UNCLE SAM'S FUTURE

Alison Fraser points out there are two visions for the future of USA. Under one, we follow in the footsteps of miserable Greece, replete with debt crises and an economic and cultural meltdown and in the end, vastly higher taxes. Under another, we return to our smaller government roots with lower spending and lower taxation for all Americans, and unshackle our system of free enterprise so Americans from all walks of life can seize opportunity.

Fraser notes that under Obama's vision, we close our eyes and pretend that big government has all the answers to every risk and problem in society, real or perceived. Under Obama's vision, fairness and prosperity come from spreading the wealth around and the government picking winners and losers. Crony capitalism, waste, and corruption capture the headlines. 

We do nothing about our entitlement crisis and instead pretend it doesn't exist, while driving health care further into the clutches of unelected government bureaucrats and away from patient-centered care. Under Obama's vision, we get crushing levels of debt or crippling levels of taxation, and America's younger generations pay the price in terms of lost freedom, opportunity, and prosperity. Under Obama's vision, we walk squarely and knowingly into a Grecian-style debt and democratic crisis.

Americans inherit from their ancestors a glorious tradition of freedom and resistance to oppression. USA has long been admired by the rest of the world for its great example of liberty and prosperity, a light shining in the darkness of tyranny. But many Americans today are frustrated. The political choices they are offered give them no real choice at all. For all their talk of change, neither major political party as presently constituted challenges the status quo in any serious way. 

Neither party treats the Constitution with anything but contempt. Neither offers any kind of change in monetary policy. Neither wants to make the reductions in government that our crushing debt burden demands. Neither talks about bringing American troops home not just from Iraq but from around the world. USA is going bankrupt, and none of these sensible proposals are even on the table. This destructive bipartisan consensus has suffocated American political life for many years. Anyone who tries to ask fundamental questions instead of cosmetic ones is ridiculed or ignored.

The free market, reviled by people who do not understand it, is the most just and humane economic system and the greatest engine of prosperity the world has ever known. We oppose the dehumanizing assumption that all issues that divide us must be settled at the federal level and forced on every American community, whether by activist judges, a power-hungry executive, or a meddling Congress. Libertarians believe in the humane alternative of local self-government, as called for in our Constitution.

Libertarians believe that freedom is an indivisible whole, and that it includes not only economic liberty but civil liberties and privacy rights as well, all of which are historic rights that our civilization has cherished from time immemorial. USA is ailing. That is the bad news. The good news is that the remedy is so simple and attractive, a return to the principles American Founders taught us - respect for the Constitution, the rule of law, individual liberty, sound money, and a noninterventionist foreign policy. 

USA might deteriorate to the miserable level of Greece. The government of Greece in 2010 was so stupid that it hoodwinked all media that I plotted to trigger a war between Greece and Turkey and blame Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, for it! Much worse than that, all the Greek media were so stupid that they believed this nonsense!

Accusing dissident bloggers of treason, the Greek government manufactured a blood libel in cyberspace, which in turn incites hatred. The deranged minister gave my head on plate to Erdogan. Brutal Graecokleptocrats have destroyed my life. My life is stolen. Now I demand my life back!

My persecution costs the government of Greece dearly, because fund managers who follow my ordeal are pissed off, dropping Greek bonds and stocks like hot potatoes, and advising all investors to stay away from Greece. In addition to the default premium, Greek bond yields now also include the stupidity premium! 

What are the greatest dangers that the American people face today and impede the goal of a free society? Ron Paul, a frequent reader of http://venitism.blogspot.com, points out there are five:

1. The continuous attack on our civil liberties which threatens the rule of law and our ability to resist the onrush of tyranny. 

2. Violent anti-Americanism that has engulfed the world. Because the phenomenon of blowback is not understood or denied, our foreign policy is destined to keep us involved in many wars that we have no business being in. National bankruptcy and a greater threat to our national security will result. 

3. The ease in which we go to war, without a declaration by Congress, but accepting international authority from the UN or NATO even for preemptive wars, otherwise known as aggression. 

4. A financial political crisis as a consequence of excessive debt, unfunded liabilities, spending, bailouts, and gross discrepancy in wealth distribution going from the middle class to the rich. The danger of central economic planning, by the Federal Reserve must be understood. 

5. World government taking over local and US sovereignty by getting involved in the issues of war, welfare, trade, banking, a world currency, taxes, property ownership, and private ownership of guns.

