Understanding the US - Again

disha · Post by **disha** » 19 Nov 2018 03:31

Lalmohan wrote: ramana -i saw a graphic a few days ago that completely illustrates your point. measuring the ideological spread of members of the house and senate. 20 years ago there were overlapping blue and red bell curves in the centre. this year there are two distinct (non overlapping) blue and red bell curves. the centre is dead.

this is the brilliant outcome the Russians have achieved - again, not just in the US, but in most of the western democracies. france and Germany managed to take counter action prior to their elections (but merkel is still out as putin wanted) but the US and UK fell into the bear trap

I do not think the vaccum in the middle should be chalked to "Russian achievement".

Fifteen years back (@2005) I had a chance to interact with certain members of the house from different political ideologies and different states (and not california). In all the panel was made of some 9 house representatives and they were talking about 2-3 topics of that day. They took several ideological lines then (left for democrats and right for republicans) and neither understood the core of the issues on those topics being blinded by their ideologies.

My comment to them was that in their ideological left or right stands, the center is dead. And that all members might want to step out of their ideological shoe boxes and see that their solutions are really centrist. (ofcourse I was curtly told that I cannot raise any more questions).

Point is 15 years back itself the ideological divide across the aisle was steep. For example GWBush Jr was shown by the #mediapimps as "a bumbling idiot" compared to suave John Kerry or even suave'r Al Gore. As if half of America is dumb.

Coming to Germany, Merkel is a racist christian idiot. It is her idiosyncrasy which is causing problems for herself and Germany. Russia just have to give a long rope to that idiot. For example, Germany advises the world over about "environment" and "green energy" while Merkel herself is plumbing for polluting diesel engines and support for Beemers and Mercs.

disha · Post by **disha** » 19 Nov 2018 03:38

ramana wrote:I think it should be extended but the utility mgt that mismanaged should be fired without golden parachute.

PG&E management will not be touched. Geisha Williams is a major donor to Democrats (and clintonites).

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 19 Nov 2018 15:32

disha - the Russians have pushed against the fault lines rather than created them
the inherent weaknesses have caused the fractures

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 19 Nov 2018 16:37

The fault lines were created due to decades of idiotic ideas on a society the lived on centuries of colonial loot.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 19 Nov 2018 20:48

The Russians did the inexcusable: They revealed the truth. Real Emperor's Clothes story minus the hype.
But I see that the Florida Recounts that grew to such a roar is over without even a meow. Both elephants Scott and the other one have won.
In Gorgia, the Champion of Voting Rights has come out with this gem: (WaPo)

Something being legal does not make it right’: Abrams says she still has concerns about Georgia’s election

Right. Clinton selling arms to the ISIS (new Assange revelation of proof) may have been "legal" as in "not yet indicted", but was it right?

But of course it ain't over until the well-endowed lady stops

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 20 Nov 2018 00:23

The Americans present at the conference pointed to policy successes, like the establishment of NATO’s 30/30/30 rapid deployment forces, U.S. troops deploying to Poland, reconstituting the Second Fleet to patrol the Atlantic, and integral U.S. participation in NATO’s biggest military exercise since the end of the Cold War. But allies are getting tired of hearing it. Not only were those successes overshadowed by Trump’s offensive behavior, the incandescence of his public rage called into question whether the United States would come to the defense of its allies in a crisis.

The decibel level of mean-spiritedness coming from the highest levels of American government is deafening our friends to our better selves. Allies believe they are witnessing something they never expected to behold, and which endangers both their security and our own: the United States putting an end to the American order. Word came through during the Forum that NATO will not be holding a 70th-anniversary celebration, because the president of the United States cannot be trusted not to bring the temple down upon all our heads. That was the dirge played in Halifax.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archi ... ca/576154/

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 20 Nov 2018 00:25

UlanBatori wrote:The Russians did the inexcusable: They revealed the truth. Real Emperor's Clothes story minus the hype.
But I see that the Florida Recounts that grew to such a roar is over without even a meow. Both elephants Scott and the other one have won.
In Gorgia, the Champion of Voting Rights has come out with this gem: (WaPo)
Something being legal does not make it right’: Abrams says she still has concerns about Georgia’s election
Right. Clinton selling arms to the ISIS (new Assange revelation of proof) may have been "legal" as in "not yet indicted", but was it right?

