It its very unfortunate to start with the incident happened at AIIMS regarding the suicide of my junior Balmukund bharti a 2004 batch student of MBBS at AIIMS on 3rd March 2010 but I see this as a very alarming situation because every time such incident happens same line of remarks come from Administration whether it is AIIMS , CSMMU Lucknow or any other medical college;
1.The said student was not able to cope with the amount of pressure at the institute , he was consistently failing in particular field , he was depressed but in all their explanation for the cause of death they miserably fail on explaining WHY???? this all is happening or they are too smart to very conveniently escape the real issue, “What instigated him to take such an extreme step?”
2.To talk about caste prejudices being one of the important cause of such incident is not welcomed at any point and the irony is that if you dare to speak about this angle first and foremost duty is to explain your own colleague mostly from your own community and convince them that this is a harsh truth though they all are aware of the fact that how “THE CASTE” plays a crucial role in all these incident and surprisingly majority of suicide in such big Institutions echelons of knowledge the 80%-90%victims are from reserved category but yet to speak about this thing is like sailing against the tide and all of sudden the main issue of suicide is secondary and you find yourself in the middle explaining each and everyone about your stand because,” in this era of 21st century on papers caste discrimination is a thing of past which was abolished long time back by the sincere efforts of the Government of India” so all of sudden you are tagged a traitor who is against the harmony and integrity of Nation and hellbent to defame the institute you are studying in.
Friends this is not just an alarming but this is a helpless situation,because one person is not responsible it is the System which is to be blamed because whosoever become the part of the System forget his moral responsibility and to save this system becomes his priority and it seems like saving a boat having a hole in the bottom though the hole is small but it takes all the time of the sailor and not allow him to concentrate and to decide which route he has to take to reach the destination.
Friends regarding the suicide committed by Balmukund bharti I have following points to raise;
1. First and foremost it was not the first time as he tried a week ago to end his life and was taken to casuality for the treatment Why was he not admitted and kept under observation as suicidal tendency is in itself indication for admission and observation. Why he was not seen by the Psychiatric Consultant in Emergency ward these point if taken care of in time would have stopped this untoward incident.
2. Again the point of he being failed in the said examination what steps were taken to help him in this context and this is the similar case that had happened to Sushil Chaudhary of CSMMU Lucknow. The Dean of AIIMS should take moral responsibility and should be answerable.
3. Balmukund when came to AIIMS he was beaten up and abused by the wingmates and finally he has to change his room.
4. One unique thing happened in this case Balmukund always wanted to change his caste and for this he even abandoned his parents and assumed a so called higher caste couple as his parents. In last two years he changed his name twice rest of the details are not available but eventually will come out but the point is that why he wanted to be in a so called higher caste the reason is that may be the root cause of the depression and other failure were attributed to his caste.
5. Balmukund is not just not one case but it is an epitome of caste prejudice costing his life he tried his best to get rid of the shackles of caste but miserably failed.
6. The whole incident clearly shows the, “Callous attitude” of inept AIIMS administration by the very fact that they have not implemented the ,”Thorat Committee Recommendations” in letter and spirit which was commissioned by the present Prime Minister in 2006 and that was for safeguarding the interest of underprivileged students, Residents at AIIMS
Dear friends to me it is just the tip of the iceberg We are not just loosing our talents but also those who could have become the pillars to fight this haunting environment and to build strength for our Community, then Society and then our Nation. I don’t know how many Balmukund, Sushil chaudhary have to sacrifice and die in anonymity but one thing is very clear that though I am disturbed but I am not broken this is the need of hour ,”We need a committed struggle and everyone should extend his helping hand in order to put an end to such unfortunate events”
AIIMS, New Delhi
One Response to “Caste murder at AIIMS”
1 UTTAMKUMAR SUKHADEVE on March 5, 2010 said:
Dear Singh, what is the use to publishised of the incident happened with your friend. Everyday there are so many family/persons who belong to the deprived classes facing the same problum/discriminiation.These all happened due to our non-active politician/officers who occupied the key post. They are not bothered about atrocity upon the scheduled caste/tribe soiciety. I am one of the live example. I have filed a case in Jan 08 in National Commission for scheduled caste, New Delhi 110 003 against my employer for unlawful compulsory retirement punishment was imposed on me. Prof.NM Kamble Vice-Chairman of NCSC delivered his decision in my favour on 30.9.08. But the commission employee who is belong to upper caste Shri YK Bansal kept my file in a cold storage and not took any effective action to implement the decision of the Vice Chairman.During the period of eight monthsOct 08 to May 09 they have not taken any justifible action against my employer. When i develop presssure by using RTI right, then Shri YK Bansal ignored the deceision of Vice Chairman dated 30.9.08 even he avoid to put up the file to the vice chairman and choose to putup the case directly to the chairman Shri Buta Singh with a recomandation to close the case without any reason and he succeded to obtained the signature of the Chairman of the commission. Because his wrongful action, they deprived my fandamental right which is guranteed by the india constitution. Prof. NM Kamble and Shri Buta singh both are belong to the scheduled caste, and they killed the future and right of a scheduled caste officer and his family. I wrote many letters to them but they didnot take any pain to reply. Now you tell me, what you will geting to published the incident of your friend, you will not get any justice from this ugly society. I do not have any faith in the indian system of Justice. I am strugling till today for want of Justice since last six years, whould you like to Join Me for fight. If yes then please use your right and obtained the xerox copies of my case file under RTI Act from the National Commission scheduled caste, New Delhi and go throught it and please Judge and come to the conclusion. If you find my mistake, I shall be gratefull if you intimate me. If you need any information I can provide you. This is might be boring work for you. if yes then please keep your friends memories in the shadow of time dont publish it….
