South Asian Socialism

Mr.Writer
Your article is as much biased as possible towards America. You being a radical Muslim based in London suggesting Pakistani/Indian American citizens to take a stand and make a difference.............

Well, well, well....Stand ? What for?
Make a difference? What for?

America is the super power and that is the only big reality that is hard for Muslims and also for others to swallow with open mind.

I know, America is a bitter pill which all of you, so called Muslims and the rest of the world have to swallow. I know you people are choked and unable to swallow this pill.............

But, it takes the smartest and the brightest American minds to control the whole wide world, to control all the resources of the world...............Isn`t it amazing!!!

Look at the idiotic middle eastern countries with their moronish people inspite of having all the oil of the world, still are kneeling infront of America...........Wonderful!!!

Middle Eastern Countries were owners of the oil, but they lost the game to American genius minds and now, America is the real owner and they are mere puppets, begging America for their own progress.........WoW!!!
It takes a genius courage to make them bow ..........America did that......

Majority of Muslim countries are deprived of their resources just b/c of their own follies......and then they blame America for everything............pathetic...

America with all it`s economical reforms is controlling the world`s wealth.........Why?
B/c America is the country with sharp minds to control the rest of the slow, lazy and mentally retarded minds................

Look at Dubai, Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern countries, all the progress is b/c of American minds...........those pathetic Arabs were unable to utilize their own resources in a progressive way..........They should be thankful to America for all the development in their barren countries.

We did not sell our souls to America. Middle Eastern retarded countries did.
America gave us pride , awareness, freedom, respect, equal opportunities without any CORRUPTION.

On the other hand, your corruption at every level is the second and first nature of all your Muslim countries...............

If, America is controlling the world, why others feel jealousy and insecurity?
Why can`t they come forward, stand up and make the difference?

But, they never will...You know why?
B/c they lack the white/grey matter, which is essential to make any difference.........

They just have little empty skulls full of religious bacteria, fungi and viruses which are killing them with their own venoms and then irony is they have all the audacity to blame America for all their self inflicted infections ...................

Yes, America cured their septic beings..........
Now it is in fashion to blame it all on America..............

All of the poverty of the rest of the world is b/c of America............rubbish..

If, that is true, then why don`t they utilize their retarded minds to come forward and compete with American corporates................

America was great, is super, will always be superb!!!!!!!

Rest of the Muslim world was/is/will always be moronish..............

Nobody can compete with America in intelligence...........Sameway nobody can compete with Middle Eastern countries in retardedness......................

For you, LEAVE IT OR LOVE IT................You can`t compete it,you can`t hate it. Thank you

On side note:-
In ``Atomic War or Peace,`` Albert Einstein wrote:
``The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one.
``One could say that it has affected us quantitatively, not qualitatively. As long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power, war is inevitable.
``That is not an attempt to say when it will come, but only that it is sure to come. That was true before the atomic bomb was made. What has been changed is the destructiveness of war.``


“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still”

Newly-found wealth on immigration is not because of their ‘entrepreneurship’, nor because of their devotion to ‘hard work’ and ‘family values’ but a circumstance of history.

Well said.

Whilst the government is busy looting ... we sleep easy ... Western corruption is endemic .... Surely we should be the first to take a stand and make a difference.

The author should have gone on to suggest as to what exactly should/can be done?

Dear Zeena & Zemax

As for Zeena, firstly I am not a `radical` Muslim in the sense you suppose, although I am concerned with a decline, extrinsic & intrinsic in Islamic values. So I must correct you there. You will note that I did not actually talk about Islam in the article. I talked about world poverty & humanitarian issues and why South Asian expatriates ought to be concerned with these phenomena.

As for your point that there is an anti-american bias throughout the article; there is certainly a strong anti-exploitationist drive. I don`t think its correct to say that that is anti-American. Of-course its anti-American policy at this moment of time., as is a substantial body of world opinion. I have a feeling, however, that your response is driven by an anti-Islamic agenda, and no matter what the situation or circumstance will continue to be so. Maybe you could prove me wrong.

Again as your concern with the Islamic countries and the middle east, yes it is true I have points of view about this. But I did not actually discuss that in the article. I talked about Africa, South America as well as South Asia. These are worldwide issues. I would advise you to read the articles and formulate specific replies to what is said, not what you think is being said.

As to to your question to take a stand - `what for?` - maybe I could refer you back to the article. For example, at the beginning I note that America is $8.2 trillion in federal debt and $44 trillion in toto. Zeena, do you really think that it is justifiable to divert the world`s resources to the richest country in the globe. Why should the people of the world be funding American lavishness. This is no small figure. I mean the matter is further explained in the article with economic and hstoric references, but I won`t repeat myself as I dont think you read it.

