Photographed by World Economic Forum

DAVOS-KLOSTERS/SWITZERLAND, 29JAN09 – Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation talks to the participants of the ‘Private Meeting of the Members of the International Business Council with Vladimir Putin’ at the Annual Meeting 2009 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 29, 2009.

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swiss-image.ch/Photo by Sebastian Derungs

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Այսօր արդէն 94 տարիներ անցած են այն թուականէն երբ, Օսմանեան կայսրութիւնը փորձեց գործադրել հայ ժողովուրդը աշխարհին երեսէն վերցնելու կանխամտածուած ծրագիրը եւ իրականացնելու իր դարաւոր տենչը՝ բանթուրանիզմը: Թուրքը ուզեց «քանդել Հայաստան, ջնջել հայ անուն, որ չխանգարուի իր ազատութիւն»:

1915ին Օսմանեան կայսրութիւնը ուզեց բնաջնջել հայութիւնը եւ որոշեց մէկ հայ պահել, իբրեւ օրինակ, եւ ան ալ՝ թանգարանին մէջ: Թուրքը խլեց հայ ժողովուրդին հողերը, տուները, կալուածները, բռնագաղթի ենթարկեց ամբողջ հայութիւնը, սպանեց ու կոտորեց զանոնք, չարչարեց, գլխատեց եւ որբացուց հայ մանուկները՝ ողջ ազգի մը անմեղ զաւակները:

Իսկ Էրտողան առանց ամջնալու կը քաշուի World Economic Forum-էն ըսելով թէ, «սխալ են պատահածները Ղազզայի զաւակներուն դէմ, անմարդկութիւն է Իսրաէլի ըրածը…»: Թուրքը ի՞նչ իրաւունքով մարդկութեան մասին կը խօսի եւ արդարութիւն կը պահանջէ…

Երանի՜, երանի մեր զաւակները Ղազզայի զաւակներուն նման նահատակուէին: Բարբարոս թուրքը, մանուկը չծնած, մօրը արգանդը պատռեց ու մերցուց զայն, բռնաբարեց աղջիկները ու վառօդ թափելով այրեց զանոնք մէկ-մէկ, դանակեց ու գնդակահարեց տղամարդիկը… եւ հիմա այդ նոյն մարդասպանը եկած է արդարութիւն կը խնդրէ Ղազզայի ժողովուրդին համար:

Սակայն թուրքը երբէք չկրցաւ հասնիլ իր նպատակին, որովհետեւ հայը նոյնիսկ դժուար պայմաններու մէջ տոկաց եւ դէմ դրաւ բոլոր դժուարութիւններուն, որպէսզի ցոյց տայ թէ իբրեւ հայ գոյատեւելու իր կամքը որքան զօրաւոր է:

Ապրիլ 24-ը վերածուեցաւ անմորանալի թուականի մը, եւ ամէն տարի հայ ժողովուրդը համայն աշխարհին առջեւ կը վերանորոգէ իր ուխտը, ըսելով, թէ մենք «կանք պիտի լինենք ու դեր շատանանք», թէ մենք սուրերէն չենք սոսկար, անապատի կրակէն ու կիզիչ արեւէն չենք սարսափիր եւ օտարամոլութեան տեղի չենք տար:

Մենք մեր երթը կը շարունակենք ամբողջ աշխարհին մէջ եւ մեր ուժերը մէկտեղելով կը կազմենք պողպատեայ բռունցք մը, դէմ դնելով այն բոլոր փոթորիկներուն եւ չարագործութիւններոն, որոնք կը փորձեն խախտել մեր կեանքի արմատները, հայ արմատները: Եւ քանի դեռ կայ պայքար, կայ նաեւ յոյս, հաւատք եւ անպայման յաղթանակ:

Պարտութիւն՝ թուրքին
Յաղթութիւն՝ Հայ արդարատենչ ժողովուրդին:

One of the more visible snakes that parade as Our Protectors but all he does is wine and dine with the most powerful corporate entities on earth, who just so happens to own most of it.  A fine example of the clear corruption in ou Political system is the antics of Queen Pete as this BBC article (Wednesday, 24 January, 2001) reports;

Mandelson resigns

The career of Peter Mandelson at the highest political level appears to be over after his resignation from the cabinet for an unprecedented second time.

Mr Mandelson stepped down as Northern Ireland Secretary and was replaced by Scottish Secretary Dr John Reid, triggering a mini-reshuffle.

Mr Mandelson admitted he had made misleading statements over the passport application of controversial Indian billionaire Srichand Hinduja but denied he had done anything wrong.

The resignation prompted furious Conservative condemnation, with Conservative leader William Hague calling Mr Blair’s “career-long dependency” on Mr Mandelson “a monumental error of judgement”.

But the prime minister called his friend’s move “tragic” and paid tribute, saying: “I believe that he is a bigger man than many of his critics.”

Mr Mandelson was called into 10 Downing Street on Wednesday morning to “establish the facts” of his involvement in the passport saga.

