Dear Friends, the testing of the android phone has been done.

I'd now like to send out a request for volunteer programmers with php/MySQL skills who could help develop cgov.in further.

Please note that this is a purely voluntary effort to build systems to hold the Indian government/s to account. We aim to empower ANYONE with a mobile phone in India to get their complaint about governance up on the system, and actioned.

We will need thousands of volunteers for various tasks in the future but at this stage technical skills are needed to establish the full system.

Please write to me at sabhlok AT gmail DOT com, or directly join the Google group for this purpose.

A massive strategic change is occurring in the world.

China is working overtime to use all strategic levers to maximise its self-interest, at the expense of USA (and the West).

I say this because China has sidelined USA in Asia and forced it to seek succour in Australian waters. On the other hand, it has browbeaten India in the South China sea and forced it to retreat. It has also browbeaten all nations that seek to support the Dalai Lama, particularly in Africa. It would be fair to say that China has taken over Africa.

And now with the rapidly growing BRIC grouping (with its intent to delink trade from the US dollar), it is building extensive support for dictatorial, anti-liberty Iran (which gives China clear leverage in the Middle East).

In this process China has roped in India, making India (under the current dispensation) an extremely unreliable partner for the West. Despite the recent defence linkages between Japan, US and India, expect India to become a Chinese satellite. All signs are that India will do the bidding of China than build bridges with "capitalist" West, particularly with US which has supported Pakistan on most occasions.

Remember: India was bitten badly by China in 1962. And while India is pallying up to China, it will be bitten badly again. But given the rampant corruption in India's defence force, and total inability to face the Chinese in battle, India seems to have no choice but to build alliances with China.

In this manner ALL developing nations and ALL ex-communist nations are now coming within Chinese influence. And China's grip is very subtle. Very strategic. Very smart. I admire its enormous strategic talent. Fearsome. That's the only word that comes to mind.

I predict that it is not long now before the Chinese dragon will start spitting fire if the USA and the West try to even remotely block its wishes.

The world's greatest power of the future has arrived.

Whether this will be good or bad is to be seen.  (A reminder: India can be a great power in the future, but not with its current crop of petty, corrupt leaders. To take India to greatness requires very significant policy change which only FTI can bring about. That's not going to happen soon, from the way educated Indians FEAR politics. India is stuck in no man's land).

Addendum

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/south-china-sea-region-property-of-the-world-india/933485/

Advani was a "Pretend Ram" nautanki. Carrying a bow and arrow, he toured India in a "rath", and foolish Indians got persuaded that he was indeed Ram! His "army" (which he led from a safe distance from the scene of crime) did the "brave" deed of demolishing an ancient, unused mosque, allegedly on Ram's (i.e. Advani's) behalf. 

The real Ram didn't care TWO HOOTS about where a temple was build in his honour. In Hinduism, God and the universe are ONE AND THE SAME. Each stone, each person, each leaf, is Ram. But not to Advani -the man who STILL lusts for power for the sake of power. His lifelong goal has been to EXPLOIT RAM for his personal gain. A fraudulent Hindu if any ever existed.

But this kind of Ram nautanki is currently out of fashion.

Now, it appears, it is the time for the fasting nautankis, or "Pretend Gandhis" – Anna Hazare and Narendra Modi. If you don't eat for a few hours (days), you now become a SAINT. No need for a serious theory or any policy knowledge. Just don't eat food for a short period. 

It appears that the "educated" people of India get fooled very easily!

The problem begins from the hero worship that is prevalent in Indian culture. Any FRAUDSTER pretending to don the mantle of any well-known hero is given the same status (and worship!) as the original hero.

In this process India's real problem: of SOCIALIST POLICY AND MISGOVERNANCE is lost sight of.

Below are key extracts from a very long debate on Google Plus. I don't know how to provide the URL to this discussion, so please go into google plus and locate the discussion yourself. You can join the conversion if you wish.

EXTRACTS

Anna's fast may not be satyagraha for all: Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court came down heavily on Anna Hazare and his team, who had sought permission to use the MMRDA grounds in Mumbai for his fast, saying that the court cannot allow 'parallel canvassing …

Vishal Singh Give me my bill or else I will do hunger strike. Give me the ground at my rate or I will do hunger strike. I will not pay my dues because I am doing public service. I will take money from state and give it to my NGO because I am doing public service. All in the name of public service. 

Nirnimesh. Vishal Singh like it or not that's how protests in the Indian democracy works, taught by none other than the father of the nation.

Vishal Singh – Nirnimesh . Protest is fine but there are laws and rules in the country. We are not ruled by British today. Anna or anyone has to follow the rules and work under constitution. If you do not agree to parliament then contest elections and get your views implemented. No blackmail.

