A funny, and informative, piece in the NY Times magazine. The intro itself is filled with humor:
‘At the beginning of class, we stood at the front of our mats and let out a long, dirgelike moan,” the first-time yoga student recollected. “Then the teacher yelled, ‘Chili-pepper pasta,’ and everyone hit the floor.” Sanskrit, the language of yoga, is said to unite sound and meaning; that is, saying the word gives the experience of its meaning. But for the novice yogi (the word for male as well as female practitioners), whose ears need to be tuned to a new frequency, that experience can be as elusive as an overnight parking spot in Manhattan. Thus, chaturanga dandasana (four-legged staff pose, which looks like the bottom of a pushup, your body hovering inches above the floor) might become “chili-pepper pasta” if you’ve got dinner reservations at the latest outpost of the latest fusion craze. And the ear-twisters don’t end there. So let’s do some untwisting.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Why is Obama stuck in the polls?
As always, The Economist's Lexington has sharp observations. This time around, the column is on Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod.
Here is the best part from that column:
Why is Mr Obama stuck in the polls? And why is he less popular than his party? Some Democrats worry that he is not prepared to hit John McCain hard enough. This seems unlikely. Mr Axelrod is a product of Chicago’s street-fighting school of politics. Ed Rollins, a veteran Republican strategist, puts him at the head of his list of “Guys I never want to see lobbing grenades at me again”.
The bigger problem lies with what has hitherto been the Obama campaign’s greatest strength—message control. Mr Axelrod firmly believes that the candidate is the message. The important thing is to tell a positive story about the candidate rather than to muddy the narrative with lots of talk about policy details.
This worked perfectly when Mr Obama was up against Mrs Clinton, a woman who agreed with him on most points of substance and whose own autobiography is messy, to put it mildly. But things are different with Mr McCain. As a Republican, Mr McCain is on the losing side of most policy issues, particularly when it comes to economic and domestic policy. But Mr Obama has still not figured out how to relate his grand rhetoric to the numerous specific policy positions that litter his website. Mr McCain also has one of the most compelling autobiographies in American politics—one that is more likely to appeal to the average American than the coming-of-age of a mixed-race child. For all his skills, Mr Axelrod may have chosen to fight on the one battlefield where the Republicans have a chance of winning.
Here is the best part from that column:
Why is Mr Obama stuck in the polls? And why is he less popular than his party? Some Democrats worry that he is not prepared to hit John McCain hard enough. This seems unlikely. Mr Axelrod is a product of Chicago’s street-fighting school of politics. Ed Rollins, a veteran Republican strategist, puts him at the head of his list of “Guys I never want to see lobbing grenades at me again”.
The bigger problem lies with what has hitherto been the Obama campaign’s greatest strength—message control. Mr Axelrod firmly believes that the candidate is the message. The important thing is to tell a positive story about the candidate rather than to muddy the narrative with lots of talk about policy details.
This worked perfectly when Mr Obama was up against Mrs Clinton, a woman who agreed with him on most points of substance and whose own autobiography is messy, to put it mildly. But things are different with Mr McCain. As a Republican, Mr McCain is on the losing side of most policy issues, particularly when it comes to economic and domestic policy. But Mr Obama has still not figured out how to relate his grand rhetoric to the numerous specific policy positions that litter his website. Mr McCain also has one of the most compelling autobiographies in American politics—one that is more likely to appeal to the average American than the coming-of-age of a mixed-race child. For all his skills, Mr Axelrod may have chosen to fight on the one battlefield where the Republicans have a chance of winning.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The worst is yet to come?
I blogged about how the US economy is set to rebound while the rest of the world slows down. And then Vlad "the impaler" Putin goes after Georgia. Bombs the life out of half of Georgia, and the situation becomes a security threat for Caspian Sea oil: "BP shut down its Baku-Supsa oil pipeline — which runs through the center of Georgia from Baku in Azerbaijan to Supsa on Georgia's Black Sea coast". Almost as a response, even if not worded that way, Bush and Rice then rush into signing the missile shield agreement with Poland, thus escalating the tension with Putin. Result: "Crude oil rose more than $6 after the signing yesterday of a missile-shield agreement between the US and Poland bolstered concern that Russia may disrupt the flow of oil".
