Left Right & Center - Introduction to Government

Image via Wikipedia

If you read political news, then you would surely have encountered this expression. If you see my 'About Me', then you would have observed that 'good governance' is one of my many interests.

I am really ignorant about how government works. But from my childhood we have been seeing that we blame Government for all our ills. Roads are not good - blame it on the government, Prices are rising - blame it on govt. , no  power, no water - blame it on govt. Ok, whatever is not good - blame it on the government. That increased my interest in why government is not working well. And, I think under the tutelage of Atanu Dey, i have learnt well. During the same time many things were happening around the world which increased my interest towards government and governance.  I closely followed the campaign of President Obama as he was running for President of U.S.A. Similarly at home, just before that there were general elections and I was rooting for Lok Satta to win in the elections.

As I read more and more, I was trying to get a feel what a government should do and what a government is expected to do. Okay more on this in my next post. For now I want to introduce the basics of government and about the 'Left, Right And Center'

So what is a government from Wikipedia - A Government is the organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises its authority, controls and administerspublic policy, and directs and controls the actions of its members or subjects^[ 

What is the function of a government? Again to quote from Wikipedia

According to supporters of government,the fundamental purpose of government is the maintenance of basic security and public order.^[15] The philosopher Thomas Hobbes figured that people were rational animals and thus saw submission to a government dominated by a sovereign as preferable to anarchy.^[16][17] According to Hobbes, people in a community createand submit to government for the purpose of establishing for themselves, safety and public order

 O.k Acceptable. They try to maintain law and order in the society. Good till there. I think this is the 'Center' of the political discussion.
From this, the discussion is different - The government has different questions ?
Is it just enough to provide basic security and public order ? Can't it do anything else ?
The answer is inevitably Yes as you see all the governments in the world do.

The discussion of left and right arises here.

The government collects taxes from us to do the basic things it has to do. What does it do with the remaining money - It can help people in need.


Far left thinks something like this - "It is government's responsibility to see that all are living atleast with basic needs. It can redistribute the wealth so that everyone has atleast something to eat and has minimum basic things." It can start from just helping in time of need and it can create a vicious cycle whereby those people will be expecting from the government and the people who are producing will lose an incentive to produce more than required and hence the productivity decreases. It is closer to socialism and communism. Liberals come are termed as left.


Now the far right feels that this is wrong  and rightly so as people will not work but just get paid by the government which is not at all useful as the productivity drops. They say that government should be very less, people are  best are to decide what to do with their money and they even cut taxes. The ill effects of this is before us to see - vast income inequalities and hence resentment between people and masses being poor. This is capitalism for you. Nationalism & conservatives come under this.

Ofcourse, now a days no government is completely Left or completely. They will try to balance them as they have to cater to all the people.

Related articles by Zemanta

• What can LokSatta learn from Telangana Movement? (ananthsreflections.blogspot.com)
• In Europe, a Tax on Banks Gains Momentum (time.com)
• The Government Pay Boom (online.wsj.com)

చిరుజల్లు ఆశల హరివిల్లు - showers of hope

ఒక రెండు వారల క్రింద ఇక్కడ అంటే అమెరికా లో పాల  సముద్రం లా అందమైన మంచు పొర కప్పుకొని వుంది . . . నా బ్లాగ్ లో ఆ ఫోటోలు చూసే వుంటారు.. రెండే రెండు వారాల్లో ఇక్కడి పరిస్థితి   అంతా మారిపోయింది... మంచు లో ఆకులు అన్ని రాలిపోయి మోడుబారిపోయిన  చెట్లు ఇప్పుడు పచ్చని  చిగుర్లు తోడుగుతున్నాయి... నిర్జీవంగా మాడిపోయిన చేట్లోంచి ఎక్కడినుంచో ప్రాణం తన్నుకొని చిగుర్లలా వస్తున్నాయి ... ఈ రోజు ఉదయం వాతావరణం ఎంత ఆహ్లాదకరంగా వుందో ఈ ఫోటోలు చుడండి... అసలు సినిమాల్లో పుస్తకాల్లో, లేదా ఏ ఊటీ లో నో షిమ్లా లో నో  చూసి వుంటారు... అసలు ఏదో తెలియని ఆనందం కలిగింది నాకు వాటిని చూడగానే... అసలు నా మనసు తనువూ పులకరించి పోయాయి.... ఆఫీసు లో పని చేస్తూ చేస్తూ మాటి  మాటికి విరామం తీసుకొని బయటకు వచ్చి ఆ అందమైన సరస్సు, అందులో ఈదుతున్న బాతుల్లాంటి పక్షులు ... చిగుర్లకు చివర్లలోని చినుకులు ... ఊడల లా వేలాడుతున్న లతలు చూస్తే  ...ఆహ... స్వర్గం లా అనిపించింది.... ఎంతో సంతోషం కలిగింది .....నేను ఇక్కడకు వచ్చిన దానికి ఫలితం దక్కినట్టు గా అనిపించింది...
చిన్న చిన్న విషయాలైన ఎంత ఆనందాన్ని కలిగిస్తాయి ... జీవితానికి పాఠాలు కూడా నేర్పిస్తాయి .. శీతాకాలం లో మోడైపోయిన  చెట్లు మల్లి ఎలా చిగురించాయో... జీవితంలో కూడా కష్టాల తరువాత సుఖాలు ఉంటాయి అని చెప్పకనే చెపుతున్నాయి..