Vishal Singh – Rajesh Mallikarjunan if we had a population which behaved like real citizens then we would have been a different country. Some how we all magically think that even if we do not participate in politics of country the country will be governed properly. There are hardly any good people who want to join politics. How will this country be governed properly?

Missuniverse Db – Vishal U R right…….the whole parliament of 543 members is reflecting exact image of a personality of the population who are not behaving like real citizens.

Nirnimesh . – Vishal Singh Are you implying that now that we have an elected Govt we don't have the right to speech and protest? The rights and responsibilities of the people are not limited to merely election time. Are the people expected to undergo torment up until it gets a chance to vote after 5 years? Besides, not all recourse is solved through legislation through representation, so it's naive of you to say that the concerned people should run for elections.

Right to free speech and Right to peaceful protest are pillars of a healthy democracy. So far the Anna movement has followed peaceful measures only, and it's the voice of the public. This is as grassroots as it gets.

Vishal Singh – Nirnimesh . You have right of freedom of speech but you have no right to dictate to parliament on what bill to pass. The only way to know if something is voice of public is to contest elections. Politicians are us. They are not different. If you think they are not right then contest elections and replace them. Thank the corrupt leader for running the country, where as your ilk were only complaining. A corrupt politician is any day better than Anna and team

Nirnimesh . – Vishal Singh I'm afraid you didn't answer any of my points. In what way is Anna dictating to the parliament? He's holding a fast and developing public support for a strong Lokpal bill which can fight corruption in the country. Isn't this the right thing to do? It would have been wrong if Anna was holding pickets, burning property, holding bandh, like the other "elected" parlimentarians do. In every way Anna is doing a greater service to the country than any of the elected representatives.

The parliament can ignore Anna. They tried to, but cannot, because it's the voice of the people. The people of India are tired of the backhandedess of the Congress govt, they're tired of the corrupted ministers and the protectionist govt.

Parliament is supreme, but has limits. Can the parliament vote to take an innocent's life? No. Can the parliament vote to gag an individual? No. There are some rights that are beyond the legislation of the parliament. Right to speech is one of them. Right to protest to organize public support for one's cause is perfectly in keeping with the democratic framework.

Sanjeev Sabhlok – "developing public support for a strong Lokpal bill which can fight corruption in the country. Isn't this the right thing to do?" Indeed, it might have been a right thing to do IF LP would actually fight corruption. It can't and won't. It doesn't address even REMOTELY, the causes of corruption. Do check out: http://sabhlokcity.com/2011/12/individuals-matter-but-the-system-is-everything/ and when you are ready, pl. read BFN (http://bfn.sabhlokcity.com/) and also this: http://sabhlokcity.com/how-to-remove-corruption-from-india/.

Anna is a good [but violent] man, but (a) has damaged India's democracy and (b) is forcing a bill down India's throat which will NOT solve the problem of corruption (or anything else for that matter).

It will be useful if those who support Anna blindly step back and explain logically how the LP bill does anything useful for India.

Nirnimesh . – Sanjeev Sabhlok Well, the Lokpal in the current form obviously is too weak to fight anything, leave alone corruption. I find it ironical that you use "logic" in the same sentence in which you oppose the people who people who oppose the current govt.

I agree that India needs a systematic fix. Rooting out corruption is an important part of it. A strong ombudsman seems to me like an important near-term thing. The long term obviously involves getting rid of the virus of the jokers Congress party.

One does not have to agree with Anna on all points. There are others who are much more sane, like Arvind Kejriwal. I support their resolve to have a strong effective Lokpal, not a phony.

Vishal Singh – Nirnimesh . Let me answer again. What Anna is doing TODAY is perfectly right. He and Anna team can protest against a bill. What they did few months ago was absolutely wrong. Anna went to fast and said he will not break the fast until his bill was implemented. There is freedom to protest. There is no freedom to blackmail. Hope I am clear. Coming to moot point Lokpal is not going to remove corruption even by 1%. Explaining this to Indians is a challenge in itself. Systems are corrupt. People are not. You need to implement policies which have checks and INCENTIVES also. You need to create a virtuous cycle where corruption is minority and not majority. Please read the book BFN (Breaking Free of Nehru). Don't be a educated illiterate like bulk of Indians. Read the book and we will discuss as we go ahead.

Sanjeev Sabhlok – What is needed are leaders who understand the CAUSES of India's problems. We have a lot of "idealists" who have never bothered to spend five minutes in their life thinking deeply about issues. Instead of parroting what half-literate people with ZERO knowledge of policy (e.g. Anna/Ramdev) think are "solutions" to India's problems, try to understand the causes. Once you know the causes (socialist policy and colonial administration) you will be ready to join FTI (http://freedomteam.in/) and take India to freedom and prosperity. THAT will be the solution which works. Half-baked (quarter-baked) ideas are useless.

Missuniverse Db – "Bad systems do far more damage than bad people.

A bad system can make a genius look like an idiot."

