Miscellaneous Facebook posts & comments in May 2019
When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer).
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2520982778118284
The brutal reality of power in USA, UK and Indian democracies today is that top people have to face vicious verbal attacks
I was shocked to see this verbal attack on the man expected to be PM of UK, Boris Johnson, in the House of Commons from Scottish National Party's leader Ian Blackford.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiE9f8jM4SE, 3 min. 23 secs, published by Guardian News on 19th Jun 2019.
In the beginning of this clip, Blackford alleges that Boris Johnson has the view that the Scottish people are --snip-- race who should be placed in ghettos and --snip--, and asks PM Theresa May whether she agrees with Johnson.
As expected, May responds by saying that the Conservative and Unionist party welcomes contribution of people of all parts of UK and takes them seriously.
But what I am shocked by is the above horrific words (so horrific that I had to --snip-- some words) being attributed to Johnson in the House of Commons! Now it seems that a poem with such horrible words was published as satire by a magazine/paper edited by Boris Johnson. Johnson was not the author but as editor seems to have given permission for the poem to be published. Even as satire, I think such a horrible poem should never have been published. So Johnson has to answer for why he allowed such a horrible poem to be published. But Blackford alleges that Johnson holds such a view! And he is saying this in the House of Commons as the leader of his Scottish National Party!
That's some horrible verbal attack. Perhaps Blackford feels that it is necessary to verbally attack Johnson now itself and try to prevent him being made PM. So perhaps this is justified on political grounds.
Blackford then calls Johnson a racist. An uproar ensues. The speaker intervenes and urges Blackford to weigh his words, and suggests that he withdraw the allegations of racism. Blackford doubles down on the racist word and provides alleged quotes of Johnson that are terribly racist.
Perhaps Blackford is justified in raising these allegations of racism as Johnson is said to have made some such quotes himself (as against being editor of some magazine where such quotes of others have been published).
Hmm. So this is the reality of democracy today in UK. In USA, President Trump and his opponents in USA Congress use perhaps equally harsh words for each other, even if I don't think any racist allegations have been made by leading opponents of President Trump in USA Congress (like Speaker Nancy Pelosi, or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer or Independent Senator Bernie Sanders) or by President Trump against each other.
Indian state level politics can sink to terrible depths. But at national level Parliament, I don't think the attacks are so nasty. The ruling alliance and the opposition surely criticize and vehemently criticize each other. But somehow, fortunately, they are not so vicious in their verbal attacks in Parliament.
Here's an interesting Hindi clip of Indian Parliament showing how, despite horrific election campaign vitriol directed at each other over the past few months (during campaigns, Indian political leader speeches can be really nasty but that's not in Parliament), they can also have some laughter at the give-and-take in Parliament. Ramdas Athawale Takes Dig At Rahul Gandhi In Parliament, Evokes Laughter, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iadWR7eZgXQ, 2 min. 36 secs, published on 20th Jun 2019.
However, I think it is so clear that those who are in power or aspire to be in power (like Mr. Boris Johnson in UK) in democracies like UK, USA and India, will surely face horrific level of verbal attacks. Such is life!
And perhaps it was worse in periods before democracy where instead of just horrific verbal attacks, those in power had to face physically violent attacks including wars from competitors who sought to become rulers.
This is the brutal reality of power. No wonder that only a few, usually driven people, aspire to acquire such top positions of power.
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In response to comment on post I wrote (slightly edited):
Thanks --name-snipped-- for your comment. Let me think about it and respond. .... I started taking an interest in legislature and ministries which are essentially headed by elected politicians first in second half of 2011 as I worked on my Indian Computer Science and Information Technology Academic Reform Activism blog, http://eklavyasai.blogspot.com/. I saw that higher education policy has major flaws when it comes to CS & IT education. Identifying and suggesting fixes to that policy (policies) comes in the hands of UGC & AICTE top academic administrators. But these people are ****utterly**** unaccountable. I got no response whatsoever from my mails to them even though I followed up with phone calls to their offices.
But they are funded by Ministry of Human Resource Development. So I approached MHRD top officials (bureaucrats) and even the office of the MHRD minister. There people at least had the courtesy to accept that my mail got received. It did not go further as I think they would have forwarded it to UGC/AICTE academic profs and they would have just ignored it.
The persons who are answerable in theory are MHRD minister(s). I saw that I would need to get an opening to MHRD minister before my views are taken seriously by MHRD minister who then asks a top UGC/AICTE Prof. to respond to my views. Then the Prof will have to respond as the minister controls funding for these Profs.
Given my various limitations I was not willing to go so far as to approach MHRD minister in person through somebody. So essentially my activism work ground to a halt.
But it became clear to me that it is the minister who wields ***enormous*** influence in shaping academic policy even if Profs are the gents & ladies who ultimately create and adopt the policy.
And then as I started exploring other social problem areas, once again I saw the power of the associated ministries in shaping policy to handle those problem areas. Basically they control big amount of funding money and also have regulatory authority to pull up institutions and individuals. That is awesome power. The reality of this power they wield is undeniable.
Now I will get to the response about your view of current day politicians.
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In response to comment on post I wrote (slightly edited):
--Name-snipped--. Noted your views about politicians.
Perhaps there is some or a lot of truth to what you say.
But the undeniable reality is that the top elected political leaders in democracies like USA, UK and India, are the ones who have ***enormous*** power vested in them by them having won elections and then attained a position of leadership in their group of elected politicians.
This power is a reality that has to be understood and dealt with, if one wants to follow and reasonably comment on policies adopted by them to solve important problems that states & countries face.
Many people are fed up of political leaders, especially in countries like UK which is going through the Brexit trauma.
But what is the alternative? Authoritarian rule like in some communist countries and in some military dictatorship or monarchy countries?
The excesses that happen in authoritarian countries is horrible. I would rather have slower solution to problems, and even tolerate some level of corruption in elected politicians, than have authoritarianism which brings in discipline and reduces corruption.
Why? Because the nature of power is such that authoritarian rule tends to become tyrannical rule. Modern India came under that threat during the Emergency period in the 1970s, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emergency_(India). Due to heroic resistance from some political leaders and some media persons, I think Indira Gandhi was forced to lift the emergency and call for elections where she and her party was routed. The Indian people had tasted authoritarian rule which brought some discipline but also brought some horrors like forced sterilization and other abuse of power. The Indian people wanted none of that and sent a clear message to Indira Gandhi. Now she came back to power later but that was through a democratic mandate and not an "Emergency".
China has made just awesome strides in improving the quality of material life of its people. India is way behind China in this regard. But 1989 Tiananman square protests and resultant deaths and injuries, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Tiananmen_Square_protests, are still not openly discussed in China even today, three decades after the protests and the deaths!
For me, freedom is vital. So even if China has faster development, I prefer India's freedom and don't mind paying the price of slower development.
The nice thing about democracy is that the elected political leaders are held accountable, at least to some extent, by media and courts.
If I was living in China, I don't think I would have dared to become a blogger.
It is because I live in democratic India that I have been able to freely express my views on a variety of topics, even if I am not in the political partisan space. I mean, if I was in China I would not have dared to write a Chinese Computer Science and Information Technology Academic Reform activism blog! I would have seen the danger of being critical of powerful bodies like China's top academic administration bodies, and would have chosen to be silent.
But India gives me the freedom to write about it. UGC/AICTE Profs may ignore my views but they cannot punish me for publishing my views that are strongly critical of some of their policies.
And this freedom is essentially guarded and nurtured and kept alive by the political process, elected political leaders, media, courts of justice and law enforcement.
So even if the elected politicians as a group may have many flaws, they are the people who implement policy. So I respect their policy making power and policy implementation power.
Note that most of human history has had rulers who would amass wealth and power, and freely kill anybody who dares to openly challenge them. Just imagine life in South India in 1700s - Muslim kingdoms and Hindu kingdoms with kings and their courtiers having immense power and wealth and rest of populace having to be fearful of their power.
So I think most rulers and their supporters have amassed wealth and power. Current day politicians doing that is not anything unusual from that perspective. What is different in the current day is that media and courts of justice can hold people in power accountable at least to some extent. In earlier days, I think there would not have been much chance of holding a king accountable or holding courtiers who have the full support of the king, accountable.
I think one has to accept these realities of power and people in power.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2520904564792772
Shoaib Akhtar in a different role of frank commentator (in Hindi-English). Some time pass :-) . He is really upset at Pak's loss to India in the Cricket World Cup a few days ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FAksNhhI1g, slightly over 11 mins.
I particularly enjoyed Akhtar's Karma comments :-)!
I should also add for readers who don't know much about Akhtar that Shoaib Akhtar was perhaps the most feared Pakistan fast bowler in the past few decades. He played international cricket for Pakistan from 1997 to 2011, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoaib_Akhtar.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2518438861706009
Britain's next PM: the Conservative Party leadership debate, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWdRE0XyecA, around an hour and a quarter, published by Channel 4 News on 16th June 2019
I found this to be a very interesting debate. While Boris Johnson, the leading candidate, gave the debate a miss, the other 5 in the fray were present - Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javed, Dominic Raab and Rory Stewart.