Ashis Nandy blames OBCs, SCs, STs for corruption menace in the country

Dalits Media Watch

News Updates 26.01.13

 

Ashis Nandy blames OBCs, SCs, STs for corruption menace in the country - CNN IBN

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ashis-nandy-blames-obcs-scs-sts-for-corruption-menace-in-the-country/317832-40-100.html?from=HP

NHRC to hold open hearing on atrocities to Dalits - Newstrack

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/01/25/341--NHRC-to-hold-open-hearing-on-atrocities-to-Dalits-.html

Not for Ram or Buddha But for Man: Kancha Illaiah at JLF - Out Look

http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=787958

Cast aside caste in choosing life partners: Aidwa - The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/cast-aside-caste-in-choosing-life-partners-aidwa/article4341216.ece

 

CNN IBN

 

Ashis Nandy blames OBCs, SCs, STs for corruption menace in the country

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ashis-nandy-blames-obcs-scs-sts-for-corruption-menace-in-the-country/317832-40-100.html?from=HP

 

Books News, Updated Jan 26, 2013 at 01:59pm IST

 

CNN-IBN

 

New Delhi: Sociologist and p olitical psychologist Ashis Nandy on Saturday made a controversial statement at the Jaipur Literature Festival claiming that Dalits and other backward castes were responsible for the corruption in the Indian society today.

 

"It is a fact that most of the corrupt come from the OBC and the Scheduled Caste sections, and now the Scheduled Tribes," he said. "The maximum amount of corruption these days is by Dalits, the backward and the oppressed classes," he added.

 

Sources said that the Jaipur Police Commissioner has sought an explanation from the organisers of the festival.

 

The remark has triggered a row, with political parties slamming the sociologist. Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, "I don't know why he has said it. But no one approves such statements." BJP leader Najma Heptullah said, "It is wrong on his part to do so. I don't want to comment about corruption being conducted by the SC, ST or the Dalits. It's very wrong to pass such a comment."

 

Dalit writer Chandrabhan Prasad said, "Has there been a survey or a data or any evidence that proves OBC and SC/ST are more corrupt? If there is no such survey or evidence then such statements should not be passed. That means he is misusing his intellectual power, like others have misused their power."

 

Newstrack

 

NHRC to hold open hearing on atrocities to Dalits

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/01/25/341--NHRC-to-hold-open-hearing-on-atrocities-to-Dalits-.html

 

Mumbai, Jan 25 (IANS) A delegation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), headed by its chairman Justice (retd.) K.G. Balakrishnan, will hear over 550 cases of atrocities faced by the Scheduled Castes at an open hearing in Nagpur from Monday, an official said.

 

"The delegation will be hearing 571 cases over four days in Nagpur. These are related to atrocities against the Scheduled Castes and the problems faced by them in seeking justice from state government agencies," an official said.

 

NHRC members Justice B.C. Patel, Satyabrata Pal, A.K. Garg and other senior officers of the commission will be part of the delegation, the official added.

 

The rights panel had invited complaints for the open hearing and received around 1,400 complaints. Of these, 571 were short-listed for calling reports from the authorities and will be taken up during the open hearing.

"The commission has also identified 29 cases that would be taken up during interaction with the officers of the state government at a meeting in Mumbai on Jan 31. These mainly comprise complaints on denial of benefits of social welfare schemes, police inaction, malpractice of revenue authorities, non-payment of retirement benefits, forcible dispossession of SCs from their lands among others," the official said.

 

Prior to this, the NHRC has held four open hearings of complaints on atrocities against the Scheduled Castes in Odisha, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.

 

According to the official, the commission has decided to hold such open hearings to reach out to the Dalits and hear their complaints about violations of their rights by the public authorities.

 

"The decision is based on the recommendations given by retired bureaucrat K.B. Saxena, in his report commissioned by the NHRC, on the continuing problems faced by the Scheduled Castes," the official said.

 

Out Look

 

Not for Ram or Buddha But for Man: Kancha Illaiah at JLF

http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=787958

 

Nivedita Kapoor | Jaipur | Jan 25, 2013

 

Coming down heavily on the caste structure in Hindu religion, author Kancha Ilaiah today advocated adopting the Buddha's ideology as a way to achieve secularism in the country, generating a lively debate among the fellow panelists at the Jaipur Literature Festival here. 

 

He outlined his vision for India saying that, "What I want is neither a Ram Rajya or a Buddha Rajya, but in fact a Lok Rajya."

 

Religious conversion, caste structure within religions and position of dalits after conversion were the main talking points of the session titled "God as a Political Philospoher: Dalit Perspectives on Buddhism," where Ilaiah engaged with author Ajay Navaria and poet Nirupama Dutt.

