The Global Financial Crisis- 3

By Kanica Soni

India has strong basic fundamentals due to which India is still buffered from the financial crisis however, policy makers need to be very cautious when making the policies in order for the country to be able to remain buoyant during this time. This is positive view is seen in a below statement by a senior official of the IMF:

“India is likely to emerge unscathed from the financial crisis sweeping the globe, thanks to the structure of its economy, exports and financial markets.”

CAUSES OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS for India and other nations

Concerned about the global repercussions of the financial crisis, on 30 October 2008, General Assembly President, Mr. Miguel d’Escoto ( Nicaragua ), invited a panel of experts to hold an interactive discussion with Member States on causes; below are important views on the same pointing to the causes of current financial crisis.

Professor Francois Houtart ; The G-77/China indicated that the crisis is unprecedented because the epicenter is the richest and strongest country in financial terms and this evidences the weakness of the current international financial architecture to prevent crises of these sorts. The Group highlighted the loss of public confidence not only in governments but also in institutions and noted that the crisis cannot be dealt with effectively within the current institutional framework– there is a gap that needs to be filled through comprehensive review and reform of a systemic nature.

Professor Prabaht Patnaik, Professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at India said that the cause of the problem was located in the fundamental defect of the free market system regarding its capacity to distinguish between “enterprise” and “speculation” and hence, in its tendency to become dominated by speculators, interested not in the long-term yield assets but only in the short-term appreciation in asset values.

Besides the above facts, it is important to look at other factors that fuel this crisis that I have listed down below:

1. The current institutional composition of the markets, the deregulated nature of those markets and the vast liquid assets in private hands have even placed limits on concerned action by national governments and this does not allow to anticipate stabilization.

2. The concept of globalization refers to the universalization of a certain model of market society, characterized as open and private, because of its hypothetic character (model) confers such condition to the same globalization.

So, although the fact that several countries have realized reforms to push liberalization, as well as opening and economic privatizations can be attested, we are not in the face of a society of open and private world market, where, for example, there is free movement of work, or where federal or state governments do not participate in the property of very different assets.

3. Even then fundamental problem is found in the swings of overconfidence that was seen in many countries since the 1990s, overconfidence shared by millions, billions, of people. And this confidence has been very strong until recently.

4. Speculation (in a financial context) is the assumption of the risk of loss, in return for the uncertain possibility of a reward. Where the respective speculators take a carelessly calculated risk.

FACTORS THAT KEEP INDIA BUFFERED FROM THE IMPACT OF THE CRISIS AND POINT TOWARDS STABILITY

1. Domestic demand in India is very very strong, where you still have investments that is growing very strongly.

2. Consumption, especially of durables, has come off a little bit as interest rate has increased from last year and are beginning to bite, Kochar said in a teleconference.

3. Investments, which overtook consumption as the key driver of economic growth in 2003-04, has increased 20 per cent from last year’s level.

4. At the India Economic Summit in New Delhi this week, Indian officials and corporate executives remained optimistic about the future of outsourcing.

5. Montek Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of India's Planning Commission, predicted that India's economic growth for 2008-2009 will be between seven and nine percent. press release.

 

WHAT FACTORS CAN PROVE TO BE DANGEROUS

 

India is plugged into the world trading system but Indian exports have been diversified both in terms of goods and markets... On service exports... we don’t have a whole lot of strong evidence but we do believe that impact could go either way, Kochar noted.

To prevent such financial disasters in future Professor Francois Houtart, Professor Emeritus at Belgium ’s Catholic University of Louvain and founder of the Tricontinental Centre - noted the need for the transparency of financial instruments and institutions and stressed that managing them in a coordinated way at the national, regional and international level was crucial.

REF: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10792

Copyright © Kanica Soni 2008 owned by Kanica Soni . All Right Reserved

 

The Global Financial Crisis- 2

By Kanica Soni

India so far has put up a brave front to the global financial crisis that has hit our economy, where from the dawn of the technological advancements and globalization was pouring in new investments that fuelled a large economy to boost ahead, it is these very factors that have infact, as it seems metaphorically crippled us.

Looking at the global financial crisis from the perspective of a developing economy, it is hard to ignore the factors that has caused, the break-down of one large economy on many upcoming and growing ones.
In my last article(THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS- UNDERSTANDING THE PRESENT AND LOOKING AHEAD) I spoke of how this happens, now I feel that it is important to dig deeper into why the recession has happened and we are unable to slow it down to turn the curve upward. one of the reasons as i explained in my last article is the fact that a problem at such a macro scale can not be resolved by measures taken by one country at a time. (like the issues arising due to the views of Angela Merkel, in the EU)

Besides this, it is important to look at the other factors that have caused this 'Boom' to turn into a 'Boo' so we can learn from them and not make the same mistakes again.
In my perspective it all started from the a simple human characteristic, that is infact causing alot other problems as well i.e. Greed!!

It is the urge to want more/ earn more on an essential commodity that people would pay for as it is a subsistence resource for a large part of many economies, as the Oil prices were increased, the world saw a drastic increase in the food prices (that use oil consuming machines for production and refinement) that in turn caused the food crisis early this year. Thus emerged the Food and Fuel Crisis.

In 2008, oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel for the first time, the first of many price milestones to be passed in the course of the year. In July, oil peaked at $147.30 a barrel.
Subsequently, the prices of many commodities, notably oil and food, got so high to cause genuine economic damage, threatening stagflation and a reversal of globalization, as first Egypt then Brazil (major exporters) curbed both production and stopped exports.