Yes, it is not all about economics. But, the economic impact is immediate. We can easily make sure that Nouriel "Dr. Doom" Roubini is right after all--the worst is yet to come. BTW, want to know what a former chief economist of the IMF said? In a shot heard around the world, Ken Rogoff loudly proclaimed that "the worst is to come", and even predicted that a big bank will soon go belly up!
Ok, back to Georgia. A Guardian commentator is worried that American interest in Georgia is because of its interest to attack Iran.
Meanwhile, the developments in Pakistan are making that entire Pakistan/Afghanistan area even more explosive than it even was. The Taliban is pretty pumped up with all this. I am thinking we are only weeks away from a military coup in Pakistan. I bet Musharraf is chuckling at these developments. The guy is off the hook, and does not have to answer anybody's questions on the country's nuclear program, how much he oversaw the proliferation of it, .... Meanwhile the Daily Times says that Musharraf is heading to New Mexico until it will be safe for him to return to Pakistan. WTF!
All we need is a suicide bomber succeeding in the attempt against Afghanistan's Karzai, who has lucked out thus far--it will be September 11th all over again. Kiss goodbye to any economic or political recovery anywhere on the planet.
BTW, Mugabe continues on in Zimbabwe, where inflation was 11.2 million percent in June. North Korea vows to build up its military. Violence and protests continues in Kashmir, and violations of ceasefire agreements across the Line of Control.
I feel like I should go into hibernation, and wake up in 2011!
Yes, it is not all about economics. But, the economic impact is immediate. We can easily make sure that Nouriel "Dr. Doom" Roubini is right after all--the worst is yet to come. BTW, want to know what a former chief economist of the IMF said? In a shot heard around the world, Ken Rogoff loudly proclaimed that "the worst is to come", and even predicted that a big bank will soon go belly up!
Ok, back to Georgia. A Guardian commentator is worried that American interest in Georgia is because of its interest to attack Iran.
Meanwhile, the developments in Pakistan are making that entire Pakistan/Afghanistan area even more explosive than it even was. The Taliban is pretty pumped up with all this. I am thinking we are only weeks away from a military coup in Pakistan. I bet Musharraf is chuckling at these developments. The guy is off the hook, and does not have to answer anybody's questions on the country's nuclear program, how much he oversaw the proliferation of it, .... Meanwhile the Daily Times says that Musharraf is heading to New Mexico until it will be safe for him to return to Pakistan. WTF!
All we need is a suicide bomber succeeding in the attempt against Afghanistan's Karzai, who has lucked out thus far--it will be September 11th all over again. Kiss goodbye to any economic or political recovery anywhere on the planet.
BTW, Mugabe continues on in Zimbabwe, where inflation was 11.2 million percent in June. North Korea vows to build up its military. Violence and protests continues in Kashmir, and violations of ceasefire agreements across the Line of Control.
I feel like I should go into hibernation, and wake up in 2011!
So, it is time for a military coup in Pakistan?
Musharraf served as a unifying force--all the opposition to him, internal and external, was focused on him and his exit. Now that he is gone, well, the country is slipping into chaos, which is what I worried about a year ago in my opinion piece. The Taliban are behaving like Putin--sensing the weakness, the Taliban has stepped up its violence. The two political leaders--Sharif and Zardari--can't agree on how to move forward, particularly with the chief justice who was sacked by Musharraf; Sharif has threatened to pull out of the coalition.
Well, here is my opinion piece from a year ago.
Musharraf up against the wall in Pakistan
The Register Guard, August 12, 2007
I am worried about the hardening political rhetoric with respect to Pakistan because an unstable Pakistan has the potential to cause geopolitical crises, beyond our wildest imagination, which will have global implications for many years into the future.
