Showing posts with label iipm-press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iipm-press. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The way they love hate crimes!

The recent incidences of hate crimes in US and across the world highlight the importance of promoting greater tolerance at all levels

Hate crimes have long been a part of the history of mankind. Under European colonial rule in the 16th and 17th centuries, native Americans had to undergo social discrimination. Similarly, Nazis in Germany practiced the Final Solution to execute European Jews during World War II. In the last two centuries, hate crimes against African Americans and xenophobia have become rampant in Western countries.

For all its claims of being a land of liberty and tolerance, US boasts of some fairly unimpressive statistics. The FBI recorded the number of criminal incidents with a biased motivation from 2000 to 2008 from 14422 law enforcement agencies representing 278 million people. In all, it noted 777 incidents that were linked to ethnicity/national origin (1109 victims) and 1,303 incidents linked to religion (1575 victims). The recent brutal murder of an Iraqi-American woman Shaima Alawadi in San Diego (on March 24, 2012) and the shoot-out of an unarmed Black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida (on February 26, 2012), have highlighted the increase in crimes against minorities like Muslims, Black, ethnic Jews & Latinos.

In particular, America has witnessed a surge in the number of hate crimes against Muslims post 9/11. A report by the Journal of Applied Social Psychology explored that the number of anti-Muslim attacks in America in 2001 increased exponentially from 354 to 1501 following the attack. But the crimes were not limited to Muslims only. Other minorities were on target as well. As per the FBI’s recent Hate Crime Statistics, around 6,628 criminal incidents involving 7,699 offenses were reported in 2010. Along with Islamophobia, anti-Latino crimes have also increased manifold. A study conducted by Pew Research revealed that in 2003, there were 426 hate crimes against Latinos, while in 2007, there were 595 nationally. Hate crimes have also surged immensely in Canada. Canadian police services reported 1,401 hate crimes in 2010, which boils down to a rate of 4.1 hate crimes per 100,000 people.

Unfortunately, the trend in hate crimes, especially Islamophobia, is spreading like wildfire in Europe as well. According to the French Muslim umbrella group, French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), hate crimes against Muslims rose by 20% in the first nine months of 2011 in France. A record 15,284 people were prosecuted for hate crimes in England and Wales in 2010-11. However, the official data revealed by governments may be much lower than the actual figures on the ground, as research has found that many victims of hate crimes are often reluctant to come forward. The research further revealed that only one-third of the police reports were filed by the victims, while many incidents went unreported and were also swept under the carpet.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
 
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Monday, April 01, 2013

“Perhaps The US Navy Seals did Capture Osama Alive...”

Cairo-based Max Rodenbeck, Chief Middle East Correspondent, The Economist, discusses Osama Bin Laden’s death, The Involvement of Pakistan and US in The Capture, and The Effects of Osama’s death on other Terror Outfits, Pakistan’s Neighbours and The Middle East, with A. Sandeep, Editor, Business & Economy.

B&E: Recently, America celebrated the end of Osama bin Laden, as the end of the mastermind behind the biggest terror threats worldwide. Is it actually such a big victory?
Max Rodenbeck (MR): Understanding that he was one of the biggest criminals in world history and the biggest threat to peace, the celebration was called for. But to hope that this would bring an end to all kinds of terrorist attacks like those masterminded by the al-Qaeda under bin Laden’s leadership, I think it is premature to think that such a thing will happen. Osama’s death is a big blow to al-Qaeda, The outfit has grown considerably weaker in the past ten years, and it is not clear as to who will be the successor to Osama. Whoever becomes the successor, he would not have the same profile or the ability to inspire such hatred or admiration amongst like-minded people.

B&E: While reacting to the news of Osama’s death, the British PM had said that there was a need for the West to be cautious of a backlash. Also, Taliban has vowed to launch an attack on US and Pakistan to avenge Osama’s death. How real are these threats?
MR: More than considering them real or not, it is better to understand these as short-term threats. The most striking response to Laden’s death from the Muslim world has been the silence. There was not a great deal of comment at all. Besides the people who are on the fringe of Islamic radicalism – the Jihadist fringe, which is a very small fringe element in the Muslim world today – the rest are not upset about Osama’s death. There also remains some degree of disbelief in the truth about US’ story regarding the killing of Laden and the truth that he died. But in terms of an immediate backlash, it is pretty likely that some of those groups associated with al-Qaeda will feel the need to either express their anger or reassert the fact that they still exist by launching an attack.

