Search found 274 matches

by ss_roy
10 Nov 2010 04:36
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Newsflash: Kaveri engine successfully test flown!
Replies: 206
Views: 54565

Re: Newsflash: Kaveri engine successfully test flown!

Ok, Here is a question. Why are Indians afraid/unwilling to tweak or redesign things and systems? This is applicable to a variety of problems from the Kaveri to the LCA, PSLV, GSLV.. you get the picture. Sure, redesigning things is a pain and can throw up nasty surprises. In any case, nobody expects...
by ss_roy
05 Nov 2010 16:08
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Indian Economy: News and Discussion (Jan 1 2010)
Replies: 2858
Views: 537612

Re: Indian Economy: News and Discussion (Jan 1 2010)

An interesting and very relevant article. -------------------- Guest Post: Corruption as a Barrier to Entry http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2010/11/guest-post-corruption-as-a-barrier-to-entry.html Conventional wisdom says that corruption hurts the economy because it taxes investment and weakens publi...
by ss_roy
25 Sep 2010 11:17
Forum: Trash Can Archive
Topic: Commonwealth Games-New Delhi 2010
Replies: 2060
Views: 314829

Re: Issues faced by Commonwealth Games-New Delhi 2010

It is good to know that some Indian politicos have balls. ---- Critiquing CWG may hit business ties: Anand Sharma tells nations http://www.hindustantimes.com/Critiquing-CWG-may-hit-business-ties-Anand-Sharma-tells-nations/Article1-604352.aspx Lashing out at nations, particularly Australia, New Zeala...
by ss_roy
23 Sep 2010 05:41
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

Let me, once again, ask a simple question- Why did Indians not develop gunpowder making and gunpowder based weapons though they had all the material, manpower, technology AND motivation to do so? Remember that gunpowder based weapons became complex only after development of 'smokeless' propellants (...
by ss_roy
21 Sep 2010 01:35
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

Rahul M, I believe that some poorly documented but major socio-cultural changes in that time span changed the mental outlook of Indians. What those changes were- I can only speculate. Does anyone else have an explanation how a culture that was progressive, proactive, confident, interested in externa...
by ss_roy
20 Sep 2010 20:21
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

There have been traitors and collaborators in every culture and era. However, we must ask a rather unpleasant question- What prevented Indians from forming coalitions even after the true nature of islamic ideology and rule became apparent? A couple hundred years of mistreatment (11th to 13th century...
by ss_roy
20 Sep 2010 07:10
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

We can argue over whether some white or arab guy wrote an unbiased account of Indians OR we can ask the question- Why was the Indian version not dominant? Surely, Indians were both literate and much more numerous. So why and how did the accounts written by some white or arab guy become the dominant ...
by ss_roy
18 Sep 2010 07:31
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

A bit OT, but necessary.. The reasons why asian cultures became uninnovative has little to with war or peace. It has to with social fragmentation. If everybody in a given society has to belong to some small group within which most social interactions occur, inter-group trust is very low. Therefore n...
by ss_roy
17 Sep 2010 02:50
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

Ramana, The first known printing press in India was installed by the Portuguese in the 1550s. But considering that the Vijayanagara Empire had extensive trade contacts with western countries prior to that- it is most peculiar that printing did not catch on in South India. They had no problems buying...
by ss_roy
16 Sep 2010 21:11
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

There were many reasons why asian cultures stagnated but the most important one was- Self sabotage through an unwillingness to appreciate an advance made by others. If you cannot appreciate an advance- you are unlikely to study it, use it or improve on it. Money and resources were never an issue for...
by ss_roy
15 Sep 2010 20:16
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

tsarkar, The real question is- Why did Indians not develop the process of gunpowder manufacture to the levels seen in the west? There was no lack of intelligent and hardworking people, nor was the basic process or equipment sophisticated. So why not? My answer is twofold- 1] Indian rulers never saw ...
by ss_roy
15 Sep 2010 03:30
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

The great irony about the paucity of gunpowder weapons in India is that it was the biggest exporter of Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) to the west during the 1600-1800 period. The other two ingredients, charcoal and sulfur, are relatively easy to obtain, but saltpeter is not. Is it not peculiar that a...
by ss_roy
14 Sep 2010 01:10
Forum: Military Issues & History Forum
Topic: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat
Replies: 2455
Views: 548438

Re: Historical Battles in Ancient & Medieval Bharat

The lack of indigenous technological development in the field of small arms during the 16th-18th century come down to an attitude that persists to this day. If a society operates in a manner such that any competent person taking risks is taken advantage of, instead of being helped, nobody of any rea...
by ss_roy
27 Jan 2010 12:19
Forum: Trash Can Archive
Topic: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown (Jan 26 2010)
Replies: 3870
Views: 603606