 

"A dalit who converts to Christianity can become a pastor or be an equal in the mosque or can touch the Guru Granth Sahib. But he can do none of this in Hinduism. He cannot become anything," Ilaiah said.

 

"No dalit can become a priest in a Hindu temple," said the author of "Why I am not a Hindu" who also pointed out that Buddhism has always advocated the ideas of equality, abolition of caste structure, notion of justice and women's rights.

 

However, fellow author and panelist Ajay Navaria, whose collection of stories "Unclaimed Terrain" translated into English has recently been published, disagreed over the issue of the benefits accruing to dalits from conversion and the adoption of Buddhism as the main religion.

 

"Conversion does not solve any problem. In fact, there is a category in administration of a 'New Buddhist' where a person's original caste is mentioned in brackets even after adopting another religion," he argued, questioning then the purpose of going through conversion.

 

"I am not here to advocate Hinduism. But the dalits can go into any religion but their identity is that of an untouchable. They are not liberated even there," Navaria said, adding "Religion cannot solve the problem."

 

Furthering his argument, poet Nirupama Dutt highlighted the problem of caste structures within religions. Dutt, who hails from Punjab, drew attention to the phenomenon of Gurudwaras being based on caste.

 

"Today one can find separate Gurudwaras for Sikh Jats, Kabir panthis and the tanners," she said.

 

"While Sikhism does not recognize caste, just like in the case of Islam, the situation of the ground is very different from the one visualised in scriptures," added Dutt.

 

Drawing attention to the ground realities in countries where religion forms the basis of law, Navaria said the country would not become secular and discrimination-free just by adopting Buddhism. "I don't like religion based systems because they end liberty...No religion is detached from caste," he added.

 

Even as the panelists disagreed on various issues, they did agree on one thing, that the aim should be that of a caste-free society. "I don't agree that caste cannot be abolished or that equality cannot come to India," Ilaiah said.

 

The Hindu

 

Cast aside caste in choosing life partners: Aidwa

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/cast-aside-caste-in-choosing-life-partners-aidwa/article4341216.ece

Staff Reporter

 

Plans to organise more anti-caste marriages in future

 

Seventy-three couples hailing from a mix of castes and classes, who braved all odds and caste prejudices in particular to enter into inter-caste marriages, converged here on Thursday.

 

The conference, organised by the All India Democratic Women's Association to felicitate them, threw light on the changing dynamics of caste and its overarching effects.

 

To give fillip to the occasion, an anti-caste marriage was conducted at the conference, in which a Scheduled Caste girl from Virudhunagar got married to a boy from an intermediate caste from the same district amid loud applause from the audience.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Aidwa's national president, Subashini Ali, said that caste had become the biggest identity marker which resulted in the rejection of women's rights.

 

Anti-women

Political mobilisation on the basis of caste reduced the rights of women and was always anti-women in character.

 

It not only reinforced inequality among the toiling classes but also on gender.

 

Ms. Ali pointed out that the couples who broke caste barriers were the ones fighting for the creation of a modern India.

 

She further said that anti-caste marriages not only broke caste barriers but also market hegemony which influenced the people into believing that having big weddings was fad.

 

She asked the youth to cross the 'Lakshman Rekha' of caste and choose their life partners.

 

She said that being modern was not representative in the form of an outlook in the corporeal sense but in the perception to possess values that supported democracy and equality.

 

"The period during the national movement and before Independence was more progressive ensuring participation of women in the public sphere than the present."

 

"Today we talk about globalisation and India becoming a modern super power but on the other hand, on the social front, issues related to caste and community are curtailing the independence of women. In the land of EVR Periyar and Marxist B. Srinivasa Rao, it is disheartening to see Pattali Makkal Katchi's S. Ramadoss, who used to speak about social justice, spewing caste venom to keep his slipping vote bank intact."

 

"Pulling backwards"

D. Ravikumar, general secretary, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, said that when the world was on a progressive path, certain "antisocial" elements were pulling the State backwards.

 

Mr. Ravikumar felt that the Movement for All Communities, floated by Dr. Ramadoss, was akin to khap panchayats in Northern States.

 

Aidwa's national secretary, U. Vasuki, said that they had plans to organise such events in future to promote anti-caste marriages.

 

T.K. Rengarajan, MP, K. Balabharathi, MLA, Tamil writer Su. Venkatesan, and S.K. Ponnuthai, district secretary, Aidwa, were among the others who spoke.

 

 

-- 
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
...................................................................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and  intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.