సిరివెన్నల సీతారామాశాస్త్రి  గారి 'ఈ గాలి ఈ వేలా సెలయెరూ' పాట నా మొబైల్ ఫోన్ లో వింటూ విహరిస్తూ ఈ ఫోటోలు తీసాను... ఆహా... ప్రకృతి కంత ఎంత అందం ముందు ఎంత అందమైన దిగదుడుపే అనిపించింది..

మబ్బులతో నిండిన ఆకాశం ఎన్ని చిలిపి ఆశలు కలిగిస్తుందో
See the sky covered with clouds.. how romantic..  

అసలు వేలాడుతున్న ఈ వృక్షాన్ని చుడండి...
See this tree..which has these lovely hanging leaves...

ఈ సెలయేటిని చూడండి...ఎంత తృప్తి గా శాంతంగా ఉందొ
See how peaceful the lake is... 

ఇలాంటి చల్లని వాతావరణం లో ఒక లాంగ్ డ్రైవ్ ... ప్రేయసి తో ..
Imagine a long drive in this weather with your loved one..

వర్షపు ముత్యాలు... ఆహా
Pearls of raindrops...Wow

అలా ఆఫీసు కి వెళ్లి వచ్చా... మల్లి రాత్రి ఫోన్ లో నా ప్రియురాలితో  తో మాట్లాడుతున్నప్పుడు అలా చెట్లలో విహరిస్తున్న.. చల్లగా మలయ మరుతలు వీస్తున్నాయి... ఆహా ఎంతటి అదృష్టమో అనుకుంటూ ఉన్న.. అంతలో చినుకులు రాలడం మొదల్లయ్యాయి ... నా ముఖాన్ని వర్షం వైపు తిప్పీ... ఆ చిరుజల్లు లో తడిసి పులకించిపోయా... అలా తడుస్తుంటే సంతోషం తన్నుకువస్తుంటే... అప్పుడే ఈ పోస్ట్ కి రూపం వచ్చింది... నన్ను నేను ఆపుకోలేక పోయా... నా నోటివెంట పాటలు  అలా వచ్చేసాయి ...

ఒహొహొహొహొహ్ఒహోఒ... పాదమెటు పోతున్న పయనమెందాకైన ... అడుగుతదబడుతున్న.. నేను లేనా... ఒంటరైనా ఓటమయినా.. ఒహ్హ్హ. మై ఫ్రెండ్... తడి కన్నులనే తుడిచిన నేస్తమా...    అని తనివి తీరా పడేసా...

నిన్న చూసి వెన్నెలే అనుకున్న.. మొన్న కూడా నిన్నలా కలగన్నా.. అడుగేటు పడుతున్నా .. తనవైపెలుతున్నా... కునుకయినా రాని సమయాన.. కనుమూస్తే చాలు తమరేనా.. పెనవేసుకున్న ప్రనయమున..యమునా తీరేనా...

................................................................................................

హ్యాపీ డేస్... హ్యాపీ డేస్...

వావ్... జీవితం ఎంత అందంగా ఉంది...!!!

A really good speech by Oprah - Stanford Commencement Speech 2008

Hope you are inspired by watching the speech as I am....
The main things she tells in the speech are

1. Do what feels right to you
2. Difficulties come to teach you something and if you miss it the same difficulties are recycled till you get it.
3. You will be happy if you serve, and more so by living in the now.

I - My first story...

I tried to sleep but couldn't. I close my eyes and see her beaming smiles. I tossed around the bed and I hear the rhythmic sound of her anklets . I open my eyes, I looked into the room which was pitch dark. Feeling restless, I thought of calling her. Seeing the time, I decided not to... Ohh..what has my life become..?