Whatever the troubles UK is going through for the past few years, I think this debate shows that it is a mature parliamentary democracy.
As all the guys in this show had a go at Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, in the interests of fairness, I will look up a recent video of Corbyn where he is going after the Conservatives and put it up :-).
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Couldn't find a suitable recent video of Jeremy Corbyn. I will wait for a few days as I am sure some suitable recent interview of Corbyn will be put up on youtube where he is critical of the Conservative Party's views and puts forward his and Labour's views.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2518263901723505
One of the scary things about the law, is misuse of the law by those it is meant to protect, as a weapon against innocent people they are angry with by filing false complaints against them. This is a very scary reality of India. That is why one has to be very careful in one's dealings with those that have special protection under the law (as in the past many in their caste/community or gender had been abused or discriminated against).
I think those who file false complaints should ideally face the legal music for their horrible misuse of the law.
[Shared link: #MenToo: Woman who accused TV actor Karan Oberoi of rape arrested, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/mentoo-woman-who-accused-tv-actor-karan-oberoi-of-rape-gets-arrested/articleshow/69824390.cms]
In response to a comment on the post, I wrote:
There is no doubt in my mind that most of Indian society, especially rural India, is a very male dominated society. And women are sometimes treated badly even today. That is the brutal reality.
But in this case, Mumbai police have made an arrest. I have been born, bred and worked for my living in and around Mumbai. I doubt whether Mumbai police would have arrested her without proper cause.
After the atrocious 2012 Delhi gang rape which was very shameful for the whole country, new law(s) was/were enacted which seem to have tilted the matter in favour of the woman complainant in case of rape. I don't know the exact situ in this case, but I have heard of other case(s) where the new law(s) were misused by some woman(women) to get somebody into trouble and force them to do something that the woman (women) wanted them to do.
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In response to a comment, I wrote:
Well, surely there are miscarriages of justice and the police may be wrong in their charges. But India does see a lot of false police complaints - at least in rural India one hears about enemies/bitter rivals doing that to ***fix*** their enemies/rivals. ... Note that in this case the police claim that at least one of the conspirators has confessed to assisting in creating a fake complaint. ... These false police complaint things are real .. I saw reports of it in USA too. ... So one has to be careful and pray to God that one does not get trapped in such stuff. We live in an age of a lot of falsehood, that I think is quite widespread in the world.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2517611578455404
Quite fascinating! I was an avid reader of Agatha Christie. Over time I became more of an admirer of Miss Marple than of the flamboyant Hercule Poirot.
Sad to know that Agatha Christie's first marriage ran into such trouble.
[Shared link: When the World’s Most Famous Mystery Writer Vanished, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/books/agatha-christie-vanished-11-days-1926.html]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2517178105165418
I try to avoid sharing posts on USA politics nowadays as it has become a very sensitive topic with a lot of heavy polarization. But I do follow what's happening as it is elected politicians, especially the top elected political leaders, who play ***absolutely decisive*** roles in formulating new policies or unwinding existing policies (or modifying them) to meet, or some may say ostensibly meet, their political goals/objectives.
So the impact that top elected political leaders can have on the people in democratic countries like USA, Western European countries and India can be really big.
Nowadays a big factor in political campaigns is the economy and how it benefits (or supposedly benefits) people.
In 2015-2016 US President Trump ran on a campaign that partly claimed that he knew how to set the USA economy right and generate jobs (with Trump claiming that he would become the greatest jobs president in history).
Now he is President and will be launching his campaign for re-election in 2020 (I don't think he has launched it yet).
So one expect campaign stuff now from President Trump. But this tweet of his took me somewhat aback in terms of how he attacked his opposition's ability to handle the economy.
"The Trump Economy is setting records, and has a long way up to go....However, if anyone but me takes over in 2020 (I know the competition very well), there will be a Market Crash the likes of which has not been seen before! KEEP AMERICA GREAT"
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1139891393252474880, 15th June 2019.
I don't know how well the "Trump economy" is doing. But saying that if he does not win, there will be some horrible, horrible (never seen before) market crash, is something that really stands out. That's some political attack! Whatever one may say of Trump, one thing is certain - he sure knows how to verbally attack his political opponents and, many times, gain political traction from the attack.
I alone can fix it - that was one of his themes in the 2016 campaign. Perhaps this can be viewed as the 'All others will wreck it' theme.
Is this fear-mongering? Perhaps it is. But perhaps what may really matter is whether such an approach will deliver the desired results to Trump who is running to be re-elected President of the USA in 2020.
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY (POLITICALLY) NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about USA politics. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in USA elections. I am a well-wisher of the people of the USA.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2516459758570586
Interesting! Vegan food and no booze for Boris Johnson to shoot for PM position
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjWQaxeXOmk. 1 min. 26 secs by the Daily Telegraph (if I recall correctly, Johnson was/is a columnist for it).
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2516450505238178
Rory Stewart is an outsider candidate for leader of UK Conservative Party. He speaks quite logically and persuasively. But can he match the charisma of Boris Johnson, especially in a future general election against Jeremy Corbyn of Labour? That's the big question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl1iQRGQkVw, 8 min. 22 secs.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2516443115238917
CNN's view of Boris Johnson after he won the first round vote for UK Conservative Party leadership, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XddsBaHmU_k, 3 min. 38 secs.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2516439341905961
Who Is Boris Johnson? He May Be the Next Prime Minister of Britain | NYT News, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUqFGQg8as8, around 3 mins.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2502686016614627
The moment 5G fails live on air - BBC News, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sr-MEtcDag, 1 min. 13 secs, published by BBC News on 31st May 2019
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2502677913282104
Fascinating!
Wikipedia backs the info. up. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shyam_Saran_Negi
Shyam Saran Negi, born on 1 July 1917[1] in Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh, is a retired schoolteacher who cast the first vote in the 1951 general election in India[2][3] — the nation's first election since the end of the British Raj in 1947. Although most of the polling for that first election took place in February 1952, Himachal Pradesh went to the polls five months early because the weather there tends to be inclement in February and March and heavy snowfall during that period would have make it impossible for citizens to reach the polling stations.[4][5] Negi cast the first vote on October 25, 1951.[6] He has voted in every general election since 1951, and is believed to be India's oldest voter as well its first.[4]
Wiki references:
1. "'Like a Ph.D': How Election Commission tracked India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi after 45 years". Hindustan TImes. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
2. "Independent India's first voter: 100 and ailing, keen to vote in 2019". [http://indianexpress.com/article/india/independent-indias-first-voter-speaks-shyam-saran-negi-4829351/]
3. "India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi casts his vote at Kalpa". [http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/indias-first-voter-shyam-saran-negi-casts-his-vote-at-kalpa/]
4. India's first voter in Himachal Pradesh, by Gautam Dhmeer, in the Deccan Herald; published 30 October 2012; retrieved 7 April 2014
5. "Shyam Saran Negi and the ballot have an age-defying connection". The Hindu. PTI. 6 November 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
6. "India's first voter fulfils his duty again". The Hindu. PTI. 7 May 2014. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
--- end wiki extract ---
[Shared post: https://www.facebook.com/ECI/posts/1305412172945458 ]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2502588879957674
If true, and I think it most probably would be true, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-purge/north-korea-executes-envoys-in-a-purge-after-failed-summit-south-korean-newspaper-idUSKCN1T02PD, this shows how dangerous life in authoritarian regimes like that of North Korea, is in our early 21st century world.
Contrast this with USA democracy now. There have been a lot of top administration officials who disagreed with USA President Trump, and eventually had to part ways politely or get fired by President Trump. Secy. of State Rex Tillerson (who was boss of mega and super-powerful company Exxon-Mobil prior to becoming Secy. of State), Secy of Defense James Mattis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FBI Director James Comey ...
What a complete contrast! The above former USA administration leaders have gone on to lead private USA citizen lives with one of them writing a book which included the part related to his firing by President Trump, and is now a vocal critic of President Trump.
From my well connected to world via Internet vantage point in a rural town in India (Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh), even today with President Trump and most mainstream media of USA being at loggerheads with each other (Trump has called them "enemy of the people" which I have publicly criticized in the past if I recall correctly, and continue to do so now), USA ***shines*** as a very sunny freedom of speech and freedom of dissent country. The courts of law in USA have shown themselves, again and again, to be very powerful in protecting freedom of individual citizens from those in power who view them as enemies.
India has reasonable amount of freedom. In particular, no political leader whether in the union government or in state government, will be able to get away with brutal execution of those who fail in allotted tasks (like what seems to have happened to one of the negotiators of N. Korea in these talks) or those perceived as enemies by the leaders in power. Yes, court cases may be filed against some officials and opponent political leaders, which the targeted officials and political leaders will say is fabricated and politically motivated. But they will not be judged guilty unless the court judges them so, with the court process being quite transparent. Finally, even if the court judges them guilty, they will face some imprisonment and not death.