But of course it ain't over until the well-endowed lady stops

When a 92 year old who has been voting regularly in the same Georgia precinct since 1968 is struck off the voter roles by the policies of the Georgia Secretary of State, and an Ulan Batori refuses to acknowledge that, well, something is seriously wrong. Time to follow Shiv into the wilderness.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Nov 2018 00:58

^^^Irregularities in US election process until they follow the Indian model where state election boards have transparency and voters have photo IDs. The US is only 1 or 2 cycles away from having serious poll violence in multiple states. As usual, both parties will ignore the problem until blows up in their faces.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 20 Nov 2018 02:36

Guys, b4 u pout off etc, pls consider this: If you were flaming Trump-dung-shovelers I would be having just as much fun as a Pelosi Fan. Don't know about you, but I am just here for the fun.

Anyway, new heights of POTUSian oratory scaled, per See Enn Enn.

On 92-yr-old being disenfranchised, what I am told happened at every polling booth is that the agints of both sides were watching like hawks. Voters step in, they converged on the voters and made sure they were guided all the way in what to fill in where, etc.

Its not like someone grabbed ballot boxes, or was able to arbitrarily strike someone w/o other side aware of it. As u can see the support was practically 50-50, so it's not like Jim Crow dins. And several tV channels one text message away. So there must be more to the story than u are reading. Anyway this is the first I have seen of it, so it cannot have influenced me, sorry to disappoint u.

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 20 Nov 2018 06:11

The more I read the discussions here, the more the Democrats appear like the Congress party of India.

The repubs, don't really know what to make of them. Defies sense really.

disha · Post by **disha** » 20 Nov 2018 06:30

Republicans are going through a churn.

But this makes my day:

@realDonaldTrump
9h9 hours ago
More
....We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That’s ENDING!

18,085 replies 26,297 retweets 103,579 likes
Reply 18K Retweet 26K Like 104K

@realDonaldTrump
9h9 hours ago
More
Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!..

26,712 replies 26,134 retweets 95,386 likes
Reply 27K Retweet 26K Like 95K

At this point of time the foggy bottom has lost its marbles in the sea of bakistan tears. It does not know what to do with its central asia policy and definitely Trump does not want to play the great game or is not interested in the great game (a mantle inherited from fUK). I think Trump is rightly focused on the Indo-Pacific.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 20 Nov 2018 06:39

What Republican Party? There is only trump party now. Only trump loyalists can survive primaries. And they are more likely to lose in general. Only voter suppression has saved senate seats or else even that would have been at risk.

disha · Post by **disha** » 20 Nov 2018 06:40

A_Gupta wrote:When a 92 year old who has been voting regularly in the same Georgia precinct since 1968 is struck off the voter roles by the policies of the Georgia Secretary of State, and an Ulan Batori refuses to acknowledge that, well, something is seriously wrong. Time to follow Shiv into the wilderness.

Voter fraud is done by everybody including clintonites. Imagine my surprise when in the evening I turn up at the precinct and am told that I am at the wrong precinct and the right one is at the other end of the "block" (which happens to be the other end of the town) because I was gerrymandered by the dumbocrats. Of course that day, reach precinct late and not get to vote.

Anyway on the 92 year old.,

92-year old African American Georgia voter Christine Jordan has voted in every election since 1968. Well, November 6th 2018 that all changed when Christine went to the polls and was not only turned away, but her entire voter record couldn’t be found anywhere.

Point is what where the dumbocrats doing there? Why did not they work on their "get the vote out campaign" and make sure that all voters are properly registered and their records are found correctly?

Anyway, voter fraud happens in far sophisticated manner in US than in India.

disha · Post by **disha** » 20 Nov 2018 06:41

Gus wrote:What Republican Party? There is only trump party now. Only trump loyalists can survive primaries. And they are more likely to lose in general. Only voter suppression has saved senate seats or else even that would have been at risk.

Possibly. It does not matter to Trump as long as Trump sees Trump elected in 2020.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 20 Nov 2018 07:06

Kashi wrote:The more I read the discussions here, the more the Democrats appear like the Congress party of India.
The repubs, don't really know what to make of them. Defies sense really.

Kashiji, the alignment is slightly different. Democrats have Vote Bank politics of the communists with the smarts of the BeeJayPee and the

ability of the Kangrej.
Republicans have the morals of the BeeJayPee (big biz uber alles plus Holiness& race instead of caste & relijjun hangups) with the klepto skills of the Kangrej magnified 100X and the sliminess of the communists magnified 10X.
Both are thieves, but the Republicans are smarter at crookedness while the Democrats are louder at

200+ years of evolution in crookedness so it is a bit less obvious than in desh.
Democrats do their plotting in Beauty Parlors and coffee shops where Putin listens in. Or State Department email servers and laptops used by POTUS candidate's "live-in companion"'s companion to send pics of his mijjile to underage houris, also monitored by Putin.
Republicans do their plotting on golf courses monitored only by the Saudis, Chinese, Europeans and Colombians.
But desj is catching up fast, with voting machine software manipulation replacing simple ballot-box hijacking for instance. When it gets to Aadhar-based mobile phone voting, desh will be way ahead in cheating.
All said and done, would you rather be represented by

or

, hain?

