Gun for It
Ahh, Here he is! Another NRA baiter! Pull him down!
But hold on. Give a man his right to defend himself – and two pennies, nay, two words for his thoughts. Yes, I have had my grouse with the gun makers and with the NRA. But I have also been quick to realize that guns or no guns, some violence was meant to be. Besides, no one should pre-judge who the 'provocateurs' are. All said and done, these arguments and finger-pointing sometimes exacerbate prevailing tensions and are counter-productive. Now, I do not claim to be the expert in these matters (in fact, quite the contrary), but it does seem to me that in an educated, affluent and technological society such as the US, one could find a 21st century solution to the scourge.
Part of the problem, as I see it, is that the cost of possessing and using the gun is minimal. Add to this the difficulty of limiting gun use to the owner and what you have is a unparalleled public risk that gives the lie to the priorities of the policy maker. And economics informs that when the cost of ownership and use – loosely defined as the user cost - is minimal, chances are that guns will be 'over-used', or more appropriately, mis-used. So why not try a 'fix' that combines technology and economics to limit use to the owner and increase his user cost? Why not fund an industry-government program that designs and produces guns equipped with a credit card-type biometric-optical 'gun card'. The gun would lock without a gun card or without sufficient cash balance on it. The gun card could be recharged at any bank ATM; indeed, it would be necessary to purchase and pay for bullets from the police station. Bullets would be 'imprinted' with the gun card number such that exchange or re-sale of bullets between gun owners is pre-empted. The biometric optical chip on the gun card with the owner's thumb print would limit gun use exclusively to the owner. Every round fired would be registered and debited from the balance on the card ($50 a round?). The gun card would be re-validated once every six months at the police station. And here's the clincher. The gun license fee would vary with the police record of the owner. Those in the bad books of the police would need to pay more for owning a gun or purchasing bullets. In other words, one DUI or a brawl at the pub costs costs $1000 come renewal time. Makes sense, doesn't it? After all, it is the temperamental, aggressive types that are prone to settle matters with guns.
Conceivably, the card could be designed to 'memorize' use details such as place, time and location of purchases, as well as use statistics that can be recovered during the visit to the police station, thus enabling easier investigations. These 'police authorized' guns meant for deterrence and self-defense could be provided free to owners in exchange for guns currently in their possession. The increase in user cost and the prospect of higher prices following indiscriminate behavior or use is likely to bring down mis-behavior and misuse without restricting use when necessary to protect life. The biometric chip will drastically reduce crimes committed with stolen guns. The revenues could be channeled to the perennially under-funded police departments. For those financially prudent, may I remind that, more likely than not, the benefits realized from this proposal will more than pay for the cost of transition (The last time I checked, the value of a statistical life in the US was in the range of $6 million or thereabouts).
This scheme of things will not double realty prices on U Street overnight, but it will pave the way toward a society more accountable for the use of deadly weapons..... And it might save an Einstein or two in the making at school!
ps (and on a tangent): How do you feel when you are asked to explain a complex matter with only a 'Yes' or a 'No'? Join my 'Say No to Yes/No Answers Only' campaign.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Capitalism, Efficiency and Equity
Capitalism, Efficiency and Equity
Ganga Prasad G. Rao
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
Prasad Rao? Criticizing Capitalism? It must be the end of Time! Well, may be, but even in the US, the bastion of capitalism, economists, environmentalists and social thinkers have begun to question the Capitalism as the 'panacea for all ills' (See “Is Capitalism courting long-term disaster?”). True, capitalism embodies some of our most cherished values: competition and free markets (though, not exactly), incentives, innovation, and excellence; yet, one cannot wish away its fundamental problems as has been revealed over time. First, by trading the entire future of firms on the stock market, one of its primary institutions, capitalism encourages profit bubbles and short-trading that sucks away all future rents leaving behind, on one hand, a large group of long-term investors waiting decades for the growth that must materialize for them to realize profits and, on the other, managers who must find a way to realize growth for investors, even if at the cost of the environment, health, safety, and financial compliance. Second, the search for lower cost inputs brings about labor-saving technology and a flight of capital to low-income economies with lower labor cost and abundant natural resources. The underhand dealings with puppet regimes permit foreign capital to rape the resource-rich country and funnel profits abroad while impoverishing the country's future. Such capitalism only enriches the capitalists; it does little to promote the welfare of labor. Third, capitalism induces raw-material and energy-intensive industries to move toward less-expensive, lower quality raw materials and fuels, thus exacerbating local and global pollution in the search for lower cost and higher profits. (Just the other day, I read a news item about a cement company whose profits are expected to jump because they are fuel-switching into coal). Fourth, and as vividly explained by Krugman, capitalism fails at insuring the health of the masses. Insurance under capitalism encourages an unholy network of legislators, lawyers and health care providers in to increasing health care costs and siphoning away profits, even while it systematically discriminates against the poor and the unhealthy, unmindful of the possibility that some of them are the products of its own system. Fifth, capitalism is perhaps to blame for the wars that the US has fought in search of global dominance and secure sources of energy. (And I thought the US fought for democracy and freedom! Why, there is learning even in the 40s!). The nexus between capitalists and politics before, during and after elections, or for that matter, concerning religion and immigration or foreign policy is all too well known. As I have observed many times, capitalism exploits every resource, every right until it turns in to a luxury (and the consumers into slaves)!