A team of Activists visited the spot Modha where 6 children and 2 Mothers were burnt alive, in order to consolidate the facts and rear ahead the speed of justice. This has also given a helping hand and moral support to the suffering Pawar family. Watch the Entire day- long visit as below:
Pic 04: FIR-4 (Falsified*) Pic 05: FIR-5 (Falsified*) Pic 06: Campaign for Human Rights (CHR) President visited place of incidence along with Manisha Tokle, Sameer Taware, Motiram Bade, B.P Survanshi, Bajrang Tate and Ramrao Gavali
Pic 07 Suresh Chatan Pawar who lost his family Pic08: Ashok Chatan Pawar Who lost his 8 years old son Pic 09: Sanjay Suresh Pawar who lost almost every one of his family
Pic 10: Pawar family who lost their six children and two women Pic 11: This place where eight dead bodies were cremated Pic 12: Died four children’s and one women in the Pawar Family
Pic 13: CHR fact finding team understand legal aspects of the case. Team Members are Adv. Shidharth Shinde, Santosh Jadhav, Kailas Veer and Rajsthan Kale Pic 14: Victim family requesting to Adv. Eknath Awad ( CHR President ) to get justice
Caste Cupola: 8 burnt alive, Solapur Pardhi Commune turned into ashes 15Feb10
In an incident that could potentialy put India ablaze, is clearly under grips of Caste Mindset and it would avail no time for us to blast the moral order of not only Caste India but also world…
At least eight people, including six children and two woman were killed when their huts were allegedly set afire by unidentified people at Nimgaon village in Madha taluka of the district early today.The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained, police said.
Talking to UNI, Assistant Police Sub-Inspector of Madha police station Harishchand More said the incident took place in the early hours but it came to light only at around 0700 hrs. The fire was doused with the help of the people. As per the preliminary investigation, the reason behind the fire is reportedly stated to be an internal rivarly between two families of a scheduled tribe.
He said police have detained three people including a woman, following a complaint filed by one Suresh Pawar against them.”We are investigating the case and detained three people, including a woman – Zugarabai (40), for their
...
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Produktinformation
Taschenbuch: 208 Seiten Verlag: Vintage Books; Auflage: N.-A. (4. August 1997) Sprache: Englisch ISBN-10: 0749390697 ISBN-13: 978-0749390693 Größe und/oder Gewicht: 19,4 x 12,6 x 1,4 cm Durchschnittliche Kundenbewertung: 3.3 von 5 Sternen Alle Rezensionen anzeigen (13 Kundenrezensionen)
Amazon.de Verkaufsrang: Nr. 1.428.298 in Englische Bücher (Die Bestseller Englische Bücher)
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"A witty documentary satire.... Mehta embraces an enormous variety of life and death. Her style is light without being flip; her skepticism never descends to cynicism. [Karma Cola is] a miracle of rationalism and taste."
-- Time
Sometime in the 1960s, the West adopted India as its newest spiritual resort. The next anyone knew, the Beatles were squatting at the feet of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Expatriate hippies were turning on entire villages to the pleasures of group sex and I.V. drug use. And Indians who were accustomed to earning enlightenment the old-fashioned way were finding that the visitors wanted their Nirvana now -- and that plenty of native gurus were willing to deliver it.
No one has observed the West's invasion of India more astutely than Gita Mehta. In Karma Cola the acclaimed novelist trains an unblinking journalistic eye on jaded sadhus and beatific acid burnouts, the Bhagwan and Allen Ginsberg, guilt-tripping English girls and a guru who teaches gullible tourists how to view their previous incarnations. Brilliantly irreverent, hilarious, sobering, and wise, Mehta's book is the definitive epitaph for the era of spiritual tourism and all its casualties -- both Eastern and Western.
"Evelyn Waugh would have rejoiced."
