by the meltingpot: December 2016

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Indeed, what is at work in the recent return of realism is the revenge of geography in the most old-fashioned sense. In the 18th and 19th centuries, before the arrival of political science as an academic specialty, geography was an honored, if not always formalized, discipline in which politics, culture, and economics were often conceived of in reference to the relief map. Thus, in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, mountains and the men who grow out of them were the first order of reality; ideas, however uplifting, were only the second.
And yet, to embrace geography is not to accept it as an implacable force against which humankind is powerless. Rather, it serves to qualify human freedom and choice with a modest acceptance of fate. This is all the more important today, because rather than eliminating the relevance of geography, globalization is reinforcing it. Mass communications and economic integration are weakening many states, exposing a Hobbesian world of small, fractious regions. Within them, local, ethnic, and religious sources of identity are reasserting themselves, and because they are anchored to specific terrains, they are best explained by reference to geography. Like the faults that determine earthquakes, the political future will be defined by conflict and instability with a similar geographic logic. The upheaval spawned by the ongoing economic crisis is increasing the relevance of geography even further, by weakening social orders and other creations of humankind, leaving the natural frontiers of the globe as the only restraint.
So we, too, need to return to the map, and particularly to what I call the “shatter zones” of Eurasia. We need to reclaim those thinkers who knew the landscape best. And we need to update their theories for the revenge of geography in our time.
Here is the link for the whole write up.

Now at 2nd place

My view is that relations between countries in the coming decades are most likely to reflect their cultural commitments, their cultural ties and antagonism with other countries rather than other factors. Quite obviously, power will continue to play a central role in global politics, as it always does. But usually there is something else behind conflicts. In the 18th century in Europe, the issues to a large extent involved questions of monarchy versus the emerging republican movements, first in America and then in France. In the 19th century, it involved states identifying themselves through nationalism. In the 20th century, ideology came to the fore, largely, but not exclusively, as a result of the Russian Revolution. We had fascism, communism and liberal democracy competing with each other. Well, that’s pretty much over. Liberal democracy has come to be accepted, in theory at least, around the world, if not always in practice. So the question really is what will be the central focus of global politics in the coming decades? My argument remains that cultural identities, antagonisms and affiliations will not only play a role, but play a major role in relations between states. The full interview is here.

This is the 3rd

Every citizen in the City of Richardson will be able to access 756 Kbps of internet connectivity for free, from anywhere in the city. They will be able to access the internet from their homes, schools, restaurants and parks using standard wi-fi connections which are now installed on almost every notebook computer. That is almost as fast as many so-called high speed broadband connections that one pays dearly for today, and several times faster than the various hotspots at your local coffee shops. And I should note that the tax-payers of the City of Richardson are not paying one penny for this, and in fact are going to see additional revenues as a benefit. ... At the beginning of this letter, I suggested that this would be one of the fastest worldwide rollouts of a technology ever seen. It was just 20 years ago that the first cellular systems were being built. The rollout for mesh wireless systems is going to make that look slow. There are several reasons I make this assertion. But they all center on the facts that installing mesh systems will be cheaper and easier than any previous system and the economics in both the developed and especially the developing world will be so radically compelling. Throw in the fact the any astute politician will want to be at the front of this parade (They will all want to say, "I was the man who helped bring free internet to everyone!") and the groundwork is laid for rapid deployment. In Richardson and elsewhere, MeshLinx is offering the basic infrastructure for free. This avoids all the time consuming, political budget battles in the cities. When a service is offered for free, much of the mandated competitive process is eliminated. Next is the low cost of installation of the system. As noted above, Richardson is a city of roughly 100,000 people living in 27.4 square miles. It will "only" cost about $2,000,000 today to lay the wireless blanket I mentioned above. It will cost a great deal less in the future, as MeshLinx is building the pods at a pace of 100 a month today. The maximum output of the US pilot assembly line is 500 a month. When the demand exceeds this (and it will in a very short time) discussions have been held to move volume production to China. Of course, the world will need tens of millions of pods. The cost for a pod will be a fraction of today's cost, with that installation number for a city like Richardson soon being half (or less) the cost of today. What does that $1 or 2 million get you? The infrastructure to be an internet connection, telephone, security, entertainment provider and a whole lot more company. As noted, it will get cheaper as the number of pods being made each month rises, thus lowering their costs dramatically. This technology does have scale. The cost of physically putting up a pod is not a large part of the equation, as you simply need to run a power line, attach a few bolts to a mount on the side of a building or light pole and then off to the next point. Think about the 40,000 homes and businesses in Richardson. If and (hopefully) over time when 10% decide to pay $50 a month for 10-20 Mbps high speed internet access you could see a revenue of $2.5 million a year just from internet access. Now add in all the other income possibilities (phone, entertainment, security and don't forget advertising revenue on the free service!). Think about your town or country. What would service like this be worth? If you are a small city that does not have high speed connections available, how many businesses that could bring jobs do not come your way because they need reliable communications for their work and their employees? If you are in a developing country, where internet access is difficult and expensive, it will open whole new vistas. Couple that with the various programs which want to give cheap laptops to kids in poor countries, and you could see significant social progress in a generation. Here is the link.