Vishal Kejriwal agrees with U on this point…he has said it number of times on number of occasions, i think team anna jus wants to fastrack and fix the crappy system…which in their mind not gonu happen with those crappy people s elected parliament…i think they have succeded so far.

Sanjeev Sabhlok – Kejriwal DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF THE CAUSES OF INDIA'S PROBLEMS. I've put that in bold since people somehow have formed an impression that a statist socialist who opposes democratic pathways has ANY real solutions for India. I'm afraid he has not written a SINGLE ARTICLE which demonstrates ANY understanding of the causes of India's problems. He doesn't know what "system" needs to be fixed. It will be useful if those who BLINDLY support Kejriwal etc. ask some HARSH questions of him. What does he have to say about socialist policies (he supports it)? What does he have to say about reservations policies (he supports it)? What does he have to say about free trade and FDI (he opposes it). His "solutions" will simply worsen the problem.

Vishal Singh – Missuniverse Db If there is a bad system then lokpal is going to make it worse. Please think about it. If in your private organization you are not given any incentive, do not have proper working culture and you have only checks then will the system work? Kejiriwal simply does not have clue about the real root causes and so are is blind followers, who are acting like a sheep. Please use your own brains and think.

Nirnimesh . – Sanjeev Sabhlok So I take it you're not a fan of democracy, since the kind of people you're suggesting won't drop from heaven one fine day.

AFAIK, Kejirwal was instrumental in bringing RTI to reality. Not sure about your parameters, but that figures pretty high up in my list of things. BOLD emphasizes your point, but doesn't make it more credible than plain text. Anna team's (including Kejirwal's) original proposed version of Lokpal seems pretty convincing to me. What in it do you not like?

I don't have to agree with a person in it's entirety. It's a relative world. My support is policy based. If he proposes a new law favoring reservation I'd vehemently oppose him. If he proposes another pseudo-communist / socialist scheme, I'd oppose him.

Right now however, amongst all the other clowns at the national stage Kejriwal comes out as a saint. I've heard him talk only once in real life, and he makes more sense than the entire parliament combined. So does their version of the Lokpal bill.

 (BTW, just read the info in your profile. Impressive. I'm honored to talk to you)

Vishal Singh For a day don't be sheep. Think for yourself. It is not enough to have only good intentions. It has to be backed by good policy. Indians simply do not understand policy issues. You cannot expect anything from poor, but middle class Indians have all the access to resources for educating themselves. Please read. Don't just go on gut feel. It is in your interest to understand how good policies are framed. Once you have some basic understanding of policies please apply for http://freedomteam.in/blog/main

Anna and Kejariwal have got good intentions but have ZERO clue on what ails India. Supporting them is invitation to disaster. Read all the links mentioned in my posts to get better understanding of corruption problems and its solutions.

Nirnimesh . – Vishal Singh You keep on preferring Rahul Gandhi over Anna & Kejriwal. That's where all logical people have lost you, so no I'm not going to read your book. At no point of time would I sink my thinking to the levels of depravity personified by Rahul Gandhi and his party's hegemony.

Anna and his team need not be cast in pure Gold, and as stated above, they need not be correct in everything. As long as they're correct in the policies they're proposing I'd support them.

Sanjeev Sabhlok – There is no question of preferring an existing politician over Anna/Kejriwal. The issue is that ALL these people are socialist of one type or another. All are harming India in many ways. It is clear – each time I entertain into any discussion of this sort – that Indians are their WORST enemies. They refuse to understand policy. The refuse to understand economic incentives. All they want – very childishly – is that someone has "good intentions".

 Very difficult to argue with people who have LOCKED THEIR BRAIN AND THROWN AWAY THE KEY INTO THE INDIAN OCEAN.

 There is still a chance for India to recover its journey into the drain – if you are willing to unlock your closed mind and UNDERSTAND the causes of India's problems.

"From contesting in elections from reserved constituencies, to public jobs in the services. From getting caught in corruption and getting investigated by Lokpal bench of your group, to be investigated by a police corps from your caste or religion, to a final judgment in the Supreme Court by a bench of your caste." http://realitycheck.wordpress.com/2011/12/25/the-lokpal-quota-and-the-indian-state/

Mindless chanting of slogans doesn't solve anything. My request is that the people of India start using their head. http://sabhlokcity.com/2011/12/zero-times-a-billion-is-still-zero/

Kk Verma - It is unfortunate that when country needs a strong Lokpal, our leaders are talking about reservations, caste, politics and religion. The country needs futuristic vision and I am surprised that we do not have many leaders who are ready to shoulder responsibility to give vision.

Sanjeev Sabhlok – "It is unfortunate that when country needs a strong Lokpal"…. Such is a good example of BAD assumptions. Can ANYONE please prove that shortage of lokpal causes corruption? This is a ridiculous assumption based on further bad assumptions.We need to change this mindset which refuses to check assumptions. 

