Bharat Rakshak

South Asian Americans Begin to Shift Their View of the American Dream
by Touchdown Media on 2011-12-20
http://www.masalajunction.com/index.php ... iew&id=520

NEW YORK – November 29, 2011 – According to the fifth annual MetLife Study of the American Dream, South Asian Americans show a slight shift in their view of the American Dream. This compares to a clear emergence of a less traditional and more personalized definition of the Dream among the general population. And while South Asian Americans remain far more confident about achieving the Dream than most Americans, pessimism is starting to creep in.

The Study also uncovers a shift in South Asian Americans’ perception about having an adequate financial safety net. Three quarters of South Asian Americans believe that having a safety net is key to achieving the American Dream, yet only 49% feel theirs is adequate this year, compared to 59% in 2010.

“Times are tough, but people are adapting and pursuing their own version of the Dream,” said Devang Patel, certified financial planner with Patel Financial Group, an office of MetLife. “The good news is that, like Americans overall, South Asian Americans can take small steps to rebuild their safety nets and regain their confidence.”

Slight Shift in the American Dream
South Asian Americans are having the most success achieving the American Dream. Forty-one percent say they have achieved the Dream, compared with just over a third (34%) of all Americans, and among South Asian Americans who haven’t yet achieved the Dream, 8 in 10 think it is possible.

The study reveals that like most Americans, South Asian Americans no longer place importance on many traditional elements of the Dream: 67% and 66% respectively say marriage and children are not essential and 58% say you don’t have to own a home to achieve the Dream. However, while a majority of Americans (65%) say a college education is no longer important, only 47% of South Asian Americans agree. Education is still key in their version of the American Dream.

Material wealth, once symbolic of achievement, has waned significantly among most Americans, but continues to be a priority among South Asian Americans. More than a quarter (28%) of South Asian Americans say that recent economic events have reinforced the importance of material possessions and their career over their family and personal life, compared to just 13% of the overall population. More South Asian Americans also believe they need to exceed their parents’ standard of living to achieve the Dream (51% compared with 44% of the general population).

South Asian Americans Do Whatever it Takes
South Asian Americans are passionate in their pursuit of the American Dream. To make their Dream a reality, almost three quarters (74%) would consider moving into a less expensive home and 71% are willing to relocate to another part of the country to sustain or achieve the American Dream. This compares to 64% and 57% of Americans overall, respectively. Forty one percent of South Asian Americans are willing to take a job for which they are overqualified and 33% would get additional job training.

Financial Safety Nets Important
A financial safety net includes savings to cover living expenses in the event of illness, job loss, or other serious emergency, as well as financial and protection products such as life, home and health insurance, annuities and retirement accounts.

Despite their continued emphasis on material wealth, there is a decline in financial optimism among South Asian Americans. Only 37% of South Asian Americans say their financial future looks good, down from 57 % in 2010. Similarly, 45% expect their financial situation and 39 % expect the economy to improve in the next year, down from 57% and 65% in 2010, respectively.

In spite of the pessimistic financial outlook among South Asian Americans, their financial security still remains well above Americans overall. Though fewer South Asian Americans say they have a financial safety net this year, the percentage is still higher than the general population (49% versus 30%). And while more than half of Americans (53%) say living paycheck to paycheck is standing in their way of achieving an adequate safety net, only 43% of South Asian Americans say the same. Perhaps not surprisingly, almost a quarter of South Asians (23%) say supporting their aging parents is a barrier to achieving an adequate safety net. This compares to only 8% of all Americans.

Methodology
From September 26th to October 10th 2011, Penn Schoen Berland in partnership with Strategy First Partners conducted 2,420 online surveys amongst the general population as part of the 2011 MetLife Study of the American Dream. This is the fifth annual edition of the Study.

Download the 2011 MetLife Study of the American Dream at www.metlife.com/americandream

While the past decade has brought forth many negative developments in the world, from the brutal attacks of 9/11 to Russia's revived assertiveness to the increasing military power of China, there is at least one strategic change that has been positive: the rise of a strong India, with a free market, growing military power and a convergence of interests with the United States.

With the end of the Cold War, the collapse of socialism worldwide, and the patent failure of Soviet weapons during the Gulf War {another reason for Gulf War?}, however, India's leaders began to re-evaluate the policies that had guided its nation since independence from the UK in 1947.

India shares many security imperatives with the United States: concern about Iran's nuclear weapons program, military and economic rivalry with China, uncertainty over the viability of Pakistan, and a fierce determination to oppose radical Islamic terrorism, having been even more of a victim of these groups than the United States.