This is not the first, or for that matter, the last time, that I point out that for capitalism to truly succeed, equal opportunity is a necessary condition. In its absence, capitalism brings out inter-generational inequality, wherein those born rich are endowed with access to worldwide resources and opportunities whereas those born poor lack even the basic services to grow up in to socially useful adults. This inter-generational externality is perpetuated, even exacerbated over generations under a blind capitalist society, bringing about a schism between the haves with financial, political and economic control, and the have-nots whose every right is stripped until they turn modern day slaves to the super-rich. This is no more a conjecture. The US is an example of a country with blatant inequity where the society is torn between the mutually exclusive goals of furthering equal opportunity and preserving the incentive to innovate, excel and succeed. So much so, in a large country with endemic inequity, the very act of furthering equal opportunity (using the private sector for building thousands of schools, for example) expands the income gap, at least in the short-term. Could it be that inequity, once brought about, is self-sustaining, even when sought to be reversed? Come to think of it, even imposing efficiency enhancements in an equity-distorted or unequal opportunity world in itself increases inequity. All these suggest that equal opportunity policies should be implemented ahead of efficiency enhancing policies in a competitive, capitalist framework.
So, where does that leave us Indians? I have claimed that Indian socialism is neither capitalist, nor communist - that it is the worst of both worlds, especially when couched as a coalition of the left and right. It is a system in which the rich, the investors, the politicians, bureaucrats, in fact all except the poor masses – the intended target of socialism - flourish. Those were the times when I advocated India merely replicate the policies of the US. Wrong as I was, I fear our businessmen, politicians, and investors are all too willing to follow the lead of the western world. It is the fashion of the day to make money by hook or crook in India, then send one's child to study MBA in the Western world or emigrate to Australia or New Zealand! The question is: Have we learnt our lesson? I fear not. Thankfully, international institutions are more circumspect of unbridled capitalism and 'unfettered reform' in their lending policies and prescriptions to developing economies. Perhaps they will restrain India from doom.
Ganga Prasad G. Rao
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
Prasad Rao? Criticizing Capitalism? It must be the end of Time! Well, may be, but even in the US, the bastion of capitalism, economists, environmentalists and social thinkers have begun to question the Capitalism as the 'panacea for all ills' (See “Is Capitalism courting long-term disaster?”). True, capitalism embodies some of our most cherished values: competition and free markets (though, not exactly), incentives, innovation, and excellence; yet, one cannot wish away its fundamental problems as has been revealed over time. First, by trading the entire future of firms on the stock market, one of its primary institutions, capitalism encourages profit bubbles and short-trading that sucks away all future rents leaving behind, on one hand, a large group of long-term investors waiting decades for the growth that must materialize for them to realize profits and, on the other, managers who must find a way to realize growth for investors, even if at the cost of the environment, health, safety, and financial compliance. Second, the search for lower cost inputs brings about labor-saving technology and a flight of capital to low-income economies with lower labor cost and abundant natural resources. The underhand dealings with puppet regimes permit foreign capital to rape the resource-rich country and funnel profits abroad while impoverishing the country's future. Such capitalism only enriches the capitalists; it does little to promote the welfare of labor. Third, capitalism induces raw-material and energy-intensive industries to move toward less-expensive, lower quality raw materials and fuels, thus exacerbating local and global pollution in the search for lower cost and higher profits. (Just the other day, I read a news item about a cement company whose profits are expected to jump because they are fuel-switching into coal). Fourth, and as vividly explained by Krugman, capitalism fails at insuring the health of the masses. Insurance under capitalism encourages an unholy network of legislators, lawyers and health care providers in to increasing health care costs and siphoning away profits, even while it systematically discriminates against the poor and the unhealthy, unmindful of the possibility that some of them are the products of its own system. Fifth, capitalism is perhaps to blame for the wars that the US has fought in search of global dominance and secure sources of energy. (And I thought the US fought for democracy and freedom! Why, there is learning even in the 40s!). The nexus between capitalists and politics before, during and after elections, or for that matter, concerning religion and immigration or foreign policy is all too well known. As I have observed many times, capitalism exploits every resource, every right until it turns in to a luxury (and the consumers into slaves)!
This is not the first, or for that matter, the last time, that I point out that for capitalism to truly succeed, equal opportunity is a necessary condition. In its absence, capitalism brings out inter-generational inequality, wherein those born rich are endowed with access to worldwide resources and opportunities whereas those born poor lack even the basic services to grow up in to socially useful adults. This inter-generational externality is perpetuated, even exacerbated over generations under a blind capitalist society, bringing about a schism between the haves with financial, political and economic control, and the have-nots whose every right is stripped until they turn modern day slaves to the super-rich. This is no more a conjecture. The US is an example of a country with blatant inequity where the society is torn between the mutually exclusive goals of furthering equal opportunity and preserving the incentive to innovate, excel and succeed. So much so, in a large country with endemic inequity, the very act of furthering equal opportunity (using the private sector for building thousands of schools, for example) expands the income gap, at least in the short-term. Could it be that inequity, once brought about, is self-sustaining, even when sought to be reversed? Come to think of it, even imposing efficiency enhancements in an equity-distorted or unequal opportunity world in itself increases inequity. All these suggest that equal opportunity policies should be implemented ahead of efficiency enhancing policies in a competitive, capitalist framework.
So, where does that leave us Indians? I have claimed that Indian socialism is neither capitalist, nor communist - that it is the worst of both worlds, especially when couched as a coalition of the left and right. It is a system in which the rich, the investors, the politicians, bureaucrats, in fact all except the poor masses – the intended target of socialism - flourish. Those were the times when I advocated India merely replicate the policies of the US. Wrong as I was, I fear our businessmen, politicians, and investors are all too willing to follow the lead of the western world. It is the fashion of the day to make money by hook or crook in India, then send one's child to study MBA in the Western world or emigrate to Australia or New Zealand! The question is: Have we learnt our lesson? I fear not. Thankfully, international institutions are more circumspect of unbridled capitalism and 'unfettered reform' in their lending policies and prescriptions to developing economies. Perhaps they will restrain India from doom.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Children's Day Special!
Hi guys, gals, I am talking to you. Have a moment? You better! Ever felt the futility of going to school daily. Remember the scorn you felt for your teachers? Ever yearned for the day you would be free from the school routine. Want to make it big tomorrow? Yes? Then you better read on. You might just be lucky to retrace your steps and save yourself a life of misery.