-- The New York Times Book Review Kurzbeschreibung
Beginning in the late '60s, hundreds of thousands of Westerners descended upon India, disciples of a cultural revolution that proclaimed that the magic and mystery missing from their lives was to be found in the East. An Indian writer who has also lived in England and the United States, Gita Mehta was ideally placed to observe the spectacle of European and American "pilgrims" interacting with their hosts. When she finally recorded her razor sharp observations in Karma Cola, the book became an instant classic for describing, in merciless detail, what happens when the traditions of an ancient and longlived society are turned into commodities and sold to those who don't understand them.
In the dazzling prose that has become her trademark, Mehta skewers the entire Spectrum of seekers: The Beatles, homeless students, Hollywood rich kids in detox, British guilt-trippers, and more. In doing so, she also reveals the devastating byproducts that the Westerners brought to the villages of rural lndia -- high anxiety and drug addiction among them.
Brilliantly irreverent, Karma Cola displays Gita Mehta's gift for weaving old and new, common and bizarre, history and current events into a seamless and colorful narrative that is at once witty, shocking, and poignant. Alle Produktbeschreibungen
Durchschnittliche Kundenbewertung (13 Kundenrezensionen) Sagen Sie Ihre Meinung zu diesem Artikel Kundenrezensionen suchen
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Die hilfreichste positive Rezension Die hilfreichste kritische Rezension
3 von 3 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich: Amazing
Ms. Mehta is undoubtedly the best Indian author alive! I dothink the person who wrote the two sentence review probably does not know the meaning of 'trash'. 'Trash' is the heaps and heaps of books that get published every year in the US and somehow make it to the NY Times best seller list just beacuse Oprah thinks it is a good book or because it can be made into a tv...
Vollständige Rezension lesen › Veröffentlicht am 20. April 2000 von SL
› Weitere Rezensionen anzeigen: 5 Sterne, 4 Sterne
1 von 1 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich:
Useful & entertaining Humorous description of overseas visitors looking to India for spiritual enlightenment twenty years ago. I read this while visiting Pune, India, location of Bhagavan Shri Rajnish's ashram, which made it even more appropriate. Very entertaining & perceptive.
The book is not about India--it is about Western misperception of India.
Veröffentlicht am 29. Januar 2000 von J. G. Heiser
0 von 1 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich: Decent but nothing special, 21. Juni 2000 Von Meredith Billman Mani -
Rezension übernommen von: Karma Cola: Marketing the Mystic East (Vintage International) (Taschenbuch) While Ms. Metha is an extremely talented writer I find it distracting to have to wade through her obvious attempts to describe every minute detail to the reader. It gets to be too much. This is a nice book that offers (too much) description and a very one sided view of India. She's writing for an American audience and it's as though she wants them to laugh at the customs and norms in India. This is not my favorite book on india or even by the author. This is a middle of the road book as far as I'm concerned. I don't hate it, but then again I don't love it either.
0 von 2 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich: This book is not good., 5. Mai 2000 Von Ein Kunde
Rezension übernommen von: Karma Cola (Taschenbuch) This book mocks europeans and americans who have earnestly gone to India to seek out "enlightenment" and an element of spirituality that they think is lacking in their home cultures. Gita Mehta employs all sorts of cliches and negative stereotypes to depict this class of "foreigner" in India. This is not a very challenging literary task. Her language is as slick and taught as advertising text. Sometimes clever, but more often simply rank and mean, Mehta indulges in trite pseudo subaltern "slamming" of hippies and spiritual seekers.
I wonder what Mehta's reaction would be if an American author started penning stories of the immature, body-stenched, fashion impaired Indian immigrants who flock to America to shop in outlet malls and stuff their cheap luggage full of cheaper nick-nacks for the glass bureaus back in Delhi and Dehra Dun...
Everyone is looking for something: Westerners look for something spiritual in India / Indians look for something material in the West.
And you are looking for my opinion on this book: dont waste your time with this one -- go buy a Rushdie novel you don't already have.
3 von 3 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich: Amazing, 20. April 2000 Von SL (OakPark, IL) -
Rezension übernommen von: Karma Cola (Taschenbuch) Ms. Mehta is undoubtedly the best Indian author alive! I dothink the person who wrote the two sentence review probably does not know the meaning of 'trash'. 'Trash' is the heaps and heaps of books that get published every year in the US and somehow make it to the NY Times best seller list just beacuse Oprah thinks it is a good book or because it can be made into a tv movie.
This book is a classic. Her use of the language is extra-ordinary. She touches on the most 'Indian' of values with a great sense of humor and almost trivialises them. She makes you really think about issues that matter and drove(still drive) thousands of Westerners to India. She has also done a great job of contrasting the Eastern and Western view of life, death and everything spiritual.
1 von 1 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich: Useful & entertaining, 29. Januar 2000 Von J. G. Heiser (Sunninghill, Berks) -
Rezension übernommen von: Karma Cola (Taschenbuch) Humorous description of overseas visitors looking to India for spiritual enlightenment twenty years ago. I read this while visiting Pune, India, location of Bhagavan Shri Rajnish's ashram, which made it even more appropriate. Very entertaining & perceptive. The book is not about India--it is about Western misperception of India.