Two-time quitter

After talks lasting two hours he emerged to announce his resignation.

It is the second time Mr Blair’s close political confidant has been forced to quit the cabinet in disgrace since Labour came to power in 1997.

Mr Mandelson had come under increasing pressure since the weekend following claims he pulled strings to help Mr Hinduja secure a UK passport after the tycoon pledged £1m in sponsorship for the Millennium Dome while Mr Mandelson was in charge of the project

In his resignation statement Mr Mandelson said: “I do not accept in any way that I have acted improperly in respect of any application for naturalisation as a British citizen.

“I do accept that when my office spoke to a Sunday newspaper at the weekend, I should have been clear that it was me personally, not my officials who spoke to a Home Office minister.

“As a result of that, wrong information was given to the House by the culture secretary and by the prime minister’s spokesman to the press. I accept responsibility for that.”

He insisted his “sole desire and motivation” since the weekend had been to emphasise he had not sought to influence the decision on naturalisation “in any way at all”, and merely wanted to pass on a request for information.

Another factor in his decision, he went on, was the desire to lead “a more normal life” after the “constant media pressure and exposure that has dogged me for the last five or so years”.

After taking his final Northern Ireland questions in the Commons, Mr Mandelson sat impassively alongside Mr Blair as William Hague launched his blistering attack at prime minister’s questions.

The Tory leader said Mr Blair’s decision to reappoint his friend following his previous departure from the cabinet demonstrated “the arrogance with which the prime minister wields his power”.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, who criticised the tone of Mr Hague’s comments, said Mr Mandelson had made the “right decision” and called for an improved ministerial code of conduct.

Earlier, Mr Blair told MPs that although he believed the passport application had been dealt with properly, former Treasury solicitor Sir Anthony Hammond QC had been asked to review the case.

Mr Mandelson was first forced to quit from the cabinet in 1998 after failing to disclose that he had secretly received a £373,000 loan from his then fellow minister Geoffrey Robinson to buy a house in London.

It has not been confirmed whether or not Mr Mandelson will stand at the next general election, although his election agent in his Hartlepool constituency insisted he would.

Remember that?  And then the bastard Blair appointed him Trade Commissioner where he began spending long weekends with oligarchs and dictators, like a Political Arthur Daley, helping ‘investors’ set up company chop-shops in UK, with our workforce to be chopped.  Although when Karma seemed to be getting into gear, our hopes were once more dashed as the Australian (October 08, 2008) reports;

British politician Peter Mandelson ill after yoghurt in China

CONTROVERSIAL British politician Peter Mandelson, who was feted in China for drinking a glass of yoghurt on television in Beijing last week, has been rushed to hospital suffering from a kidney stone.

Thousands of babies across China have suffered kidney stones after drinking formula milk mixed with the industrial plastic melamine.

But there is almost certainly no connection between the two events in the case of Mr Mandelson, whose illness blighted his first day as Business Secretary in Gordon Brown’s cabinet.

But the irony is not lost in China, where the consumption of milk powder contaminated by melamine has caused four babies to die and more than 50,000 to be treated in hospital, chiefly for kidney stones.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told a World Economic Forum conference in Tianjin that he was “deeply moved” to see Mr Mandelson drink the yoghurt to demonstrate his faith in Chinese dairy products, which have been banned around the world.

Products containing traces of melamine were found in several Chinese restaurants in Hungary yesterday. An official said stock would be destroyed if melamine was found in dangerous levels.

Mr Mandelson was visiting Beijing as EU trade commissioner, but has since quit in order to become Business Secretary in Britain. A Business Department spokesman said: “Over the past few days, Peter Mandelson has been experiencing some kidney pain. Hospital tests confirmed that there is a small stone. This will be dealt with by the normal procedures.”

Melamine, used in plastics and fertiliser, has been used to boost the apparent protein content in milk products that have been diluted to increase revenue. The industry has been suffering from a price cap imposed at the start of the year by the Government, anxious about rising inflation.

Late on Monday, the official Xinhua news agency reported that the State Council, China’s cabinet, chaired by Mr Wen, had announced new dairy industry regulations.

The State Council said the cause of the disaster was illegal production and greed: “China’s dairy production and distribution order have been chaotic, and supervision has been gravely absent.”

Police announced six more arrests over the melamine contamination, in Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, a major milk-producing region.

The people detained are suspected of producing and selling melamine.

Made a full recovery the fuck!  A full fucking recovery!  For the love of God, what happened Karma?  Bad day or was there a bereavement in the family?  Or did the Dark Queen pay you off too?  I only ask as after several years in the European Wilderness, Mangledbum comes mincing back across the Channel to more titles and more privileges while our own continue to dry up and that just doesn’t sem fair at all.  Even the Guardian admits his controversy in this article (Monday 13 October 2008);

Mandelson goes to Lords amid new controversy

Peter Mandelson will take his seat in the House of Lords today, but his return to British politics has been marked by fresh controversy concerning his connections and personal finances from his four years as the European trade commissioner.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton and Baroness Jay of Paddington will introduce Mandelson today. The new business secretary has decided to style himself Baron Mandelson of Foy and Hartlepool. Foy is a village in Herefordshire where he spent holidays as a child, and he was the MP for Hartlepool between 1992 and 2004.

