – a huge day for civil rights and Californians purposefully (and in some cases hatefully) took away the rights of a group of citizens…an extremely dark day for civil rights.
Proponents of Proposition 8 led a campaign based on lies and deceit, feeding on people’s fears, a strategy that worked in their favor. Based on that, millions of Californians voted to amend the state constitution to forever take away from a minority group, their constitutionally granted rights.
Continue reading "I’m heartbroken…"
Convulsions, Sobs, and Laughter
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 06, 2008 at 12:07 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: What does the election of Barack Obama as president say about America? What does it say to the world?
Continue reading "Convulsions, Sobs, and Laughter"
President Obama
posted by Gotham Chopra on November 05, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Today, much of the country and her citizens awoke with a renewed sense of hope, a long forgotten emotion in the bleak national nightmare that has endured since September 11'th 2001.
Continue reading "President Obama"
President Obama!
posted by Mallika Chopra on November 04, 2008 at 08:10 PM
I am so proud to be American.
Ambasteve, what say you?
posted by Gotham Chopra on November 04, 2008 at 04:16 PM
How could they possibly think that?
posted by Max Simon on November 04, 2008 at 09:29 AM
Today is an important day.
It's where we collectively decide what type of leadership feels most aligned with our own core values and beliefs. As you can imagine, emotions are burning hot.
Continue reading "How could they possibly think that?"
The Undecided
posted by Gotham Chopra on November 02, 2008 at 09:29 PM
I want to meet one of these "undecided" people on whose decision the future of the planet relies. Really, who the f#$% are they and why the f@#$ do they get to decide the rest of our fate?
Continue reading "The Undecided"
War Hero or War Criminal, Who Decides?
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 02, 2008 at 01:04 PM
The Man Who Changed the World?
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 31, 2008 at 04:17 PM
Wanting to change the world is different from having to. The latter is what's expected of Barack Obama if he's elected. The huge crowds he keeps attracting aren't looking simply for a new leader, or even a reformer to undo the bad things wrought by the Republicans. They are looking for transformation. This isn't pure fantasy. Sometimes history forces change right before your eyes, and when that happens the road forks. You can tinker with the world as it is or you can remake the world as it should be.
Continue reading "The Man Who Changed the World?"
Will God Stop Voting?
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 29, 2008 at 10:01 AM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: Is there a religious reason to vote for or against Obama or McCain?
There never will be, and never should be, a religious reason to pick one candidate over another. God hasn't personally voted in an American election, but he keeps voting by proxy. In an ideal world that would never happen. Supernatural beings aren't citizens. Omniscient deities don't make choices (since they already know every outcome in advance). To anyone who holds a serious regard for the Constitution, voting your faith should be a private matter, not a public one. It wouldn't make me happy to know that a Catholic friend voted for someone solely because he was a Catholic, or that a Jewish friend voted for someone solely because he took a hawkish stand pro Israel, but that's their right. No public discussion is required.
Continue reading "Will God Stop Voting?"
Obama's Loss Traced to Deepak Chopra
posted by Mallika Chopra on October 25, 2008 at 09:05 PM
A friend just sent this video to my father. It is hysterical!
Continue reading "Obama's Loss Traced to Deepak Chopra"
A New Focus for American Foreign Policy: Human Rights
posted by Rayman Mathoda on October 24, 2008 at 05:51 PM
One of the fatal flaws of the Bush approach/policy framework that I would love to see Barack Obama change…is this idea that it is America’s job to spread Democracy around the world. As a student of Democracy and child of the largest Democracy in the world (India), I do believe in and love Democracy. However, just like Capitalism….Democracy, too, is a flawed, chaotic, and imperfect system and I just don’t think it’s America’s job to tell other countries what political system is best for them.
Continue reading "A New Focus for American Foreign Policy: Human Rights"
Gay Marriage and the Democratic Hazard
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 23, 2008 at 11:59 PM
"Moral hazard" is a phrase more of us know in this era of reckless trading on Wall Street, and now we can apply it to politics. Traders who use other people's money aren't exposed to the risk of losing their own money; therefore, they act less responsibly than someone who is fully exposed to the consequences of a risky decision -- that's the moral hazard. In politics, irresponsible behavior happens when there is little or no consequence to be felt, the only difference being that you play with someone else's life, not merely their money.
Continue reading "Gay Marriage and the Democratic Hazard"
If Religion Is Power, Women Deserve Their Share
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 22, 2008 at 01:50 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: The theme of The Women's Conference 2008 this week is: We Empower. Does religion empower women?
Continue reading "If Religion Is Power, Women Deserve Their Share"
goodness gracious
posted by Saira Mohan on October 21, 2008 at 05:50 PM
"San Francisco Weighs Decriminalizing Prostitution "
Rascist slurs at McCain/Palin rallies should be denounced by candidates and party
posted by Rayman Mathoda on October 21, 2008 at 10:29 AM
I was trying last night to have a mellow evening at home after a full day of work. The full day of work was quite an experience after spending 3 blissful months ‘Exploring my Zen’ (as I like to call it) following the collapse of Indymac during the Summer. So here I was…cuddling with my 2 freshly bathed (and good smelling) Great Dane’s Lara and Tank…watching TV. But what I saw on CNN shocked me.
Continue reading "Rascist slurs at McCain/Palin rallies should be denounced by candidates and party"
Robo Rove and Willie Horton Redux
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 17, 2008 at 06:10 PM
The progressive side of American politics feels done in by the nasty work of Karl Rove, following in the muddy footprints of the late Lee Atwater, a grinning, guitar-strumming master of demagoguery. The effectiveness of slamming Michael Dukakis with the horrifying tale of Willie Horton is now being revived using mug shots of William Ayers. Rove has been retooled as robo calls in a number of swing states, all of it to see if the old black magic will keep working. Instead of erupting in outrage and secretly dreading that a smear campaign will undo Barack Obama's lead in the polls, I return to the basics.
Continue reading this at Intent.com
Thoughts on the Debate?
posted by Mallika Chopra on October 15, 2008 at 08:28 PM
A Noble Loser vs. A Dirty Winner
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 10, 2008 at 03:10 PM
The reason that the Democrats have become experts at losing the Presidency is that the Republicans have become experts at the dirty win. Or so the mythology goes. This idea gained traction with the smear campaign run against Michael Dukakis in 1988, when the patrician George Bush played the part of Pontius Pilate, washing his hands while Willie Horton's face was plastered all over the TV. Since then we have seen Swift boating and Democratic candidates faces split-screened with Osama bin Laden.
Continue reading "A Noble Loser vs. A Dirty Winner"
A "Birds of a Feather" Campaign Strategy
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 08, 2008 at 01:48 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: Obama and Wright. McCain and Keating. Palin and Muthee. To what extent is it right or wrong to judge candidates by the company they keep?
Continue reading "A "Birds of a Feather" Campaign Strategy"
Conservative Parker calls for Palin to go - about time?
posted by Tori Roy on October 02, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Conservative columnist: Palin should go
The Associated Press
Friday, September 26, 2008; 8:55 PM
WASHINGTON -- A conservative columnist who welcomed Sarah Palin's entry in national politics says she's proven to be a dud and should step aside as John McCain's running mate.
Kathleen Parker, writing in the National Review Online, says her "cringe reflex is exhausted" after watching the Alaska governor stumble through TV interviews and it's become clear to her that Palin is out of her league.
Continue reading "Conservative Parker calls for Palin to go - about time?"
Witchcraft and the White House
posted by Intent on October 01, 2008 at 12:03 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: Vice presidential candidates Joe Biden and Sarah Palin will debate this week. What would you ask them about their religious beliefs and why?
Continue reading "Witchcraft and the White House"
Obama Is "Wake Up," McCain Is "Let Me Sleep"
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 26, 2008 at 09:56 AM
The urgency that anyone feels, or doesn't feel, about the 2008 election rests on the issue of waking up. Over two-thirds of Americans tell pollsters that the country is on the wrong track. Dissatisfaction with government is rife. Looming crises such as climate change and global recession call for quick action. But if the conventional wisdom sees this as a race against time before the clock runs out, conventional wisdom is wrong. This election is a consciousness race. Either you see the need to wake up or you want to keep sleeping, which means giving in to inertia and denial. Continue reading this post at Intent.com.
Out of the closet
posted by Gotham Chopra on September 25, 2008 at 10:13 PM
I'm an intellectual elite and I am not ashamed to admit it.
Continue reading "Out of the closet"
McCain's time off
posted by Gotham Chopra on September 24, 2008 at 11:16 PM
I'm curious to see what John McCain's campaign suspension and retreat back to DC to solve this country's worst economic slide of the past half century will bring about. I seriously do not understand the logic of this. Isn't the whole point of a Presidential campaign to present voters and citizens with a vision and plan to help get them out of this mess?
Continue reading "McCain's time off"
When Gray Is the Only Color
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 24, 2008 at 06:26 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: John McCain and Sarah Palin say it's time to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Do you agree? What is the right moral choice?
Continue reading "When Gray Is the Only Color"
My American Prayer
posted by Intent on September 23, 2008 at 03:14 PM
Dear Friends,
I wanted to share a great video called "My American Prayer, by my friend, Dave Stewart. You are also welcome to share it with your friends.
Love,
Deepak
The Art of Politics
posted by Derrick N Ashong on September 18, 2008 at 09:37 PM
I did an interview earlier this week for Harvardwood, exploring some of the current trends in the campaign and some key issues facing the nation. It's a 45min full-length, unedited, uncensored response to some live questioning and covers topics from the role the Media & the Arts in politics to the ongoing propagation of lies by the McCain/Palin ticket in this campaign.
Continue reading "The Art of Politics"
Obama and the Palin Effect (Part 2)
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 16, 2008 at 03:22 PM
My post a few weeks ago on Sarah Palin acting as Barack Obama's psychological shadow triggered a lot of people. I thought it would be worthwhile to talk about how one deals with the shadow once it breaks out and begins to disrupt things. But first a short recap: The emergence of Gov. Palin wasn't simply startling -- it was inexplicable. How could 20% of women voters suddenly turn toward her when Palin stands for erasing forty years of feminism?
Continue reading "Obama and the Palin Effect (Part 2)"
You're not helping...
posted by Gotham Chopra on September 13, 2008 at 07:04 AM
I forget - have I made it clear who I am supporting this coming November in the Presidential elections?
Continue reading "You're not helping..."
Why Obama Needs to Reach Deeper
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 10, 2008 at 07:34 PM
The race has changed, now what? All reports indicate that the Obama camp is rife with confusion about where they stand in the face of the meteoric rise of Sarah Palin and John McCain's ability to bring the Republican Party together. Neither one was remotely anticipated. This is more than a bump. I think Obama needs to recognize that the tide has decisively turned in McCain's favor. Palin is shooting down the turnpike, and unless Obama puts up a big hand to stop her, McCain is going to ride her coattails to the White House. The tire is deflating on the Democrats, and once enthusiastic supporters are becoming disheartened.
Continue reading "Why Obama Needs to Reach Deeper"
What's Good for GM Is Good for God
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 10, 2008 at 02:09 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin recently suggested that a gas pipeline is "God's will" and the Iraq war is "a task that is from God." Are you concerned about these or any other candidate's religious views?
Continue reading "What's Good for GM Is Good for God"
Leaders of Women or Stepford Wives?
posted by Tori Roy on September 10, 2008 at 06:24 AM
The leaders of a women's political organization that launched earlier this year to support Hillary Clinton are speaking out against what they say are examples of media sexism toward Sarah Palin and urging members to tell the press corps "to back off."
Continue reading "Leaders of Women or Stepford Wives?"
McBush's speech
posted by Gotham Chopra on September 05, 2008 at 12:10 AM
John McCain is a good man.
Continue reading "McBush's speech"
Obama and the Palin Effect
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 04, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.
Continue reading "Obama and the Palin Effect"
Sarah Palin's speech
posted by Gotham Chopra on September 03, 2008 at 08:08 PM
I thought her speech was very impressive. I bet it's amazingly persuasive in the original German.
Continue reading "Sarah Palin's speech"
CORRECTION: Sarah Palin's daughter IS pregnant
posted by Gotham Chopra on September 01, 2008 at 01:15 PM
Okay, forget the salacious rumors that Governor Palin covered up her underage daughter's pregnancy. That's yesterday's (unproven) news. Today's is that Palin's 17-year-old unwed daughter IS pregnant right now.
Continue reading "CORRECTION: Sarah Palin's daughter IS pregnant"
Palin Pregnancy whispers
posted by Gotham Chopra on August 30, 2008 at 07:24 PM
Almost as soon as Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was selected by presidential hopeful John McBush to be his running mate, the whispers started.
Continue reading "Palin Pregnancy whispers"
The American Spirit
posted by Derrick N Ashong on August 30, 2008 at 12:02 PM
I wrote this the night of The Speech. In the wake of McCain's announcement yesterday I think it is ever more important to think about the global implications of the decision we are about to make.
Continue reading "The American Spirit"
Obama and the Tragedy of Apathy
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 29, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Listening to Barack Obama's acceptance speech, I got two messages. The first was tactical. Like a general mapping out a battle strategy, Obama has listened carefully to his critics, and in the speech he rolled out rebuttals, one by one, to the charge that he must announce plans and solutions to the country's nagging problems. His trademark eloquence mostly had to wait until the last few moments, but when it came, the giant stadium audience was moved.
Continue reading "Obama and the Tragedy of Apathy"
The High Priests Gathered to Praise the Dems - but the Prophets Were Missing
posted by Rabbi Lerner on August 28, 2008 at 10:47 PM
For all the media chatter about how far we've come since the Democratic Convention in Chicago,1968, or the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's. "I Have A Dream Speech," if you were expecting that the words of the prophets had moved from the subway walls and tenement halls into the mainstream of the Democratic Party you'd be sadly disappointed.
Continue reading "The High Priests Gathered to Praise the Dems - but the Prophets Were Missing"
Obama: "It's not about me, it's about you."
posted by Gotham Chopra on August 28, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Barack Obama made a pretty strong case for change. And it's not just what he said tonight in his historic address at the DNC, it's what he represents, how he acts, and how he looks.
Continue reading "Obama: "It's not about me, it's about you.""
Speechless from the Speech
posted by Mallika Chopra on August 28, 2008 at 08:30 PM
Obama inspired, challenged, empowered. Incredible.
Silence of the Lamb
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 27, 2008 at 02:28 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: Advise John McCain and Barack Obama on the role religion should play in their presidential campaigns.
Continue reading "Silence of the Lamb"
Hillary Clinton was AWESOME
posted by Gotham Chopra on August 26, 2008 at 10:33 PM
CORRECTION: Listen to her.
John McCain's favorite song is DANCING QUEEN by ABBA
posted by Gotham Chopra on August 25, 2008 at 08:40 PM
Seriously
Huh?
Yup.
That's what I am thinking.
Michelle Obama: A Role Model for My Daughters
posted by Mallika Chopra on August 25, 2008 at 08:17 PM
Every night before we go to bed, my daughters and I talk about our worst and best parts of the day. Today, we all agreed that the best part was watching Michelle Obama's warm and passionate speech, and then seeing her girls come onto the stage. As a mom, I felt we were experiencing a piece of history together...
Continue reading "Michelle Obama: A Role Model for My Daughters"
Hillary, go away
posted by Gotham Chopra on August 24, 2008 at 07:49 PM
Let me start by saying that I am Hillary guy. I really like and admire her for all that she has accomplished professionally and personally. I've gone to her fundraisers, met her in person a few times, and voted for her husband as many times as I possibly could. But man am I sick of her.
Continue reading "Hillary, go away"
When Illusions Refuse to Die (Part 3)
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 22, 2008 at 11:20 AM
The saddest part about the period of sleepwalking that the U.S. has experienced over the past eight years is that we don't have to return to the status quo before Bush was elected. History can move forward to the benefit of America, but only if we recognize that some uneasy trends cannot be reversed. The reactionary backlash that allowed the neocon vision to take hold has been disastrous. Since it was based on cherished illusions, there's a strong chance that the voting public might be seduced by McCain's promise of "no surrender" and the promotion of old-fashioned nationalism backed up with overwhelming military threat.
Continue reading "When Illusions Refuse to Die (Part 3)"
Why is Obama Down in the Polls?
posted by Rabbi Lerner on August 22, 2008 at 05:02 AM
In an open-letter to Senator Obama on Thursday, over 150 American clergy appealed to the Democratic candidate for President to retain the ethical and spiritual vision that won him the nomination in the first place. Rejecting the "inside-the-Beltway" wisdom that a Democrat must "move to the center to win the election," the clergy disputed the very notion that this is an accurate understanding of American politics.
Continue reading "Why is Obama Down in the Polls?"
Presidential Preseason
posted by Gotham Chopra on August 20, 2008 at 08:15 AM
Is it just me or is the presidential race - more so the campaign - just an elaborate sporting event? All the hype. All the prognosticators. All the predictions and statistics, the punditry, optimism, and criticism, and so-called strategy and PR that ultimately seems to mean little to the actual outcome.
Continue reading "Presidential Preseason"
Is it a sin to be born a minority ?
posted by Vijay Sappani on August 19, 2008 at 11:05 PM
Hundreds of clashes around the world, thousands of people killed, millions displaced and billions made by arms dealers. All this happening while we spend most of our time on Simpsons and American Idol.
Continue reading "Is it a sin to be born a minority ?"
Faith Quizzes Get an F
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 19, 2008 at 05:47 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: At the Saddleback Church Forum, pastor Rick Warren began his interviews with John McCain and Barack Obama by saying: "We believe in separation of church and state, but not faith and politics." What's your response to that and to the forum?
Continue reading "Faith Quizzes Get an F"
Will Evan Bayh Be Obama's VP Pick?
posted by James Boyce on August 19, 2008 at 02:11 PM
Time flies in presidential races, it seems like yesterday that a good friend of mine met with Barack Obama about running the online portion of his campaign. He didn't want the job after the interview, sensing, correctly, that Obama was centrist, maybe even centrist-right and my friend is more of a Democrat.
Continue reading "Will Evan Bayh Be Obama's VP Pick?"
Hope and Change: India and Pakistan
posted by Vijay Sappani on August 16, 2008 at 11:24 AM
India and Pakistan are celebrating their 61st Independecen day, but are the masses really free ?
Continue reading "Hope and Change: India and Pakistan"
When Illusions Refuse to Die (Part 2)
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 15, 2008 at 09:44 AM
A great deal of confusion is being stirred up now over where the disastrous experience of Iraq and the collapse of neoconservatism will lead. By an ironic twist, Barack Obama has been labeled an idealist, when in fact he is an arch-realist who detected the need for change much earlier than any other major politician. John McCain, who cannot escape his share in promoting right-wing illusions, advocates the reversal of history, which means ignoring Iraq and continuing on as if it never happened. But some significant illusions died on the battlefield over the past five years, leading to major shifts on many fronts. Let's continue down the list.
Continue reading "When Illusions Refuse to Die (Part 2)"
"Forgive Me, I'm Sorry I Got Caught"
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 13, 2008 at 01:34 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question:
Another politician (John Edwards) has admitted to having an extramarital affair, and another spouse (Elizabeth Edwards) has been forgiving. At what point does a person of faith cease to forgive? At what point does forgiveness become destructive?
Continue reading ""Forgive Me, I'm Sorry I Got Caught""
Harper is wrong in not attending the Olympics; Bush is right
posted by Vijay Sappani on August 11, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Olympics is all about sports, not this one. It is all about China. Will it meet the expectations of the commies and the rest of the world?
Continue reading "Harper is wrong in not attending the Olympics; Bush is right"
When Illusions Refuse to Die (Part 1)
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 09, 2008 at 05:31 PM
Societies don't remain the same after a war but find that they have radically changed. Sometimes the change is catastrophic, sometimes not. But it can never be ignored. A major undercurrent in the 2008 presidential campaign centers on this fact, because the people who devised and promoted the Iraq war want to preserve the illusion that nothing in America has really changed, when in fact a host of illusions died on the battlefield. On the other side, the anti-war party (as the Democrats became de facto over the past five years) is struggling to invent new realities to replace these lost illusions. The public is caught in between, for there's no doubt that comforting illusions have a way of springing back to life, if only history could be reversed.
Continue reading "When Illusions Refuse to Die (Part 1)"
Excuse Me, How Does It Feel to Be Poor?
