Ravi S. Iyer: Worldly

Last updated on 1-Aug-2017 CNN's Wolf Blitzer asks all the questions to Reince Priebus about why he resigned as White House Chief of Staff. Priebus maintains a dignified and respectful to president Trump approach and avoids answering sensitive questions. Reince Priebus First Interview After Resigning As White House Chief of Staff for Trump, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ_7nYs0Ovk , 15 min. 33 secs. -------------------- This politico article claims to have the inside story of Priebus being forced out: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/28/inside-the-end-of-the-reince-priebus-era-241120 . --------------------- John Kelly, Asserting Authority, Fires Anthony Scaramucci, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/us/politics/trump-white-house-obamacare-health.html , 31st July 2017. The reports are that Gen. Kelly put his foot down and asked Scaramucci to either report to him or go! Scaramucci apparently refused to report to Kelly and so was gone with Trump not coming in th...

Last updated on 31-Jul-2017 The night John McCain killed the GOP’s health-care fight, https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/the-night-john-mccain-killed-the-gops-health-care-fight/2017/07/28/f5acce58-7361-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html , 28th July 2017 Ravi: Two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski had already stated that they were against the bill. So it would have been hoped by Republican leadership in the Senate that all the remaining 50 Republican senators would vote FOR the bill thereby leading to a tie of 50-50 in the 100 member Senate. That tie could be broken by vice-president Mike Pence voting FOR the bill thereby passing the bill in the Senate. But Sen. John McCain joined the two abovementioned Republican senators to vote against the bill which got defeated 49 to 51! Here is Senator John McCain's statement on it, copied from the Senator's Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/johnmccain/posts/10155620333448707 , dated 28-Jul-2017. ...

This New York Times article got published in The Hindu, a mainstream South India newspaper, today: Trump may let Sessions stay, for now, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/trump-may-let-sessions-stay-for-now/article19374144.ece , dated 28th July 2017. The article mentions that some Senate Republicans are incensed over the (humiliating) treatment of USA Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former Senate Republican colleague, by president Trump (publicly via critical tweets). Sen. Bob Corker is reported to be strongly opposed to replacement of AG sessions during the coming recess (break) in USA Congress. Republican senators are reported to have said that they will block any such replacement move during the recess period. Sen. John Cornyn said that removal of Sessions would be "incredibly disruptive". Sen Lindsay Graham said, "I hope Jeff Sessions doesn’t give in to this humiliation campaign." ------------- Graham: Holy hell to pay if Sessio...

Given below are contents of my Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1942872162596018 , dated July 23rd 2017, and some comments from it (slightly edited): Thousands flock to free medical clinic, as Washington dithers on health care, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/thousands-flock-to-free-medical-clinic-as-washington-dithers-on-health-care/2017/07/21/07b7d1f2-6d80-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html , 21st July 2017 Ravi: I think this aspect of worldly reality is becoming more and more similar between wealthy USA and developing India. Many in rural communities in both countries are financially strapped and struggle to get good healthcare. Volunteer healthcare facilities become a great lifeline for them. BTW I wonder whether Sai orgn. in the USA does such volunteer healthcare camps serving rural communities in the USA? --name-snipped-- - Do let me know if you have info. on this. ====================================== Ravi S. Iyer wrote...

1) A racy hit oldie Hindi film song starring Saira Banu from the film Padosan, 1968, 4 min 17 secs, Main Chali Main Chali,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szFxM9KBNMA . 2) Sweet hit song from the 1971 Hindi film, Hare Rama Hare Krishna. The song stars evergreen Dev Anand and Mumtaz. 4 min. 37 secs, Kanchi Re Kanchi Re,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOXkYrP3D2g . 3) A tear-jerker but still very sweet oldie song that I have heard so many times over the years, most of which times it has moved me. From the 1971 Hindi film Hare Rama Hare Krishna, the clip has Dev Anand who is seeking to extricate his sister played by Zeenat Aman from the druggie-hippie scene she has got trapped in. Dev Anand sings a song which he and his sister used to sing in their childhood, and uses that to draw Zeenat Aman to him. 5 min. 20 secs, Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y2aFLOeNPg . 4) The GREAT Mohammad Rafi sahab singing the Shirdi Sai Baba song in the blockbust...

One of India's top lawyers, Ram Jethmalani, quits from representing Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal, in defamation case against him. Jethmalani is reported to say that he referred to a senior politician who is a powerful minister in the Union govt. now, as a crook, in the Delhi High Court on instructions from Kejriwal, his client. Kejriwal is reported to deny that. So, according to the report, Jethmalani is accusing Kejriwal of being a liar, and so is quitting from the task of representing him. BTW the powerful minister who was referred to as crook in the Delhi High Court as mentioned above, filed an additional defamation case seeking Rs. 10 crore [Rs. 100 million] damages for being referred to as crook in the Delhi High Court by Jethmalani as the lawyer representing Kejriwal. So that minister did ramp up the pressure with the additional lawsuit which seems to have separated the lawyer Jethmalani from his client Kejriwal! This is the power of lawsuits in India today! Jethmalani cl...