I felt it appropriate to repeat my statement that I am a beneficiary, a lover and an open supporter of democracy in India. Without this democracy and its precious freedom of speech, I would not have dared to put up this public post!
May democracy and all the freedoms it provides, including freedom of speech, live long!
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2501935013356394
Thought-provoking interview. Former British PM Tony Blair does articulate his views well. No comment from me about the views itself.
Blair: Corbyn made same mistake as May on Brexit, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_4hL2Xw5qU, around 20 mins, published by Sky News on 28th May 2019.
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY (POLITICALLY) NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about UK politics. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in UK elections. I am a well-wisher of the people of the UK.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2501114406771788
Warning: Shitty video. Readers who prefer to stay away from such stuff may please skip reading rest of this post.
I like this Iowa, USA dairy farmer guy sharing this tweet-video (21 secs) with his frank comments. Farming involves getting close to nature. And shitting is part of natural animal life. The cow shits when it feels like! It does not have to worry about "manners"!
Many folks from the USA, especially rural USA folks, simply tell it like it is. And I admire them for it.
https://twitter.com/karter_kilburg/status/1128110611487916032
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2500998623450033
Around 50 secs! Scary to see her standing on the corner of the terrace ledge like that! Great that she accepted good counsel and gave up the suicide bid (she threatened to commit suicide on being told she would be fired).
[Shared video: https://www.facebook.com/TimesofIndia/videos/300989627509439/]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2500526953497200
As I have shared some videos of Nigel Farage's astonishing rise & rise in UK politics, I felt it appropriate to share this criticism of the way Farage has campaigned, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/27/nigel-farage-brexit-party-elections.
Farage does use strong words like betrayal and calling the withdrawal agreement something which only a nation defeated in war would sign - the videos I saw had clips of him saying it/acknowledging it.
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY (POLITICALLY) NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about UK politics. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in UK elections. I am a well-wisher of the people of the UK.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499472880269274
A thought-provoking video report on Nigel Farage's recent campaigns including some short interview chats with Farage himself. This report was published a few days earlier (and so before the EU election). The Sky News reporter asks the tough questions to Farage and Farage gives his answers. The reporter, in monologue bits, raises concerns about the challenge Farage presents to British democratic political party norms. Farage is also captured in a clip calling for "peaceful political revolution"!
Farage's words from the transcript:
14:08
it is by far the most ambitious thing
14:11
I've ever done
14:11
we are attempting a peaceful political
14:15
revolution in this country it is needed
14:18
it is needed it is needed
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Special report: Farage - A New Populism?, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYvP9C7APG0, around 15 mins, published by Sky News on 24th May 2019.
Ravi: Whatever one may think of Nigel Farage, there is no doubt that this single man has become the dominant voice and driver for Brexit, and who is backed by significant number of UK citizens. His party is projected to get the highest vote share (low 30s) in UK for this EU election.
Farage has already said, or should I say threatened, that if UK is not out of the EU on 31st Oct. 2019, his party will fight the General Election and repeat the result!!! My God!
Astonishing rise & rise of Nigel Farage! The inescapable comparison one is almost forced to make, is with the astonishing rise & rise of Donald Trump in the USA.
Perhaps if there was a presidential type election in UK, Farage may well have fought it and won! But I think it will be difficult for him to get chosen as PM in UK by a political party with majority or political party coalition with majority, after a general election even if UK does not leave EU by 31st Oct. 2019. I mean, currently he seems to be seen as a one-issue (Brexit) man. But he seems to want to change the political establishment in UK!
He sure is ***a force to reckon with*** for whoever becomes PM of UK and for any future general election if he and his party contests that election.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499380700278492
1 Cr. (Crore) is 10 million.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Indian_general_election states that about 900 million people were eligible to vote. So the figures below of 91.01 Crore which is 910.1 million seems to be that of eligible voters.
This is an interesting April 2019 video: 900 million eligible voters make India's election world's largest democratic exercise, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzJKNE2w_sI, 2 min. 46 secs., published by CNBC Television on 11th April 2019
The above wiki page also states that the turnout was over 67 percent. 67 percent of 910.1 million is 609.767 million.
Hmm. So over 600 million Indians exercised their franchise in this 2019 election
I am quite sure that over 600 million voters voting in a (multi-day/multi-week) general election, must be the biggest (multi-day/multi-week) democratic election exercise in the world.
Analysis: Key takeaways from the EU election results | DW News, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6xRuO0Wxi4, around 30 mins, published by DW News on 27th May 2019.
At the beginning it says, "An electorate of over 400 million had its say". So the European Union eligible voters seems to around 400 million (slightly over it). But this seems to have been a 1 day election exercise.
Don't know how many of these around 400 million actually voted.
[Shared post: https://www.facebook.com/ECI/photos/a.568559233297426/1298920900261252/]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499289240287638
The extraordinary rise & rise of Nigel Farage in UK political landscape on the single issue of Brexit, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0OgbH5gK5o. around 1 min, published by BBC News on 27th May 2019
...
Farage's Brexit party set to win UK seats in European elections, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kaDmE5eKQo, 2 min. 10 secs, published by Al Jazeera on 26th May 2019.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499242860292276
Hmm. Harshly critical article from the New York Times on Facebook not doing enough to prevent fake news being distributed on it.
Here's a small extract from the article in the context of the doctored video of USA House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi that is reported to have been shared extensively on Facebook: "Would a broadcast network air this? Never. Would a newspaper publish it? Not without serious repercussions. Would a marketing campaign like this ever pass muster? False advertising.
No other media could get away with spreading anything like this because they lack the immunity protection that Facebook and other tech companies enjoy under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Section 230 was intended to spur innovation and encourage start-ups. Now it’s a shield to protect behemoths from any sensible rules."
Ravi: Hmm. I think this is the first time I am coming across this "Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act". I think I need to read it up. Plan to do so sometime in the near future.
Facebook seems to defend itself by saying that it is in social media business and not the news business.
But that does not wash with the NYT article author who says that Facebook is "abrogating its responsibility as the key distributor of news on the planet".
Facebook is the key distributor of news on the planet! Really! Hmm again!
If so, then my initial impressions are that Facebook has to then get regulated like a news organization. News media play a vital role in a healthy, democratic and free society. Therefore they need to be regulated to ensure that they do not get misused as instruments of false propaganda.
The interesting thing is that I came to know of this article via New York Times feed on Facebook!
[Shared article: Nancy Pelosi and Fakebook’s Dirty Tricks: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/26/opinion/nancy-pelosi-facebook-video.html, 26th May 2019.]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2497078080508754
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/uk-pm-theresa-may-announces-resignation-2042463
From an Internet distance to these events in UK, in India I got the impression that she tried hard to deliver Brexit and made those attempts with a great sense of duty & love towards her country. Sad that she was not able to accomplish it, and announced her resignation before accomplishing it.
But I think she always carried herself with dignity and spoke with dignity even when under fire.
All the best to Theresa May!
Let's hope & pray the new PM, whoever it may be, will be able to sort this Brexit mess quickly.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2493659604183935
Very worrying to see trade war and other real war hysteria going to rather dangerous levels as there are mainstream media reports of statements and sometimes songs about one country's regime beating another country's regime out of existence or out of its wits.
The destructive power of the WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) that some major-power countries have, and some medium-power countries have, is absolutely terrifying for anybody who has read about them or seen videos describing their destructive power. I have read such articles and seen such videos. So I am, in a way quite freaked-out at how tense things are becoming between some major and medium-level powers of the world.
Let's pray for peace. Let's pray that WMDs do not get used in any war that breaks out.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2489243997958829
Enjoyed this Amul cartoon on USA-China tariff tensions
For those readers who may not know about Amul, Amul butter is a famous product in India. The company puts up very interesting ad-drawings of Amul with the little girl being the Amul butter mascot, on current day issues seen in a humourous light with Amul butter somehow injected into the cartoon-ad.
This one is on the tariff issue between Trump led USA and Xi Jinping led China. The top-line is a Hindi-English mix which, I think, Hindi-English puns on the word Tariff and refers to a famous Hindi film romantic song with a line "Tareef karoon kya uski" meaning should I praise him (who made you).
For those who want to see the associated oldie Hindi film song (there are re-mixes of it done later too, I think), here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txv7RCe8DXM
Shared FB post link: https://www.facebook.com/amul.coop/photos/a.10152605095804446/10157379047689446/
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2488247711391791
A classy Hindi film oldie goldie song from the cult classic movie Pakeezah (1972): Chalte Chalte Yuhi Koi Mil Gaya Tha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU8wtPMZlfc, 5 min. 44 secs.
The song is sung by Lata Mangeshkar
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2488206174729278
Time-pass Hindi film oldie song 'Saala main to sahab ban gaya' from 1974 film Sagina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vwe1aJuTsE, 3 min. 14 secs
The song is sung by Kishore Kumar.
The initial words of the song are:
Saala main to sahab ban gaya
[English: Hey fellow, I have become a Lord (big man)]
Sahab ban ke kaisa tan gaya
[English: After becoming a Lord see how I walk upright]
Ye suit mera dekho, ye boot mera dekho
[English: See this suit of mine; see this boot(s) of mine.]