Mandelson was the centre of renewed media attention yesterday. The Sunday Times reported that he attended a reception on a 238ft yacht, Queen K, in Corfu this summer hosted by the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who is a major importer of aluminium into the EU. Mandelson’s presence on the yacht was questioned because he reduced tariffs on aluminium imports into the EU from 6% to 3%.

Mandelson’s spokesman said: “The idea that one individual played a decisive role is ludicrous. This was a hard-fought battle between different member states.”

The spokesman added that he could not have shown favouritism because he launched an anti-dumping investigation into aluminium imports from Armenia. As the main exporter from Armenia, Deripaska would face high EU taxes if the investigation finds against him.

Mandelson also denied that he was profiteering from the EU. He will be entitled to around £78,000 a year for the next three years in “transitional payments”. When he reaches 65 he will then be entitled to a pension of £31,000 at today’s prices.

His spokesman said: “He is not aware of his entitlement.”

Anyone still wondering why there is so much apathy towards the political class can see that Our Rulers know every trick in the book so see no point in voting.  People like the Judas Mangledbum is a disgrace yet is now Lordship fucking Foy, so in essence, being seen to be rewarded for being a crooked bastard.  If it makes people who do take notice of politicians, how does this make the laymen feel?  A hundred-times worse as they see “smarter” people getting away with it and feel there isn’t an answer so retreat into safe zones involving tv, drugs and any other distraction they can afford.

Resistance may be futile as this dirty campaign to destroy Government by the People by destroying the people began long before the new Judas showed up and it seems to be succeeding.  They’re making us scream at the corruption in Westminster and will soon ‘offer’ us the European Council’s age of rule whether we like it or not.  The entire Political Class of every Nation on this Earth is infected with these type of Judas’, from the very top who know every part of the plan to very bottom of the pile who only are told enough to comply.  And the worst do it because they can.

Still, I’m a Millwall fan and have had more than enough spankings to at least remember to stand with pride (although the foetus position is always a good idea if the beating gets too much).  No surrender!  Ever!

Marcus Buckingham has done it again. In this week’s HuffPo installment, Buckingham gets started by citing Time magazine’s special on the State of Women as saying that the gender war is over, and it was a tie. But Buckingham takes it one step further:

I’m not so sure. In a war, no matter the outcome of a certain skirmish or battle, the winner is the party whose attitudes, behaviors and preoccupations come to dominate the postwar landscape. By this measure, the outcome of the gender wars, if wars they were, is clear: women won.

He makes his case by saying that “men’s attitudes more and more resemble women’s attitudes”, citing the fact that fewer men now believe that men should be the breadwinners, women the caretakers, than did in 1977. He says that “men’s behaviors are becoming more and more like women’s”, using the fact that men now do more housework than they did in 1977 as evidence. He even cites popular culture:

Even our entertainment heroes have lost their masculine muscle. Arnold, Bruce, and Stallone are long gone from the screen, but even the flirty, flaky, funny adolescents–Tom, Brad, Jim, and Will–no longer charm us quite as much as they once did. Instead our leading men are the likes of Zac Efron who, though he can still “Michael Jordan” it on the court, now has to sing and dance charmingly to earn our affection.

Um, okayyyy. But here’s where it gets interesting:

The war is over. Women won. And, as ever, to the victor go the spoils.

And what are the spoils of this particular war?

The spoils are choice. Women have more choice than ever before in their work, home, and lifestyles. And yes, men are becoming more like women, and so men are starting to face the same multitude of choices that women tackle.

Today, with many companies offering paternal leave, men now have the choice to stay at home after the birth of their newborn… But they also have the choice to take advantage of this leave and stay at home wondering whether or not this absence will hurt their careers.

Men have the choice to stay at home even longer and assume the chief caregiver role… But they have to face the fact that, in making this choice, their skills might become obsolete and their wages, when they re-enter the workforce, will wind up reflecting their out-of-date proficiency.

Men have the choice to arrange their schedules so they can pick up the kids from school twice a week. And they have the choice not to, and then to feel guilty about this choice.

The choice-filled world that women have bestowed on men is a tough world. Tough on women; even tougher on men. At least that’s what the data reveal. In 1977, 41 percent of women reported feeling some level of work/life conflict, whereas only 35% of men did. Today, about the same percentage of women report work/life conflict, but 59 percent of men are now similarly torn.