Read this first. School is not what you think. It is not a place where you go through the daily drill for ten (or twelve) painful years so you may enjoy the freedom of college. Schooling is many things put together. Yes, it is an institution for education and learning. But it also where students develop their personality and find their competitive advantage relative to other students. It is a place where you are taught to treat everyone equal. Where you find your way through truth, lies, hearsay and rumours. A place where your character is built and put to the test. Perhaps not many among you appreciate that your school record matters years in to the future – sometimes at your interview for the first job.
You would think that your teachers would advise you what's right and what's wrong. Some do, but most don't. Most teachers (and some parents) allow students to fail, not only because an early failure can be a lesson and an eye opener, but also to 'sift' the brilliant and the good from the lazy and the rotten when it comes to entry in to colleges and higher institutions. Having said that, treat your teacher
like a friend, not a monster with a mandate to punish you. (S)he can provide invaluable advice and guide you during difficult times.
Now for the those secrets that not even your teacher dare mention to you. First and despite everything you hear to the contrary, the public exam at the 10th is a test of your entire schooling to that date. It is not merely a exam that you get over with after practicing mock drills n number of times. The public exam is meant to test your basics and fundamental understanding of various disciplines and 'place' you among your peers; it tests language, vocabulary, grammar, concepts, writing skills, logical thinking, reasoning skills, reading habits, (memory, as much as we dislike it) and of course, knowledge. Further, just as the board conducts the public exam, the school conducts its own private tests over the years such as a cheating test, hygiene, your behavior with female students, responses to sexual stimuli, discrimination of various sorts, and so on. The bottom line, then, is that there are no short cuts. The student who prepares for the exam actually fails it. The truly competent are those who ace every day at school and home!
Second, your mistakes are noted, if not by the school authorities, by other students and those who are on the look out for failures and easy prey (you see them loitering outside the school compound). In the dog-eat-dog world that India is, every mistake, error, misdemeanor or sin is recorded and exploited for gain, sometimes decades later by those on the other side – be they the government, the industry or the religion. Remember, there is a way to find out what you do behind close doors even if no one is around. So, be warned, especially if you are staking a big future. Note unusual statements, coincidences or occurrences, and yes, mention them to someone – friend, teacher, relative, or even a stranger.
Three: Religion. Many schools are run by religious institutions. While most genuinely intend public service and the upliftment of students, the motives of the rest are not so transparent. Some value the tuition money more than they value the education of students. Others play 'religious games' of the sort you would never suspect. Why, I suspect there are those schools that would like to delay you a few years, or worse, recruit some 'sadhus or nuns' among you! Be warned!
Four: Don't presume that what the teacher teaches you or even the syllabus is sufficient. With students more than willing to cooperate, teachers can always get away by not teaching even the required minimum, forget the supplemental reading/exercises. Remember the lessons and exercises your teacher skipped? She meant that you should not! It's not what they teach you at school, but what you learn over and beyond the school that eventually matters in life. Use the school library. Your librarian notes the regular users! Take an extra hour away from that weekly movie, the friend at the corner of the street, cartoon time on TV or bedtime and put it in to your books. It could open a fabulous future you'd never dream of!
Five: When you read, read from the book, not from the teacher's notes or the guide. When you read a book, the author shares his/her brain, his insights with you in a way no guide or teacher's notes can. Also, do not take books and their authors for granted. Books are only as good as the authors. And authors are humans too; sometimes all too human! Even authors make mistakes – unintentional, well meaning and intentional. Read from two or more textbooks on the subject. That will give you additional perspective. Hold on to your past year books. You may need to refer them.
Six: Do not get emotionally involved or angered with schoolmates of either sex. Let school be a place for education, personality development and building platonic friendships. You cannot afford to get emotionally entangled at a time when every page read and every problem solved adds thousands, if not lakhs to your 'present worth'. Besides, you should have something to look forward to in your college years and beyond when you have a wider circle of friends, if you know what I mean!
Seven: Don't ever presume superiority over lower class students and mock them or accept your inferiority to seniors. In the cruel world that we live in, juniors sometimes upstage us and become the bosses of the future. At other times, you may outleap highly regarded seniors. Treat everyone equal and respect them for what they are, remembering at all times that you are second to none.
And now for some miscellany. If you haven't already heard this from your parents, here it is:
Comprehend what is taught and use your own words to write the answers, not your teacher's. After all, you too might have to teach one day! Don't ever cheat. You are wrong if you think you can fool the teacher. The only person you cheat is yourself, and that too, of opportunities and wealth in the future. Talk in the medium used at school, not your mother tongue or local language. And yes, all exams and tests must be fully answered, correctly, if only after the graded sheets are returned. Read the newspapers. They increase your knowledge of the world, help you form opinions and keep you aware of what is happening today and how it will impact your world tomorrow. Here is a tip: if you must memorize, perhaps the best way to do so is to read and then write down the points on paper. Finally, a word on health. Eat what your mother packs for lunch. Nobody beats her when it comes to your health. If you need to snack, eat only wellknown packaged food and healthy drinks. Do not destroy your stomach linings at an early age. And here is a gentle reminder from your parents: no fooling around with your friend's flashy, muscular motorbike or the 'dada' who sells the white stuff at lunch or after school. You just might lose your right to return home! Oh yes, I am reminded. Did you ever see the 'Don't smoke or I'll blow your head away' sign on way to school?
No, I don't guarantee you a million if you follow these words of advice. But I am sure you will be the better for reading it. Take it from someone who missed big, nothing is more costly than experience or sane advice ignored!
Now, where is that bubble gum I was chewing on? Did I stick it to your ....? Gotcha!