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 07, 2008 at 10:43 AM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question:
What's your response to this question from a Post national poll of low-wage workers? "What role does God or your faith play in helping you get through tough financial times?"
Continue reading "Excuse Me, How Does It Feel to Be Poor?"
New Life in a New World
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 01, 2008 at 04:29 PM
People need a way to deal with the global changes suddenly surrounding us. As often happens, second-hand opinions are gaining the most power. The vocabulary on the left speaks of positive change, a new order, rising prosperity in what used to be the third world, and creative possibilities. The right employs a darker, more pessimistic vocabulary of turmoil in the credit markets, military threat from China, the need to seize on traditional values and exclude immigrants. The basic difference comes down to embracing the emerging global community or holding tight to isolated nationalism backed up with military threats.
Continue reading "New Life in a New World"
Does a New Start Have a Chance?
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 25, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Barack Obama's eloquence in the defense of idealism hasn't changed since Iowa, but reaction to it has. He is accused of favoring uplifting rhetoric over hard policy choices. Some commentators complain that for them, the thrilling speeches of the primary season now produce little or no reaction. Obama speaks of a renewed world, but most old-timers, cynical or not, expect the world -- especially the one inside the Beltway -- to roll on without much change. Inertia will prevail over hope. We are fortunate, however, that Obama himself doesn't believe any of this.
Continue reading "Does a New Start Have a Chance?"
The Army Fights "With God on Our Side"
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 23, 2008 at 04:24 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question:
The ACLU has asked the U.S. Naval Academy to end prayers at mandatory meals, and yet all branches of the service employ chaplains. What is the proper role of religion in the military?
Continue reading "The Army Fights "With God on Our Side""
Obama Funding the Churches - A religious critique
posted by Rabbi Lerner on July 14, 2008 at 11:13 PM
Presidential candidate Barack Obama's commitment to continue and expand church-based funding is not that it will end up undermining church/state separation or that it will aid in indoctrinating innocents into Christianity. Obama's administration is likely to take strong steps to avoid those slippery slopes.
Continue reading "Obama Funding the Churches - A religious critique"
May the Best Image Win, For Once
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 04, 2008 at 08:54 AM
Great events tend to move more by image than by realities. At their most powerful, images are perceptions that grip the mind stronger than statistics, scientific studies, expert testimony, education, and the other tools of reason. We are experiencing a massive image shift right now, and since so many of the new images contain threat or at the very least uncertainty, no one knows how this will change reality.
Continue reading "May the Best Image Win, For Once"
A New World or No World? (Part 2)
posted by Deepak Chopra on June 20, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Eighty years after the great economist John Maynard Keynes observed that the market is psychological and goes up and down primarily because of how investors feel, few people grasp how profound he was. We still rely on objective standards that are only marginally credible: graphs and models, price swings turned into predictive software, and battling academic theories that never come to a consensus. But understanding Keynes's insight is absolutely vital, and then going even further to comprehend why we behave the way we do. For a new world to be born, a new mindset is necessary. "Mind before money" encapsulates the truth. There has never been a more threatening time for the U.S. and the global economy since the Great Depression and the era of totalitarianism.
Continue reading "A New World or No World? (Part 2)"
A New World or No World? (Part 1)
posted by Deepak Chopra on June 12, 2008 at 04:27 PM
Societies never act in totally predictable ways. In response to the global economic crisis of the mid-Seventies, induced by OPEC tripling the price of oil overnight, every country was put to the test. Energy policies proposed by Jimmy Carter, which rested on the notion of consumer restraint (e.g., turning the thermostat down in the White House to 68 degrees), were unpopular, demoralizing, and ultimately a flop. But England, France, the Soviet Union and others adopted widely differing energy policies that were equally a flop.
Continue reading "A New World or No World? (Part 1)"
John McCain is computer illiterate
posted by Gotham Chopra on June 11, 2008 at 05:28 PM
This really bothers me. When asked in an interview if he is a Mac or PC guy, McCain answered: "neither, I'm an illiterate that has to rely on my wife for all of the assistance I can get."
Continue reading "John McCain is computer illiterate"
Racism Bites Back, Using Religion as its Pawn
posted by Deepak Chopra on June 03, 2008 at 07:24 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question regarding Obama's decision to leave the United Trinity Church.
Continue reading "Racism Bites Back, Using Religion as its Pawn"
He will...
posted by Saira Mohan on June 03, 2008 at 06:06 PM
...better manage the change that has already occured.
Think Again
posted by Gotham Chopra on May 29, 2008 at 11:44 PM
Forgive me for not providing the link right here, but just read an article in today's NYTIMES about the State Department revoking its Fulbright scholarship grants to a number of Palestinian students in Gaza. The reason? Because Israel is unwilling to let students leave the region as a punishment to the controlling Hamas militant group. The US State Department has subsequently determined that providing the scholarships is a potential waste of money and resources.
Continue reading "Think Again"
The Amorality of the Free Market
posted by Deepak Chopra on May 28, 2008 at 05:13 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith in response to their question:
Greed, one of the seven deadly sins, is seen as a major factor in the housing market crash and the oil price spike. Can greed ever be justified morally or religiously?
Continue reading "The Amorality of the Free Market"
Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds...
posted by Deepak Chopra on May 21, 2008 at 06:42 AM
A Washington Post article in response to their question: The California Supreme Court has overturned that state's ban on gay marriage. Is marriage a legal right or a sacred rite? Should the state be involved in marriage? Should religious institutions?
Continue reading "Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds...
Why Do Political Lies Work?
posted by Deepak Chopra on May 16, 2008 at 08:47 AM
Anyone who wants to reform American politics has to seriously consider the pros and cons of lying. Telling people what they want to hear has rarely lost an election. Yet nobody wants to be on the Titanic, reassured that what they felt was just a tiny bump. To begin with, there's an assumption that no candidate can win by telling the whole truth .
Continue reading "Why Do Political Lies Work?"
The Pressure To Be Good
posted by Deepak Chopra on May 09, 2008 at 01:14 PM
In a recent interview for his new book on democracy, Bill Moyers presented the bleakest face of goodness that one could imagine. He is too gentle to mount a jeremiad, yet Moyers' recent career has been one long lamentation. He says, "Politics can create problems that politics can't solve," citing the frightening rise of lobbyists, special interests, and ideological factions. The moneyed classes ride roughshod over the poor.
Continue reading "The Pressure To Be Good"
Hamstrung by Objectivity part 2
posted by Carter Phipps on May 07, 2008 at 04:08 PM
Anyone who enjoyed the previous blog entry might find this link interesting.
http://www.wie.org/j37/phipps.asp?ifr=hp-art
Hamstrung by Objectivity
posted by Carter Phipps on May 07, 2008 at 08:19 AM
The Fourth Estate. Murrow. Kronkite. The New York Times. CNN. All represent the great media pillars of American culture. Some might even say that the media is the last great bastion of objectivity in American culture, the great protector of an open society. But spend a few hours watching any cable news show cover the Presidential campaign and then try to say that with a straight face.
Continue reading "Hamstrung by Objectivity"
TIME article on the Dalai Lama
posted by Intent on May 01, 2008 at 02:17 PM
An article on the Dalai Lama by Deepak Chopra Dalai Lama
A Test Case for Obama's Idealism
posted by Intent on April 28, 2008 at 12:23 PM
A Washingont Post article by Deepak Chopra in response to their question: Jeremiah Wright's sermons continue to be an issue in the presidential campaign. Why? What do you think of his preaching style? What do you wish you understood better about it? A Test Case for Obama's Idealism
Un Mundo Mejor es Posible
posted by Mallika Chopra on April 26, 2008 at 11:17 PM
(This was sent to me by a friend who is at Kellogg Business School - where I did my MBA, as well.)
A better world is possible. These five words, omnipresent throughout Cuba, which our Kellogg group toured during Spring Break, were once spoken by the nation’s longstanding Patriarch, Fidel Castro.
Continue reading "Un Mundo Mejor es Posible"
Obama and "I'm Just Like You" Politics
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 21, 2008 at 09:00 AM
In recent weeks Barack Obama has been faulted for, among other things, misunderstanding working-class gun owners and church goers, bowling a 37, wanting a Philly cheese steak with goat cheese instead of Cheez Whiz, and associating with a former Sixties radical who is now a professor of English. These accusations, aimed at him by the Clinton campaign and various Republican sources, amount to a single insinuation: Obama has failed to pass the "I'm just like you" test. Previous politicians who have similarly failed: John Kerry for windsurfing, Michael Dukakis for posing in an Army tank, Al Gore for "throwing like a girl" when he played touch football in a campaign ad, and John Edwards for getting a haircut that allegedly cost $400.
Continue reading "Obama and "I'm Just Like You" Politics"
Pope Benedict and the Mystery of Two Worlds
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 16, 2008 at 12:06 PM
An article in the Washington Post on the Pope's visit. Pope Benedict and the Mystery of Two Worlds
Pangea Day
posted by Kanika Sethi on April 14, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Just caught this online -- a moving rendition of Indian's National Anthem sung by a Kenyan choir. (They also have a video of a Japanese opera singer singing for Turkey, Australians doing the Lebanese Anthem and the French singing The Star Spangled Banner.)
Here's the link. Enjoy! I really love this kind of thing.
Honorable Warriors in a Dishonorable War
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 09, 2008 at 09:17 AM
No one could fail to notice how honorable a soldier Gen. David Petraeus is, and that includes committed opponents of the Iraqi war. What made his latest testimony on Capitol Hill so moving was its reminder that a warrior's best qualities -- valor, coolness under fire, loyalty, and patriotism -- are no small thing. In fact, they used to be the test of manhood, and for centuries armies have served as the initiation and training ground for civil society.
That changed when war became a field for mechanized death and the push of a button could annihilate the enemy, with little regard for individual valor. But to forget that valor still exists is just as immoral.
Continue reading "Honorable Warriors in a Dishonorable War"
A Fatal Blow To Idealism
posted by Intent on April 05, 2008 at 08:19 AM
An article in the Washington Post by Deepak Chopra for the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death. A Fatal Blow To Idealism
Tibet Isn't a Buddhist Litmus Test
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 01, 2008 at 03:48 PM
As the violence in Tibet has continued, the Dalai Lama issued a stern statement that he could not align himself with insurrection in his home country. Buddhism rests on several pillars, one of which is nonviolence. Tibet quickly became a kind of Buddhist litmus test. How much pain and oppression can you stand and still exhibit loving kindness and compassion? I wonder if that's really fair. The Tibetans face a political crisis that should be met with political action. Whatever that action turns out to be, nobody should be seen as a good or bad Buddhist, anymore than defending your house from an intruder tests whether a Christian is living by the precepts of Jesus.
Continue reading "Tibet Isn't a Buddhist Litmus Test"
Not without my father
posted by Rahul Pandita on March 30, 2008 at 07:59 AM
The story of how a young assistant director of Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par is fighting a battle for her father, who is under arrest on charges of being a Naxalite leader. Read Here.
Tibet, the 'great game' and the CIA
posted by Deepak Singh on March 27, 2008 at 05:56 AM
I suppose that the CIA will never learn - http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JC26Ad02.html
China-Tibet: Challenge to Conscience of The World
posted by DK Matai on March 21, 2008 at 02:49 PM
Dalai Lama & Nancy Pelosi, Dharamsala, India
Dear Friends, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has called on the international community to denounce China's rule in Tibet describing China's crackdown as "a challenge to the conscience of the world."
Continue reading "China-Tibet: Challenge to Conscience of The World"
Why Wright Versus Wrong Matters
posted by Intent on March 18, 2008 at 12:33 PM
An article by Deepak Chopra in the Washington Post in response to the question: How should Barack Obama have responded to inflammatory remarks made by his former pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright? Are you responsible for what your spiritual leader says from the pulpit?
Why Wright Versus Wrong Matters
Sex In Glass Bedrooms
posted by Intent on March 14, 2008 at 12:49 PM
An article by Deepak Chopra in the Washington Post in response to the question: What does the Elliot Spitzer scandal say about our public and private morality? Should he have resigned? Sex In Glass Bedrooms
Thank God for Dick
posted by Gotham Chopra on March 12, 2008 at 10:30 PM
Just today as I paid almost $4 per gallon to fill gas in my car, I thought to myself, thank goodness the current administration is sending Vice President Dick Cheney to the Middle East to meet with oil executives with the intention of helping to bring down gas prices.
Continue reading "Thank God for Dick"
The Messiah Virus
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 10, 2008 at 11:51 AM
A month ago millions of people were discovering the allure of Barack Obama's charisma, and it made for a heady change in politics as usual. Caught on the wrong side of the charisma gap, Hillary Clinton applied the only remedy she knew -- more politics as usual -- and it seemed to work. Her wins in Texas and Ohio shifted the emphasis to toughness. The notorious "3 A.M. telephone call" ad gave voters second thoughts. Among those voters who made up their minds in the last day or two before the primary, a solid majority went for Clinton. Fear, deception, and innuendo have their uses, as we know all too well.
Continue reading "The Messiah Virus"
Why Jesus Lost the Nomination
posted by Intent on March 05, 2008 at 03:03 PM
An article by Deepak Chopra in the Washington post in response to their question: If the historical Jesus were running for president, what kind of candidate would he be? Republican or Democrat? For or against the death penalty, the Iraq war, abortion, etc.?
Why Jesus Lost the Nomination
Clinton-Obama-McCain: Who is likely to win? Why?
posted by DK Matai on March 05, 2008 at 02:58 AM
Dear Friends, post the recent results including Ohio and Texas, who do you think -- Clinton, Obama or McCain -- is likely to become the next US President and why?
Continue reading "Clinton-Obama-McCain: Who is likely to win? Why?"
The Red Phone
posted by Gotham Chopra on March 04, 2008 at 09:05 PM
If you've seen the latest "red phone ad" that the Hillary Clinton campaign ran in Texas this week, know that it's actually not that original. Back in 1984 Walter Mondale ran it on Gary Hart. And back in 1964, Lyndon Johnson's campaign created the original red phone ad asking who voters wanted in charge in the White House when the proverbial fit hit the shan.
Continue reading "The Red Phone"
Can Charisma Really Bring Change?
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 25, 2008 at 07:07 AM
It's generally acknowledged that Hillary Clinton's campaign has stalled on the wrong side of a charisma gap. The Democratic electorate has surged to follow Barack Obama, and yet this doesn't signal that Hillary is unpopular -- she still earns a high favorability rating. Nor does she suffer by comparison on issues of substance; if anything, she's ahead. But Obama has done something very difficult for an inspirational campaigner. He's kept building support. Enthusiasm isn't waning as the first glow of infatuation fades. This is testimony to Obama's integrity, a much used word in politics that rarely matches reality.
Continue reading "Can Charisma Really Bring Change?"
Memory and Machiavelli
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 22, 2008 at 11:38 AM
There has been much decrying in the anti-war movement of deception and disinformation, accusing the Bush administration of using both tactics to fool the American people into the invasion of Iraq. Little has been said about the shallowness of political debate that allowed the public to be fooled in the first place. On PBS this weekend there was an enlightening interview with Susan Jacoby, author of a new book, "The Age of American Unreason" (Pantheon, 2008), where she makes the point that ignorance underlies the war as much as trickery and deception. In a poll, college and high school-educated respondents were asked to find Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel on a world map. Only 23% of the college-educated under the age of 25 and 6% of high school-educated could find all four, despite the fact that the map they were given was labeled -- we are not talking about maps where the countries are left blank.
Continue reading "Memory and Machiavelli"
The Audacity of Enlightenment
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 18, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Although Barack Obama's slogan is "the audacity of hope," the words have deeper connotations at this moment. One of the most powerful, I think, is the audacity to wake up. In order for the right wing to succeed in its reactionary agenda, the American public had to agree with it. On the surface it wouldn't seem that people could agree to freeze their incomes, give tax breaks to the least deserving, amass a huge national debt, ignore the rising cost of health care, and various other aspects of the right-wing agenda. To offer their agreement, the public had to vote against its own interest, and doing that required them to be asleep.
Continue reading "The Audacity of Enlightenment"
Why I Support Obama - The Emotional Response
posted by Derrick N Ashong on February 12, 2008 at 06:10 PM
So we got a ton of positive feedback about that YouTube Interview and it raised a bunch of questions as well...
Continue reading "Why I Support Obama - The Emotional Response"
When God Splits His Vote
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 11, 2008 at 12:27 PM
It's been said that the fundamentalist movement is demoralized and fractured during this election cycle. The Republicans are gaining a candidate, John McCain, who is viewed suspiciously by the religious right, even after a series of half-hearted capitulations on his part. As a commentator remarked recently, if you aren't a thousand per cent pure, the religious right disapproves. In addition, younger Christians no longer vote in a rigid bloc like their elders.
Continue reading "When God Splits His Vote"
Afghanistan:It's time for UN and Muslim countries to step up
posted by Vijay Sappani on February 11, 2008 at 08:55 AM
The peace keeping mission has turned into a peace making mission. Is NATO doomed to stay there for ever?
Continue reading "Afghanistan:It's time for UN and Muslim countries to step up"
Obama or Clinton : Find out who thinks like you
posted by Vijay Sappani on February 08, 2008 at 07:45 PM
Can't decide between Obama and Clinton, take this 10 question test
Continue reading "Obama or Clinton : Find out who thinks like you"
President McCain? Reagan-Clinton-Obama Chess
posted by DK Matai on February 07, 2008 at 01:23 PM
Dear Friends, we have just finished watching Senator McCain's strong speech after the graceful bow out of Mitt Romney. As we were watching it, I was reminded of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and how he was 69 years old when he became the oldest elected US President. John McCain is 71. Is it possible that he becomes President whilst Clinton and Obama fight it out? Please note that being apolitical myself, my question is purely neutral...
Continue reading "President McCain? Reagan-Clinton-Obama Chess"
For Obama's Sake
posted by Derrick N Ashong on February 07, 2008 at 07:37 AM
So my boy Baratunde just posted this video on his blog. It's from an interview outside the Clinton/Obama debate last week. The interviewer was a little rude at the beginning, but we made friends by the end. ;) Check it out:
Continue reading "For Obama's Sake"
Senator Barack Obama Responds to the Open Letter
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 06, 2008 at 03:55 PM
1. How do you view the importance of being open to welcome and to encourage a more inclusive political dialogue with those who may be at the margins of the political establishment or with those who may be at the distant edges of the perceived rigidity of the mainstream political parties?
Continue reading "Senator Barack Obama Responds to the Open Letter"
Senator Hilary Clinton Responds to the Open Letter
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 06, 2008 at 03:43 PM
Dear Mr. Simmons, Mr. Chopra, and Dr. Chavis:
You know, as do Americans throughout our country, that the stakes in this election couldn’t be higher. We face enormous challenges – our economy is sliding into a recession, middle-class families are struggling to make ends meet, our schools are failing our children, and we have a war to end and alliances to rebuild all around the world. The next President must be ready to solve these problems from day one – ready to expand opportunity for all Americans and fulfill America’s promise of justice and equality.
Continue reading "Senator Hilary Clinton Responds to the Open Letter"
Super Tuesday
posted by Mallika Chopra on February 04, 2008 at 09:21 PM
I have to say, I am super excited to vote tomorrow. It feels like a shift is truly happening in the US - I sure hope so. People in the US have a chance to vote for a woman, an African American, a Mormon, a Baptist preacher, and a former POW. That is definitely more diverse than previous choices! Go out and vote (if you live in a US Super Tuesday state) tomorrow. Make your voice heard - we are so lucky to be able to do so!
War takes it toll on Civilians
posted by Vijay Sappani on February 02, 2008 at 09:21 AM
"On our way back we visited the grocery shop when there was a sudden bomb blast and after that loud gunfire. It was so close and we were so terrified. "
Continue reading "War takes it toll on Civilians"
An Immigrant For Obama
posted by Derrick N Ashong on February 01, 2008 at 06:05 PM
Friends,
I have never made a contribution to a political campaign in my life. I was born in a country where for the first 20+ years of my life no one could vote. I grew up under monarchic Middle Eastern regimes where the word "democracy" did not exist in our political lexicon. It was not until 2000 that my homeland saw the face of true democracy for the first time since our independence more than forty years earlier.