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Artificial land demands:Manipur's logjam and South China Sea's initial moves

If a logjam can be painted by an artist,Manipur's present logjam would come out beautifully on the canvas.

It is of public knowledge that this logjam should be viewed vis a vis the ongoing economic blockade imposed on Manipur,which is suffering as much as the war-torn Alleppo in Syria.Going further into the subject,the ongoing economic blockade is intimately connected with the core issue of the decades old Naga underground movement,namely,the seizing of all lands in the region which have any Naga population,however sparsed that migth be .In the name of their core issue they (together with some ethnic groups) want as much as 90% of Manipur's present landmass.So,the core issue of Naga underground movement,if viewed from Manipuri layman's perspective, becomes an unmistakly brazen artificial demand for Manipur's land.

So,the present logjam is to be viewed vis a vis the artificial demands for Manipuir's land.

In the meantime,we should not fail to notice the birth of a corollary.It's a very significant corollary.If the leadership of Naga underground movement make any move to free themselves from this logjam by instructing their frontal organizations to ease the iron grip of the economic blockade,it would tantamount to giving up on their core issue.In other words,it would be suicidal for them.

Unknown to the leadership of the Naga ubderground movement and (also to the Chief Minister of Manipuir),the seeds for this logjam was quitely sown by the most routine September visit of Mr CP Joshi,the Indian Nation Congress party general secretary to Imphal.As a strategy for returning to power in Manipur in the context of a surging BJP,the creation of new districts was the most tempting option.By creating new districts under the pretext of administrative efficiency,the Congress party,in one swift stroke,would be able to rope in the Kuki MLAs as the coalition partners in the next goverment formation which is being scheduled for 2017.

But unknown to the Chief Minister of Manipur,there is,in the context of present Manipur battleground,no difference between a CP Joshi and a Prahlad Patel.They are both active members of Team India.Team India decided to make a Manipuri initiate the present logjam.They have tactfully targeted the Chief Minister of Manipur as the Chosen One.

So,now comes another important question.How to view the present logjam vis a vis the Manipuri society?In the post dated 5th July 16,it was fully discussed to deduct that the Manipuri society would be rendered completely optionless,except for a regional war in South China Sea.I'm quoting:

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Burning down yet another brand-new Legislative Assembly building?

Boycotting and roughening up their democratically elected MLAs and Minsters?

Creating widespread anarchy,hurting themselves?

These are the paths already traversed in 2001.Last year's Framework Agreement shows us in no uncertain terms that those paths only succeeded in the postponing the issue for some 15 years.We need to look for a permanent fix for the problem.

Should we go to New Delhi?

If we choose that path we would certainly be confronted with Article 3 of the Constitution of India.The recent sad story of the Telegus also tells us that there is no point in confronting Article 3 in the context of a determined ruling class in New Delhi.

So, what option the Manipuri people have in the present juncture?

The answer--South China Sea.
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This state of optionless Manipuri society was best illustrated by an ultimatum dated 5th Dec 16 issued by none other than United Committee,Manipur(UCM),which is widely ackwnoledged as the mandated CSO to face the menace.The UCM issued a 72 hours ultimatum to lift the blockade.What did they do after the much-publicized 72 hours?A people's convention!.It tantamounts to saying if they do not lift the blockade within 72 gours,we would convene a covention.Manipur society is that optionless.

So,everyone concerned agree that the Manipur is completely optionless.So,what's happening in South China Sea?

1)The Indian Home Ministry official,all of sudden,started terming the ongoing blockade as illegal.The announcement comes after the ongoing blockade was more 40 days old,making Manipur a war zone--sky-rocketing price and petrol rationing.So,it's clear diplmatese,which in layman terms,says that the blockade,though illegal,have been allowed to continue.

As soon as this diplomatese became public,news begin to emerged that China has already installed sizeable military assets in all 7 artificial islands.

2)Admiral Harry Harris of the US Navy,commanding the Pacific Fleet announced that the ostensibly game-changing F-22 raptors would start deploying in Australia as a response to the installation of military assets in the seven artificial islands in South China Sea.