Read this first. School is not what you think. It is not a place where you go through the daily drill for ten (or twelve) painful years so you may enjoy the freedom of college. Schooling is many things put together. Yes, it is an institution for education and learning. But it also where students develop their personality and find their competitive advantage relative to other students. It is a place where you are taught to treat everyone equal. Where you find your way through truth, lies, hearsay and rumours. A place where your character is built and put to the test. Perhaps not many among you appreciate that your school record matters years in to the future – sometimes at your interview for the first job.
You would think that your teachers would advise you what's right and what's wrong. Some do, but most don't. Most teachers (and some parents) allow students to fail, not only because an early failure can be a lesson and an eye opener, but also to 'sift' the brilliant and the good from the lazy and the rotten when it comes to entry in to colleges and higher institutions. Having said that, treat your teacher
like a friend, not a monster with a mandate to punish you. (S)he can provide invaluable advice and guide you during difficult times.
Now for the those secrets that not even your teacher dare mention to you. First and despite everything you hear to the contrary, the public exam at the 10th is a test of your entire schooling to that date. It is not merely a exam that you get over with after practicing mock drills n number of times. The public exam is meant to test your basics and fundamental understanding of various disciplines and 'place' you among your peers; it tests language, vocabulary, grammar, concepts, writing skills, logical thinking, reasoning skills, reading habits, (memory, as much as we dislike it) and of course, knowledge. Further, just as the board conducts the public exam, the school conducts its own private tests over the years such as a cheating test, hygiene, your behavior with female students, responses to sexual stimuli, discrimination of various sorts, and so on. The bottom line, then, is that there are no short cuts. The student who prepares for the exam actually fails it. The truly competent are those who ace every day at school and home!
Second, your mistakes are noted, if not by the school authorities, by other students and those who are on the look out for failures and easy prey (you see them loitering outside the school compound). In the dog-eat-dog world that India is, every mistake, error, misdemeanor or sin is recorded and exploited for gain, sometimes decades later by those on the other side – be they the government, the industry or the religion. Remember, there is a way to find out what you do behind close doors even if no one is around. So, be warned, especially if you are staking a big future. Note unusual statements, coincidences or occurrences, and yes, mention them to someone – friend, teacher, relative, or even a stranger.
Three: Religion. Many schools are run by religious institutions. While most genuinely intend public service and the upliftment of students, the motives of the rest are not so transparent. Some value the tuition money more than they value the education of students. Others play 'religious games' of the sort you would never suspect. Why, I suspect there are those schools that would like to delay you a few years, or worse, recruit some 'sadhus or nuns' among you! Be warned!
Four: Don't presume that what the teacher teaches you or even the syllabus is sufficient. With students more than willing to cooperate, teachers can always get away by not teaching even the required minimum, forget the supplemental reading/exercises. Remember the lessons and exercises your teacher skipped? She meant that you should not! It's not what they teach you at school, but what you learn over and beyond the school that eventually matters in life. Use the school library. Your librarian notes the regular users! Take an extra hour away from that weekly movie, the friend at the corner of the street, cartoon time on TV or bedtime and put it in to your books. It could open a fabulous future you'd never dream of!
Five: When you read, read from the book, not from the teacher's notes or the guide. When you read a book, the author shares his/her brain, his insights with you in a way no guide or teacher's notes can. Also, do not take books and their authors for granted. Books are only as good as the authors. And authors are humans too; sometimes all too human! Even authors make mistakes – unintentional, well meaning and intentional. Read from two or more textbooks on the subject. That will give you additional perspective. Hold on to your past year books. You may need to refer them.
Six: Do not get emotionally involved or angered with schoolmates of either sex. Let school be a place for education, personality development and building platonic friendships. You cannot afford to get emotionally entangled at a time when every page read and every problem solved adds thousands, if not lakhs to your 'present worth'. Besides, you should have something to look forward to in your college years and beyond when you have a wider circle of friends, if you know what I mean!
Seven: Don't ever presume superiority over lower class students and mock them or accept your inferiority to seniors. In the cruel world that we live in, juniors sometimes upstage us and become the bosses of the future. At other times, you may outleap highly regarded seniors. Treat everyone equal and respect them for what they are, remembering at all times that you are second to none.
And now for some miscellany. If you haven't already heard this from your parents, here it is:
Comprehend what is taught and use your own words to write the answers, not your teacher's. After all, you too might have to teach one day! Don't ever cheat. You are wrong if you think you can fool the teacher. The only person you cheat is yourself, and that too, of opportunities and wealth in the future. Talk in the medium used at school, not your mother tongue or local language. And yes, all exams and tests must be fully answered, correctly, if only after the graded sheets are returned. Read the newspapers. They increase your knowledge of the world, help you form opinions and keep you aware of what is happening today and how it will impact your world tomorrow. Here is a tip: if you must memorize, perhaps the best way to do so is to read and then write down the points on paper. Finally, a word on health. Eat what your mother packs for lunch. Nobody beats her when it comes to your health. If you need to snack, eat only wellknown packaged food and healthy drinks. Do not destroy your stomach linings at an early age. And here is a gentle reminder from your parents: no fooling around with your friend's flashy, muscular motorbike or the 'dada' who sells the white stuff at lunch or after school. You just might lose your right to return home! Oh yes, I am reminded. Did you ever see the 'Don't smoke or I'll blow your head away' sign on way to school?
No, I don't guarantee you a million if you follow these words of advice. But I am sure you will be the better for reading it. Take it from someone who missed big, nothing is more costly than experience or sane advice ignored!
Now, where is that bubble gum I was chewing on? Did I stick it to your ....? Gotcha!