Continue reading "An Immigrant For Obama"
Politics of war reflects in media reporting.
posted by Vijay Sappani on January 30, 2008 at 05:12 AM
2o killed, including 11 children have been killed in Sri Lanka and here are three media groups reporting it.
Continue reading "Politics of war reflects in media reporting."
The Inconvenience of Democracy
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 28, 2008 at 02:56 PM
The confusion around picking a Presidential candidate in both parties has led to a much more open nominating process. For the first time in decades the potential front-runners are spending huge amounts of time and money in small states, and crossover independent voters have a significant voice in picking the winner. Could it be that democracy is cautiously rearing its head?
Continue reading "The Inconvenience of Democracy"
Why Political Optimism and Spiritual Optimism Are the Same
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 21, 2008 at 01:51 PM
There was a collective moment of euphoria for many people when Barack Obama gave his victory speech in Iowa, followed by two weeks of steady deflation. New Hampshire and Nevada didn't ride the wave of hope and optimism being generated that night. It's easy to become disillusioned by this, because experience teaches us that euphoria is temporary. The same pundits who wanted to anoint Obama on the spot now prudently observe that he has to fight if he wants to win the nomination of his party. America, we are told, wants and needs the spectacle of such a fight.
Continue reading "Why Political Optimism and Spiritual Optimism Are the Same"
An Open Letter to the Presidential Candidates
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 16, 2008 at 07:18 PM
OPEN LETTER
To
Hillary Clinton
John Edwards
Rudy Giuliani
Mike Huckabee
Duncan Hunter
Dennis Kucinich
John McCain
Barack Obama
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Fred Thompson
Continue reading "An Open Letter to the Presidential Candidates"
Don't Pass the Torch, Put It Out
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 14, 2008 at 09:00 AM
One hears considerable talk, either with panic or jubilation, that no one is emerging as the bearer of the torch of Reaganism in the Republican party. Conservatives who have held sway since 1980, taking only eight years off during the Clinton era, can't reach a consensus. Commentators are predicting that the fractured Republican primaries, having picked two different winners in Iowa and New Hampshire, may pick a third or fourth winner in Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida, adding Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani to the list. Perhaps the attempt to fuse together a united right-wing coalition is as doomed as the attempt to resuscitate the Roosevelt coalition in the Fifties.
Continue reading "Don't Pass the Torch, Put It Out"
Will the Tigers follow the IRA way in 2008?
posted by Vijay Sappani on January 10, 2008 at 08:15 AM
The Tamil Tigers have been one of the most sophisticated armed rebel group in the world. Will they get smart this time to bring peace in Sri Lanka?
Continue reading "Will the Tigers follow the IRA way in 2008?"
The Gender Thing
posted by Mallika Chopra on January 09, 2008 at 10:40 PM
For the first time, I am experiencing a clear gender difference about Hillary Clinton. The important women in my life - my mother, my children's nanny, my sister-in-law, my girlfriends, and their mothers - are celebrating Hillary's comeback in NH. And, it is not anti-Obama. Everyone finds him inspiring. Rather, it is about her and about what she represents -- a woman who is smart, has worked hard, stood firm when attacked, put in her time. I wanted to share an email my friends mom sent her today which so captures this sentiment...
Continue reading "The Gender Thing"
The Audacity of Hope
posted by Mallika Chopra on January 08, 2008 at 11:48 AM
As I read about Barack Obama's surge in popularity and the polls, I have felt discomfort. Something deep inside me is stirring, and its all about myself.
Continue reading "The Audacity of Hope"
Obama and the Call: "I Am America"
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 05, 2008 at 08:45 PM
Rarely has a public figure done as much good for himself with one speech as Barack Obama did with his victory speech after winning in Iowa. Commentators did the fastest flip in broadcasting history. You could visibly see their minds whirling as they went from Position A: Obama appeals to intellectuals and naive idealists, to Position B: Obama is unstoppable.
Continue reading "Obama and the Call: "I Am America""
Friends don't die
posted by Rahul Pandita on January 02, 2008 at 07:43 AM
“He was carrying his revolver when they shot him dead.” The old caretaker at the Ghadar Memorial Hall in Jalandhar takes out a blue handkerchief and spreads its content on the table. There is an old spectacles frame and a blood-stained bus ticket, recovered from Darshan Canadian’s shirt pocket. Read More...
Nepal close to recognizing same sex rights
posted by Vijay Sappani on December 21, 2007 at 06:15 PM
Nepal has set the example for other South Asian countries to follow : on armed conflict resolution and human rights
Continue reading "Nepal close to recognizing same sex rights"
How Your Story Changes the World
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 17, 2007 at 01:59 PM
Every life is part of society, and therefore every personal story is part of society's story. When you use the word "America," an unfolding story is implied. America stands for a history that has its own values, prejudices, crises, hopes, and fears. The same is true when you talk or just think, about topics like religion, immigration, terrorism, or the economy. All these topics are actually unfolding processes, and with each one comes a story.
Continue reading "How Your Story Changes the World"
It's Hard Being Purple
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 14, 2007 at 12:14 PM
The polar ice is melting at an alarming rate, but the political ice jam in this country isn't. While the public looks on with increasing disgust, a Democratic Congress can't get President. Bush and his loyal Republicans to budge on any key legislation. Health care for children has been vetoed twice, war funding reaches new levels, tax reform is stalled, immigration reform is dead, and a government budget bill is being held hostage. Even as we learn that public approval of Congress has sunk to 21%, lower even than Bush's dismal ratings, calls for meaningful progress between the two sides go unheeded.
Continue reading "It's Hard Being Purple"
Are You Running With Me, Jesus?
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 10, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Many right-wing Christians are suspicious of Mormonism, as they are of every religion besides their own, and as a result Mitt Romney was forced to hold a press conference in which he affirmed his belief that Jesus is the "Son of God and Savior of mankind."
Continue reading "Are You Running With Me, Jesus?"
The Oprah Factor
posted by Mallika Chopra on December 09, 2007 at 07:53 PM
Oprah Winfery is attracting unprecedented crowds for US politics, giving a passionate call for change to be led by Barack Obama, praising his "ear for eloquence and tongue for unvarnished truth." Can Oprah help get Obama elected? Do people make voting decisions because
Continue reading "The Oprah Factor"
Religion's Greatest Enemy?
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 07, 2007 at 11:16 AM
Decades after Monty Python came to an end, John Cleese is dapper, intelligent, freethinking, and still funny. I heard him give an impromptu talk and came away with one of his best lines: "The biggest enemy of religion is spirituality." The talk was in California among people who immediately applauded.
Continue reading "Religion's Greatest Enemy?"
Coup d'état
posted by Saira Mohan on December 04, 2007 at 04:24 AM
US spies give shock verdict on Iran threat...
My Name is Muhammad
posted by Kanika Sethi on November 30, 2007 at 01:00 PM
So a British school teacher working in Sudan has been jailed for 14 days for allowing the seven year old students in her class to name a class teddy bear Muhammad and write about the bear's experiences in a journal called "My name is Muhammad". Thankfully,
Continue reading "My Name is Muhammad"
How can we resolve the Middle East crisis ?
posted by Vijay Sappani on November 22, 2007 at 06:33 AM
Canada is uniquely positioned to be a leader in armed conflict resolution, but will it choose to do it?
Continue reading "How can we resolve the Middle East crisis ?"
Omar Khadr on 60 minutes
posted by Vijay Sappani on November 20, 2007 at 06:09 AM
Is Omar Khadr a terrorist, child soldier or an innocent child misguided by his family ?
Continue reading "Omar Khadr on 60 minutes"
"I'm rich. I have a gun. Please be my friend."
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 19, 2007 at 08:49 AM
Recently the term "smart power" has been surfacing more and more in discussions of America's role in the world. The basic idea is that "hard power" and "soft power" need to be balanced in an intelligent way when dealing with other countries. Hard power means military and economic strength. Soft power means
Continue reading ""I'm rich. I have a gun. Please be my friend.""
Curing the Post-Colonial Hangover
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 16, 2007 at 11:55 AM
You have to come from a post-colonial country, perhaps, to understand that the difference between the occupying power and those being occupied is psychological. In India, for example, the actual strength of the British army was minuscule, but their assumptions of superiority, their confidence and domineering attitude held sway over a society that lacked all these qualities. Right now one is witnessing the entire Third World, as it used to be called, waking up from the hangover of colonialism.
Continue reading "Curing the Post-Colonial Hangover"
The Second Injection
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 12, 2007 at 01:05 PM
This seems to be an opportune moment to reconsider the death penalty. By giving last-minute stays to executions in Mississippi and Texas, the Supreme Court has effectively brought about a moratorium on all executions until next spring. At question is the accepted method of administering lethal injections, a method adopted by 37 of the 38 states that allow the death penalty. It's unlikely
Continue reading "The Second Injection"
"THEY GAVE THEIR TODAY FOR OUR TOMORROW"
posted by Vijay Sappani on November 11, 2007 at 10:05 AM
"They'd promised their families they'd come back soon. They more than kept their word. Went as mere men. Came back as heroes. In coffins."
Continue reading ""THEY GAVE THEIR TODAY FOR OUR TOMORROW""
A glimpse into a failing state: SriLanka
posted by Vijay Sappani on November 05, 2007 at 01:55 PM
War clouds are looming over Sri Lanka and the signs are very clear that a full blown war is going to break out. The Tigers have vowed to strike back and this is going to get dirty.
Continue reading "A glimpse into a failing state: SriLanka"
Pakistan in Turmoil
posted by Mallika Chopra on November 04, 2007 at 05:59 AM
A year after 9/11, General Musharraf came to Los Angeles to have dinner with leaders and businessmen. A friend of ours, a businessman and influential Republican supporter (he actully really is the nicest man), invited Sumant and I to attend as his guests to the dinner. Aside from the fact that we actually couldn't go, I remember Sumant asking our friend how the US
Continue reading "Pakistan in Turmoil"
The Discreet Charm of the Ruling Class
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 22, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Elected officials are sent to Washington to govern but not to rule. This may sound like a question of semantics or at best a fine distinction. But rulership isn't a legitimate part of democracy. When a governing class develops in a democratic society, it loses contact with the people who elect it. In many ways America is burdened with such a class, which has amassed power over the past fifty years, until it arrived at a place where its right to rule goes almost unchallenged.
Continue reading "The Discreet Charm of the Ruling Class"
Bobby Jindal Youngest Governor Elected in US
posted by Mallika Chopra on October 21, 2007 at 08:54 PM
The first non-white to hold a post since Reconstruction. And, the first Indian American Governor, as well.
He won't remember me, but Bobby and I were undergrads at Brown University together.
I actually remember him because he was part of group of people who converted to Catholicism at Brown - a process that fascinated, and honestly, baffled me. (One of my best friends converted at that time, as well.)
Continue reading "Bobby Jindal Youngest Governor Elected in US"
Your Apocalypse or Mine?
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 19, 2007 at 10:02 AM
Some time back I wrote a post entitled "The Seduction of Apocalypse" (April 7, 2006), pointing out the dark appeal of believing that the world is coming to an end. This seems like a good time for a follow-up, because in fact there are two versions of the apocalypse teetering on the brink, one Christian, the other Islamic.
Continue reading "Your Apocalypse or Mine?"
Benazir Bhutto Survives Assassination Attempt
posted by DK Matai on October 18, 2007 at 12:58 PM
Several blasts have occurred near the motorcade carrying Pakistani ex-PM Benazir Bhutto, during her triumphant homecoming after eight years in exile...
Continue reading "Benazir Bhutto Survives Assassination Attempt"
Who are you really aligned with?
posted by Kanika Sethi on October 09, 2007 at 05:29 AM
Which American presidential hopeful are you supporting? I thought I was a Hillary supporter -- I guess I still am based on emotions -- but in theory turns out my views are really much more in line with Dodd's, Kucinich's and Edwards'. (Who'd have thought I'd be supporting a white, male candidate?)
Take this short quiz to find out who shares your take on the issues.
With God Off Our Side
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 01, 2007 at 11:40 AM
One of the bitterest complaints against both sides in the Iraq war is that religion has been a prime cause. When President Bush proclaimed that the war on terror represented a clash of civilizations, he implicitly meant Christianity versus Islam, a view reinforced by his further claim that he was guided by God in his decision-making. No one supposes that a universal God spoke to him. It was specifically a Christian God. Even Judeo-Christian would be a stretch.
Continue reading "With God Off Our Side"
HQR*: One World by Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
posted by DK Matai on October 01, 2007 at 01:20 AM
Dear Friends, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday is fast approaching on 2nd October and his message of "One World" is worth noting in the context of HQR*!
Continue reading "HQR*: One World by Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)"
How to Feel Safe and Secure (Part 2)
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 28, 2007 at 12:21 PM
It would seem illogical that national security depends on how you handle your own personal fears, but in large part it does. One can take for granted that governments play a role in policing the streets and keeping vigilant for possible dangers from abroad. However, those strategies can go only so far. At a certain point the law of diminishing returns comes into play. It is impossible to track the comings and goings of every suspicious person in the world.
Continue reading "How to Feel Safe and Secure (Part 2)"
Burma Revolution: Last moments of Nagai Kenji
posted by DK Matai on September 27, 2007 at 01:56 PM
Japanese journalist shot while covering protest
Continue reading "Burma Revolution: Last moments of Nagai Kenji"
How to Feel Safe and Secure
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 24, 2007 at 11:07 AM
Six years past the attacks of 9/11, politics still hinges on the question of national security. Should another major terrorist incident occur, the candidate who plays upon fear and insecurity would almost certainly win. Thoughtful commentators have pointed out a major disconnect between rhetoric and action in the current administration, however.
Continue reading "How to Feel Safe and Secure"
Does Peace Have a Future?
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 21, 2007 at 09:51 AM
If the pundits and pollsters are right, the American public has tuned out the Iraq War. It's become a foregone conclusion that the conflict will grind on until at least Jan. 2009 when a new president takes office. The anti-war movement has been completely blocked, and grass-roots efforts against the war have become more or less futile. In realistic terms war remains a stubbornly unchanging policy controlled by the right wing. Does that mean that the rest of us -- the vast majority who oppose the war -- are left without options?
Continue reading "Does Peace Have a Future?"
Hey Van, It's Nancy Polosky on the phone By Julie Bergman Sender
posted by Julie Bergman on August 19, 2007 at 07:02 AM
On Saturday August 4th, the House passed the Clean Energy Bill. Contained in that bill was the Green Jobs Act of 2007: $125 million dollars to train 35,000 people a year in Green collar jobs.
Continue reading "Hey Van, It's Nancy Polosky on the phone By Julie Bergman Sender"
Goodbye, Karl Rove...
posted by Mallika Chopra on August 13, 2007 at 09:59 AM
Thoughts? What happens now? Who becomes the target now that the "boy genius" and "architect" of the Bush administration is gone? Will Rove escape all the scandals that surrounded, yet somehow never touched him?
Two sides to the story
posted by Salman Ahmad on July 31, 2007 at 10:47 AM
Friends, this is a very painful video to watch but it shows the US soldiers' predicament and frustration in Iraq as well as the hell inflicted upon Iraqi society as a result of the war...
peace,
salman
The Dalai Lama, George Soros And You.
posted by James Boyce on July 30, 2007 at 11:01 AM
At first glance, the Dalai Lamai and George Soros would seem to have little in common. One a religious leader from Tibet with few worldly possessions, the other one of the world's wealthiest men, and greatest philanthropists. But both men have a vision that you, and I, could use to spin a cliche, make the world a better place.
Continue reading "The Dalai Lama, George Soros And You."
Pearls Before Swine…
posted by Julie Bergman on July 27, 2007 at 10:01 PM
“I live at an intersection of politics and public service. Public service is all about action.”
`Who said that?
Continue reading "Pearls Before Swine…"
What Have They Got Against Girls' Sports?
posted by Joe Kelly on July 19, 2007 at 04:51 AM
A dad named John Humphreys recently wrote to me upon learning that the Department of Education is weakening Title IX, the federal civil rights law granting fair access to sports for girls and women. He asked “Why ever should there be any darn sex discrimination at all?” Like John, I’m stumped, too. But the fact of the matter is that discrimination still exists—which means we parents and others who care about girls need to do something about it.
Continue reading "What Have They Got Against Girls' Sports?"
The Case of the Evil Doctors (Part 3)
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 13, 2007 at 12:07 PM
In earlier posts the nature of evil was being dissected into its component parts. We need to face that truth that evil cannot be defeated without understanding. Too often we think we understand evil simply because it is so familiar when in fact there are many unsolved mysteries hidden inside it. The next piece of the puzzle is entrenched mythology. I was recently in Colombia where the evils of the cocaine trade and its attendant violence are known to the whole world. What one observes there, however, isn't so simple as good versus evil. There are three entrenched mythologies warring for dominance.
Continue reading "The Case of the Evil Doctors (Part 3)"
Imperial History of the Middle East
posted by Saira Mohan on July 13, 2007 at 08:24 AM
Who has controlled the Middle East over the course of history? Pretty much everyone. Egyptians, Turks, Jews, Romans, Arabs, Persians, Europeans...the list goes on. Who will control the Middle East today? That is a much bigger question...
Continue reading "Imperial History of the Middle East"
The Case of the Evil Doctors (Part 2)
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 09, 2007 at 08:25 AM
In the first part of this post on the nature of evil, which was prompted by the conspiracy of doctors centered in the UK who have turned to terrorism, I brought up the ingredient of perception. Perception subjectively colors what we call good and evil, and this happens on both sides, the perpetrator's and the victim's. Even in the most extreme cases, such as Nazism, there is an element of mistaken perception that is more viable as an explanation than resorting to religious concepts of absolute evil.
Continue reading "The Case of the Evil Doctors (Part 2)"
Update - UK Critical Alert; Response to Lord Desai
posted by ATCA on July 02, 2007 at 03:17 AM
We are grateful to Prof Jean Pierre Lehmann, Founder Director, Evian Group, based at IMD Lausanne, Switzerland, for "Crossing the Chasm: Evolution Towards a Liberal Society;" HE Basil Eastwood, former British Ambassador to Switzerland & Liechtenstein and Syria, for "Role of Islam in Politics;" and Florian Lennert, Director, Corporate Relations, LSE, from Kigali, Rwanda, for "Avoiding Human Catastrophe."
Continue reading "Update - UK Critical Alert; Response to Lord Desai"
Lord Desai: The Roots of Terror: Islam or Islamism?
posted by ATCA on July 01, 2007 at 01:01 AM
We are grateful to The Lord Desai based at the Palace of Westminster, London, for his submission.
Continue reading "Lord Desai: The Roots of Terror: Islam or Islamism?"
The Cruelty of Semantics
posted by Deepak Chopra on June 29, 2007 at 07:23 AM
The average citizen has a right to be perplexed by yesterday's Supreme Court decision that overthrew decades of school integration programs. Or did it do the opposite? The majority opinion cited the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education as its guiding light. The four dissenters, however, claimed that Brown had been compromised, betrayed, and misunderstood.
Continue reading "The Cruelty of Semantics"
Love In Action
posted by Velcrow Ripper on June 24, 2007 at 06:11 PM
This week was a journey through the history of the American Civil Rights movement, a story we've all heard of time and time again. I thought I knew the story myself, but it was not until I actually set foot in the historic heart land of the movement -
Continue reading "Love In Action"
Two Muslim Girls
posted by Mallika Chopra on June 12, 2007 at 09:54 PM
Bahnaz Mahmod - killed by her Kurdish father in an "honor killing" for falling in love with an Iranian Kurd. Fatima Salary, an Indian slum girl who obtained an Engineering degree with the help of her husband.
Continue reading "Two Muslim Girls"
MEANWHILE
posted by Gotham Chopra on June 10, 2007 at 09:23 PM
While you and I have been doing whatever it is that we do for the last 5 years, several dozens or hundreds of prisoners (no one really knows because it's in the interest of national security our government won't full disclose a real number) have been toiling away in the Guantanamo detention center.
Bush and Iraq
posted by Saira Mohan on May 24, 2007 at 12:13 PM
Bush said today that "We'll Leave Iraq If They Ask Us".
...so why can't the world convince Iraq to ask?
