Panicked by the rising public anger in the US, President Obama and his team have taken an extraordinary step by retroactively taxing almost 95 % of all bonuses received by executives/employees of any corporation that has received government bailouts. Despite that, executives of AIG have asked for private security guards in case the public anger against them turns violent. AIG employees have been advised by the co not to wear anything that could identify them as part of the company. It is easy to forget that we are talking here about the largest insurance company in the US and probably in the world.
And still workers communities, backed by trade unions, are organizing bus tours of expensive real estate properties, for their members to see how the ‘other half lives’ on the ‘tax payers money’. People are hiding expensive cars in the garages, for soon their cars may even be attacked in the streets.
President Obama and his team may not ultimately suceed in this attempt. I am sure that the executives will fight back by tying the government up in extensive law cases, somehting the US is so famous for. But the people have tasted blood. They have recognized they have the political power and will hold Obama to his electoral promises.
Change is upon America as Obama promised, but not in ways he may have imagined. But he now rides the tiger of change and cannot jump off.
This is what is “idea discovering man” all about.
It now becomes obvious from your post that it is the idea of change that is working through Obama and not vice versa. Someday Obama will rightly feel that not he but some higher power worked through him.
I am afraid much chaos/destruction will precede visible order/construction.
I had already written in 2002-3 on a group “creatingyourself” that America is in for very bad times for the next 20 years. Then even 9/11 had not happened.
At least Obama panicked and did something about it. Here we are being looted left and right, day and night. Would be nice if someone panicked similarly once in a while.
Regards,
Dara
Seems here IPL is acting like AIG. Why could they not wait for some more time to hold matches? Is IPL more important than the elections/country? Wish the like rebellion rises against this decision of IPL as well and finally forces it to hold matches later in India itself.
If Indian sports themselves begin to run out of the country because of security how will the foreign teams come to play here. We are doing sports harakiri.
I hope shekhar starts a movement against this decision of IPL right here and then takes it to its logical end. He has the wherewithal.
Till that happens I have started the following blog to help people vent thier anger against this decision as well as begin a sort of movement.
Here is the blog. Please comment and also ask your friends to comment in hordes against this decision.
http://www.tohellwithipl.blogspot.com
Sir,
My name is Ashish Mehta and I am a journalist with DNA newspaper in Jaipur. I am a great admirer of your work. I would like to do a story on you and your film been shot in Rajasthan. Please let me know through email if Nicole Kidman is also on the crew.
Regards
Ashish Mehta
A long period of disturbances and flaws took place, one cannot expect ‘Obama’ to handle everything so fast
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It’s not fair on him, it takes one time to understand, weigh the gravity of so many situations and take action…
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responsible positions need to be given some space and time, to nurture and cultivate more ideas and reforms
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pressures will lead to hasty decisions and long term problems will arise
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‘decide in haste, repent at leisure’
Permanent solutuions are needed..not temporary solutions for permanent problems
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I feel sorry, that he has to face such gush of various forms of attack and expectations
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And I hope, this will also make politicians see sense that one should promise what one can deliver
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it’s easy to reach up there, but to stay there is the real challenge!!
Shmilee
Psst Hi Shekhar…
Dear Shekhar:
Will there be a social revolution in the US? I am not so sure. But there will be an awakening on a large scale. I truly believe that Barack Obama is very well in control of the actions he has implemented since his inauguration a little over 2 months ago. Panic may certainly be too strong a word to describe the motives that compelled him to seek a taxation of the ill-gotten bonuses received by the assorted scoundrels of a capitalist system that is now tested more severely than at any time of its checkered history.