Buckingham, Buckingham, Buckingham. Welcome to our world. While what he has to say about our choices is interesting (as is his use of self-reported statistics to back up his points), what’s more interesting is what he doesn’t say. Like this:

A study in the current issue of The Academy of Management Journal reveals that bosses generally perceive women workers to have more family-work conflict than men, even though this isn’t the case. And this belief, mistaken though it is, leads supervisors to take a negative view of women employees’ suitability for promotion.

Or this, from the Economix blog at the New York Times‘ web site:

In most jobs, the gap between men’s and women’s earnings narrows greatly when you adjust for factors like career path and experience. But at the top of the income scale–jobs paying more than $100,000–the salary gap between equally qualified men and women is still vast.

Or this, which Laura Liswood, co-founder of the Council of Women World Leaders, wrote yesterday:

In its annual measurement of global progress in the lives of women and girls, released October 27, 2009, the World Economic Forum reported some major improvements in surprising places. The 2009 Global Gender Gap Report–which, country by country, examines data indicating the resources and status of women compared to men–ranks Lesotho, for example, in the top 10, a marked improvement from its place at 16 last year and 43 in 2006. By contrast, the United States moved down three slots last year and now ranks 31st.

In terms of why you might be a little irritated by that, feel free to pick your poison: that the U.S. is ranked 31st, or that we moved down three slots last year. I myself am having a little of both. Liswood spells out the characteristics of our grouping thus:

Group III Gaps in these countries (including the United States and United Kingdom) have been almost completely closed in education and health; progress is occurring on economic and political participation. What is lagging is women’s presence at the highest levels of power be it management of a business or head of state or government or parliament. Countries that adopt quotas for business or politics often see an immediate jump in their standing once these mechanisms kick in.

Ooh, quotas. Scary. But why should we be so opposed? As Latoya Peterson notes in her Jezebel piece about the report:

Norway has legislation that demands all public institutions “promote gender equity, and these efforts are to be documented each year.” The top ranking country, Iceland, passed this type of legislation back in 2000 as the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women. Finland employs an “Ombudsman for Equality, the Gender Equality Unit, and the Council for Equality” in its pursuit of gender parity. And in Sweden, there is an Ombudsman on Discrimination, as well as measures taken in schools and workplaces to ensure women do not face bias.

Why should we care what goes on in Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden? They hold the top four spots in that report. The one where the U.S. ranks 31st.

Let’s read just a little more from Liswood:

Data are a necessary component to start the process of resource allocation and policy shift. Data collection alone can’t make the sea level rise, but many political and business leaders hide behind the excuse that women must ‘make the case’ for change. The case can rarely be made without information that proves what women may intuitively already know. And looking at a gender gap that has been indexed should give leaders pause if they are not fully utilizing 50 percent of their talent.

It certainly should. The thing is, if we were to proactively address the measurable inequities, like Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, then–if Buckingham’s right–everyone would stand to benefit. But where Buckingham–where the very United States–has fallen short, is in viewing it as a personal issue, an issue of behavior, or attitude, or whether Zac Ephron is cashing in at the box office… In choosing to look at such heavy decisions merely as personal dilemmas, left to each of us to handle on our own, in our own way, we are missing the point. Yes, we have choices in our lives, and it stands on each of us to make them. But they’re made harder by the lack of institutional support. The war may be over, but the battle has just begun.

Goldman Sachs published a report titled “The essentials of investing in Water, Version 2.0” that gives a sound overview of the sector. My colleague Matthew wrote a blog entry earlier that underpinns the challenges the sector faces.

The World Economic Forum release a report titled “Managing Our Future Water Needs for Agriculture, Industry, Human Health and the Environment.” However it is more the sub title that makes it an interesting read ” The Bubble Is Close to Bursting: A Forecast of the Main Economic and Geopolitical Water Issues Likely to Arise in the World during the Next Two Decades.”

The world as everyone on the planet has  known it from the beginning of time,  is in a state of flux.

Timing for the pivotal events taking place globally, could not be better orchestrated.

As Americans adjust to ‘change’ from business as usual to a global economic calamity; from H1N1 to health care reform, and a place in the global community (not as the world leader, but as a member in common), the world as we have known it itself (the global community), accelerates the Quest for Solutions for global problems that threaten the very existence of  Humanity.

People and cultures world wide are clinging to one another in a collective awareness that this time in the history of mankind is unlike any other.

Climate change, availability of resources [food, water, energy], disease, peaceful coexistence , human security and sustainability appears to have taken the front seat over war and power for priorities of concern.

Wild Card Factors Remain

‘Quest for Solutions‘, 2009 September 19 , discusses  possibilities as wild cards that could affect a transition into a New Global Order of government.

Russia

Obama’s ‘no quid pro quo’ move to scrap the missile defense program in Europe essentially changed the playing field in Eastern Europe.

The United States’ withdrawal of the program has opened a window of opportunity for Russia to regain dominance in Easter Europe including control of former Soviet States were it possible.

On a global basis, in the obvious absence of a United States as a balance of power, Russia is building ties with nations to strengthen strategic political and military presence as an emerging  ‘good guy’ in the global community (even in Afghanistan) as discussions continue on another United States (Obama) step backward in the Middle East.