Team Anna comes from a strong statist, socialist base. That is why it wants to impose MORE government as a solution to any problem it finds. What I'm saying is that its policy solution (lokpal) is irrelevant. It won't can can't reduce corruption, particularly at the top levels, where the amount of black money that flows is so huge, and so underhand that no one can easily catch it. The solution is to build systems where corrupt people don't get elected in the first place. That is what I've explained in my book. That is what the Freedom Team of India is trying to give to the people of India.

Nirnimesh . – Sanjeev Sabhlok The lokpal bill proposed by Anna's team is an investigative body, not a regulatory or legislative or democratic body. I agree that more regulation is a resort of the scoundrel, but Lokpal is not a regulatory body. It's an ombudsman which can investigate issues like present day 2G scam, CWG scam, Adarsh society scam, (the list goes long as you obviously know).

More than anything else, anyone who's against the hegemony of the Congress govt and shows even a glimmer of light, has my support. When my house is tormented by termites the first thing to be done is to smoke out the existing ones. I don't wait to reason with them or garner public support. I just smoke it out first. The long term solution is to build a better house. However, in a democratic society, especially as inept and uneducated as India's, such a long term measure always takes forever so much that it's as good as non-existent.

Your long term objectives sound fine by me, but the issue at hand is about the Lokpal bill, which should not be postponed any further. It's already been postponed 8 times since it was first introduced in 1968, yes 48 years ago. Enough is enough.

Anil Sharma – Why Lokpal will increase corruption? Corruption is in government, office of Lokpal will increase the role of government. More government, more corruption.

Sanjeev Sabhlok – http://sabhlokcity.com/2011/12/annas-work-is-not-affected-by-his-relationship-with-rss-but-by-his-failure-to-attack-socialism/

Shantanu B – All: Read this: http://satyameva-jayate.org/2011/06/20/jan-lokpal/comment-page-1/#comment-304471

Vishal Singh – "…This debate misses the main reason why the Lokpal is likely to flop. Even if the Lokpal controls the CBI, it will have no control over the courts. These seem incapable of convicting any resourceful person beyond appeals within his or her lifetime. Little will be achieved if the Lokpal initiates a thousand cases that then drag on for decades, with the accused out on bail.

"Despite having an activist Lokayukta, corruption has not been stemmed in Karnataka. To put it bluntly , India is a land without justice. So, Hazare’s belief that a powerful Lokpal with investigative powers will stem corruption is dead wrong. Unless we have root-and-branch judicial reform to speed up processes and verdicts, the new Lokpal will simply increase the already formidable backlog of incomplete cases in the courts. Unless there is justice for all cases, we will not get justice in corruption cases."

Nirnimesh . – Everybody knows that India's Judicial system is fractured at best and completely broken at worst. Justice delayed is justice denied, and therefore justice is being denied for decades for millions of cases throughout the country. This is a chronic problem, manifested through a systematic weakening of the judicial process by the Congress. But thinking that judicial problems can be solved through legislative measures overnight is an oversight.

To everyone who considers Anna to be disregarding the parliament, what's your answer to the fact that Sonia Gandhi essentially runs the countrhttp://broadmind.nationalinterest.in/2011/12/ignore-anna-hazares-demands/y through the spineless demeanor of Manmohan Singh. Is that democracy? Manmohan Singh has never won a seat in Lok Sabha. He's an "appointed PM", who can't even speak properly. Is that democracy? Gandhi family has had the most PMs since independence. Is that democracy? Sounds like nepotism and oligarchy to me. Rahul Gandhi is being systematically groomed to become a prime minister. Is that democracy?

And the voice of millions of people supporting a strong Lokpal, ready to come out in support of Anna, is not democracy? Where's your logic?

Lokpal bill is not a golden arrow. It'll not solve all of India's problems. It'll not cure cancer. But it's a jolt India needs.. badly. In the least it'll deter the top echelons of the country against massive scams like CWG.

Sanjeev Sabhlok – "India Against Corruption group continues to regard all democratically elected representatives as untrustworthy and is trying to vest as much authority in unelected officials as possible. While there may be wide-spread disillusionment with the political class in India, it may not be in the long term interest of the Republic to undermine the authority of our elected officials." See this: http://broadmind.nationalinterest.in/2011/12/ignore-anna-hazares-demands/

 "We can’t use politician as a pejorative term, be cynical about politics as a process and place our hopes on non-politicians to lead and fix our democracy." http://pragmatic.nationalinterest.in/2011/12/26/politics-and-democracy/

 Nirnimesh . – Excuse me while I remain cynical of India's political process and democracy, the last 60 years of which have been a show of democracy in full force and boy has it been horrifying.

