What the nuclear deal means for.....

The UPA
A definite shot in the arm ahead of assembly polls in five states, and the general elections in the upcoming year. The NSG waiver comes as a big boost to the alliance's hopes of regaining power next year. The UPA will definitely use the deal in their campaigns, especially when you consider their weak points of being soft on terrorism and record inflation. However, whether we like it or not, we have to agree with the fact that there are some people of respect and honour in the UPA and they are doing right things.

The NDA
What can you say? The NDA's hopes of winning the forthcoming elections took a huge blow with the UPA's success. To top it off, they are resorting to their customary "oppose everything, whether in national interest or not" tactics by suggesting that the nation has been betrayed. We'll have to wait and watch regarding this point though as the "leaked letter" is still shrouded in mystery. However, they are all for the deal. They probably just can't bear the credit being given to the UPA.

The Left
The deal is definitely a huge blow to the Left, who could now return to being insignificant in the nation's affairs following a four-year period of destructive influence. Unless they resort to their usual pain-in-the-@$$ convention of bandhs and strikes. The political turn-around could also mean that The Third Front will equally suffer.

National interest
The deal was always in national interest. Irrespective of what you've heard or read. India has realized it's growing energy needs and for the country to become a superpower, it was always a must to explore this field of energy generation.

China
Well, they proved they can never be trusted by emerging as a last-minute obstruction to the deal by raising questions of non-proliferation at the NSG after assuring India that they backed the deal. It probably means that the Chinese can't bear to see India as an equal rival. Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai returns to being rhetorical.

Concerned citizens
Well, India plans to drastically improve it's civilian energy needs through nuclear power(which currently stands at a meagre 3%) with the deal and it definitely means that a new sector of energy opens up in full bloom. This could mean cheaper electricity once the deal is in operation and a reduced dependency on coal-generated power. Also nuclear waste, once disposed carefully, does not influence climate change and global warming.

Ignorant citizens
What?

Dumbstruck

[Link to a Reuters' post on George Bush's comments on the food crisis] So, what do you think?



And Happy Mother's Day.

Global food crisis - An analysis by George Bush

How George Bush served two terms of presidency of the United States of America is something I can never comprehend completely. He basically comes across as a poor decision-maker, lacks crisis management skills and is a source of inspiration to people interested in garbling up English grammar for general use [Wikiquote link]. Or even fun.

His latest gems come out in the form of an analysis of the world’s food crisis and squarely laying the blame on India’s middle class. This follows a similar allegation from his top diplomat Condoleezza Rice, who had earlier asked India and China to “eat less”. While speaking in Missouri, Bush has stated:-

...the more prosperous the world is, the more opportunity there is.

Why yes of course, sir. Quote of a genius. Please carry on.

So, for example, just as an interesting thought for you, there are 350 million people in India who are classified as middle class. That's bigger than America. Their middle class is larger than our entire population.

So the context of his speech seems like a dig at how Americans are probably running dry (pun intended). And definitely, the thought is immensely interesting. Like there was nothing more interesting. Next please, Mr. President.

And when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food. And so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up…

Wow. If ever I was too smart myself to analyze the world food crisis, I’d definitely say that the rise of the Indian middle class is to be blamed for it. How can we demand better nutrition? We are a third world country with absolutely no rights to better food.

So what if we don’t use our maize fields for bio-fuels to serve energy problems over food deficiencies. It makes sense diverting agricultural fields from food to ethanol production. Doesn’t it, Mr. President? And he replies.

No contest. We're an unbelievably compassionate nation.

Thanks for your time, Mr. Bush. You are truly great. Apart from your diplomatic and leadership skills, you can see through covered binocular lenses. No ordinary man can do that. [Picture courtesy: Humor Vids]

Inspiring.

The Price of War

Time.com's Picture of the Week.

Take a look at this gut-wrenching photo of three US soldiers providing aid to a child wounded in a bombing in Mosul, Iraq.

The blood, the pain, the guns, the eyes.

Do what I tell you

Return of the self-proclaimed king.

US State Department: "We would hope that the Indian government, or any government that was engaging with the Iranians, including with President Ahmadinejad, would call on him to meet the requirements that the Security Council and the international community has placed on him in terms of suspending their uranium enrichment activities and complying with other requirements regarding their nuclear programme".
US would "encourage" India to ask Iran to end its "rather unhelpful activities with respect to Iraq, with respect to support for terrorism, including organisations like Hezbollah and Hamas, and to otherwise become a more responsible actor on the world stage".

We all know how the US of A likes to interfere in the foreign policies of so many countries when it comes to preserving their own suspicions of other ones. And now they have once again tried to poke their noses into Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s upcoming visit to India. This is what the MEA replied:-

India and Iran are ancient civilisations whose relations span centuries. Both nations are perfectly capable of managing all aspects of their relationship. Neither country needs any guidance on the future conduct of bilateral relations.

Seems like a fitting reply then, doesn’t it? When India is considering boosting diplomatic ties with Iran and, of course, work out the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, there comes a typical American statement that thinks it can influence our minds and make us bow down. The Left may not have it all right, but they are mostly spot on with their statements about the US and her Big Brother-like behaviour.

By the way, Happy Birthday to Sachin Tendulkar.