Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to fight the “the wrong-headed ideas, bureaucratic nonsense and destructive culture” that led to riots across England earlier this month. David Cameron said a sense of personal responsibility had been eroded over many years by a welfare system that reduces incentive to work and “the twisting and misrepresentation of human rights.”
“The former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair responded saying the “muddled-head analysis” of the riots risks producing the wrong policy prescriptions. He dismissed the argument that Britain is in the grip of a “moral decline,” saying that problems lie with individuals and communities rather than society as a whole.
Critics of the Cameron Conservative coalition government argue that they want to introduce policies to reverse the welfare system.
Geoffrey Wheatcroft, a British journalist and author wrote:
"For the left, and for liberal papers like Guardian, the culprit was the Tory-led government and its “cuts,” the program of rigorous reduction in public spending in response to unprecedented public debt. But it’s hard to see what effect these cuts can really have made in the little more than 15 months since the coalition government took office under David Cameron.
A more telling (if not quite logical) response is the good old tu quoque: look who’s talking. How can the poor be condemned for looting household goods while bankers and financiers have been looting from the public on a far vaster scale than any teenage gangsta could dream of? This is a variant of Brecht’s “What is the crime of robbing a bank compared with the crime of owning one?” and it must be admitted that in the age of AIG, the Royal Bank of Scotland, and Madoff, most of us have our Brechtian moments. And all of us here bridle when anyone is upbraided for greed and dishonesty by our Members of Parliament, who turn out to have been pilfering the taxpayer for years with their fraudulent expenses. "
The state has to punish those who break the law- whether they are looters on the street or greedy officials who robbed public finance or made money out of decisions which have had a profoundly damaging impact on innocent people.
The IPPR, the Institute for Public Policy Research, - the UK’s leading progressive thinktank gives an analysis of the ideological differences and outlines the case of the present coalition government's assault to cut the universal benefits and services.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Bill Clinton goes Vegan
Bill Clinton's love for hamburgers, steaks, and french fries has become legendary.
Former President Clinton now considers himself a vegan. He's dropped more than 20 pounds, and he says he's healthier than ever. His dramatic dietary transformation took almost two decades and came about only after he underwent two separate heart procedures and with some advice from a trusted doctor.
Clinton then decided to make profound changes in the way he eats.
"I essentially concluded that I had played Russian roulette," Clinton said, "because even though I had changed my diet some and cut down on the caloric total of my ingestion and cut back on much of the cholesterol in the food I was eating, I still -- without any scientific basis to support what I did -- was taking in a lot of extra cholesterol without knowing if my body would produce enough of the enzyme to support it, and clearly it didn't or I wouldn't have had that blockage. So that's when I made a decision to really change."
The former president now says he consumes no meat, no dairy, no eggs, almost no oil.
"I like the vegetables, the fruits, the beans, the stuff I eat now," Clinton told CNN's Dr.Gupta.
The former president's goal is to avoid any food that could damage his blood vessels. His dietary guides are Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., who directs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Both doctors have concluded that a plant-based diet can prevent and, in some cases, actually reverse heart disease.
The full report from CNN
Former President Clinton now considers himself a vegan. He's dropped more than 20 pounds, and he says he's healthier than ever. His dramatic dietary transformation took almost two decades and came about only after he underwent two separate heart procedures and with some advice from a trusted doctor.
Clinton then decided to make profound changes in the way he eats.
"I essentially concluded that I had played Russian roulette," Clinton said, "because even though I had changed my diet some and cut down on the caloric total of my ingestion and cut back on much of the cholesterol in the food I was eating, I still -- without any scientific basis to support what I did -- was taking in a lot of extra cholesterol without knowing if my body would produce enough of the enzyme to support it, and clearly it didn't or I wouldn't have had that blockage. So that's when I made a decision to really change."
The former president now says he consumes no meat, no dairy, no eggs, almost no oil.
"I like the vegetables, the fruits, the beans, the stuff I eat now," Clinton told CNN's Dr.Gupta.
The former president's goal is to avoid any food that could damage his blood vessels. His dietary guides are Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., who directs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Both doctors have concluded that a plant-based diet can prevent and, in some cases, actually reverse heart disease.
The full report from CNN
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Indian High Court Judge Impeached for Corruption
Fighting corruption in India has been a monumental task.
