A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.*
In a move which has surprised the political class as well as punditry, who were expecting a lull after a hectic and grueling campaign, President elect Obama today announced his plan to rescue the US economy from threat of recession, and restore trust in financial market.
Addressing a press conference after a victory rally in his hoe town Chicago, Mr Obama briefly outlined his plan to re-energize America. Presented as, "Change can stimulate", the plan essentially involves furiously looking for change in various places, some of them difficult to access, where all the change keeps rolling.
Explaining this approach, Mr Obama said, "As you, uh, know, people keep dropping their, uh, preciouuuus change, in, uh, all the, uh, places. These places may be your everyday sofa cushions, or hard to reach places like, below the settee or even at bottom of public fountains, uh, now we don't know the, uh, exact amount, but all economists agree that during last Eight years, when, uh, George Bush ruled and when people were divisive and careless with their preciouuuus change, a considerable amount must have been accumulated. So much so that with prompt action, we may extract enough money to introduce liquidity and unfreeze the credit market.There is no reason why we can't bring preciouuuus change to the US of A."
Although taken by surprise, political analysts have responded cautiously but positively to the announcement.
Chris Matthews said, "See, it is this kind of out of box thinking which can bring promise and hope to the lives of every Americans", unexpectedly he started sobbing, "Oh, I so much want Obama to succeed".
Republicans have responded negatively to the latest proposal. Mitt Romney, ex Governor of Massachuset, criticized the plan, calling it unworkable. "What next", he remarked sarcastically, "introducing Federal mandate to check tire pressure in order to address energy crisis".
Saw an advertisement for flats yesterday. Now I don't recall the full spiel but it had "Over sized home" in it. Which makes me think that I have fallen through some wormhole and shifted to some different universe where Pune is facing a supply glut in real estate. Either that, or I really need to change my job. I don't know which one is it.
"If you can't take care of your lawn without a complete breakdown of national sovereignty, maybe you're not responsible enough to have one."*
B. Raman rings the early warning bells . Now while people may dismiss this as too early, I find this very plausible. Based on campaign rhetoric of HopeNChange Obama must make a show of sharp departure from W administration. This means he has to make good on his promise of making Pakistan his priority. Problem in this case though is that America has limited leverage with 'our brothers across the border'. Finding himself without anything meaningful plan, Obama will do what he is wont to do, deceive by frenetic actions thus giving illusion of progress even if there is none. In this case it will mean return of good old days when American policy towards India and Pakistan was zero sum game.
As the saying goes, "May you live in exciting times".
Also read: Fallen one
Update: Forgot to add, of course now Non proliferation Ayotollahs wll be on ascendancy again. It is going to be long four years for India. Fortunately Hillary will challenge Obama in 2012.
Since the elections are over, I can finally write about them and will write, shortly. Meanwhile, I feel sad for McCain. Although he is more accurately described as a traditionalist, reminiscent of patrician class belonging to Greco-Roman culture or Military class of 19th century Prussia, and not a proper 'American' Conservative, still as I familiarized myself with the election I came to appreciate his virtues of patriotism, integrity and of honour, even if it meant that he actions were confused and muddled at times. All in all he seemed liked one belonging to a different, far more gracious, age (As Peggy Noonan put it). He did pander of course but he was not a cultural warrior, or even though he had all the reason for, someone who yearned to fight Vietnam again and again.
Sadly that age is over now.
All hail the Messiah.
Update: I am less optimistic about Obama presidency than Rohit. For some reasons Obama gets called pragmatic a lot, I am not sure why. As far as his record is concerned, he has always been solidly liberal. So to believe that he will temper his liberal instinct, that too when he is fortunate enough to be gifted with a democratic majority in both the house as well as Senate, is hard to digest. Of course my first impression of him is the one I will still stick with, he is Nehru with a tan.
1. Rock music is horrible.
2. All Indians who act like they like rock music are possibly illiterate *cough, cough VNS* who have no idea what all this vile monstrosity is about.
3. Such idiots will be sent to Siberia in my benevolent dictatorship. (Death to Rock)
4. Dear fellows at INI. Even though it sounds cool in a wonky way, please stop uttering communal socialism at drop of hat. Because it presumes secularism is a noble idea. It is not, as I have come to understand it. Its best defense is that it is a noble lie , though to tell the truth it is a solution to a problem which, except for the servile imagination of dhimmis, never existed in the first place. Or a trojan horse, except that in this intrigue there are Hindus in place of citizens of troy and sec-lib establishment is the purposeful army of Greeks. Or a sedative for a civilization whose wounds are long festering.
5. Ravikiran & Ritwik Priya . Here is the thing. Stop sniping at each other, and kindly desist from writing such tedious posts. This mustache envy must end.
Having termed Rohit's posts confused earlier , let me write one myself. I have refrained from commenting on the Malegaon kerfuffle mostly because I was too embarrassed to reveal what I think. Anyway here it is.
If it is true that Sadhvi , Ramesh Upadhyay, and Sameer Kulkarni indeed conspired in the case, they are terrorist and deserve nothing less than capital punishment.
Further if it turns out that any 'Hindutva' organization whether affiliated with Sangh Parivar, or independently has provided support for the bombing it is as guilty of terrorism as SIMI and should be treated as such.
Wait a minute ! What's with this, "if it is true" part, you ask. Here comes the paranoia. I find the revelation of the "alleged" involvement too convenient and orcharasted considering how UPA is being hammered, justly I may add, for the gross neglect of terrorism issue.
Of course UPA is hardly the only player which is threatened by public ire over Islamic terrorism. There is a deeper, and far more grievous threat to our sec-lib establishment which is alarmed by the public disenchantment with siren songs of a secular narrative which sustains itself on historical amnesia as well as false equivalence between Dharmic and Abrahamic traditions.
Basically what I am saying is, I am skeptical of investigating agencies. "But, then aren't you saying the same the thing as the apologists who claim that any Muslim accused is a scapegoat and victim". Well partly, that is true.
As someone who has grown under the constant reminder of tyranny of Indian state, I don't trust Indian law and enforcement, and I am more than ready to concede that political pressure in aftermath of every terrorist attack accentuates the natural tendency of the investigative agencies to come up with quick results. This accompanied by religious divide and mistrust which lingers even at best of times beneath the layer of feel good secular clap traps makes me more than ready to agree to the allegations that some (many?) of the accused are victims of the haste and prejudice.
However where I depart from the Islamic apologist is to extend above observation (or to be more precise gut feeling) to conclude that there is no such thing as Islamic terrorism, or alternatively barring some misguided souls state of Islam in India (again religious tensions, to be more precise) has nothing to do with terrorism.
As I have said earlier there is a strong link between terrorism and Islamic history. That it is not taken up has to do with the fact that we have deceived ourselves to believe that past is dead. Yet, like a resurrected monster belonging to cliche of horror genre, it never is.
Here ends the incoherence.