“As the crisis starts to mellow in the richest countries, we should pay attention to global tasks, which have been moved to the background. We will be able to say that the crisis makes us wiser only if we continue and intensify the reduction of global inequality,”President Dmitry Medvedev said in an article entitled “The Russian Role in the Transitional Period.” Copyright © ITAR-TASS all rights reserved.

China

China emerges as the world’s second largest economy and holding the largest percentage of  United States Securities (The United States being the world’s largest debtor and financially unstable)

As the global economic crisis is largely viewed by nations members of the G20 and other forums as being triggered by Wall Street and associates’ questionable patterns and practices, China found itself caught off guard, and holding the bag  from substantial investment in potentially worthless US Treasuries and government securities.

In an effort to calm Chinese frustrations with the United States; ‘Obama said the government is committed to a strategy of spending less and saving more.’

China has actively participated in discussion with the global community to reassess the US Dollar as a global standard of currency and move toward a global currency backed by gold and oil.

Saudi Arabia and other oil producing nations have recently been moving toward not  accepting the US Dollar for purchase of oil.

The move against the US Dollar due to the Wall Street Collapse places the United States behind the eight ball with hat in hand rather than a significant power.

Israel

Though allegedly pleased with the meeting Netanyahu Prime Minister of Israel with president Obama  Monday November 10, 2009 at the White House, Israel struggles with the reality that Iran and encroaching enemies from Lebanon and Syria as well as the Palestinian matter remain critical to Israeli national security and essentially, Obama is telling nations little more than what they want to hear as the United States treads water while trying to find its own place in the global future.

Israel knows the odds are against peace in the Middle East and that the longstanding support and commitment to Israel the United States to upheld for generations is diminishing as a movement toward globalization progresses and now faces another dilemma as the chief  Palestinian negotiator said he would ask UN Security Council to recognise an independent state because of a failure to restart talks.

As Israel faces the reality that it may be facing the threat of its destruction by Iran and neighboring enemies without support from anyone, including the United States.

Israeli leaders despite dissent by left wing Jews throughout the world,  have signaled the possibility of a first strike defense strategy on Iran’s nuclear facilities as Israel demonstrated against Iraq on December 7, 1981 ; however, with the understanding with seemingly nothing to lose,  a Masada style showdown with surrounding enemies is the likely outcome.

The New World Disorder

On the  edge of what surely appears a well orchestrated move to unified globalization and a one world government, agendas and philosophies of  nations and organizations differ.

Renegades such as Iran, North Korea, Venezuela could care less about prospects of a ‘New World Order’ when they despise the leaders and conformity of the movement toward globalization as demonstrated in conferences at the United Nations and other forums.

Russia continues to demonstrate an agenda that predates the fall of the Berlin Wall as if the apparent failure of Communism in Russia was nothing more than part of the plan for domination and control of at least the old Soviet Union if not more… .

While China has its sights on Africa, despite its emerging status as a superpower, many of China’s residents do not see that as their responsibility, China Grapples with Its Role on Global Stage

NATO, The United Nations, The European Union, India, Pakistan, the G20 and the G7 are all positioning for identity and purpose in the global community.

So what now  for the United States?

Setting aside all politics; left, right, conservative, liberal, Democratic or Republican but simply standing as Americans; as the world’s largest debtor with trillions of worthless dollars in debt to support a house of cards in the global trend America has little strength left as the leader.

On November 14, 2009 in his nine day trip to Asia, US President Obama pledged  to China and the world ‘to deepen dialogue with China rather than seek to contain the rising power.’

In turn for political reasons, ‘Obama’s historic trip to China was marred last night by censorship‘ ‘The White House has noted that the Chinese have been controlling every detail of this visit.’ Huliq News Monday, November 16 2009.

America has little choice left but to buckle up and humbly work through this together and learn from mistakes.

People’s Choice

The matter on the table is not about Obama, but America’s future if we intend to have one.

Government can not be allowed the power to mismanage and make wrong choices at the expense and against the will of the people.

The world knows every move and decision we make as a people, and as a government.

In France, the government knows that the people will stop everything and pour into the streets in protest of any action not favorable to the will of the people.

January 29, 2009 ‘A nationwide protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s economic policies drew more than a million demonstrators into the streets of France on Thursday in the biggest popular challenge to the president since he took office in 2007.’

‘Capitalism and free enterprise is not evil..the abuse of it and greed is evil.’

In America, the world sees Jerry Springer style politics, meaningless promises, and corruption, while the people focus on what Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton do in their personal life known as the ‘dumbing down’ of a great nation.

The possibilities for The people of America and Humanity itself..  are positively limitless.

As  the world searches for solutions, its not too late for people of America to stand back up and take a respectful leadership role to make a difference in the direction our world needs to go before time runs out on Humanity itself.

Its not about ‘me… its about WE’.