As prices soared, the crisis led to cash deficit (the credit available), and it is from this liquidity that investment banks multiplied the value of their capital, and therefore the investment banks began to suffer.
Gradually, as we see after investment banks, the automobile industry and luxury goods industry is suffering. The way is going to be long and hard but the world economies need to reverse the effects of large scale globalization to promote a sense of security in the consumers and the producers, simultaineously look at how to create jobs and continue to upkeep the cycle of

Income --- Expenditure --- Consumption--- 1. Investment 

                                                                                                                           --- 2. Production 

                                                              3. Consumption again --------- 


Copyright © Kanica Soni 2008 owned by Kanica Soni . All Right Reserved

Forensic Science- Introduction & An insight Into Forensic Psychology

By Kanica Soni

WHAT IS FORENSIC SCIENCE 

Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system in essence to produce evidence in controversial cases, this may be in relation to a crime or to a civil action. But besides its relevance to the underlying legal system, more generally forensics encompasses the accepted scholarly or scientific methodology and norms under which the facts regarding an event, or an artifact, or some other physical item (such as a corpse, or cadaver, for example) are to the broader notion of authentication whereby an interest outside of a legal form exists in determining whether an object is in fact what it purports to be, or is alleged as being.



The word “forensic” comes from the Latin adjective “forensis” meaning of or before the forum. During the time of the Romans, a criminal charge meant presenting the case before a group of public individuals in the forum. Both the person accused of the crime and the accuser would give speeches based on their side of the story. The individual with the best argument and delivery would determine the outcome of the case. Basically, the person with the sharpest forensic skills would win. This origin is the source of the two modern usages of the word "forensic" - as a form of legal evidence and as a category of public presentation.
The major branch yet a generalized on is that of criminalistics it is the application of various sciences to answer questions relating to examination and comparison of biological evidence, trace evidence, impression evidence (such as fingerprints, footwear impressions, and tire tracks), controlled substances, ballistics, firearm and tool mark examination, and other evidence in criminal investigations. Typically, evidence is processed in a crime lab. Besides this there are more specialized fields under forensics like that of Entymology, Anthropology, Archeology, and others.
A very important factor in Forensics is that of the legal system of the respective companies. 

(Ref: Wikipedia)

THE UPCOMING FIELD OF FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS
Behind the Closed Doors of a Mind...



"Forensic Psychology - To not only know how "madmen" think but to step into their world, if only to bring it to a halt. "

The art of forensics also is in trying to know the core cause of crimes, and why they are at a higher rate in some places and why they are lower in other, a key in that is to find the cause of it in the first place. 

Looking at developing countries, people either steal because they are kleptomaniac for those who are well off, on the other hand, there are those who need the money for subsistence; the case is a little difference in the developed nations that even tend to provide for subsistence requirements for the unemployed; there the reason for the high rates of crime then become a part of the arena of forensic psychology. Although the evidence that this field of study provides is controversial and not admissible in some courts of law, it does in certain cases aids the investigation with certain types of information that tells the investigating officers the kind of person they are looking for. Infact, such profiling has often aided in getting a criminal behind bars, and after that gathering the evidence to prove the crimes is relatively simpler.

Hence as the world moves on the use of such abstract new fields of study often come to the aid of sciences such as this that help understanding the minds of those who are beyond stealing or killing for a logical purpose like self defense. The below phrase aptly describes how factors like raging hormones or an undiagnosed psychological disorder proceeds to manifest itself in the mind of an individual as it thrives:



"It was an urge. ... A strong urge, and the longer I let it go the stronger it got, to where I was taking risks to go out and kill people risks that normally, according to my little rules of operation, I wouldn't take because they could lead to arrest." —Edmund Kemper. 

Many a time if the cause of a series of murders committed may not be merely psychological, the reason may be the way a person deals with stress. 

The method of profiling as such may very well be debatable considering the fact that there is no particular method that is/ has been established universally. In studying various trends a psychologist can by studying past history and a variety of cases find the common causes to murders. In doing so presenting a motive to a court of law becomes easier to find, when they too are opening up to the possibilities of an innate psychological tendency that could be the cause of a person to act violently, other than the usual cause that was accepted i.e. a motive to act in that way like that of money or revenge.



In the present world I think the value of such evaluations and profiling done be forensic psychologists is becoming more and more essential especially with the rise of terrorism. Profiling a terrorist and finding a cause to the violence is essential in trying to eliminate it. Likewise this theory is applicable not only to terrorists, it is also applicable in mass murderers, further more an offshoot of the application of this theory is that in the case of serial murderers a prediction can be made as to when and how a criminal may strike for his/her next offence. This is a key that can save lives and help capture dangerous men/women that pose a threat to society.

Copyright © Kanica Soni 2008 owned by Kanica Soni . All Right Reserved

Mumbai Attacks

By Prashant Guha

In the changing scenario as our country progresses towards the new dawn of 61st year of its independence, another shameful episode leaves the nation in shambles. The Mumbai mishap on 26th – 27th Nov 2008 shows how strong our civil administration is. This episode has been a bare slap on the nation’s security. Militancy in parts like J & K and eastern sector is still desirable as we share our boundaries with our allies but our business capital?

Yet again, this raises the questions like - Are we really safe in our own country? Is our nation so weak that a band of some anti-social elements trying to assert the terror (that they have adopted as a religion,) walk into our territory, unquestioned and create so much of havoc and all that our government authorities can do is wait and watch? Is this our NATIONAL SECURITY?

The Real Picture – A ship called VM ULFA came from Karachi and harbored at the Mumbai civil dock for a week and was expected to carry militants across the border. It is also known that the weapons and machinery were transported from the ship to the desired locations and then to Hotel Taj and The Oberoi. An obviously controversial yet logical conclusion can be derived- that this sort of planned incursion has had to have people within our administration involved, as there was apparent knowledge about the holes in security and such weapons of mass destruction cannot reach a place (like the hotels mentioned above) without security checks. 