B&E: Reports have claimed that Osama bin Laden, in recent times, was not as active as he was, say about 10-15 years ago. What are your views?
MR: It is true that Osama’s leadership has not been that important in recent years. In fact, the central leadership of al-Qaeda has not been that critical. The work of al-Qaeda around the world over the last couple of years has been carried out by groups that are only remotely linked to al-Qaeda. There is no question that bin Laden’s leadership has been less important of late. I think this has also largely been because he has been unable to communicate. It has been quite some time now – I can’t remember how long – since we last saw some video or audio statement from him. His leadership position had weakened even before his death.

B&E: The growth of al-Qaeda also led to the corresponding formation and strengthening of several other similar but smaller outfits across the globe. With their agenda almost clear and certain, how big a deterrent is Osama’s death for these outfits? Or do you think other terror outfits will get stronger due to Osama’s death?
MR: I don’t think we have anyone trying or planning to play the part of al-Qaeda in the same sort of manner. In an organisational sense, there are some people who follow the policy of global jihad, but this is a small minority which mostly exists on the Internet – in terms of being real and operative on-ground, there are really very few. Maximum, we are talking about a few hundred around the world. They are all very like-minded outfits that exist in many different countries. We are talking about small cells, of hardly two dozen people each. And a lot of them have the basic primitive training and have very limited goals and what they can achieve. So, in such a scenario, we will see terrorism on a very small scale, than on a global scale. al-Qaeda’s vision, over the last 10 years, has become increasingly difficult to sustain, because it broke into a franchise, with different branches that operate independently. There is very little central leadership. And it’s hard to see any organisation that will try to emulate a centrally-led terror outfit. It is likely that there will be constant mutations and change in all terror outfits. There is already a considerable amount of debate inside al-Qaeda itself about strategy and tactics – whether they were doing the right thing or not. In the jihadi circle as well, questions have been raised whether whatever they have been doing is right or not. Questions are being increasingly asked about this kind of terrorism and radical wrong action around the Muslim world. It can also be that the pool of recruits at schools of terror is actually getting smaller. All this was happening even when bin Laden was not dead, so I am not sure whether Osama’s death will have any impact on terror groups or on whether his death will make the smaller, lesser known groups stronger. Interestingly, even if you look at geographies, there are considerable differences between the countries. Pakistan is rather unstable and has its own domestically generated and caused sources of violent Islamic radicalism. And these are not often connected to the broader or global movement such as the al-Qaeda. So there could be different forms of local terror groups in different countries.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist). For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles
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Thursday, March 28, 2013

B&E Indicators

Global M&As on the rise

Global M&A deals in 2010 closed at $2.4 trillion, a 23% increase from 2009 after 2 consecutive years of 31% decline. Deal volume also increased, but only by 3%, suggesting that bigger deals were being concluded. Asia Pacific deal value jumped 31%, reflecting global interest in the fastest growing region in the world. In fact, Q4 2010, with $202 billion in announced deals, set a new record as the busiest quarter based on deal value.

A boom in Asia Pacific deals

Asia Pacific M&A deals (by target nations) closed 2010 at $574 billion. They grew by 33%, faster than the rest of the world and accounted for 23% of global M&A deals, up from 22% a year ago. Though Asia Pacific deal volume fell 1% y-o-y to 12,777 deals, the average deal size increased 33% y-o-y. Not surprisingly, China once again led Asia Pacific M&A with announced deal value of $135 billion, followed by Australia and Japan.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

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Monday, March 18, 2013

The ‘IDEA’ For A Change

The Operator with the Punch Line ‘An Idea Can Change Your Life’ has felt its mark in The Telecom Space. The Company has fared well in FY2010 and now have High Hope with 3G and MNP.