August 14th marks the sixtieth anniversary of Pakistan’s existence as an independent country. In 1947, the country was carved out from the British Raj in India in order to meet the demands of the Muslim League, which incorrectly believed that a free India with a dominant Hindu majority would not accord equal status to Muslims. Since then, Pakistan has rarely been ruled by freely and democratically elected governments. With utmost regularity, military generals have ousted every elected government. The current president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, also came to power through a bloodless coup in 1999.
A few days ago Musharraf faced one of the toughest problems ever when he had to deal with fundamentalist militants holed up with a few hostages in a mosque in the capital city of Islamabad, and not too far from the parliament itself. Eventually negotiations failed, and he ordered the army to storm the mosque; a few soldiers died along with almost a hundred hostages and militants, including their leader.
This was a pyrrhic victory for Musharraf because it earned him the wrath of fundamentalist and militant groups in the country. To make things worse, many of these groups are sympathizers of Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Further, it came close on the heels of the collapse of the “peace agreement” with leaders in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas—the region adjacent to Afghanistan, which is also where it is believed that bin Laden and his group have been regrouping themselves.
Meanwhile, there are a number of other political troubles that are making Musharraf’s life a tad too stressful. His illegal firing of the country’s chief justice rightfully unleashed protests across the country. Elections need to be held towards the end of the year, and Musharraf cannot constitutionally continue on with being the president and the military chief. Perhaps Musharraf knows all too well that those who live by the sword also die by the sword: Musharraf has lucked out with the assassination attempts thus far.
Unfortunately, it was when Musharraf was trapped in such a situation that our political leaders, from both the parties, decided to amp up the rhetoric and tighten the screws on Pakistan for its inability to deal with terrorism.
Given all these developments, it is, therefore, no surprise then that Musharraf decided against attending the peace council in Afghanistan, where the focus was to be on combating the notorious Taleban that appears to be growing in power, again.
Musharraf’s vulnerability is further evident in the following statement from Pakistan’s minister of information: “"There was pressure on the president to impose emergency due to the situation in the country, but he is committed to furthering democracy and will not take any such step.” A highly visible discussion of the possibility of emergency rule in Pakistan is a worrisome development indeed.
Imposing emergency in Pakistan, because of perceived external and internal threats, can spell even more trouble to its people. Emergency rule would further constrain the judicial system, and restrict people’s rights. If we in the US could end up in a horrible state of suspending habeas corpus and authorizing warrantless wiretaps despite all the checks and balances to protect individual rights, it is not impossible to visualize Pakistan moving into a highly militarized and authoritarian rule. This would then provide additional fodder for the militant groups and lead to an escalation of violence.
The world simply cannot afford to have more instability and violence, particularly in that part of the world, any more than what we are already witnessing in Iraq, Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza. Keep in mind that Pakistan is a nuclear power. At least with Musharraf in control, we can hope that the nuclear bombs are safely tucked away and will not fall into the hands of Al Qaeda sympathizers. If his government were to fail, and should governance become chaotic, well, we could get very close to realizing the hypothetical “ticking time bomb” scenario.
I am reminded of what my grandmothers used to say when I was growing up in India: it does not matter if a mad dog goes left or right, as long as it does not pounce on us. I fear that our careless rhetoric will only provoke the mad dog!
Well, here is my opinion piece from a year ago.
Musharraf up against the wall in Pakistan
The Register Guard, August 12, 2007
I am worried about the hardening political rhetoric with respect to Pakistan because an unstable Pakistan has the potential to cause geopolitical crises, beyond our wildest imagination, which will have global implications for many years into the future.
August 14th marks the sixtieth anniversary of Pakistan’s existence as an independent country. In 1947, the country was carved out from the British Raj in India in order to meet the demands of the Muslim League, which incorrectly believed that a free India with a dominant Hindu majority would not accord equal status to Muslims. Since then, Pakistan has rarely been ruled by freely and democratically elected governments. With utmost regularity, military generals have ousted every elected government. The current president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, also came to power through a bloodless coup in 1999.