This shows how loyal the civil administration is to our National Security. Who is to be blamed for this? The government or the administration? The common man is exposed to the hands of people who he has nothing to do with. The police fails as they are not well equipped and they lack the required skills. And again, the reserved forces who are part of the so called Home Ministry, which thoroughly responsible for the internal security of the country fail.

Why do they exist? What is the aim of having a mass of unskilled people who are paid to do this work and are still so inefficient...

Eventually, like always the government banks upon the Para Military Forces- The Indian Army and Naval Commandos have been called to fight this series of terror. Is this what are they paid for - to fend internal terror attacks or to guard the nation from external issues that violate the security of the nation. The role reversal shows that how strong the Armed Forces are, and that they don't just handle their job but also that of civil administration. The crux of the matter is that we need to ask ourselves and analyze the world are we living in.
Are we safe in our own houses? With what feelings do we trust our Civil Administration? Its better we have Military rule in our country also. At least we will be safe. Some time back some one argued saying that India can never sustain Military rule and if such incidents take place its fine as it does happen but I’d like to raise a question to you all -- “If everyday 100 people start dying devastating and terrifying deaths like this then when would you prefer to die? The first day or the thirtieth day or the Three Hundred Sixty Fifth Day?” 

edited by Kanica Soni 

Carbon offsets

A product of the Kyoto protocol were the Carbon Offsets, they are a type of carbon currency, a medium of exchange by which one activity that reduces emissions at a higher cost can be swapped for another that does so at a lower cost. 

However, their benefit seems to be limited and restricted especially looking at Global Trade, the manufacturing units in the world and the ever increasing consumerism that causes this carbon currency to be watered by counterfeit credits that are very difficult in practice to distinguish from the genuine article. 

This causes problems to emerge around fraudulent currency of this kind that seeps from increasing uncertainty about the value of other carbon currencies that in essence makes vulnerable the very value of carbon offsets, its meaning and defies the intent with which it was created.

Now more than ever the Carbon Credits are losing their power as major economies of the world are sliding into recession and the environment is beginning to take a back seat, and survival has become the core focus.
None the less such a policy does hold its place in that it works as an incentive to the reduction of our carbon foot prints and in the long run it will benefit our world. 



However, a lot of countries being hit by the Financial crisis are going back on their words and delaying the up-gradation of their respective industries/machiney as, it not only costs money but also cuts on employment which right now is crucial to maintain. 

A major example of which is Germany which uses brown coal, the most polluting form of coal, which still relies on it for one-fifth of its energy supply. The argument revolves around it being their important resource to why turn to expensive sources that is especially applicable in this time.

Many say that the promises that the Green world promises are unrealistic and consistent with the economic fundamentals of todays economic forms. On the other hand there are silver lines in China, Korea and other such countries that are adapting what the Green Policies have to offer to their needs and requirements. 

But in a world heading for a financial slowdown policy-makers must keep their focus on the envioronment which will be of greater importance in the long run and the survival of our species, (that very intelligently seems to be destroying the world they live in), furthermore this can not and should not take a back seat and therefore despite the gloomy financial atmosphere we must fight to keep our priorities in place.

The Recruit

When one imagines whom an employer would want, we put ourselves in the recruiter’s shoes and imagine that he/she would like someone who does not bat an eyelid in the interview, excellent grades (which is in some way is indicative of how well you may perform at work) and someone who tops the HR tests provided.

The method of selection does seem absolutely foolproof; your academic record proves your consistency, your interview points to how well you can communicate and you aptitude tests will speak of your logical thinking capabilities.

Yet, in the long run, this procedure does facilitate a good selection, it does not guarantee one.
So what will and can guarantee a good selection?

What kind of people do we really need?

According to me, for each profile, a different kind of person is required. This is of course simple logic that every one knows, a doctor cannot do an engineers work and doctor can not do the work of strategist, and a strategist will find it difficult to do the work of clerk.
It is hence important for the employer to know and understand whom he/she wants and only then embark on the journey to look for a suitable candidate.

As the Global Financial Crisis has dawned, it struck me that so far people have been recruiting people who were thought to be intelligent (Engineers, Lawyers, and those that did well in academics). But the world is not in need to people who know what the book contains; it requires people who can think “out of the box”.

Today the world needs people who can strategize better, who can think beyond the book and in that don’t just follow the book in a crisis, because every crisis is not the same, and the conditions are also not the same. People who can imbibe what the text says and can adapt it to varied situations is an ideal strategist and a better employee.

(Saying this, I would like to explain that it is easy to learn guidelines and follow them, but the world today needs people who have the aptitude to apply what they learn, in that be able to bend the rules to adjust to the existing situation at hand.)

Such employees can do well rounded work and in the long run can also make reasonable and effective decisions. And today more people want people who can, not just dream but desire and have the strength to achieve in this overwhelming competitive world.

In such times, the Innovative capacity of an individual plays a key role in the development and appropriate application of the academic guidelines. The world has achieved primary targets , but if a recruit has the capability to think different and do the conventional work in different ways , he can then take solutions to a new level of certainty and that will make him/her the right choice of the recruiter.

Hence the ability to place things in perspective, in the 'right box' and be different in one's approach to it is something that needs to be looked at and is valued in today's world. And gradually that is what I think someone handling Human Resources would be wise to look for and for us to develop in ourselves.

(The article is a Point of View article)

Prolicy

The practice of prostitution has existed since time unknown. A part of the feminine gender condemns it, and a part of it uses it to earn a living; while the opposite gender sees it as an entertainment. The fact that it should or should not be done is beyond debate, because although many would stand against it in public light, they would still advocate it behind the doors of a brothel.

But the reason why it should be of concern are many, some of which I will try and assess in this essay. First and foremost it makes us wonder the value of women in our society, secondly, it makes many vulnerable to many diseases, and thirdly it facilitates the stigma attached to the practice itself and the person practicing it.