Democracy is a device which ensures that you'd be governed no better than you deserve. — G B Shaw

Democracy has limits. There are some things that are either right or wrong, that is, cannot be put to vote by a democratic process. Right to life, liberty, right to judicial process, right to speech. So far the Indian political system has been demonic so I can understand the people's suspicion for the kurta-clad politicians.

Being right has nothing to do with being a politician. The judges of the supreme court are not politicians, and they're right most of the times (I hope). Who would you trust to run the company — an elected politician like Rahul Gandhi or a distinguished achiever like Ratan Tata. India's political process doesn't give the likes of Ratan Tata a chance.

Sanjeev Sabhlok – I'm sorry, Nirnimesh, you are still living in a deluded world. The reality is that the Indian voter has NEVER been offered good candidates. And NO political party that believes in the "Right to life, liberty, right to judicial process, right to speech."

That is PRECISELY what FTI is trying to do: to bring together leaders who believe in such things and offer India the alternative it desperately needs. You MUST be willing to contest elections. Please stop blaming others.

And btw, Ratan Tata is a CHEAP crony capitalist, hands in glove with the most corrupt politicians. He has NO LOCUS STANDI. Nothing like JRD Tata. Don't fret for useless people. Become a leader IF YOU CAN. Else, forever hold your peace.

YOU are equally responsible for India's mess. The day you realise this truth, you will know what I've been trying to do since 1998.

Nirnimesh . – Sanjeev Sabhlok I'm sure you have a wealth of experience behind your back, but none of that permits you to degrade the likes of Ratan Tata. If he was accomplice corrupt politicians he wouldn't have had to pull out from Singur.

It's not that the Indian voter has never been offered good candidates. Thousands of able & wise have attempted to martyr themselves for the cause, but the foolishness of the masses never gives them a chance, so even fewer try. It's a vicious circle. People aren't born hopeless, the system makes them so. Education of the masses (and perhaps a functioning judicial system) is the only thing that can break this circle.

It's childish to expect everyone to get in the political race. It's equally unwise to say that get in race to get elected or you don't deserve a decent life. And how convenient of you to blame the metaphorical me for the country's mess. Martyrdom and self-immolation is not necessarily virtuous. Get over it.

Vishal Singh – Nirnimesh . Nation is NOT a private organisation where you can only demand better services. You have to contribute. Right people have to step up. They don't. They only complain. This results in the worst of kind coming to political power. This needs to be changed first. No country has been built by people sitting on sidelines and complaining. This will never work.

Vishal Singh - Kk Verma FTI is against Congress, BJP but we are not against political process. We want to come to power via the route of politics. We are not like Anna who think India can be changed by doing anshans and other nautanki

Sanjeev Sabhlok – KK Verma, you are right – there is a need for some major issues, and indeed, that will need to be looked into at the right time. The point being made is simple: let us not imagine that just by opposing Congress any new solutions will emerge. BJP was in power for some years, and there was no difference AT ALL in governance (I know since I was a Commissioner in Meghalaya government at that time. BJP/Congress – both are the same. Both are socialists.

So the fight has to be against socialism, and then all existing political forces have to be opposed. The issue currently is this: while the people of India are awaking (due to the IAC movement), they are being offered the SAME socialist solutions. We need to guide the people to the right solution. And we need people who understand these matters to step forward and lead.

AAryan Rao – FTI doesn’t support any unconstitutional referendums which discourages Democracy. The Lokpal bill doesn’t recommend any elected members on the panel and thus makes it a private body. But the Lokpal draft nowhere hints that it will act as a private body. In the long run it will become hard to maintain transparency and will cost dearly to the Indian citizens.

It worked in some country doesn’t mean that it will work in India in its entirety. Environment plays a critical role in the functionary of any system. Thus Lokpal bill need to dissected thoroughly in the aspect of Indian environment.

Secondly, it can become a dangerous tools in wrong hands, especially in the hands of communists.

Supratim Basu – Interesting commentary, Nimimesh and KK – I can understand the visceral anger against corruption and our corrupt polity that underlines your posts. And, I empathise fully. Everyday, as I see the condition of my city deteriorate and read about some petty bureaucrat (Class C employee) who have built mansions in Indore or Ranchi or Satara or Madurai, my blood boils over.

But, unfortunately, the Lokpal concept/bill is a chimera – there is no quick fix to India's problems – If India's polity has degenerated over a period of 60 years, a single bill, however noble may be the intention, is not going to fix it. I don't know why the MPs were so scared – probably because it is a "new" thing, but jamming up the Lokpal, so that it just adds another layer of inefficiency, red tape, sloth and corruption to this already broken nation? Easy peasie.

I think we need to support IAC and Anna if they have indeed roused the middle class from its apathy – anything that gets Indian citizens to step up and take responsibility for the nation they created is an unalloyed positive. But, their solutions so far? Old wine in a new bottle. Won't work, will make matters worse.