The US at War
From gprasadrao@vsnl.net Sat Sep 23 14:57:09 2006
Subject: John Chuckman's Piece
From: Ganga Prasad Rao
Reply-To: gprasadrao@hotmail.com
To: editor@countercurrents.org
Cc: gprasadrao@hotmail.com
Dear Sir/Madam,
'America Has Just Lost Two More Wars' is a thought-provoking article
though poorly-written. Even a layman understands that deeper issues are
at stake. The war against Iraq and Afghanistan is a war against drugs,
against terrorism, and as the Pentagon will attest to, a war for
geopolitical dominance in the world of oil. In an earlier email, I have
already alluded to the grand design behind suppressing oil and gas
production from Iraq. The American presence in these states also serves
as a police station to monitor rogue states - Pakistan, Iran - and the
newly independent states lest American oil interests are jeopardized.
(But, as climate change accelerates, is there any logic to securing
resources that are likely worth less in the future? Are we to interpret
the American presence in this region as its intention to persevere with
fossil fuels for the coming decades and centuries? A scary thought
indeed!)
I also believe it is unfair to criticize Bush for what is perceived at
large as a foreign policy that has gone terribly awry. Surely, it is the
broader leadership - the VP and other Republican aides, the democratic
leadership, the Pentagon, top thinktanks - who must share in the
responsibility and blame. One wonders whether the military has a say in
these matters at all? And what about the G8 (or is it G10 now?) and
international organizations? There opinions must count too. They too are
at fault for permitting the impasse to continue and worsen.
More philosophically, much as I admire the US for its resolve to root
out terrorism, I fear that it will be terribly costly both in terms of
resources and lives to engage in this futile war. Hasn't anyone examined
the causes for and behind terrorism? Perhaps it is time Western society
recognizes religious states and the motivation for religious wars. What
do they seek? Where will they compromise and in return for what? There
must be scope for mutually beneficial deals if not common ground.
Personally, I feel that economic cooperation, friendship, tact and
diplomacy will win the day where tanks and sophisticated satellite-based
electronic warfare don't!
Am I making sense at all? Perhaps I miss the point entirely?.
ps: Perhaps wars are fought and terrorist acts occur to shore up the
bond market! Inflation-protected bonds? No Thank You! Give me
terrorism-protected equities. Anyday!
--
Ganga Prasad G. Rao
Aparna 19 New, 30 Old Janakiram Colony
Arumbakkam, Chennai 600106
044-24754691
gprasadrao@hotmail.com
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
Subject: John Chuckman's Piece
From: Ganga Prasad Rao
Reply-To: gprasadrao@hotmail.com
To: editor@countercurrents.org
Cc: gprasadrao@hotmail.com
Dear Sir/Madam,
'America Has Just Lost Two More Wars' is a thought-provoking article
though poorly-written. Even a layman understands that deeper issues are
at stake. The war against Iraq and Afghanistan is a war against drugs,
against terrorism, and as the Pentagon will attest to, a war for
geopolitical dominance in the world of oil. In an earlier email, I have
already alluded to the grand design behind suppressing oil and gas
production from Iraq. The American presence in these states also serves
as a police station to monitor rogue states - Pakistan, Iran - and the
newly independent states lest American oil interests are jeopardized.
(But, as climate change accelerates, is there any logic to securing
resources that are likely worth less in the future? Are we to interpret
the American presence in this region as its intention to persevere with
fossil fuels for the coming decades and centuries? A scary thought
indeed!)
I also believe it is unfair to criticize Bush for what is perceived at
large as a foreign policy that has gone terribly awry. Surely, it is the
broader leadership - the VP and other Republican aides, the democratic
leadership, the Pentagon, top thinktanks - who must share in the
responsibility and blame. One wonders whether the military has a say in
these matters at all? And what about the G8 (or is it G10 now?) and
international organizations? There opinions must count too. They too are
at fault for permitting the impasse to continue and worsen.
More philosophically, much as I admire the US for its resolve to root
out terrorism, I fear that it will be terribly costly both in terms of
resources and lives to engage in this futile war. Hasn't anyone examined
the causes for and behind terrorism? Perhaps it is time Western society
recognizes religious states and the motivation for religious wars. What
do they seek? Where will they compromise and in return for what? There
must be scope for mutually beneficial deals if not common ground.
Personally, I feel that economic cooperation, friendship, tact and
diplomacy will win the day where tanks and sophisticated satellite-based
electronic warfare don't!
Am I making sense at all? Perhaps I miss the point entirely?.
ps: Perhaps wars are fought and terrorist acts occur to shore up the
bond market! Inflation-protected bonds? No Thank You! Give me
terrorism-protected equities. Anyday!
--
Ganga Prasad G. Rao
Aparna 19 New, 30 Old Janakiram Colony
Arumbakkam, Chennai 600106
044-24754691
gprasadrao@hotmail.com
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
Friday, April 6, 2007
Letter to Boldin
Excerpts of Letter to Mr. Boldin, Populist America.com
From gprasadrao@vsnl.net Thu Sep 28 16:49:26 2006
Subject: Wars, Wars and Wars
From: Ganga Prasad Rao
Reply-To: gprasadrao@hotmail.com
To: mboldin@populistamerica.com
Cc: gprasadrao@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 16:49:26 +0530
Dear Mr. Boldin,
Your article 'Wars And Debts And Taxes, Oh My!' reads a bit one-sided.
There is not much mention of the rationale behind wars and what sustains
them. I believe there is a story to be unearthed there. The ordinary
person with his parents, wife and children to take care off does not
wish for a war - whether he is a citizen of US, Iraq or any other
country. And there are innumerable such families in every nation. On the
other hand, a country does not go to war for frivolous reasons. When the
very existence of a country, its founding principles, or the
international order is at stake, a war sometimes is inevitable. At other
times, control over the future - access to energy and material resources
(or denial of the same to the enemy), access to low-cost intellectual
pool, securing strategic geographic regions and control over political
and economic power centers seems to be the implicit rationale, though,
often times not acknowledged publicly. The problem is that this mad rush
to secure the country's future at all cost (to others) is ultimately
self-defeating.
