What People Say?Different people with different perspectives

Barack Obama completed one year as President on 20 January 2010. The day on which he completed his one year term should have been an occasion for celebration. But the day stored for him a shock in the form of an unexpected defeat of the Democratic party candidate Martha Clokley in the Senate election for Massachussets State which was held by veteran democrat  Edward Kennedy for 50 years.

Obama’s dream on the Health Care Insurance bill is now in a limbo, so to say due to lack of majority in the US Senate. His party was one seat short for majority in the Senate. But the victory of Scot Brown, the Republican candidate has delayed his dream of passing the bill at the earliest.

Obama had started facing the heat after the initial euphoria subsided soon after his ascendancy in the White House.

He occupied the Oval office at a difficult time in the history of America. His Predecessor had done all could do to destabilize the economy during his eight year tenure by leaving the economy to the whims and fancies of market forces. Wielding absolute power in his hands- the President of USA is supposed to be the most powerful Head of State in the world – whatever harm he could do internally was replicated externally by declaring wars, in Iraq on the false accusations of keeping Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) and in Afghanistan to capture the Al-Quaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri dead or alive. Wreacking total destruction of life and property (most of the victims were innocent civilians) but Osama Bin Laden and his Deputy still remain elusive. His successor with a vow to flush out the Al-Quaeda leaders continues the war with renewed vigour simultaneously hoping for an exit before 2011, still the situation in Afghanistan is fast deteriorating.

On 28th January, a meeting to discuss Afghanistan involving major and minor players is scheduled to be held in London.

We were speaking about Obama’s completion of one year in office. On analyzing the defeat in the Senate election, we can very well come to the conclusion that it was the aftermath of growing discontent among the public due to massive unemployment, economic recession and industrial bail-outs on a large scale. The most powerful man of America finds himself powerless ruler. His hope and dream of lifting the fledgelling economy from the deep pitch remain unfulfilled. His ambitious programmes to save the economic situation are being undermined by his powerful opponent, the Grand Old Party of America, who still remain the apostles of market economy with the government remaining mute spectator. A powerful regulatory mechanism still remains a pipe-dream. Any how Obama shows indomitable spirit and determination to assert himself by imposing financial taxes to regain the stimulus already extended to the banks. He is, as per the reports emanating from USA girding up his loins for a fight against the opponents to rescue the tax-payer from whom a stimulus was provided to the financial institutions. How far he is going to succeed in this mission remains to be seen.

Winner of Nobel Prize who during his globe-trotting outshined and fascinated all world leaders and audiences by his powerful oratory skill and frequent appeals for peace and tranquility, however,  while accepting the Nobel Prize for peace had to justify his war in Afghanistan with a controversial statement “peace through war”, ie. to bring peace across the Globe sometimes we have to fight wars.

The implementation of US $789 billion bail-out to rescue the failed financial institutions remains insufficient and another bail-out not on the anvil due to staunch opposition from his opponents and his own economic pundits, the unemployment situation is bound to aggravate. Barack Obama on completion of his one year term is really in trouble. Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor who incidentally is now in the garb of a political commentator for the Fox news also (praise the lord) might be nursing a broad smile. As long as she is on the other side to contest against Obama in 2012 he can also keep a wider smile. Ambitions like music knows no boundaries- both keep on smiling.

Robert Gates in India.

American Defence Secretary, Robert Gates visit knowingly or unknowingly coincided with the visit of Malaysian Head Najib-Bin-Abdul Razaak, for a five day visit to India. At a time when South East countries are slowly, gradually distancing themselves from USA, still claiming to be the one and only Super Power, Najib-Bin-Abdul Razaak’s visit to India has great significance. Mr.Razaak is a strong advocate of a multi-polar world. Close on the heels of the visit of Yukio Hatoyama, the Prime Minister of Japan visiting India one month ago who is also thinking on these lines, Razaak’s visit has an added significance.