I was never like this, I am what as you people call 'Ramudu Manchi Baludu'. I used to do my work followed the maxim, "Early to bed, Early to rise". My mind fed with scientists and inventions, never couldn't why people suddenly started reacted differently when smitten with love. Till I met this girl. I was completely blown away.She was my colleague at work. First it started with going to coffee together. From here, I started going to coffee to be together with her. We became good friend and I have having lovely time.

Till one day when

She came and casually announced "My parents are searching for matches".

I said "Ohhh..really thats great news."

She just looked into my face once but again started smiling and then we talked normally.

But now I am sleepless, what to do.. Did she inform me that because she also liked me? or just like that? What if I let her know that I like her? Will she accept or does she treat me just like a friend? Or will she just shout on me saying - " How could you ever think like that?"

Even if she accepted how about making our families accept? Will she accept to marriage without parents accepting? Or will I marry her without the acceptance of my parents?? Is it possible.. If it is not possible, why should this happen at all?? Why Why Why? Ohhh..life is worth living only with her.. otherwise its just dull .... With her every raindrop feels special, but without her, they just irritate me.. Should I tell or what if she will not accept?? Ohh..nooo....what to do..?????

My thoughts went like this and I don't remember when I slept... I was awaken by the sun shining on me and waking me out of my dreams to the harsh real world and again my thoughts continued.

Suddenly, I got a call from a long last friend that he was coming to my city and would like to meet me..I recieved him and he observed that I have a problem. I emptied myself out.....

He just smiled and said " Why do you complicate your life? Can you be happy without her? If not, why do you want to attempt doing that? "

I felt a little better, but my fears won't leave me alone.

For which he replied " Don't you feel that she enjoys your company? Didn't you see that chemistry between you? And do you want to regret this for your whole life? If not, get some guts and get going. If you just live in your brain and never live in the real world, then you will have to do it your whole.. Damn it, go get a life." He wished me best and left me.

Again, I was alone with my thoughts. Ohh..why could I not just tell her. Why don't I have the confidence to just plainly speak my feelings? But this negative talk will never help me. Thinking thus, I finally got the confidence and decided to take the plunge.

I went to her, trying to get a chance to empty my heart to her. As I tried to tell her, I got very excited. My pulse shot up and the hair on my hands rose. Ohh man, how terrifying it is... But but .... I gathered enough courage to look straight into her eyes and tell those three magical words.... I LOVE YOU... " And then she didn't reply... it felt like ages before she could speak and I skipped a heart beat.... She looked straight into my face and said - "You Einstein, I was afraid that you will never tell that." and embraced me in a tight hug...

PS: This is my first attempt at writing a story. And this story is a tribute to the director, Gautam Vasudev Menon, for the amazing way he shows love onscreen. Thanks Gautam. I have watched his Ye Maya Chesave yesterday and was blown by it and hence you just read the story now. His previous movie "Surya S/O Krishnan", "Gharshana", "Raghavan" all have excellent love stories. Hope you make many many such movies...

Why I don't have a phone in US yet? Blame it on Credit History

Image via Wikipedia

I have been in the US for three weeks now, and when ever my friends ask me a phone number, I tell them I still don't have it. The reason is that I can't buy the phone I want. I can buy other phones, but don't want to. I want to have an iPhone. But there is some concept called Credit History in US.

Credit History - What does it mean? Here in US, all the good phones need that you take a two year contract with them and they subsidize the price of the phone. For example, a completely new unlocked Nexus one costs $599 whereas the same phone costs $159 for the same mobile with a 2 yr contract with T-mobile. So as they are giving you this subsidy, they expect to use this mobile and keep paying the bills for two years, but they are not sure of this. How do they make sure that you will be able to pay for the two years. That is where the concept of credit history comes into picture.

To quote from Wikipedia,

Credit history or credit report is, in many countries, a record of an individual's or company's past borrowing and repaying, including information about late payments andbankruptcy. The term "credit reputation" can either be used synonymous to credit history or to credit score.

So that means, they will analyse our past spending behaviour and then decide whether we are credit worthy. If so, then they will sell us, otherwise they don't. But for immigrants come from other countries, there will be no credit history available to us. So we cannot buy anything initially in the US. Whatever you want to buy on credit, you will have tough conditions, like you can still buy an iPhone but you have to pay a staggering $500 deposit.

The same process of verifying your credit history is done even for any credit purchases like home, car or even applying for a credit card. Yes, you heard it right - You cannot get even a credit card without a credit history. Now you are caught in a vicious cycle, now you don't have a credit card because you don't have a credit history. And then how are you supposed to build a credit history??

