December 31, 2007
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
I have previously observed here that India has what I call a “cargo cult democracy.” In India’s neighborhood that is not a distinction. The entire Indian subcontinent suffers from that malady. The short version is that around here democracy as … Continue reading
December 31, 2007
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
One of the more irritating aspects of the change of calendar years is the increase in meaningless messages that land in one’s inbox. I love the internet and the world wide web, but that love is severely strained when I … Continue reading
December 30, 2007
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
Time to take stock. It’s been a good year overall, but I am sure that 2008 is going to be even better. The trends are all good. Except in the US, thanks to George W Bush. No, I take that … Continue reading
December 29, 2007
by Atanu Dey
4 Comments
December 29, 2007
by Atanu Dey
4 Comments
Good riddance. “Those that live by the sword, die by the sword” as Jesus is supposed to have cautioned Peter according to Matthew. And as they say in India, “Indian government, hai, hai.”
December 29, 2007
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
The Hubble Deep Field and the Most Important Image Ever Taken by Humanity. Watch it and wonder. Wonder how insignificant our concerns are, how parochial our interests, how utterly immaterial even our greatest conflicts are. Watch it and wonder how … Continue reading
December 28, 2007
by Atanu Dey
0 comments
Today’s Mint carries my opinion piece “Walking Around the Elephant” — a write-up on my conversation with Pranab Bardhan, professor of economics at UC Berkeley. The transcript of the conversation is also up on the Mint website under the title … Continue reading
December 28, 2007
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
Go read Arun Shourie’s op-ed in today’s Indian Express. I agree with him. I think that passivity in the face of naked aggression is morally wrong. It encourages those who harm society. I have written about that in my post … Continue reading
December 24, 2007
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
The Acorn explains why the US paid big money to Pakistan following a report in the NY Times that “Billions in Aid to Pakistan Was Wasted, Officials Assert” which begins: After the United States has spent more than $5 billion … Continue reading
December 23, 2007
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
The Acorn remarks (in the context of Narendra Modi’s electoral victory, no doubt) that voters have nothing against an incumbent government that is competent. He says, there is no such thing as anti-incumbency, only anti-incompetency. It is certainly a plausible … Continue reading
December 23, 2007
by Atanu Dey
0 comments
I think it was way back in 1999 that Michael Kelly in an op-ed in the Washington Post had asked fellow journalists, “Why does everyone loathe us so? Because, my little preciouses, we are so loathable. … Reporters like to … Continue reading
December 22, 2007
by Atanu Dey
4 Comments
Mike Huckabee is a potential Republican nominee for the US presidential elections next November. “Who’s your favorite author?” asked 7-year old Aleya Deatsch. Huckabee said it was Dr Seuss. That surprised her because she thought that someone grownup should be … Continue reading
December 21, 2007
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
Winter solstice (Northern hemisphere) this year occurs around 6:08 UTC on Dec 22nd. Wish you all a Happy Winter Solstice. Happy Christmas as well. I think this post is close enough to be the 1,000th post on this blog (give … Continue reading
December 20, 2007
by Atanu Dey
0 comments
Blowback. Backlash. Expressive words. They mean that sometimes the reaction to an action can be severe and unacceptable. Blowback is often associated with fire. You set a fire thinking that it will go that way but instead it goes this … Continue reading
December 19, 2007
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
The facts are pretty simple to state. A piece of land was sold by party A to party B for Rs 22 lakhs. The official price was Rs 7 lakhs, less than a third of the actual amount that changed … Continue reading
December 18, 2007
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
{For an updated version of this post, please see “India is Poor by Choice.” Jun 2012.}
December 15, 2007
by Atanu Dey
0 comments
I was reviewing stuff on my blog from way-back-when and came across a post “Education for a Nation” from October 2003. The post has aged well. Not bad at all.
December 14, 2007
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
An updated version of this post is available. See “Ideas Dictate the Destiny of Economies“.
December 14, 2007
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
The future of education is going to be one of the most exciting things going on in the world. I see a revolutionary change occurring because of two specific reasons. First, the increasingly complex nature of our world. Change is … Continue reading
December 14, 2007
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
The Finance Minister of India, Mr Chidambaram speaks the truth, or at least that is what a certain communal newspaper reports. He was speaking at a TiE event in New Delhi. He said, “This country will hold together only if … Continue reading