In YooEss, the ballot cheating is more sophisticated. Ballot is as huge as a newspaper, and the names of the candidates of the Other Party (opposte to the Governor of the State) are put at the very bottom below a fold so that illiterate voters don't see it. So they write in the name, which invalidates the vote since they can't spell to save their own asses.

And the Democrats

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 20 Nov 2018 07:16

On 92-year-old: In such cases isn't a Provisional Ballot cast? Isn't that what the large # of Provisionals was about? Just asking, I have no idea.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 20 Nov 2018 07:17

Gus wrote:What Republican Party? There is only trump party now. Only trump loyalists can survive primaries. And they are more likely to lose in general. Only voter suppression has saved senate seats or else even that would have been at risk.

Very true. The recent elections have confirmed it.
i met a bunch of desi Americans on Saturday and they were all going oall over the place.
i told them about my theory of Pelosi having pulled of a great feat and created a new Democrat party based on bi-coastal liberals and color-free educated women. First there was surprise as they had lived longer than I and watched political process longer than I. But soon after they started talking about the shock in Orange County where now all the 7 seats are won by Democrats.

I also told them that DT will start reaching to others to expand his support base as this election has showed its limits.
So we shall see.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 20 Nov 2018 07:41

The crowning feat of DT wheeler-dealing is that the Orangeutan and Pelosi Bibi understand each other. Same type of ruthless deal-makers. Very different animal from pompous Boxer/Harris mafia. Tax reform was an amazing achievement of bipartisanship, done mostly because Pelosi decided to work with DT at the last minute.
If they gang up they can roll over med reform and immigration, IMO. May be the all-time great team. Hated by their own and the other side, but not giving a pakistan about that. Let's hope.

Also I feel that once DT has messed up all the international deals, he will lose interest in foreign affairs and focus on chewing through Fed departments. Demolish bureaucracies left and right. DT is not really against Obamacare, he sees it as a good first step, but next steps need different approach. IMO he will go after the insurance companies.

Let's see: GE's Immelt did

to DT, and now GE is practically eating dirt. Amazon may be next. Google not far down the line.

abhik · Post by **abhik** » 20 Nov 2018 22:06

According to some survey 2/3 of Democrats believe that Russia actually tampered with the votes. Reminded me of the donkey talking point from 10 years ago that most of Faux news viewers believe that they actually found WMDs in Iraq. Both sides have started to believe their own bullshit, which is very transparent to outside viewers.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Nov 2018 23:28

abhik wrote:According to some survey 2/3 of Democrats believe that Russia actually tampered with the votes. Reminded me of the donkey talking point from 10 years ago that most of Faux news viewers believe that they actually found WMDs in Iraq. Both sides have started to believe their own bullshit, which is very transparent to outside viewers.

+1

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Nov 2018 23:31

So now Jack Dorsey is in trouble. States of MP and CG should issue an arrest warrant for inciting communal violence. Why is the US interfering in India’s election? There needs to be a parliamentary enquiry.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2018 02:52

Yes, they should. Why not? These assholes think Indians are not human and they are the grate wyte Massah come to save the Heathain. Need to be taught a lesson. Twitter needs to replace him as CEO.

Note that the banner etc were given to him AT THE END OF A CONFERENCE WITH A BUNCH OF CONVERSIONIST ANTI-DEMOCRACY YAHOOS. That Anna whatzit begum is plain as day about that: she was leading a bunch of traitors. He has no business coming to India and conspiring to interfere in Indian elections: he knew what he was getting into when that meeting was set up. When he says "private" that is MUCH more alarming: what else is he doing "in private" in India?

Needs to be banned from India and have cases registered against him.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2018 03:20

P.S. The guy is probably a Democrat too.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 21 Nov 2018 05:15

DT stands by MBS on Kasshoggi killing despite chef estimate.

chanakyaa · Post by **chanakyaa** » 21 Nov 2018 07:42

I get little puzzled by the undue attention to Kasshoggi drama. MBS is muriki lapdog, which needs to be managed and controlled. MBS has effectively opened KSA's treasury by buying weapons and equipment, purchasing stakes in companies (Tess-la, OO-ber) when they are in trouble etc. etc. Why would any sane person let go (or replace) of this Sone Ki Murgi?

UlanBatori wrote:...GE's Immelt did to DT, and now GE is practically eating dirt. Amazon may be next. Google not far down the line.

