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Obama gets no respect

11/29/2010

    At home almost one-third of Americans think that he is Muslim and is not even American. Led by the rants of the Tea Party, some Republicans in Congress eg. shouting out that he is lying etc., talk radio, Palin, Cheney Fox etc, much of the disrespect is based on his color. Abroad, he has been given less respect than any other US president. This was exemplified by South Korea on his recent trip, in their refusal to sign an agreed upon free trade agreement and the Korean president at a press conference refusing to give an answer to a question by saying he could not answer because Obama was standing there. On this occasion it came back to bite the South Koreans, because the North Koreans saw this an an opening, and they proceeded to shell a South Korean island.
     The cunning North Koreans read the "dissing" of Obama as weakness, and also that the Americans who have 30,000 troops in the South would be less willing to support them, because of this incident.
     Do not write off Obama. The next two years will see the American economy improving, jobs created and a more determined and less detached Obama. The Republicans cannot hide anymore. Their control of the House make them accountable, and there are the Palin and Tea Party factors also.

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Another PIIGS....IRELAND bite the economic dust

11/23/2010

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      First it was Greece., and now the "IrishTiger". It rose to the top and swaggered and turned its back on its own sorry history of migration, (when hundreds of thousands fled economic misery), by rejecting and demonising the needy of Eastern Europe and eleswhere who came to her shores to seek a better life. Now they are wallowing in the mire again and are( once again) fleeing imes, hoping to find a better economic life.
     There is bedlam in Ireland and the people are up in arms, demanding the resignation of the government and hoping to avoid the unavoidable austerity measures...loss of jobs, reduction of wages, increase of taxes. cutting of services and all the other measures that the EU will demand
     Portugal is next and then Italy and Spain. Italy is suffering from a double malady, a fractured/ failed economy and a debauched Berlusconi and its fall will lead to governmental instability, and economic debilityy for years.

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Daughter of the Nation....Hope of the People

11/14/2010

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     Aung San Suu Kyi, was freed from "house imprisonment" yesterday, after having spent more than 15 of the last 21 years in forced detention, by the "military ghouls" that run Burma/ Myanmar. The daughter of the father of Burmese independence was a thorn in the side of the military dictatorship, with her demands for democracy and human dignity for her long-suffering people.
     Was this a Mandela occasion? I doubt it. The thugs in power are afraid of the consequences, if they give up control. They fear that they will be punished for their crimes against the people, and of course are afraid that they will lose their luxurious life-style. In their dotage, they are paranoid (much like their Chinese counter-part, during Tianamen), and fear the people whom they have kept in servitude and poverty for so many years.
     What now for Suu Kyi? They will monitor her and will not hesitate to put her back in detention. They held an "election", where the party that fronted for them claimed an overwhelming victory. They crave legitimacy but that still eludes them. In the real, free and open election in1989, the forces of democracy, under the leadership of Suu Kyi, won a clear victory, but that election was declared null and void and she was detained with many of the leading leaders. (I remember that time well, the Berlin Wall came down, Mandela was freed, Corazon Aquino ended the Marcos dictatorship, but there was also Tianamen and the Burmese Generals and those in Algeria, who also declared a democratic election null and void... On a personal note, I was teaching a course in Comparative Politics at Vanier College, and we had long, energetic and interesting discussions on each of these historic events. On the one hand we cheered the release of Mandela, and on the other we rued the events in Burma and Algeria)
    Leaders around the world must do more than offer words. They must make sure that Suu Kyi and their long-suffering people are NOT driven back into the "shadows". Maybe they can offer the "Generals"a deal.....something like the "Truth and Reconcilation", that did so much to make the transition of South Africa, from Apartheid possible

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Go East........The Pot of Gold Awaits

11/9/2010

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     Obama has made the trek to India, and soon the Brits, the Russians, the Chinese and the Europeans are heading there. The economic pendulum has swung and India and China and Indonesia. Malayasia ans Singapore are now the destination of hope. Hope that the growing consumer demands will help bail the West from its economivc lethargy. India holds the key. Its huge (400,000,000 and growing) middle class with extra money and a craving for things western, beckons.
     Obama has even promised to support India's demand for a permament seat on the U.N. Security Council, even though Pakistan and China are critical of this. "Pecunia non Olet"...money talks and lucrative markets for consumer goods awaits. The U.S.A. has traditionally seen Pakistan as an ally as India has always been reluctant to do America's bidding and has pursued a non.aligned policy since the days of Prime Minister Nehru.
     Obama has spent 3 days wooing and dancing his way to a very receptive and accepting India. The people are won over, business is eager and the politician are happy with his message, even about Pakistan. Now he is on his way to visit Indonesia, where he spent 4 years as a child. Back home, the bickering continues and the race is on for 2012. They await his return, ready to nit-pick and he has to come refreshed, re-energised and girded for battle.