          At a moment like this USA’s new found love for India

1. has to be very much appreciated. Mr.Gates had the courtesy of   warning about threat from across the border and 26/11 model Mumbai carnage likely  to occur anywhere in India  and in a whispering tone, the growing and ‘dangerous’ influence of China was conveyed along with the promise of extending help in difficult times was really ‘heartening’. India’s role in the infrastructure development of Afghanistan and providing training to the Afghan police were also profusely appreciated. Incidentally India is an invitee to the meeting on Afghanistan to be held in London on 28th January 2010. Read between the lines… 

Please visit my website : www.reflectnews.com
At the very outset,let me introduce myself to you. My name is K.R.Surendran,hailing from a village called Pulluvazhy near Perumbavoor.Five books in Malayalam are there to my credit now,and they are “Pooviriyumkunninte- Santhathikal”(Stories),Gloriyayude Dinarathrangal”(Stories), “Mumbai- Sketchukal”(Novelettes), and “Indiayude Bhoopadam” (Novel).A novel “Pulluvazhy” was published recently.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/obamas-one-year-as-president-1783112.html

The ethical problems of the organization are the problems of the staff, whereas many members of staff will, rightly or wrongly, see the root of the ethical problems in senior management. If “top down” codes are resented, they will be ignored when possible and, otherwise, treated like an unwelcome legal rule. That is they will be avoided if possible and interpreted narrowly if necessary. Even if they are accepted they may not address the real ethical problems encountered by administrators. Rules developed by management - or even consultant philosophers brought in to draw up the code -will often fail to address such problems or will do so in ways, and from perspectives, to which the bulk of bureaucrats cannot relate.

If a person behaves ethically and internalize the relevant values, they have to get the staff that will live by them to take an active part in their creation. Do not just give them the rules but ask them to look at the ways in which their practice is ethically vulnerable, to discuss such vulnerabilities and to reflect on the kinds of rules they should adopt for themselves. For example, we should not merely have a general rule that police should not accept special treatment because of their position. They should involve police in discussing the temptations and dilemmas of their job. This is where the ethical circles suggested above could play a key role. Staff could raise ethical problems in the context and at the level at which they arise.

They would not only contribute to the development of a critical morality by individuals; they would provide valuable inputs into codes of ethics that are more likely to be supported and acted upon by the staff. Management should stimulate encourage and guide the process. But like so many other areas of successful modem management, ethical standard setting is not a matter of rigid control but of establishing structures and incentives to improve the quality of the organizations output -in this case the ethical quality.

Criticisms of management imposed codes and support for bottom up codes was a much repeated theme in the submissions and advice received. It was generally accepted that successful codes of ethics are not so much imposed from above but self imposed and to this end management must provide an organizational context “in which values can be discussed meaningfully, and which encourages members of the organization to develop skills in recognizing and thinking about ethics issues”. It could thereby be built into the “culture” of the institution. Again, emphasized that improving ethics was as often a matter of counseling and training as the imposition of sanctions.

At times ethics appears to be pushed as a panacea for all companies woes to the extent that other remedies, especially legal and organizational ones, are ignored. Laws in conflict with the mores and practices of those on whom they are imposed will prove largely unworkable as those it covers seek to avoid or even evade their impact. Thus for many, ethical standard setting and legal regulation must be mutually supportive.

Likewise, police forces may have strong disciplinary rules, the senior police may wish to encourage the highest ethical standards, but the organization of specialist squads required to handle intractable problems over the long term may breed corruption of the worst kind.

http://sites.google.com/site/cliptheschoolbeginning/ http://sites.google.com/site/arturvictoriasite/Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/ethical-circles-1774239.html

According to the constitution of Pakistan it’s my right to express my views and it’s my duty to indicate towards those aspects which seem fair to me. I don’t know what language I must use to talk about Supreme Court or Chief Justice of Pakistan but I am doing this in good will. I don’t know exactly what contempt of court is but I know one thing that if the decision of the elected parliament (the main law making body) can be criticized so the decision of Supreme Court can also be discussed and disagreed for sake of interest of Pakistan. So that the decision may not look selective and partial.

      For the last few weeks I have noticed that even tested friends of Chief Justice Sahib have started to talk about his decisions. If these friends were true, sincere and trustworthy during the struggle for restoration of judges so even now their viewpoint have weight to be listened.