President Kovind giving assumption of office speech in Central Hall of Parliament President Ram Nath Kovind Rashtrapati Bhavan [President's official home] Rashtrapati Bhavan [President's official home] All pics above are courtesy:  https://www.facebook.com/PresidentOfIndia . [To open pics in higher resolution, right-click on pic followed by open in new tab/window, and in new tab/window click on pic to zoom in.] Ravi: I felt it appropriate to share my comments on President Kovind's speech here, before the entire speech contents. The assumption of office speech of President Ram Nath Kovind whose transcript is provided below is a wonderful, forward-looking and inspiring speech. He emphasizes the unity in diversity and tolerance ethos of Indian civilization over the ages in the following sentences: "The key to India’s success is its diversity. Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique. In this land we find a mix of state...

Senate Votes Down Broad Obamacare Repeal, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/us/politics/senate-health-care.html , 25-jul-2017. The above article states that on Tuesday (25th Jul 2017) the USA Senate voted 51-50 (Vice-President Mike Pence cast his vote to ensure victory) to begin debate on Obamacare. (I think technically it was the House of Representatives (passed) bill that came up for debate in the Senate). But later on in the same day the vote on a comprehensive Republican plan (which I think had many amendments to the House bill) to repeal and replace Obamacare failed 43-57! Health Care Vote: Senate Rejects Repeal Without Replace, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/us/politics/health-care-senate-vote.html . According to the above report the USA Senate voted down a proposal to repeal (major portions of) Obamacare without replace (I think it proposed a delayed replacement within two years). The vote count was 45-55! Seven Republicans voted against it (repeal without replace)! ...

Ravi: I consider the two farewell speeches of veteran Indian parliamentarian and 13th president of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, to be very knowledgeable and educative on Indian democracy and history of Indian parliament. Pranab Mukherjee,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranab_Mukherjee , stepped into Indian Parliament in 1969 (48 years ago) as a member of the Rajya Sabha through the support of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and has been active in Indian politics since. He has held important union minister posts like those of defence, external affairs and finance under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's UPA govt's two terms which was from 2004 to 2014, and was viewed as the number two man in PM Manmohan Singh's cabinet. Note that Mukherjee became president of India in 2012 at which time he would have resigned from any cabinet posts he had held and also resigned from being a member of parliament. Mukherjee also seems to have had a very good political relationship with Son...

From https://www.facebook.com/JBishopMP/posts/1389648887737676 dated 19-Jul-2017: Delighted to meet the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on our growing trade, education and defence links. Indian Ocean friends and partners [India and Australia flags] #NewDelhi ================================================= From  https://www.facebook.com/JBishopMP/photos/a.466372936731947.90820.463915156977725/1389643984404833/ dated 19-Jul-2017 Joining India Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and over 30 countries in International Solar Alliance to develop solar technology International Solar Alliance Josh Frydenberg http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2017/jb_mr_170719.aspx Ravi: I added the following comment to above Facebook post: Great to see Australia join the initiative for more solar development and research in an international co-operation framework. Ravi: The article link given earlier, http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2017...

From  https://www.facebook.com/JBishopMP/photos/a.466372936731947.90820.463915156977725/1389655634403668/ Indo-Pacific Oration II by Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Julie Bishop MP, http://foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/Pages/2017/jb_sp_170718.aspx , 18-Jul-2017 Some extracts from it are given below [along with some comments of mine suitably marked]: Today I had the pleasure of productive meetings with Prime Minister Modi, and the Minister for Defence and Finance Mr Jaitley, and my counterpart, the Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj; and these meetings added to our deep and growing friendship. ... Today bilateral trade between Australia and India has reached almost $21 billion and India is now our ninth largest trading partner and with boundless potential for growth. As India looks to increase its energy supply and security, through a combination of traditional and nuclear and renewable sources, to support its growth, Australia is well p...

Given below are contents of my recent Facebook post-shares related to the election of Shri Ram Nath Kovind as the 14th president of India. From Facebook post of Narendra Modi (PM of India) https://www.facebook.com/narendramodi/photos/a.10150164299700165.421791.177526890164/10159127447605165/ Congratulations to Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji on being elected the President of India! Best wishes for a fruitful & inspiring tenure. ============================================================ Around 6 min. video giving a profile of the newly elected President-elect of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind. The video starts with a few seconds of Hindi, but continues mostly in English. The video shows the village he was born and raised in (till some part of his schooling was done; he left his village at the age of 12), and shows that he came from a very humble background. His father ran a small grocery shop in that village. They had to sell some land they owned to fund Ram Nath K...