Ravi S. Iyer: Worldly

Here's a strongly critical of the Brexit referendum op-ed article in The Hindu by a former professor of Political Science in Delhi university, How to read the popular will, http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/how-to-read-the-popular-will/article8784944.ece , dated June 29th 2016 A short extract from it: One-time referendums aren’t enough to decide matters of great import. That is why democratic constitutionalism institutionalises checks and balances. Decisions that profoundly affect not only the present but also succeeding generations, should not be taken in a rush, or through one-time referendums. This is basic political common sense. --- end extract from The Hindu article --- Ravi: After reading up on Brexit and its social, political and business impact in just these few days after the referendum result, I am very convinced of the sagacity of the above statements of Prof. Chandhoke. I now honestly feel that a simple IN/OUT referendum on a serious matter which will be ...

Cameron on immigration vs single market in Brexit talks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5cnjyFQyd4 , 43 seconds, published June 29th 2016 - from post-Brexit British Parliament (Transcript of above video; British Prime Minister David Cameron in the UK parliament:) "On this issue of immigration versus the Single Market, he is right. This is frankly the biggest and most difficult issue to deal with, frankly, whether you are in the European Union, as we have been, arguing for changes, or whether you are out of the European Union trying to secure the best possible access to the Single Market. My answer to the problem was to bring in the welfare restrictions that I negotiated which were incredibly tough to negotiate. I am sad (that) those now will fall away because of the referendum decision. There is no doubt the next government is going to have to work very hard at this. I personally think that access to the Single Market and the strength of our economy is the single most importa...

Ravi: Britain voting to leave the European Union is being seen as a reaction against globalization by some, especially political leaders in some countries in the world who seem to argue for country-inward looking economic policies and against global trade agreements. In this context, I found the speech by USA President Barrack Obama at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Stanford University, California, USA on June 25th 2016, to be a marked contrast. He was very encouraging of global entrepreneurship. Here's the video of the related event of the summit,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEatZCXus9c . USA President Obama's speech starts at around 1 hr 25 minutes into the video and goes on till around 1 hr. 45 minutes (total video time is 2 hr 36 mins).  Here's the transcript, https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/25/remarks-president-global-entrepreneurship-summit-and-conversation-mark . I have given below some highlights of his speech, followed by the...

Last modified on 28th June 2016 There may be some readers who dislike former USA Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson, for his role in the TARP bailout. [To me it seems that he (and his team) did a heroic job of initiating the rescue of the USA from the financial crisis that threatened it bigtime. Tim Geithner followed up as his successor to Treasury secretary, and continued with the heroic work (along with his team). Mind you, all the TARP bailout money (tax payer money) loaned to USA companies by the USA government has been REPAID IN FULL to the USA govt. This part does not seem to get much publicity in the current political discourse in the USA.] Here's his, very knowledgeable from a top level USA finance and economy point of view, take about the prospect of a Mr. Trump USA presidency. [It is very critical of Trump. When I come across a suitable rebuttal of this article by Trump or his surrogates/supporters, I will put up a link to it here.] When it comes to Trump, a Republ...

Last modified on 3rd July 2016 Short extracts from The Daily 202: Stop underestimating Trump. ‘Brexit’ vote shows why he can win.,  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2016/06/24/daily-202-stop-underestimating-trump-brexit-vote-shows-why-he-can-win/576c89e9981b92a22d2dd3dc/ , dated June 24th 2016. The British campaign to exit the European Union (known as “Brexit”), like Trump’s, was fueled by grievance. Those agitating to cut off formal ties to the continent were less organized and less funded than those who wanted to stay connected, but that deficit didn’t matter in the end, because the energy was against the status quo. ... “The vote split the country along essential lines … Provincial versus metropolitan. Scotland versus England. Native-born Britons versus immigrants.” --- end extracts from washingtonpost.com article --- The article, Britain’s youth voted Remain. http://www.politico.eu/article/britains-youth-voted-remain-leave-eu-brexit-refe...