      Last night I heard the news about the detail judgment of Supreme Court about NRO. This decision has raised some questions in my mind. The honorable Chief Justice as a public servant is bound to think about my these questions. My first question that is not directly related with this recent decision- why Chief Justice is silent about those judges who left him alone during judges’ restoration movement? If that movement was just so those judges stood against justice. Now we Pakistanis can’t expect impartiality from those judges. If they have resigned so their resignation is not sufficient to wash their crime because they tried to desert a movement that was expected to change the lives of desperate Pakistani people. In a way those judges betrayed with the people and constitution of Pakistan.

      Secondly the decision of the Supreme Court only concentrates on the beneficiaries of NRO. But what about those who implemented it and framed it? Are they not culprits? Chief Justice Sahib stood against Musharaf – the army chief of that time and president. While now he is silent about General Kyani and ISI head – the main facilitators of NRO. If Chief Justice is afraid of them and thinks that it will again destabilize Judiciary so the chief Justice along with his colleagues must be repentant about their previous decision when Judiciary was made a news item. And if they don’t want to destabilize the Judiciary again so what’s wrong with this present government and its fate in this critical global scenario?

      Another aspect of the Supreme Court decision is about political reconciliation and cases. Chief Justice Sahib is of the opinion that the term political reconciliation should not be used to remove cases against someone. We all know that some cases are fake and based on political prejudices. The way Chief Justice was restored is also a kind of reconciliation because he did not appear before the court to defend the charges against him. Now as for as Islamic history is concerned we see political and national reconciliations and pardons.

      The day when Mekka was captured, was a political reconciliation for Quresh of Mekka. Hazrat Abu Sufian and Hinda were pardoned not because of any revelation from God but because of national political reconciliation. And we see that Mekka was conquered without any bloodshed. Hinda - a woman who killed Hazrat Humza and Abu Sufian – a person continuously intrigued against Islamic state of Madina, both were pardoned and their previous sins were cleared. In those 23 years they never thought about the reality so how it is possible that just in one night when Hazrat Abu Sufyan saw blazing fire outside Mekka, he melted and accepted Islam? Even at that time he was arrested and presented before Hazrat Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

            Actually it was because of political and national reconciliation of the prophet which worked and he along with his fellows was pardoned. We also know about his successors like Amir Muawya and Yazid and the prophet was also well aware of it before end but still they were pardoned for the smooth running of newly established state of Mekka. Now the question arises that whether Zardari’s crimes (which are still to be proved) are more severe than Quresh of Mekka.

      Another question that bothers me is that whether is it a wise decision to struggle for justice on one side and destabilizing the stable government on another? If some one says that system is already destabilized so I think this decision of Supreme Court is pouring oil on the dwindling system.

      The timing of the detail judgment is also annoying the nation because in a couple of hours a massive American delegation will reach Pakistan. I think Americans will hesitate to negotiate with such a government whose future is at stake now. And they have expressed it too that Zardari is on Shaky ground. What we have made of Zardari in front of this delegation? If Chief Justice Sahib says that his duty is to protect rights of Pakistanis not Zardari only so honorable Chief Justice Sahib we Pakistanis were well aware of these cases but still we elected Zardari as president.

      Previously it was a trend here in Pakistan that whenever some Americans are expected to come here so they were welcomed with some type of Army operation against terrorists but now they will be happy to see Zardari in trouble because People’s Party does not fit well in their future Afghan policy.

      In the last I would just give a hint that court decision about sugar prices did not bring fruit so in the same way this decision too is not going to bring some happy moments for us.

The author is a column writer. His Articles can be seen at The Frontier Post, Statesman and Daily outlook Afghanistan . He supports democracy and human rights.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/will-this-judgement-bring-prosperity-1774468.html

On Monday, January 18, 2010, In Political Issues, By Malik Green

The following statement was made in the July, 1911 edition of Harlem Home News, a real estate publication for Harlem at the time.

The Negro invasion must be vigilantly fought, fought until it is permanently checked, or the invaders will slowly but surely drive the whites out of Harlem.

One hundred years later, the script has now been flipped.  Today’s headline would read:

The Caucasian invasion must be vigilantly fought, fought until it is permanently checked, or the invaders will slowly, but surely, drive the African American out of Harlem.