GE's problems started waaaay before Immelt (and DT). This industrial company has lived way beyond its expiry date. GE Capital and insurance business were disasters. Most if the senior execs left the business 10-15yrs ago. Welch's house of cards is coming down. The energy and power business is solid, but cyclical. Vultures are all over this aged lion. It is interesting to note that China's Oceanwide bought its old insurance business for $2.7bn. Was it a arms length purchase or soft bailout...who knows?

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2018 08:13

I am saddened by GeeYee's problems. Seemed like a company that actually innovated and BUILT stuff that worked, from light bulbs to jet engines and power plants. I don't see why they didn't stay like a utility: big, solid, dividend-paying, slow-growth. Instead they tried going to insurance and self-financing - and bombed big-time. Now they seem to have gone into total meltdown. Their lightbulbs are still the best. WTH is wrong with American industry I wonder, that they can't make good money with great products, excellent employees and long-since paid-off huge facilities. Their execs must not be worth two cents, if they messed up THIS badly. Shows the biss-boor output of American magagement/ bijnej schools? Or just the greed of a stupid Board?
Immelt went way out of line, being obnoxious to the POTUS. That I am sure did them no good. DT could have got them a good bailout from B.S. The Axe.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2018 08:16

OT perhaps, but less OT than if I post this in the Sabarimala dhaga
US Judge approves genital mutilation of little girls.

Gyan · Post by **Gyan** » 21 Nov 2018 10:35

GE is solid in power, engines etc but it's slow business. It's attempt to play the market through finance & insurance business for windfall profits has screwed a great company.

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 21 Nov 2018 12:35

From above article ^

.Female genital mutilation refers to "all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for cultural or other nonmedical reasons," according to the United Nations Population Fund.

I don't get it. Based on this definition shouldn't male circumcision also be illegal?

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2018 18:13

GE Finance was set up (IIRC) as a way to channel their cash back into financing their own customers (so customers pay the price as well as the interest to GE!) This was a very decent overall return on investment. Same as auto companies used to do when they had lots of cash. Some execs saw opportunity to turn the Financing into the biggest earner, but they had no real grasp of any other finance other than their own (Big-Bij) customers.

chanakyaa · Post by **chanakyaa** » 21 Nov 2018 23:08

You got that right. If you really care to know about the “other finance” read about GeeYee’s adventures in long term care and reinsurance Bizz. Chinese bought part of that Bizz fully knowing it is bad. I believe there was a Chinese bailout, but in exchange for what?

Avtar Singh · Post by **Avtar Singh** » 22 Nov 2018 03:08

If one ever gets a chance, well worth watching.
Unfortunately not on internet where I am, live feed only..

GE takeover of Alstom
How american corporations operate in taking over foreign assets;
good to hear cnbc heads continuously complaining about alstom deal being part of ge downfall…serves them right

Look out for the diagram showing the links between french establishment and the money that changed hands to ensure american corpse got Alstom…
right to the top.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPsjp74Lvow

https://www.rt.com/shows/documentary/43 ... y-economy/

and here is another worth watching, but may well be live feed only;
“MSFT” with its claws into IT systems of EU

https://www.rt.com/shows/documentary/42 ... rity-risk/

India needs to be on guard against all these american corpses(deliberate spelling);
“V” Visa/“MA” Mastercard(A. Banga)

East India mk2 will be the goal, or am I too paranoid/cynical?

It was a close call with that Nuclear power thing, good job the american corpse went belly up.

saip · Post by **saip** » 22 Nov 2018 06:38

Isolated tribespeople believed to have killed US missionary who trespassed on remote island

Except that remote island happens to be North Sentinel island in the Andamans. I wonder if Trump will blame India for his death and demand India immediately recover his body and send it to the USA

Link

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 22 Nov 2018 08:50

Avtar Singh wrote:India needs to be on guard against all these american corpses(deliberate spelling);
“V” Visa/“MA” Mastercard(A. Banga)

East India mk2 will be the goal, or am I too paranoid/cynical?

It was a close call with that Nuclear power thing, good job the american corpse went belly up.

Compare the trends in cards vs UPI following demonization. The trend will only accelerate with the networks effects coming into play as more and more users, banks, consumers and companies link up on the UPI framework.

UPI will trump the cards my miles.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 22 Nov 2018 09:31

On UPI vs Cards

https://indianexpress.com/article/busin ... s-5328317/
Move over, Mastercard, Visa: India’s UPI now almost half the value of debit, credit card swipes [August 28, 2018]

Global card companies like Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. are losing market share to upstarts in the world’s most innovative payments market: India.