Many around the world question the role of US as the global policeman. I
am not as unforgiving. I realize that certain systems and basic tenets
that are in place - international law and order, religious freedom,
human rights - must be protected, lest we fall back to the medieval era
of looting, torture and mayhem. At the same time, I do believe that war
has become a favorite tool of the US to bear upon countries that can't
match its military or economic might. So much so, war is preferred over
other potentially more productive means of resolution. That is because a
war has many 'beneficial' impacts on the domestic economy, if one looks
the other way at the loss of lives. The heightened economic activity and
research allocations has both immediate and long-run payoffs. Indeed,
appropriations for war can find their way to nooks and corners that even
seasoned political observers might be surprised at. Besides, most
incumbents of the party in power will be returned in a show of
solidarity. The point is, war is sometimes a convenient tool to impose
upon a foreign nation, its people, resources and induce an 'implicit
transfer' from their future to our present. Iraq is a point in case.
Your article dwells on decades-long wars that the US has been involved
in. A contributing reason why the US tends to get involved in protracted
wars across the seven seas is the taboo among its electorate to 'ditch'
a President at war come election time. No incumbent President will back
away from a war during campaigning. A President at war who wins at the
ballot is unlikely to back off from his ventures abroad. Even in those
instances when the President completes two terms, election politics
induces the incoming President to vainly follow in the footsteps of his
predecessor simply because one cannot but support the war during
campaigning. I also have a sneaking suspicion that domestic opposition
to war is rooted in the loss of 'own' lives. I suspect the public will
turn less sensitive as the US transitions to robo-wars that impose
lop-sided losses on the enemy. I hope I am proved wrong.
Now there are many means to resolve wars, but the one that seems most
potent at resolving it, at least to me - having the enemy - leaders,
farmers, mothers, grandmothers, children, thinkers, workmen, academics -
visit and talk to our people in cities and countryside - is something
that is worth a try. Perhaps they achieve something that stiff-necked
bureaucrats don't (or, as the conspiracy goes, are loathe to)! If only
our leaders are willing to put their ears to the ground and listen to
the heartbeat of their people. If only.
--
Ganga Prasad G. Rao
Aparna 19 New, 30 Old Janakiram Colony
Arumbakkam, Chennai 600106
044-24754691
gprasadrao@hotmail.com
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
From gprasadrao@vsnl.net Thu Sep 28 16:49:26 2006
Subject: Wars, Wars and Wars
From: Ganga Prasad Rao
Reply-To: gprasadrao@hotmail.com
To: mboldin@populistamerica.com
Cc: gprasadrao@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 16:49:26 +0530
Dear Mr. Boldin,
Your article 'Wars And Debts And Taxes, Oh My!' reads a bit one-sided.
There is not much mention of the rationale behind wars and what sustains
them. I believe there is a story to be unearthed there. The ordinary
person with his parents, wife and children to take care off does not
wish for a war - whether he is a citizen of US, Iraq or any other
country. And there are innumerable such families in every nation. On the
other hand, a country does not go to war for frivolous reasons. When the
very existence of a country, its founding principles, or the
international order is at stake, a war sometimes is inevitable. At other
times, control over the future - access to energy and material resources
(or denial of the same to the enemy), access to low-cost intellectual
pool, securing strategic geographic regions and control over political
and economic power centers seems to be the implicit rationale, though,
often times not acknowledged publicly. The problem is that this mad rush
to secure the country's future at all cost (to others) is ultimately
self-defeating.
Many around the world question the role of US as the global policeman. I
am not as unforgiving. I realize that certain systems and basic tenets
that are in place - international law and order, religious freedom,
human rights - must be protected, lest we fall back to the medieval era
of looting, torture and mayhem. At the same time, I do believe that war
has become a favorite tool of the US to bear upon countries that can't
match its military or economic might. So much so, war is preferred over
other potentially more productive means of resolution. That is because a
war has many 'beneficial' impacts on the domestic economy, if one looks
the other way at the loss of lives. The heightened economic activity and
research allocations has both immediate and long-run payoffs. Indeed,
appropriations for war can find their way to nooks and corners that even
seasoned political observers might be surprised at. Besides, most
incumbents of the party in power will be returned in a show of
solidarity. The point is, war is sometimes a convenient tool to impose
upon a foreign nation, its people, resources and induce an 'implicit
transfer' from their future to our present. Iraq is a point in case.
Your article dwells on decades-long wars that the US has been involved
in. A contributing reason why the US tends to get involved in protracted
wars across the seven seas is the taboo among its electorate to 'ditch'
a President at war come election time. No incumbent President will back
away from a war during campaigning. A President at war who wins at the
ballot is unlikely to back off from his ventures abroad. Even in those
instances when the President completes two terms, election politics
induces the incoming President to vainly follow in the footsteps of his
predecessor simply because one cannot but support the war during
campaigning. I also have a sneaking suspicion that domestic opposition
to war is rooted in the loss of 'own' lives. I suspect the public will
turn less sensitive as the US transitions to robo-wars that impose
lop-sided losses on the enemy. I hope I am proved wrong.
Now there are many means to resolve wars, but the one that seems most
potent at resolving it, at least to me - having the enemy - leaders,
farmers, mothers, grandmothers, children, thinkers, workmen, academics -
visit and talk to our people in cities and countryside - is something
that is worth a try. Perhaps they achieve something that stiff-necked
bureaucrats don't (or, as the conspiracy goes, are loathe to)! If only
our leaders are willing to put their ears to the ground and listen to
the heartbeat of their people. If only.
--
Ganga Prasad G. Rao
Aparna 19 New, 30 Old Janakiram Colony
Arumbakkam, Chennai 600106
044-24754691
gprasadrao@hotmail.com
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Public Distribution System – Not (a) Fair (Price)!