If we don’t,  it’s not rocket science… a demise  rather than enlightenment by 2012 is entirely possible.

The world as everyone on the planet has  known it from the beginning of time,  is in a state of flux.

Timing for the pivotal events taking place globally, could not be better orchestrated.

As Americans adjust to ‘change’ from business as usual to a global economic calamity; from H1N1 to health care reform, and a place in the global community (not as the world leader, but as a member in common), the world as we have known it itself (the global community), accelerates the Quest for Solutions for global problems that threaten the very existence of  Humanity.

Climate change, availability of resources [food, water, energy], disease, peaceful coexistence , human security and sustainability appears to have taken the front seat over war and power for priorities of concern.

Wild Card Factors Remain

‘Quest for Solutions‘, 2009 September 19 , discusses  possibilities as wild cards that could affect a transition into a New Global Order of government.

Russia

Obama’s ‘no quid pro quo’ move to scrap the missile defense program in Europe essentially changed the playing field in Eastern Europe.

China

China emerges as the world’s second largest economy and holding the largest percentage of  United States Securities (The United States being the world’s largest debtor and financially unstable)

Israel

Though allegedly pleased with the meeting Netanyahu Prime Minister of Israel

PUREENERGY312

SAMUEL DANIEL  LOVELESS – S.D.L. –  PUREENERGY312

 

“If you have the power to do something good; you have the responsibility to do it”

 Mr. William J Clinton

NETWEAVING FOR MY OWN BUSINESS

The sessions continue to be informative and vibrant. As some of the brightest minds from around the planet ponder the future of India and her role in the new world order, it is impossible not to be impressed by the optimism radiating out from this conference. This is in stark contrast to what I’ve been hearing in the western world for the past eighteen months. Some of the comments I’ve heard either in conversation or from their speeches:

C.K. Prahalad from University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and ranked by Fortune magazine as one of “the world’s best minds” had this forecast for India in fifteen years – “India will have 500 million skilled workers and become one of the major knowledge bases for the entire world. She will be home to 30% of the Fortune 500 and 10 Nobel prizes will have been awarded to Indians.” Impressive and if proven true, astounding.

Predictably, a lot of conversation has ensued about the aggressive GDP growth projections. Ashok Jha, Chairman of MCX-SX said that disinvestment in the profitable public sector enterprises will help reduce the fiscal deficit substantially from the current 6.8%.

Tejpreet Singh Chopra, CEO of GE, India expressed concern for the 300 million people that are expected to join the workforce over the next few years. The service sector growth has flattened a bit and there is only so many jobs that the agricultural sector can add. Therefore quick investments are required in manufacturing, infrastructure and power to provide meaningful employment to this massive new workforce.

Kapil Sibal, the Union Minister for Human Resource development in India added another perspective. He said, “sixty three percent of those who pass high school go to college in the US. That number is fifty percent in Europe. In India it is an abysmal 12.5%. We have to increase this quickly to sustain the 9% GDP growth we all talk about.”

Raghuram Rajan, Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago’s Graduate school of business had a different kind of prescription. He used the example of the iPod to illustrate it. “The iPod costs around $200. Of this amount, $50 goes to China for manufacturing. The remaining $150 rewards innovation, design, advertising, financing, etc. India should focus on these services that envelope the core cost since the ROI is greater and more sustainable.”

The leaders were not shy about speaking about obstacles. Kamal Nath, the minister of roads & highways said, “We are not only the world’s largest democracy. We are also the rowdiest.” Although the government has a publicly stated goal of laying 20 km of new road per day, he said that they have only achieved 10% of that but the streamlining of processes and the cutting of red tape has significantly increased that pace and he was confident that they will achieve the stated rate by the middle of next year. “I no longer measure my life in hours and minutes. I measure it in kilometers”, he joked.

Twice in the past week or so Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, has alluded to the poor state of governance in India’s states. In between those speeches, events in Karnataka, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have graphically demonstrated how massive corruption and links between regional politicians and businessmen are turning state governments into gravy trains fuelled by extortion and fraud.

Coincidentally, they mostly have connections with iron ore and other mining licences and contracts that involve some of the most widespread corruption in the country. This is happening in areas where Naxalite rebels are gaining ground as the livelihoods of local tribals and other poor communities are disrupted. This points to the way that state government corruption is exacerbating India’s most threatening social issue and its most serious internal security problem.

“Sitting here in Delhi we can endlessly debate the qualities of national leadership,” the prime minister told the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit ten days ago. “But real change in India will come when we get the right kind of state level and local leadership – a forward-looking, modern and compassionate leadership that strengthens the foundations of our great Republic. The focus of the debate on leadership for building a new India should, therefore, shift to the States.”

Yesterday, at a World Economic Forum conference in Delhi, he repeated that there was “inadequate appreciation of the need to reform (governance) processes at state and local level”.

Just look at what has been happening in various states to see how far leadership is from what the prime minister rightly says India needs. There is of course widespread corruption in India’s national government, but it is not so pervasive as in some states.