Every corporate houses posses a dream of becoming a part of the Great Indian Telecom Story. While giants like Tatas had realised the potential of the services long back and had become the part of the telecom growth in the early days, players like Reliance entered a little late. Corporate houses like Future Group, Unitech are latest incumbent in the race. But, making a dent in the high competition telecom market – having 15 players and ailing with falling ARPU, shrinking margins – has been a harrowing task for all of them. However, Idea Cellular is the one that has stood the test of the time and is the only telecom player to have made it to this year’s edition of B&E’s Fastest Growing Companies in India.

The $29 billion Aditya Birla Group had a fair amount of “IDEA” about the potential of telecom industry at the dawn of the sector in the mid 90s. The first telecom licence was awarded to the Group in December 1995 in the high ARPU Maharashtra and Gujarat Service Areas followed by the launch of services in the 1997. The company went slow with plans in the first decade of its inception, as during the period mobile telephony was the service of classes. However, Idea became aggressive in 2007 after getting the pan India licence. In fact, by the end of FY2010 it had rolled out its services across all 22 telecom circles in the country.

But, the company’s fortune took a north after it started rolling out services across all the circles. From a mere 12.44 million subscriber base by the end of December 2006, Idea Cellular services are subscribed by 74.2 million people today. It’s market share has also witnessed a significant jump with more than 10% market share already in its kitty.

Idea Cellular’s aggressive expansion plans also included M&As. In fact, in June 2001, it forayed into Madhya Pradesh Service Area after acquiring RPG Cellcom. Similarly, after acquiring Escotel Mobile Communication in early 2004, it started offering services in Haryana, UP (WEST) and Kerala. Spice Communications operating in Karnataka and Punjab was also acquired by Idea. It’s because of these organic and inorganic strategies that Idea today is the sixth largest telecom player in India.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

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Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Even Viagra may not work!

Losses of patent rights in the pharmaceutical industry prove how the biggest of dreams can turn into the worst of nightmares. And there are no exceptions. by steven philip warner

It wasn’t just another day for Jeffrey Kindler at office. Kindler, for the past four years, had been serving as the General Counsel at Pfizer. It was precisely two days ago, when he had been hastily appointed as Pfizer’s CEO. He switched on his office desktop for the first time and typed-in an email to Pfizer employees, which read thus: “July 31, 2006: To meet our challenges in a rapidly changing industry, we will need your continued help. I would like to discuss our challenges openly...” The note was headlined: “We move forward from a position of strength.” This was to some surprise, as his firm had been clearly suffering a stagnated top-line and a falling stock (which, under his predecessor Henry McKinnell, had fallen by 43%). Today, a Ronald McDonald shoe and a rubber chicken (that he was gifted by his bosses at McDonald’s on his exit) are placed neatly in a shelf in his New York office, and it serves as a reminder of his being the first big pharma CEO who had had no previous pharma experience (before becoming the General Counsel). Under Kindler’s watch, in May 2008, Pfizer’s stock price nosedived to the sub-$18/share level only for the second time in over 12 long years. As of March 2010, the stock is gasping at $17.75. Pfizer’s revenues have continued being indifferent to Kindler’s presence (they’ve hovered between $47 to $49 billion!). But the biggest worries of Kindler go far beyond just the humdrum tales of a battered stock price & a browbeaten bottomline (its net profit for FY2009 represents just 43% of what it earned four years back!).

It’s amusing how one man’s meat can become another man’s poison, even in the world of pharma. For his predecessor Henry, the acquisitions of Warner-Lambert (in 2000 for $90 billion) and Pharmacia (in 2002 for $60 billion) proved to be glorious moments (as the first deal gave Pfizer a control over the world’s no.1 selling $11.4 billion-a-year drug Lipitor, while the latter helped it pocket its now third-bestseller Celebrex, which earns $2.5 billion-a-year); for Kindler, the very same deals are now giving nightmares of a dry drug pipeline! Today, Kindler is grudgingly shouldering the burden of launching blockbusters to make up for the loss of its patents over the next few years.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The US foreign policy

Obama has little choice but to go after earnest development in the US foreign policy

B&E: The media is abuzz with speculation about the possible opening of a United States interests section in Tehran. If the US makes a formal request, will Iran agree?
MM: I think the realising of the word “if” in the US takes considerable time. In the last few months, we have been asked this question of “if America raises such a request” many times; yet, we are still not faced with such a request. Till now, these things have come up through mass media and that is why you have received mass-media type answers. Let’s be patient. We’ll surely respond if we receive any such request.