The Indian armed forces are an increasingly capable component of India's foreign policy, developing a modern fleet, upgrading its army and air force and -- funded by its growing economy -- recently becoming the world's largest importer of weapons.

There are also significant opportunities for cultural and economic cooperation between India and the U.S., with the widespread use of English -- one of India's official languages -- and the 100,000 students from India studying at American colleges and universities.

The U.S. should continue to welcome the rise of India and build on the progress made by the past three administrations to collaborate ever more closely with India, as we have done recently with a nuclear agreement and military exercises.

Indeed, given the neighborhood of South Asia, we should consider a stronger India as an indispensable partner, making every effort to improve this relationship.

The world's two largest democracies are natural allies, but this convergence will only continue with increased focus by the United States on a nation that deserves our attention and interest.

With more substantial efforts, such as through ardent support for permanent U.N. Security Council status for India, improved intelligence collaboration, expanded visa opportunities for Indian nationals, and wider trade agreements, the U.S. could build stronger ties with this indispensable democracy and regional power.

Wayne H. Bowen, professor and chairman of the Department of History at Southeast Missouri State University, is also a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Christopher Sidor wrote:Mediator in Taliban-U.S. talks backed Kashmir jihad -- By Praveen Swami, The Hindu, Dated 29-Dec-2011

So after outsourcing our Pakistani terrorism problem to the yanks, we will see the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan. This implies that we will see LeT and their ilk get a safe heaven. We should not be surprised if we see another IC 814 type hijacking or worse. And this begs to a question, do our and US interest actually align west of the Radcliffe line? Just as the British used fundamentalist Islamist in their fight against Indian Nationalist, we see the US using fundamentalist Islamist for its own purpose. So the player has changed and not the play. And in this play, it is we India which gets affected by the collateral damage of American policies.

vishvak wrote:

Christopher Sidor wrote:Mediator in Taliban-U.S. talks backed Kashmir jihad -- By Praveen Swami, The Hindu, Dated 29-Dec-2011

So after outsourcing our Pakistani terrorism problem to the yanks, we will see the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan. This implies that we will see LeT and their ilk get a safe heaven. We should not be surprised if we see another IC 814 type hijacking or worse. And this begs to a question, do our and US interest actually align west of the Radcliffe line? Just as the British used fundamentalist Islamist in their fight against Indian Nationalist, we see the US using fundamentalist Islamist for its own purpose. So the player has changed and not the play. And in this play, it is we India which gets affected by the collateral damage of American policies.

Isn't Qatar friend of India so why are this kind based in Doha, its capital city?

Is it usual for any arab country to harbor such elements in the name of religion?

ramana wrote:The problem is all the friends of India don't see any thing wrong in doing India harm. Nor do they pay any price for doing that. So the beat goes on.

Andrew Wilder, director of Afghanistan and Pakistan programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, said the creation of a liaison office is significant “because you’ve seen so little progress” until now, even though the U.S. and its allies have labored for two years to find a path to talks.

vishvak wrote:

ramana wrote:The problem is all the friends of India don't see any thing wrong in doing India harm. Nor do they pay any price for doing that. So the beat goes on.

Then there is no point assuming the sarve dharma sama bhava understanding for these who do not understand dharma.

How can such people do not see a contradiction or is it that the religion/status of these people rewards overlooking contradictions?

ramana wrote:I think this GWU Prof article should be read and critiqued for it shows that some US FP wonks want to do a Munich on India by appeasing the TSP monster.

Rethinking Pakistan plan

It’s one of the most famous sequences in Indian movies. And, not surprisingly, it’s a song. A Chaplinesque tramp with holes in his shoes, too-short pants and a slightly goofy hat skips down a country road and sings these lines in Hindi: “My shoes are Japanese/These pants are English/On my head is a red Russian hat/But still,” he says, pointing to his chest and delivering the kicker, “my heart is Hindustani.” That heart belonged to Raj Kapoor, and his song — a simple statement of patriotism in a globalizing world — struck a chord with audiences in the young Indian republic when it appeared in “Shree 420” (1955). And not just in India; it was a hit in the Middle East and the Soviet Union too. Some middle-aged Russians can still sing it. Kapoor (1924-88), called the Great Showman — no small tribute in an industry besotted with showmanship — looms large over the Indian film landscape. But how to explain him and his work to those who didn’t grow up with Hindi movies
Living on his own terms, the hero searches for truth and beauty and long-lost love. But this isn’t just his story, he says, it’s the “story of youth.” He knows that “creating your own destiny isn’t easy” — are you listening, young India? — yet prefers a path full of obstacles to the comfortable life he would lead in his father’s house.Here Kapoor’s not a pampered upper-class fellow, but a fatherless boy, Raju, raised in the Bombay slums, who falls into a life of crime. Written by K. A. Abbas (who also wrote “Shree 420”), the movie mixes mythological themes (the story of Raju’s parents, told in flashback, echoes the epic the Ramayana) with social ones: Can a good man come from the gutter? Can the cycle of poverty and crime be broken? Can a man be judged by who his father is — or isn’t?