Karnataka

In Karnataka, where India’s showcase IT city of Bangalore is the capital, two businessmen known as the “Bellary mining brothers” have caused a political crisis, now temporarily patched up, by undermining the power of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government’s chief minister. They have been trying to install ministers and top bureaucrats who favour their businesses.

In the past few years, Janardhan Reddy and Karunakar Reddy have become politically active and rich from businesses in and around the state’s Bellary mining town. They have direct links with national BJP politicians, especially Sushma Swaraj, who is a candidate to lead the party and become a potential prime minister in the future. Their riches are illustrated by a report that they have presented a Rs45 crore ($9m) diamond encrusted gold crown to a temple.  

Andhra Pradesh

The brothers have also had business links with Jaganmohan Reddy, son of Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), the chief minister of the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh, who was killed in a helicopter crash two months ago. The two families are not directly related (one is Hindu and the other Christian), but they come from a clan that dominates politics and business in the region. The joint businesses are reported to include large tracts of land and a steelworks. 

Since YSR’s death, his son has been trying to become chief minister of the state’s Congress-led government. Jaganmohan has had heavy backing from local businessmen who struck deals with his father and want to maintain their power over the state government. This is being resisted by the Congress’s national leadership, but the pressure has been relentless.

Jharkhand

In Jharkhand, one of India’s poorest and worst-governed states (hived off from Bihar in 2000), Madhu Korda, a former chief minister, has been arrested for alleged corruption ranging between $400m and $800m. This story illustrates the scale of money available in the states, especially from mining.

Born in a remote village, Korda was working as a labourer in iron ore mines and the metal trade till 15 years ago when he entered state politics. He became a state assembly member and minister in 2000, and in 2006 engineered a political crisis that brought down the state government and made him chief minister of a coalition for the next two years. Earlier this year he became an MP.

Assets that Korda amassed along with associates in those 15 years are reported to total some $375m and include mines in Liberia, South Africa and Thailand as well as India, plus bullion companies in Mumbai, a planned special economic zone near Delhi, many properties around India, and large-scale money laundering through Dubai and elsewhere abroad.

Much of his wealth came when he was mines minister from 2000, which opened the way for widespread extortion and bribes in what is one of the world’s most mineral-rich areas. One controversial project on which he is believed to have been paid well involved the Chiria mines that four private sector companies – Arcelor Mittal, Jindal Steel, Essar Steel and Tata Steel – wanted to wean away from government owned SAIL.

One report said he charged up to $400,000 to $4m (Rs2-20 crore) for signing a mining memorandum of understanding between the Jharkhand government and companies, and $6m-$16m (Rs30-80 crore) for recommending mining leases. Also similar amounts as “speed money”. 

That is in addition to daily collections through the region’s well known coal mafia on all loads travelling out of the area’s public sector mines that are reported to feed $3m (Rs14 crore) a month to the state’s chief minister.

When Korda became chief minister, Aditi Phadnis, a political reporter, wrote in India’s Business Standard newspaper that the state was “sitting on a volcano of left wing (Naxalite) extremism, pluralistic politics and enormous riches on account of natural resources”. She added that “efforts are now on to rig up an architecture that will restrain him from further damaging Jharkhand’s institutional structure”.

Whatever that “architecture” was, it didn’t work. The Naxalite threat has escalated, crime and lawlessness has increased, and Korda built on the riches he had gained while mines minister.

Tamil Nadu

My final example concerns the continuing story that I first reported in a post a year ago headed “India’s telecom minister ‘should be fired’ for a company’s 700% profits”. The minister is A. Raja, from Tamil Nadu, who last year allotted lucrative telecom licences to real estate companies that had befriended him when he was earlier environment minister – without tenders and at low prices valid four to seven years earlier. He belongs to the regional DMK party which is an important ally in India’s Congress-led government and he bluntly rejected appeals last year from Manmohan Singh to correct his ways.

In recent weeks the story has resurfaced, with calls for Raja to be dismissed as telecom minister – a job that Manmohan Singh reluctantly gave him for a second term after May’s general election.

When Pranab Mukherjee, India’s veteran finance minister, was asked about the case at the Hindustan Times conference, he obfuscated and said that “allegation of corruption does not mean that it is a proof of corruption” – which led to quiet sniggers in the conference hall.

What hope does Manmohan Singh have of getting his “the right kind of state level and local leadership” !

Comparing problematic factors USA – Germany

World Economic Forum

Source: World Economic Forum, Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009

© Flavia Westerwelle

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Klaus Westerwelle
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Westerwelle

TRUE UNCLE SAM OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PUREENERGY312

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?

I WILL START…

FAILURE AND PAIN IS SUCCESS BUT NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE THE CLASS.

 I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO HERE YOUR IEDAS.

THANK YOU

SAMUEL DANIEL LOVELESS

S.D.L.