B&E: Seymour Hersh argues that there has been a shift in the American position vis-à-vis an attack on Iran? What’re your comments on that?
MM: From the very commencement of this question historically, two options were on the table: an alternative based on cooperation, and an option based on altercation. We, at all times, prefer the choice based on cooperation. Time and again, we would listen from some part of the ruling party in the United States that they are bearing in mind the other option – that is confrontation, an assault or military strike on Iran. Maybe this has forever been in their minds, and is even now; but the problem is that they aren’t understanding what could happen. They cannot inflict on the taxpayers another conflict and that’s why we do not see any likelihood for a new conflict by the Americans in our region.

B&E: What do you think would the consequences be, if the United States did attack Iran?
MM: They know what will be the reaction. We have informed them. 


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

 
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Monday, December 03, 2012

In Defence of Capitalism

 Many of you might think I have gone bonkers for defending Capitalism at a time when financial cataclysm is creating mayhem across the world. After all, America symbolised Capitalism and it does appear as if Uncle Sam is being destroyed by Capitalism. You could say that it is de facto 'nationalisation' – the ultimate symbol of socialism – that is saving America from financial destruction and ruin. There is no doubt that without the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department – both arms of the US government – the American economy would have collapsed by now. The titans of Capitalism – General Motors, Ford, AIG, Citi... – have gone to the American government with a begging bowl, pleading to be saved from the very beasts of Capitalism that they used to flaunt so proudly till recently. For all practical purposes, America has turned decisively socialist. Similar things are happening in Europe, Japan and other so called citadels of Capitalism. With all this as the factual backdrop, how can I claim that Capitalism is still the best option for economic growth, poverty reduction and overall prosperity? How can I make such a seemingly foolhardy statement when even drum beaters of Capitalism like Alan Greenspan are suffering from a spasmodic bout of Mea Culpa?

The answer is simple. In the rush to denounce 'Capitalism' and its wild excesses that have created this crisis, there is fundamental confusion over all important terms like Capitalism, Market, State and Regulation. What we have seen in America over the last two decades or so is not Capitalism in the classical sense; you could call it Crony Capitalism or 'Financialism'. American capitalism was triumphant when General Motors, General Electric, General Mills, to name just a few, were the standard bearers. America manufactured the best products, provided the best services and hence ruled the world economy. But then, it turned into 'financialism' where Wall Street rocket scientists kept creating bubbles and hoodwinking the world.

They were joined in the farce by credit rating agencies. And they deliberately fostered a lie that ''markets'' are always perfect and that the State and Regulation are relics of an old era. The problem was that vast swathes of the world bought this hideous lie. Regulation in America had become a joke over the last two decades, with the State and regulators brazenly siding with the fat cats. If regulation is absent or biased, then Capitalism loses its core essence. Imagine a game of cricket between India and Australia where Andrew Symonds is the Umpire. Something similar happened in America. And we are all paying the price. But please, do not denounce Capitalism and the market as the twin evils. They are far from perfect; but they still deliver the best results and will continue to deliver the best results as long as the players in the game of Capitalism are supervised by an unbiased referee who blows the whistle when there is a foul.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

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Saturday, December 01, 2012

MARGARET ALVA: RESIGNATION

Alva's statement and resignation may start series of apprehensions

Following her charges, veteran Congressman and President of the party’s Scheduled Castes Cell, Yogendra Makwana said that the party should not sit idle over the issue and should look into the matter.

What was first looked at as an 'emotional outburst' has, after the remarks, from Makwana taken a different turn altogether. It shows clearly that there is apprehension within the Congress circle and if the leaders don't take the matter seriously, then it may set off a series of chain reactions. At this point of time, Congress is not ready for any such problem as the crucial Assembly Elections are nearby.

Many Congressmen may be saying that Alva's statements and her consequent resignation will not make any difference to the party, but it is worth noting that it has been a long time since a senior Congress leader has come against the party and taken some stand.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Livni affronts thorns

There are tremendous expectations from the new Kadima Chief; will she be a hawk or a dove?