Jaise gora koi London ka!
[English: Like some white man from London!]
I had not seen the video of the film song earlier but the audio is very familiar as it was quite a popular time-pass song in the 80s.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2488191641397398
PBS speaks to Wall Street Journal reporter covering the USA-China tariff story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvWSOXeIs3A, 7 mins, published 13th May 2019
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2488061704743725
Is the USA-China tariff war really heating up? Or will both countries pull back before June 1st (when China's retaliatory tariffs are announced to begin)?
The financial world and some from the non-financial world too, watch with bated breath! What an extraordinary situation! Perhaps there has been nothing like this in the post World War II era (but lots of such stuff prior to World War II).
As I write this post, USA President Donald Trump is tweeting about the matter! As of now (5.02 PM IST on 14th May 2019), he has put out 9 tweets on it in the past hour or so, starting with this tweet: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1128242506771128320.
So President Trump is making his arguments and stand quite clear directly with whoever wants to know via Twitter!
Whether one agrees with his stand or not is a different matter. But to know what his current stand is, just read the tweets! Hmm. Really extraordinary situation!
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2487966291419933
I first read about Mr. Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy of Bombay (1783 - 1859) in The Hindu weekly supplement a few days ago
His wiki page is quite informative: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamsetjee_Jejeebhoy.
The Hindu article focused quite a bit on Jeejeebhoy's opium export to China business and the great wealth he made from it. The article did mention later great philanthropic work of Jeejeebhoy.
I think it is tragic that so many wealthy people of the 19th century made big money by exporting opium to China. I think they would have earned bad karma too along with their opium export to China profits.
Perhaps philanthropy elsewhere reduced such bad karmic effects.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2487951848088044
Very informative article about history of tariffs in the USA
Some short quotes from it:
From 1789, tariffs (in USA) "generated the vast majority of federal revenue until the U.S. adopted an income tax in 1913. In some years tariffs funded as much as 95% of the government’s annual budget."
..
"For the next 60 years [from the end of World War II in 1945] the U.S. pushed to lower trade barriers, create a create a global system of free trade and flood the world with American goods. But now the tables have turned and since 2009 China has been the word’s (world's) largest exporter."
..
"Trump has said that tariffs helped build America in the past and he’s right. Yet it remains to be seen whether modern-day tariffs lead to an outcome that helps — or harms — America in the future."
Trump takes a page out of early American history with steep tariffs on Chinese goods
By Jeffry Bartash, https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-is-right-america-was-built-on-tariffs-2018-08-15, 13th May 2019
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2486358841580678
Pedestrian hazard in Puttaparthi from two wheeler drivers who converse on mobile while driving
A few days ago in outside ashram Puttaparthi, one guy on a two wheeler who was speaking on mobile while driving attempted to turn into a street from the main road as I was crossing the street. He almost turned into me! Fortunately, he was at low speed and was able to swerve away from me and turn into the street.
I spread my hands in exasperation to let him know what I think of his driving while speaking on mobile phone and almost turning into me.
How does one educate such drivers? I think they do it because they feel they can get away with it and that nobody will be able to do anything to them.
I did not want to take a pic of his two wheeler and complain to the police with that pic (which would have the license plate).
Perhaps most people are like me.
And so we will continue to have a few such crazy two wheeler drivers in outside ashram Puttaparthi. Such is pedestrian life in outside ashram Puttaparthi nowadays!
I must add that there are some very safe two wheeler drivers that I have seen in Puttaparthi. So I am not tarring all two wheeler drivers in Puttaparthi with the same brush. Some are good and safe drivers. But a few are crazy fellows who are quite a danger to pedestrians.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2485096051706957
Plan to work on self-publishing eklavyasai.blogspot.com blog (Indian CS & IT academic reform activism) as book
I plan to start work on self-publishing a selection of my eklavyasai.blogspot.com (Indian Computer Science & Information Technology Academic Reform Activism) blog as a blogbook with ebook version and paperback version. These books will (ideally) have ISBNs allotted to them and be put up on free ebook sites like archive.org (& openlibrary.org), self.gutenberg.org and also on pothi.com (as free ebook). The paperback version will be sold at minimum price (NOT-FOR-PROFIT) on pothi.com web store. Whether it should additionally be put up on amazon.in and flipkart.com (Indian book web stores) is something I will decide later on.
The Table of Contents page of the blog gives a good picture of the blog's key contents: http://eklavyasai.blogspot.com/p/table-of-contents.html.
I have started with a key introduction part. It is as follows:
This blog book has a selection of posts/articles from above mentioned blog. Note that most activity on the blog was from 2011 to 2014. Subsequent to that, the activity has been off & on with Ravi S. Iyer having reduced his work on this blog & activism to almost nil in 2019.
This book is aimed at helping other activists involved in improving Indian Computer Science and Information Technology academia to get the views expressed in above mentioned blog in a convenient form. That may help them to do more effective activism and bring in some positive change.
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Any thoughts/suggestions from readers on my above plan, are very welcome.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2484757645074131
Biography: Mikhail Gorbachev A Man Who Changed the World Part 1, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLujNV-9cf0, 15 mins.
Biography: Mikhail Gorbachev A Man Who Changed the World Part 2, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMfcOsRq1hc, around 15 mins.
Biography: Mikhail Gorbachev A Man Who Changed the World (Final) Part 3, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypV0UBQoLoU, around 15 mins.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2482822035267692
Really?
Count me as a skeptic.
I have not read the article. But I don't like the general impression that some tech. industry leaders give that they have figured everything out in their creations. That may be what's needed to market their products and keep their share prices healthy. But I doubt it is the full truth and nothing but the truth.
The brutal truth is that tech. stuff is not perfect. It may work most of the time but there is no guarantee it will work all the time. And then there can be design flaws which remain hidden till peculiar set of circumstances trigger the flaw and result in malfunction. The Boeing 737 MAX case comes to mind.
I think like good scientists are careful with their words in describing any new discovery or invention of theirs, as perhaps the peer review process in science would challenge them otherwise, some of the tech industry leaders like Tesla leader(s) need to be precise and truthful in their words. They owe that to society. Share price and profits are not all that matters.
Shared article: Tesla cars can now figure out which parts need to be replaced and order new ones, https://www.businessinsider.in/Tesla-cars-can-now-figure-out-which-parts-need-to-be-replaced-and-order-new-ones/articleshow/69222114.cms, 7th May 2019
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2482380931978469
I have never played Golf (just shows that I was never a wealthy guy :-) ) but have seen some of it on TV.
I think Tiger Woods' comeback from major injuries and personal problems, is a great inspirational story. And then there is the aspect of the African-American breaking the skin colour barrier in the elite sport of Golf.
So I was very happy to see Tiger Woods receiving the highest US civilian honour from US President Trump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQyR3NBF79U, 2 min. 24 secs.
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The full event video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1inm-jkhGY, around 20 mins.
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In response to a comment, " “Golf a good walk spoiled”
Sometimes said by frustrated golfers", I (Ravi) wrote: Interesting quote! Thanks.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2482026428680586
Hmm. This was an issue that I (and I am sure, many others in Puttaparthi, India) faced in the past. I learned to simply ignore missed calls from numbers I did not know, especially those that were international calls.
Quite surprising that even USA customers are getting targeted and that USA is not able to prevent it.
[Shared article: F.C.C. Warns About the ‘One Ring’ Robocall Scheme, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/us/one-ring-robocall.html, 6th May 2019]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2481739638709265
Great to see this armed (one of them with AK-47, others perhaps with pistols) women cops of India catch this bad guy. My salaam (salutations) to these brave and great Indian women cops for catching this bad guy.
[Shared article: All-women team of Gujarat ATS nab dreaded gangster in jungle, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/atss-angels-gun-for-gangster-in-jungle/articleshow/69192134.cms, 6th May 2019]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2480170265532869
Looks like Govt. authorities in India and in Bangladesh have done a great job in keeping casualties to an absolute minimum for this cyclone. 20 years ago it was a different story as many people died in Odisha (Orissa) then. As an Indian citizen and resident, I am very happy to see the progress made by Indian (and Bangladesh) govt. authorities tasked with handling such natural disasters.
Prayers and best wishes to all those badly impacted by Cyclone Fani.
How Do You Save a Million People From a Cyclone? Ask a Poor State in India, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/03/world/asia/cyclone-fani-india-evacuations.html, 3rd May 2019]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2478125499070679
Hmm. Had to happen sometime I think. Good techies have the capacity to dig in, if there is a strong motive to do so, like in this case, and arrive at some reasonable conclusions regarding design defects. Don't know if the Apple engineer's family had other engineers/techies or whether the deceased engineer's engineer/techie friends helped to dig into the matter. ... Have not read the article yet. Hope to do so later.
