US Elections Concern for India

nasah:
People of the world should demand to have a say in electing the ``president of the world``;). On second thoughts, the incumbent wasn`t elected even by a majority of americans.

arjun_m#27:
I am not sure to what extent the Chinese, Russians, East Europeans, etc. have gone ahead with building the infrastructure but my point was particularly wrt call centres, perhaps the fastest growing segment. And here India does not have a major advantage except for the low-cost english-speaking, relatively unskilled, labour.
OTOH, the salaries paid to these call centre workers are so high relative to other workers that they can go on expanding for quite some time before they hit the bottlenecks. Here is an example: I know someone in Delhi who has done her B.Com and a short duration course in programming (.net or some such thing). All she can look forward to right now is a job paying only Rs. 4000 per month as a programmer but she also has the option of getting a job with a call centre for a starting salary of Rs. 12000 per month plus free drive to and from work. She can get that job based on her english medium schooling and not any post-secondary education. The only catch is that the job is at night and her parents wont allow her to take that job.

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dost mitter sahib -- if Bush wins I am coming to Canada to live in your civilized Mohalla.....:-)

arjun_m#35:
I agree with your post (even though I dont know what csr stands for!).

nasah:
Does this mean that I should stop praying for Bush`s defeat?;)

America-bashing on the increase in Britain

By Carol Gould

Something remarkable has been happening to me in the past three weeks. Wherever I go, no one launches abuse at me. When I open my mouth to speak, I am received with civility and the occasional ``Have a good one``. I am not attacked or intimidated. Where have I been visiting for the past two and a half weeks? Philadelphia. And where do I live? London.

Here is a scenario from my adopted hometown: a month ago, I was travelling on a double-decker bus. A well-dressed woman boarded with her son, respectable in his school uniform. Ahead of her was an elderly American woman, who said, ``I beg your pardon, I didn`t mean to bang into you.`` This prompted a tirade from the Englishwoman - let`s call her Lady E. ``I rejoice every time I hear of another American soldier dying! You people are destroying the world.``

The American - let`s call her Mrs A - fought back: ``I personally am not destroying the world.`` This only provoked Lady E more, and she screamed into the American`s face: ``I wish every one of you would leave this country and not set foot in it ever again.`` Mrs A began crying. ``Thank you for ruining my trip.`` Lady E lunged at the American and began to shake her. I jumped up and shouted for the driver to stop and for her to leave the woman alone, prompting Lady E to come over and grab me. ``Another...American! You are scum.`` Thankfully, the woman next to me pushed her away. I left the bus. Mrs A sat sobbing.

Did I imagine this? No. Was the Englishwoman crazy? No.

I don`t like what is happening in Britain, and am dismayed at the level at which anti-Americanism has peaked in recent months. Does anyone say ``George Bush`` or ``Donald Rumsfeld`` or ``Dick Cheney`` when they fly into these tirades? No. In fact, the visceral, in-your-face America-hatred goes back long before the days of the Bush regime.

I have lived in Europe for all of my adult life, and from the day I arrived I have been aware not only of an oft-blatant anti-Semitism but also a resentment of Americans among colleagues, teachers, my social circle and neighbours. What is significant about this rage is that it emanates not from the great unwashed but from the educated and intellectual classes.

We all know about the academic boycotts of Israeli scholars. We all know about poor Philip Lader, the former US ambassador, who was reduced to tears on Question Time as David Dimbleby dispassionately watched a studio audience stomping its feet and shouting anti-American epithets two days after 9/11. I cannot conduct business or even take a taxi ride in Britain without a scathing tirade about the scurrilous Yanks.

As far as the Guardian-reading classes are concerned, my hunch is that the relentless America-bashing in the European media, combined with the abundance of criticism of Israel, has created an atmosphere of hostility that makes me fearful for my safety in my beloved adopted country.

....last November, when George Bush visited the UK and London`s mayor, Ken Livingstone, boycotted the state banquet, ordinary folk gathered in Trafalgar Square to burn and stomp on the Stars and Stripes.

I hesitate to blame the media. But I have stopped going to meetings of my trade union, the National Union of Journalists, because I cannot listen to incessant vitriol about the crimes of my native country.

Yes, there is much to worry about in present US policy, but how many American trade unions spend hours devising resolutions to censure their most trusted and valued ally? Friends tell me that the US is one giant fundamentalist-Christian nation of Bible-bashers. Otherwise enlightened colleagues tell me that the US ``threatens the world far more than Bin Laden``.