Harlem became an African American community beginning in the early 1900’s.  It started with the Great Migration – a period where over a million and half African Americans migrated from the southern states to the northern states.  This migration was precipitated by African American’s desire to escape the oppression of Jim Crow laws and the promise of better employment opportunities up north.

By the 1920’s African Americans had formed a significant middle class community in many northern cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit.  However, Harlem – New York, was the place where African American cultural, political and social consciousness manifested itself on a grand scale.  This period of African American development is commonly known as the “Harlem Renaissance”.  This period of development came to a crashing halt with the arrival of the “Great Depression”.

Today’s Harlem bears hardly any resemblance of the “Harlem Renaissance” era.  African Americans in Harlem today wield little, if any, political and/or economic influence.  This predicament has grown worse in the past two to three decades, due primarily to weak African American leadership in Harlem.  The absence of strong, intelligent, and fearless leadership that functions with a high level of integrity is the primary reason why African Americans have no say in the future growth and development of Harlem.

This lack of  strong, intelligent and fearless leadership was clearly demonstrated by what happened in Harlem during the 1990’s.  In the early 90’s, the City of New York created a program that offered to sell city owned property in Harlem to the residents of Harlem at below market value.  This was a great opportunity for African Americans to actually have some ownership of Harlem.  What happened next is indicative of ineffective and corrupt leadership.  Buyers of these properties had no intention of making Harlem black-owned.  Their intention was to make a profit in a most unscrupulous manner.   These buyers; mostly African American, would become involved in a scheme to basically defraud New York City and the Federal Government as well as the people of Harlem.  Here is how the game was played.  The original buyer of the property would find a church or other charitable organization to purchase the property from them, at or above true market value.  The church or charitable organization wasn’t concerned about the above market price of the property because they weren’t using their money to buy the property.  The church or charitable organization would obtain federally guaranteed 203(k) mortgages to buy the property.  The church or charitable organization would then default on the “guaranteed” mortgage.  The church or charitable organization would receive a kickback from the seller – the original buyer.  In the aftermath of the defaults of these loans, these building were left to further deteriorate; even though many of them were currently being occupied by tenants.  This selfish act of greed caused harm to the people of Harlem and to the residential real estate market in Harlem as well.  This period of Harlem history explains why approximately 90%-95% of African Americans in Central Harlem rent and not own their homes.

Malik Green is the author of “The Black-Print: Black America’s Blueprint for Achieving Wealth, Prosperity and Respect. He is also the host Black America Rising - Blog Talk Radio Show. For more information about the author’s views and opinions regarding African Americans go to: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/black-america-rising or http://www.insightful-opinion.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/weakafricanamericanleadershipinnewyorkresponsibleforthegentrificationofharlem-1772384.html

A fringe of an armed Islamic group attacked and set on fire the Christian area.

Nigeria is split into two main sides: Muslims dominate the north and in certain towns the Sharia is the valid legislation. In the Southside there are Christians.

Again fundamentalist with usual brutality has assaulted Christian side claiming women should wear Islamic head coverings.

This is just the ultimate fact of a series of actions against the Christian community without any word from the Europe, USA and UN.

Karl Popper wrote that history is not a narration of power, written by a God who does not respect human freedom and has already scripted the ending.

Marxist messianic expectations collapsed and today the Islamic world believes to be the bearer of the future of the world and new society is forecasted in the fundamentalist view similar to previous failed utopias.

Fight or die for a holy war brings happiness promised by God or perhaps by “someone else”.

The wars against civilians are the product of the Illuminism and the First World War has opened the Pandora’s box of violence and hatred.

Died the cold war, the history is opening a new chapter of conflict scattered throughout the world. In an earth, which claims peace and pacifism, war has never been so present and so real. Africa is the great forgotten prey to fundamentalism and illness, first victim of AIDS, first victim of a desire for freedom that led to larger ideological and religious slavery.

We live in a constant intimidation; a subtle threat that lurks beneath the carpet of the East becomes clear more and more.

Death in the name of Allah, whose name used to justify an old hate is the new millennium revenge.

© Edoardo Rospo

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/nigeria-violent-clashes-between-christians-and-muslims-1767405.html