Transactions through India’s homegrown Unified Payments Interface — which allows mobile apps run by retailers, airlines and other firms to take payment directly from bank accounts — almost half the value of debit and credit cards swiped at stores last month, central bank data show.

“The introduction of UPI in August 2016 led to the creation of a wealth of new innovative payment solutions, and the adoption rates of UPI payments are truly spectacular,” U.S.-based Fidelity National Information Services Inc. said in a December 2017 report. UPI “opens up access to real-time by allowing payments to be directly integrated into external business applications,” it said.

India’s payments system was alone among more than 40 countries tracked by Fidelity National to gain a top score of five for innovation and customer value. China’s Internet Banking Payment System scored two and Kenya’s PesaLink scored four. Criteria included round-the-clock availability, speed of settlement, and level of government or regulator support.

“Payment integration into popular apps in India will drive the digital payments market to $1 trillion over the next five years,” Credit Suisse Group AG said in a report last month. “With 800 million bank accounts now linked, the bulk is mobile-transaction ready.”

Advances in India’s digital payments market picked up pace after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s shock decision to invalidate 86 percent of the country’s currency in circulation. The number of UPI transactions have surged almost 57,000 percent since November 2016, while that of debit and credit cards has risen 20 percent. {% rise on its own is deceptive given its low starting base but taken with its almost 50% reach by value of the cards transaction it has captured in the short time it has been in existence has been truly truly extraordinary.}

“While the effects of the demonetization event of November 2016 are now waning, it would be safe to conclude that the event has caused a permanent uplift in the share of non-cash transactions in the economy,” said Credit Suisse.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 22 Nov 2018 09:53

A bit OT but hear many so called developing nations are asking for Indian help in creating something similar to UPI in their nations.

chanakyaa · Post by **chanakyaa** » 22 Nov 2018 09:57

Avtar Singh wrote:...East India mk2 will be the goal, or am I too paranoid/cynical?

East India Co never really died conceptually. It crossed the At-lantic and became a global entity. One of the biggest drawbacks of the EIC was that it had to maintain ownership by physical presence in the kolonized countries in spite of the wishes of the locals. Modern day EIC uses stock ownership to own productive assets in far away lands; which was unthinkable to achieve under the older EIC model. Residents of milk and honey, can own a share of Mycrosoft and earn when users in India use the products. Every time Bisa and MysterCard is used, share owners back home earn a slice without ever traveling to India. New EIC model has been perfected by removing its weaknesses, mainly by eliminating the appearance of Kolonization. It is a much better/refined model. To be fair, the stock based ownership model is global, which means Indians can indirectly own the asset in other countries, but in practice it gets used by large magnitude other way around. It is ironic, that politicians often discuss trade deficits between countries but do not discuss cross country ownership of financial and/or real assets.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 22 Nov 2018 10:02

visa/mastercard/amex can be useful for global travel but within india, is there a need to have this middleman skimming a few 1-3% off the merchants profit (some merchants also charge that commission extra upfront, most big ones dont now but its a cost to them)

RUPAY debit cards should also be widely encouraged. my default SBI sent me a visa/m but I requested another debit card rupay only.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 22 Nov 2018 10:03

question - other than BHIM app and scanning UPI QR code, what other means can i use to access UPI and avoid visa/m ? even most debit cards are visa/m

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 22 Nov 2018 10:26

^^
One can access UPI via any UPI enabled phone/Wallet/app/platform/gateway.

Yesterday I had to make a payment online and I was in between cards. The payment gateway had an option to use UPI along side cards/Netbanking/wallet/etc. Once I selected the UPI option and gave it my preferred VPA the gateway sent a collect request to my bank. I got a SMS informing me of the pending request and I logged into my bank app and cleared it. The payment was processed and I got the payment confirmation just like with card usage via the site and in a SMS as also a confirmation SMS from my bank on the debit of money.

OT but ... Read this on UPI ... from Wharton Fintech blog ... detailed but I just skimmed through it and share the core takeaway.
https://medium.com/wharton-fintech/your ... e0b372bf0b
Your guide to UPI — the world’s most advanced payments system

Time again for a quick summary. Let’s see how the various components that we have descibed so far are unified by UPI to provide the same benefits as cash.

<snip>

Every single one of these touch points is now a node in the financial network! You can transfer value to, or receive cash from, any of these nodes.

Over a billion ATMs!

UPI takes status quo rails, status quo infrastructure and binds them all together. Such an interoperable system lays the foundation for the conversion of physical cash to digital cash at will, making the need for physical cash obsolete.

UPI is as good as cash especially for small valued transactions except for that it will makes all transactions totally transparent to the authorities.