Enter Secure Credit Card: This is just like a debit card, except it is called a secured credit card, what it means is that you will have to deposit initially some $300 and you will get a credit card with that limit. You can spend till that amount and you will have pay that amount within some time as you do for a normal credit card. Overtime, you credit history is built up and then you will qualify for purchases based on the developing credit history.

My friend says that it will take atleast 3 months before I can buy an iPhone without paying deposit. So I will not be getting a phone till then, but before that I think I can buy a vonage phone. Its great that Vonage doesn't check for credit history.

Though, it helps to have a credit history, can we not make it easy for people who are going to stay in this country for some time. It might be possible if our parent countries can share the credit history information with this country. I think this can be built as web service, anybody interested?

An exciting video on entrepreneurship

Hey, I discovered this amazing video on entreneurship by Tina Seelig, which is pure adrenalin. She talks with excitement which makes you feel involved in it. Watch it and tell me if I am wrong..

Enjoyyyyyyy

2010 Resolutions - Progress Report

It has already two months into the new year so I thought it would be good to review my new year resolutions and take them forward. So let us establish some ratings to determine how I am doing.

Distinction: Exceeds Expectations

A - 90% objectives met

B - 50% objectives met

C- 20% objectives met

D- 10% objectives met

E - 0% objectives met

Health: In the category of my health, my progress has been very bad. My resolutions were to wake up at 6 in the morning daily, exercise and run daily and drink a smoothie daily.. but bad to say I haven't been implementing anything consistently. So the report is D because I have some days done that inconsistently. I am thinking of joining a running club and then take it forward from there. I have identified a club near my place but in US without a car it is impossible to go anywhere. So I think it would take more than a month for this to be implemented. Regarding waking at 6 and drinking a smoothie, I am sleeping late so I think I will just take it light for now. But I hope to make progress on it.

Career: In career my resolutions were not to multitask, have 0 issues and to join another degree. To be frank, these are not big resolutions at all. I am unable to stop multitasking and I haven't done much development in these three months to see if they have issues at all. Regarding joining another degree, I am in the process. Though it is not 100% met, this will be rated B

Relationships: So I wanted to strengthen existing relationships with more emphasis on sharing. I am a very independent person and sharing doesn't come naturally to me. I am a voracious reader and I feel that I have something valuable to share like interesting articles or useful information, but I don't send emails to people which are the best methods for communication. Also, I feel that I don't communicate heart-fully and connect well. And regarding my reluctance to share, I think my friend Rajesh, points out in his blog on why smart people are reluctanct to share because they feel that what they know is obvious knowledge or just background thinking. To quote him

Two things:

1. The point that what is obvious to you is not obvious to many other people who are not at the same level of expertise so it is worth sharing them.

2. Not noticing what’s in your “background thinking.” It may be in your background thinking but it’s not in the background thinking of everyone else. So, once you notice this, you can easily package this knowledge and share it.

Read more: http://www.lifebeyondcode.com/2009/12/26/why-some-smart-people-are-reluctant-to-share/#ixzz0h57fjqLz
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike

So noticing that I decided that I will share more in the coming time, but I am yet to follow up on that. So still have a lot to do here, and I feel that I can do more in communicating empathetically. Basically lot of scope for improvement and regarding progress, I am sharing more on twitter and my retweets have also gone up. I would give myself only a C, because I have to go forward a lot before, I can feel that I am sharing well. I think this has to happen in real life also. I am reluctant to give advice or say something even what I know because I feel that it is so obvious. I think I have to take part more in the conversation because then I will know what I know and what I can add. Hopefully I can do that more in the future.

Finances: 30 L...That is the magic figure for this year. I didn't know how I would get that much when I wrote it for then, my onsite was not confirmed but now, I am in US earning more than what I could in India. But still, the amount will not come to that which means I should have some other ways of earning too, but at this point I am not excessively bothered about that as money is just a return for the value I provide. So I am concentrating on increasing my ability to create value and share value and then this would just be the side effect. So I think it would meet 50% of desired value. So I will give it a B

Personal: Only this I would say is progressing well in expectations. I have written 12 posts in this year and of them only one I think is outright useful post and most of others have been sharing myself which would have ofcourse helped the reader. And regarding writing story, i have written something, but I have to polish it more. If I don't get time to polish it I will publish by end of this month as it is.

Regarding books, hopefully I will get time to read some classics as I miss my library in India. So this is also a B

So basically, I have to catchup a lot in health, relationships. Career and personal goals are going well but can be better.

Will write a next progress report May 1st week. Till then, take care.

Give me any suggestions that you feel will help me.

If you have resolutions, may be it is a good time to review the progress.