As soon as the Admiral made that announcement,there was ambushes in the mountains of Manipur.

3)Today,there is a complete shutdown to protest the ambushes

As soon as the shutdown was announced,China seized an underwater drone of the US Navy in the South China Sea.

Monday, December 05, 2016

The wa,the war and the 'poisoned' money

As I was preparing to write about the 'poisoned' money(and as something very disturbing happened to me yesterday,the 4th of Dec),I was suddenly transported to the hotel scene in London where a knowned Putin foe was poisoned to death.The finger of suspocion was diretly pointed to Putin himself.No doubt,it was a distasteful act of murder.Is it a case of Russian poiitical culture sanctioning such distateful acts?Or,is it the present power center lorded over by Putin not moored to the collective will of the Russian people?

It brings us to the present scenario in Manipur.Where do the rebel groups get their powers from?To be more specific,do they get their powers from the collective will of the Maniipuri prople? (And do Manipur have the tradition of poisoning people having different political viewpoints?)

New Delhi has already decided that the rebel groups of Manipur are deriving their powers from the money they are collecting from the general public of Manipur.But there is a catch.New Delhi thinks that the money is not being earned by the general public of Manipur.On the contrary,it's the money directly distributed by Delhi as a subsidy.So,the rebel geoups of Manipur are deriving their power from the direct hand outs from New Delhi.

Now,New Delhi wants to 'poison' that money.

At this point,there sure would be hue and cry pointing out that it's something happening all over India.There are long queues all over India scrambliing for the available cash.How can we peg something happening all over as having Manipur-specific intent?

1)The Prime Minister of India himself made the announcement of the 'poison' money scheme on the 9\11 of this year.The date,by itself,instantly transported us to anothere 9\11 in New York City,where the twin towers of the World Trade Center were demolished.

2)A few days later,the Prime Minister chaired the full cabinet whuch decided to give exemptions to the scheme upto the 24th of November.What is 24th of November?Did the Prime Minsiter of India himself try to co-relate the two dates--9\11 and 24th of Novemeber?

3)I cannot remember the exact date.But I think it must be 10th of Nov.I was in the Konung Mamang area--shopping.Suddenly I wanted to have a look at how the preparation of the Sangai Festival was going on.I had never been to a Sangai Festival.That might the trigger why I had that sudden impulse to watch the preparatioin for the main event.As I walked towards the Sangai Festival venus,I passed by the former office of the 'Lamyanba'.I saw some people putting up a sign board inside the office premises but very close to the foothpath I was walking on.As I came near it,I noticed that it was something to do with remembering NK Sanajaoba,the icon of Manipuri rebels ecosystem.But what struck me most was the date on the sign board.It was the 30th of Dec 2016.Isn't the same date on which the 'poison' money scheme comes to a close?

4)This final point is not something to do with guessing how a series of dates stacked up to reveal a pattern.It's something that actually happens at the trijunction of the China,Lao and Burma international borders.There the Wa people is willingly gulping down the 'poison' money of India.I think we are going to see a lot of actions at this trijunction,with the Wa people as the main actor.

Reading and co-relating all these four points,we can easily deduct that the 'poison' money scheme is a pan Indian scheme with a Manipur specific intent or target.

Next,another important colllorary comes up.Just as the Wa people is doing,which of the rebel groups in Manipur will willingly gulp down the 'poison' money of India?

This question suddenly transports us to the futurology of Manipur.One specific part of it refers to 'wakha'.Incidentally,the Wa people at the trijunction of China,Lao and Burma international borders populate in two specific geographical locations,which we can refer to as North Wa and South Wa.South Wa is the one which interests us the most because 'South Wa' is rendered in Manipuri as 'Wakha'.

Would the Indian Prime Minister's 'poison' money scheme herald the evolution of 'wakha' in our midst?

Would the emergence of the 'wakha' in our midst finally clears the fogs which is smudging the battleline?

These two questions sure compel us to ask yet another ground-shifting question--how would the emerging 'wakha' view the ongoing economic blockade?

Would they view it as the problems of the highways?

Would they view it as the existential manisfestation of the clash of the two churns?

POSTSCRIPT
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My last post was dated 4th of July.That was exctly five months ago.Five months gap between two posts!

I have been actually waiting for some actions along Manipur-Burma border,which,I fancy,would have the 'artificial demand for land'(my last post) as the main enabler.I have been fascinated with the idea of directly co-relating my last post with the anticipated actions along the border.

This present moment tells us that India is not standing up,facing the foe and starting the fight.Instead,they are content with 'poisoning'people.

Is poisoning people the true tradition of India and its allies?

by the meltingpot

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This is the 3rd