Where will it all end? I know many expat Americans - including non-Jews - who have received dressing-downs at social and professional gatherings. The standard reprimand contains the list of American misdemeanors: the project for the New American Century taking over the world`s governments; Wolfowitz, Perle and other ``Zionists`` bullying the Bush and Blair governments into war with Iraq; and American Jews running the world`s media, banks and industries.

Here is what I perceive as the explanation: Europe has always been a seething hotbed of anti-Semitism. England, sadly, has the distinction of being the very first country to expel its Jews and initiate the blood libel. The Jews were not allowed back into England until the time of Cromwell, and feel to this day that they worship by the grace of the sovereign.

It is impossible to convey to Americans inside the US, or to American Jews, the open loathing of both groups that dominates daily life outside the US today.

I am aware that many Americans are leaving their homes abroad and returning home after decades in Europe because they can no longer endure the daily abuse. Anti-Americanism is not a result of Abu Ghraib or of a Rumsfeldian pronouncement. It is a disturbing and hurtful form of psychosis that is rapidly eroding the all-important special relationship.

I do not yet fear for my life in St John`s Wood, but it sure is heaven strolling around the artists` studios at the Torpedo factory in Alexandria, Virginia and being greeted as me, not as a ``bloody`` American or an accursed Jew.

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software engineer used to cost 1/5th in India 5 years ago....when our company moved some development work to India 2.5 years ago, they said it is 3 engineers for the price of 1. Now I hear it is about 30% saving considering the productivity, scheduling and other issue.

A friend who owns a IT company with about 70 employees now was very enthusiastic about opening an office in India 3 months ago.....last time I heard he is already frustrated at the pace of work being done to open the account and have basic setup in place....or it may be due to his obession about Chandigarh.

about China...one of our hardware engineering project was moved to China about a year ago.....there have been 3 complete turnovers already....people spend no more 4 months...they hardly start understanding the scope that they leave and jump to anew foreign company....work is literally going at the pace of an ant. This I know very well because as an adminsitrator of one of the engineering file vaults we share with the China group, I can monitor the progress of some of the work...very disappointing. If we worked that way our bosses would have killed us.

problem is the work ethic and governing system....as long US can maintain these two and not get distrupted by the terrorist loonies, it would be OK.

Above all, if some of the China or India is doing better it is not due to something they have created on their own from scratch....it is because these educated people(like most of us on chowk) have learned how to immitate the Western culture.....if India and China tomorrow do become super industrial powers it would be a case of success for West, not a matter of defeat. Industrialized China and India will look like West. So what is the big deal if they do win?:) so basically west will spread or at the worst move to China and India.:)

dullabhatti:
``Above all, if some of the China or India is doing better it is not due to something they have created on their own from scratch....it is because these educated people(like most of us on chowk) have learned how to immitate the Western culture.....if India and China tomorrow do become super industrial powers it would be a case of success for West, not a matter of defeat. Industrialized China and India will look like West.``

You are only partly right. The West`s great advantage is its worship of science and scientific thinking. And if China, India (and others) can also imitate that thinking, there is no reason why they too cannot lead in technological development. As you no doubt know, most of the revolution in consumer electronics has been led in recent decades by the Japanese. It is true that they have generally done so by purchasing rights to American patents and intellectual properties, but this is increasingly going to be the case in a globalised economy. India too is not far behind in this. The newspaper reports show that the Indian subsidiaries of GE and other multinationals are registering a high number of new patents with the US. And the Indian pharmeuctical companies, yesterday`s thieves, are now entering into partnerships with foreign multinational for the development of tomorrow`s medicines.
Remember, historically, Indians and, particularly, the Chinese were not behind the western world in technology and invention. And IF the scientific temper returns to these countries there is no reason why they cannot at some future time again lead the world in invention and innovation.

DM ji..you are correct...I will add that it is also about general attitude towards life..materialistic and instant gartification...the things we accuse west of....once China and India progress to the level of west now, their culture will be like West`s...we want to have it both ways...we think we can progress economically and have our daughters marry our choice of man, wives be very obedient, sons agayakaari at the same time....you know the good stuff that west lacks.

