our perspectives
This is the obvious question that everyone is asking these days. Will 2012 be the end of the financial and economic world as we know it? With Euro going, Europe will no longer be the same again. The economies around the world will face the ripple effect of that event, far more, probably, than the [...]
Things must be PRETTY bad in UK these days for employment. Specially, for the politicians and their Members of Parliament.
If you didn’t know, Russia has invaded Georgia (a former USSR state and now an ally of the US). Georgia has provided troops to US for Iraq – 3rd highest in numbers.
Now, this is another turning point in the world conflict, and the West cannot do anything – morally or militarily. Putin and Russia are clear that this is their “Iraq”! If Saddam Hussein had killed people, so – Putin claims – has the Georgian government. So, where does that leave one?
Europe hasn’t squeaked. It can’t. Most of its oil comes from Russia and if Russia closes its supply Europe could be in a big mess as the Oil prices at such a high! Even the US consumers will be hit.
Russia means business and it is going ahead with its task by opening new fronts. US is flying back Georgian troops from Iraq. The US troops there in Iraq will be affected as well.
Pride in its population is a natural corollary of a nation where people through sheer hard work or by strength of the gun have made themselves rich. This pride often manifests in increasing benefits for the people so that no one is poor. Its then about the collective image. However, these benefits have their own life. After some years, they have a strange narcotic effect. It becomes an addiction. Now, its a right as opposed to a special act. Most of Western European societies are in that phase, where welfare benefits have become an addiction and a right without responsibilities. Such that people now plan their lives around welfare benefits itself. They do not factor in the need for work. The constituency of such welfare-careerists becomes so big in a democracy that it can be a difficult one to NOT appease for the politicians.
In Britain, the problem of welfare state has become so severe that 6 million Britons are jobless and benefits are the way of life for them! The cost to exchequer is £13billion! That’s a lot of money that the productive Britain donates to the unproductive one.
Belgium has a strange problem – it has had no Government for last 6 months. Why? Because there is no consensus on which way to go! French and Dutch speakers; LIberals and Conservatives have issues with each other.
IN my view, it speaks to the resilience of the country and people that the country is working without a Government! Wonder how the US will be if there was no President for 6 months!?
I landed back in Houston from my trip to India yesterday. I will write in detail on my trip later.. this post will be about my journey back home.
I went through three airports – IGIA Delhi, Charles De Gaulle Paris, and Bush Intercontinental Houston. All had their own lessons.
It is when you do a trip abroad that is when you realize why the US is the best economy in the world. It doesnt have the greatest infrastructure, nor the brightest men and women. What is has is the efficiency of the processes. No one has that. How important is that one feature? TREMENDOUSLY!
IGIA, Delhi
When I came into the Delhi airport, the teeming travellers made that place look like a swarm. System, if any, was very difficult to see. The line to just ENTER the airport was extremely long. I went in, had the bags wrapped. And then I asked about the security screening of the bags. I was sent to another side – there were no signs for it.. but I made it easily. I got my screening done and then got my checkin. I have travelled by Continental for the last two trips to India, but this one was with Air France. My experiences with Continental Ground staff in Delhi were EXCELLENT! This was not so this time.. although I was still a platinum of a SkyMiles partner. The helpful nature was not so evident.
The competition for talent is heating up around the world. Now, EU is starting a scheme that mimics US’ green card (permanent residence card) scheme that gives permission to people skilled in areas of high demand. The EU says it needs 20m skilled workers over the next two decades, and is very short of expertise in engineering and computer technology. The EU card will be called a “blue card“.
This is surely to set alarm bells in the US computer industry and push the US government to get its act together for the immigrants – the legal ones.. for a change!!
A comment was left on my quite an old post on xenophobic situation in Germany and how Indians were beaten, by a gentleman names – Wilder Robert. He has opened – and is encouraging people to also – one-page web site with the name of towns and cities in Germany where racial violence and incidents occur and host a "Domain of Shame" content. On his one pager he discusses – Mügeln a town in West Germany.
His comment also discusses how the four Indian victims are being harassed in what is clearly victim intimidation. Please read it
Does xenophobia go away? Does the fundamentalism go away? Here is a story on how a group of Germans fought with a group of Indian fair-goers in a village and beat them up while the bystanders kept cheering! Living in the US – most do not realize how close-minded most of the western world really is.. specifically the Europe.
A mob attacked a group of Indian fairgoers in a village in the eastern German state of Saxony, German police said.
Eight Indians and four Germans were reported injured. The incident occurred at a village festival in Muegeln.
After a scuffle broke out shortly after midnight in a festival tent, a group of about 50 mostly young Germans apparently pursued a group of Indian visitors, who fled into a pizzeria. The doors of the restaurant were kicked in by the pursuing mob.
England is in floods – rare ones! Many people have been evacuated specially in Gloucester and Oxford (BBC update)
Says DK Matai on Intentblog:
The flooding crisis has broken 60 year records, set in 1947, across England. It continues to get worse as UK’s two biggest rivers — Severn & Thames — overflow further leaving hundreds of thousands without water & energy across many towns & villages.
The total extent can be seen from the two updates that Matai gives:
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