A few days ago Musharraf faced one of the toughest problems ever when he had to deal with fundamentalist militants holed up with a few hostages in a mosque in the capital city of Islamabad, and not too far from the parliament itself. Eventually negotiations failed, and he ordered the army to storm the mosque; a few soldiers died along with almost a hundred hostages and militants, including their leader.
This was a pyrrhic victory for Musharraf because it earned him the wrath of fundamentalist and militant groups in the country. To make things worse, many of these groups are sympathizers of Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Further, it came close on the heels of the collapse of the “peace agreement” with leaders in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas—the region adjacent to Afghanistan, which is also where it is believed that bin Laden and his group have been regrouping themselves.
Meanwhile, there are a number of other political troubles that are making Musharraf’s life a tad too stressful. His illegal firing of the country’s chief justice rightfully unleashed protests across the country. Elections need to be held towards the end of the year, and Musharraf cannot constitutionally continue on with being the president and the military chief. Perhaps Musharraf knows all too well that those who live by the sword also die by the sword: Musharraf has lucked out with the assassination attempts thus far.
Unfortunately, it was when Musharraf was trapped in such a situation that our political leaders, from both the parties, decided to amp up the rhetoric and tighten the screws on Pakistan for its inability to deal with terrorism.
Given all these developments, it is, therefore, no surprise then that Musharraf decided against attending the peace council in Afghanistan, where the focus was to be on combating the notorious Taleban that appears to be growing in power, again.
Musharraf’s vulnerability is further evident in the following statement from Pakistan’s minister of information: “"There was pressure on the president to impose emergency due to the situation in the country, but he is committed to furthering democracy and will not take any such step.” A highly visible discussion of the possibility of emergency rule in Pakistan is a worrisome development indeed.
Imposing emergency in Pakistan, because of perceived external and internal threats, can spell even more trouble to its people. Emergency rule would further constrain the judicial system, and restrict people’s rights. If we in the US could end up in a horrible state of suspending habeas corpus and authorizing warrantless wiretaps despite all the checks and balances to protect individual rights, it is not impossible to visualize Pakistan moving into a highly militarized and authoritarian rule. This would then provide additional fodder for the militant groups and lead to an escalation of violence.
The world simply cannot afford to have more instability and violence, particularly in that part of the world, any more than what we are already witnessing in Iraq, Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza. Keep in mind that Pakistan is a nuclear power. At least with Musharraf in control, we can hope that the nuclear bombs are safely tucked away and will not fall into the hands of Al Qaeda sympathizers. If his government were to fail, and should governance become chaotic, well, we could get very close to realizing the hypothetical “ticking time bomb” scenario.
I am reminded of what my grandmothers used to say when I was growing up in India: it does not matter if a mad dog goes left or right, as long as it does not pounce on us. I fear that our careless rhetoric will only provoke the mad dog!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Hey, how about the Congress?
I watched George Will interviewed by David Broder on C-Span's BookTV. While Will's ideological commitment is not quite what I agree with, he made a wonderful observation during the interview: that we are obsessing with the presidential elections, so much so that we set up any candidate to fail as the president, once elected. Further, the presidency is only one of the three branches of the government. To quote Will, "the presidency is not the heart of the matter." Which means, we ought to pay a lot of attention to the Congressional elections too.
Click here to watch the interview online. Advance to 28 minutes for his comments on the executive power.
So, what is being projected at the Congressional level at the November elections? The Cook Political Report has a great deal of info on this.
Click here to watch the interview online. Advance to 28 minutes for his comments on the executive power.
So, what is being projected at the Congressional level at the November elections? The Cook Political Report has a great deal of info on this.
Big Ten schools are football preseason favorites
Four Big Ten schools are listed in the top five favorites for the upcoming football season. Leading everybody in the country is Wisconsin. Second is Michigan, followed by Illinois. Penn State is ranked number five in the pre-season favorites.