Today, the government and NGO’s have been trying to solve problems that revolve against prostitution most of all that of STD’s. Engaging in intercourse with a person who is infected with a certain STD’s makes the uninfected person a victim in a way. This has been the major concern if many countries worldwide that are trying to find ways to bring this practice under certain regulation.

Netherlands for this reason legalized brothels, however the problem they face today is of policing dilemmas, and thus the fact that sex trade has not stopped and diseases are still spreading. And once again in this cycle, the state is rendered ineffective in trying to achieve their motive.

The problem unfortunately does not only revolve around this trouble, prostitution engulfs in it certain illegal activities and other multiple crimes. The Dutch government tried to tackle this problem with trying to make buying and selling of sexual services a legal and freely undertaken transaction. However, this too has yet to turn useful and effective.

However the exploitation and the violence has not stopped. Women have been saddled with fictitious debts and threats women are made to entertain 20 clients in a day, and be subjected to any and everything the clients pays for, like their names tattooed on the.

A positive outcome has been seen from countries that have legalized sex trade, this has allowed sex workers to trade freely and be in a position to be more autonomous more over it has shown that the legal of 18 was followed. This too does not come without a drawback where then trade attracts more men and women.

On another plane of comparison to look at countries like Africa or India, either line of policy would have a negative effect. To legalize would mean to advocate and exploitation would multiply, not to forget that such a policy would be opposed by society itself. On the other hand banning it would push the victims into a dark zone of concealing the practice, not stopping it.

This issue requires a delicate balance in policy making wherein the goals to reduce exploitation, transmission of STD’s and the stigma of prostitution withers away with time. Hence more tactic needs to go into a policy that will allow policing (to reduce the chances of exploitation and illness) and freedom (to make the business respectable thus reduce the stereotype of a prostitute as a fallen person change) together.

THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS- UNDERSTANDING THE PRESENT AND LOOKING AHEAD

The world as we know has begun treading downhill on the business cycle chart, and it is only a matter of time before the effects of the crumbling base of USA and Europe cause other relatively closed economies to slide into recession as well.
And in the time of globalization each country, sparing none, in one way or another are influenced by other countries. Hence the effects will spare none.

It all began with the Sub-Prime Crisis, when the cost of estate was over estimated and the regulations applied were not adequate and people were lending borrowed money in the hope of earning a profit. But when the borrowed/invested money turned toxic, the individual suffered and on a macro scale the large investment banks started to fail. There was gap that was created between debt, earnings and payments; this resulted in a deficit in cash, the recovery of which seemed close to impossible thanks to the toxic debts.

In my understanding the Global financial Crisis is still in its initial stages and the worst is yet to come, and the situation will only become dire when the effect of the crisis hits the developing economies that have depended on the developed nations for a large part of their exports. Once the developed nations will be rendered incapable to pay for/buy the respective exports, the income of the exporting economy will be cut, thus an impact of the buying capacity of the exporting company will be felt, reducing the imports it can afford. The cycle is vicious.

This kind of movement does surely causes people to panic, and when they hear that their investments and life savings are in danger they become scrupulous and miserly, which in the long run catalyzes the choking of financial pipelines as the liquidity starts to fall short.
And as the economy shows no signs of recovery, people have curbed their investment inputs and the stock markets as we see have begun to flounder also causing the companies to have no new liquidity to invest and therefore no new profits, as a result of which they seem to be stuck in a quicksand pit of toxic debts.

The adverse effects of the loss of liquidity, causes the trust in the economy and markets to reduce, as people fear an oncoming depression. With the only example of it being 1939, people tend to hold on to every penny left. Assets no longer hold eminent value and liquidity becomes the need of the day.
It is because of this line to thought that the USA Luxury Goods market has also begun to feel the pinch, as their customers don’t want to let go of their cash unless absolutely necessary.
Like this I think, gradually many more sectors will feel the effects of recession.
In the new, the automobile industry has begun to crumble, and have not received the bailout as yet.

In my guess, I feel the software industry and the green companies likely to feel the heat, as people will be unable to afford their green policies, causing the investment to go duff. (Hopefully the crisis will not reach that level.)

Further as the “Wall Street” was being damaged and though the rescue of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae brought some relief initially, the fate of Lehman Brothers as many economists believe evidently thwarted the trust of many.

And as companies world over struggle to survive the depleting liquidity in the market, they move to cut jobs, the latest being Citigroup, rendering many jobless and in the whirlpool of the oncoming depression.

Though many are keeping an optimistic outlook, to me it seems quite futile, especially since ‘people as a whole are not trying to over come this problem’. This statement may seem strange to the one who reads it, because one may wonder how one how people (common man) can make a difference. In order to see this, it is important to know and understand how this repression is soon going to catch up to the lower levels of the economic strata like SMB’s.

Small/Medium sized industries suffer as they do not get the required loans they need to sustain growth, and even if they get them, the investment turns toxic because all around liquidity is short. This short but fatal cycle causes many SMB’s to shut down resulting in the common man being affected adversely. This is already happening in the USA

The chain reaction will continue unless action is taken not to only boost liquidity available but to bring the levels of the world market down.

Man has elevated the global financial system to a mammoth level and because the middle of it was shaky, it is now crumbling. Hence it is not enough to pump liquidity and expect the financial system to recover. Collectively we need to bring financial levels to a stable low from which it can begin to build up again. And if we do not do this actively and voluntarily, a depression soon to come will break the global financial system.

Economists need to be broad minded and so do the company’s; they need to reduce their selling costs according to the decrease with the respective raw materials and only then will common man be able to sustain their consumption. And only then will the company be able to sustain production. This logic goes according to the supply and demand graph, but a little beyond it, and one must understand that things don’t always remain ceteres paribus; the conditions change because the world of man can be described as nothing less than ‘unpredictable’.