BBC correspondent Soutik Bishwas explores the question. "Is India serious about fighting corruption? Going by some striking data put together by the country's respected, independent watchdog PRS Legislative Research, it doesn't appear so.
India's government officials charged with corruption can be prosecuted only after an approval by the federal or state government. However, by simply sitting on requests from prosecuting agencies, governments can easily slow down prosecutions or make sure that the offenders are never prosecuted."
The revolution in communication – with the 24×7 news channels and instant information sharing on the Internet has liberated content from the control of media houses and governments. The power of civil movements led by activists like Anna Hazare whose hunger strike is turning out to be a hunger fest. In the world's largest democracy, action against political and bureaucratic corruption is painfully slow.
India's upper house of parliament- the Rajya Sabha impeached a High Court justice on corruption charges on Thursday, against a backdrop of mass anti-graft protests across the country.
As reported in India Times, In a first, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday impeached Calcutta high court judge Justice Soumitra Sen on charges of corruption. Justice Sen could go down in history as the first judge to be removed if Lok Sabha gives its consent next week to the motion for his impeachment.
This is first time a sitting judge was found guilty by parliament's upper house of 'misappropriating' large sums of public funds in an abuse of his position as a justice of the Kolkata High Court.
BBC correspondent Soutik Bishwas explores the question. "Is India serious about fighting corruption? Going by some striking data put together by the country's respected, independent watchdog PRS Legislative Research, it doesn't appear so.
India's government officials charged with corruption can be prosecuted only after an approval by the federal or state government. However, by simply sitting on requests from prosecuting agencies, governments can easily slow down prosecutions or make sure that the offenders are never prosecuted."
The revolution in communication – with the 24×7 news channels and instant information sharing on the Internet has liberated content from the control of media houses and governments. The power of civil movements led by activists like Anna Hazare whose hunger strike is turning out to be a hunger fest. In the world's largest democracy, action against political and bureaucratic corruption is painfully slow.
India's upper house of parliament- the Rajya Sabha impeached a High Court justice on corruption charges on Thursday, against a backdrop of mass anti-graft protests across the country.
As reported in India Times, In a first, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday impeached Calcutta high court judge Justice Soumitra Sen on charges of corruption. Justice Sen could go down in history as the first judge to be removed if Lok Sabha gives its consent next week to the motion for his impeachment.
This is first time a sitting judge was found guilty by parliament's upper house of 'misappropriating' large sums of public funds in an abuse of his position as a justice of the Kolkata High Court.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Do Beggars Reflect the Plight of the Poor?
The picture on Haveeru yesterday shows a line of people, who assemble in Male' for the month of Ramadan hoping to increase their begging income. This is a very sensitive issue. Most of them are elderly persons. Regardless of whether one agrees with their behaviour or not, they deserve sympathy. That is the goodness in human decency. Most of them may have raised families and contributed to society. In their sunset years, this is a very sad state for them.
While their individual difficulties are not known, nothing suggests that they do it do to sustain a serious drug habit- a deadly addiction widespread in our country. Also it appears that the social welfare monthly payment of rf 2000 for seniors above 65 may not be adequate to sustain a decent living.
Their families, the community and the government will have to step up to help these people in a more effective manner. Government can develop various skills programmes, just like the 'second chance programme' recently introduced, to help these people take up meaningful work that can pay them adequate compensation. That increases their self esteem and gives a sense of pride in belonging to a community. Stronger family bonds will need to be maintained to avoid people having to resort to begging as a means for survival or as a profession to earn money.
While their individual difficulties are not known, nothing suggests that they do it do to sustain a serious drug habit- a deadly addiction widespread in our country. Also it appears that the social welfare monthly payment of rf 2000 for seniors above 65 may not be adequate to sustain a decent living.
Their families, the community and the government will have to step up to help these people in a more effective manner. Government can develop various skills programmes, just like the 'second chance programme' recently introduced, to help these people take up meaningful work that can pay them adequate compensation. That increases their self esteem and gives a sense of pride in belonging to a community. Stronger family bonds will need to be maintained to avoid people having to resort to begging as a means for survival or as a profession to earn money.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
An Economic Storm Ahead
That's the warning given by World Bank chief Robert Zoellick about the global economy on Saturday in Australia.
Zoellick said the eurozone's sovereign debt issues were more troubling than the "medium and long-term" problems which saw the United States downgraded by Standard and Poor's last week, sending global markets into panic.