1 von 1 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich: An Essential Book for Travelers to India, 29. Dezember 1999 Von Peter Theis (Minneapolis, USA) -
Rezension übernommen von: Karma Cola (Taschenbuch) This book is a must-read for those travelers bound for India, especially for those seeking enlightenment. I lived in Varanasi for a year, and I met many travelers who believed that India was some sort of textbook Hindu holy land. These people lived in their ideas, creating a shield around them that kept real India out. Karma Cola helps show that India isn't a book-ideal made up of gurus and yogis performing divine-inspired miracles on every street corner. It shows that India, like any other country, is made up of people: helpful people and crooks, prude people and perverts. If you go to India, don't go there to experience some sort of religious miracle. Go there to see real India and meet real Indians, and read this book before you go!
0 von 1 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich: A 'scholarly' (not!) book, 3. August 1999 Von Ein Kunde
WRAPUP 2-Japan finmin wary of any formal policy accord with BOJ
(Adds more comments) By Hideyuki Sano TOKYO, March 10 (Reuters) -
Japanese Finance Minister Naoto Kan shot down the idea of a formal policy pact with the Bank of Japan as the government aims to strike a delicate balance between pushing the central bank to ease policy further and respecting its independence. The idea of a formal policy accord has been floated in the past by critics of the central bank who feel it could be doing more to combat grinding deflation that has plagued the world's second-largest economy for most of the past 15 years. But Kan, who has also been calling on the BOJ to take bolder action, said he saw no immediate need for such a pact, echoing the view held by a majority of policy makers and politicians wary of threatening the central bank's independence. "I gather advocates of such a policy want an arrangement where the government increases the deficits and the BOJ cooperates by buying more government debt," said Izuru Kato, chief economist at Totan Research. "They must be thinking central bank independence allows the BOJ to be too hesitant about buying government bonds and therefore they should strip the BOJ of its independence," Kato said. Kan steered clear of saying exactly what he wants the central bank to do at its policy meeting next week, where further easing is likely to be discussed. [ID:nTOE6230A7] BOJ board member Miyako Suda, seen as hawkish on monetary policy, said on Wednesday that the central bank will maintain a very accommodative stance, but she added that the BOJ had implemented an appropriate policy on prices. "Suda did not sound so positive about taking more steps blindly. It's not clear how strong the measures the BOJ takes next week will be," said Naomi Hasegawa, senior strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities. With the government's room for further fiscal stimulus limited by a public debt that is already close to 200 percent of GDP, the six-month old administration has put pressure on the central bank to stem deflation. But the BOJ's options are limited as long as the economic outlook remains weak. Expectations of further price declines in future could persuade consumers and companies to delay spending and investment even longer, adding more pressure on the economy. Until demand picks up and more money flows into the system, prices will struggle to recover. The BOJ has said prices will rise eventually as the economy mends. TOO MUCH INDEPENDENCE? Japan's central bank law guarantees the BOJ independence in its policy decisions, but it also requires the bank to communicate with the government to ensure its policy is in line with the government's economic policy. Few in the top circle of Japanese policymakers see the need for a change in those stipulations. "I am cautious about the framework of an accord," Kan, also deputy prime minister, told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday in response to an opposition lawmaker's question. But some politicians, mostly from the opposition, have said the BOJ needs to be more accountable for its decisions, blaming it for putting Japan in deflation for much of the past 15 years. The BOJ is likely to debate easing again at its March 16-17 board meeting, after introducing a new funding operation in December amid a wave of government pressure as the yen climbed versus the dollar. [ID:nTOE6230A7] "If they increase the cheap funding operation to replace the corporate support scheme that expires in March, that's probably already priced in," said Hasegawa of Mitsubishi UFJ Securities. The Bank of Japan's Suda dropped few hints, repeating the BOJ's view that easy policy alone is no panacea for deflation. "Although maintaining easy monetary policy is the top priority, it is important for the Japanese economy to undergo bold structural reform as much as it needs a recovery," she said, referring to the need to fix Japan's pension system and get public finances in order to reduce concerns about the future. "If structural reform is delayed, it would undermine the stimulative effect of monetary policy," she said. Japan's core machinery orders fell slightly less than expected in January from the previous month, data showed on Wednesday, offering more evidence that capital expenditure will keep growing slowly this year as manufacturers raise spending. Core private-sector machinery orders, a highly volatile series regarded as an indicator of capital spending, fell 3.7 percent in January, less than a median market forecast for a 4.1 percent decline, after a 20.1 percent jump in December.
[JPMORD=ECI] ECONJP But the data also showed non-manufacturers remain wary on capital spending, highlighting the weakness in domestic demand. Annual wholesale price deflation eased to 1.5 percent in February on a recent rise in commodity prices. But economists say deflationary pressure is likely to continue due to the big gap between supply and demand. Japan pulled out of recession in April-June last year, helped by a rebound in exports and industrial output as well as a rise in consumption due to government subsidies. But economists expect growth to slow early this year as the government cuts public works and the impact of subsidies fades.