If we could only move the IAC towards real freedom and liberalism, that would be a good thing. [Amen!]

The Wall Street Journal has caused some serious damage to the AGW movement today by calling it "climate religion" in an article that was also syndicated in The Australian, thus being read by thousands of people across the world.

Read this: The Great Global Warming Fizzle: The climate religion fades in spasms of anger and twitches of boredom.

I wasn't expecting such daring language. The fact that such language could get printed in a major world newspaper means that the world is getting SICK of the continuous failure of AGW proponents to prove their case.

If the lack of proof continues, AGW "scientists" will be counted among the many cults and nut cases of this world.

Tens if not hundreds of predictions have been falsified already. The next big one is a prediction made by the International Energy Agency that in 2017 global warming will become "catastrophic and irreversible". That's just five years now. Evidence better show up soon. 2017 could well be the last straw and many AGW proponents find themselves behind bars, or in mental asylums.

2017 is very unlikely. The only evidence we have so far is that the temperatures have remained particularly constant during the last decade. Sea levels have also risen only as usual – by a tiny amount each year – or possibly even slower than usual. It is extremely unlikely that anything dramatic is going to happen in the next 5 years to cause any crisis.

It appears that an opportunity for real science to rise from the ruins of the AGW hypothesis has finally arrived. This sub-discipline of geology needs serious scientists to get to work. Those who believe in stifling debate, in conspiring to fool the world, must be asked to go.

There is one feature I notice that is generally missing in 'cargo cult science.' It's a kind of scientific integrity, a principle of scientific thought that corresponds to a kind of utter honesty — a kind of leaning over backwards.

For example, if you're doing an experiment, you should report everything that you think might make it invalid — not only what you think is right about it; other causes that could possibly explain your results; and things you thought of that you've eliminated by some other experiment, and how they worked — to make sure the other fellow can tell they have been eliminated. 

Details that could throw doubt on your interpretation must be given, if you know them. You must do the best you can — if you know anything at all wrong, or possibly wrong — to explain it.

If you make a theory, for example, and advertise it, or put it out, then you must also put down all the facts that disagree with it, as well as those that agree with it.

There is also a more subtle problem. When you have put a lot of ideas together to make an elaborate theory, you want to make sure, when explaining what it fits, that those things it fits are not just the things that gave you the idea for the theory; but that the finished theory makes something else come out right, in addition."

Here's hoping that good science will soon displace bad science in this important field of human inquiry.

A few weeks ago I wrote this: Cheaper and BETTER university education is getting closer

Now I chanced upon a brilliant article: Why Software Is Eating The World

Do read it. This bit stood out:

"Health care and education, in my view, are next up for fundamental software-based transformation."

BUT: "many people in the U.S. and around the world lack the education and skills required to participate in the great new companies coming out of the software revolution. Qualified software engineers, managers, marketers and salespeople in Silicon Valley can rack up dozens of high-paying, high-upside job offers any time they want, while national unemployment and underemployment is sky high."

There are many reasons why the Jan Lokpal bill has to be questioned. Some are related to its design (see the summary of submissions made to the Parliamentary panel on this topic).  But there are many others. 

Sharad Bailur points out a number of other relevant issues on his FB note (I agree broadly with the extracts below from his note, with a few qualifiers that I've provided within parentheses).

EXTRACTS 

The Lokpal/Janlokpal, as a solution is, at best, bound to fail, and, at worst, can cause a complete general paralysis of governance as a cost of the new rectitude imposed from above.

Here is why: Put yourself in the shoes of a government servant. You have been (reluctantly or inefficiently) doing the work assigned to you lubricated by bribes up to now. Tomorrow a Lokpal (pristine and uncorrupt and a firm devotee of Anna) ensures that your bribe gravy train comes to a dead halt overnight. Will you still do the work? Or will you stop doing the work? On the one hand the ‘carrot’, the bribe is no longer available; on the other a big stick is now held over every move you make.There is no clear way to punish a government servant for not doing his work. You cannot get rid of him. His job is secure under a government mandated law.

 

This makes any efficiency on the part of the Lokpal in doing his job a perfect recipe for instant and total paralysis of governance. As it is ‘pre-audit’ by the CAG for any and all expenditure at governmental level is one such road-block. A ‘pre-audit’ sought from the Lokpal on each and every action before it is put into effect by every single department all over the country can paralyse the Lokpal within days and bring all governance to a halt in less than a week.

 

If ‘Economic Determinism’ works, as it must, the Lokpal itself will become the fount of corruption. For the citizen there will be an additional layer of bribing to be done to get his work done. This is quite apart from the constitutional questions and the threat to democracy that the Lokpal poses.