And though economies like Japan, China, and India are desperately trying to sustain the growth and survive the recession, they are not going to succeed unless the economy – micro and macro components, are made to comply with the needs of the hour. A single sided effort and narrow policy making isn’t going to arrest the recession that now seems to be sliding into a depression.

If this is not done the fate of many will be like that of Pakistan, Iceland and others that would soon follow, and the fundamental use of the IMF will be rendered inutile, as funds there too, will run out.

Dawn

By Kanica Soni

The Victory of Obama means a change in the core fiber of the American Psyche.
Facilitated by both economic circumstances and what he (Obama) had to offer as opposed to his Republican counterpart, what they had to offer and the past made by the them.

But for once one can see a strong sense of reason that has prevailed instead of the 'follow the sheep' practice

I now see America in new light!

A Rat Race

Quite inappropriately, nonetheless this is my second article on biases.

In my earlier article I discussed how a certain pattern of thinking established over a long period of time begins to act as a blinder.

From the time of conquests, and with the British growing and then the rise of Capitalism and the USA, a notion very conveniently adopted was that the White in an unknown way was/ is a superior colour and consequently a white skinned race is superior. With the power in the hands of the Whites this notion was accepted.

This is also as we know called the Non-Sequitur Fallacy, where a conclusion in derived from a certain premise without there being any logical connection.

Though we have come a long way from history, and in the present world we now accept all colours of skin as equal. The fallacy is still continues. This can been seen in the attitude of certain Europeans, more than that, I turn my and you attention to its existence in the USA.

When a paper writes “it is surprising to see that Obama has reached this level in the presidential election”. What is the sentence in essence saying?

Is it questioning is his capability plainly on one hand, or questioning his capability and candidacy on the basis of his skin color? Whatever anyone says, I think the later is a fact.

 

I read an article where the author was explaining how if they voted for Barack Obama it would mean questioning their own social constructs. Then ego comes in, how can a person who has believed so far in his life that an African American is inferior negate himself, thus destroying his own social construct or in a way identity. And according to the author, his friends as well had a hard time deciding who to vote for.

Is that to say that the American people are essentially Racists?

Fidel Castro said so (recently), and to follow him many more.

And now in an attempt to rationalize why Americans would not vote for the seemingly more credible candidate, Barack Obama, Is the social desirability effect, if applied to this situation implies that Mc Cain, looks like a more favourable candidate, because of his skin colour, and Obama falls into the construct of a Black-skinned person.

It has been proved in previous psychological tests that many whites have a presumption that dark skinned people are violent and have a tendency to be into drugs.

So is the presidential election of USA going to end up being a race between two individuals or two skin colours?

That is a question that will be answered in a few days.

But until then, I hope that the elections do not prove Americans racist, and yet they choose the more capable of leaders.

[And I hope this sort of analysis works as reverse psychology :)]

Building a Case for the different

At one time I wondered how and why my mind goes round and round, swerving through twisting thoughts, and confusing me thoroughly about my world around me. It all seems very strange to have your thoughts moving so swiftly, analyzing the world around us, inferencing conclusions without apparent control.

Well for one, it made my reading of Henry James easier!!

The world does go round for everyone, unless we wear blinders. Some do some don’t! The former are rigid and narrow-minded, the latter have a wealth of knowledge and perceptions with an undoubtedly well rounded understanding of it.

We all think that we are all in the category of the latter. But is that really so?

Do we accept situations and people around us as they are without expecting compromises?

We all have notions of what is right or wrong, based on which we judge the world around us. That for us is the universal truth. This may include a religion, a way of living, certain conventions that we may so rigidly be following, that we wrong everything that negates it blindly.

A trend that is now thankfully changing is the acceptance of the life of people with alternative sexual preferences.

Earlier, only the love of opposite sexes was accepted. And on the basis of that, the Indian constitution, under the Indian Penal Code, regarded sexual activity between same sex people illegal and a crime in the eyes of the law.

My attempt to write this article is to point at the way we think, and the sheer use of blinders, which we all deny, in that we do not accept the life, or the choice of the life adopted by an individual with respect.

In building a case for people who are slightly different, I would say that most often we do not even consider the base of the entire concept!!!

So what is the base of the concept of homosexuality or bisexuality?

It is a universal phenomenon called Love.

The evolution of man and animal has been such that only two species on Earth associate love and sexual activity as one, and not just a way to promote or allow a species to live on.

And it is love that brought so many people who have been hiding in the past to love each other despite the taboos on being homosexual or bisexual.

It is amazing to see how many people have come forth to have their relationship recognized by law, so that they do not need to hide their love for one another. Statistics show that in the past 3 months in a state that made gay marriages legal about 10 million couple came forward to tie the knot. This shows an increasing majority that is proceeding to adopt this kind of a lifestyle.

The second reason of such evolutionary trends is a new biological trend. Of being made different.

However, in such a case as well, why do we condemn a person made differently, why can’t we accept a differently structured person? Here as well the question of being narrow-minded arises, and to enable an evolution of intellect as well, I feel that we need to open our minds to people who are different and accept them.

However this change is coming about very slowly.

Now that I have related our conventional thinking to an issue at hand, and explaining at the change and difference having an underlying phenomenon that touches everyone’s hearts; as something that is a basic need as described as a base level need in Maslow’s pyramid of needs.

I would like to proceed to the situation of my Native- India.

The concept of Gay persons in India is extremely complicated to understand, unless one understand the fact that in Olden India, things that people did not understand, they feared, and they then granted the feared phenomenon as divine or as Plato called the Unexplained that was not in the reach of Man, which then becomes at the level of the Gods.