Ashis Nandy blames OBCs, SCs, STs for corruption menace in the country

Dalits Media Watch

News Updates 26.01.13

 

Ashis Nandy blames OBCs, SCs, STs for corruption menace in the country - CNN IBN

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ashis-nandy-blames-obcs-scs-sts-for-corruption-menace-in-the-country/317832-40-100.html?from=HP

NHRC to hold open hearing on atrocities to Dalits - Newstrack

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/01/25/341--NHRC-to-hold-open-hearing-on-atrocities-to-Dalits-.html

Not for Ram or Buddha But for Man: Kancha Illaiah at JLF - Out Look

http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=787958

Cast aside caste in choosing life partners: Aidwa - The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/cast-aside-caste-in-choosing-life-partners-aidwa/article4341216.ece

 

CNN IBN

 

Ashis Nandy blames OBCs, SCs, STs for corruption menace in the country

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ashis-nandy-blames-obcs-scs-sts-for-corruption-menace-in-the-country/317832-40-100.html?from=HP

 

Books News, Updated Jan 26, 2013 at 01:59pm IST

 

CNN-IBN

 

New Delhi: Sociologist and p olitical psychologist Ashis Nandy on Saturday made a controversial statement at the Jaipur Literature Festival claiming that Dalits and other backward castes were responsible for the corruption in the Indian society today.

 

"It is a fact that most of the corrupt come from the OBC and the Scheduled Caste sections, and now the Scheduled Tribes," he said. "The maximum amount of corruption these days is by Dalits, the backward and the oppressed classes," he added.

 

Sources said that the Jaipur Police Commissioner has sought an explanation from the organisers of the festival.

 

The remark has triggered a row, with political parties slamming the sociologist. Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, "I don't know why he has said it. But no one approves such statements." BJP leader Najma Heptullah said, "It is wrong on his part to do so. I don't want to comment about corruption being conducted by the SC, ST or the Dalits. It's very wrong to pass such a comment."

 

Dalit writer Chandrabhan Prasad said, "Has there been a survey or a data or any evidence that proves OBC and SC/ST are more corrupt? If there is no such survey or evidence then such statements should not be passed. That means he is misusing his intellectual power, like others have misused their power."

 

Newstrack

 

NHRC to hold open hearing on atrocities to Dalits

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/01/25/341--NHRC-to-hold-open-hearing-on-atrocities-to-Dalits-.html

 

Mumbai, Jan 25 (IANS) A delegation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), headed by its chairman Justice (retd.) K.G. Balakrishnan, will hear over 550 cases of atrocities faced by the Scheduled Castes at an open hearing in Nagpur from Monday, an official said.

 

"The delegation will be hearing 571 cases over four days in Nagpur. These are related to atrocities against the Scheduled Castes and the problems faced by them in seeking justice from state government agencies," an official said.

 

NHRC members Justice B.C. Patel, Satyabrata Pal, A.K. Garg and other senior officers of the commission will be part of the delegation, the official added.

 

The rights panel had invited complaints for the open hearing and received around 1,400 complaints. Of these, 571 were short-listed for calling reports from the authorities and will be taken up during the open hearing.

"The commission has also identified 29 cases that would be taken up during interaction with the officers of the state government at a meeting in Mumbai on Jan 31. These mainly comprise complaints on denial of benefits of social welfare schemes, police inaction, malpractice of revenue authorities, non-payment of retirement benefits, forcible dispossession of SCs from their lands among others," the official said.

 

Prior to this, the NHRC has held four open hearings of complaints on atrocities against the Scheduled Castes in Odisha, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.

 

According to the official, the commission has decided to hold such open hearings to reach out to the Dalits and hear their complaints about violations of their rights by the public authorities.

 

"The decision is based on the recommendations given by retired bureaucrat K.B. Saxena, in his report commissioned by the NHRC, on the continuing problems faced by the Scheduled Castes," the official said.

 

Out Look

 

Not for Ram or Buddha But for Man: Kancha Illaiah at JLF

http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=787958

 

Nivedita Kapoor | Jaipur | Jan 25, 2013

 

Coming down heavily on the caste structure in Hindu religion, author Kancha Ilaiah today advocated adopting the Buddha's ideology as a way to achieve secularism in the country, generating a lively debate among the fellow panelists at the Jaipur Literature Festival here. 

 

He outlined his vision for India saying that, "What I want is neither a Ram Rajya or a Buddha Rajya, but in fact a Lok Rajya."

 

Religious conversion, caste structure within religions and position of dalits after conversion were the main talking points of the session titled "God as a Political Philospoher: Dalit Perspectives on Buddhism," where Ilaiah engaged with author Ajay Navaria and poet Nirupama Dutt.

