Turning swords into ploughshares

Time to think-and-do beyond

The recent news conference bash organised and delegated by the President of the supposedly most powerful country of the world, US of A, and attended by the media, undoubtedly shocked the world including economists and corporate honchos who criticised Obama’s administration for employing a protectionist and uncompetitive ideology. In his socialist speech, Barack Obama passionately stressed on the urgent need to eradicate the incessantly rising unemployment in America, essentially jobs lost due to the great recession and those lost in the name of “outsourcing” to European and more importantly Asian countries.

Rightfully and bravely following the Gandhian-like ideology, the Obama administration is trying very hard to provide equality of opportunity for all sections of society. The Democrats in fact plan to tackle the concern of rising unemployment in the country, by withdrawing tax breaks to corporates that outsource to countries outside the American soil. Additionally, also revise tax codes to make provisions for tax relief to middle class Americans, who actually need it rather than offering it to billionaire folks who don’t need it all.

A socialist approach at the juncture of turning protectionist
Well, when I place my hand over my heart and think hard, I feel in complete accord with the approach adopted by the Democrats. It is said that, we need to clear the clutter inside our own homes before we look outside...and this is exactly what Obama is adamant to do before he creates and makes-easy avenues of growth, employment, and profits for the rest of the world.

But in the same vein, mulling over this grave concern using the super rational brain, it conversely feels like America is at crossroads supporting a myopic vision that indeed will not last for long. Moving on, the Democrats will not only face strong repercussions and condemnations from the rest of the world...but in the bargain will face bans and boycotts by many a people and governments of the world.

Towing away jobs
Public and government hue and cry over the act of outsourcing implemented by the corporate sector around the world has always been condemned for towing away jobs from numero uno nations to nations who propose an awesomely low labour cost and corporate taxes. The Oxford dictionary very simply defines the word outsourcing as “arrange for work to be done outside a company”. While in today’s context, the same word connotes a different meaning. In fact, today it gets nothing less than the same treatment that an F-word receives.

Coming to think of it, “Outsourcing" is as much as a bad word for Americans and Europeans than it is for an average employed Asian. Today Corporate India and other Asian countries prefer outsourcing jobs outside the organisation (locally) rather that hire or sustain a full time employee on the same job. The only difference here is that the job is towed away from one Indian to another Indian at a lower cost. Perhaps, if the world was not demarcated with borders, no country would make a fuss about outsourcing jobs elsewhere...because then eventually a job from one human being would go to another human being after all.

Balancing globalisation
Before globalisation was ever talked about, the United States of America accounted for around 30% of the world's GDP and almost remained at that position for most of the 20th century. However, with opening up of the global economy into a single economic competitive arena, developing countries have got their place in the sun...so much so that those days are not too far when one of the BRIC countries will become the world’s largest economy and will grab the 'most powerful country of the world' title from the US of A.

If one door is shut, there is always another door that opens up...and precisely, if USA shuts its doors to other nations with a protectionist agenda of restricting local companies from tapping markets globally, it will not only worsen American woes but will isolate them from the rest of the world.

Implementing a socialist approach like what Obama is talking about is undoubtedly essential for the less fortunate middle class people of America, but at the same time closing doors to the rest of the world can boomerang badly. There is an urgent need of taking a middle path and clearly there are no easy answers to it.

Post script: On after thought
It would indeed be best if nations would be governed by two Presidents at the top...one with a socialistic ideology (like Barack Obama) and the other with a more capitalistic approach. This will help nations plan correctly taking a more balanced middle path to success.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless you and this world!

Does Rahul really choose Tribal India over everything else?

If given an opportunity today to interview the heir of the Gandhi family and Congress General Secretary, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, my first question to him would be about his seriousness to assist the Tribal’s in Orissa and those isolated in different parts of the nation. Additionally, to ask him whether he honestly strives to give Tribal’s and the under privileged their right to freedom of living with dignity and equality…or is it some kind of empty promises that politicians have been making since India’s independence.

When we talk about Tribal’s in India or anywhere else in the world, we visualize poor, hungry, ancestral and primitive people who do work that slaves would do. We categorise them as people who wash our cars, who live in shanty homes, who are illiterates, who wash our vessels, clean our homes, and people who officialdom label as “grass-eaters”. These are people who we exploit because they have nobody to glorify them and have no one to empower them to fulfill their basic needs and necessities of life.

If for real, here’s saluting Mr. Gandhi’s move
The very move spurred by Rahul to protect the rights of the tribal population in Orissa over the ambitious projects of corporate big wigs of India Inc. is commendable and from the face of this socialist step by Rahul Gandhi, it depicts a revelation is to beckon us soon. But again, emphasizing the phrase - “from the face of it” - because we the common people who have no legacy in politics and who become victims of political warfare don’t know the real intention behind this step initiated by someone who carries a political legacy from the time of his great grandfather and someone who is born with a diamond studded golden spoon in his mouth.

The benefit of doubts will evidently persists in our minds, because we have and are still being duped by false and short-lived promises made by our politicians who are suppose to be our official caretakers. Although Rahul’s actions touched the common man’s heart, we still doubt whether he protected the Tribal’s to gain political mileage or is it honestly going to be his fight until he guarantees every life equal value…even if it demands going against his own party ideologies and actions.

The rich exult, the poor lament
There was this great and well-known boxer who was making a journey in a plane. Even after being persuaded by the air hostess, he resisted to zip up his seat belt exclaiming that he was “superman” and didn’t really need it. To which the air-hostess pleasantly told him that, if he indeed was “superman”, he didn’t even need the plane to reach his destination. This is a real illustration made to portray the nature of most of our politicians who have zero humility and are 100% egocentric. Our politicians are like this boxer who believe they are some kind of superman possessing super natural powers and the rest of the world are at their mercy.

This attitude of our politician will definitely not help us reach our vision of “India shining”, in spite of the economic optimism that we showcase today. When 70% of us live in rural India, how can we be optimistic of fulfilling our vision? In that case, we will have to edit our vision to now say, “30% of India shining”. Nevertheless, if we start becoming conscious about tribal and rural India, by empowering them with proper education, proper health benefits, and fulfilling their basic psychological and physical needs, we will implicitly and tactfully empower them to become independent…which in turn will increase their purchasing power.

Eventually, with the spur in increased purchasing power of the otherwise dormant 70% of the population, the GDP of this country gets bigger, which ultimately will help us realize our dream. This will open up ways to become a developed country listed among other biggies.

Who said we need to be socialistic always…but in the same breath, we cannot ignore the urgent need of a developing country like India to uplift the lives and spirits of the poor, so as to achieve the nation’s capitalistic and competitive aspiration and desperation for success.

Tough to be a good politician
Nevertheless, all said and done, in the real world it indeed is tough to be a good politician. For every good move made by a minister, there are thousand detractors from the political circles who trample the strides made by this good politician. In India, we have ageing ministers who call the shots at an age when they need to relay the authority baton to the young, educated and forward thinking youth of young India. Rahul Gandhi is one such young Indian who definitely is calling the shots, but again he alone cannot make the difference. India needs many more young and entrepreneurial young Indians to represent this nation…individuals like you and me who can boast a humble conscience and an ambition to take every state of this nation to scaling heights.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless you and this world!