Funding and Crying: Why the Dems Capitulated to one of the Least Popular Presidents in US History to Support one of the Least Popular Wars in US History?
posted by Rabbi Lerner on May 24, 2007 at 05:52 AM
A response from the Religious Left -
When I lived in Jerusalem and worked with the Israeli peace movement, we described our spineless Labor Party and some of the allegedly pro-peace intellectuals as "shooting and crying"?first they'd support military action, then they'd lament how terrible it felt to be "forced to stoop to the level of violence" (allegedly by "the enemy").
No Accounting?
posted by Deepak Chopra on May 04, 2007 at 08:55 AM
The issue of accountability has suddenly flooded the news. George tenet, the ex-chief of the CIA, has written a memoir pointing fingers at the White House inner circle for reckless drumming up war with Iraq. Bill Moyers aired a doleful report on the run-up to the war, in which every major news organization, almost without exception, uncritically accepted any flimsy lie or misinformation provided by the administration. (When Sen. Edward Kennedy,
Continue reading "No Accounting?"
Silence of the Guns
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 30, 2007 at 08:27 AM
In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, editorials in Europe repeated a familiar theme, that America is gun happy. Current estimates hold that 1 in 3 households has a gun. Laws to control gun ownership have weakened over the years, as witness the lifting of the ban on assault weapons. To outsiders, U.S. politics is bizarre. You would think that no one could get elected to Congress without a Bible in one hand and a rifle in the other. The NRA and the Christian right want that image to continue, and together they claim to have swung the 2000 presidential campaign, not to mention many others on the congressional and senatorial level.
Continue reading "Silence of the Guns"
The Threat of the Threat
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 27, 2007 at 08:59 AM
Peter Clarke, Britain's top security official, delivered a grim overview of the state of Al-Qaeda last week. He made several points, chief of which was that Al-Qaeda has survived a multi-national campaign to destroy it. This itself wasn't news, but Clarke went on to say that young British Muslims are following a trend of traveling to Pakistan to be trained in terrorist tactics; their intent is to return home to plot further attacks like the subway bombings that rocked London in the summer of 2005. Currently Britain has more than 100 terror suspects awaiting trial. Clarke's final assessment was that the country would be attacked again in the future.
Continue reading "The Threat of the Threat"
A wife's influence...
posted by Kanika Sethi on April 26, 2007 at 03:23 PM
Do you think Laura ever rolls over and looks her husband in the eye as they're turning in for the night, sighs, and says, "You know, George, maybe the rest of the country is right..." How I wonder...
The Upper Hand In Iraq
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 20, 2007 at 07:49 AM
From the recent wave of bombings in Iraq that continue to tear that country apart, it has become obvious that the U.S. no longer has the upper hand there and never will. The power struggle that will decide the fate of Iraq has rendered American participation irrelevant. This fact needs to be considered in the war debate at home, yet both sides, Democratic and Republican, continue to act as if decisions made in this country translate into reality in Baghdad. This is yet another illusion that is dying in the war.
Continue reading "The Upper Hand In Iraq"
Loner, Alien, Guns
posted by Mallika Chopra on April 17, 2007 at 12:16 PM
As I read more stories about the Virginia Tech rampage, these words keep coming up:
Loner
Alien
Guns
My stomach turns each time I read them.
Continue reading "Loner, Alien, Guns"
More News from Pandora's Box
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 16, 2007 at 07:32 AM
History moves forward from causes that cannot be controlled. A reminder of that fact was delivered this week in a New York Times story about a potential nuclear arms race in the Middle East. The rush is on from Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear power, with as many as a dozen states ready to follow suit.
Continue reading "More News from Pandora's Box"
The Glory of Education: Part II
posted by Saira Mohan on March 31, 2007 at 09:08 AM
If I had one wish, it would be for everyone (in the world) to read this hot-off-the-press book prior to the 2008 Presidential election. Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower ...
Continue reading "The Glory of Education: Part II"
The British hostages in Iran
posted by Deepak Singh on March 30, 2007 at 03:34 PM
Why dont the EU and the USA stop buying oil from Iran until the hostages are returned? Hit them where it hurts.
Or is it politics as usual?
Elizabeth Edwards and the Campaign
posted by Mallika Chopra on March 26, 2007 at 11:16 AM
"You know, you really have two choices here. I mean, either you push forward with the things that you were doing yesterday, or you start dying," Elizabeth Edwards said on 60 Minutes.
Continue reading "Elizabeth Edwards and the Campaign"
population 2050
posted by Sandeep Sood on March 26, 2007 at 11:05 AM
Worldmapper.org warps world maps based on factors such as birth rates, GDP, and population. It amazes me how much more significant it feels to see a visual representation of something rather than to read facts and figures (which is why Al Gore climbing a ladder to show the rise of global warming in an Inconvenient Truth was an excellent touch).
Check out how fat India looks based on its population in 2050.
Continue reading "population 2050"
A Happiness Check List
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 26, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Recently I posted on the new trend in corporate America toward well-being, which may signal a shift in values. Well-being has been a hard sell in alternative medicine, because rather than relying on proven means to stay healthy, people wait for a serious crisis and then rush to the doctor for drugs or surgery. Similarly, any kind of addictive behavior
Continue reading "A Happiness Check List"
The Right Reasons for Going, The Right Reasons to Stay
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 23, 2007 at 01:44 PM
As the Senate and House move closer to making the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq happen faster and sooner, those loyal to Pres. Bush and his war policy mutter darkly about letting down the troops and crippling "forward" motion in the war. Partisan bickering has turned into a smokescreen, behind which lies a baffling and very sad reality. Iraq seems doomed whether the U.S. leaves or stays. Therefore, the future remains clouded; no one can possibly predict whether either course would lead to a greater catastrophe than the one now at hand. Moral judgment needs to come into play here. Leaving Iraq isn't more moral than staying, nor is it more immoral. There are bad reasons being offered to back both strategies.
Continue reading "The Right Reasons for Going, The Right Reasons to Stay"
Visiting "Hometown Baghdad"
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 19, 2007 at 07:02 AM
Mass media coverage has hammered home the impression that Iraq is a country of street people constantly embroiled in religious strife. Because of the dangerous conditions in Baghdad, Western cameras only go where the army goes. Now we can glimpse a different, much more humane view of daily life in the city, thanks to a video project known as "Hometown Baghdad."
Continue reading " Visiting "Hometown Baghdad""
The Absurdity of Peace
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 16, 2007 at 08:15 AM
Recently I posted on America's war system, the vast economic web that ties every sector of the country into the business of war and the death it produces. One responder expressed sarcastic disdain for the following sentences about the Cold War era: "The race to develop the atom bomb, considered so critical back then, proved to be a chimera in the end. A peace pact could have been made with the Soviet Union not to proliferate atomic and missile technology, saving untold billions of dollars." In response he writes, "A peace pact with the Soviet Union! Wow! How come nobody thought of that before?!? It's genius!! Go run and tell the government about your new idea, Deepak!"
Continue reading "The Absurdity of Peace"
Persistence pays, so does Peace.
posted by Vijay Sappani on March 16, 2007 at 05:42 AM
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Continue reading "Persistence pays, so does Peace."
The Rove Gonzalez Connection
posted by Mallika Chopra on March 15, 2007 at 10:42 PM
Can someone explain to me what the big deal around the attorney firings is? And why
Continue reading "The Rove Gonzalez Connection"
Well-Being: A New Standard for Happiness?
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 12, 2007 at 07:26 AM
The new watchword in corporate America these days seems to be "well=being," a term associated with alternative medicine, not the hard realities of business. Google and Apple, among other corporations, have won admiration for providing work environments full of amenities like on-site gyms, day-care centers, and other life-enhancing add ons. Japanese corporations pioneered this trend decades ago. But now a new dimension has been added: the well-being of the public at large, which includes the well-being of the environment. Business is beginning to take seriously that their future depends on going green.
Continue reading "Well-Being: A New Standard for Happiness?"
Laying Off 'Evil' For a While
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 09, 2007 at 09:19 AM
Five years ago, in a rousing speech before Congress, Pres. Bush brought back one of the right wing's favorite adjectives: evil. The Axis of Evil was a clear bid to equal Reagan's Evil Empire, and since the Soviet Union fell, there has been a prevailing myth that calling them evil played a key role. That's dubious, but
Continue reading "Laying Off 'Evil' For a While"
election 2008 - is outsourcing an issue again?
posted by Sandeep Sood on March 08, 2007 at 02:38 PM
On March 7, Bill Gates testified before the US Senate about bringing IT workers into the US:
"We have to welcome the great minds of this world, not drive them out of this country," Gates said.Nice. To be clear, he is discussing the H1-B program, which currently allows 65,000 foreign professionals into the US every year. He went on to say
Continue reading "election 2008 - is outsourcing an issue again?"
"Scooter" Libby Found Guilty
posted by Mallika Chopra on March 06, 2007 at 09:09 AM
Guilty on 4 counts. Meanwhile, today, 2 suicide bombers killed 120 people in Iraq and 9 US soldiers died in separate attacks. Prosecutors accuse Libby of perjury and obstruction of justice in connection to the leak
Continue reading ""Scooter" Libby Found Guilty"
A Pretty Little Investment in Death
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 05, 2007 at 09:59 AM
I wrote recently on the seeming paradox that the Iraq war could be such a total failure while no one in Congress is seriously trying to stop, or even curb it. Pres. Bush's proposed budget gives fully 20% of the federal budget over to defense (a larger proportion than it looks since the lion's share of the budget already goes to Social Security, Medicare, debt payments, and other entitlement programs). A bad war is "good" for the war system that includes
Continue reading "A Pretty Little Investment in Death"
Why Did I Do That?
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 23, 2007 at 08:06 AM
People don't know why they do the things they do, yet they never lose their hunger for explanations. We obsess over behaviors as far flung as suicide bombers and saintly surrender, often being confused about what distinguishes one from the other. Presidents loathe being called mass murderers ('Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?'), yet no mass murderer has come within miles of ending as many lives as a wartime President does.
Continue reading "Why Did I Do That?"
329 dead, zero punished
posted by Vijay Sappani on February 20, 2007 at 08:25 AM
329 people killed in the worst terrorist attack before 9/11 and after 21 years, the case is not resoved. Where are all the honest people in our force?
Continue reading "329 dead, zero punished"
Don't let the enemy win
posted by Vijay Sappani on February 19, 2007 at 06:10 AM
In the clash between two Elephants, the grass is bound to get crushed. In the war between India and Pakistan, it is the civilians who are getting killed.
Continue reading "Don't let the enemy win"
Dr Ian Davis: Iran -- To win without waging war
posted by ATCA on February 19, 2007 at 03:04 AM
We are grateful to Dr Ian Davis of the British American Security Information Council, based in London and Washington DC, for his submission to ATCA, "Iran -- To win without waging war."
Continue reading "Dr Ian Davis: Iran -- To win without waging war"
Lord Alton: How do you solve a Problem like Korea?
posted by ATCA on February 17, 2007 at 06:43 AM
We are grateful to The Lord Alton of Liverpool from the Palace of Westminster for "How do you solve a Problem like Korea?" in response to Andrew Leung for his submission to ATCA, "North Korea: To win without waging war."
Continue reading "Lord Alton: How do you solve a Problem like Korea?"
Why Evolutionary Biology Embraces the Bogus (Part 1)
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 16, 2007 at 06:43 AM
Recently quite a few stories have appeared in the media touting new explanations for such diverse things as altruism, generosity, and music. These complex matters, we are told, can be traced to the brain, which is dependent upon genes, and genes in turn dependent upon evolutionary biology. Thus one reads articles with headlines like "Are You a Giving Person? Your Brain Tells Why" and "Music on the Brain: Why We Are Hard-Wired to Rock." There's a great air of confidence in these stories, generated by new developments in the related sciences being covered. What's left untold is how atrophied the opposite worldview is becoming. Explaining why someone is a giving person used to come down to culture, human values, religion, and philosophy.
Continue reading "Why Evolutionary Biology Embraces the Bogus (Part 1)"
Al-Qaida threat to Canada and CBC poll
posted by Vijay Sappani on February 15, 2007 at 04:30 PM
Congratulations Canada! After many years of the global war on terrorism, you have been added to the list of targeted countries by Al-Qaida; well only because we supply oil to uncle Sam.
Continue reading "Al-Qaida threat to Canada and CBC poll"
When Politicians Don't Vote Their Conscience
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 12, 2007 at 04:59 AM
It seems to be unfolding that Democrats will remain timid in actually curbing the current war policy in Iraq, and in the end a bad war will go on indefinitely. As a result, people will grow cynical about politicians to a deeper degree than ever. If a senator can't vote his conscience on an obvious wrong like the Iraq war, what hope is there for the whole breed of Washington politicos?
Continue reading "When Politicians Don't Vote Their Conscience"
Forget the War -- Look at the Wary System
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 09, 2007 at 08:56 AM
The next week or two will see a lot of the blame game between Republicans and Democrats over why the Senate can't pass even a mild reproof of Iraqi war policy. On the surface it's a demoralizing about face. Neither side is showing the courage to say what is obvious to the electorate: a failed war needs to be stopped. The so-called Warner compromise that is stalled goes so far as to actually support Pres. Bush on various points, like promising not to cut off funds for the troops or planning a timed or phased withdrawal.
Continue reading "Forget the War -- Look at the Wary System"
Who Owns the Planet?
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 05, 2007 at 06:01 AM
The United Nations report on climate change wasn't unfortunate only because it showed, with 90 percent certainty, that the planet is warming up due to human activity. The really unfortunate part is that it gave aid and comfort to right-wing forces who want to keep polluting and ignoring the issue. The authors, scientists from 113 countries, felt obliged to tell the truth, which is that global warming and rises in sea levels will continue for centuries. This despite any foreseeable efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Continue reading "Who Owns the Planet?"
A People Rising
posted by Velcrow Ripper on February 04, 2007 at 01:18 AM
The second Fierce Light video diary is now up! It continues the journey into the heart of the peoples struggle in Oaxaca, Mexico...
Continue reading "A People Rising"
Say Al runs?
posted by Mallika Chopra on February 03, 2007 at 08:47 AM
Just to add to Gotham's predicament on the "clean cut black man" or "that woman", what happens if the Nobel Peace Prize nominee/Oscar contender, decides to run?
Continue reading "Say Al runs?"
Bush offers $ 10,000 to say it aint so
posted by Deepak Singh on February 02, 2007 at 09:06 PM
It really is frightening what our government would stoop to for personal gain: Read the story here
The clean cut black guy or that woman
posted by Gotham Chopra on February 02, 2007 at 10:48 AM
I'm torn.
Continue reading "The clean cut black guy or that woman"
Caught Between a Surge and a Hard Place
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 02, 2007 at 08:22 AM
Only the President has the power to set the agenda for a national public debate, a fact that's often pointed out. Since he announced a surge in troops for Iraq, Bush has met such widespread opposition that he gave up much of that power. The debate has shifted to his opponents, both Democratic and Republican, who are vying to see who can point fingers hardest and scold loudest.
Continue reading "Caught Between a Surge and a Hard Place"
Davos Final: Tony Blair on WTO, Climate & Africa
posted by ATCA on January 27, 2007 at 02:16 PM
We are grateful to receive a copy of the speech delivered by the British Prime Minister The Right Honourable Tony Blair, Member of Parliament, on the closing day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More than 2,000 people, including several hundred distinguished ATCA members, have joined the Davos forum for an intensive five-day programme of workshops and interview-style panel discussions.
Continue reading "Davos Final: Tony Blair on WTO, Climate & Africa"
Five Kinds of Peril
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 26, 2007 at 08:27 AM
In the midst of wholesale criticism of Pres. Bush's decision to escalate of the war in Iraq, his opponents have found safe cover. It's easy to pile on when a policy is so obviously calamitous and futile. Yet in the background serious discussion is going on about what a feasible strategy would be, a good deal of it centered on one book, Alistair Horne's "A Savage War of Peace." Horne is a British historian, and his 2002 book analyzes the French failure to defeat insurgents in Algeria between 1954 and 1962.
Continue reading "Five Kinds of Peril"
The Next President
posted by Deepak Singh on January 22, 2007 at 05:52 PM
The Mysterious Mr Bush will leave quite a legacy – one of which is that irrespective of who succeeds him, (s)he will be remembered as one of the great presidents of this country. Why? Just by doing small and simple things, the next president should easily be able to achieve two things: Allow Islam and America to embrace the other, and give reason for the world to love and respect America gain.
My only desire is that the person we choose can see beyond Middle America, because beyond Middle America lie our shores and the rest of the world.
The Mysterious Mr. Bush
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 22, 2007 at 07:35 AM
Soon after he leaves office, biographies will begin to appear about Pres. Bush, and no doubt he will produce a volume of memoirs. Fairly rapidly historians will move in with their considered, long-term judgments. I will be eager to read these books, because no one since Richard Nixon has been such a mysterious personality. We've all had a chance to observe Bush closely, and insofar as the private person can be assessed, he displays a set of strange characteristics. Here is a long list of them, offered in a sense of genuine bafflement:
Continue reading "The Mysterious Mr. Bush"
China: Aspiring Superpower & Differences with India
posted by ATCA on January 21, 2007 at 02:43 AM
We are grateful to Andrew Leung for "China as an aspiring Superpower: Signal for a Space arms race or a Win-Win engagement;" and Ashutosh Sheshabalaya, for "China and India differences come out in the open."
Continue reading "China: Aspiring Superpower & Differences with India"
China's space weapon test concerns US, UK, Allies
posted by ATCA on January 20, 2007 at 01:21 AM
America and Britain's allies across Asia and the Pacific -- including Japan, Australia and South Korea -- have joined in condemnation of China's successful test of an anti-satellite missile that has raised fears of a new weapons race in space. The test reportedly knocked out an aging Chinese weather satellite with a vehicle launched on board a ballistic missile.
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The Best Thing About Iraq (Part 2)iraq,bush
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 19, 2007 at 09:05 AM
Although there are no scraps of good news from Iraq, America will emerge from the debacle eventually, and it will do so a changed nation. In many ways, the U.S. could become a better nation. Events are already unfolding that way in several areas:
Continue reading "The Best Thing About Iraq (Part 2)iraq,bush"
Exit and No Exit
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 15, 2007 at 08:05 AM
By now every critic has had their say about Pres. Bush's escalation of the war. Comparisons to Vietnam, considered unmentionable a year ago, have become common after Sen. Kennedy raised them. Like Vietnam, Iraq is a quagmire. There's no reason to reach desperately for victory since defeat has already occurred.
Continue reading "Exit and No Exit"
The Two India's
posted by Vijay Sappani on January 14, 2007 at 09:18 PM
A visitor can step from the opulence of a five-star hotel onto a street crammed with child beggars. It is a country with a peace-loving philosophy but a history punctuated by violent protests.
Continue reading "The Two India's"
India-Pakistan Peace Process gathers momentum
posted by ATCA on January 13, 2007 at 01:42 AM
We are grateful to Vice Admiral Dr Verghese Koithara from Wellington in Tamil Nadu, India, for his submission to ATCA, "The India-Pakistan Peace Process gathers momentum in the midst of India's near double digit Growth and Global Ascendancy."
Continue reading "India-Pakistan Peace Process gathers momentum"
Feathers of Peace
posted by Velcrow Ripper on January 12, 2007 at 05:10 PM
The symbol of Parihaka, where I am now, is three white feathers - albatross feathers. During the time of the peace village here, back in the 1800s, an albatross landed, which they never do (they are deep sea birds) in the middle of the village, then flew away, leaving behind three feathers. The prophet of the people here, Tawhiti, decided it was a powerful omen, like the dove in noah's ark that went out to find land - a symbol of hope.
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The Best Thing About Iraq
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 12, 2007 at 07:50 AM
In his revised but hardly new war policy Pres. Bush has flouted the will of the people by "staying the course" in Iraq, and only a speck of doubt exists that the Democrats can do anything about it. He has enough money without new appropriations to run the war, and as commander-in-chief he has final say over escalation. Let's not be fooled by the flimsy cosmetics of calling it a surge. The fact is that the warmakers remain firmly in charge.
Continue reading " The Best Thing About Iraq"
Senator Dick Durbin: Time to face the Reality of Iraq
posted by ATCA on January 11, 2007 at 10:08 AM
We are grateful to receive a copy of the speech of Illinois Senator Richard "Dick" Durbin -- The US Senate Democratic Whip -- "Time to face the Reality of Iraq" by way of the Democratic response to President Bush's address to the nation yesterday in regard to implementing a surge strategy in the Iraq war.