[Shared article: The family of an Apple engineer is suing Tesla over a deadly Autopilot crash, https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-engineer-walter-huang-family-suing-tesla-over-crash-2019-5, 1st May 2019]
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2520982778118284
The brutal reality of power in USA, UK and Indian democracies today is that top people have to face vicious verbal attacks
I was shocked to see this verbal attack on the man expected to be PM of UK, Boris Johnson, in the House of Commons from Scottish National Party's leader Ian Blackford.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiE9f8jM4SE, 3 min. 23 secs, published by Guardian News on 19th Jun 2019.
In the beginning of this clip, Blackford alleges that Boris Johnson has the view that the Scottish people are --snip-- race who should be placed in ghettos and --snip--, and asks PM Theresa May whether she agrees with Johnson.
As expected, May responds by saying that the Conservative and Unionist party welcomes contribution of people of all parts of UK and takes them seriously.
But what I am shocked by is the above horrific words (so horrific that I had to --snip-- some words) being attributed to Johnson in the House of Commons! Now it seems that a poem with such horrible words was published as satire by a magazine/paper edited by Boris Johnson. Johnson was not the author but as editor seems to have given permission for the poem to be published. Even as satire, I think such a horrible poem should never have been published. So Johnson has to answer for why he allowed such a horrible poem to be published. But Blackford alleges that Johnson holds such a view! And he is saying this in the House of Commons as the leader of his Scottish National Party!
That's some horrible verbal attack. Perhaps Blackford feels that it is necessary to verbally attack Johnson now itself and try to prevent him being made PM. So perhaps this is justified on political grounds.
Blackford then calls Johnson a racist. An uproar ensues. The speaker intervenes and urges Blackford to weigh his words, and suggests that he withdraw the allegations of racism. Blackford doubles down on the racist word and provides alleged quotes of Johnson that are terribly racist.
Perhaps Blackford is justified in raising these allegations of racism as Johnson is said to have made some such quotes himself (as against being editor of some magazine where such quotes of others have been published).
Hmm. So this is the reality of democracy today in UK. In USA, President Trump and his opponents in USA Congress use perhaps equally harsh words for each other, even if I don't think any racist allegations have been made by leading opponents of President Trump in USA Congress (like Speaker Nancy Pelosi, or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer or Independent Senator Bernie Sanders) or by President Trump against each other.
Indian state level politics can sink to terrible depths. But at national level Parliament, I don't think the attacks are so nasty. The ruling alliance and the opposition surely criticize and vehemently criticize each other. But somehow, fortunately, they are not so vicious in their verbal attacks in Parliament.
Here's an interesting Hindi clip of Indian Parliament showing how, despite horrific election campaign vitriol directed at each other over the past few months (during campaigns, Indian political leader speeches can be really nasty but that's not in Parliament), they can also have some laughter at the give-and-take in Parliament. Ramdas Athawale Takes Dig At Rahul Gandhi In Parliament, Evokes Laughter, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iadWR7eZgXQ, 2 min. 36 secs, published on 20th Jun 2019.
However, I think it is so clear that those who are in power or aspire to be in power (like Mr. Boris Johnson in UK) in democracies like UK, USA and India, will surely face horrific level of verbal attacks. Such is life!
And perhaps it was worse in periods before democracy where instead of just horrific verbal attacks, those in power had to face physically violent attacks including wars from competitors who sought to become rulers.
This is the brutal reality of power. No wonder that only a few, usually driven people, aspire to acquire such top positions of power.
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In response to comment on post I wrote (slightly edited):
Thanks --name-snipped-- for your comment. Let me think about it and respond. .... I started taking an interest in legislature and ministries which are essentially headed by elected politicians first in second half of 2011 as I worked on my Indian Computer Science and Information Technology Academic Reform Activism blog, http://eklavyasai.blogspot.com/. I saw that higher education policy has major flaws when it comes to CS & IT education. Identifying and suggesting fixes to that policy (policies) comes in the hands of UGC & AICTE top academic administrators. But these people are ****utterly**** unaccountable. I got no response whatsoever from my mails to them even though I followed up with phone calls to their offices.
But they are funded by Ministry of Human Resource Development. So I approached MHRD top officials (bureaucrats) and even the office of the MHRD minister. There people at least had the courtesy to accept that my mail got received. It did not go further as I think they would have forwarded it to UGC/AICTE academic profs and they would have just ignored it.
The persons who are answerable in theory are MHRD minister(s). I saw that I would need to get an opening to MHRD minister before my views are taken seriously by MHRD minister who then asks a top UGC/AICTE Prof. to respond to my views. Then the Prof will have to respond as the minister controls funding for these Profs.
Given my various limitations I was not willing to go so far as to approach MHRD minister in person through somebody. So essentially my activism work ground to a halt.
But it became clear to me that it is the minister who wields ***enormous*** influence in shaping academic policy even if Profs are the gents & ladies who ultimately create and adopt the policy.
And then as I started exploring other social problem areas, once again I saw the power of the associated ministries in shaping policy to handle those problem areas. Basically they control big amount of funding money and also have regulatory authority to pull up institutions and individuals. That is awesome power. The reality of this power they wield is undeniable.
Now I will get to the response about your view of current day politicians.
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In response to comment on post I wrote (slightly edited):
--Name-snipped--. Noted your views about politicians.
Perhaps there is some or a lot of truth to what you say.
But the undeniable reality is that the top elected political leaders in democracies like USA, UK and India, are the ones who have ***enormous*** power vested in them by them having won elections and then attained a position of leadership in their group of elected politicians.
This power is a reality that has to be understood and dealt with, if one wants to follow and reasonably comment on policies adopted by them to solve important problems that states & countries face.
Many people are fed up of political leaders, especially in countries like UK which is going through the Brexit trauma.
But what is the alternative? Authoritarian rule like in some communist countries and in some military dictatorship or monarchy countries?
The excesses that happen in authoritarian countries is horrible. I would rather have slower solution to problems, and even tolerate some level of corruption in elected politicians, than have authoritarianism which brings in discipline and reduces corruption.
Why? Because the nature of power is such that authoritarian rule tends to become tyrannical rule. Modern India came under that threat during the Emergency period in the 1970s, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emergency_(India). Due to heroic resistance from some political leaders and some media persons, I think Indira Gandhi was forced to lift the emergency and call for elections where she and her party was routed. The Indian people had tasted authoritarian rule which brought some discipline but also brought some horrors like forced sterilization and other abuse of power. The Indian people wanted none of that and sent a clear message to Indira Gandhi. Now she came back to power later but that was through a democratic mandate and not an "Emergency".
China has made just awesome strides in improving the quality of material life of its people. India is way behind China in this regard. But 1989 Tiananman square protests and resultant deaths and injuries, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Tiananmen_Square_protests, are still not openly discussed in China even today, three decades after the protests and the deaths!
For me, freedom is vital. So even if China has faster development, I prefer India's freedom and don't mind paying the price of slower development.
The nice thing about democracy is that the elected political leaders are held accountable, at least to some extent, by media and courts.
If I was living in China, I don't think I would have dared to become a blogger.
It is because I live in democratic India that I have been able to freely express my views on a variety of topics, even if I am not in the political partisan space. I mean, if I was in China I would not have dared to write a Chinese Computer Science and Information Technology Academic Reform activism blog! I would have seen the danger of being critical of powerful bodies like China's top academic administration bodies, and would have chosen to be silent.
But India gives me the freedom to write about it. UGC/AICTE Profs may ignore my views but they cannot punish me for publishing my views that are strongly critical of some of their policies.
And this freedom is essentially guarded and nurtured and kept alive by the political process, elected political leaders, media, courts of justice and law enforcement.
So even if the elected politicians as a group may have many flaws, they are the people who implement policy. So I respect their policy making power and policy implementation power.
Note that most of human history has had rulers who would amass wealth and power, and freely kill anybody who dares to openly challenge them. Just imagine life in South India in 1700s - Muslim kingdoms and Hindu kingdoms with kings and their courtiers having immense power and wealth and rest of populace having to be fearful of their power.
So I think most rulers and their supporters have amassed wealth and power. Current day politicians doing that is not anything unusual from that perspective. What is different in the current day is that media and courts of justice can hold people in power accountable at least to some extent. In earlier days, I think there would not have been much chance of holding a king accountable or holding courtiers who have the full support of the king, accountable.
I think one has to accept these realities of power and people in power.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2520904564792772
Shoaib Akhtar in a different role of frank commentator (in Hindi-English). Some time pass :-) . He is really upset at Pak's loss to India in the Cricket World Cup a few days ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FAksNhhI1g, slightly over 11 mins.
I particularly enjoyed Akhtar's Karma comments :-)!
I should also add for readers who don't know much about Akhtar that Shoaib Akhtar was perhaps the most feared Pakistan fast bowler in the past few decades. He played international cricket for Pakistan from 1997 to 2011, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoaib_Akhtar.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2518438861706009
Britain's next PM: the Conservative Party leadership debate, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWdRE0XyecA, around an hour and a quarter, published by Channel 4 News on 16th June 2019
I found this to be a very interesting debate. While Boris Johnson, the leading candidate, gave the debate a miss, the other 5 in the fray were present - Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javed, Dominic Raab and Rory Stewart.