(Additional reporting by Rie Ishiguro, Stanley White, Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Kim Coghill)
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WORLD FOREX: Euro Ticks Up Vs Yen On Japan Importer Buying By Miho Nakauchi
TOKYO (MarketWatch) -- The euro ticked up against the yen in Asia Wednesday, as Japanese importers buying the single currency on a regular settlement day set the tone of the market amid a lack of other trading cues.
But further gains are far from certain, dealers said, with the euro's near-term direction resting on developments in the euro-zone's fiscal problem and upcoming economic data.
As of 0450 GMT, the euro stood at Y122.44, slightly up from Y122.36 in New York late Tuesday. Against the dollar, the unit traded at $1.3602 from $1.3601.
"Overall currency moves were very limited" with share markets almost unchanged and a lack of major economic data, meaning that Japanese importers' buying flows became more dominant and set the trend, said Yuzo Sakai, a foreign-exchange manager at Tokyo Forex & Ueda Harlow.
Japanese importers tend to buy the currency on regular settlement days, which fall on the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th of each month.
At 0450 GMT, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average index was down 0.08%.
Dealers said the European single currency could fall toward $1.3300 and Y119.00 over the next few weeks if any negative news emerges on Europe's fiscal issues, adding to concerns over its economic outlook, dealers said.
The focus is on European countries' huge levels of debt, said Hideaki Inoue, a chief foreign-exchange manager at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corp. "Growing expectations for sovereign debt default could prompt mid- and long-term players to sell" the euro, he said.
Although most players are bearish toward the euro, better-than- expected economic data could help restore investor confidence, possibly buoying the risk-sensitive euro toward $1.3700 and Y123.50, some dealers said. Investors will monitor U.S. retail sales for February and Reuters/University Of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey for March, both due Friday, for any hints on the health of the global economy.
Elsewhere, the dollar stood at Y90.00 as of 0450 GMT, almost unchanged from its New York level of Y89.97 Tuesday. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a trade-weighted basket of currencies, was at 80.576 from 80.580.
The U.S. unit may fall toward Y89.50 in coming weeks, traders said. Japanese exporters may repatriate overseas assets as we move toward Japan's fiscal year-end on Mar. 31, which could weigh on the U.S. unit, dealers said.
Currencies March 10, 2010, 3:46 a.m. EST · Recommend · Post:
Dollar rises vs. euro as German trade data disappointView all Currencies › By MarketWatch
TOKYO (MarketWatch) -- The dollar got a lift against the euro Wednesday when trade data from Germany, a key euro-zone economy, came in worse than expected.
News Hub: Economist Warns of More Volatility AheadAnirvan Banerji, director of research at Economic Cycle Research, joins the News Hub to discuss why he believes the U.S. economy will experience more frequent recessions ahead. Germany's exports increased by 0.2% and imports dropped by 1.4% in January 2010 compared to the same month a year ago, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Wednesday. Compared to December 2009, exports fell by 6.3% in January and imports rose by 6.0%. Germany's seasonally-adjusted foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of 8.7 billion euros in January, official data showed.
"This was the weakest reading since the March of 2009 when the global economy was in the throes of its worst contraction in [the] post-war period. The news was especially surprising given the decline
...
Rasmussen: 57% think ObamaCare will damage economy posted at 12:52 pm on March 9, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
The White House promised a “hard pivot” to jobs and the economy almost three months ago, attempting to put the ObamaCare debate on the back burner after the holidays. They had belatedly discovered that the electorate was much more concerned about the economic plunge than in retooling a health-care system that works for most Americans now. Instead of the hard pivot, Democrats have doubled down on ObamaCare — and the latest Rasmussen survey shows that a strong majority believe it to be the wrong direction on both issues:
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of voters say the health care reform plan now working its way through Congress will hurt the U.S. economy. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 25% think the plan will help the economy. But only seven percent (7%) say it will have no impact. Twelve percent (12%) aren’t sure.
Two-out-of-three voters (66%) also believe the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats is likely to increase the federal deficit. That’s up six points from late November and comparable to findings just after the contentious August congressional recess. Ten percent (10%) say the plan is more likely to reduce the deficit and 14% say it will have no impact on the deficit.