Re: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown (Jan 26 2010)

On China’s Overinvestment http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2010/01/on-chinas-overinvestment.html "China’s economic stimulus programme has accelerated the already aggressive pace of urban development in the country. But while investment in construction is creating much-needed infrastructure in so...
by ss_roy
06 Jan 2010 03:16
Forum: Strategy, Politics & International Relations Forum
Topic: Treatment of Indians Abroad
Replies: 98
Views: 12544

Re: Treatment of Indians Abroad

You will only get respect if you believe that you deserve it. To believe that you deserve it, you must like who you are (not in a defensive way, but because you believe that you are worthy). Indians who keep on seeing their shortcomings, but ignore those of others, do it because they think they are ...
by ss_roy
05 Jan 2010 00:48
Forum: Trash Can Archive
Topic: Indo-UK: News & Discussion
Replies: 3938
Views: 802124

Re: Indo-UK: News & Discussion

I have to say that any honest evaluation of British rule in India requires Indians to face up the "traitor" problem. Simply put, the effects of British rule in India were so bad because so many affluent Indians willingly collaborated with them . In many cases, their inhumanity and callousn...
by ss_roy
05 Jan 2010 00:37
Forum: Strategy, Politics & International Relations Forum
Topic: Treatment of Indians Abroad
Replies: 98
Views: 12544

Re: Treatment of Indians Abroad

BINGO! Those who do not like themselves cannot expect others to treat them with dignity.
I have kind of concluded that unless Indians treat fellow citizens with dignity and
respect we can't expect fair treatment in foreign lands by foreign citizens.
by ss_roy
28 Dec 2009 08:00
Forum: Trash Can Archive
Topic: Indian Space Program Discussion
Replies: 3966
Views: 935485

Re: Indian Space Program Discussion

The Soyuz Re-entry Module + Service Module are 5.5 tons, base diameter = 2.7 m. If ISRO does not like innovation, they could easily put the Soyuz Spacecraft sans Orbital Module on a GSLV-2 (with a hypergolic third stage). Why are Indians afraid of failure when pursuing something they have never done...
by ss_roy
22 Nov 2009 08:48
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Indian Economy: News and Discussion (June 8 2008)
Replies: 2768
Views: 563721

Re: Indian Economy: News and Discussion (June 8 2008)

Reliance Makes Cash Offer for Bankrupt LyondellBasell (Update1) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aRXJvr0PE8cs&pos=4 By Jack Kaskey and Dan Hart Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Reliance Industries Ltd., owner of the world’s largest oil-refining complex, made a cash offer yesterday t...
by ss_roy
22 Nov 2009 05:00
Forum: Strategy, Politics & International Relations Forum
Topic: India-Australia News and Discussion
Replies: 2236
Views: 460681

Re: India-Australia News and Discussion

What about depopulating that country and repopulating it again? :twisted:

It has worked once before..
by ss_roy
22 Nov 2009 04:35
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: India and the Global Warming Debate
Replies: 354
Views: 86555

Re: India and the Global Warming Debate

Climate cuttings 33 http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/11/19/breaking-news-story-hadley-cru-has-apparently-been-hacked-hundreds-of-files-released/ EcoTretas http://ecotretas.blogspot.com/2009/11/rolo-compressor-de-verdades.html More links.. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/20/cru_climate_hack/ http...
by ss_roy
21 Nov 2009 01:44
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: India and the Global Warming Debate
Replies: 354
Views: 86555

Re: India and the Global Warming Debate

It seems that somebody hacked in University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit, and copied thousands of e-mails incriminating scientists (fraud, data manipulation, peer review scams). I am not surprised, manmade global warming was always a fraud. ___________________________________________________...
by ss_roy
13 Nov 2009 11:32
Forum: Trash Can Archive
Topic: China Military Watch
Replies: 3944
Views: 1332717

Re: China Military Watch

China's biggest problem are socio-economic. I would not worry about them dominating the world with their current mindset.

I would however be concerned about them resorting to military adventures for insuring cohesiveness at home.
by ss_roy
13 Nov 2009 11:26
Forum: Strategy, Politics & International Relations Forum
Topic: Strategic leadership for the future of India - II
Replies: 513
Views: 72009

Re: Strategic leadership for the future of India - II

India has competent people, but unless the current setup collapses no one will listen to them.
by ss_roy
01 Nov 2009 03:26
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown
Replies: 3894
Views: 1104453

Re: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown

Hari,

I was not kidding.. The fragility of the system was evident to me years ago. It just took a series of convergent event to start the process.
by ss_roy
30 Oct 2009 19:58
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Strategic leadership for the future of India
Replies: 1978
Views: 296443