In India this idea on one hand condemned the identity of being Gay, on the other hand worshipped them, while also believing them to have special powers. And this is reflected in their solemn appearances at a wedding or the birth of a child, etc

This led them to become clanlish and survive on incomes derived from such occasions.

Though many claim that they are in complete acceptance with the idea of having a different sexual preference, this is now however translated on ground when it comes to be working with Gay persons.

It is easy to say, what one thinks is correct, but to be able to wipe out old beliefs (on the basis of which we develop concept of right and wrong) and understand a new concept and accept it inherently is an entirely different ball game, that is taking a lot of time.

Today, in a world where acceptance of such persons is increasing, we in India and other similar parts of the world need to accept Gay people, and respect their identity, without judging them as wrong because of a few old inherited ideas.

In India, there are a few people who are actively fighting for gay rights and others who at a legal level is promoting a positive translation and understanding of our constitution, where being Gay no longer is translated and understood to be a crime.

For this one aspect of our constitution, I have always believed that the most comprehensive and detailed constitution (written in a way to bring justice to all and never be mis-interpreted) in the world has gone wrong and wronged many.

PSYHCOLOGY & ITS CONCEPT TO THE WORLD

I had gone to Delhi as I longed to see my brother after 6 long months... the journey upwards was great... I had foreigners... love birds or what ever one might call them cuddling all the time, & one man who kept to his lower berth & me to my upper berth. I very presumably had nothing to do in a rocking train except to do my usual best pass time i.e. to observe people & how ridiculous they can get... but such observations are only as far as other people are concerned. i bet if i get down to having a third person view of myself I will go crazy looking at myself & instead of sitting & observing myself I will be running away from myself. The trip was for about three days & well soon enough I was on my way back. And it was unfortunate that I came across a person who has almost the same pass time as I did. That is so not a comfortable situation. So we did our own work, i tried to put up my most intellectual front & read about DNA which is actually a part of my next level in forensics. I shouldn’t have to say that I read it 5 times over & it still flew left right & center but didn’t go into my head. Anyways but I think I managed to prove my intellectual self & satisfied with that I decided to have a meal........ Now let’s see what the man beside me was up too Like I said he too was trying his best to look intellectual & was supposedly editing a book...which he claimed to be his...which i doubt. So he read and he read, & he didn’t look up even once. He read & he read & he wrote & he wrote till he too decided to have dinner. Him being a complete stranger I didn’t want to start a conversation since I was traveling alone but then again... Indians have to eat while they talk so he started off. "So you are learning genetics?" "No, not really, it’s a small part of an entire course" I said, happy he noticed that i was the studying variety.... "Which course is that?" "Forensics", i said "FOR-SEN-ICS???!!!" Aghast at the pronunciation.... I said "NO FO-REN-SICS, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS....." That was my favorite subject & he...he had made a complete mess of it..... i thought what a creep... "Aaaaaa the CID variety" he said "CID is quite a load of rubbish, but yes some thing like that" "So planning to catch murderers hmmm" "Not quite I am actually a psychology student",I said "Mind reader!!" he exclaimed By then I knew I had gotten myself into a never ending conversation with an industrialist who knew nothing about my field of study. As the conversation got on, he asked me question to which I too was a bit zonked at... "What do you do as psychologists?" So I thought of all the different fields & started reciting my psychology notes..... i remembered them. At the end of it he gave me a blank look & said “soo many field have come out is it...” He seemed determined to convince me that psychology is a big load of crap. I as usual went on with the flow... Well so after the mind reader stereotype & me explaining the existence of psychological tests was i guess useless... He went on to the productivity of a counselor. He asked me "so what do counselors do" I said "the talk to a person in need of some psychological help or guidance" "So basically all they do is talk & that’s what you are going to do....Talk" Well I had no words for him He thought psychology was all about talking & why not.... But the crucks are that psychology isn’t all about talking it is about understanding ourselves & how the human mind functions. But I obviously couldn’t get my point across to an engineer.. Then on I realized that the things people told me before I took up psychology & about it being a subject looked at with a queer view is very much true. The service guy came & feeling very good about himself he gave the guy a five hundred rupee note & said take some tip & gets me change & I thought... "dude use your brains" How can any one give some one 500 bucks on a train & say get me change at the end of the dinner. He then looked at me & said "so u see I am a very trusting person but there are some people who can be trusted & I can tell who is not going to cheat" About one hour later i felt him to be uneasy.... Haa What else The guy with the 500 bucks hadn’t turned up & no one knew where he was....... There his trust went down the drain..... So then he went out looking for the guy & I took the chance & covered myself with a blanket & slept. God knows what happened to the guy as he got off at a station earlier than mine...

Too much oil

It is surprising how excess of anything can be damaging to any economy...
Some thing every one treasure in today’s world can also have negative effects in a developing economy.
Oil also known as black gold today is one of the key ingredients if the industrial world, its absence means throwing a country back into Stone Age. Without it even the lives of common man would be in jeopardy. It is amazing how we have learnt to exploit black liquid to such an extent that our existence is dependant on it. Any economist or industrialist would be afraid to sit back & rationally think about the consequences of the exhaustion of this black liquid.

About 4 months back I read an article regarding Russia expanding its oil fields, there after about the environment & the lack of oil, now I came across an article reading it i was rather surprised, it was about the problem of excess oil in the developing countries & its harm to the developing economy

It is also called the curse of oil or the paradox of plenty according to economists. The usual explanation for this is “Dutch Disease”, named for the hardships that befell the Netherlands after it found North Sea gas. When a country strikes hydrocarbons, a sudden inflow of dollar-denominated revenues often leads to a sharp appreciation in the domestic currency. That tends to make non-oil sectors like agriculture and manufacturing less competitive on world markets, thus leaving oil to dominate the economy.

