40 years of hard won dravidian victories are being squandered away at the alter of 2G scam.

Oil shock v2.0

the oil countries represent underdeveloped of medieval societies.

they don't have representative governments.

they don't have diversified economies.

they don't have educational institutions which can build a diversified economies.

they have do eyewash things like supplying cheap petrol and power, which ultimately, is unsustainable.

they don't even have refining capacity & most often import them.

Political economy

Much of world economic policies moves pretty much the same way around the world - even in seemingly disparate countries.

For example, when Nehruvian India was trying its hand at "Mixed economy" and "Planned/managed economy", so was, hold your hats, the UK under successive Labour governments. Infact the power of welfare state in the western countries (Save the US of A), was so immense, even the so called conservatives did not do much. Tory governments, inspite of enjoying 4 consecutive victories left Britain pretty much the way they started - deeply socialistic.

Then the New Labour burst into the scene, which promised to replace massive socialism with regulatory socialism, if you will.

A very similar trend can be discerned in India as well. Starting with '91, since the now famous balance of payments crisis, India has steadily drifted right. India's version of new labour if you will.

USSR/Russia has followed a very similar trajectory - communism replaced by Yeltsin's shock therapy and followed by Putin's stability.

Same goes for China.

The interesting thing is, these countries do not appear to be imitating each other, but appear to be following the political and economic realities of the day. A deeper understanding of these phenomenon is needed.

Competition

Competition is at core of existence. It is nature.

Children compete for their mother's attention. Adults compete for mates. Animals compete for food. Any system that prohibits the competition is unnatural. It is against God. It is a great crime.

Religio-economic-political systems like caste system and feudal system, which prevent competition, are being swept away.

நான் வீழ்வேனென்று நினைத்தாயோ

"தேடிச் சோறு நிதம் தின்று – பல
சின்னஞ்சிறு கதைகள் பேசி – மனம்
வாடி துன்பம் மிக உழன்று –பிறர்
வாட பலசெயல்கள் செய்து –நரை
கூடி கிழப்பருவமெய்தி –கொடுங்
...கூற்றுக் கிரையெனப் பின்மாயும் – பல
வேடிக்கை மனிதரைப் போல் -நான்
வீழ்வே னென்று நினைத்தாயோ..' - பாரதி

"Eating food everyday

Making small talk

Getting depressed and suffering

Hurting others

Growing old

and then dying off

did you think I will also fall like other small men?"

Corruption

When Sonia appointed a Dalit as the nation's chief justice, it was hailed. Now it turns out that he was corrupt to the core. The indications were always there - he refused to put assets online, he called a high court judge who did put his assets online a publicity hound, he dilly-dallied on another corrupt judge PD Dinakaran.

Another Dalit - A Raja is accused on orchestrating India's largest scam ever. The Dalit queen, Mayawati, herself an epitome of inefficiency and corruption.

India created reservation laws to lift the Dalits from centuries of slavery & to provide them with equal rights. Now, it seems all of that was to merely give rights to be equally corrupt. It is like as if someone is proving a point - We can do as well as you at least in corruption. What is more shameful is they use their being Dalits as a defense!

That is not to say everyone who is a Dalit is corrupt or inefficient - merely noting the notables.

Love, hate, victory, defeat, virtue and sin, affairs, cheating, people's sense of gain and loss, are all predicated on a grand delusion - of infinite existence.

If people realize they have only few more years to live, would they act the same way? Would they indulge in all the set of activities they do now then? There is this recent story of a husband who paid a strange taxi driver few hundred dollars to murder his wife, while they were on their honeymoon. I know of another person who murdered his wife of 2 months and made it look like murder for gain in order to marry his girlfriend (whom his parents did not approve of). What exactly did these guys gain by taking lives of those innocent women?

These corrupt politicians and officials. The terrorists who kill and maim in name of some God. What do they get?

For one thing they all seem to be thinking they are going to get away with it. But, also, they all seem to be under the illusion that they are gaining enormously by those barbaric acts; they seem to believe they will live on in a manner which is infinitely better than their current stations in life. Illusion of infinite existence.

Another aspect which stands out - a pathological inability to be happy with what they have. They always want more, or something that they don't have - often forsaking what they already posses, causing lot of pain and suffering in the process.

At 30, I know I probably have another 30 years to live, perhaps a few more - what can I do in that time? How best to use it?

As human beings we can think and choose. I don't want to live a life of pettiness, of cheating, of lying, of dishonesty.

I want to be happy with my wife and family, my career. Pursuit of happiness - but civilized.

Subversion by private media

Private media has done great things for Indian democracy. But, from time to time, it also subverts the democracy. NDTV in particular is guilty of having a political agenda.

It deliberately exaggerated the "protests" during the Arjun Singh orchestrated "OBC reservation" drama. It took some 150 students "protesting" at AIIMS and tried to make you believe it is a crowd of 150,000. I have nothing against people protesting for or against a policy - I have everything against media twisting and subverting it.

Now, the Radia tapes. Wow. Ratan Tata has had to give a rare interview, has moved supreme court to stop its further release.

India is for sale.

NATO Phonetic Alphabet

A Alpha
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliet
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whiskey
X X-ray
Y Yankee
Z Zulu