This might come as a surprise to you, and it should. Well, because I have re-ranked the pre-season favorites according to their respective academic rankings in the world. The Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has released its latest rankings, which I have used here. So, if you want the eventual champion to have at least a little bit of an academic standing in the world, then root for a top-ten team listed here. (Full disclosure: I went to USC!)
Click here for my previous post comparing salaries of coaches at these same universities.
This might come as a surprise to you, and it should. Well, because I have re-ranked the pre-season favorites according to their respective academic rankings in the world. The Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has released its latest rankings, which I have used here. So, if you want the eventual champion to have at least a little bit of an academic standing in the world, then root for a top-ten team listed here. (Full disclosure: I went to USC!)
Click here for my previous post comparing salaries of coaches at these same universities.
| Football Rank | University | Academic Rank--US | World Rank | New Rank |
| 1 | Georgia | Group 55-70 | Group 102-150 | 10 |
| 2 | Southern California | 37 | 50 | 6 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 41 | 61 | 8 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | Group 118-140 | Group 305-402 | 19 |
| 5 | Florida | 38 | 51 | 7 |
| 6 | LSU | Group 89-117 | Group 203-304 | 13 |
| 7 | Missouri | Group 89-117 | Group 203-304 | 13 |
| 8 | West Virginia | Group 141-166 | Group 403-510* | 24 |
| 9 | Clemson | Group 118-140 | Group 305-402 | 19 |
| 10 | Texas | 29 | 38 | 4 |
| 11 | Auburn | Group 118-140 | Group 305-402 | 19 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 15 | 17 | 1 |
| 13 | Kansas | Group 89-117 | Group 203-304 | 13 |
| 14 | Texas Tech | Group 118-140 | Group 305-402 | 19 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | Group 71-88 | Group 151-202 | 11 |
| 16 | Arizona State | 53 | 96 | 9 |
| 17 | BYU | Group 118-140 | Group 305-402 | 19 |
| 18 | Tennessee | Group 71-88 | Group 151-202 | 11 |
| 19 | Illinois | 19 | 26 | 3 |
| 20 | Oregon | Group 89-117 | Group 203-304 | 13 |
| 21 | South Florida | Group 89-117 | Group 203-304 | 13 |
| 22 | Penn State | 32 | 43 | 5 |
| 23 | Wake Forest | Group 89-117 | Group 203-304 | 13 |
| 24 | Michigan | 18 | 21 | 2 |
| 25 | Fresno State | Unranked | Unranked | ??? |
* this is the final group.
The Pastor Rick Warren exam at Saddleback
Kathleen Parker has a good argument in her WaPo column:
At the risk of heresy, let it be said that setting up the two presidential candidates for religious interrogation by an evangelical minister -- no matter how beloved -- is supremely wrong.
It is also un-American. ...
Her closing lines are great ...
For the moment, let's set aside our curiosity about what Jesus might do in a given circumstance and wonder what our Founding Fathers would have done at Saddleback Church. What would have happened to Thomas Jefferson if he had responded as he wrote in 1781:
"It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."
Would the crowd at Saddleback have applauded and nodded through that one? Doubtful.
By today's new standard of pulpits in the public square, Jefferson -- the great advocate for religious freedom in America -- would have lost.
At the risk of heresy, let it be said that setting up the two presidential candidates for religious interrogation by an evangelical minister -- no matter how beloved -- is supremely wrong.
It is also un-American. ...
Her closing lines are great ...
For the moment, let's set aside our curiosity about what Jesus might do in a given circumstance and wonder what our Founding Fathers would have done at Saddleback Church. What would have happened to Thomas Jefferson if he had responded as he wrote in 1781:
"It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."
Would the crowd at Saddleback have applauded and nodded through that one? Doubtful.
By today's new standard of pulpits in the public square, Jefferson -- the great advocate for religious freedom in America -- would have lost.