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Iraq: US President to Implement Surge Strategy
posted by ATCA on January 10, 2007 at 09:05 PM
Nearly two months after a resounding Democratic election victory seen by many as a rejection of his Iraq policy, President George W Bush upped the stakes in a televised address to the nation by ordering 21,500 more troops to Iraq rather than pulling back on the US commitment. With Mr Bush's new Iraq strategy unveiled, it is clear that his administration may be running out of options. Text of Joint Statement From Democrats follows.
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US opens new front in Global War on Terror
posted by ATCA on January 10, 2007 at 02:15 AM
The United States has opened up a new front in its global war on terrorism beyond Iraq and Afghanistan. Thirteen years after withdrawing from a disastrous peacekeeping mission in Somalia, the American military has returned. The White House has confirmed that US forces attacked suspected terrorist strongholds in the south of the country on Sunday. And this morning there are reports of more air strikes.
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Village of Peace
posted by Velcrow Ripper on January 09, 2007 at 03:44 PM
We arrive at the airport in Aeroteroa (New Zealand), exhausted from two days in a plane, traveling from Canada, via Hong Kong. No doubt we look as bad as we feel. Waiting for us at the airport is the Maori healer, Mahinekura Reinfelds, a stocky woman in her fifties, with grey hair pulled back in a bun, chin and lips adorned with an elaborate Moku – a blue tinted tattoo of swirling patterns.
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Nancy Pelosi: First Female US House Speaker
posted by ATCA on January 04, 2007 at 09:43 PM
We are grateful to receive a copy of Nancy Pelosi's inaugural speech to the US House of Representatives in which she has cited Saint Francis of Assisi's Prayer. Second in line to the US Presidency, Pelosi has said her ascension to become the first female House speaker in history was the culmination of 200 years of struggle for women as well as a personal victory.
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Minor Detail
posted by Gotham Chopra on January 01, 2007 at 10:21 PM
Here's a little reported detail that I tripped upon today around the execution of Saddam Hussein. Turns out that one minor detail in Irag's emerging political protocol requires the Iraqi President to sign off on the execution of any convicted critical.
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Hanging by a Thread
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 01, 2007 at 07:54 AM
Cruel despots tend to die violently, but when the U.S. handed Saddam Hussein over to his Iraqi executioners, the feeling was both medieval and barbaric. Perhaps--just perhaps--this act would have felt morally right if
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FierceLight Video Diary # 1
posted by Velcrow Ripper on December 26, 2006 at 11:26 AM
I'm excited to announce that the first installment of the FierceLight Video Diary is now available for viewing! Every few weeks we'll be posting a new one, tracking the FierceLIght journey as we circle globe, taking the pulse of the planet, from New York, to Oaxaca, to New Zealand, to Africa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, in the next two months. Join us for this exciting exploration into the world of spirit in action!
Continue reading "FierceLight Video Diary # 1"
Why Terrorism Is Losing
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 26, 2006 at 08:51 AM
Since 2001 the phrase "War on Terror" has disrupted American political life by offering a false comparison. Defeating terrorism isn't the same as waging a war. Nothing could be further from a classic war like WW II, for example--now the British government has issued a directive not to refer to the conflict as a war. Insofar as the U.S. has tried to use the war model in Iraq, it has failed.
Continue reading "Why Terrorism Is Losing"
Iraq and the Problem of Evil
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 22, 2006 at 06:23 AM
It's not yet the last days in Iraq, but it might as well be. A recent poll shows that 71% of Americans oppose the way Pres. Bush is handling the war, and only 9% believe we will win. No such consensus was ever reached over Vietnam. Nixon was elected twice against opponents who would have ended the war sooner. A back-room agreement that could have been achieved with the North Vietnamese in 1969 was postponed for six bloody years while the Nixon administration finagled a way to save face.
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Get Ready for Segregation -- Again
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 18, 2006 at 05:48 AM
The recent elections made it hopeful that the heyday of right-wing reaction is over. But elections don't affect the Supreme Court, and while the country was rising up against the Iraq war, the court quietly began to enact its own agenda. The results could be ominous.
Continue reading "Get Ready for Segregation -- Again"
Her Master's voice
posted by Rahul Pandita on December 17, 2006 at 08:02 AM
The sun is at its zenith and only when you come really close can you see the broken remains of what used to be the house of Dharmesh Bheel and his family. The clear skies invite winds and the dust enters Dharmesh’s eyes. He touches the empty ground where his house stood till recently and applies the sandy earth to his forehead. Read on.
Welcome to the New Confusion -- Answering Responders
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 15, 2006 at 08:47 AM
It wasn't a surprise that responders showed a large degree of skepticism about the Bush Administration's next move in Iraq. They also shared a sense of anger and hopelessness that the "way forward' proposed by the Iraq Study Group was anything of the kind. Here are some specific responses:
Continue reading "Welcome to the New Confusion -- Answering Responders"
How India Can Stop Subsidizing Russia And Israel
posted by Milind Deora on December 14, 2006 at 05:57 AM
Below's a piece I recently wrote for the Indian Express on the strategic and economic opportunities for India in the global military space. It was part of a campaign by the Express on improving accountability in India's defense research agency - DRDO.
Continue reading "How India Can Stop Subsidizing Russia And Israel"
When will it all stop?
posted by Deepak Singh on December 12, 2006 at 07:45 PM
The other day I went to one of our adjacent towns, and came across a war memorial in their town square. It listed the names of the dead from WW I, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, (none from Desert Storm) and then I read, with a sick stomach, two names from Iraq.
Continue reading "When will it all stop?"
Regeneración turns One
posted by radhika on December 12, 2006 at 09:00 AM
this is a repost by RJ, with whom i co-organize Regeneración Childcare NYC. i was going to write a blogpost on the birthday party we just had, reflecting on a year of organizing with this incredible project, but RJ beat me to it. read on...
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Welcome to the New Confusion
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 11, 2006 at 12:06 PM
People seem to be disagreeing heatedly over whether the war in Iraq will change as a result of the Iraq Study Group's report. Yet everyone seems to agree
Continue reading "Welcome to the New Confusion"
George W Bush -- Iraq -- "We need a new approach"
posted by ATCA on December 07, 2006 at 10:30 AM
President George W Bush said on Thursday in Washington DC that a new approach was required on Iraq, one day after the Baker-Hamilton report by the Iraq Study Group called for changing US strategy. "I believe we need a new approach," Mr Bush said during a press conference with British PM Tony Blair.
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The Die is caste
posted by Rahul Pandita on December 02, 2006 at 05:04 AM
A crime committed in a small village in the North Indian state of Punjab threatens to snowball into a deep conflict between two castes. Read more.
Lord Howe: Re-creation of UK Foreign Policy
posted by ATCA on November 30, 2006 at 01:42 AM
The re-creation of British foreign policy is no exaggeration of our need. This need springs from the serious damage done to most of its components -- as a consequence of the profoundly ill-judged Anglo-American invasion of Iraq -- and subsequent response to the onslaught on Lebanon.
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Is Iraq better off now?
posted by Deepak Singh on November 29, 2006 at 10:30 AM
Its all very well to say that the USA has brought “freedom and peace” to the Iraqi people by having removed Saddam Hussein who was known for the deaths of so many people. Is the present situation any better?
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Founding Fathers????
posted by Saira Mohan on November 26, 2006 at 04:42 PM
“…Of all the nonsense and delusion which had ever passed through the mind of man, none had ever been more extravagant than the notions of absolutions, indelible characters, uninterrupted successions, and the rest of those fantastical ideas derived from the canon law; which has thrown a glare of mystery, sanctity, reverence, and right reverend eminence and holiness around the idea of a priest such that no mortal could deserve.”...John Adams
...Check out some other thoughts and beliefs of the Founding Fathers below....
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Sex and Politics
posted by Margot Anand on November 24, 2006 at 10:12 PM
Have you noticed the difference between the French and the American way of perceiving the relationship beteen sex and politics ?
Continue reading "Sex and Politics"
March of the Extreme Pacifists
posted by Velcrow Ripper on November 23, 2006 at 12:44 PM
Early Sunday morning we travel down to the gates of Fort Benning where 20,000 ‘extreme pacifists’ (to use a new phrase I just learned here at intent blog) have gathered in a bid to help create a world of extreme peace. A world where conflicts are resolved through dialogue, and not solved by the barrel of a gun.
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British PM Tony Blair's Speech: Reflections
posted by ATCA on November 14, 2006 at 03:34 PM
Daniel Morler, Head of Middle East, LGT Private Bank, based in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and London, England, for "Solutions through the Rule of International Law"
Oliver Miles, Chairman, MEC International, based in Oxford and London, England, for "Influences from Washington DC"
Continue reading "British PM Tony Blair's Speech: Reflections"
British PM Tony Blair: Whole Middle East Strategy
posted by ATCA on November 14, 2006 at 01:58 AM
British Prime Minister The Right Honourable Tony Blair' speech on a "Whole Middle East Strategy" follows. It is the annual address made to the Lord Mayor's Banquet at The Guildhall in The City of London, where the PM traditionally outlines his foreign policy vision . He stated:
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US Elections: Climate Chaos & Globalisation
posted by ATCA on November 13, 2006 at 01:23 PM
Mindy Lubber, President, CERES, Boston, Massachusetts: The Corporate World & Climate Chaos -- Time for Optimism"
Dr Harald Malmgren, Chief Executive, Malmgren Global, Washington, DC: Globalisation, WTO & The Revival of Protectionism / Economic Nationalism"
Continue reading "US Elections: Climate Chaos & Globalisation"
Humans Doing
posted by Velcrow Ripper on November 13, 2006 at 06:51 AM
On the subway under the ground of New York City, on my way to the memorial for my friend and fellow media activist, Brad Will, killed in the streets of Oaxaca. I’m feeling nervous about showing up in the community of activists. Strange, after 25 years of activism, but somehow I can never quite shake that feeling of not being quite cool enough, or not the right kind of cool.
Continue reading "Humans Doing"
Enough is Enough.
posted by Velcrow Ripper on November 12, 2006 at 09:10 AM
I'm in New York City right now, here for the memorial of my friend and colleague, Brad Will, who was assassinated in Mexico recently, while filming the peoples struggle in Oaxaca. Brad was a well known and well loved media activist.
Continue reading "Enough is Enough."
US Elections Fallout: Media, Real Message & Future
posted by ATCA on November 11, 2006 at 01:03 PM
Dr Fred Cohen from Livermore, California: Media needs to hold up to their part of the bargain!
Terence Ward from Florence, Italy: Heart-to-heart Talk -- Telling someone to go home!
Prof Jean-Pierre Lehmann from Lausanne, Switzerland: Look into the future -- Beyond the Chaos, the Revival of Protectionism?
Continue reading "US Elections Fallout: Media, Real Message & Future"
'India Shining' in Khairlanji
posted by Rahul Pandita on November 11, 2006 at 04:54 AM
One cannot possibly keep on writing travelogues, when humans are turning into beasts. Here is what happened in Khairlanji, Maharashtra, a few hundred miles away from the financial capital of India, Mumbai.
US Elections: Democrats to control US Senate
posted by ATCA on November 08, 2006 at 10:25 PM
The leading US news agency has called the last undecided Senate seat in Virginia for the Democrats, which should deliver control of the upper legislative chamber to them as well. The Associated Press (AP) news agency declared Democrat Jim Webb the winner, reflecting a growing view that a vote recount cannot change that outcome. We are grateful to Michael Northrop from New York City for "US Elections: A Personal Reflection," Prof Joseph Nye from Harvard for "The Rebirth of Soft Power in the US?" and Dr Harald Malmgren from Washington DC for "Deep Analysis: THE 2006 US ELECTIONS -- What is the action agenda for the future?"
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Huh! Cheney’s retiring? Not!
posted by Rini Das on November 08, 2006 at 06:21 PM
I thought retiring Messrs. Cheney and Rumsfeld from the Cabinet will be the next GOP move and mentioned such in my blog entry last night.
Well! We are almost there (50%) with our wishful thinking.
Continue reading "Huh! Cheney’s retiring? Not!"
Rumsfeld replaced; Bill Emmott's Brief Analysis
posted by ATCA on November 08, 2006 at 12:55 PM
US President George W Bush has announced that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down from his post in the wake of the unfolding results of the US mid-term elections. Bill Emmott presents his Brief Analysis of the US Elections in regard to Iran, Iraq and WTO.
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US Elections: Democrats seize control of House
posted by ATCA on November 08, 2006 at 01:50 AM
Democrats have seized control of the House of Representatives and Senate control hangs in the balance. Analysts say the Democrat gains will be interpreted to reflect voter discontent with the war in Iraq and Republican President George W Bush, and will allow the Democrats to choose to launch inquiries into the handling of Iraq. There could be significant changes on domestic issues like taxation and health care.
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First Muslim Elected to Congress
posted by Mallika Chopra on November 07, 2006 at 08:55 PM
As Gotham and I sit glued to the tv and our computers watching the poll results, I came across this article about Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress. Today's results -- the democratic majority in the House and Nancy Pelosi
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Apparently I'm Libertarian
posted by Gotham Chopra on November 07, 2006 at 07:05 PM
So I voted today because it's my civic duty and all that and any time I get an opportunity to express any displeasure with Bush and his cronies I am all for it.
Continue reading "Apparently I'm Libertarian"
The Buckeyes sing the "Blues"
posted by Rini Das on November 07, 2006 at 07:00 PM
The melodic sounds of a Blue state come out in votes.
Continue reading "The Buckeyes sing the "Blues""
Vote Today!
posted by Mallika Chopra on November 07, 2006 at 06:25 AM
I am off to the polls this morning... Hope all our friends here in the US are voting as well! And, remind your friends and family. Check out DailyKos for finding poll places, hotlines and updates.
Bill Clinton called us today
posted by Rini Das on November 06, 2006 at 06:51 PM
9:14 pm: It is quiet here in Columbus. Dense grey clouds covering the high skies. One can hear each leaf slowly fall to the ground, as the top branches of the trees gently rustle. Nothing ominous, but the weather folks predict 50% chance of rain. If one is cynical, this means Republicans will win big in Ohio, maintaining the 2004 calamity.
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the city of baked beans
posted by Sandeep Sood on November 05, 2006 at 02:27 AM
It's been 4 days since Bangalore (and a few of her friends) had her name changed. Since "the English names have not yet been finalised", it will either be Bengalaroo or Bengalaru (this is closer to the original name, Benda Kaal Ooru, which literally means, "the city of baked beans").
Continue reading "the city of baked beans"
Outspoken Evangelist opposed to Gay Marriage
posted by Mallika Chopra on November 03, 2006 at 01:25 PM
engages in meth and massage with gay prostitute? The suprises and political implications before elections! Seems to me that this guy fit the bill of homophobia being more rampant in those with who may be struggling with their own sexual orientations...?
Why Ohio is the new Black?
posted by Rini Das on November 02, 2006 at 06:00 PM
This November, in less than a week from today, Ohio will perhaps redeem itself of its image from 2004.
As you know, we folks at Ohio are just spectacularly average.
Continue reading "Why Ohio is the new Black?"
Can we shush the SUS?
posted by Rini Das on November 02, 2006 at 01:28 PM
Few weeks ago, on a sunny autumn Saturday afternoon, we ventured out to the Columbus Zoo. The new baby gorilla Umande had arrived from Cheyenne looking for a foster parent in Columbus. We had to meet the baby.
Continue reading "Can we shush the SUS?"
The Latest Russian Chess Move in The Great Game
posted by ATCA on November 02, 2006 at 11:09 AM
Russia has alarmed the EU and the US in utilising energy pricing again as weapon to punish Georgia. Russia's state-controlled natural gas monopoly Gazprom said on Thursday that it would more than double the gas price for neighbouring Georgia, ratcheting up economic pressure against Moscow's small southern neighbour.
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More powerful, more effective, NOT as President?
posted by Mallika Chopra on October 30, 2006 at 04:29 AM
The UK will appoint Al Gore as an Environmental Advisor today in the wake of a comprehensive economic report that advises that "the costs of confronting climate change are far outweighed by those of failing to act in time." It is refreshing to see
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The Audacity of Hope
posted by Dave Sidhu on October 18, 2006 at 11:06 AM
There seems to be little cause for optimism in American politics these days. Consider, for example, the ongoing military campaign in Iraq, the morally questionable conduct by members of Congress, and the negative ads flooding the airwaves due to the approaching elections in November. Despite the disappointing judgment of our leaders and the discouraging nature of American political culture, I'm actually hopeful.
Continue reading "The Audacity of Hope"
Peace Is Not Enough
posted by Carter Phipps on October 10, 2006 at 06:40 PM
The heartfelt desire to participate in the ongoing evolution of this vast universe may be joyful, difficult, overwhelming, thrilling, and even liberating. But one thing is for certain: it is not peaceful.
Continue reading "Peace Is Not Enough"
Entelechy Arts: London’s cultural peacemongers
posted by Aladin on October 10, 2006 at 03:59 PM
This remarkable arts company and charity sprang out of everyday encounters almost 20 years ago between people who would not ordinarily come into contact with each other.
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North Korean Provocation: First Nuclear Test
posted by ATCA on October 09, 2006 at 11:37 AM
North Korea has defied the international community by claiming to have carried out its first test of a nuclear weapon. The UN Security Council has strongly condemned North Korea's claim to have tested a nuclear weapon underground.
Continue reading "North Korean Provocation: First Nuclear Test"
If the Only Choice Is Victory
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 09, 2006 at 11:29 AM
It's against America's national religion to lose. Therefore, Pres. Bush's doctrine that winning in Iraq is the only acceptable outcome has served him well. In Bob Woodward's book, 'State of Denial,' we learn that the president was bolstered in this view by multiple visits from Henry Kissinger, who has stated publicly that the only outcome we can live with is victory.
Continue reading "If the Only Choice Is Victory"
Funny, They Didn't Ask Us
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 02, 2006 at 09:37 AM
When the Senate and House were nearing their vote on the so-called compromise bill pertaining to trying suspected terrorist in court, the provisions remained harsh. In effect nothing changed. The Geneva conventions on the treatment of prisoners were reinstated, but with a huge loophole: the President can determine when and if they apply.
Continue reading "Funny, They Didn't Ask Us"
Welcome, Prime Minister Abe!
posted by ATCA on September 28, 2006 at 11:50 AM
Why is Japan's New Prime Minister -- Shinzo Abe -- so important to the World at large and Asia in particular?
Shinzo Abe, 90th Prime Minister of Japan
Continue reading "Welcome, Prime Minister Abe!"
Owning The World
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 22, 2006 at 07:00 AM
Hugo Chavez, the firebrand president of Venezuela, visited the UN this week and called President Bush "the devil." Specifically, Chavez told the assembly, "The devil came here yesterday. He came here talking as if he were the owner of the world." How should we react to that accusation?
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Should The Pope Say Sorry?
posted by Mallika Chopra on September 18, 2006 at 11:24 AM
I have been meaning to blog about Pope Benedict's reference to Muhammad's "evil and inhuman" teachings, but NORM beat me to it! So lets start the conversation from a different perspective. Here is NORMS comment:
Continue reading "Should The Pope Say Sorry?"
Time to wake up, to Unite the Nations and the United Nations
posted by Bandula Jayasekara on September 18, 2006 at 09:28 AM
It is raining in New York. But, the rain in New York makes the Big Apple look even better, nicer and sexier. Umbrellas come out, hats are out and the raincoats, not ordinary ones but fashionable hats,
Continue reading "Time to wake up, to Unite the Nations and the United Nations"
Fighting In a Fog
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 15, 2006 at 11:02 AM
The fifth anniversary of 9/11 passed with a clash of opinions. Are we safer than five years ago? Has the Iraq war created more terrorists? Is the battle against al-Qaida set to last a generation? Voices on all sides
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How you can help ensure that Senator Allen is held accountable in the Meet the Press debate
posted by Subodh Chandra on September 14, 2006 at 09:25 PM
This is a cross post to Sepia Mutiny where I report briefly on how you can ensure that Senator George Allen, who used an ethnic slur in referring to an Indian-American volunteer for his opponent, doesn't escape accountability by making his usual nonsensical explanations during Sunday's "Meet the Press" debate with his opponent, Jim Webb. Please act by sending an email to Meet The Press so host Tim Russert hears from you before the show! A sample letter appears after the jump.