Ref dost-mittar #41

[....The newspaper reports show that the Indian subsidiaries of GE and other multinationals are registering a high number of new patents with the US. And the Indian pharmeuctical companies, yesterday`s thieves, are now entering into partnerships with foreign multinational for the development of tomorrow`s medicines.]

I think we should be a bit more careful before we go overboard about patents. No less a company than IBM has applied for and has been granted a patent on an algorithm for the prioritized use of airplane lavatories so that First Class passengers do not have to wait behind the Cattle Class. Fortunately, IBM has decided not to enforce this patent or demand royalties.

Please visit http://www.patent.freeserve.co.uk/. There are similar sites elsewhere.

[Remember, historically, Indians and, particularly, the Chinese were not behind the western world in technology and invention. And IF the scientific temper returns to these countries there is no reason why they cannot at some future time again lead the world in invention and innovation.]

Ah, you still give Indians and Chinese more credit than due. Did anyone from the Land of the Kamasutra (as they ALWAYS say, the book was indeed better than the movie!) ever think of a patent such as this one?

[UK Patent Application No. GB2328762. An adults` version of the chocolate Advent calendar. It has 25 doors for each day leading up to Christmas. When opened, each door reveals a different condom, with different colours, flavours and styles for each day in December. Behind each door there is a picture of a new sexual position to try for the day. On Christmas Eve a Santa Claus condom is presented. This is red with a white rim and a white bobble on top.]

Or, this one?

[UK Patent Application No. GB2283412. A chair for coition. Provides support for two people, one astride the other. In one preferred form, the seat vibrates.]

Did the Jains of India, so solicitous of all forms of life, come up with this one?

[UK Patent Application No. GB2272154. A ladder to enable spiders to climb out of a bath. It comprises a thin flexible latex rubber strip which follows the inner contours of the bath. A suction pad 5 is attached to the top edge of the bath.]

Those in India who always talk about Appropriate Technology for Third World Nations, did they ever come up woth some thing like this?

[UK Patent Application No. GB2060081. A horse-powered minibus. The horse walks along an endless conveyor belt treadmill in the middle of the bus. This drives the wheels via a gearbox. A thermometer under the horse`s collar is connected to the vehicle instrument panel. The driver can signal to the horse using a handle, which brings a mop into contact with the horse.]

The Spirit of Innovation truly belongs to the West!

[UK Patent Application No. GB2283412. A chair for coition. Provides support for two people, one astride the other. In one preferred form, the seat vibrates.]


that sounds like ultimate laziboy chair.:)

sorry for joining in late into this debate where-ever it is going...
I have a simple question to ask..

We have heard kerry and Bush.....

Earlier kerry was flipflopping, now he has made it clear that his ways to go at war with Iraq would be different from Bush....

However both agree that the Iraq war was a correct decision, they disagree on the methodology..........

anyway here a wise guy said that outsourcing is a mere election issue, nothing is gonna move.........in other words Bush and Kerry are both sides of the same coin and putting a big show..........
otherwise American policies are nothing to do with elections....


My response excuse me........!

Well may be you are right about the foreign policy, but `outsourcing ` is a domestic policy issue and its gonna stay there...... Kerry has made ``American Jobs` to be one of the key election issues.....

So guys, if kerry is elected, I shall ask Indian friends to better say good bye to million dollar jobs falling in the laps of their proud middle class.........

But as one wise guy said, how can you stop the outsourcing phenomenon,,,,maybe he was referring to law of economics which suggest that it is impossible and impracticle making outsourcing a non issue basically....

Well then kerry`s economic team sucks......

So friends, I would like to ask what is the difference between Bush and Kerry......in the real sense......

One who fliflops and one who doesn`t......

When stakes are high, one tends to be a risk averser not risk taker...and for Indians the risks are high so they better contemplate hard whom to vote.....

as far as Pakistan is concerned, it really doesn`t matter who comes.......whether americans select flipflop or flat..........Pakistan remains a key ally

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harimou:
Inventions like these would certainly come handly when the west loses its competitive edge in other goods and services:).

one thing that kerry or bush would love to outsource is chowkidari of baghdad. pakistan should thank india that this was rejected outright by india when paki generals were contemplating it about a year back. had india shown any inclination, GHQ would surely have one-upped and sent a big contingent ``tej-chal`` on $3000 per-man-month stipend and that mistake would have been huge that even HH pre. musharaf could not have wiggled out of. so pls send a thank you note with langada mangoes to pres. kalam for iftar.