Ganga Prasad Rao
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
When young, there was a 'pata nahi kis ration ka (khana) khaya' joke – a reference to how certain boys were much healthier than others (sometimes without the appetite to show for it). Those were the days when the public distribution system (PDS) served a useful purpose of providing essentials to citizens (during war time), and guarded them from hoarding and exorbitant prices. For those of us who are 'fresh', the PDS is a government sponsored network of 'fair price shops' that are fed from Central warehouses by a fleet of contracted trucks and backed by a Ministry, bureaucrats, officials and accountants, who keep track of the meticulous task of feeding subsidized essential household items to millions across the country. Last time I checked, they sold grains, flour, sugar, kerosene and perhaps cooking oil. Citizens merely need to apply for a 'green card', and stand in line, sometimes for a few hours (good place to socialize, mind you!), and collect the goodies against a mark in the card.
Times are a changing. Our country has twice as many people. Wholesalers, retails and roadside grocers have sprung up everywhere. There are many suppliers for most commodities; competition rules the roost by and large. Why, then, do we persist with the PDS? Consider the colossal corruption that is pervasive in the system. Consider the inefficiencies and distortion brought about by quotas, mandatory 'set-asides' of private production for PDS purposes, and the compromise on product quality. Consider the delays and the time and effort expended by millions as they trudge to the ration shop in the fortnightly/monthly ritual. Consider the opportunity cost of the hundreds if not thousands employed in civil supplies; the incremental congestion, pollution and accidents on the road from PDS freight transport. Add to it the kerosene subsidy cost on government, stockholders and the environment. Put them together and what you have is a gargantuan mistake that impoverishes the nation even while the government claims to promote equity. Why, lately, the government has sought to use the PDS network to supply more essential commodities and hold down inflation!
Sure, we can do better. There have been innumerable commissions that have gone in to the issue. (Despite all the pollution, their recommendations apparently haven't gathered enough dust yet!). Social security-type checks is an obvious answer. But we could do one better. Thankfully, the government has done a decent job with the Voter photo ID scheme. It is sufficient to simply register that identity number in to the central PDS computer system (what are supercomputers for?) and provide goods free up to a certain amount every month (or up to an aggregate amount annually) by swiping the Vote ID card in to the grocer's computer. The amount could be debited to a major bank which would then be compensated by the government. Reasonably straightforward and demonstrably superior. The consumers are free to discount shop at their convenience. Private grocers will not grudge the business; they are paid instantly for sales. All fair price shops can be shut down. Annual contracts for freight transport can be done away with. Innumerable warehouses will be available to farmers and entrepreneurs at a lower price. And the Ministry may scale down substantially along with its facilitating departments. This scheme could be extended to utilities payments and transport expenses, permitting the poor to apply the subsidy when and where it is most necessary.
In my opinion, the improvements in efficiency will more than pay for the dismantling and re-allocation of resources mis-allocated under the current system. In fact, it may be possible to pass on the benefits of the dismantling to the beneficiaries of the PDS. The way to go about this is to scale back PDS region by region, starting with the urban areas, rather than scale back commodity by commodity which will only prolong the agony.
Let's do our poor and our nation a favor. Let's abolish PDS and fair price shops.
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
When young, there was a 'pata nahi kis ration ka (khana) khaya' joke – a reference to how certain boys were much healthier than others (sometimes without the appetite to show for it). Those were the days when the public distribution system (PDS) served a useful purpose of providing essentials to citizens (during war time), and guarded them from hoarding and exorbitant prices. For those of us who are 'fresh', the PDS is a government sponsored network of 'fair price shops' that are fed from Central warehouses by a fleet of contracted trucks and backed by a Ministry, bureaucrats, officials and accountants, who keep track of the meticulous task of feeding subsidized essential household items to millions across the country. Last time I checked, they sold grains, flour, sugar, kerosene and perhaps cooking oil. Citizens merely need to apply for a 'green card', and stand in line, sometimes for a few hours (good place to socialize, mind you!), and collect the goodies against a mark in the card.
Times are a changing. Our country has twice as many people. Wholesalers, retails and roadside grocers have sprung up everywhere. There are many suppliers for most commodities; competition rules the roost by and large. Why, then, do we persist with the PDS? Consider the colossal corruption that is pervasive in the system. Consider the inefficiencies and distortion brought about by quotas, mandatory 'set-asides' of private production for PDS purposes, and the compromise on product quality. Consider the delays and the time and effort expended by millions as they trudge to the ration shop in the fortnightly/monthly ritual. Consider the opportunity cost of the hundreds if not thousands employed in civil supplies; the incremental congestion, pollution and accidents on the road from PDS freight transport. Add to it the kerosene subsidy cost on government, stockholders and the environment. Put them together and what you have is a gargantuan mistake that impoverishes the nation even while the government claims to promote equity. Why, lately, the government has sought to use the PDS network to supply more essential commodities and hold down inflation!
Sure, we can do better. There have been innumerable commissions that have gone in to the issue. (Despite all the pollution, their recommendations apparently haven't gathered enough dust yet!). Social security-type checks is an obvious answer. But we could do one better. Thankfully, the government has done a decent job with the Voter photo ID scheme. It is sufficient to simply register that identity number in to the central PDS computer system (what are supercomputers for?) and provide goods free up to a certain amount every month (or up to an aggregate amount annually) by swiping the Vote ID card in to the grocer's computer. The amount could be debited to a major bank which would then be compensated by the government. Reasonably straightforward and demonstrably superior. The consumers are free to discount shop at their convenience. Private grocers will not grudge the business; they are paid instantly for sales. All fair price shops can be shut down. Annual contracts for freight transport can be done away with. Innumerable warehouses will be available to farmers and entrepreneurs at a lower price. And the Ministry may scale down substantially along with its facilitating departments. This scheme could be extended to utilities payments and transport expenses, permitting the poor to apply the subsidy when and where it is most necessary.