In an election that may well decide what kind of news will we be reporting from west Asia in days to come, Tzipi Livni, Israel's outgoing Foreign Minister won the election for the head of Kadima Party and has started political manoeuvres to set pieces for the coalition government that she will lead as a Prime Minister. As final results were announced this weekend, Livni narrowly edged out her closest rival, Shaul Mofaz, the hawkish Transport Minister in Olmert’s government, by 431 votes. While Livni polled 43.1% of the popular vote, Mofaz had to contend with 42%. Nearly all the Exit Polls predicting a sweep for Livni proved wide of the mark.

A wafer thin margin is only first of several problems that Livni confronts. Her party, Kadima, has merely 29 seats in the 120-seat Knesset and in all probability, will need support from Labour Party that has 19 seats as well as other marginal parties, including the ultra-orthodox Shas, and the left-wing Meretz. Needless to say, even by the standards of the bedlam that Israel’s internal politics is, it will be a tough deal for Livni, whose own allegiance & ideology has changed several times during her brief career as a politician.

“It is a rather complex game for her,” says Reuven Pedhatzur, Political Analyst. “Each party will try to extract their pound of flesh for their support. It will particularly be interesting to see the role of Shas.” On the peace front, things will not be any easier for her. She shall have to deal with the thorny question of the status of East Jerusalem and a road map for the creation of a separate state for Palestinians – both anathema for Shas.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The dragon strikes gold again

China's oil deal with Iraq is opening doors for a future where it can sign deals on its own terms

While the outgoing government in US tries hard to make the world believe that it has done a world of wonders for Iraq and its people, China silently signed an oil deal with the Iraqi government, thus making new inroads to suffice its thirst for oil and providing doors for foreign investment in the region. The deal is an extension of the oil deal signed in 1997 during Saddam's rule and is the first international deal signed by the post-Saddam government. The $3 billion deal would provide China with oil for the next 22 years, who would then use it to generate electricity. The size of the deal can be estimated from the fact that it has been signed for the Adhab oil field in Wasit province and is expected to produce 90,000 barrels a day, renegotiated by the Chinese state-run oil company, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

The contract signed in 1997 was on a production-sharing basis but the present one is a service contract, under which China will not be a partner in profits and instead will be paid for its work. The revised deal seems to be on worse terms than the original one signed with Saddam but the CNPC is ready to take more risk than any other giant oil firm. This, says an energy security analyst, would be the ‘game changer’.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Screeeechhhh!!!

Interest rate hike and mounting inflation has put the brakes on the speeding auto financing industry in the country. Bad times be damned!

im O’Neill, Sandra Lawson and Roopa Purushothaman who had concluded (in their paper titled, ‘The BRICs and Global Markets: Car, Crude and Capital’) that India’s market growth will be rapid with the potential for a threefold increase in car ownership over the next 10 years, might once again have to redo their work and radically change their conclusion. Well, the reason for the reconsideration being the rising raw material cost, slowing credit & signs of economic slowdown. All of these have cast a dark spell on the sector which now seems to be bearing the brunt of the economic slowdown, as well as interest rates that are rising by the day.

Certainly, the last five months have been a bit wary for auto loan consumers. The interest rates on auto loans have been hiked four times in a row. This has forced the banks to cut down on their retail lending by about 15-20%. Further, given the tight monetary stance by the central bank and its advice to the banks not to overstretch themselves and keep lending in consonance with their sources of funds (limit credit growth up to 20%), the banks’ margins have squeezed. Hence to maintain their profitability, they are left with no option but to revise their lending rates. With inflation (currently pegged at 12.44%) continuing to surge, a cut in the interest rate is unlikely in the near term and volumes are likely to remain under pressure. So much so that the current interest rates on auto loans which hover around 15.5% have had a direct impact on the buying behaviour of consumers. Sadly, these high interest rates (on the part of the financers) and lower buying sentiments (on the part of the consumers) will continue to negatively impact the demand for vehicles.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Friday, November 23, 2012

EU PRESIDENCY: FRENCH CANDIDATURE

Sarkozy seems to be more of loose cannon than one bargained for

With such chaos, Sarkozy will have tough times ahead. Talking to B&E on the issue, Philip Whyte, an expert on EU politics at Centre for European Reform, said, “He continues with the French tradition of finding scapegoats. He has accused the ‘Polish plumber’, the Chinese currency, Anglo-Saxons – all external scapegoats – for the misery of EU. He is on the verge of being dismissed as a cynic by sensible European leaders.” Tough luck. It is in all probability expected that other EU governments will make sure that the ever more protectionist and populist propositions from Sarkozy are resisted.