Underlying this concern is a lack of trust in the government numbers. Eighty-one percent (81%) believe it is at least somewhat likely that the health care reform plan will cost more than official estimates. That number includes 66% who say it is very likely that the official projections understate the true cost of the plan. Only a plurality of Democrats believe that the bill will help the economy (43%), while 89% of Republicans and 61% of independents think it will damage it. Politically, the Democrats have the worst of all worlds. Not only do they look out of touch for spending all of their efforts on a plan that is deeply unpopular with voters, they now are seen as actively damaging the economy. The deficit spending alone would be enough to send voters heading for the exits, but the increased costs are even worse. Seventy-eight percent of all respondents believe that middle- class tax increases will come as a result of ObamaCare, with almost two-thirds (65%) believing that to be “very likely.” Fifty-eight percent of Democrats expect middle-class tax increases, which shows how effective Obama has been in selling this plan. What’s the biggest problem with ObamaCare? Majorities of all political affiliations agree: the cost. Hardly anyone believes the cost estimates. When asked whether the bill would exceed its cost estimates, 93% of Republicans, 70% of Democrats, and 80% of independents thought it at least somewhat likely — with 88% of Republicans and 73% of independents calling it “very likely.” Only 20% of Democrats thought it unlikely. Again, this looks like a big failure of the Obama administration’s efforts to sell the package as a cost containment program. Democrats now face the prospect of using arcane parliamentary tricks to pass a bill that has minimal support, one that most voters believe will damage the economy, cost more than advertised, and prompt sweeping tax increases, all while ignoring the issues of a damaged economy while attempting to make it worse. If they think that’s a winning strategy for the midterms, they need new leadership — and after the electoral disaster coming, they’ll probably be forced to get it.
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Comments
and lo, the Democrat party wandered aimlessly in the desert for 40 election years.
TN Mom on March 9, 2010 at 4:13 PM
Great pic!
mikeyboss on March 9, 2010 at 4:18 PM
From the rich being able to buy our representatives and lead our culture by the nose, yes.
Dark-Star on March 9, 2010 at 4:00 PM Boo hoo, the rich can do things that I can’t, therefore we have to give govt control over everything so that the rich can be punished.
I’m still trying to figure out why you actually believe that everyone who has more than you are is evil.
Is it because you are such a failure in life, that you can’t bear to accept responsibility?
Lord knows, your given your demonstrated intellectual powers, it’s hard to imagine you’ve ever been able to handle a job that doesn’t involve the phrase “would you like fries with that”.
MarkTheGreat on March 9, 2010 at 4:25 PM
and lead our culture by the nose, yes. Ohh, and people pay more attention to the rich than they do you. I bet that stings.
MarkTheGreat on March 9, 2010 at 4:26 PM
They won’t get new leadership, because Pelosi will be the only one left in the House after November.
joe_doufu on March 9, 2010 at 5:03 PM
If you believe the 57% figure, then you’ll love the fictitious 9% unemployment. This administration is so inaccurate they couldn’t hit the side of a barn with a tennis racket.
Cybergeezer on March 9, 2010 at 5:23 PM
I’m waiting for Congress to offer shares of stock in the new Health Care Industry they want to create. Think China will buy any?
Cybergeezer on March 9, 2010 at 5:25 PM
This HealthScare legislation is another omnibus spending bill that lets Congress spend like drunken sailors with unlimited credit cards. Obama has already signed an omnibus spending bill last year, and he can’t wait to sign another one.
Cybergeezer on March 9, 2010 at 5:30 PM
If we just get enough fed-up conservative-types to move to Costa Rica we could remake that country into what the U.S. should be. The U.S. is going to be a once-great nation in record time and I, for one, don’t feel like being taxed to death as it goes through its all too rapid fall.
Fatal on March 9, 2010 at 5:31 PM
Adding a new entitlement? revenue neutral? Look at the prescription drug benefit enacted by President Bush. In less than 10 years the unfunded liabilities of this new entitlement are nearly 19 trillion (18.7 and climbing).
Congress: Look at the debt clock. Health care reform, yes. ObamaCare, NO.
Angry Dumbo on March 9, 2010 at 6:50 PM
Democrats now face the prospect of using arcane parliamentary tricks to pass a bill that has minimal support, one that most voters believe will damage the economy, cost more than advertised, and prompt sweeping tax increases, all while ignoring the issues of a damaged economy while attempting to make it worse. If they think that’s a winning strategy for the midterms, they need new leadership — and after the electoral disaster coming, they’ll probably be forced to get it. This isn’t about winning in 2010. It isn’t about the leadership.
This is about having the most left leaning leadership in Washington since the early 30’s taking an opportunity to screw the country that they thought they would never have!
We have a Marxist president who has already says he’d content with one term if, BY HIS DEFINITION, he was a good president.
We have a Marxist wax statue House Speaker who comes from a district where the majority probably feel Congress isn’t taking over enough of the private sector on the way to their communist utopia.
We have an old, doesn’t-care-if-he’s-reelected Senate Leader who thinks this is the culmination of his life’s work and that of his dead friend Teddy!
These three jokers are betting that if they can get this passed, rammed through, crammed down America’s throat, that in the future the party can run on “Save Healthcare! Keep those filthy Republican hands off of it!” “Oh, that evil Republican wants to repeal healthcare and kill millions by taking away their coverage!”