In my opinion, the improvements in efficiency will more than pay for the dismantling and re-allocation of resources mis-allocated under the current system. In fact, it may be possible to pass on the benefits of the dismantling to the beneficiaries of the PDS. The way to go about this is to scale back PDS region by region, starting with the urban areas, rather than scale back commodity by commodity which will only prolong the agony.
Let's do our poor and our nation a favor. Let's abolish PDS and fair price shops.
Monday, April 2, 2007
HOLIDAY
Holidays vs Holidays
Ganga Prasad G. Rao
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
While in the US, I fancied being rich in India, claiming that it would be the best of both worlds. Now that I am in India, I have backed off just a little bit. For one, money cannot buy public goods like good behavior on the road, clean air, or orderly queues at ATMs. But I remember why I opined that way in the first place. It was the number of public and religious holidays on the Government list (jus' kidding!).
On a cursory first glance, the list of public holidays might seem month-long. It almost is! National holidays commemorating Independence Day, Republic Day and the Father of the Nation? Yes. Holidays for all major festivals of all religions? Of course, India is a secular country. A holiday for the regional new year or harvest festival? Yes, indeed. Regional sentiment must be respected. Holidays for strikes and bandhs? Well, you don't want to lose an arm, do you? What about snowstorms and cyclone closures? Hmm, parents must stay back for children whose schools are closed, shouldn't they? Victory and Sympathy holidays? What the heck! Why not? Informal mornings and afternoons off for family functions? Only if your boss turns a blind eye (It helps to invite him for dinner once in a while!). Why do I suspect that Government employees can count on at least three weeks of 'holidays' off work over? (I wonder if these holidays can be combined with official tours and LTC?)
My point is not to bemoan that I do not enjoy the holidays that PSU officials enjoy – much as I grudge them that. Rather, it is about their inflexibility. Indian is a multi-cultural, multi-religious state. Different regions of the country are populated by people of different religions, sub-sects, and experience different climates. Imposing the same set of holidays across the length and breadth of the country does little justice to the underlying socio-cultural differences. Given that most schools close around April for summer holidays, this rigidity implies that large number of people make a beeline for vacation or travel on government-designated holidays, especially so in the summer. So what you may ask. Well, ask the Railways. Trains are booked months ahead forcing them to run unscheduled summer specials. Ask hotels. They are booked tight around government-declared holidays. Add to this the fact that marriages are scheduled on or around these holidays and what you have is a mad rush for reservations. Unfortunately, the response to this phenomenon is capacity increases which leads to sub-optimal utilization during lean periods given that the many public services do not price discriminate between lean and holiday rush seasons.
Why not, I ask (and as I have suggested to the Government) dispense with the holiday list, except for the three national holidays? In its place, permit employees to avail 10 holidays on days of their choice (in addition to 'earned leave', EL) over the year with certain exclusions and permissions. Employees of different religions in different regions of the country will then have the freedom to combine these flexible holidays with EL and arrange their personal travel or vacation in a manner convenient to their family, their religious beliefs or their engagements. Religious sensitivities will not be violated. Employees will be a lot happier. There will be no mad rush for reservations on Government-approved holidays. Public infrastructure capacity will be more evenly utilized and Government services will be open to public more days of the year.
Worth a try?
Ganga Prasad G. Rao
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar
While in the US, I fancied being rich in India, claiming that it would be the best of both worlds. Now that I am in India, I have backed off just a little bit. For one, money cannot buy public goods like good behavior on the road, clean air, or orderly queues at ATMs. But I remember why I opined that way in the first place. It was the number of public and religious holidays on the Government list (jus' kidding!).
On a cursory first glance, the list of public holidays might seem month-long. It almost is! National holidays commemorating Independence Day, Republic Day and the Father of the Nation? Yes. Holidays for all major festivals of all religions? Of course, India is a secular country. A holiday for the regional new year or harvest festival? Yes, indeed. Regional sentiment must be respected. Holidays for strikes and bandhs? Well, you don't want to lose an arm, do you? What about snowstorms and cyclone closures? Hmm, parents must stay back for children whose schools are closed, shouldn't they? Victory and Sympathy holidays? What the heck! Why not? Informal mornings and afternoons off for family functions? Only if your boss turns a blind eye (It helps to invite him for dinner once in a while!). Why do I suspect that Government employees can count on at least three weeks of 'holidays' off work over? (I wonder if these holidays can be combined with official tours and LTC?)
My point is not to bemoan that I do not enjoy the holidays that PSU officials enjoy – much as I grudge them that. Rather, it is about their inflexibility. Indian is a multi-cultural, multi-religious state. Different regions of the country are populated by people of different religions, sub-sects, and experience different climates. Imposing the same set of holidays across the length and breadth of the country does little justice to the underlying socio-cultural differences. Given that most schools close around April for summer holidays, this rigidity implies that large number of people make a beeline for vacation or travel on government-designated holidays, especially so in the summer. So what you may ask. Well, ask the Railways. Trains are booked months ahead forcing them to run unscheduled summer specials. Ask hotels. They are booked tight around government-declared holidays. Add to this the fact that marriages are scheduled on or around these holidays and what you have is a mad rush for reservations. Unfortunately, the response to this phenomenon is capacity increases which leads to sub-optimal utilization during lean periods given that the many public services do not price discriminate between lean and holiday rush seasons.
Why not, I ask (and as I have suggested to the Government) dispense with the holiday list, except for the three national holidays? In its place, permit employees to avail 10 holidays on days of their choice (in addition to 'earned leave', EL) over the year with certain exclusions and permissions. Employees of different religions in different regions of the country will then have the freedom to combine these flexible holidays with EL and arrange their personal travel or vacation in a manner convenient to their family, their religious beliefs or their engagements. Religious sensitivities will not be violated. Employees will be a lot happier. There will be no mad rush for reservations on Government-approved holidays. Public infrastructure capacity will be more evenly utilized and Government services will be open to public more days of the year.
Worth a try?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
