Really Depressing Poem

ALONE UNDER THE LAMP POST
No way is it easy, as much as it seems to be,
Gone past me a hundred times,
But still I failed to see.
Was a shadow, That was dark as night,
Was unfamiliar,abrupt, at times out of sight.
As I stepped behind, I saw it shrivel from mammoth to wee,
I discerned, the shadow was ME !

Bush in India

Enough has been said about this historic trip that the President of the world's wealthiest democracy is making to the world's largest democracy. There is a wonderful article in this week's newsweek which I am blogging right after this entry. It makes for worthwhile reading.

Anti-Americanism - right in our backyard

Its a little ironic that Bush and the entire administration war-machine has been focusing on the middle-east given that we now have anti-american governments right here is Latin and South America.

Exemplified by the radically left leaning, populist (and madcap) leader of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, various South American leaders have found new found popularity in their policy of America-bashing. Hugo Chavez and Cuba's Fidel Castro are known America-haters. He is joined by the more moderate Ignacio Lula da Silva of Brazil. And now, we have Evo Morales - likely victor of the Bolivian elections - who is openly supportive of Hugo Chavez and Coca plantations - the plants that are used to make Cocaine.

This just means that there is more trouble brewing in America's own backyard. This cannot be good for America as it faces increasing hostility from Asia and Africa. Latin America has been US' fortress... a safe haven market for US products. With the rise of China and India, the US bottomline is already being severely damaged. Loss of Latin American partners can only hurt them.

While overall, I would consider myself more favorable then averse to the Bush administration (primarily out of my support to his Iraq, Afghanistan and terror wars), I think this administration has proven itself completely inept at diplomacy required to win hearts of the insignificant over. While Hu Jintao of China visits countries whose GDP is less than that of Shanghai and tries his best to bestow importance on them, show them that China cares for them and thinks of them as important, US is proving itself to be arrogant. The US makes these small countries believe that it does not think of them as anything more than a source of illegal immigrants, fruits and oil.

In the words of Dr. Manmohan Singh - Prime Minister of India - "All that some of the smaller, poorer countries crave for, is some recognition, some importance that their existence in this world makes a difference to someone." Only thing that America needs to do is do acknowledge this and all these countries would come running after the US. After all, who better to win the acknowledgement from then the biggest, richest and most powerful country in the world. Case in the point - Mongolia. The love shown by them for Bush was astounding... wasn't it?

Bush in Asia... Mayhem in America

Why am I getting political? Well I decided that it was time I gave this blog a direction... And what a time to do so - President Bush is in East Asia, in the backyard of America's true competitors to global hegemony - China, India and Japan.

While Bush is giving India the miss, this time around, there is plenty that he needs to take care of. The burgeoning trade deficit between US and China and US and Japan is worrying everyone here. After all, how long can America sustain this deficit. Its time that the Bush administration stopped touting its free market model that these Asian giants have diligently refused to toe and inspect their economic blueprints.

The Asian giants are based on one simple concept - the quintessential Asian concept of self sacrifice. They pinch their own consumption while boosting their production. Thus they make many things that America - the world's super consumer - buys while buying very little for themselves. The earlier America realizes this, the better. We need to realize that our high consumption is our worst enemy. The administration needs to come up with some novel way to get the Chinese to buy a lot of our products.

One possible way to do so is to continuously stay on top of the innovation pyramid. America has always been the de facto innovative giant that has propelled it to the forefront of science. By maintaining its position, it can keep creating newer jobs that pay 10 times the money that an ordinary person gets in India and China.

Given the low popularity ratings of Bush, something very radical must come out and this may be the beginning of something huge for America. Whether this is the beginning of America crashing into a huge ditch or the beginning of a new engagement policy for America, only time will tell.