Whatever the troubles UK is going through for the past few years, I think this debate shows that it is a mature parliamentary democracy.
As all the guys in this show had a go at Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, in the interests of fairness, I will look up a recent video of Corbyn where he is going after the Conservatives and put it up :-).
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Couldn't find a suitable recent video of Jeremy Corbyn. I will wait for a few days as I am sure some suitable recent interview of Corbyn will be put up on youtube where he is critical of the Conservative Party's views and puts forward his and Labour's views.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2518263901723505
One of the scary things about the law, is misuse of the law by those it is meant to protect, as a weapon against innocent people they are angry with by filing false complaints against them. This is a very scary reality of India. That is why one has to be very careful in one's dealings with those that have special protection under the law (as in the past many in their caste/community or gender had been abused or discriminated against).
I think those who file false complaints should ideally face the legal music for their horrible misuse of the law.
[Shared link: #MenToo: Woman who accused TV actor Karan Oberoi of rape arrested, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/mentoo-woman-who-accused-tv-actor-karan-oberoi-of-rape-gets-arrested/articleshow/69824390.cms]
In response to a comment on the post, I wrote:
There is no doubt in my mind that most of Indian society, especially rural India, is a very male dominated society. And women are sometimes treated badly even today. That is the brutal reality.
But in this case, Mumbai police have made an arrest. I have been born, bred and worked for my living in and around Mumbai. I doubt whether Mumbai police would have arrested her without proper cause.
After the atrocious 2012 Delhi gang rape which was very shameful for the whole country, new law(s) was/were enacted which seem to have tilted the matter in favour of the woman complainant in case of rape. I don't know the exact situ in this case, but I have heard of other case(s) where the new law(s) were misused by some woman(women) to get somebody into trouble and force them to do something that the woman (women) wanted them to do.
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In response to a comment, I wrote:
Well, surely there are miscarriages of justice and the police may be wrong in their charges. But India does see a lot of false police complaints - at least in rural India one hears about enemies/bitter rivals doing that to ***fix*** their enemies/rivals. ... Note that in this case the police claim that at least one of the conspirators has confessed to assisting in creating a fake complaint. ... These false police complaint things are real .. I saw reports of it in USA too. ... So one has to be careful and pray to God that one does not get trapped in such stuff. We live in an age of a lot of falsehood, that I think is quite widespread in the world.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2517611578455404
Quite fascinating! I was an avid reader of Agatha Christie. Over time I became more of an admirer of Miss Marple than of the flamboyant Hercule Poirot.
Sad to know that Agatha Christie's first marriage ran into such trouble.
[Shared link: When the World’s Most Famous Mystery Writer Vanished, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/books/agatha-christie-vanished-11-days-1926.html]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2517178105165418
I try to avoid sharing posts on USA politics nowadays as it has become a very sensitive topic with a lot of heavy polarization. But I do follow what's happening as it is elected politicians, especially the top elected political leaders, who play ***absolutely decisive*** roles in formulating new policies or unwinding existing policies (or modifying them) to meet, or some may say ostensibly meet, their political goals/objectives.
So the impact that top elected political leaders can have on the people in democratic countries like USA, Western European countries and India can be really big.
Nowadays a big factor in political campaigns is the economy and how it benefits (or supposedly benefits) people.
In 2015-2016 US President Trump ran on a campaign that partly claimed that he knew how to set the USA economy right and generate jobs (with Trump claiming that he would become the greatest jobs president in history).
Now he is President and will be launching his campaign for re-election in 2020 (I don't think he has launched it yet).
So one expect campaign stuff now from President Trump. But this tweet of his took me somewhat aback in terms of how he attacked his opposition's ability to handle the economy.
"The Trump Economy is setting records, and has a long way up to go....However, if anyone but me takes over in 2020 (I know the competition very well), there will be a Market Crash the likes of which has not been seen before! KEEP AMERICA GREAT"
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1139891393252474880, 15th June 2019.
I don't know how well the "Trump economy" is doing. But saying that if he does not win, there will be some horrible, horrible (never seen before) market crash, is something that really stands out. That's some political attack! Whatever one may say of Trump, one thing is certain - he sure knows how to verbally attack his political opponents and, many times, gain political traction from the attack.
I alone can fix it - that was one of his themes in the 2016 campaign. Perhaps this can be viewed as the 'All others will wreck it' theme.
Is this fear-mongering? Perhaps it is. But perhaps what may really matter is whether such an approach will deliver the desired results to Trump who is running to be re-elected President of the USA in 2020.
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY (POLITICALLY) NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about USA politics. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in USA elections. I am a well-wisher of the people of the USA.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2516459758570586
Interesting! Vegan food and no booze for Boris Johnson to shoot for PM position
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjWQaxeXOmk. 1 min. 26 secs by the Daily Telegraph (if I recall correctly, Johnson was/is a columnist for it).
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2516450505238178
Rory Stewart is an outsider candidate for leader of UK Conservative Party. He speaks quite logically and persuasively. But can he match the charisma of Boris Johnson, especially in a future general election against Jeremy Corbyn of Labour? That's the big question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl1iQRGQkVw, 8 min. 22 secs.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2516443115238917
CNN's view of Boris Johnson after he won the first round vote for UK Conservative Party leadership, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XddsBaHmU_k, 3 min. 38 secs.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2516439341905961
Who Is Boris Johnson? He May Be the Next Prime Minister of Britain | NYT News, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUqFGQg8as8, around 3 mins.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2502686016614627
The moment 5G fails live on air - BBC News, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sr-MEtcDag, 1 min. 13 secs, published by BBC News on 31st May 2019
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2502677913282104
Fascinating!
Wikipedia backs the info. up. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shyam_Saran_Negi
Shyam Saran Negi, born on 1 July 1917[1] in Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh, is a retired schoolteacher who cast the first vote in the 1951 general election in India[2][3] — the nation's first election since the end of the British Raj in 1947. Although most of the polling for that first election took place in February 1952, Himachal Pradesh went to the polls five months early because the weather there tends to be inclement in February and March and heavy snowfall during that period would have make it impossible for citizens to reach the polling stations.[4][5] Negi cast the first vote on October 25, 1951.[6] He has voted in every general election since 1951, and is believed to be India's oldest voter as well its first.[4]
Wiki references:
1. "'Like a Ph.D': How Election Commission tracked India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi after 45 years". Hindustan TImes. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
2. "Independent India's first voter: 100 and ailing, keen to vote in 2019". [http://indianexpress.com/article/india/independent-indias-first-voter-speaks-shyam-saran-negi-4829351/]
3. "India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi casts his vote at Kalpa". [http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/indias-first-voter-shyam-saran-negi-casts-his-vote-at-kalpa/]
4. India's first voter in Himachal Pradesh, by Gautam Dhmeer, in the Deccan Herald; published 30 October 2012; retrieved 7 April 2014
5. "Shyam Saran Negi and the ballot have an age-defying connection". The Hindu. PTI. 6 November 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
6. "India's first voter fulfils his duty again". The Hindu. PTI. 7 May 2014. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
--- end wiki extract ---
[Shared post: https://www.facebook.com/ECI/posts/1305412172945458 ]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2502588879957674
If true, and I think it most probably would be true, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-purge/north-korea-executes-envoys-in-a-purge-after-failed-summit-south-korean-newspaper-idUSKCN1T02PD, this shows how dangerous life in authoritarian regimes like that of North Korea, is in our early 21st century world.
Contrast this with USA democracy now. There have been a lot of top administration officials who disagreed with USA President Trump, and eventually had to part ways politely or get fired by President Trump. Secy. of State Rex Tillerson (who was boss of mega and super-powerful company Exxon-Mobil prior to becoming Secy. of State), Secy of Defense James Mattis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FBI Director James Comey ...
What a complete contrast! The above former USA administration leaders have gone on to lead private USA citizen lives with one of them writing a book which included the part related to his firing by President Trump, and is now a vocal critic of President Trump.
From my well connected to world via Internet vantage point in a rural town in India (Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh), even today with President Trump and most mainstream media of USA being at loggerheads with each other (Trump has called them "enemy of the people" which I have publicly criticized in the past if I recall correctly, and continue to do so now), USA ***shines*** as a very sunny freedom of speech and freedom of dissent country. The courts of law in USA have shown themselves, again and again, to be very powerful in protecting freedom of individual citizens from those in power who view them as enemies.
India has reasonable amount of freedom. In particular, no political leader whether in the union government or in state government, will be able to get away with brutal execution of those who fail in allotted tasks (like what seems to have happened to one of the negotiators of N. Korea in these talks) or those perceived as enemies by the leaders in power. Yes, court cases may be filed against some officials and opponent political leaders, which the targeted officials and political leaders will say is fabricated and politically motivated. But they will not be judged guilty unless the court judges them so, with the court process being quite transparent. Finally, even if the court judges them guilty, they will face some imprisonment and not death.