For the second time in less than two months, US defence secretary Leon Panetta has said that the country is facing challenges from rising powers like China and India in Asia in 21st century.
"We have got the challenges of dealing with rising powers in Asia. We have got the challenge of, you know, dealing with countries like Russia, rising countries like India and others," Panetta told PBS News Hour in an interview."All of that represents the kind of challenges that we are going to have to deal with in this world of the 21st century," Panetta said.A transcript of the interview, taken on Thursday, was provided by PBS News Hour.
Panetta's remarks came within hours of the Pentagon releasing its defense strategic review which said that the US is investing in long-term strategic partnership with India.The strategy document unveiled by the US President Barack Obama identified China as one of the major security threat to the US in the long term and puts Asia on a bigger priority."The United States is investing in a long-term strategic partnership with India to support its ability to serve as a regional economic anchor and provider of security in the broader Indian Ocean region," said the strategy document.Earlier in the day at a Pentagon news conference, Panetta had said that the US faces challenges from rising powers in Asia, but had not named any country."We're facing challenges from rising powers in Asia. And we're facing a situation in the Middle East that continues to be in turmoil."So, what we've got to do is to be able to have a flexible, adaptable, agile force that can deal with a myriad of challenges in today's world."That's what we've got to be able to develop," he told the PBS in his interview.
This is for the second time in recent months that Panetta has identified India as a challenge among rising powers in Asia."We face the threats from rising powers -- China, India, others -- that we have to always be aware of and try to make sure that we always have sufficient force protection out there in the Pacific to make sure they know we're never going anywhere," Panetta had said on November 17.However, Panetta's spokesman George Little had said that the defence secretary strongly values a close relationship with India and sees it as a nation of increasing prominence and power."The secretary strongly values a close military relationship with India, which he sees as a nation of increasing prominence and power. He doesn't view India as a threat," Little had said."The United States and India work together on a regular basis to find ways of cooperating around common security interests. We're committed to pursuing even stronger cooperation in the future," he had pointed out.In his PBS interview, Panetta said that the US wants to build relationship with China

ramana wrote:He is mixed up between his message about PRC and is throwing in India to assuage the dragon!

Philip wrote:The invasion of western "junk culture" ,carcinogenic and cardio-vascular damaging junk food,junk films and junk (celebrity exhibitionist ) values into devloping nations like India,the "Coca-Cola culture" as one of my French intellectual friends puts it,has made dangerous inroads into our society.There is a huge amount of western culture and values that are worth enjoying,but the lifestyle being dumped upon us is that of the very lowest level of strata of western society,whose junk food flavours and taste,acts like a drug (proven by scientists recently),demanding further "fixes".Junk food like diabetic-inducing GM cereal,trans-fat fried burgers and battery bred fried chicken,sundry leftovers on dough (pizzas),and fizzy chemical "cola" drinks,which Indian farmers found to be good pesticides are touted as the epitome of US "fine dining"! We are beginning to see the sight of obese Indian schoolchildren, whose parents are bringing them up on large doses of such gourmet titbits,who will become fit and proper members of society ,to fill up our consulting rooms and hospital beds as future patients ,making contributions to the diabetic,and heart foundations and enriching the pockets of the global phrama cos. who like the toxic waste being dumped into India,dump their banned drugs onto our unsuspecting population with a willing and greedy medical profession,who benefit on the side.

The magical figure of "1 billion+" Indians give US/western MNCs multiple orgasms .A few years ago one hyper-ventilating MNC executive breathlessly explained how even if a fraction off the Indian population,less than 1% (more than the entire population of some EU states!) started eating cereal for breakfast,how his company's profits would explode! Fortunately,there is a parallel movement in India,where the middle-aged and the youth are re-discovering age-old virtues of traditional medicine,"grandma's cures" and the joys of nutritious desi food from the various regions of India,cooked the way it has been done for centuries,in the villages and towns, and passed down from household to household in their unique style.the boom in tourist "homestays" is encouraging this trend away from the mass-produced and mass-marketed junk of the west.

darshhan wrote:

Philip wrote:The invasion of western "junk culture" ,carcinogenic and cardio-vascular damaging junk food,junk films and junk (celebrity exhibitionist ) values into devloping nations like India,the "Coca-Cola culture" as one of my French intellectual friends puts it,has made dangerous inroads into our society.There is a huge amount of western culture and values that are worth enjoying,but the lifestyle being dumped upon us is that of the very lowest level of strata of western society,whose junk food flavours and taste,acts like a drug (proven by scientists recently),demanding further "fixes".Junk food like diabetic-inducing GM cereal,trans-fat fried burgers and battery bred fried chicken,sundry leftovers on dough (pizzas),and fizzy chemical "cola" drinks,which Indian farmers found to be good pesticides are touted as the epitome of US "fine dining"! We are beginning to see the sight of obese Indian schoolchildren, whose parents are bringing them up on large doses of such gourmet titbits,who will become fit and proper members of society ,to fill up our consulting rooms and hospital beds as future patients ,making contributions to the diabetic,and heart foundations and enriching the pockets of the global phrama cos. who like the toxic waste being dumped into India,dump their banned drugs onto our unsuspecting population with a willing and greedy medical profession,who benefit on the side.

The magical figure of "1 billion+" Indians give US/western MNCs multiple orgasms .A few years ago one hyper-ventilating MNC executive breathlessly explained how even if a fraction off the Indian population,less than 1% (more than the entire population of some EU states!) started eating cereal for breakfast,how his company's profits would explode! Fortunately,there is a parallel movement in India,where the middle-aged and the youth are re-discovering age-old virtues of traditional medicine,"grandma's cures" and the joys of nutritious desi food from the various regions of India,cooked the way it has been done for centuries,in the villages and towns, and passed down from household to household in their unique style.the boom in tourist "homestays" is encouraging this trend away from the mass-produced and mass-marketed junk of the west.

Philip ji , This is one of very few posts of yours that I completely agree with.Military invasions have been replaced by invasions of culture and mind.And the damage this is doing to our young is simply mind boggling.

Although I wouldn't blame just west for it.The poor impulse control is also to blame.For eg. even while eating Indian food many people tend to load it up with Ghee/oil etc.

Immediately, he picked up his AK-47 and pointed it to my forehead. “You American?” he shouted.

“I’m from India,” I said.

“No, you’re American,” he said again. “You will die.”

My translator interjected, pleading with the Colonel not to shoot. I was indeed an Indian, he said. But the Colonel was having none of it. “He is American, and he must die,” he said.

More out of panic than forethought, I blurted out, “I’m Indian… like Shaami Kaboor.”

“Shaami Kaboor? You know Shaami Kaboor?” the Colonel asked. He still had the gun to my forehead.

“Of course, I know Shaami Kaboor,” I said. “All Indians know him. He’s a big star.”

The Colonel lowered his AK-47. He stepped back. “You really know Shaami Kaboor?”

“Yes,” I said.

“I like Shaami Kaboor,” he said, with a small smile. “I saw all his movies when I was young.”

“Me too,” I lied.

“What was it he used to shout?” he asked.

“Yahoo,” I said.

“You are lucky you’re Indian,” he said as I got into the car. “Otherwise you would be dead by now. You should thank God.”

In my mind, there was no doubt about who I needed to thank.

Agencies : New Delhi, Wed Jan 11 2012, 15:14 hrs

The United States has offered the air-to-air version of its famous Stinger missile to India as part of the weapons package proposed for the 22 attack helicopter deal of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The surface-to-air version of the Stinger missile is widely credited with the collapse of Russian helicopter fleet in Afghan war in 1980s and was also used by Pakistani troops to bring down an IAF Mi-17 helicopter during the Kargil war in 1999.

"We have offered the Stinger missile as part of weapons package with the Apache-64D offered by the US government to the IAF's tender for 22 attack helicopters," Brad Barnard, Raytheon's Business Development Manager for missile systems told reporters here.

The missiles are offered directly by the US government to India through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, he said.

The IAF is in final stages of the contract and is soon expected to award the contract.

Barnard said Raytheon was also planning to offer the missiles for being equipped on India's indigenous helicopters, which include the HAL developed Light Combat Helicopter and Advanced Light Helicopter.

"We are yet to get clearance from the US Government for this but we have plans to offer the Stinger for being equipped on Indian helicopters," he said.

Raytheon India Head William Blair said the company has developed a vehicle-launched version of the Javelin anti-tank guided missile and is in discussion with local major Tata for developing it for Indian requirements.

India is planning to indigenously develop a Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) for the requirements of its Army and paramilitary personnel and Tata is expected to be one of the contenders for the contract.

Nandu wrote:It's all about the almighty dollar. We have some. They want it.