Two Streets of America

Mr. Robert Reich

" The real problem was on Main Street, in the real economy. Before the crash, much of America had fallen deeply into unsustainable debt because it had no other way to maintain its standard of living. That's because for so many years almost all the gains of economic growth had been going to a relatively small number of people at the top"."As long as income and wealth keep concentrating at the top, and the great divide between America's have-mores and have-lesses continues to widen, the Great Recession won't end -- at least not in the real economy". Robert Reich, a professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, was Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration

Main Street is hungry, broke, and in a bad shape that keeps getting worst as Wall Street bounces along.

The readers of this blog will know my belief that the Wall Street American Dream is the Nightmare on Main Street of America of outsourced jobs; capital without boundaries pitting personal and corporate gain versus patriotic national interest:

1. Wall Street self interests are in direct conflict with American quality of life interests - better wages, decent health benefits are costs which erode profits, therefore sending jobs abroad boost earnings, so damn the American worker is the evident Wall Street premise.
2. Wall Street earns billions creating bubbles - 80's real estate/ S&L crash, 2000 .com bust and recent/ current CDO and Toxic asset catastrophe - 3 cataclysmic events in less than 25 years pillaging America and pocketing billions in proceeds, and because frail, powerless governments have watched as impotent voyeurs, it likely will at will do the same anytime it can create a situation of profit.
3. Dow Jones highs do not meant more money in the average guy's pocket. Though it's lows equate to job losses and benefits cuts.

Reading The New Republic and Mr. Robert Reich in Salon express similar sentiment, albeit with less sentiment, is not a comfort to ego but a small growing assurance that if more people take umbrage at the rape of America there maybe a method of stopping the rapist.

Salon, The New Republic - keep talking as this is the gospel that will harrow our hell.

The New Indian "Rape the Taxpayer" Law

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Its-official-now-Ministers-relatives-and-companions-can-avail-free-air-travel/articleshow/5365929.cms#write

It's official now - India officially will rape taxpayers.

Both Houses of Indian Parliament passed a bill without discussion entitling Ministers to take along for free "any number of companions or relatives" by air - flying with the Minister, or flying by themselves.

Fly kith and kin for free, wherever, whenever is on top of free mansions, chauffeur driven cars, security detail, tax free "allowances" - the ruling party a reminder of feudal India, and like those oppressor rulers these elected men and women too flouting decency and accountability in a nation where running water is a fantasy for millions and children beg for food

This bill passed by Ministers for Ministers allows Ministers to fly by commercial airlines any number of their friends and family and bill the national exchequer, is a reminder that despite proclamations of being modern, changing, India is still that space where ruling forces shove their diktats down masses' throats, who swallow meekly.

66% Indian

66% of Indian population is under 35 – www.youthportal.gov.in/statistics/demographicdetails.htm

So why is that not reflected in the candidates contesting current elections? I mean why isn’t the ideology or the idealism of youth – hope, change, ambition, courage and things like that – reflected in the current crop of contenders who still carry dynastic lineages, criminal records, hate filled communally divisive ideas, negligible track records of holding down a job, and some of who are about dead?

If Indian youth pretending being Harold Robbin’s Americans on Page 3, or pretending being the MTv ghetto American, or that unique mix of English speaking-kurta/ jeans wearing doing nothing talking a lot Indian becomes worthwhile by doing something about India, and that might entail risk to comfort, health and maybe life, but then heroes are those who take risks, not flaunt their nothingness on page 3, then this 66% would be something to be proud of, to repose faith in as leaders leading India out of scary bad times sometime in this century.

For Indian Women's Sake

This is serious, really is.

There's no excuse, no reason to treat women as shabbily as women are treated in India - like there's no reason to rape or drive drunk over sleeping people.

We'd like to start a petition drive of sorts online demanding that tougher laws are enacted which will punish offenses against women, speedily. The key is to hit legislators, repeatedly - not beat them up - with demands that they push for laws that punish molesters and rapists and make eve teasing a zero tolerance offense.

Some of you write like magic, many of you know many people. Would you consider joining us to create a petition forum that will scare or motivate Indian lawmakers?

If a million voices demanded respect for women in unison it will create a change. Will you join us to be that harbinger of change, and make this social platform into a platform for social change?