One thing is exceedingly becoming clear: there will no longer be a return to business as usual and there will not be a recovery as any of those in the past when a recession was benignly looked upon as a cyclical hiccup. The 1929 depression involved mechanisms that ceased to work because the classical rules governing a capitalist-oriented economy were violated. Even though the pundits have argued the true cause of the 1929 crash ever since that occurrence (failure of the state vs. disregard of free market forces) it still happened all within the frame work of the system. The current causes by far surpass the classical elements of the 1929 crisis. A capitalist system that had largely run on cruise control was gradually transmuted into a newly tooled playbook for the greedy and the unscrupulous members of a society that was increasingly losing its bearing of a moral code, propriety and probity. The new rules were made to shift wealth from the middle class to a new class of ruthless profiteers and by the time they were found out it was too late to stop a juggernaut that may very well weaken the foundation of our system to the point of collapse. No one at this juncture will know for sure how all the measures taken by Obama will play out. Every step taken will have huge consequences, some good ones and sadly also bad ones. We cannot be sure if the propellers of the ocean liner of our economy were reversed timely to avoid the crash with the proverbial iceberg.
One thing we know for sure: No longer will the little man look adoringly at the toys of conspicuous consumption that are now hidden from the probing eyes of an angry populace. Changes are upon us, if we like it or not. We will not return to the balmy days of yesterday’s weather pattern. There are storm clouds ahead and all Barack Obama can do is steer the ship of state calmly and hope that its structural integrity will hold.
We will be in for a wild ride.
With kind regards.
Horst
Change, Yes, Change is the Mantra everywhere
In fact Holy at the Sunnyvale temple was a change
Can he change
Greed
Dirty Politics
Exploitation
Care for humnaity
… etc …
Sorry for repost,
but above indicated to repost this for some fresh thoughts …
Obama gets it” no doubt, he is a nice man
YEAH YEAH …
I wonder if any politician ever gets it …
Candidate Obama vs. President Obama ?
Just a simple example, think for yourself …
Obama says immigration overhaul still needed
(focus is only illegal immigrants …)
president said the nation must find a way to strengthen its borders while also giving about 12 million illegal immigrants a path to possible citizenship.
1/2 million Legal talented high tech workers waiting for green card for 10 or more years…
Pay taxes, Are Legal, and can Buy Homes, can start businesses but waiting… think about this and how it will help this economy
All because of Admin inefficiencies … now they are waiting for their Legal US born children who are more than 10 year old to sponser green card, what a joke administration, politics …
When i first heard, it hurt me and close friends, i spent time talking to people for weeks and managed 1200 letters, sent to Mr Bush admin and results were 1 year to 2 year EAD, small step to help such large suffering community, which is helping build America …
Lou Dobbs and the likes are misleading innocent Americans, making life harder by negative news …
CAN SOMEONE DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT
CHANGE
Dear Horst,
Do not be worried.Neither foundations are easy to shake.While earlier I defended the eastern foundations against such shaking as you claimed today I defend the western one.
For a few bad fish the whole ocean cannot be held responsible.Better times will prevail.The west/capitalist system has given the world too much for the world to let it just waste away now.Barack Obama himself becoming the president of the most powerful country at its peak is in itself an example of the ingenuity of the western systems.
May better sense prevail upon people and may they not panic in trying times.This might be the best time to revisit the great Dale Carnegis and N.V.Peales and Napolean Hills that this country has produced.
And most of all this might be the best time to check up with other indicators of life than GDP.Like the Emotional Quotient(EQ),the Happiness Quotient(HQ) and most importantly the Perennial Wisdom Quotient(PWQ).
Two other books I’ll recommend for you in these times other than those of the above greats:
1.The Tao of Physics by Fritzof Capra
2.Synthesis of Science and Religion(critical essays and dialougues) compiled by the
Bhakti Vedanta Institute.
The world is only going to get better, just that the wieght will be transferred on the other leg as it moves forward.
regards,
harijim
In the churning. Maybe the good, some of it, will get thrown out with the bad.
I’ve read all the comments- I stay in worry mode.
If the basics of decency and democracy stumble, what will the world look up to?
Its the first 100 days in office, that makes a lasting impression of one, as a good leader or not. Obamas time is ticking fast.
Somehow people see different things in Obama – perhaps they see what they want to see. I doubt if Obama can be everything to everyone. This does not mean he will be a failure. Only time will tell that. However, I am quite sure his success will only be hampered by all the expectations people place on him.