Not Smart Enough for College
A letter in the Chronicle of Higher Education:
David Glenn's essay on the wage gap between college graduates and high-school graduates ("Supply-Side Education," The Chronicle Review, July 25) misses the central point: Not all people have the intelligence to complete a college education.
Some basic intelligence must be required to complete a respectable college education. Otherwise we will not only dumb down higher education, but the benefits of a college degree will be subsumed under a tide of educational mediocrity. One would need a graduate degree to truly be credentialed. If the big wage gap today were between graduate degrees and bachelor's degrees, would we suggest universal graduate school as the solution?
The truth is that there are students who don't belong in college. There are students who don't even belong in high school. Not only do they benefit marginally, if at all, but their presence reduces their peers' education as teachers are forced to slow down and give them more attention.
Many well-paying jobs require skill but not intellect. Some plumbers, carpenters, and electricians earn more than some professors. Pressuring everyone to go to college would gradually destroy the quality of higher education in America, and therefore of our society in general.
Scott Salvato
Valley Stream, N.Y.
After reading this, I thought it might be interesting to check the name with "Fundrace" that I blogged about earlier. Click here to find out about Salvato's political donation.
David Glenn's essay on the wage gap between college graduates and high-school graduates ("Supply-Side Education," The Chronicle Review, July 25) misses the central point: Not all people have the intelligence to complete a college education.
Some basic intelligence must be required to complete a respectable college education. Otherwise we will not only dumb down higher education, but the benefits of a college degree will be subsumed under a tide of educational mediocrity. One would need a graduate degree to truly be credentialed. If the big wage gap today were between graduate degrees and bachelor's degrees, would we suggest universal graduate school as the solution?
The truth is that there are students who don't belong in college. There are students who don't even belong in high school. Not only do they benefit marginally, if at all, but their presence reduces their peers' education as teachers are forced to slow down and give them more attention.
Many well-paying jobs require skill but not intellect. Some plumbers, carpenters, and electricians earn more than some professors. Pressuring everyone to go to college would gradually destroy the quality of higher education in America, and therefore of our society in general.
Scott Salvato
Valley Stream, N.Y.
After reading this, I thought it might be interesting to check the name with "Fundrace" that I blogged about earlier. Click here to find out about Salvato's political donation.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Gorbachev is ticked off--at America!
In the NY Times opinion piece, Mikhail Gorbachev writes that Russia did not have any choice, and that Putin and Medvedev acted appropriately and wisely. Gorbachev writes,
For some time now, Russians have been wondering: If our opinion counts for nothing in those institutions, do we really need them? Just to sit at the nicely set dinner table and listen to lectures?
Indeed, Russia has long been told to simply accept the facts. Here’s the independence of Kosovo for you. Here’s the abrogation of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty, and the American decision to place missile defenses in neighboring countries. Here’s the unending expansion of NATO. All of these moves have been set against the backdrop of sweet talk about partnership. Why would anyone put up with such a charade?
And, Thomas Friedman offers a different take. He does agree with Gorbachev that expanding NATO--supported by Clinton and Bush--was stupid. That Georgia was reckless with the military incursion. But, Friedman writes that Putin takes the gold:
That is why the gold medal for brutishness goes to Putin. Yes, NATO expansion was foolish. Putin exploited it to choke Russian democracy. But now, petro-power-grabbing has gone to his head — whether it's invading Georgia, bullying Western financiers and oil companies working in Russia, or using Russia’s gas supplies to intimidate its neighbors....
Russia would be wise to reconsider Putin’s Georgia gambit. If it does, we would be wise to reconsider where our NATO/Russia policy is taking us — and whether we really want to spend the 21st century containing Russia the same way we spent much of the 20th containing the Soviet Union.
For some time now, Russians have been wondering: If our opinion counts for nothing in those institutions, do we really need them? Just to sit at the nicely set dinner table and listen to lectures?