Unlike agriculture, the oil sector employs few unskilled people. The inherent volatility of commodity prices hurts the poor the most, as they are least able to hedge their risks. And because the resource is concentrated, the resulting wealth passes through only a few hands—and so is more susceptible to misdirection.

This misdirection points to another explanation for the oil curse that is gaining favour: politics. Because oil money often flows directly from Big Oil to the Big Man, as Africa's dictators are known, governments have little need to raise revenues through taxes. Arvind Subramanian of the IMF argues that such rulers have no incentive to develop non-oil sources of wealth, and the ruled (but untaxed) consequently have little incentive to hold their rulers accountable.

As a result the agricultural industry suffers considering that oil dominates the boosted market in the developing nation, this causes a set back in the agro-based industry.
The people in the agricultural sector suffer due to the oil monopolization. In developing countries, raids are the rule rather than the exception. Zambia set up a stabilization scheme to manage mineral exports; but as prices soared in the 1970s, the government dropped it—and years of pain followed when prices fell again. Venezuela set up a fund for the future, “El Fondo de Inversiónes”, in 1974, but was soon raiding the kitty. An orgy of domestic spending left the country with a herd of white-elephant projects, huge foreign debt and declining social spending.

There are how ever exceptions countries like Persia have escaped the oil curse, by trying to diversify their economies.
An analysis by Paul Collier of Oxford University suggests that for any given five-year period, the chance of a civil war in an African country varies from less than 1% in countries without resource wealth to nearly 25% in those with such riches. Mr. Subramanian concludes that economic factors like the Dutch Disease and corruption alone do not explain the oil curse. He maintains that the problem is weak institutions.

BANKRUPTSY UNLIMITED

Bankruptsy is a situation people like us would not actually like to be in. But American daily sets new trends for the rest to follow.
The lastest of USAs trends is bankruptsy, easier said than done, it needs elaborate planning in order to land up bankrupt & there after evade the debts you owe.

USA & Britain have always had the most debtor-friendly bankruptcy laws, enabling bankrupt individuals to live life in peace even if they fall into huge debts by protecting them against their own debts. Since it is easy for persons to evade such bills very naturally the number of bankrupt companies has expanded mammothly in the past 20 years .
- 2005 ; 35,898 people filed for bankruptcy protection. A proof of the amount of people planning to go bankrupt.
The US legeslation is trying to amend laws in order to make the constitution less debt friendly as the fact that the debter is the sole villain behind all of it. More & more people seem to be seeking debt protection & are falling into huge debts.

Congress clearly blames the debtor, not his financial enabler. The new bill will make it harder for individuals to declare Chapter 7, the most common form of bankruptcy, which allows debtors to walk away from their debts, often while shielding exempt assets like cars and homes. Those whose income is above the median in their state, and who are able to pay at least $100 a month after allowed expenses, will be forced to enter Chapter 13, where they must repay at least part of their debt over five years. Debtors will have to document their income more extensively and go for credit counselling. Serial Chapter 13 filings, which are often used to stave off foreclosure or eviction, will be blocked.

All the while Europeans are quite bemused at the immorality of American citizens they might also wonder why Americans are so eager to move their bankruptcy law closer to Europe’s—especially since Europe is busily trying to emulate America. Until around 20 years ago, consumer bankruptcy didn’t even exist in many European countries, and corporate bankruptcy was a draconian process too dreadful for all but the most desperate managers to contemplate. Since then, these nations have relaxed their laws precisely because they see the economic benefits this has brought America.

Bankruptsy seems to be seeping in now as its benefits outrun the losses.....................!

TERRI SCHIAVO- A n ordinary life & an extra ordinary death

The debate on life & death continues & probably will. However the concerned individual does not even have a say considering that it is he who is being decided about. In such cases the importance of the indidvidual is not taken into consideration, wot how ever is taken into consideraton is - the financial arrangement and the people around the patient.

The life support system is useful to keep some one's bodily functions active when undergoing a surgery of some kind eg. heart, lung, bone marrow, etc. However, today it is also used by the persons' family when the patient is in a PVS or permanant vegetative state. In such cases the family members keep the individual alive in the hope of a miraculous recovery.

TERRI SCHIAVO lay in a Florida hospital, fed by a drip feed. She is on the ventilator.A faint smile seems to brush her lips as her mother touches her. Doctors say her brain has been destroyed, that these responses are unconscious and that she will never be able to interact with her surroundings. How ever to a lay man such reflexive emotions are real & it would be cruel to let go of such a person.

The story begins in February 1990. Mrs Schiavo, then 26, suffered a heart attack that caused massive loss of oxygen to the brain. She emerged in a “persistent vegetative state”—the common term for someone who does not respond consciously to their surroundings. At first, the family rallied behind her and each other. Michael, her husband, trained as a respiratory nurse in order to look after his wife. Mrs Schiavo moved back into the house shared by her husband and her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler.
Then the court cases began. At first they seem to have been a cause, as much as a reflection, of family disputes. Mr Schiavo sued his wife's gynaecologist for malpractice; the court found for Mr Schiavo and awarded him $1m. This sum seems to have started the feud. Husband and father-in-law had a blazing row about what it should be used for at Terri's bedside.

Over time her family thought that she was delighted to hear their voices & is reacting with a smile on her face & certain expressions, as opposed to fact they were mere reflex actions of the body that had nothing to do with emotion. CAT scan affirmed that her brain had been irrepairibly damaged & the emotions were reflexive & were a result of sparks in the subcortex.

However the ultimate deciosion was made on 2 imp facts- her husband by law had the right to decide & that on her garnd mother funeral lunch she told her hsband that if that ever happened to me the she shuld not be put on the ventilator when Mrs Schiavo's own thoughts on the matter were fished out of the past and presented .