PUREENERGY312

TRUE UNCLE SAM OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Tous les classements, sauf ceux des championnats, sont sujets à caution. Bien évidemment, ce sont ceux en bas de classement qui se plaignent de la méthodologie, des critères sélectionnés et tutti quanti. Le gouvernement marocain s’en fait une spécialité, son ministre des affaires étrangères allant jusqu’à convoquer le représentant du PNUD au Maroc pour un discours de la méthode makhzénienne de calculer l’indice de développement humain (IDH). Et les classements peuvent contredire les idées préconçues - dans le cas du Maroc tel que perçu par le gouvernement marocain et ses supporters, c’est une vision du Maroc très éloignée d’indicateurs sociaux – voire économiques – calamiteux, y compris par rapport à des pays africains ou asiatiques perçus comme à la traîne du Maroc des Aston Martin, de Racine et de Marina Smir.

Le rapport 2009 sur le genre du World Economic Forum ne dément pas la tendance: sur la base de différents critères relatifs à la participation à la vie économique, aux résultats en matière d’éducation, à la santé et enfin à la représentation politique, le Maroc se classe 124e sur 134 – l’Algérie (117e) et la Mauritanie (119e) devancent le Maroc, c’est dire. En fait, pour donner une idée des profondeurs dans lesquelles se vautre le Maroc, les Lions de l’Atlas sont placés une soixantaine de places plus haut (63e au dernier classement de la FIFA) que le Maroc en matière de parité, en dépit du nouveau Code de la famille. Mais plus significatif que le classement – on peut s’étonner de voir la Turquie placée 129e après le Maroc et entre l’Iran et l’Arabie séoudite – il y a l’évolution du score: sur la période 2006-2009, le score marocain a évolué positivement mais très faiblement, plus faiblement encore que l’Algérie, la Mauritanie ou encore l’Arabie séoudite…

Well, unless you live in Iceland. The World Economic Forum (WEF) released its 2009 report on the Global Gender Gap last week, and Iceland is at the top of the list. The country has the highest gender equality index of 134 countries analyzed. According to the Feminist Majority Foundation, the WEF’s “Global Gender Gap Report 2009 determined each country’s rank by “examining how that country has reduced gender gaps in educational attainment, health and survival, economic participation and opportunity, and political empowerment.”

The US ranked 31st, four places down from last year. Melanne Verveer, the United State’s first Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, said at the report’s launch, “Obviously I think every country wants to do better. It’s worth pointing out that no country has equality between men and women, so we have a long road to go no matter where we live.”

So there you go. It is 2009 and nowhere in the world has gender equality actually been achieved. What is important to point out, and often overlooked when reports like this come out, is the violence against women aspect.

It is common to have Scandinavian countries top the WEF’s annual list. The interesting thing is that as these countries get higher in rankings, violence against women also increases. Sweden is an excellent example- great national feminist policies towards women, mainstream feminist political parties, but domestic violence is off the charts. It’s an interesting social aspect which we find often goes hand in hand with women’s economic progress.

Watch Saadia Zahidi, Director of Women Leaders and Gender at the World Economic Forum, speak with Bloomberg’s Margaret Brennan. Although the violence against women point is not brought up, you can watch Zahidi speak about other aspects of the report and its key finding: Around the world, the wage gap still remains wide.

We have our work cut out for us.

The next time someone tells you that Islam is wonderful for women and gives them many rights and freedoms and blah blah blah, you can just refer them to this article about the gender gap in 134 countries.

9 of the bottom 10 countries are predominately Islamic.

And there’s this, too.

It’s not freely chosen if the religion mandates it and the government enforces it.

The 2009 WEF was inaugurated this morning in New Delhi by the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh. Dr. Singh, the primary architect of the new Indian economy was very upbeat about the prospects of the Indian economy in 2010 and beyond. He felt that India responded to the economic crisis better than most other countries. If there is a normal monsoon next year (the Indian economy has a direct correlation to these seasonal rains), he expects GDP to grow by 7% next year. His medium term objective continues to be 8% to 9% growth per annum. Since the domestic savings rate is an astonishing 35% of GDP, he believes that this is a feasible target. “India looks to the future with confidence and hope. We are better placed than any other time in the recent past to push reform forward. I hope to see India as one of the leading economies of the world”.

In “The India Competitiveness Review 2009″ released especially for the WEF, N Ramesh Rajan and Jairaj Purandare of PWC India report that “Indian CEOs’ optimism extends to the country’s broader economy as well, with nearly two-thirds expecting recovery, defined as stable and steady growth, by the middle of 2010. Indeed, more than one-third of CEOs believe their industry and the country’s economy have already recovered or will have by the end of this year.

“Indian chief executives expect their greatest international competition in global markets during the recovery to come from China (34%) and the EU (15%)…. And the US, headquarters for 140 of the Fortune Global 500, was only named by 6% of Indian CEOs as their greatest international competitor”.

Over the next couple of days I plan to spend my time with these CEOs to ratify these statements.