 

"A dalit who converts to Christianity can become a pastor or be an equal in the mosque or can touch the Guru Granth Sahib. But he can do none of this in Hinduism. He cannot become anything," Ilaiah said.

 

"No dalit can become a priest in a Hindu temple," said the author of "Why I am not a Hindu" who also pointed out that Buddhism has always advocated the ideas of equality, abolition of caste structure, notion of justice and women's rights.

 

However, fellow author and panelist Ajay Navaria, whose collection of stories "Unclaimed Terrain" translated into English has recently been published, disagreed over the issue of the benefits accruing to dalits from conversion and the adoption of Buddhism as the main religion.

 

"Conversion does not solve any problem. In fact, there is a category in administration of a 'New Buddhist' where a person's original caste is mentioned in brackets even after adopting another religion," he argued, questioning then the purpose of going through conversion.

 

"I am not here to advocate Hinduism. But the dalits can go into any religion but their identity is that of an untouchable. They are not liberated even there," Navaria said, adding "Religion cannot solve the problem."

 

Furthering his argument, poet Nirupama Dutt highlighted the problem of caste structures within religions. Dutt, who hails from Punjab, drew attention to the phenomenon of Gurudwaras being based on caste.

 

"Today one can find separate Gurudwaras for Sikh Jats, Kabir panthis and the tanners," she said.

 

"While Sikhism does not recognize caste, just like in the case of Islam, the situation of the ground is very different from the one visualised in scriptures," added Dutt.

 

Drawing attention to the ground realities in countries where religion forms the basis of law, Navaria said the country would not become secular and discrimination-free just by adopting Buddhism. "I don't like religion based systems because they end liberty...No religion is detached from caste," he added.

 

Even as the panelists disagreed on various issues, they did agree on one thing, that the aim should be that of a caste-free society. "I don't agree that caste cannot be abolished or that equality cannot come to India," Ilaiah said.

 

The Hindu

 

Cast aside caste in choosing life partners: Aidwa

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/cast-aside-caste-in-choosing-life-partners-aidwa/article4341216.ece

Staff Reporter

 

Plans to organise more anti-caste marriages in future

 

Seventy-three couples hailing from a mix of castes and classes, who braved all odds and caste prejudices in particular to enter into inter-caste marriages, converged here on Thursday.

 

The conference, organised by the All India Democratic Women's Association to felicitate them, threw light on the changing dynamics of caste and its overarching effects.

 

To give fillip to the occasion, an anti-caste marriage was conducted at the conference, in which a Scheduled Caste girl from Virudhunagar got married to a boy from an intermediate caste from the same district amid loud applause from the audience.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Aidwa's national president, Subashini Ali, said that caste had become the biggest identity marker which resulted in the rejection of women's rights.

 

Anti-women

Political mobilisation on the basis of caste reduced the rights of women and was always anti-women in character.

 

It not only reinforced inequality among the toiling classes but also on gender.

 

Ms. Ali pointed out that the couples who broke caste barriers were the ones fighting for the creation of a modern India.

 

She further said that anti-caste marriages not only broke caste barriers but also market hegemony which influenced the people into believing that having big weddings was fad.

 

She asked the youth to cross the 'Lakshman Rekha' of caste and choose their life partners.

 

She said that being modern was not representative in the form of an outlook in the corporeal sense but in the perception to possess values that supported democracy and equality.

 

"The period during the national movement and before Independence was more progressive ensuring participation of women in the public sphere than the present."

 

"Today we talk about globalisation and India becoming a modern super power but on the other hand, on the social front, issues related to caste and community are curtailing the independence of women. In the land of EVR Periyar and Marxist B. Srinivasa Rao, it is disheartening to see Pattali Makkal Katchi's S. Ramadoss, who used to speak about social justice, spewing caste venom to keep his slipping vote bank intact."

 

"Pulling backwards"

D. Ravikumar, general secretary, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, said that when the world was on a progressive path, certain "antisocial" elements were pulling the State backwards.

 

Mr. Ravikumar felt that the Movement for All Communities, floated by Dr. Ramadoss, was akin to khap panchayats in Northern States.

 

Aidwa's national secretary, U. Vasuki, said that they had plans to organise such events in future to promote anti-caste marriages.

 

T.K. Rengarajan, MP, K. Balabharathi, MLA, Tamil writer Su. Venkatesan, and S.K. Ponnuthai, district secretary, Aidwa, were among the others who spoke.

 

 

-- 
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
...................................................................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and  intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.