A Florida court twice ordered Mrs Schiavo's feeding tube to be removed and Jeb Bush, the governor of Florida, overruled it.
Her “supporters” outside the Supreme Court last week, standing in silence with the word “Life” taped over their mouths, presumed to represent her views. She, dying slowly, had no views.

Eventuallytwo weeks after the tube was removed she died an extraordinary death. Cases such a terris have largly given way & complicated matters of Bioethics

GOWA

GOA place to party, get drunk, make out, and ENJOY.
a must visit place not wid family or relatives but wid friends,
after my boards i left for goa by bus we left at 9 pm & reached our destination at 11 in the morning, not to mention about the delay & theuncomfortable journey, one would never expect it to be cold but this was worse we froze to death at night. my friend & i huddled together to keep our selves warm. we were 4 girls in a bus with capacity of 36.

thought the journey was long never ending & tiring, it was fun......

then finally we stepped out in the scorching sun with out hats & sun glares on, fully prepared for the heat and adventure.
we awaited our transport & meanwhile discussed our shopping, and all the while all i craved for was a swim in the sea water, & as luck had it my friends were non-swimmers :(.

the very first day we lazed around trying to get used to the heat, and caught on on our lost sleep, then we had some friends over made a variety of cocktails & booooooozed till we dropped dead & had a good nights sleep.
next dat was full of activity we went shopping & i blew up 600/- & shopped for all i could.& then walked down to BAGA beach it was a long walk & it was fun i swam while other frnds hired chairs & sat to sun bathe.

we came back & went shopping again to the saturday bazaar where we ate loads of different things & returned home. dressed up & went to Club Cubana, that was a bar + disc, with free alcohal & an entry of 4 grand. we daned all night & came back next morning at 5am.

the next day understandibly went in sleeping & a quiet evening with dancing & dinner at home.
late night we drove down to panjim & walked on the beach.

the next day we drove down to my friends grand moms place where we had the natve fish curry & rice for lunch which was very nice. there after went to the beach where we swam , did parasailing & went on the water scooter. ALL WELL thrilling & amazing.......

the day went by & we went shopping yet again & bought t shirts & bangles. and then went to a restaurant & boozed yet again. ate our dinner & stayed up all night celbrating our last day in goa
our holiday had ended & the next day we caught a train back to goa, which too was delayed:(.

i bought wine & fenny & came home & am now back to my usual lifestyle...........

A DYNASTY IN A DEMOCRACY

Thaksin Shinawatra, present PM, before stepping onto the stand promised almost infactuous goals, that were widely critisized & ruled out as impossible to acheive within one term.

When in 2001 Mr. Thaksin took office, the economy grew by a scelrotic 2.1%.Banks were in debt & were not making any new loans, many bussinesses lay bankcrupt, and a large part of the population was unemployed.

Leader of the party Thai-Rak-Thai, has sucessfully formed a stable government & been in power for a full term, ie the first since Indonesian formed as a democracy, Thaksin has not only successfully revived the economy as a whole bringing the growth rate of the coutry to 6.8%, but has also fulfilled his promises of medical care just for 30 baht per consulatation ; debt relief for farmers;micro credit for villagers ; expansion of public transport ; free cows ; free education + haelthcare; pensions for the aged etc which proved very popoular amongst the general population.

He has also pledged to do away with poverty, drugs, & drought.
He is constantly launching ambitious schemes & settng improbably deadlines & sacking hapless officials who dont meet them.

Voters, used to short lived tentative governments , adore this "CEO style" of his . After December tsunami, he rushed to the scene and berated officials for their incompetancy & ordered speedy remedies, always in the view of the TV.


On one hand Mr. Thaksin has helped improve the general living conditions of the common man, but is also doing alot for his own companies that he originally transferred to cousin & relatives as required by law before taking up the office.

The biggest weakness in Mr. Thaksins econmic policy is the failure to adress the potential conflict of interest between his roles as a PM & as the head of Thailands wealthiest family.
Directly or indirectly Shin corporation has benefitted. The stockmarket valuation of most Shin corp. firms has risen astronomically during Mr Thaksins tenure; though shin corp argues that higher valuation relfects better managment.

Many industries not owned by Thaksin have lost their independancy & vigour, local media has as well lost vibrancy, the Shinawatra family has also bought Itv the only independant television channel & sacked many reporters.
The family of Thai Rak Thai as recently bought a big stake in The Nation , Thailands most outspoken newspaper.

Although 2000 alleged dealers were killed in his war of drugs he refuses to call it off, despite the claims of human rights activists that the police might have been involved .
Mr. Thaksin refused to condemn the police even when the police quelled a demostration of angry muslim youths but shooting 6 & packing the rest in a truck to tightly that 78 of then suffocated.
In anotherincident where several thais died of avian flu while Mr Thaksin denied that the disease existed in thailand.

Indeed mr. thaksins strenghts & weaknesses as a leader are inectricably linked, however his innovatives ideas & his stands to revive the indonesian economy are turning out to be worthwhile, considering that the economy as a whole is stabilising & growing.

BLABCK

The movie is a phenominal job by Sanjay Leela Bansali.
on one hand he makes lavish films like devdas, and on the other hand he makes movies like khamoshi & BLACK.

One would usually fail to notice one similarity in all his films, the DADS in the movie, the hitler for the kid.
in all his movies the father is represented as the devil, in Devdas the father sent him to the school to study abroad thus preventing him from enjoying a peaceful childhood,
in Black as well the father almost throws out the teacher out & is responsible for the cow bell,watch it to know it.

this similarity can be traced back to his own childhood where he never had a close relationship with his own father
so in all his films the BIG DADDY factor is an essential.