As a general rule, any law that has an aspect that adds to the moral stature of individuals in society, is a law that plants the seeds of corruption. Even a law against murder is not a law against an individual because, isolated, he can do nothing, however murderous his thoughts may be. It is for the protection of society and the other individuals who are part of it that the laws against murder are needed. Where this fine distinction has been ignored, the law should be repealed. Before the promulgation of any law therefore, this aspect must first be ‘pre-audited’. The problem with the Lokpal/Janlokpal is that they seek to control individual behaviour.

 

It should be obvious to anyone that the clearing away of this vast thicket of laws cannot be allowed to take place to be replaced by uninhibited anarchy. It needs to be replaced by more efficient enforcement of the laws that must remain; those that form the essential bedrock of any civilized society.

 

Towards the end of more efficient enforcement of existing laws I have the following suggestions to make:

• Make all appointments in any government or semi-government organisation mandatorily dependent upon performance. This should include the Police. This means that the present mandatory protection in service that public servants and employees of government and semi-government owned organizations are entitled to, must cease. In essence all such appointments should be made subject to dismissal from service for non-performance on the same lines that prevail in the private sector.

• Change the laws on election expenses to make them compulsorily transparent and make donations to political parties legal and/or, alternatively, let the government fund all election expenses by reimbursing candidates on the basis of the number of votes polled by them individually.

• Make the cost of flouting laws much higher in terms of punishment. 

• Why can we not get rid of industrial licensing altogether? Or for that matter the Shops and Establishments Act? We can have specific enforcement to prevent abuse in industry or in shops and establishments but there ought to be no need for licensing for factories (only zoning or pollution control rules), restaurants, hotels and bars or private clubs so long as they obey rules regarding cleanliness, public behaviour, proximity to schools, or for obstruction of traffic. What about the licensing and laws that affect the building industry? Except for zoning rules and rules about water and electric supply that affect people other than those who are constructing or living in the buildings, the rest are superfluous. [Sanjeev: A good point but I'd retain licensing for at least the high risk industries. E.g it shouldn't be possible to establish a nuclear plant or produce toxic chemicals without rigorous licencing requirement]

• Another instance: I would suggest the abolition of the entire licensing system imposed upon the driving public. This may sounds radical but if it is backed up by traffic policemen being compelled to perform – or else; and if the cost of infringement is unacceptably high in terms of punishment to those who flout it, the issue of the infringement of road rules can be solved without anyone having to go through the process of securing a licence to drive – thus taking care of a major cause of corruption at the level of the RTO. [Sanjeev; this is indeed radical, but raises an important policy option for further analysis]

Shantanu Bhagwat, senior FTI member, has serious fire in his belly. He WANTS a different India and he SHALL have it. Of that I have no doubt.

Unrelenting in his speaking engagements, working indefatigably, he has now been covered by DNA, below.

Photograph

In which Shantanu gives it those ones...

 

Once a politically suave diplomat. and now venture-capitalist turned activist, Shantanu Bhagwat dons many hats. He is here in Indore to lecture IIM wannabes

 

Shantanu Bhagwat warns in advance that once he starts talking, he can be quite unstoppable. But after some time, one realises that is simply because he feels so strongly about issues.

 

These days, he combines his advisory role to emerging companies with political activism—leaning much more towards the latter.

 

"I spend a lot of my time in India, while my family is in London, working with the Freedom Team of India and trying to get people interested in politics through outreach programmes," he explains. Not surprisingly, he has been enthralled with the swell of public support for the Lokpal Bill.

 

"I have my concerns with the Bill and some of its proposals, but the non-violent, unarmed movement by Team Anna was simply mind-blowing. Not only has it forced the people out of their apathy, it has literally given them "the audacity to hope" – he adds.

 

In the city for a workshop for entrepreneurs and also talking to college students, he is all set to address IIM -Indore students on Thursday about 'how bad policies affect entrepreneurship.' "Politics affects everything," he says.

 

Hearing him dissect the bad policies and poor governance in the country with unbridled passion, it is difficult to imagine him as the politically correct, suave diplomat. But that is exactly what he was, serving as an IFS officer in Japan.

 

"I did my engineering from GSITS in Indore but realised that engineering was not for me. So, at that time, it was either MBA or the civil services," he explains. But unfortunatly his final year engineering exams were delayed by three months, scuttling his chances of getting into IIM-Ahmedabad, where he had been selected.

 

Instead, he took up a job with SAIL and started preparing for the civil services. He got through in the first attempt, but even before he had joined, Shantanu told his parents he would quit within 10 years. "I already knew the bureaucratic culture was not for me," he adds.

 

And true to his word, this engineer-turned-diplomat won a full-tuition scholarship to the London School of Business for an MBA. Nicely settled in his job in UK, why did he turn attention to politics at all?

 

"If you look at it, the desire was always there. For my civil service entrance trance, I chose political science, international relations and history—unlikely choices for an engineering graduate. Then, I started thinking deeply about politics around the year 2000," he reveals.