"We are in the early moments of a new and different storm, it's not the same as 2008," said Zoellick, referring to the global financial crisis.
More of this article here.
Zoellick said the eurozone's sovereign debt issues were more troubling than the "medium and long-term" problems which saw the United States downgraded by Standard and Poor's last week, sending global markets into panic.
"We are in the early moments of a new and different storm, it's not the same as 2008," said Zoellick, referring to the global financial crisis.
More of this article here.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Gangs and Looters to Blame
Britain has begun to pick up the pieces of the violent anarchy that took hold of their cities. Terrified communities experienced unprecedented scenes of mob violence, with homes and businesses going up in flames. Senseless looting and theft carried out mostly by young people with no specific demands defies logic and every social value. An 11-year-old girl is among the 1,500 arrested in four days of rioting and violence in Britain, police said Thursday.
Britain is an advanced nation and has a strong tradition of welfare culture. Prime Minister David Cameroon cut short his vacation and recalled parliament from recess. Looking for the root cause of the mayhem, the prime minister told the parliament: "There are pockets of our society that are not just broken but, frankly, sick. For me, the root cause of this mindless selfishness is the same thing that I have spoken about for years. It is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society, people allowed to feel that the world owes something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities, and that their actions do not have consequences."
As reported in VOA News, Geography Professor Chris Hamnett, of King’s College, lives in North London, not far from some of the worst rioting. He said:
"Essentially, what we've seen is rioting for fun and profit. This is not people expressing their anger against an oppressive state," said Hamnett. This is people thinking it would be nice to get a slice of the action.”
In other words, the looters set fire to buildings just to see how it looked like. It seems these youth live in a different world from law abiding citizens. They have no regard for other people's property. It is repulsive to see criminals robbing from and injured person while lying on the road needing help.
The breakdown of the traditional family unit has made it difficult for many single parents to provide the love and discipline children need growing up. These children grow up believing they can do whatever they wish to do without any consequence. This is the result of physical and emotional chaos at dysfunctional homes. On top of the chaos from broken homes, when governments are unwilling or when they fail to take stern action against drug traffickers, drug abusers and criminals gangs who thrive on such chaos- the result is in the words of prime minister David Cameroon, pockets of not just broken but sick society.
A social segment of this first world economy has gone morally bankrupt.
Britain is an advanced nation and has a strong tradition of welfare culture. Prime Minister David Cameroon cut short his vacation and recalled parliament from recess. Looking for the root cause of the mayhem, the prime minister told the parliament: "There are pockets of our society that are not just broken but, frankly, sick. For me, the root cause of this mindless selfishness is the same thing that I have spoken about for years. It is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society, people allowed to feel that the world owes something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities, and that their actions do not have consequences."
As reported in VOA News, Geography Professor Chris Hamnett, of King’s College, lives in North London, not far from some of the worst rioting. He said:
"Essentially, what we've seen is rioting for fun and profit. This is not people expressing their anger against an oppressive state," said Hamnett. This is people thinking it would be nice to get a slice of the action.”
In other words, the looters set fire to buildings just to see how it looked like. It seems these youth live in a different world from law abiding citizens. They have no regard for other people's property. It is repulsive to see criminals robbing from and injured person while lying on the road needing help.
The breakdown of the traditional family unit has made it difficult for many single parents to provide the love and discipline children need growing up. These children grow up believing they can do whatever they wish to do without any consequence. This is the result of physical and emotional chaos at dysfunctional homes. On top of the chaos from broken homes, when governments are unwilling or when they fail to take stern action against drug traffickers, drug abusers and criminals gangs who thrive on such chaos- the result is in the words of prime minister David Cameroon, pockets of not just broken but sick society.
A social segment of this first world economy has gone morally bankrupt.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Burning with Rage in Britain
A peaceful protest that was staged in Tottenham Saturday by supporters of Mark Duggan, who was shot and killed last week, has now blown into a violent rampage of looting and burning across several cities.
Across the Atlantic in 1992, a similar situation of violence broke out in Los Angeles, in the case of the excessive force used by police on the African American Rodney King.
In each incident, violence that shocked these cities broke out just from the starting point of a single incident. Social media- facebook, twitter and instant communication of the Internet helped flame the passions and gather people.
The use of social media helped to gather and rally people in Egypt, ushered in the Arab Spring and brought down Husni Mubarak's dictatorship of 30 years.