Indeed, Russia has long been told to simply accept the facts. Here’s the independence of Kosovo for you. Here’s the abrogation of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty, and the American decision to place missile defenses in neighboring countries. Here’s the unending expansion of NATO. All of these moves have been set against the backdrop of sweet talk about partnership. Why would anyone put up with such a charade?
And, Thomas Friedman offers a different take. He does agree with Gorbachev that expanding NATO--supported by Clinton and Bush--was stupid. That Georgia was reckless with the military incursion. But, Friedman writes that Putin takes the gold:
That is why the gold medal for brutishness goes to Putin. Yes, NATO expansion was foolish. Putin exploited it to choke Russian democracy. But now, petro-power-grabbing has gone to his head — whether it's invading Georgia, bullying Western financiers and oil companies working in Russia, or using Russia’s gas supplies to intimidate its neighbors....
Russia would be wise to reconsider Putin’s Georgia gambit. If it does, we would be wise to reconsider where our NATO/Russia policy is taking us — and whether we really want to spend the 21st century containing Russia the same way we spent much of the 20th containing the Soviet Union.
We are all Georgians if we are White Americans? :-)
For the longest time I have kidded around with friends and family that despite being from India, I qualify as a white guy in America because of my Caucasian connection--particularly because I was born in a brahmin family (though an atheist for quite some time now, after a long stint as an agnostic, who was hesitant to come out of the religious closet!). Well, the joke apparently needs to be killed because of Slate's explanation that brings on some serious Supreme Court decision:
Americans still use the word Caucasian to mean "white" despite the fact that they haven't always been synonyms in the eyes of the law. In U.S. v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923), the Supreme Court argued that although Asian Indians were technically Caucasian, they couldn't be U.S. citizens because they weren't "white."
Americans still use the word Caucasian to mean "white" despite the fact that they haven't always been synonyms in the eyes of the law. In U.S. v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923), the Supreme Court argued that although Asian Indians were technically Caucasian, they couldn't be U.S. citizens because they weren't "white."
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Let them eat (rice) cakes-2
I blogged about research evidence that while the poor, especially in Asia, are indeed eating more meat, this increased consumption is not the cause of the spike in food prices
But, then who cares for research and logic, eh, as the following excerpt from Reason shows:
But, then who cares for research and logic, eh, as the following excerpt from Reason shows:
In a recent interview about the current food crisis, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said, "If part of our problem is that the Chinese are going to eat meat and you've got to have corn and soybeans to feed the Chinese their meat, then why isn't it just as legitimate for the Chinese to go back and eat rice as it is for us to change our policy on corn to ethanol?"
Let them eat rice? So that American taxpayers can continue to pay people to turn corn into fuel?
Silly senator, corn is for food.
Divine intervention in market economics
Maybe I should forward this news item to Greg Mankiw so that he can blog about it, because I am sure it will surprise him that god messes up with a fundamental idea that the Harvard prof teaches in his EC10--that price is determined by the supply/demand relationship. This BBC news item reports that a "prayer group in Washington DC is claiming the credit for the recent sharp drop in the US price of petrol". According to the report,
"We were down in Huntsville, Alabama. We finished praying," Mr Twyman said. "Immediately the owners came out and changed the gas prices. They brought it down. We had marvellous success down in St Louis, Missouri."
This week the group returned to the site of their first prayer meeting to celebrate. Singing "We shall overcome," they changed the words of the well-known hymn to "We'll have lower gas prices".
Mr Twyman is sceptical that market forces might be responsible for the lower prices.
Mankiw, your response please?
"We were down in Huntsville, Alabama. We finished praying," Mr Twyman said. "Immediately the owners came out and changed the gas prices. They brought it down. We had marvellous success down in St Louis, Missouri."
This week the group returned to the site of their first prayer meeting to celebrate. Singing "We shall overcome," they changed the words of the well-known hymn to "We'll have lower gas prices".
Mr Twyman is sceptical that market forces might be responsible for the lower prices.
Mankiw, your response please?
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