And the banks laughed all the way to the banks

That's a quote from P. Sainath's latest article titled: The Free Falling Economy.

http://www.counterpunch.org/sainath01232009.html

Excerpts:
According to the Government Accountability Office, two-thirds of corporations in America paid no federal income taxes at all between 1998 and 2005. This includes a fourth of all large US companies. (That is, those with at least $ 250 million in assets or $50 million in receipts). And this, despite all these corporations collectively reporting trillions of dollars in sales.

Indeed, corporate profits were on record highs. By 2006, they made up a historic 14.1 per cent of the nation's total income. Yet, as the New York Times says: "the percentage of these profits paid out in taxes is near its lowest since the 1930s." (An earlier GAO report showed that 61 per cent of US corporations paid no federal income taxes between 1996 and 2000 - also a period of high growth and huge corporate profits.) Enough to have one wit declare that America had moved from the historic slogan of "No taxation without representation" to "Representation with no taxation."

Now a war on begging.

Excellent Harsh Mander article in The Hindu

http://www.hindu. com/mag/2009/ 01/25/stories/ 2009012550090300 .htm

The war against begging

BY HARSH MANDER

Being destitute in our country has been made a crime. And the punishment is often inhumane…

Padma Shree to Akki and Ash.

Somedays I imagine its all just a bad dream and I can't wake up.

http://movies.ndtv.com/newstory.asp?section=Movies&id=ENTEN20090081420

It is a proud day for Bollywood. The 60th year of the Indian republic saw top
civilian honours awarded to two immensely popular actors.
Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were awarded the Padma Shree by the Government of India.

Apparently Barkha Dutt is a winner too. No not in the Arts category (I thought so too).

Gaza attack analysis

For extensive context, history, and analysis,

Please Read:

Shalom: Q/A on Gaza
On December 27, 2008, Israel launched its brutal assault on Gaza, Operation Cast Lead. The aim here has been to collect in one place the most frequently-asked questions and to offer answers and sources.

Chomsky: Gaza 2009 ...

Hamas is regularly described as "Iranian-backed Hamas, which is dedicated to the destruction of Israel." One will be hard put to find something like "democratically elected Hamas, which has long been calling for a two-state settlement in accord with the international consensus" -- blocked for over 30 years by the US and Israel, which flatly and explicitly reject the right of Palestinians to self-determination. All true, but not a useful contribution to the Party Line, hence dispensable.

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" is well known and very inspiring. But there is another MLK speech that is just as powerful and awesome. On MLK Day I spent some time re-reading it.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm

War Mentality.

I came across this Forbes magazine article on google news today. Some Tunku Varadarajan was lamenting India's "misfortune" that they could not "do a Gaza" on Pakistan. The main reasons he cites are

1) Logistics
2) Rationale not enough just yet.
3) Israel's alliance with US.
4) Pakistan's alliance with US.
5) Israel's defiance of international court/opinion.

I sincerely believe that Mr Tunku accidentally forgot to mention the fact that "doing a Gaza" is an act of aggression and is illegal.

Cindy Corrie Speaks At Gaza Rally

Cindy Corrie ( Rachael Corrie's mother) speaks at Gaza Rally in Seattle on 1/10/2009

Obama and Gaza

Finally Obama breaks his silence and utters a few words of sympathy. He has yet to make any statement condemning the Gaza attack. Why? Because..

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/05/washington/05diplo.html?hp

“President-elect Obama is closely monitoring global events, including the
situation in Gaza, but there is one president at a time,” said Brooke Anderson, chief national security spokeswoman for Mr. Obama, repeating what has become a mantra for the incoming administration.

But then Mr Obama got involved with the economy.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i5YPdJqW_fJxyVWKPuw1UxhkBREwD95H8V8G1

Obama, who takes office two weeks from Tuesday, has said there can be only one
president at a time — and he repeated that principle Monday "when it comes to
foreign affairs." But when it comes to the floundering economy, he clearly feels
he cannot sit by until the swearing-in.

Breaking his silence today he repeated this line.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28404637/

President-elect Barack Obama, breaking his silence about the Gaza conflict,
said the loss of life in Gaza and Israel "is a source of deep concern for me."
But Obama otherwise said he would adhere to his principle that only President
George W. Bush would speak for American foreign policy at this time.

However, when it came to terrorist attacks on Mumbai, apparently America had a different consitution?

http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/president_elect_barack_obamas_statement_on_the_terrorist_attacks_in_mumbai/

"President-elect Obama strongly condemns today's terrorist attacks in
Mumbai, and his thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and
the people of India. These coordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate
the grave and urgent threat of terrorism. The United States must continue to
strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out
and destroy terrorist networks. We stand with the people of India, whose
democracy will prove far more resilient than the hateful ideology that led to
these attacks," said Brooke Anderson, Chief National Security
Spokesperson.

The Tank Man (continued)

Refer here for the original post

Fares Odeh from Gaza, age 13, throws a stone at an advancing Israeli tank sent to disperse demonstrators with live ammunition. Nine days later, as Fares was throwing stones at another Israeli tank, he was shot in the neck by an Israeli sharpshooter and killed. Photo by Laurent Rebours of the Associated Press, 2000.

Gaza Attack Protest in Seattle