As for zeemax: you asked that I should have gone on to suggest what could be done. There are obviously small things that we can do: give charity, lobby for human rights and against poverty but the key thing is understanding this phenomena. Personally speaking I believe that sincerity will by and of itself breed results. By that I mean that we should keep such a situation uppermost in our minds and then the way ahead becomes obvious. I appreciate that this is not a full answer and I wil probablyconsider writing an article for it at some other point. But the purpose of this article was to try and demonstrate why there is an increasing anger at Western exploitationism.

Fantastic but only as an introduction. The article is incomplete and in its incomplete form, though it speaks the truth, I`m afraid it might come out as a polemic rather than a scholarly piece.

Zeena writes

<<< But, it takes the smartest and the brightest American minds to control the whole wide world, to control all the resources of the world...............Isn`t it amazing!!! >>>

No its not amazing because there is no truth to your statement. It is an automatically operating institutional setup that brings about US hegemony are domination around the world and not dumb a$$es like GWB and the neo con cronies

In #6 read <<< are domination >>> as `` and domination``

#4 by oak

First I rush to the defence of Zeena.

I have a feeling, however, that your response is driven by an anti-Islamic agenda, and no matter what the situation or circumstance will continue to be so.

First, Zeena is not anti-Islamic at all. She just likes creature comforts and security like everyone else, and feels threatened by the horrible Islamists upsetting the apple cart at the expense of the expatriates. That`s reasonable. However, she forgets social responsibility attached with life itself and studiously avoids the guilt feeling which inevitably comes when you realize that the present world economic system is a zero-sum game, and whatever possessions enter your domain actually come from the domain of others.

You wondered at the US debt of $8.2 trillion and where does all this money come from. Here is a personal anecdote:

I had a very interesting conversation with the regional treasurer of American Express Singapore. He turned out to be a Chinese nationalist.

He was keenly interested in history and we were talking about history of the sub-continent. Somehow the conversation turned to China and I mentioned the opium wars, that the British were shipping out silk and tea and shipping back opium. He said I had missed the part before that. I didn`t know what that was. He said that actually, the Btritish were at first shipping out the silk and the tea, but their vessels were coming back empty on the return voyage back to China to pick up more. So they hit upon the idea to pick up opium from India on the way back so both legs of the voyage would be profitable, and it worked.

Then, he said that ``You know, the ship is still coming back empty. China is shipping shiploads of goods to USA in return for their paper... worthless paper. Nothing comes back to China, not even opium``. And we laughed and laughed.

Half of that US debt i.e. $ 4 trillion is built up with trade surpluses of the Asian countries who have nowhere to keep their US$ except with USA itself in the form of US soverign marketable securities. The balance half belongs to US pension funds, insurance companies and other residents. I will be glad to provide a detailed breakdown should you wish.

That is, alas, the state of affairs, but nothing can be done about it. Only a major realignment/redistribution of global wealth will correct this situation i.e. only if consumption is more evenly spread around the world, and not only amongst the wealthy. As long as the poor produce and the rich consume, and they pay for it with IOU`s which will never be encashed, the ship will keep coming back empty!

Do read about how tremendous opportunities are discarded to retain the global status-quo in this article.

down with starbucks !

......... i was so moved by this article that i have decided to give up my starbucks vente latte for the next three weeks ..........

............. i also thought of washing my own shirts for a week, but that would be going a bit too far and, besides, it would hurt my korean cleaner`s business ......... for a moment i seriously considered going out and buying a lawn mower and firing the mexican, but then i thought about his poor wife, mistress and the six children living in a shanty by an open sewer in tijuana ....... i figure that by supporting the mexican i am doing my little bit for the third world .........

........... it really breaks my heart to see these sobbing and whining third world socialists who are so concerned about conditions in sub-sahara africa that they cannot swallow their latte ........... but at the same time, i also wonder how they manage to open a new starbucks in shanghai every week and why the fuzhaou road store is always packed with people who were obviously feeding pigs and plucking chickens in the country side a few years ago ...............

.......... so on second thought, i will continue to pay three bucks every morning to get my fix of caffein and strike another blow for capitalism and the american way .......... and, it being spring time, i get to look at all the pretty girls in their new spring outfits ............ maybe i will just stay there and have a second cup

Here we go again..Another anti-American screed by an America Is Doomed Syndrome inflicted author..

It shows all the signs of AIDS but even comrade masadi is knocking it..wutz up wit dat?

Re: # 8

zeemax,

`` Only a major realignment/redistribution of global wealth will correct this situation i.e. only if consumption is more evenly spread around the world, and not only amongst the wealthy. ``

........... and no where is it more evident than in shanghai - at last count it had fifty three starbucks, five years ago it had three or four ............... shanghai has better french food than the the best reastaurants in paris, but if want to stick with good old american fare there is tony romas, tgif, bourbon street, the hard rock cafe, you-name-it......... and guess what? rumor has it that mortons of chicago is coming soon ........... but if you want to stick with good old chicken masala and bhaji there is the tandoor and hazara .........

......... you can actually see gluttonous consumption go up in china while you are sipping on your latte ........ so stop whining and making excuses for the lazy laggards and good for nothings of the third world !