Unfortunately, the chaos that’s going to ensue, sooner if they pass healthcare, after we reach banana republic status in the next year, could lead to numerous conclusions. It may be best if it leads to two or more countries if this is the government we’re stuck with.
PastorJon on March 9, 2010 at 8:02 PM
Fifty-eight percent of Democrats expect middle-class tax increases, which shows how effective Obama has been in selling this plan. Whadda ya know! The Dems are as dumb as the Repubs.
NYC’s New Suicide Sculptures (metaphor for economic reality)
Posted by barrypopik (Profile)
Wednesday, March 10th at 5:24AM EST
No Comments New York is full of brilliant ideas these days. Let’s look first at the suicide sculpture metaphor, then the economic reality.
From Wednesday’s New York Times:
Statues Seem Ready to Leap, but Police Say They Won’t By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT Published: March 9, 2010 They stand about six feet tall and look like naked human beings. Over the next few days, 27 of them will be scattered across rooftops and ledges of buildings in Midtown Manhattan — including the Empire State Building — as part of a public art exhibition.
About the same time that the first figure was placed atop a four-story building at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue on Tuesday, the Police Department issued a statement reassuring New Yorkers that the figures are not despondent people on the verge of leaping to their deaths.
Police officials said they were trying to prevent an overwhelming number of emergency calls from concerned pedestrians or office workers. Nevertheless, they said that all emergency calls about a potential suicide would be taken seriously — even those from places where one of the figures is located.
“We are going to respond no matter what because there could be a jumper at the spot,” said Paul J. Browne, the department’s
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This page contains information The Rick A. Ross Institute has gathered about Sathya Sai Baba.
Visit Sathya Sai Baba's Official Web Site (Link takes you outside the Rick A. Ross Institute web site) http://www.sathyasai.org/
Sathya Sai Baba, "God" or "sexual predator"?
Atheist Karuna woos godman in TN Times Now, India/May 9, 2007 By Dhanya Rajendran
He may be one of the country's best known atheists, but when it comes to funding state projects, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi does not mind the help of spiritual gurus. The Satya Sai trust has agreed to fund a project which will provide drinking water to parched Chennai. And Karunanidhi is only too happy to welcome the godman.
Till a few years ago, it was unthinkable that Karunanidhi would ever share a dais with Satya Sai Baba, however at a public appearance with the spiritual Guru in January this year, Karunanidhi asked Sai Baba's help for developmental projects. Now Sri Satya Sai Trust has agreed to upgrade the 25 km-long Kandaleru-Poondi canal, which will bring water to Chennai.
Karunanidhi may not believe in God, but as analysts say, he has proved to be a tactful politician.
"He is an atheist at a personal level, and when he shared a dais with Sai Baba, he explained his stand saying the question was not whether he believed in God, but whether he was worthy of God's trust. But at a more practical level, I buy his point From whichever source the money comes, and as long as it is not tainted, it is welcome," remarked S Murari, a political analyst.
The chief minister has kept aside his radical beliefs for good reason; With the states finances running dry due to the numerous sops given by his government, Karunanidhi desperately needs funds. Now that the Baba trust has entered into a partnership with the government, the big question is whether they will undertake the Coovum river-cleaning project.
"Cleaning the Coovum is my dream, but I will need your help. It has been quoted as a Rs 1,000 crore project. I'm not asking for the whole amount, but I will be happy if you donate the same," is M Karunanidhi's request.
This is, definitely, an image makeover. But the chief minister's tolerance towards religious matters are limited to accepting help to develop his state. When it comes to clashes between believers and non- believers within the state, Karunanidhi always sticks to his ideologies.
Spiritual guru criticised for opposing statehood for Telangana region Gulf Times/January 23, 2007
Hyderabad -- People went on a rampage here yesterday in protest against spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba who said he was against a separate Telangana state.
His followers meanwhile called a shutdown in Puttaparthi town of Anantapur district to condemn remarks on the guru.
Shouting slogans against him, dozens of students belonging to Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) barged into a Sai Baba temple near Osmania University here, pulled down huge cut-outs of the guru and burnt them.
An effigy of Sai Baba, who termed moves to bifurcate the state 'mahapapam' (great sin), was also burnt.
Addressing a function in Chennai on Sunday, Sai Baba said there was no demand for a separate Telangana state from the people of the region.
"Dividing the people or the country is not good. Bifurcating the state is mahapapam," he said.
Sai Baba, who preaches love, understanding and universal brotherhood, has thousands of followers in India and abroad including several heads of state, politicians, military officials, judges, film stars and sportsmen.
During the last few decades, he has built a vast empire worth billions of rupees transforming the small village of Puttaparthi, his birthplace, into a modern town with a state-of-the-art airport, education and health facilities.