I felt it appropriate to repeat my statement that I am a beneficiary, a lover and an open supporter of democracy in India. Without this democracy and its precious freedom of speech, I would not have dared to put up this public post!
May democracy and all the freedoms it provides, including freedom of speech, live long!
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2501935013356394
Thought-provoking interview. Former British PM Tony Blair does articulate his views well. No comment from me about the views itself.
Blair: Corbyn made same mistake as May on Brexit, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_4hL2Xw5qU, around 20 mins, published by Sky News on 28th May 2019.
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY (POLITICALLY) NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about UK politics. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in UK elections. I am a well-wisher of the people of the UK.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2501114406771788
Warning: Shitty video. Readers who prefer to stay away from such stuff may please skip reading rest of this post.
I like this Iowa, USA dairy farmer guy sharing this tweet-video (21 secs) with his frank comments. Farming involves getting close to nature. And shitting is part of natural animal life. The cow shits when it feels like! It does not have to worry about "manners"!
Many folks from the USA, especially rural USA folks, simply tell it like it is. And I admire them for it.
https://twitter.com/karter_kilburg/status/1128110611487916032
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2500998623450033
Around 50 secs! Scary to see her standing on the corner of the terrace ledge like that! Great that she accepted good counsel and gave up the suicide bid (she threatened to commit suicide on being told she would be fired).
[Shared video: https://www.facebook.com/TimesofIndia/videos/300989627509439/]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2500526953497200
As I have shared some videos of Nigel Farage's astonishing rise & rise in UK politics, I felt it appropriate to share this criticism of the way Farage has campaigned, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/27/nigel-farage-brexit-party-elections.
Farage does use strong words like betrayal and calling the withdrawal agreement something which only a nation defeated in war would sign - the videos I saw had clips of him saying it/acknowledging it.
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY (POLITICALLY) NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about UK politics. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in UK elections. I am a well-wisher of the people of the UK.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499472880269274
A thought-provoking video report on Nigel Farage's recent campaigns including some short interview chats with Farage himself. This report was published a few days earlier (and so before the EU election). The Sky News reporter asks the tough questions to Farage and Farage gives his answers. The reporter, in monologue bits, raises concerns about the challenge Farage presents to British democratic political party norms. Farage is also captured in a clip calling for "peaceful political revolution"!
Farage's words from the transcript:
14:08
it is by far the most ambitious thing
14:11
I've ever done
14:11
we are attempting a peaceful political
14:15
revolution in this country it is needed
14:18
it is needed it is needed
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Special report: Farage - A New Populism?, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYvP9C7APG0, around 15 mins, published by Sky News on 24th May 2019.
Ravi: Whatever one may think of Nigel Farage, there is no doubt that this single man has become the dominant voice and driver for Brexit, and who is backed by significant number of UK citizens. His party is projected to get the highest vote share (low 30s) in UK for this EU election.
Farage has already said, or should I say threatened, that if UK is not out of the EU on 31st Oct. 2019, his party will fight the General Election and repeat the result!!! My God!
Astonishing rise & rise of Nigel Farage! The inescapable comparison one is almost forced to make, is with the astonishing rise & rise of Donald Trump in the USA.
Perhaps if there was a presidential type election in UK, Farage may well have fought it and won! But I think it will be difficult for him to get chosen as PM in UK by a political party with majority or political party coalition with majority, after a general election even if UK does not leave EU by 31st Oct. 2019. I mean, currently he seems to be seen as a one-issue (Brexit) man. But he seems to want to change the political establishment in UK!
He sure is ***a force to reckon with*** for whoever becomes PM of UK and for any future general election if he and his party contests that election.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499380700278492
1 Cr. (Crore) is 10 million.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Indian_general_election states that about 900 million people were eligible to vote. So the figures below of 91.01 Crore which is 910.1 million seems to be that of eligible voters.
This is an interesting April 2019 video: 900 million eligible voters make India's election world's largest democratic exercise, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzJKNE2w_sI, 2 min. 46 secs., published by CNBC Television on 11th April 2019
The above wiki page also states that the turnout was over 67 percent. 67 percent of 910.1 million is 609.767 million.
Hmm. So over 600 million Indians exercised their franchise in this 2019 election
I am quite sure that over 600 million voters voting in a (multi-day/multi-week) general election, must be the biggest (multi-day/multi-week) democratic election exercise in the world.
Analysis: Key takeaways from the EU election results | DW News, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6xRuO0Wxi4, around 30 mins, published by DW News on 27th May 2019.
At the beginning it says, "An electorate of over 400 million had its say". So the European Union eligible voters seems to around 400 million (slightly over it). But this seems to have been a 1 day election exercise.
Don't know how many of these around 400 million actually voted.
[Shared post: https://www.facebook.com/ECI/photos/a.568559233297426/1298920900261252/]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499289240287638
The extraordinary rise & rise of Nigel Farage in UK political landscape on the single issue of Brexit, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0OgbH5gK5o. around 1 min, published by BBC News on 27th May 2019
...
Farage's Brexit party set to win UK seats in European elections, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kaDmE5eKQo, 2 min. 10 secs, published by Al Jazeera on 26th May 2019.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2499242860292276
Hmm. Harshly critical article from the New York Times on Facebook not doing enough to prevent fake news being distributed on it.
Here's a small extract from the article in the context of the doctored video of USA House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi that is reported to have been shared extensively on Facebook: "Would a broadcast network air this? Never. Would a newspaper publish it? Not without serious repercussions. Would a marketing campaign like this ever pass muster? False advertising.
No other media could get away with spreading anything like this because they lack the immunity protection that Facebook and other tech companies enjoy under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Section 230 was intended to spur innovation and encourage start-ups. Now it’s a shield to protect behemoths from any sensible rules."
Ravi: Hmm. I think this is the first time I am coming across this "Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act". I think I need to read it up. Plan to do so sometime in the near future.
Facebook seems to defend itself by saying that it is in social media business and not the news business.
But that does not wash with the NYT article author who says that Facebook is "abrogating its responsibility as the key distributor of news on the planet".
Facebook is the key distributor of news on the planet! Really! Hmm again!
If so, then my initial impressions are that Facebook has to then get regulated like a news organization. News media play a vital role in a healthy, democratic and free society. Therefore they need to be regulated to ensure that they do not get misused as instruments of false propaganda.
The interesting thing is that I came to know of this article via New York Times feed on Facebook!
[Shared article: Nancy Pelosi and Fakebook’s Dirty Tricks: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/26/opinion/nancy-pelosi-facebook-video.html, 26th May 2019.]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2497078080508754
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/uk-pm-theresa-may-announces-resignation-2042463
From an Internet distance to these events in UK, in India I got the impression that she tried hard to deliver Brexit and made those attempts with a great sense of duty & love towards her country. Sad that she was not able to accomplish it, and announced her resignation before accomplishing it.
But I think she always carried herself with dignity and spoke with dignity even when under fire.
All the best to Theresa May!
Let's hope & pray the new PM, whoever it may be, will be able to sort this Brexit mess quickly.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2493659604183935
Very worrying to see trade war and other real war hysteria going to rather dangerous levels as there are mainstream media reports of statements and sometimes songs about one country's regime beating another country's regime out of existence or out of its wits.
The destructive power of the WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) that some major-power countries have, and some medium-power countries have, is absolutely terrifying for anybody who has read about them or seen videos describing their destructive power. I have read such articles and seen such videos. So I am, in a way quite freaked-out at how tense things are becoming between some major and medium-level powers of the world.
Let's pray for peace. Let's pray that WMDs do not get used in any war that breaks out.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2489243997958829
Enjoyed this Amul cartoon on USA-China tariff tensions
For those readers who may not know about Amul, Amul butter is a famous product in India. The company puts up very interesting ad-drawings of Amul with the little girl being the Amul butter mascot, on current day issues seen in a humourous light with Amul butter somehow injected into the cartoon-ad.
This one is on the tariff issue between Trump led USA and Xi Jinping led China. The top-line is a Hindi-English mix which, I think, Hindi-English puns on the word Tariff and refers to a famous Hindi film romantic song with a line "Tareef karoon kya uski" meaning should I praise him (who made you).
For those who want to see the associated oldie Hindi film song (there are re-mixes of it done later too, I think), here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txv7RCe8DXM
Shared FB post link: https://www.facebook.com/amul.coop/photos/a.10152605095804446/10157379047689446/
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2488247711391791
A classy Hindi film oldie goldie song from the cult classic movie Pakeezah (1972): Chalte Chalte Yuhi Koi Mil Gaya Tha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU8wtPMZlfc, 5 min. 44 secs.
The song is sung by Lata Mangeshkar
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2488206174729278
Time-pass Hindi film oldie song 'Saala main to sahab ban gaya' from 1974 film Sagina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vwe1aJuTsE, 3 min. 14 secs
The song is sung by Kishore Kumar.
The initial words of the song are:
Saala main to sahab ban gaya
[English: Hey fellow, I have become a Lord (big man)]
Sahab ban ke kaisa tan gaya
[English: After becoming a Lord see how I walk upright]
Ye suit mera dekho, ye boot mera dekho
[English: See this suit of mine; see this boot(s) of mine.]