In a commentary about the rioting in Britain, the Christian Science Monitor writes:
'Whether it is rooted in the ills of urban poverty (20 percent or more unemployment among youths 16-24) or represents simple criminal lawlessness is just one of the soul-searching debates now under way. Like many nations Britain has undertaken austerity measures that will cut welfare payments and thousands of government jobs in coming years. Job prospects for most urban youths are bleak.
Two girls who took part in the rioting Monday night boasted to a BBC journalist that they were showing police and “the rich” that “we can do what we want.”
As is often the case with urban riots, the poor neighborhoods themselves are taking the worst hit. “Tottenham [where Mr. Duggan died] didn’t have much, now [it’s] got a lot less,” said a British journalist who lives in that mixed-race neighborhood.
The rioting also provides yet another referendum on social media. Hooded and masked vandals are using social networks – Twitter and Facebook but especially Blackberry messages, which can’t be traced by police – to coordinate looting of a street. They then are tipped off by message if police are about to arrive and they vanish.
But honest Britons have been using social media for good, too. The Twitter hashtag #PrayForLondon asks people to “Please Pray for the protection of lives and properties in London, and Peace in the UK.” And #riotcleanup has become a rallying point for those who want to help. It has motivated people to take to the streets with trash bags and brooms to tidy up the mess the looters leave behind. '
Across the Atlantic in 1992, a similar situation of violence broke out in Los Angeles, in the case of the excessive force used by police on the African American Rodney King.
In each incident, violence that shocked these cities broke out just from the starting point of a single incident. Social media- facebook, twitter and instant communication of the Internet helped flame the passions and gather people.
The use of social media helped to gather and rally people in Egypt, ushered in the Arab Spring and brought down Husni Mubarak's dictatorship of 30 years.
In a commentary about the rioting in Britain, the Christian Science Monitor writes:
'Whether it is rooted in the ills of urban poverty (20 percent or more unemployment among youths 16-24) or represents simple criminal lawlessness is just one of the soul-searching debates now under way. Like many nations Britain has undertaken austerity measures that will cut welfare payments and thousands of government jobs in coming years. Job prospects for most urban youths are bleak.
Two girls who took part in the rioting Monday night boasted to a BBC journalist that they were showing police and “the rich” that “we can do what we want.”
As is often the case with urban riots, the poor neighborhoods themselves are taking the worst hit. “Tottenham [where Mr. Duggan died] didn’t have much, now [it’s] got a lot less,” said a British journalist who lives in that mixed-race neighborhood.
The rioting also provides yet another referendum on social media. Hooded and masked vandals are using social networks – Twitter and Facebook but especially Blackberry messages, which can’t be traced by police – to coordinate looting of a street. They then are tipped off by message if police are about to arrive and they vanish.
But honest Britons have been using social media for good, too. The Twitter hashtag #PrayForLondon asks people to “Please Pray for the protection of lives and properties in London, and Peace in the UK.” And #riotcleanup has become a rallying point for those who want to help. It has motivated people to take to the streets with trash bags and brooms to tidy up the mess the looters leave behind. '
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Sri Lanka's first Islamic bank: Amana Bank
Amãna Bank, Sri Lanka’s first licensed commercial bank to operate fully under the principles of Islamic banking, opened for business last week.
Amãna Bank will be offering a range of financial products and services including Current Accounts, Savings Accounts, Children’s Savings Account, Term Investment Accounts, Home Financing, SME Banking, Corporate Banking, Trade Services and Treasury Services.
Link: Sunday Times
Amãna Bank will be offering a range of financial products and services including Current Accounts, Savings Accounts, Children’s Savings Account, Term Investment Accounts, Home Financing, SME Banking, Corporate Banking, Trade Services and Treasury Services.
Link: Sunday Times
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Mubarak's trial: A Victory for Democracy
A CNN Global public square report on this stunning humiliation for the the former president who was Egypt's military dictator for nearly 30 years.
The sight of Egypt's one-time most powerful man brought on a hospital bed into defendants' cage, made of iron bars and metal mesh was quite a spectacle. With him in the cage were his nine co-defendants, including his two sons — one-time heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa — his former interior minister Habib el-Adly, and six top former police officials.
There is no doubt that these proceedings will be closely watched by the Arab world where there is no tradition of democracy.
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