"Tall men come down to
my height when I hit 'em in the body."
— Jack Dempsey (American,
1895-1983)
Word for the day
Rib-tickling (adj)
Very amusing; funny or
hilarious
Malice towards none
Pope says Sorry to LGBTs for
all the discrimination faced by them in the past.
Pakistan clerics declare
transgender marriages acceptable.
Indian Supreme Court agrees
to hear petition challenging Sec377.
The change is in the air.
And it's not a small one.
First random thought this morning
The recent spike in mindless killings by certain terrorist groups
is an indication of the success of global war on terror. The desperation
amongst radicals is conspicuous.
It is high time that the united offensive is intensified to fully
neutralize these elements.
But in the interim, it is critical that various local
administrations and people cooperate closely to step the vigil and help the
armed forces in minimizing the civilian damage.
Blind Men and the Elephant-3
I believe, viewing UK's decision to terminate its present
arrangement with EU as a problem may not be appropriate.
This view might be appropriate for a handful of bankers located in
London, and even smaller number of investors who have invested in London real
estate.
In larger picture, this referendum should be viewed as an attempt
to find solution to some of the key problems that Europe currently faces, viz.,
(1) Lack of a clear
leadership. Britain had lost its place at the top with end of cold war. In
three decades since then it has mostly failed in taking lead in any issue of
global importance and played just a second fiddle to USA. Rise in strategic and
economic powers of countries like China and India, emergence of ECB as a key
pillar of global financial stability, and consistent decline in its economy led
to the diminishing of its historical stature.
Unwillingness (or
unacceptability?) of Germany to don the mantle has left Europe behind in global
strategic order.
(2) Poor economic
conditions. Despite all the efforts and non-conventional policies, the
economic growth in Europe has failed to show any improvement. Employment
conditions remain poor and economic and regional disparities are rising faster
than ever leading to serious discontentment amongst people, including in larger
jurisdictions like France, Spain, Italy and UK.
(3) Worsening
demographics. A large number of European countries have witnessed declining
population growth rate in past two decades. Rise in the proportion of old and
dependent population has been a cause of worry for most governments, as fiscal
pressure are rising.
This juxtaposed with
negative return on savings is becoming an epic disaster for old savers and
pensioners.
Moreover, radical
change in the ethnic and religious mix of conservative European jurisdictions
due to free movement and large influx of refugees from troubled Syria etc. had
been a cause of worry.
(4) Relatively stronger
EUR hurting the periphery. A relatively stronger EUR may have helped German
exports, but most of peripheral countries, like Greece, are claiming huge
losses in market share to Asian competitors.
(5) Threat perception of
rise in fascism. In recent years, due to poor economic conditions, rising
disparities, and imbalances in socio-religious demographic mix, politicians
subscribing to the extreme left and extreme right political ideologies have
risen in importance.
This brings back the
memories of WWII and the consequently threat perception of rise in fascism
across the continent.
I view UK referendum as just another endeavor to solve some of
these problems. It is certainly not done yet. It is not irreversible, should
the outcome be different than as desired...........to continue
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