Help Komal Singh Sengar
posted by Rahul Bose on September 14, 2006 at 11:00 AM
The murder, unintentional or otherwise, of Professor Sabharwal in Madhav College in Ujjain has thrown up some pertinent issues, some which this country has been talking about in the last few months, and others it has not. The most obvious of the latter is the entire question of student politics and whether it has become the sole preserve of political parties using the college campus to play dangerous power games.
Continue reading "Help Komal Singh Sengar"
Lord Howell -- Commonwealth as Ideal Model
posted by ATCA on September 07, 2006 at 10:00 AM
With the rise of India, Lord Howell argues from The Palace of Westminster that the Commonwealth is becoming a completely transformed entity and that an enlarged and reformed version of it should be centre stage in addressing the problems of the new international order.
Continue reading "Lord Howell -- Commonwealth as Ideal Model"
Indian President -- Transforming India by 2020
posted by ATCA on September 04, 2006 at 10:59 PM
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is one of the most distinguished scientists of India and became the 11th President of India in 2002. His focus is on transforming India into a developed nation by 2020.
Continue reading "Indian President -- Transforming India by 2020"
Dr H Scheer -- Alternative to the Kyoto Protocol
posted by ATCA on September 03, 2006 at 10:50 PM
"Alternative to the Kyoto Protocol -- The Solar Global Economy" is a very deeply felt and thoughtful presentation on what is wrong with just building a global consensual approach to countering climate chaos via Kyoto and how solar energy initiatives at state level can pave the way to address this complex global challenge facing humanity.
Continue reading "Dr H Scheer -- Alternative to the Kyoto Protocol"
Terrorists drive taxi cabs in the day time,
posted by Mallika Chopra on August 31, 2006 at 09:55 AM
and kill at night, according to Senator Burns of Montana. The statement was made during a fundraiser with First Lady Laura Bush by his side.
Continue reading "Terrorists drive taxi cabs in the day time,"
The Untouchable in the Room
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 28, 2006 at 04:19 PM
When the North Koreans picked the Fourth of July to test six missiles, the date wasn't randomly chosen. Those missiles were rhetorically aimed at us, even if they can't literally reach our shores. The Kim Jon-il regime
Continue reading "The Untouchable in the Room"
Waging War at $75 A Barrel
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 25, 2006 at 11:04 AM
Most of us are aware that America pays for terrorism, but we don't like to think about it. Every time we buy gasoline, part of every tank to fill up the SUV goes to Hezbollah, Al-Qaida, and any other terrorist group that is being covertly financed by Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Continue reading "Waging War at $75 A Barrel"
The Sad Legacy of Bad Science and Bad Religion
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 21, 2006 at 09:32 AM
There wasn't much consternation last week when President Bush vetoed a bill that would have lifted restrictions on stem-cell research. In a country where political lines have hardened into battle lines, people know where they stand already. Few were going to like Bush less or dislike him more for his increasingly isolated stand against using embryos as a source of stem cells. Private funding for this research wasn't affected, and other countries in Europe and Asia continue to make progress on their own. Pres. Bush must think those countries are either morally insensitive or outright godless.
Continue reading "The Sad Legacy of Bad Science and Bad Religion"
The Jill Carroll Story
posted by Mallika Chopra on August 17, 2006 at 09:37 PM
I have been voraciously reading Jill Carroll's story on the Christian Science Monitor about her 82 days as a hostage in Iraq. A new segment is posted daily, and I am finding the whole series riveting. Her words, the actions of her parents, the staff at the paper, the FBI, the reports - its well done. There are so many thought provoking events and issues
Continue reading "The Jill Carroll Story"
Freedom Doesn't Have to Be Democracy
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 15, 2006 at 09:46 PM
One of the honorable things about our foreign policy right now is that the U.S. wants to see democracy grow around the world. It may be the only thing we're admired for, however grudgingly. The American public has soured on democracy in Iraq, however, for several reasons. A. They don't seem ready for it. B. It has cost too much in lives to bring it to them. C. The Iraqi power elite may turn out in the end to be sectarian Shi'ites, as in Iran, making democracy a cover for Islamic extremism.
Continue reading "Freedom Doesn't Have to Be Democracy"
End the Suffering in the Middle East
posted by Rabbi Lerner on August 12, 2006 at 11:53 AM
The people of the Middle East are suffering again as militarists on all sides, and cheerleading journalists, send forth missiles, bombs and endless words of self-justification for yet another pointless round of violence between Israel and her neighbors. For those of us who care deeply about human suffering,
Continue reading "End the Suffering in the Middle East"
Mass Murder Plot
posted by Mallika Chopra on August 10, 2006 at 09:15 AM
As I read about the airline terror plot
and the arrests in London, I was saddened to read that it seems that the 21 arrested are British citizens of Pakistani descent. President Bush said that the
Continue reading "Mass Murder Plot"
Help Stop the Bloodshed in the Middle East
posted by Sarah Ozacky on August 08, 2006 at 06:47 AM
Dear friends,
Right now a tragedy is unfolding in the Middle East. Hundreds of civilians have died in the bombings in Lebanon, Israel and Palestine and the death toll is rising every day.
Continue reading "Help Stop the Bloodshed in the Middle East"
Selling the Illusion of Victory
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 07, 2006 at 05:44 AM
America leads the world in advertising techniques, and now we'll need every ounce of Madison Avenue's skill to sell a difficult product. That product is victory. From the beginning we were told that victory was the only acceptable outcome in Iraq, and now selling that message has become twice as difficult in Lebanon. Insurgents an terrorists aren't giving up. The Islamic world celebrates their existence. At this moment the most popular figure among Muslims everywhere is Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the defiant Hezbollah leader who stands as tall as Osama bin Laden and has proved just as indestructible.
Continue reading "Selling the Illusion of Victory"
The video letter from Beirut
posted by Mallika Chopra on August 06, 2006 at 10:42 AM
Dear Friends. Salman Ahmad sent me this video letter from his musician friend, Moe, who is in the band "The Kordz." Moe's country, Lebanon, is burning... I encourage you to watch the video, and see and feel their tenderness, their laughter, their pride, beauty, and humanity.
Continue reading "The video letter from Beirut"
Message from Beirut - A Plea for Sanity
posted by Salman Ahmad on August 04, 2006 at 08:00 AM
As a human being who believes in the goodness of our race, I am deeply saddened, angry and dumbstruck by the stupidity of our "leaders". This is a cathartic piece which will touch all hearts no matter how cold. It eloquently and incisively expresses
Continue reading "Message from Beirut - A Plea for Sanity"
Exxon Profits Big Time
posted by Mallika Chopra on July 27, 2006 at 12:25 PM
Drudgereport features the above photo and highlights articles on Exxon Mobil's $10 Billion quarterly profit, and its surging stock price. Meanwhile, gas prices are soaring, there is war in the Middle East... What's the deal here? Can anyone explain this to me.
Continue reading "Exxon Profits Big Time"
"Things Fall Apart, The Center Will Not Hold"
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 24, 2006 at 01:29 PM
For more than a month the world will be holding its breath to see if the new Iraqi government’s plan will take that country back form the brink of civil war. So far, the indications are not good. Whenever anarchy reigns,
Continue reading ""Things Fall Apart, The Center Will Not Hold""
Bombings Hit Children Hardest
posted by Mallika Chopra on July 24, 2006 at 11:32 AM
I wanted to point out today's IPS article which states that 55% of the casualties at the Beirut Government University Hospital are children 15 years or less. I believe
Continue reading "Bombings Hit Children Hardest"
Clarification
posted by Gotham Chopra on July 19, 2006 at 04:11 PM
Per my last blog on the Blog Ban, here's a point of clarity that several commenters posted and I have also read elsewhere. Just wanted to make sure everyone saw it. It's regarding the "blog ban" - the following is a letter from the Deputy Consul General of India in NYC. Take it for what it's worth:
Continue reading "Clarification"
Blog Ban
posted by Gotham Chopra on July 19, 2006 at 04:36 AM
Various reports are declaring that the Indian government has banned certain blogs in India. In somewhat classic Indian style, no one quite knows why and muddling through Indian beuracracy even to find the right person to ask why is shaping up to be a Herculean (read Bhima-like) task.
"Kill 'em all and let Allah sort them out..." (Or, more aptly, what is the value of a human life?)
posted by Kanika Sethi on July 15, 2006 at 08:34 PM
While pushing both my stroller and my expanding belly up Murray Hill yesterday, I stopped for a quick breath and happened to notice a car plastered with a bumper sticker that read "Kill 'em all and let Allah sort 'em out!". 85 degrees Fahrenheit with NYC humidity can be uncomfortably hot for a pregnant woman, but I could feel myself burning up even more....
Open War
posted by Mallika Chopra on July 14, 2006 at 12:57 PM
From CNN.
Bombay Bombings
posted by Mallika Chopra on July 11, 2006 at 07:52 AM
To our friends and their families in Bombay, hope you are safe. Latest reports 145 dead, 250+ injured, in 6+ blasts....
A Story IPS Never Wanted To Tell
posted by Mallika Chopra on July 05, 2006 at 03:19 PM
For those of you who look at the news feed on the right that we receive from Inter Press News Agency, I wanted to note the sad news about the loss of one of their reporters, Alaa Hassan, who was killed in Iraq today. He was a victim of circumstance -- ambushed and machine gunned down in his car --
Continue reading "A Story IPS Never Wanted To Tell"
The Shades of his Evening
posted by Rahul Pandita on July 05, 2006 at 10:30 AM
The true story of Dalit radical poet Lal Singh Dil.
Continue reading "The Shades of his Evening"
Iran and the i-Pod
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 03, 2006 at 03:42 PM
It seems that our children and grandchildren may grow up in a world with more atom bombs and more i-Pods. I'm disturbed by the fist part but not the second. It's good to sell more i-Pods.
Continue reading "Iran and the i-Pod"
Deafening Silence
posted by Rahul Bose on June 12, 2006 at 01:29 PM
When the 1992 riots occurred in Bombay, I was twenty five years old. At the time my social consciousness was just beginning to develop and I watched and listened as we heard the deafening silence of the government in power till it was a case of too little too late. By then the city was in flames.
Continue reading "Deafening Silence"
Putin's Babies and the Cleaning Lady
posted by Deepak Chopra on June 12, 2006 at 07:52 AM
I was interested to see if my recent post on the value of illegal immigrants would stir up racist and nativist responses. In part it did. As one responder said, "I don't care where illegals come from. They have to go back." The House is using the immigration issue for just such purposes, to find a new way to stir up the basest reactions among the public. Why not have a porous border with Mexico? It's existed forever, and the net result has been highly beneficial to our country.
Continue reading "Putin's Babies and the Cleaning Lady"
Suicides at Guantanamo
posted by Mallika Chopra on June 11, 2006 at 09:16 PM
Excuse me for posting more quotes as my next blog, but these remarks headlining Huffington Post did make me squirm. FromReuters:
Colleen Graffy, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy, told the BBC World Service the suicides were a "good PR move to draw attention."
Continue reading "Suicides at Guantanamo"
Immigrants Must Assimilate
posted by Mallika Chopra on June 07, 2006 at 10:35 PM
says George W., the President of the the United States. Per the Washington Post, he said:
"One is to say you got to pay a fine for being here illegally. You got to learn the English language. In other words, you got to repay a debt to society and learn the skills necessary to assimilate into our society. Show us you've been working hard."
So what
Continue reading "Immigrants Must Assimilate"
"They" Aren't Going Away
posted by Deepak Chopra on June 05, 2006 at 12:14 PM
For most people the truly frightening thing about Islamic fundamentalism is its implacability. As one observer said right after 9/11, the most shocking thing to Americans about the 19 hijackers is that they spent a year living here, enjoying the fruits of the American way, and yet they still hated us. Jihadists are machines of fixed intent, immune to reason. What can tolerant people do in the face of unswerving intolerance? That's the key question facing us versus "them." "They" are fanatical, crazy, suicidal, demonic--pick whatever alienating word you like. Nor do we have to limit ourselves to the jihadists. I remember a right-wing Christian fundamentalist on CNN saying, "As long as you liberals and baby murderers despise us, we aren't going away." Which puts in a nutshell why "they" are so terrifying.
Continue reading ""They" Aren't Going Away"
Where will India be 20 years from now?
posted by Mallika Chopra on June 04, 2006 at 11:15 AM
Last week, my husband, Sumant, hosted a small lunch for Ambassador Ronen Sen, the Indian ambassador to the US. The Ambassadors goal was to meet business people and entrepreneurs from small and medium businesses and hear about their challenges and goals in India. I found Ambassador Sen
Continue reading "Where will India be 20 years from now?"
Screw 2008, Let's get on 2016
posted by Gotham Chopra on May 31, 2006 at 11:25 PM
Today I had the privilege of meeting congressman Harold Ford Jr. from Tennessee. I was introduced to Harold by a mutual friend and in the last few days - in anticipation of our meeting - have been reading up on the dude as much as I can. Color me impressed!
Continue reading "Screw 2008, Let's get on 2016"
A Solution to Hatred
posted by Deepak Chopra on May 29, 2006 at 11:21 AM
Americans aren't used to being hated, no matter how much we may deserve it. In many ways a superpower can't avoid being hated--everyone else is smaller, weaker, poorer, and less well armed. But being hated has reached a crisis in the Middle East, where despite his senseless crimes Osama bin Laden is wildly popular while the most innocent American is despised. How do we back away from this brink?
Continue reading "A Solution to Hatred"
Idol Winner, Idle Nation
posted by Dave Sidhu on May 24, 2006 at 09:26 PM
This evening, FOX crowned a new winner of the popular television competition, "American Idol." The show's bland and inoffensive host, Ryan Seacrest, announced that over 63 million votes were cast, "more than any president in the history of our country has received."
Continue reading "Idol Winner, Idle Nation"
After Extremism, What?
posted by Deepak Chopra on May 22, 2006 at 10:52 AM
By the first summer of his Presidency, George Bush had undergone a public transformation. His fairly soothing promises to be a "uniter not a divider" had crumbled, and it was evident that this non-compassionate conservative was far more right wing than Reagan, which means more right wing than any previous President. Republican reactionaries had taken almost 40 years to mount a successful Trojan horse. Bush's likable facade disguised an agenda that ran entirely against America's progressive history and our inbred tolerance and respect for civil liberties.
Continue reading "After Extremism, What?"
Children of War
posted by Mallika Chopra on May 17, 2006 at 01:31 PM
Last week, a peace deal was signed between Sudanese officials and the main rebel group in Darfur. CNN has a cover story (and above photo) today on children, as young as 13, being forced to fight. More than 180,000 people have officially been killed, and 2 Million displaced by the genocide in the last few years.
Continue reading "Children of War"
How the middle east will be liberated
posted by Rayman Mathoda on May 13, 2006 at 09:00 AM
Ultimately, I believe true 'liberation' and 'freedom' for the oppressed in the middle east (those that are denied opportunity and freedom....particularly youth, women and children) will have to be achieved by the people in the middle east for themselves.
Continue reading "How the middle east will be liberated"
Celebrities and Causes
posted by Rahul Bose on May 02, 2006 at 09:07 PM
The last couple of weeks has seen the Indian media explode with stories that centre around one concern : Celebrities and Social Causes. Questions crowd around the incredibly narrow bandwidth of – does the presence of celebrities help or harm a social cause? I fear if this question is not addressed calmly, rationally and quickly it is going to swallow the appreciably more important business of social justice.
Continue reading "Celebrities and Causes"
Contradiction of the day - Singaporean Democracy
posted by Bharat Chopra on April 29, 2006 at 02:23 AM
Singapore is a terrific place. The weather is great, the lifestyle is terrific. The government is efficient and effective, and generally acts in the best interest of the nation as a whole. But it really should be honest with itself when it comes election time; Singapore is NOT a democracy. Things are getting better – but there’s a long way to go and the way this year’s election is being run by the incumbents demonstrates the gap between where the country is and where it should be.
Continue reading "Contradiction of the day - Singaporean Democracy"
Zzzzzzz!
posted by Mallika Chopra on April 21, 2006 at 11:24 PM
I couldn't resist putting this up. From Huffington Post: The NY Times today reported that Chinese officials were outraged
Gas Prices!!!
posted by Mallika Chopra on April 21, 2006 at 01:01 PM
I copied this image from Drudgereport today, my heart sinking at the reality of gas prices that we are facing nationwide, especially here in LA! There is another image of a man pumping his tires on his bike at the gas station on CNN.
Continue reading "Gas Prices!!!"
Humorous internet ads from Chandra for Attorney General campaign
posted by Subodh Chandra on April 15, 2006 at 08:53 PM
Please enjoy these humorous internet ads from my campaign for Ohio attorney general.
The first is a Simpsons spoof that compares me to Apu and my primary opponent to Homer.
The second is a puppet show about Ohio's current corruption scandals that I performed for my triplets and other children (and adults) at a fundraiser.
Continue reading "Humorous internet ads from Chandra for Attorney General campaign"
A Remedy for Fear (Part 2)
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 10, 2006 at 10:37 AM
It was understandable after 9/11 that there was a sharp rise in national anxiety, a condition that prevailed up to and through the invasion of Iraq. Public anxiety can sometimes lead to the birth of a peace movement, but almost always it leads to excessive nationalism, paranoia, and a lashing out at real or imaginary enemies. Those symptoms seem to be subsiding now. The widespread disillusionment over the war is a sign that people are returning to a sense of normality, but times are early and this normality is fragile, as witness the paranoia over the Dubai ports affair.
Continue reading "A Remedy for Fear (Part 2)"
Down to the wire in Ohio Attorney General race: Chandra could be the first South Asian American elected to statewide office
posted by Subodh Chandra on April 06, 2006 at 09:41 PM
It's been a long time since I have posted, and much has happened in my race for Ohio Attorney General. See my website. Joining the endorsement by former Ohio Governor (and U.S. Ambassador to India) Richard F. Celeste, are Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson (who joins his predecessor, former Mayor Jane Campbell), and countless other notables, labor unions, and party entities.
Bush OK'd Leak
posted by Mallika Chopra on April 06, 2006 at 10:39 AM
"Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide told prosecutors President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case," headlines are reporting this morning. This is shocking to say the least, no?
A Remedy for Fear
posted by Deepak Chopra on April 03, 2006 at 09:42 AM
It's generally conceded that the U.S. has been living in a climate of fear and anxiety since 9/11, and this mood has served the administration well. The public is told at regular intervals that we are in wartime and fear is necessary, although the code word being used is 'security.' The paradox about security is that fear prevails even when one is safe; even the absence of an attack doesn't make anxiety go away. We are told that it's wrong, even unpatriotic, to let down our guard.
Continue reading "A Remedy for Fear"
Where Illusions Go to Die (Part 2)
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 31, 2006 at 10:11 AM
Recently an Iraqi policy expert said that there was good news from that country, namely, a balance of terror has been achieved on the ground. Two years ago the Sunni militias were preying on the Shias, and now the Shias have just as many militias fighting back. The reason this stalemate is "good news" is that a balance of terror opens the way for negotiations. If hatred is equal, peace might be born. Such are the illusions of war.
Continue reading "Where Illusions Go to Die (Part 2)"
Where Illusions Go to Die
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 24, 2006 at 09:06 AM
On the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Pres. Bush said that "the security of America is tied to the Iraqi people." This is a profound delusion--surely the reverse is true: the Iraqi people have no hope of security in the foreseeable future without a U.S. presence. Many illusions are dying in this war, and when we emerge from it, they will probably not be revived. Soldiers entered WW I believing in chivalry and honor on the battlefield; afterwards, however, those ideals perished in unparalleled carnage.
Continue reading "Where Illusions Go to Die"
The Quest for Justice
posted by Rahul Bose on March 23, 2006 at 09:40 PM
In an age where public memory is growing shorter than the hair on Kevin Pietersen’s head, where our media hurdles, hurtles, Spiderman-like from one story to the other, the need for civil society to revisit, reflect and form an independent opinion of life-changing events, cannot be overstated. It has been about a month since Indian citizens have heard and read about two judgements passed by two different courts of the land – the Best Bakery and the Jessica Lal cases.