Jaise gora koi London ka!
[English: Like some white man from London!]
I had not seen the video of the film song earlier but the audio is very familiar as it was quite a popular time-pass song in the 80s.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2488191641397398
PBS speaks to Wall Street Journal reporter covering the USA-China tariff story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvWSOXeIs3A, 7 mins, published 13th May 2019
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2488061704743725
Is the USA-China tariff war really heating up? Or will both countries pull back before June 1st (when China's retaliatory tariffs are announced to begin)?
The financial world and some from the non-financial world too, watch with bated breath! What an extraordinary situation! Perhaps there has been nothing like this in the post World War II era (but lots of such stuff prior to World War II).
As I write this post, USA President Donald Trump is tweeting about the matter! As of now (5.02 PM IST on 14th May 2019), he has put out 9 tweets on it in the past hour or so, starting with this tweet: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1128242506771128320.
So President Trump is making his arguments and stand quite clear directly with whoever wants to know via Twitter!
Whether one agrees with his stand or not is a different matter. But to know what his current stand is, just read the tweets! Hmm. Really extraordinary situation!
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2487966291419933
I first read about Mr. Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy of Bombay (1783 - 1859) in The Hindu weekly supplement a few days ago
His wiki page is quite informative: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamsetjee_Jejeebhoy.
The Hindu article focused quite a bit on Jeejeebhoy's opium export to China business and the great wealth he made from it. The article did mention later great philanthropic work of Jeejeebhoy.
I think it is tragic that so many wealthy people of the 19th century made big money by exporting opium to China. I think they would have earned bad karma too along with their opium export to China profits.
Perhaps philanthropy elsewhere reduced such bad karmic effects.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2487951848088044
Very informative article about history of tariffs in the USA
Some short quotes from it:
From 1789, tariffs (in USA) "generated the vast majority of federal revenue until the U.S. adopted an income tax in 1913. In some years tariffs funded as much as 95% of the government’s annual budget."
..
"For the next 60 years [from the end of World War II in 1945] the U.S. pushed to lower trade barriers, create a create a global system of free trade and flood the world with American goods. But now the tables have turned and since 2009 China has been the word’s (world's) largest exporter."
..
"Trump has said that tariffs helped build America in the past and he’s right. Yet it remains to be seen whether modern-day tariffs lead to an outcome that helps — or harms — America in the future."
Trump takes a page out of early American history with steep tariffs on Chinese goods
By Jeffry Bartash, https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-is-right-america-was-built-on-tariffs-2018-08-15, 13th May 2019
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2486358841580678
Pedestrian hazard in Puttaparthi from two wheeler drivers who converse on mobile while driving
A few days ago in outside ashram Puttaparthi, one guy on a two wheeler who was speaking on mobile while driving attempted to turn into a street from the main road as I was crossing the street. He almost turned into me! Fortunately, he was at low speed and was able to swerve away from me and turn into the street.
I spread my hands in exasperation to let him know what I think of his driving while speaking on mobile phone and almost turning into me.
How does one educate such drivers? I think they do it because they feel they can get away with it and that nobody will be able to do anything to them.
I did not want to take a pic of his two wheeler and complain to the police with that pic (which would have the license plate).
Perhaps most people are like me.
And so we will continue to have a few such crazy two wheeler drivers in outside ashram Puttaparthi. Such is pedestrian life in outside ashram Puttaparthi nowadays!
I must add that there are some very safe two wheeler drivers that I have seen in Puttaparthi. So I am not tarring all two wheeler drivers in Puttaparthi with the same brush. Some are good and safe drivers. But a few are crazy fellows who are quite a danger to pedestrians.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2485096051706957
Plan to work on self-publishing eklavyasai.blogspot.com blog (Indian CS & IT academic reform activism) as book
I plan to start work on self-publishing a selection of my eklavyasai.blogspot.com (Indian Computer Science & Information Technology Academic Reform Activism) blog as a blogbook with ebook version and paperback version. These books will (ideally) have ISBNs allotted to them and be put up on free ebook sites like archive.org (& openlibrary.org), self.gutenberg.org and also on pothi.com (as free ebook). The paperback version will be sold at minimum price (NOT-FOR-PROFIT) on pothi.com web store. Whether it should additionally be put up on amazon.in and flipkart.com (Indian book web stores) is something I will decide later on.
The Table of Contents page of the blog gives a good picture of the blog's key contents: http://eklavyasai.blogspot.com/p/table-of-contents.html.
I have started with a key introduction part. It is as follows:
This blog book has a selection of posts/articles from above mentioned blog. Note that most activity on the blog was from 2011 to 2014. Subsequent to that, the activity has been off & on with Ravi S. Iyer having reduced his work on this blog & activism to almost nil in 2019.
This book is aimed at helping other activists involved in improving Indian Computer Science and Information Technology academia to get the views expressed in above mentioned blog in a convenient form. That may help them to do more effective activism and bring in some positive change.
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Any thoughts/suggestions from readers on my above plan, are very welcome.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2484757645074131
Biography: Mikhail Gorbachev A Man Who Changed the World Part 1, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLujNV-9cf0, 15 mins.
Biography: Mikhail Gorbachev A Man Who Changed the World Part 2, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMfcOsRq1hc, around 15 mins.
Biography: Mikhail Gorbachev A Man Who Changed the World (Final) Part 3, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypV0UBQoLoU, around 15 mins.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2482822035267692
Really?
Count me as a skeptic.
I have not read the article. But I don't like the general impression that some tech. industry leaders give that they have figured everything out in their creations. That may be what's needed to market their products and keep their share prices healthy. But I doubt it is the full truth and nothing but the truth.
The brutal truth is that tech. stuff is not perfect. It may work most of the time but there is no guarantee it will work all the time. And then there can be design flaws which remain hidden till peculiar set of circumstances trigger the flaw and result in malfunction. The Boeing 737 MAX case comes to mind.
I think like good scientists are careful with their words in describing any new discovery or invention of theirs, as perhaps the peer review process in science would challenge them otherwise, some of the tech industry leaders like Tesla leader(s) need to be precise and truthful in their words. They owe that to society. Share price and profits are not all that matters.
Shared article: Tesla cars can now figure out which parts need to be replaced and order new ones, https://www.businessinsider.in/Tesla-cars-can-now-figure-out-which-parts-need-to-be-replaced-and-order-new-ones/articleshow/69222114.cms, 7th May 2019
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2482380931978469
I have never played Golf (just shows that I was never a wealthy guy :-) ) but have seen some of it on TV.
I think Tiger Woods' comeback from major injuries and personal problems, is a great inspirational story. And then there is the aspect of the African-American breaking the skin colour barrier in the elite sport of Golf.
So I was very happy to see Tiger Woods receiving the highest US civilian honour from US President Trump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQyR3NBF79U, 2 min. 24 secs.
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The full event video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1inm-jkhGY, around 20 mins.
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In response to a comment, " “Golf a good walk spoiled”
Sometimes said by frustrated golfers", I (Ravi) wrote: Interesting quote! Thanks.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2482026428680586
Hmm. This was an issue that I (and I am sure, many others in Puttaparthi, India) faced in the past. I learned to simply ignore missed calls from numbers I did not know, especially those that were international calls.
Quite surprising that even USA customers are getting targeted and that USA is not able to prevent it.
[Shared article: F.C.C. Warns About the ‘One Ring’ Robocall Scheme, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/us/one-ring-robocall.html, 6th May 2019]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2481739638709265
Great to see this armed (one of them with AK-47, others perhaps with pistols) women cops of India catch this bad guy. My salaam (salutations) to these brave and great Indian women cops for catching this bad guy.
[Shared article: All-women team of Gujarat ATS nab dreaded gangster in jungle, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/atss-angels-gun-for-gangster-in-jungle/articleshow/69192134.cms, 6th May 2019]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2480170265532869
Looks like Govt. authorities in India and in Bangladesh have done a great job in keeping casualties to an absolute minimum for this cyclone. 20 years ago it was a different story as many people died in Odisha (Orissa) then. As an Indian citizen and resident, I am very happy to see the progress made by Indian (and Bangladesh) govt. authorities tasked with handling such natural disasters.
Prayers and best wishes to all those badly impacted by Cyclone Fani.
How Do You Save a Million People From a Cyclone? Ask a Poor State in India, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/03/world/asia/cyclone-fani-india-evacuations.html, 3rd May 2019]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2478125499070679
Hmm. Had to happen sometime I think. Good techies have the capacity to dig in, if there is a strong motive to do so, like in this case, and arrive at some reasonable conclusions regarding design defects. Don't know if the Apple engineer's family had other engineers/techies or whether the deceased engineer's engineer/techie friends helped to dig into the matter. ... Have not read the article yet. Hope to do so later.
[Shared article: The family of an Apple engineer is suing Tesla over a deadly Autopilot crash, https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-engineer-walter-huang-family-suing-tesla-over-crash-2019-5, 1st May 2019]
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