Re: Strategic leadership for the future of India

Chiron, The old order will never give up willingly, humans are not rational as a group. The 'infrastructure' needed to maintain status quo will not survive the next 5-10 years. Linearizing historical trends works only if the system is near steady state conditions , and the world has left the steady ...
by ss_roy
30 Oct 2009 18:35
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Strategic leadership for the future of India
Replies: 1978
Views: 296443

Re: Strategic leadership for the future of India

Chiron,

At the rate and direction we are all going, indians will have to change within a few years.
by ss_roy
30 Oct 2009 08:13
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Strategic leadership for the future of India
Replies: 1978
Views: 296443

Re: Strategic leadership for the future of India

Brihaspati, The 5-10 year timeline seems about right, though it is more likely to happen at the lower end of that timeline. I think that major system shocks are neccesary to wake up complacent people, and the indian government/babu/system setup is literally asking for it. We required 1962 to crack J...
by ss_roy
30 Oct 2009 05:39
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Strategic leadership for the future of India
Replies: 1978
Views: 296443

Re: Strategic leadership for the future of India

Brihaspati, The real risk of the emerging situation is that Indians may, increasingly, want and get a 'Caesar'. It is not a conicidence that the worldwide depression in the 1930s created a wave of populist dictators. And it can happen in India.. I do not think we have enough time to create a well de...
by ss_roy
30 Oct 2009 00:51
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Strategic leadership for the future of India
Replies: 1978
Views: 296443

Re: Strategic leadership for the future of India

brihaspati, I do not believe that the current setup in India can maintain legitimacy for long. These issues that will force it: 1. The youth population- the numbers of kids entering their working age is already exploding and will skyrocket within a few years. Historically, a high percentages of unem...
by ss_roy
29 Oct 2009 13:37
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Strategic leadership for the future of India
Replies: 1978
Views: 296443

Re: Strategic leadership for the future of India

arnab, The system cannot hold for the next decade, even in the most optimistic scenario. Realistically, it will be less than 5 years. My guess- somewhere between 2-5 years, though serious civil unrest issues will start occurring within 2 years, likely less than 1 year. Of course, there is always the...
by ss_roy
29 Oct 2009 10:56
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Strategic leadership for the future of India
Replies: 1978
Views: 296443

Re: Strategic leadership for the future of India

Ramana, Thanks for Xposting.. anyway, here are a few concrete examples of what I am talking about. 1. Why did slavery become taboo in the west after the industrial revolution? Did it occur because people suddenly became more humane OR it was no longer possible to use slave labor to operate complex m...
by ss_roy
29 Oct 2009 10:00
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown
Replies: 3894
Views: 1104453

Re: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown

KarthikSan,

The west is the biggest purveyors of BS, lies and scams in our age.
by ss_roy
29 Oct 2009 03:07
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown
Replies: 3894
Views: 1104453

Re: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown

KarthikSan, Start with your attitude.. It is not about the west failing. It is about BS, lies and scams reaching their deserved resting places. Any system that becomes delusional, sclerotic and filled with too many vested interests will collapse. The real question is when and how quickly.. There is ...
by ss_roy
29 Oct 2009 01:54
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown
Replies: 3894
Views: 1104453

Re: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown

KarthikSan,

Big innovation can only work if the system is fundamentally open or unstructured.. currently the west is neither.
by ss_roy
29 Oct 2009 01:49
Forum: Trash Can Archive
Topic: MRCA News and Discussion
Replies: 3260
Views: 865618

Re: MRCA News and Discussion

So who wants to buy the F-18, F-18 or the EF? :evil: _________________________________________ CYBERWAR Old Trick Threatens the Newest Weapons http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/science/27trojan.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print By JOHN MARKOFF Despite a six-year effort to build trusted computer chips f...
by ss_roy
28 Oct 2009 20:04
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown
Replies: 3894
Views: 1104453

Re: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown

Abhijeet,

You are confusing technological progress with economic growth, they often occur together- but are not the same.

Technological progress = using an iPhone to search for local restaurant listings.
Economic growth= being able to eat more often at more expensive restaurants.
by ss_roy
28 Oct 2009 19:59
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown
Replies: 3894
Views: 1104453

Re: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown

arnab, Systems do not evolve because people suddenly achieve enlightenment. They evolve because the only other option is death . Every country, including India, requires such crisis to evolve. They will destroy nations that either chose not to evolve, or are too dysfunctional. Let me be blunt about ...
by ss_roy
28 Oct 2009 05:48
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown
Replies: 3894
Views: 1104453

Re: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown

arnab,

If people in India spent less time screwing over each other, almost nobody would vote with their feet.
by ss_roy
28 Oct 2009 05:47
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown
Replies: 3894
Views: 1104453

Re: Perspectives on the global economic meltdown

SwamyG,

There is something to be said about being asurvivor. Often the future is decided not by who scores big, but by who does not get killed.