An added French objective is to forbid coverlet protection for unlawful immigrants. Italy and Spain have legally recognised hundreds of thousands of black workforce in recent years, effectively changing the black economy into dynamic taxpayers. Even if France is triumphant in forbidding immunity, the migrants will keep pouring in – only they’ll stay put in the black economy, where they are more probably to be subjugated. Sarkozy had hoped that at least one day he could be in the news devoid of Bruni! Voila, his wish seems to have been granted!


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Green to the gills?

Here’s B&E’s lowdown on how to walk the ‘green mile’ without losing your way!

Nothing in the last few years has gained so much prominence the world over as much as global warming and climate change have, so much so, that from the food we eat to the clothes we wear, and from the cars we drive to the houses we live in, everything has been re-engineered and redesigned to make it more environment friendly.

But all this noise has also led to confusion in the minds of many. Just the other day I caught up with a friend who is ever so determined to reduce her carbon footprint. She drives 20 kms to this shop that sells organic food when she could easily buy inorganic food from the neighbourhood store, or better still, order it over the telephone just so she could do her bit for the environment. Usually the one to have all the answers, she asked, “Should one buy organic vegetables produced in far away places or inorganic stuff grown nearby?” Now that’s probably getting too deep into the matter, I thought. But if you belong to the school of thought that thinks that the whole deal gets a little confusing at times, there are simple things that could make a difference. Information overdose has had the most conscious of people confused. That said, we do have a problem at hand and a little thought is all it’ll take for us to make a difference.

So, how much is enough and what should be an individual’s contribution to achieve a meaningful result? According to Greenpeace, Reduce: The next time you buy something ask yourself whether you actually need it. Reuse: Unfortunately, we’re all part of a consumerist society. We go for a new and improved version of a product even if the one we already have works just as fine.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

BARACK OBAMA: PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATURE WIN

Barack Obama has won the battle. Will he also be able to win the war?

The mad last-minute rush of Democratic super delegates and results from the final primaries in Montana and South Dakota, handed Obama the 2,118 delegates victory.

Son of a black Kenyan father and white Kansan mother, Obama has made history by breaching America''s mightiest barrier – that of race. And thus naturally, the word "respect", found deep resonance in almost all of his moving speeches – plus the fact that Americans weren''t nearly as dumb as the world believes them to be.

Most observers feel Obama will easily overcome the conservative challenge from McCain – the general perception being that the latter will simply carry on the policies of Bush. No matter how vigorously McCain attempts to trash this by distancing himself from Bush – and, yes, by emphasising his own breadth of experience and Obama''s lack of it – it is clear where the die is cast. Said McCain in one of his scores of vapid, colourless speeches, "The American people didn''t get to know me yesterday as they are just getting to know Senator Obama." But maybe the American people just didn''t want to ''get to know'' McCain; and as they were "getting to know Obama", they liked what they saw and heard: a sane voice after two seemingly interminable spells of self-destructive Republican paranoia under President Bush!


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.


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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Kemal’s secular fundamentalists

Turkey is increasingly being pushed towards a new kind of extremism

When Mustafa Kemal Ataturk established modern Turkey, he envisioned a nation free from all kinds of fundamentalism, including “Islamism” and “Turkishness”. Perhaps he never knew 90 years hence, some of his followers will push it towards a completely different kind of fundamentalism, best described as militant secularism. In what may seriously damage political stability in West Asia, secularists or Kemalists, as they are called, are in the advance stages of banning the ruling party!

The ruling party's decision to lift a ban on female students wearing the Muslim headscarf at universities was seen as a catalyst for the closure case, the indictment for which is packed with references to the headscarf. A couple of months ago, the Constitutional Court had accepted a case by the Court of Appeals’ Chief Prosecutor, who sought closure of the AK Party.Appeal’s chief prosecutor also wants as many as 71 members of the AK party banned–that includes President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan–over charges of “breaching Turkey's constitution by supporting Islamist activities.”


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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