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Winds of Political Change

  However well meaning, when a political system pushes an agenda that threatens to upend all logic, human life and society as we know it and above all demonstrates a hypocrisy that even a deaf mute blind can see and hear, people will react strongly. Even if logic dictates that economics, development, progress should be the cornerstones of human priorities, the same humans will “disregard” these because the threat they see, is seen as a threat to economics, development and progress. The major mistakes made by the Democrats, liberals, and otherwise derisively termed “wokes” were the following, even if they claim that they are saving the world. Within a short time after the Covid pandemic started, the larger public were convinced the pandemic was engineered, covid vaccines useless if not dangerous and the pharma industry in cahoots with corrupt politicians was playing god. Gender affirmation and choice activism coming close on the heels of the pandemic only reaffirmed the larger view ...
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Random Musings - February 2025

One of those times when one has multiple things to say. Maha Khumb 2025 This can be considered the largest (Hindu) religious and spiritual event in the universe. Firstly, this was an event after 144 years unlike popular perception of once in 12 years. The definitions. Once in 4 years – Khumb 6 years – Ardh Khumb 12 years – Poorna Khumb 144 years – Maha Khumb In the 18th and 19th century the number of devotees who visited the Khumb varied between 0.5 to 2.5 Million – since public transportation those days did not exactly exist. In the early 2000’s around 70 Million visited the Khumb and in 2013 about 120 Million devotees made this pilgrimage. I did this in Allahabad 2013 – purely by accident than design, and when I said as much, a police constable rebuked me rather sharply – you don’t come to the Ganga, Ganga maiyya (mother) calls you to visit her. Suitably chastened I understood the meaning of that phrase for the first time. In 2013 when the Samajwadi Party was in power, the arrangemen...

Review of Budget 2025 in Advance

A largely facetious, partly serious take on the impending Budget 2025 - stated for tomorrow. For a start, one can print the reactions of the various voices to any budget in bulk and simply rehash it every year. They are so predictable that the only person who can say something different is Shashi Tharoor because he will use new words that make you think he is saying something different. The other would be Suhel Seth. He takes on various people right from correcting their grammar and spellings to his hilarious responses in his trademark style. Unlike Shashi, Suhel uses Shakespearian English to insult the political folks, and they don’t even realise they are being insulted. That said here are a few typical comments that will come from the opposition, and these are a collection since the 80’s when I first heard what a budget was. Obviously in 40+ years nothing has changed, and I share my own comments in italics and red against some of the comments. If any budget is not for development an...

Year End Musings - An Opinion on Opinions

  The past few years have been rather contentious, and every subject matter is a trigger point – Covid, Vaccines, Politics of course dominated the discourse. Other subjects like economy, tax policy, security, terror and global issues formed a part. To argue with passion is one thing, to do so with conviction is quite another – especially when one is expressing an opinion and nothing more often. Here is an opinion about opinions. Everybody has an opinion on everything, but to dissect this, our opinions are shaped by the following. Personal Experience Reflected Experience Subject Matter Knowledge Data related to the subject & Information Emotion Be it the Prime Minister or the Private citizen, none can claim to have all of these on an issue to express an opinion that can be taken as the final word. Nobody is at 100%. Decisions are where our opinions get converted as actions. Decisions are based on a combination of the above which as a sum, we believe to be 100%, which in reality ...

The Trump Victory

The Defining Moment in POTUS 2024 Elections Enough and more is being debated and discussed about the victory of Donald Trump in the USA Presidential elections. Here is my take on the issue. Before the elections, one felt that Trump had a chance but given his unpredictable behaviour, was most likely to lose. Further, it was obvious that the left socialist deep state did not want him in the White House. The popular expectation was that the deep state would use the election system to legally rig the vote in favour of the democrats. With Joe Biden as the opponent, his chances were optimistic. Then suddenly Joe Biden nominated Kamala Harris in his place and walked away into the sunset. At that time – she had everything that was perfect based on what we heard/read – Black, Woman, Active proponent of LGBTQ, Abortion etc. Soon the Hollywood glitterati and Silicon Valley corporate honchos officially endorsed her. Given the long line up of big names, a very partial list here, her winning was a f...