The reaction to his comments was sharp from the protagonists of separate Telangana. TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao asked Sai Baba to confine himself to religion. "Is Sai Baba blind to the suicides by farmers in Telangana region? Is he blind to the fact that the region was subjected to exploitation?" asked Rao, who is leading the movement for a separate state comprising 10 districts including Hyderabad.
Congress MP from Nizamabad Madhu Yaskhi Goud wondered what Sai Baba knew of the problems of Telangana.
"He is from Rayalseema region and what does he know about the problem of fluorosis (an abnormal condition caused by excessive intake of fluorine), in Nalgonda? He is funding the water projects for Rayalseema and Chennai," said Goud.
Revolutionary balladeer and Maoist sympathiser Gaddar, who is also actively participating in the movement for separate Telangana, criticised Sai Baba for opposing the demand.
Meanwhile, a shutdown was being observed in Puttaparthi town in Anantapur district to condemn the remarks of Telangana leaders against Sai Baba.
Shops and business establishment were shut and Sai Baba's disciples set afire effigies of Chandrasekhara Rao, Madhu Yashki Goud and Gaddar. The streets around Prashanti Nilayam, the abode of Baba, wore a deserted look.
Satya Sai Baba caught in British controversy Indo-Asian News Service/December 22, 2006
Satya Sai Baba, one of India's best known spiritual leaders, has triggered a fresh controversy in Britain after association with The Duke of Edinburgh's Award charity involving young people.
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a London-headquartered charity whose patron is Prince Philip.
It gives three kinds of awards (bronze, silver and gold) to anyone aged between 14-25 for achievements in four categories: community service, skills, physical recreation and expeditions. Each year it is estimated that over 2,25,000 youngsters vie for the honour in Britain alone.
This year, when the charity celebrates its 50th year, it has chosen to send about 200 young volunteers to India to work with the Sri Satya Sai Organisation.
However, the feat, pulled off by Sai Youth UK, a division of the parent body, has created a furore. Several people, including some of the Satya Sai Baba's former Western disciples, questioned the decision in view of the mixed reputation the godman enjoys. Sai's devotees deny the allegations.
The Guardian was the first to raise its voice saying the award scheme had chosen as its accredited partner a spiritual group "whose 'living god' founder has been accused of sexually abusing young boys".
Satya Sai Baba hit bad press in Britain two years ago when a BBC programme, The Secret Swami, interviewed young Western disciples who alleged that the godman had sexually coerced them.
The Guardian quoted Tom Sackville, a former Home Office minister and chairman of Fair, a cult-watching and victim support group, as saying: "It is appallingly naive for the award scheme to involve young people and the royal family with an organisation whose leader is accused of paedophilia. Parents who plan to send their children on this pilgrimage... should be aware of the danger their children are being exposed to."
The daily also said Michael Gave, a conservative MP, planned to write to the charity to say it should monitor the organisations they chose as partners more strictly.
"As a society we need a more determined effort to identify and expose those religious cults and extremists that pose a direct threat to people, so that they do not enjoy patronage that should be directed elsewhere," he was quoted as saying.
In the 1990s, when Prince Charles visited India, he had expressed a desire to visit the Sai Baba but was quietly dissuaded by the British Embassy in New Delhi.
Since The Guardian's article, it was reported that there was mounting pressure on the charity to distance itself from the Sai group.
However, charity spokesperson Shona Taylor did not answer repeated queries as to whether the volunteers had left for India and how they could be contacted.
A holy furore rages in Britain Daily News Analysis/November 5, 2006 By Ginnie Mahajan
Delhi: Old allegations of sexual abuse of boys by spiritual guru Sathya Sai Baba have created a fresh furore in Britain.
The issue snowballed after the British press reported that 200 boys would visit India on a month-long humanitarian pilgrimage starting November 13, organised by the Sai Youth Movement, a division of the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation.
These boys are to receive the Duke of Edinburgh award for their humanitarian work. According to the Guardian, the British public is irked by two issues — safety of the boys at Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram at Puttaparthi in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh and the involvement of royalty with the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation.
The newspaper quotes a former home office minister Tom Sackville, who also runs a victim support group, as saying, “It is appallingly naive for the award scheme to involve young people and the royal family with an organisation whose leader is accused of paedophilia.”
Interestingly, the United States Department of State has a travel advisory against the Sathya Sai Organisation: “US citizens should be aware that there have been unconfirmed reports of inappropriate sexual behaviour by a prominent local religious leader at an ashram or religious retreat located in Andhra Pradesh.”
The Guardian says US state officials have confirmed that this is a direct reference to Sathya Sai Baba. There have been rumours for years that the spiritual guru, who calls himself an incarnation of god, molested young devotees during interviews. Both Indian and foreign visitors to the ashram have come on record to say how he has abused them.
The public relations officer of Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram, however, told DNA: “We do not care what the advisory says. People and organisations can write whatever they want to believe. We have no more to say on this issue. Yes, the boys are coming to India in about two weeks’
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