Continue reading "The Quest for Justice"
the crystal clear horror of war
posted by Kanika Sethi on March 21, 2006 at 10:46 AM
Hey everyone,
I keep thinking that I'm going to take a break from politics and write something more personal -- about my yoga class or my mothers' group or perhaps my new job -- but I am just too riled up about the current state of world affairs to do that now...here's why...
I just ran across this story on MsNBC today. Just the latest news about a possible attrocity (and cover up) by US troops in Iraq. They are now being accused by local pollice of killing a family of 11 Iraqis. Full story here.
Continue reading "the crystal clear horror of war"
Just for Kicks
posted by Gotham Chopra on March 21, 2006 at 07:37 AM
If I were addressing people today like Bush was on the 3rd anniversary of the war, my comments would be a bit more sincere and to the point than his same old same old about America the bringer of freedom and democracy…
Continue reading "Just for Kicks"
The Fog of War
posted by Deepak Chopra on March 20, 2006 at 09:19 AM
We are in the middle of a round of war justification right now. The Bush administration has issued a statement that "the doctrine of preemption remains sound." To say this about a conflict that by general agreement is going disastrously seems unreal. How can preemption be sound before its results are even known? we must remind ourselves that if the Presidency is lulled by the fog or war, each of us can still wake up from it on our own. Peace isn't just a state of non-violence; it's a state of awareness that sees through the illusion of war as a useful tool of government.
Continue reading "The Fog of War"
Down with Don Part II
posted by Gotham Chopra on March 20, 2006 at 09:12 AM
Fortunately for him Donald Rumsfeld doesn't believe in the power of headlines and or blogs (see my last blog). That's a good think because today on the 3rd anniversary of Shock and Awe, the blogosphere is alive and all over the Don - ironically fueled by his own stupid quotes:
Continue reading "Down with Don Part II"
Down with the Don
posted by Gotham Chopra on March 19, 2006 at 07:21 AM
In today's Washington Post, the honorable (read sarcastic) Don Rumsfeld has written an editorial. In it he is quoted as saying: "Fortunately, history is not made up of daily headlines, blogs on Web sites or the latest sensational attack. History is a bigger picture,"
Continue reading "Down with the Don"
Civil War in Iraq
posted by Shekhar Kapur on March 03, 2006 at 05:21 AM
The Coalition of the Willing has finally reached it's objectives in Iraq. It's taken me a long time to figure out the logic behind the invasion of Iraq. And as the facts emerge, It's simple really. History reveals itself again. It's what colonists have been doing for two centuries.
Continue reading "Civil War in Iraq"
Bush Coming to India - Hip Hip Hooray?
posted by Mallika Chopra on February 28, 2006 at 09:26 PM
As Bush travels to India, for his first trip to the worlds largest democracy, international papers are lauding praises on how the US and India's new friendship is being elevated to a strategic partnership. Others are also calling it "a landmark visit ... as important as President Nixon’s historic visit to China in the 1970s". What, pray tell, does all that mean?
Continue reading "Bush Coming to India - Hip Hip Hooray?"
"We Only Torture the Bad Guys"
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 27, 2006 at 09:38 AM
The first photos from Abu Ghraib prison were released in 2003, and much of America has done its best to forget them. Now that a new batch has surfaced, the administration is wheeling out its old excuses about enlisted personnel acting on their own, the need to stop showing the photos lest they inflame violence around the world, and so on. In truth, not only was Abu Ghraib torture deeply immoral--and obviously planned by those in charge--but suppressing the photos is just as immoral.
Continue reading ""We Only Torture the Bad Guys""
Girl on Girl
posted by Gotham Chopra on February 26, 2006 at 06:59 PM
I have this really hot fantasy. It involves two really powerful women, aggressively going after one another. All over one another, talking nasty to one another, calling each other names, climbing over one another to see who gets to be on top. It's kind of fetishy too because one is white and one is black. And there are no men in sight.
Continue reading "Girl on Girl"
Terrorism and Masturbation
posted by Shekhar Kapur on February 25, 2006 at 08:30 AM
In today's UK 's paper Guardian, an essay by Ian Buruma equates masturbation, repressed sexuality and homosexuality with acts of Terrorism and Fascism.
This is typical of a society looking for simplistic and convenient answers to rather complex human behaviour. Thereby driving a greater wedge between Them and Us.
Continue reading "Terrorism and Masturbation"
Somebody (Everybody) is watching (reading)
posted by Gotham Chopra on February 25, 2006 at 05:15 AM
In the last few days I've had at least half a dozen people I would never predicted mention to me that they regularly read this blog and my entries. That includes my grandparents in India, work colleagues, and even folks I've just met for the first time in the business that I am.
Continue reading "Somebody (Everybody) is watching (reading)"
Forward with Organisational Art!
posted by Aladin on February 24, 2006 at 12:52 PM
The merging and swapping of roles are opportunities in waiting, inherent in any context where apparently unlike elements, processes and parties may be even temporarily cohabiting. Organisational Art (OA) can play a powerful role in actualising all this through its traffic of ideas and ownerships. aladin
Continue reading "Forward with Organisational Art!"
As the Darkness Closes In
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 24, 2006 at 07:23 AM
No one can tell if the widespread and totally unchecked violence spreading across Iraq will turn into a declared civil war. But for months the world has held its breath, knowing that such a war was bubbling just beneath the surface. The undeclared sectarian war was already obvious to everyone. Reality is catching up with fantasy, as the neo-cons and other right wingers learn a hard lesson: History isn't the pawn of bright ideas.
Continue reading "As the Darkness Closes In"
racism is okay (as long as it's anti-bush)
posted by Sandeep Sood on February 22, 2006 at 03:15 PM
This week, this happened.
So, my question is, why do we consider only one of these conclusions racist?
1. A white man goes to flight school. Must be a hobbyist. An Arab man goes to flight school. Must be a terrorist.
2. A British company is charged with managing American ports. Jolly good. They get taken over by an Arab company. Not Jolly. Bad. (because they must be terrorists).
If we want to get serious about our port security, we need to nationalize it. Like our military. Oh wait. Not like our military.
Surviving the Holocaust
posted by Kavita Chhibber on February 21, 2006 at 05:20 PM
Walking through the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Israel, a few months ago I could barely contain my tears, looking at the images of one of the biggest human tragedies, but
Continue reading "Surviving the Holocaust"
Are we all Danes?
posted by Kanika Sethi on February 20, 2006 at 06:32 PM
I recently read an article from the Boston Globe entittled, "We are all Danes now.." (Jeff Jacoby, 2/5/2006). After reading it, I was compelled to write the following letter to the editor. I know that many of us are still in disbelief over the reaction of radical Muslims to the cartoons that originated in Denmark. Anyways, although I'm sure this subject has already been debated on this website, here are my two cents....and they have very little to do with cartoons. (The article is also printed in it's entirety below.)
Continue reading "Are we all Danes?"
What To Do When You're Hated
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 20, 2006 at 08:48 AM
Americans aren't used to being hated, and although we recognize with embarrassment the "ugly American" stereotype, we feel as if we should be loved and respected anyway. Yet here we are. The Muslim world is inflamed with hatred against us. It's a fact we must learn to deal with, yet so far one hears almost no discussion of what we should do psychologically. The prevailing obsession with homeland security sidesteps the issue by making it a military and police matter. Actually, being hated is more complex than that.
Continue reading "What To Do When You're Hated"
What To Do When You're Hated
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 20, 2006 at 08:48 AM
Americans aren't used to being hated, and although we recognize with embarrassment the "ugly American" stereotype, we feel as if we should be loved and respected anyway. Yet here we are. The Muslim world is inflamed with hatred against us. It's a fact we must learn to deal with, yet so far one hears almost no discussion of what we should do psychologically. The prevailing obsession with homeland security sidesteps the issue by making it a military and police matter. Actually, being hated is more complex than that.
Continue reading "What To Do When You're Hated"
A-Bombs for Everyone...What Can We Do?
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 17, 2006 at 09:03 AM
Iran has been playing a transparent cat-and-mouse game over its nuclear ambitions. Without a doubt it wants a nuclear bomb, and it is rich enough and organized enough on the scientific basis to build one. The fact that a renegade state is going to acquire the bomb panics Europe and the U.S., who seem to pick and choose which Third World country deserves to go nuclear. India and Pakistan, yes, Iran and North Korea, no.
Continue reading "A-Bombs for Everyone...What Can We Do?"
"Corruption Is Good"
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 13, 2006 at 10:26 AM
Gordon Gekko wasn't a real person when he said, "Greed is good" in the 1987 movie "Wall Street," but his words sounded so real that they entered the language immediately. At the present state of affairs in Congress, someone needs to stand up and say, "Corruption is good." It would legitimize an ethos that has been breeding for a long time. Their reluctance to seriously reform the lobbying system indicates how comfortable our lawmakers have become with influence peddling, which used to be a crime and is now an institution.
Continue reading ""Corruption Is Good""
No guarantee
posted by Sandeep Pandey on February 13, 2006 at 06:12 AM
Without transparency, the law cannot assure employment to the needy
Continue reading "No guarantee"
Oops!
posted by Mallika Chopra on February 12, 2006 at 07:32 PM
Seems to have been a bad week for Dick Cheney - first Scooter Libby suggests that his superior instructed him to leak information on Iraq. And then this weekend, our noble Vice President accidently shoots his hunting partner, a Texas millionaire who remains in the Intensive Care Unit.
Democracy and the Untouchables
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 06, 2006 at 07:08 AM
A coca farmer has been elected president in Bolivia and a socialist doctor in Chile. Hamas has won majority power in Palestine and a hard-line anti-Zionist leads Iran. These are all democratic outcomes, and in the foreseeable future we can expect more of the same.
Continue reading "Democracy and the Untouchables"
The Hypocrisy of the cartoon controversy
posted by Vijay Sappani on February 03, 2006 at 11:02 PM
Religion is always controversial, so are western media groups and not to forget Vijay Sappani too :)
Continue reading "The Hypocrisy of the cartoon controversy"
Terrorism's Little Secret
posted by Deepak Chopra on February 03, 2006 at 09:19 AM
The one thing that terrorist leaders don't want their followers to know is that they have nothing to gain. Suicide bombers are only the most obvious example, since they won't survive to gain anything even if terrorism ever "wins." but no follower is going to gain, because the deeper secret is that Islamic terrorism helps the rich and powerful.
Continue reading "Terrorism's Little Secret"
Bush's State of The Union Address
posted by Mallika Chopra on January 31, 2006 at 05:11 PM
Here is an open thread. I have not heard the speech yet, but it would be interesting to see our community's reaction, if any.
Weekend Warriors and Security Moms
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 30, 2006 at 07:07 AM
Two sectors of the American electorate failed to be convinced by John Kerry's mild anti-war campaign in 2004.
Continue reading "Weekend Warriors and Security Moms"
Google Dont be Evil
posted by Vijay Sappani on January 29, 2006 at 06:25 PM
Google Reality Vs Google Hypocrisy
Update :Hacking Google China
Continue reading "Google Dont be Evil"
Growing Pains
posted by Gotham Chopra on January 28, 2006 at 05:52 PM
Over the last few days I have been reading with great interest what has been happening in Palestine. As I have written before, back in my journo days Isreal and the occupied territories were probably my favorite places to visit.
Continue reading "Growing Pains"
Seize Wife to Get Husband
posted by Mallika Chopra on January 27, 2006 at 12:50 PM
The AP reports that documents show the US Army seized and jailed suspected insurgent wives to pressure the husband to surrender. In one reported case, a 28 year old mother of three, who was still nursing her six month old baby, was held for two days.
Continue reading "Seize Wife to Get Husband"
Do It Yourself Peace Kit
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 27, 2006 at 09:31 AM
There was a quiet remembrance in mid-January of the warning given fifty years ago by Pres. Eisenhower against the military-industrial complex.
Continue reading "Do It Yourself Peace Kit"
On Hamas and Democracy
posted by Dave Sidhu on January 27, 2006 at 07:16 AM
The militant group Hamas was victorious in Palestinian elections held on Wednesday. The implications of this democratically obtained result -- for the Middle East, the United States, and the world -- are as of yet unknown, but are likely to be significant. I'd like to explore a couple possible consequences related to the credibility of the American government, and the relationship between legitimate governance and terrorism.
Continue reading "On Hamas and Democracy"
Did Ancient Indians Eat Beef?
posted by Mallika Chopra on January 24, 2006 at 10:00 AM
The Christian Science Monitor has a great article today on a political debate between established historians and Hindu nationalist revisionist around revising Indian history in California textbooks for 6th graders. Its an interesting question about who writes history and what purpose it serves.
Continue reading "Did Ancient Indians Eat Beef?"
How Not To Be Scared of Judge Alito
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 16, 2006 at 10:12 AM
There seems to be a disconnect between Judge Samuel Alito as a person and as a judge. As a person he seems to be modest, quiet, thoughtful, and non-dogmatic.
Continue reading "How Not To Be Scared of Judge Alito"
A Peace Economy
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 09, 2006 at 11:03 AM
America has the largest war economy in the history of the world. After being warned by the outgoing Pres. Eisenhower about the dangers of allowing the military to permanently join forces with corporations, we went ahead and plunged into just that scenario. As a result, we have remained on a war footing since the day after Pearl Harbor, some 64 years ago.
Continue reading " A Peace Economy"
ISRAEL, NOW WHAT?
posted by Gotham Chopra on January 09, 2006 at 08:55 AM
Despite the fact that CNN is now breaking news that Ariel Sharon, from his coma, is slightly moving his arm and leg, I think's it's safe to say that he's not going to be governing Israel again.
Continue reading "ISRAEL, NOW WHAT?"
Dissent at home, as abroad, for Colas
posted by Sandeep Pandey on January 06, 2006 at 08:49 PM
Farmers in rural India and students in American universities may have more in common than it would seem. While Cola companies have run into opposition in several states in India, student bodies in North America are pressuring universities to wind up contracts letting the firms exclusively sell water and soft drinks on campus.
Continue reading " Dissent at home, as abroad, for Colas"
Poverty and Ownership
posted by Satish Kumar on January 06, 2006 at 02:01 PM
"In the days of the white settlement, the natives of North America found ownership of land an incomprehensible concept. And so they lost it when the Europeans made them sign pieces of paper that were equally incomprehensible to them. They felt they belonged to the land, but the land did not belong to them." - Eckhart Tolle
Continue reading "Poverty and Ownership"
Winning God's Blessing
posted by Deepak Chopra on January 06, 2006 at 10:44 AM
The rest of the world may be skeptical about the right-wing claim that America's policies are guided by God, but there's a long tradition of feeling blessed in this country.
Continue reading "Winning God's Blessing"
Love as Social Policy
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 30, 2005 at 11:26 AM
Unless love enters into the process of curing social injustice, we get sucked into a vortex of blame and the mindlessness of "Us versus Them."
Continue reading "Love as Social Policy"
The Forgiveness of Time
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 23, 2005 at 07:24 AM
In his weekend address defending the war, President Bush offered a shred of respect to his critics by saying that they were not the same as those he called 'defeatists.'
Continue reading "The Forgiveness of Time"
Getting Back on the Gold Standard
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 19, 2005 at 12:28 PM
In recent remarks Chris Patten, the former British governor of Hong Kong, expressed shock that the U.S., once the gold standard for human rights, is sliding in its long-avowed opposition to torture.
Continue reading "Getting Back on the Gold Standard"
On the Machinery of Death
posted by Dave Sidhu on December 14, 2005 at 01:54 PM
As Gotham's recent posts illustrate, capital punishment is one of the most difficult social and legal issues facing American society today. The execution of Crips founding member Stanley "Tookie" Williams, which was carried out this week, further demonstrates the divisive and disturbing nature of this particular brand of justice.
Continue reading "On the Machinery of Death"
Beauty and the Beast
posted by Vijay Sappani on December 13, 2005 at 09:28 PM
News is what someone wants to suppress. Everything else is advertising.
-Rubin Frank, former president NBC News
Continue reading "Beauty and the Beast"
Thinkiing the Unthinkable
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 12, 2005 at 08:30 AM
When Alice was in Wonderland, the Red Queen told her that she thought three impossible things every day before breakfast. It's not a bad exercise for anyone living in a world where several impossible things could occur very soon.
Continue reading "Thinkiing the Unthinkable"
China - home to the 2008 Olympic Games
posted by Bharat Chopra on December 12, 2005 at 02:44 AM
and 20-30 dead protesters.
Continue reading "China - home to the 2008 Olympic Games"
Why there are no Indian Muslims in al Qaeda
posted by Vijay Sappani on December 10, 2005 at 10:19 AM
Why there are no Indian Muslims in al Qaeda?
Continue reading "Why there are no Indian Muslims in al Qaeda"
Why Peace Isn't Pointless
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 09, 2005 at 12:50 PM
Although we see ourselves as a peaceful nation, there is considerable room for doubt.
Continue reading "Why Peace Isn't Pointless"
Turning Children Into Enemies
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 05, 2005 at 08:40 AM
As disturbing as it is to fight a committed terrorist movement, it would be far more disturbing to face an entire generation of Muslim children who are poisoned against the West. There are many signs that this is happening, which means that we have two choices: defend ourselves against massive hostility or learn to make peace.
Continue reading "Turning Children Into Enemies"
Better Than Altruism
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 30, 2005 at 09:49 AM
Until recently the Democratic Party had shown no signs of being able to take advantage of the public's disillusion with the current administration and its right-wing agenda.
Continue reading "Better Than Altruism"
The Reverse Mirror
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 28, 2005 at 01:24 PM
In a recent post I asked, "Why is conservatism so uncompassionate?" I anticipated some angry responses. I have no argument with committed right-wingers or the chronically angry, for that matter.
Continue reading "The Reverse Mirror"
Profits of War
posted by rohit karn batra on November 28, 2005 at 11:15 AM
Must stay the course...to the bank.
Continue reading "Profits of War"
Why God Won't Leave Us Alone
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 25, 2005 at 03:21 PM
In their heart of hearts I'm sure most people wish God would stop interfering in politics. Pres. Bush refers to God's helping hand in making war in the Middle East, which is derided by those who don't talk to God regularly.
Continue reading "Why God Won't Leave Us Alone"
Ending Blame-and-Shame Politics
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 23, 2005 at 12:03 PM
If the Bush administration collapses into a scandal-ridden mess, we will be in the shadow of Watergate again.
Continue reading "Ending Blame-and-Shame Politics"
Comtemporizing Secularism
posted by Rahul Bose on November 22, 2005 at 05:30 PM
In a post-9/11 world where the secular space shrinks everyday (ask Brit-Asians males in London), the very definition of secularism needs to be constantly refreshed and contemporized.
Continue reading "Comtemporizing Secularism"
Asian Nationalism
posted by on November 21, 2005 at 05:14 PM
Lord Acton, writing in 1862, argued that nationalism, though 'more absurd and more criminal than the theory of socialism', was a necessary step in the evolution of human society. This is because it was the only force strong enough to replace the 'two greater evils' of his time, 'the absolute monarchy and the revolution'.
Continue reading "Asian Nationalism"
While America Slept
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 21, 2005 at 12:54 PM
In 1940 the young John F. Kennedy turned his senior thesis from college into a bestseller called "While England Slept," a book about how politicians failed to prepare Britain to fight against Nazi Germany.
Continue reading "While America Slept"
Who am I? Ask the political compass
posted by Vijay Sappani on November 18, 2005 at 08:40 PM
Right Wing, Left wing, Libertarian, Authoritarian or what ever you are, here is a chance to find that out.
Continue reading "Who am I? Ask the political compass"
Two Cheers for Immorality
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 18, 2005 at 09:41 AM
Nobody is immoral just because someone else says they are. Keeping this in mind is important. It comes in handy when self-righteous moralists take the stage and try to denigrate and punish those who disagree with them.
Continue reading "Two Cheers for Immorality"
Progressive Politics
posted by Gotham Chopra on November 16, 2005 at 08:19 PM
Last night I attended a meeting for a political organization that I have recently joined called the New Democratic Network (http://www.ndn.org). Chris Heinz, probably most well known as the step-son of Senator John Kerry led a Q&A about the present and future condition of the Democratic party. He was impressive and gives great hope for the future of the party.
Continue reading "Progressive Politics"
If you don't know it, you can't fix it? Unsexy but critical: Data/Metrics
posted by Rayman Mathoda on November 15, 2005 at 06:03 PM
I was reading an article about the french riots and the core liberal philosophy underlying french society and government. The french believe (rightly) that all people are equal and that race, color, ethnicity shouldn't matter. As a result, they don't measure any of their social outcomes by race, color or ethnicity.