Re: # 8 by zeemax

To be honest sir my problem with zeena was that she did not seem to read any of the article. I mean I`ll take your point because I dont mean to offend anybody but I still mantain that such a social inerrtia in the end eats up at character and social fabric.

Secondly the financial monopoly that you point out is surely reason for worry. I mean what we discussed is concerning the placement of fiscal accounts, but we see the same attitude replicated in all fields of economic development. For example, you would think that as rich Western nations move production off-sure this would be a good thing for developing nations as they have the opportunity to capitalise from this. But the stark reality is that unethical subcontracting practices are hoisted upon the host nation leading to a form of perpetual enslavement. Ref to Naomis Kleins No Factories in No Logo for further details.

To me such a reality is becoming more and more apparant. I find it strange that people close their eyes to these realities and just make some vague rhetorical points just to blow air in the wind.

Ref your article: I did read it and found it very interesting. It is certainly true that the gap between rich and poor is widening and that this be put down to the rising price of necessities whilst ridiculous and uncensored financial schemes are being put in place for the purchase of luxury and imported goods. Neither the individual, nor the corporation are acting responsibly and seem to fail to realise that mushroom growth of interest based sectors are akin to sacrificing ones future. That is that when borrows against interest he is in effect borrwing against future earnings. I find your proposal to redirect the State sector interesting. In a country like Pakistan where taxation is hardly enforceable, surely it is understandable, although certainly worrisome, that the state feels underresourced to deal with State corporations. But of-course, if privitasation were to be the route taken there would need to be legislation and state subsidy to prevent a further hardship for the most margenilised.

Further you offered to provide a detailed breakdown of US debt. Please do so.

oak,

........``It is certainly true that the gap between rich and poor is widening`` ........ uh ? .... i guess it is true for the laggards and the good-for-nothings of the third world who stand around wringing their hands and blaming there misery on the big bad capitalists instead of getting off their duff and making an honest buck to buy their cup of latte .... okay, so it is three bucks ... but so what?...... if it is three bucks then get up earlier in the morning to make those three bucks ............

........ i don`t mean to sound heartless, but the problem with the ``poor and down trodden`` of this world is that they spend too much time feeling sorry for themselves and believe in all kinds of conspiracy theories and, as our friend arjun would say, suffer from aids .......... and an even bigger problem are the pinko-communist intellectuals who support their entitlement mentality - they do it because it makes them feel good about themselves and it is a lot easier than getting a job to keep up with the jonses and the chens ............

..... you glibly talk about the ``unethical subcontracting practices are hoisted upon the host nation `` and try to pawn it off as a universal truth ........ have you tried to work with a jv partner in china?......... a good old american boy from omaha is lucky if he can walk away from a meeting with the chinese ``partner`` with his underwear still on ! ........ i think you need to spend some time in shanghai (or bangalore, for that matter) before you start ranting and raving about ``unethical practices``.........

......... your article sir, is pure poppycock !.......... as my teenage daughter would say ``after you are done with crying me a river, build a bridge and get over it ``

..... redistributing wealth

.... according to forbes india`s 23 billionaires have a combined net worth of $99bn, surpassing japan`s 27 billionaires with their total worth of $67bn ..........

......... i think that is a pretty good start at redistributing wealth .... not to mention the fact that my mexican yard guy just leased a new gmc truck for less than 200 dollars a month - six months ago it would have cost him over 300 ........... so basically, over the a three year lease big bad gm will ``transfer`` $3600 from its bottom line to pedro ......... pedro is a happy camper because now he drink dos equis imported from mexico instead of budweiser made in the good old usa ......... so mexico`s economy gets a boost ......... now if that is not redistributing wealth, what is ?

the gujranwala millionaire fair .............

just recently shanghai held its first millionaire fair and according to the china daily : ``If you can roll up a 100-yuan note and use it to light your cigar without flinching; if you don`t own a yacht only because it would mar the view from your seaside villa; if your wish is their command, this is the fair for you.


........ so let`s all pray that we get invited to the first gujranwala millionaire fair:

ya allah, give me the ability so that i can roll up a 100-dollar note and use it to light my cigar without flinching; please put me in a position sothat the only reason i don`t own a yacht is because it would mar the view from my seaside villa ..........

.........amen, sum amen

Author,
You may have good intentions but as Zeena and Arjun point out (Very nice to see, despite all the Indo-Pak fights they are coming together for America) ur article just comes across as anti-americanism.

Humanity has been struggling unsuccessfully to come up with ideas to establish just societies. American power came about because of hard work, free market, and entrepreneurship.

Sure, capitalism has produced enormous economic disparities .........but in socialism and communism people were lazy and were not motivated to make money. Do you have any other model?

Also... before u put down ``South Asians`` why don`t you go back to South Asia and serve your ``brothers and sisters`` in South Asia? ......instead of tormenting urself in evil London?

Large sections of American society are upset about these economic disparities, bad things about unbridled capitalism, etc. Do you get Free Speech TV there?