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Now What?.......Gridlock and Blame-Game

11/3/2010

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     The Republican of "say no" are joined by the Tea Party of "don't know", and all is not well in America. Voters gave the combined Republicans and Tea Party a majority in the House of Representatives and most likely Boehner (the tanned one) will be majority leader but can he lead? They have ranted and raved, bellowed and yelled, complained and cajoled, played on the fears and ignorance of voters and have reaped what? They do not have a single original idea amongst them, just blame Obama, cut taxes, reduce government, cancel health reform, get rid of the education dept., screaming about gays, illegal immigrants and China, but offer no concrete ideas about the trade surplus, the economic downturn, jobs, energy dependency or the war in Afghanistan
     They are part of the government and for two years will have to come up with more than "blame this or that", Obama and the Democrats or the Chinese or whatever demons they can dream up. Can they get their act together? No, but this will allow Obama to take the initiative more than before and push for middle-class tax cut, expansion of the stimulus package to create jobs in infrasructure re-building, energy and the new IT technologies, and do so from the national security position. One area that holds much promise is nuclear energy. He nust make this the center-piece and explain it in terms of America's vulnerability because of the billions it send to Saudi Arabia, Iraq and eleswhere, and how this dependwncy is a threat to ASmerica's security.
     The Republicans and the Tea Party are either part of the solution or the problem. They cannot have it both ways. This electoral outcome is a boon for Obama...bring your enemy in from the cold, and hold their feet to the fire. What may seem like a victory will quickly become a nightmare, but only if Obama can talk the talk that America understand. His perceived coolness came across as arrogance and his eloquence was seen as elitist. Change the language and tone. Ronald Reagan in 1982 and Bill Clinton in 1994 did and won re-election easily.

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Pecunia Non Olet.......Buying of America....The elections 2010

11/1/2010

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     Over $4.5 billion spent, 10% more than in any mid-term, and what has it been used for?......spreading darkness and despair; lies and distortions; character assassination and vitriol; ignorance and fear. Issues are glossed over or ignored, and all is "fire and brimstone"; rantings and ravings from the Tea Party, Talk Radio, Fox and its amen lobby and even the so-called mainstream, who do not want to be seen as "out of touch".
     The Democrats will hold on to the Senate and may even retain a slim majority in the House, but lose a majority of Governor's race. This latter is significant, because of re-districting, which will re-draw the electoral map for future elections and especially as the populace is moving south and west.
     The empty prattlings have created a most deafening and ugly noise and tomorrow cannot come too soon.

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fig 2-b My Father and Mother to whom I owe everything

"Ecce Homo" ("Behold the Man"), Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem.

fig 1-b

figure 1-a

F. Goya
Two men fighting with clubs
circa 1819-1823

The Black Paintings Period

(Fig 2a) The Death of Innocents

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Ishwar R. Prashad recently retired from over 47 years of teaching.

He taught Political Science variously at Dawson College, Loyola College, Algoma University College, Sir George Williams University, Concordia University and Vanier College.

Previously, he taught for nine years in Port Mourant, Guyana.

He became Principal of Corentyne Comprehensive High School at the tender age of 21. During this time he turned down Scholarship offers to study overseas in England and the U.S.S.R.

He chose Canada and after graduating from Sir George Williams with a B.A Honours with Distinction, he accepted a Fellowship to complete his graduate work at McMaster University. He completed his first two degrees-Bachelors and Masters- in three years.

His last position was as Co-Ordinator of Political Science and Economics at Vanier College and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Concordia University.

He is married to the former Juliet Ramcharan (Library Supervisor, McGill University) and together they have three children – Indra R. Prashad, P.Eng. ,McGill (Presently Manager, Ontario Safe Water Drinking Agency), Ishwar R. Prashad Jr., B.A ,McGill (Presently, President, Kismit Gear Inc.) and Rabindra Y. Prashad, (Presently, Artist and Chef).They are the proud Grandparents of eight grandchildren-Miranda, Kamal, Ayesha, Élan, Anĵa , Étienne, Chloé, and Jasmine.

Obama gets no respect

Another PIIGS....IRELAND bite the economic dust

Daughter of the Nation....Hope of the People

Go East........The Pot of Gold Awaits

Now What?.......Gridlock and Blame-Game

Pecunia Non Olet.......Buying of America....The elections 2010

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