Continue reading "If you don't know it, you can't fix it? Unsexy but critical: Data/Metrics"
Peace Education
posted by Sandeep Pandey on November 14, 2005 at 05:21 PM
Let us begin by considering why we need Peace Education. If there is violation of peace obviously there has to be some conflict. Most conflicts are caused by some clash of interest which is social, economic or political in nature.
Continue reading "Peace Education"
First, the Terror. Then, a Chance to Change
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 14, 2005 at 08:26 AM
Last Friday in his rebuttal against critics of the Iraqi war, Pres. Bush said, "There can be only one response to terrorism" and later on in the speech, "The only acceptable outcome is total victory."
Continue reading "First, the Terror. Then, a Chance to Change"
Kashmir: from Piece to Peace
posted by Vijay Sappani on November 11, 2005 at 03:54 PM
Kashmir. A paradise turned into hell by politicians and extremists. 58 years of fighting, over hundred thousand killed, millions displaced. Musharraf and Manmohan alone cannot solve the problem; we need people like Mohammed Akram to help resolve the problem. So who is Mohammed?
Continue reading "Kashmir: from Piece to Peace"
Conservatism Could Be Compassionate. Why Isn't It?
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 11, 2005 at 10:52 AM
I feel confused over why "compassionate conservatism" turned out to be so much the opposite of compassionate.
Continue reading "Conservatism Could Be Compassionate. Why Isn't It?"
profiled
posted by Sandeep Sood on November 10, 2005 at 12:42 AM
Before today, I had the luck of never really being racially profiled post 9/11. Then:
"So, by the way, Sandeep, were you born here in the US?"
"Yes, near Los Angeles."
"Too bad...I hate the LA area...ha ha ha, just kidding!"
"Huh?"
Decriminalization of Prostitution- the Swedish meat balls way
posted by Vijay Sappani on November 09, 2005 at 09:48 AM
Prostitution often referred to as the oldest trade in the world is probably the most undesirable profession and definitely the most widely and daringly abused through laws by any government. Why?
Continue reading "Decriminalization of Prostitution- the Swedish meat balls way"
Rage, Rage Against the Peace
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 09, 2005 at 07:50 AM
Why does peace have so many enemies?
Continue reading "Rage, Rage Against the Peace"
Reposted: The Difference Between Anti-War and Peace
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 08, 2005 at 02:21 PM
Polls show that more than half of Americans are against the Iraqi war, but a shift in public sentiment hasn't brought us any closer to achieving peace.
Continue reading "Reposted: The Difference Between Anti-War and Peace"
Why I Love George W. Bush
posted by Sandeep Sood on November 08, 2005 at 11:40 AM
Like a woman in a really bad marriage, I still sometimes love the guy. And, not just because he's SO cute, like a little monkey.
Continue reading "Why I Love George W. Bush"
Striking a nerve or the funny bone?
posted by Mohit Rajhans on November 07, 2005 at 12:05 AM
Posting below Shah Rukh is a little intimidating, but I guess the posts must go on... This story has been intriguing to me since I first heard about it. I am both extremely curious about the film and the reactions it will get across the USA. Politics and Film together in the same bed has the potential to make good things happen just as much as it has the potential to slow progress.
Continue reading "Striking a nerve or the funny bone?"
Judge Alito, Sikhs, and Fake Death Threats
posted by Dave Sidhu on November 03, 2005 at 07:14 AM
Detailed profiles of Samuel A. Alito, Jr., President Bush's nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States, reveal that he "suffered a measure of scandal and embarrassment" when he handled a thorny situating involving two Sikhs.
Continue reading "Judge Alito, Sikhs, and Fake Death Threats"
RTI- can it deliver?
posted by Vijay Sappani on November 02, 2005 at 08:38 PM
After long anticipation, the Right to Information Act (India) came into effect on October 12, 2005. It is similar to the Freedom of Information Act in the US and Canada.
Continue reading "RTI- can it deliver?"
Where Did the Wars Go?
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 02, 2005 at 12:53 PM
Not enough attention is being paid to a new U.N. report which indicates that wars have declined around the world by 40% since 1992.
Continue reading "Where Did the Wars Go?"
California, the Propositioned Land
posted by Monica Mehta on November 02, 2005 at 11:34 AM
California. It's often seen as the promised land, the place where people come to reinvent themselves, to start afresh. It's the home of the Gold Rush, Hollywood, Silicon Valley -- where dreams are realized and there are no limits to what you can do.
Continue reading "California, the Propositioned Land"
President Bush nominates Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court
posted by Dave Sidhu on October 31, 2005 at 01:21 PM
This morning, President Bush selected Judge Samuel Alito as his nominee to replace retiring Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The nomination has, already, unleashed a flurry of commentary on Judge Alito's qualifications, his judicial philosophy, and the politicization of the confirmation process. In this post, I will discuss these topics in turn.
Continue reading "President Bush nominates Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court"
Looking for Blood, Looking for Justice
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 31, 2005 at 08:18 AM
Before the Friday press conference held by investigator Patrick Fitzgerald it was striking how the media were looking for blood, a scandal of the first order that would shame everyone involved in Plamegate.
Continue reading "Looking for Blood, Looking for Justice"
I was there
posted by Shekhar Kapur on October 30, 2005 at 07:39 PM
In Delhi, not far from the blasts. I too was shopping with my family, but fortunately for us, not in the immediate vicinity. But near enough..
Continue reading "I was there"
New Delhi Bombs and the Secret of Terrorism
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 30, 2005 at 03:58 PM
The latest bombing attack in India reminds us that terrorism is going to keep on striking regularly and at random.
Continue reading "New Delhi Bombs and the Secret of Terrorism"
3 Bomb Blasts in New Delhi
posted by Mallika Chopra on October 29, 2005 at 08:37 AM
33 so far said to be dead in a series of blasts that ripped through busy markets in New Delhi as people were getting ready for Diwali.
Continue reading "3 Bomb Blasts in New Delhi"
Big Lies, Trivial Lies, and Politics
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 28, 2005 at 10:53 AM
Attempts were already being made before today's indictments to call perjury in the Valerie Plame case "technicalities" and pooh-poohing investigators as politically naive Boy Scouts who don't comprehend business as usual in Washington.
Continue reading "Big Lies, Trivial Lies, and Politics"
Libby Indicted on 5 Counts
posted by Mallika Chopra on October 28, 2005 at 10:08 AM
Scooter Libby, VP Cheney's Chief of Staff, has submitted letter of resignation after being indicted in the Valerie Plame case. Rove is not to be indicted today, but is still under investigation.
Not a good week for the Bush administration, and CNN is having a field day...
Urban Mess
posted by Milind Deora on October 28, 2005 at 01:58 AM
For those of you living in India, or regularly visiting her, it is impossible to overlook the fact that cities like Mumbai and Bangalore are rapidly decaying. Their infrastructure can handle only so much, yet commercial and residential buildings (mostly hideous structures) and unplanned construction continue to change the landscape of these metros.
Move to the Back of the Bus
posted by Taz Ahmed on October 27, 2005 at 10:27 AM
Ah ha, hush that fuss Everybody move to the back of the bus Do you wanna bump and slump with us We the type of people make the club get crunk -Outkast, lyrics from Rosa Parks
Continue reading "Move to the Back of the Bus"
HOT OFF THE PRESS!
posted by Kavita Chhibber on October 27, 2005 at 06:26 AM
Miers withdraws Supreme Court nomination
Continue reading "HOT OFF THE PRESS!"
A scandal by any other name...
posted by Monica Mehta on October 26, 2005 at 03:43 PM
There's a lot happening in Washington right now, but I wonder how many Americans are actually knowledgeable about the facts, other than it's a "White House scandal." In order for Americans to react to scandals, they have to be nice and simple, like the plot of a Lifetime Television movie.
Continue reading "A scandal by any other name..."
Rosa Parks and the Power of the Feminine
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 26, 2005 at 08:49 AM
Continue reading "Rosa Parks and the Power of the Feminine"
A Citizen of the World
posted by Nandita Das on October 25, 2005 at 08:55 AM
It has been a while since I blogged. Life in general, and being at home, took the better of me! For now, I would like to share an email that a friend of mine sent to me. Rahul Dholakia, a very sensitive film maker has recently finished a film called Parzania, a heart wrenching film that shows the futility of violence. He sent me this last night.
Continue reading "A Citizen of the World"
A Great American Hero
posted by Anjali Adukia on October 24, 2005 at 08:56 PM
While a great figure in our lives has left our physical world today, her presence will forever be felt.
Thank you, Mrs. Rosa Parks, for standing as a symbol of courage and will to stand up for what is just, even in the face of adversity.
Continue reading "A Great American Hero"
Why is aid to earthquake victims falling short?
posted by Mallika Chopra on October 22, 2005 at 11:42 AM
Several days ago, Kofi Annan said international donors have pledged a little more than 8 percent -- or $37 Million -- of the $313 million that releif agencies estimate is needed for earthquake victims. By contrast, donors responded to the UN goal for tsunami relief funds within 10 days last December.
Continue reading "Why is aid to earthquake victims falling short?"
Q: How does a powerful republican's mugshot look like?
posted by rohit karn batra on October 20, 2005 at 08:00 PM
A:
Continue reading "Q: How does a powerful republican's mugshot look like?"
Superpower, Real and Unreal
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 17, 2005 at 08:46 AM
The dilemma being faced by the only superpower in the world is that power has drastically shifted.
Continue reading "Superpower, Real and Unreal"
House of (falling) Cards
posted by Gotham Chopra on October 16, 2005 at 07:52 PM
I'm just going to come out and say it. There's a good chance this week is going to be really awesome!
Continue reading "House of (falling) Cards"
Sex,lies and... freedom
posted by Shekhar Kapur on October 15, 2005 at 11:20 PM
The river flowed wide and deep. As the Guru and his young disciple wondered at the best way to cross it, they were approached by a young girl who asked for help.
Continue reading "Sex,lies and... freedom"
Bringing Down Our Berlin Wall
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 14, 2005 at 11:37 AM
In a recent radio interview, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich pointed out that the U.S. has the widest gap between rich and poor of any country except Mexico and Russia.
Continue reading "Bringing Down Our Berlin Wall"
Hey Shekhar, its not as simple as that !
posted by Shekhar Kapur on October 12, 2005 at 04:57 AM
I am glued to the TV. The suffering of the people of Kashmir. Azad Kashmir, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Whatever.
Divided by nothing but a line drawn on a piece of paper called a map. Which line now divides brother from brother. Nation from Co- Nation. People from people. Hindu from Muslim. A division so great that thousands dies every year in worship of that line. Drawn on a paper map.
Continue reading "Hey Shekhar, its not as simple as that !"
I am ashamed
posted by Shekhar Kapur on October 10, 2005 at 04:50 AM
I am ashamed of all those people that have posted anti-muslim comments in relationship to the earthquake.
Continue reading "I am ashamed"
South Asia Earthquake
posted by Shekhar Kapur on October 10, 2005 at 04:31 AM
Something must be wrong. 30,000 people dead and the US donates $100,000.
UK $ 167,00. Compare that to what the Western Powers have spent in War in the last 3 years. Is saving human lives less important than killing ? The toll is expected to go up to almost 50,000. We need millions in help and humanitarian work. Can we at Intentblog help send the message out someway ?
Continue reading "South Asia Earthquake"
Devastating Earthquake in Pakistan/India
posted by Mallika Chopra on October 08, 2005 at 10:24 AM
Another tragic natural disaster affecting Pakistan, India and parts of Afghanistan. The death toll (as of Sunday morning LA time) is at 30,000.
Continue reading "Devastating Earthquake in Pakistan/India"
Justice Grows to the Left
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 07, 2005 at 08:35 AM
When Pres. Bush tried to assure his right-wing base that Harriet Miers would not change her judicial philosophy for the next twenty years, he made a horrifying promise.
Continue reading "Justice Grows to the Left"
When Good People Do Bad Things
posted by Deepak Chopra on October 05, 2005 at 09:50 AM
I read Frank Rich's recent NY Times column in which he uses words like "sleazy," "vermin," and "toxic" to describe the cash-and-carry corruption prevalent now in Washington.
Continue reading "When Good People Do Bad Things"
President Nominates Harriet Miers as Supreme Court Justice
posted by Dave Sidhu on October 03, 2005 at 07:17 AM
This morning, President Bush nominated White House counsel Harriet E. Miers to replace Sandra Day O'Connor as associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Unites States.
Continue reading "President Nominates Harriet Miers as Supreme Court Justice"
Thank Heaven for Positive Stereotypes
posted by Subodh Chandra on September 28, 2005 at 07:00 PM
I was campaigning at a picnic in a county that I had never visited before. I was working the food line--a captive audience. I was pretty sure I had never seen the woman before. But she beamed when she saw me and said, "We know each other. Don't you recognize me?"
"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met," I said.
"You treated me."
Continue reading "Thank Heaven for Positive Stereotypes"
Farewell to Arms?
posted by Mallika Chopra on September 26, 2005 at 09:00 AM
Is it naive to think that todays announcement by the IRA that it had scrapped all of its weapons signifies a shift in conflict resolution? Is there some hope that those fighting for change may realize that violence is not the most effective route?
Continue reading "Farewell to Arms?"
AN END TO RAGE
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 23, 2005 at 01:31 PM
Psychologically, anger is considered a destructive emotion when it is either repressed or acted out excessively.
Continue reading "AN END TO RAGE"
Why (someone like) Bono Should Run...
posted by Sandeep Sood on September 19, 2005 at 11:36 PM
In its Sunday magazine, the NY Times features the lead singer of U2 and his efforts to increase aid for Africa.
Bono should run for President.
Continue reading "Why (someone like) Bono Should Run..."
Live and Let Love.
posted by Anjali Adukia on September 18, 2005 at 11:21 PM
On May 16, 2004 at midnight, I remember standing and cheering at the steps of Cambridge City Hall, watching happy couple after happy couple have their lifelong commitments to each other be legally and officially recognized in the eyes of the state and society.
Continue reading "Live and Let Love."
The Search for new Planet Earths..
posted by Shekhar Kapur on September 18, 2005 at 08:15 PM
I heard yesterday that in order to give every human bieng on our Planet the same level of consumption as the average US citizen (although recent events do tell us that there no 'average' citizen in the US), we would need another THREE Planet Earths...
But the aspirational economic models bieng promoted by China,India..
Continue reading "The Search for new Planet Earths.."
Merkel claims German mandate
posted by Mallika Chopra on September 18, 2005 at 09:48 AM
I have been meaning to blog about this for days, as it seems the result of Germany's elections may shift the dynamics of power in Europe, US/European relations, and the world in general.
Continue reading "Merkel claims German mandate"
In case you missed HBO's "Late Night with Bill Maher,"
posted by Kavita Chhibber on September 14, 2005 at 05:41 PM
here is his open letter to the President:
Continue reading "In case you missed HBO's "Late Night with Bill Maher,""
12 Explosions in Iraq Kill 152, Injure 542
posted by Mallika Chopra on September 14, 2005 at 09:40 AM
Today was one of the worst days of bloodshed since the war began. Al Quaida is proudly claiming responsibility. Any word from Bush yet?
Continue reading "12 Explosions in Iraq Kill 152, Injure 542"
The Collective Will
posted by Shekhar Kapur on September 13, 2005 at 11:08 AM
Richard Thomas in his post raises a fundamental issue:
" The people have the ultimate responsibility to ensure the individuals in their government are well managed and carry out the collective and beneficial will of the people they represent"
So when a nation declares War on another, is the Goverment truly following the 'Collective Will' of the people that voted the goverment in ? and in that case is the population at large responsible for the actions or inactions of it's Goverments ?
Continue reading "The Collective Will"
List of Thoughts Post-Katrina
posted by Taz Ahmed on September 06, 2005 at 08:43 PM
What can I say about Katrina that hasn't been said already? My mind is awash of different issues brought to the forefront of the tragedy, and I've decided to list what's on my mind and resources, and share.
Continue reading "List of Thoughts Post-Katrina"
Cornfield conversion
posted by Subodh Chandra on September 06, 2005 at 07:41 PM
On our way back from a Democratic picnic in rural Knox county last week, my aide and I got a bit lost on the way back.
Continue reading "Cornfield conversion"
Underscoring (and boldfacing) your resolve
posted by Subodh Chandra on August 27, 2005 at 10:07 PM
Two things happened today (August 27, 2005) out on the campaign trail to underscore my resolve.
Continue reading "Underscoring (and boldfacing) your resolve"
It’s hard to digest this when it’s from a politician, but what the hell…
posted by Milind Deora on August 25, 2005 at 09:39 AM
Rock and Roll isn’t a genre anymore. It’s a way of life. In the 50s, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richards and Elvis represented the Rock & Roll genre. At the time, there were no rock stars. Today, rappers and tennis players are rock stars. They are confined to a profession whose rules they change. Anyone can be a rock star. Politicians – representing the most mainstream of professions – propagate radical ideals. They too are rock stars.
Continue reading "It’s hard to digest this when it’s from a politician, but what the hell…"
Doing Your Duty
posted by Subodh Chandra on August 23, 2005 at 10:47 PM
A report from the Ohio campaign trail by Subodh Chandra, Candidate for Ohio Attorney General.
Everyone knows by now that Ohio was at the epicenter at the last presidential election. As went Ohio so went the nation. And so went the fate of the world.
Continue reading "Doing Your Duty"
What would Jesu...err...Pat Robertson do?
posted by rohit karn batra on August 23, 2005 at 10:44 PM
Apparently, he would kill Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
I am no Christan or Liberty University graduate, but what happened to thou shall not kill?
Continue reading "What would Jesu...err...Pat Robertson do?"
Peace and Fanaticism
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 22, 2005 at 04:17 PM
So We Don't Forget the Peace
To return to my original proposal for how to settle conflicts, I always anticipate that someone will bring up Nazi Germany as a parallel to our current war on terrorism.
Continue reading "Peace and Fanaticism"
Mothers Choice: Become a Suicide Bomber or Your Children Will Die
posted by Mallika Chopra on August 20, 2005 at 06:33 PM
September 1st marks the first year anniversary of the beginning of the Beslan school tragedy which killed 350 hostages, half of them children. I remember the emotions around this horror last year. The pictures of the children who were killed, the particular story of one mother who had to choose between her two children whom to save, the senselessness of the disastrous rescue.
Continue reading "Mothers Choice: Become a Suicide Bomber or Your Children Will Die"
The Facts
posted by Gotham Chopra on August 20, 2005 at 04:08 PM
In recent days there has been much fire regarding one of my dad's posts on the War in Iraq and the alleged number of Iraqi casualties at the hands of the US forces in Iraq. Not so much on this site, but more so on the Huffingtonpost blog. To that extent, the following article is worth a read:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/08/19/powell.un/index.html
War deaths in Iraq
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 19, 2005 at 05:48 PM
I don't expect to influence anyone who screams his opinions, but for those who might have worried that I was casting out imaginary numbers, the following may be useful:
Continue reading "War deaths in Iraq"
There is no 'Us vs Them' there is only 'Us'.
posted by Shekhar Kapur on August 18, 2005 at 10:58 PM
"While there was little serious violence in Gaza, an Israeli settler in the West Bank grabbed a gun from a guard near the settlement of Shiloh and opened fire on Palestinian workers. The settler, Asher Weissgan,40,killed four Palestinians and wounded one other .."
The above is an excerpt from today's NY times. The words are buried deep in the front page that headlines the tragedy of the Gaza settlers bieng forcefully evicted.
What does the NY times mean 'no serious violence ?' What else is serious violence ?
Continue reading "There is no 'Us vs Them' there is only 'Us'."
Lakshman Kadirgamar -A True Sri Lankan
posted by Bandula Jayasekara on August 16, 2005 at 05:32 AM
Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was brutally assassinated by the LTTE on Friday, was a fine human being, gentleman, sportsman, patriot, foreign minister and true Sri Lankan. One of Sri Lanka’s most loved and the best foreign minister Sri Lanka ever produced. He stood tall from his school days at Trinity College Kandy in Sri Lanka, University of Ceylon, at Oxford, at the UN and as a politician. But, more than anything he was a man who loved his motherland. a very noble thin