 

The Chechen massacre at Beslan shook him deeply. Then came 9/11, followed by several terror attacks in India. And Shantanu realised it was time for action and he plung head-on into helping out new age political movements in India and started conducting workshops to increase the level of political consciousness among the people.

 

"Even the well read Indians think more laws will improve things. I believe simple laws and greater openness through technology will bring real change," he opines.

 

It has been three years since he quit his full-time job. Any regrets? "None whatsoever," he smiles. "I understand that I have been very fortunate to have been able to realise my potential. I had access to good education, healthcare and food. But so many of our fellow Indians cannot even imagine this and we have a responsibility to do something about it. 

 

Shantanu believes there is a need to sustain the momentum gained through the anti-corruption campaign that shook people out of their apathy. And it is clear there will be no lack of effort from his side.

 

Already planning to contest elections some time in the future, there is nothing more Shantanu would like than to have young people in politics. "This is a democracy and it is up to us to change things," he signs off, walking to his hotel room to prepare for yet another presentation.

I agree, broadly, to the following short summary of the benefits of CO2. For more details see my main blog post on this topic, here.

David Archibald:

The oceans started cooling in 2003, and the atmosphere is following.  There has been no warming since 1998. In fact, the temperature of planet today is almost the same as it was when satellites first started measuring it in 1979.  Solar activity is weakening, and will remain weak for another 22 years.

Carbon dioxide’s heating effect is real, but minuscule.  The one hundred parts per million that we have added to the atmosphere in the last one hundred years has heated the planet by one tenth of a degree. We will add another hundred parts per million over the next fifty years.  The total of two tenths of a degree will be very welcome by mid-century. [I'm not sure about the calculations underpinning this. But the magnitude is in the broad ballpark - i.e. very small warming. Sanjeev]

In fact, the more carbon dioxide we add to the atmosphere, the better.  During the ice ages of the last three million years, the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere got as low as one hundred and seventy-two parts per million.  Plant growth shuts down at one hundred and fifty parts per million.  Life above sea level was almost snuffed out due to a lack of carbon dioxide.  We were only twenty-two parts per million from extinction.  We came so close to dying out due to a lack of carbon dioxide. And, for those amongst us who like plants and animals, they would have died out too.

The more we can increase the carbon dioxide level of the atmosphere, the safer life on this planet will be. For those amongst us who feel for the Third World, increasing the carbon dioxide level of the atmosphere is like giving them free fertiliser.  Their crops will grow faster.  Who amongst us would be so heartless as to deny the Third World that benefit at no cost to themselves?  [Source]

Privacy is about a limitation on the "rights" of others to observe us and our actions. It is not about our ;liberty, our right to act. 

If I choose to set up my easel in the open street to make a painting, everyone can observe what I'm doing if they wish. Or I can choose to work indoors in my studio. Though my privacy differs, my liberty is not affected in either circumstance. My output is the same, as well.  

We can't claim privacy about what we sell in the market. I have to show you what I'm selling. I can't say I'm selling you a diamond but not show it to you on grounds of privacy.

Similarly, we can't claim privacy about what we do in the workplace. The workplace contract imposes accountabilities. And we can't claim privacy from our spouse regarding what we do after work. Our marriage contract imposes accountabilities, as well.

The only time we can claim perfect privacy is when we shut our own eyes. Meditation is the only total privacy we are "entitled" to.

It is important, also, to note that the honest man has nothing to fear from others getting to know about his actions. Gandhi made many personal disclosures in his book, My Experiments with Truth, but did not lose his liberty in the process. If we CHOOSE to share "private" information about ourselves, that doesn't harm our liberty.

So when is our liberty impacted by the invasion of privacy? When information about us is used to harm us . 

In that case, though, the matter is no longer about privacy but about harm. Thus, no one is entitled to steal information about me to log into my bank account. Identity theft is a crime. Period. It is not about loss of privacy. Our bank must protect our details not because of "privacy" but because not doing so could lead to identity theft and loss of our money, making the bank liable for breach of contract. Privacy is merely good risk management as far as the bank is concerned.

Indeed, I might prefer LESS (to more) privacy. Only thieves fear CCTV, not honest citizens. Being watched by automatic cameras can increase one's sense of safety – because should something untoward occur we can turn to these mechanical devices for witness. Crimes occur where there are few witnesses -and cameras are better than real witnesses since they don't make mistakes.

Even leaving a paper trail can be useful by reducing the chance of being framed for crime (as happened with Sumasar - source). Sumasar therefore "once paid for purchases with cash but now uses only credit cards, so there is a paper trail attesting to her whereabouts".

Being watched can make our life safer. Being recorded by our mobile phone company can help, too. In brief, it appears that privacy is over-rated.

Only Osama Bin Laden REALLY wanted privacy. I'm not against privacy, but I care FAR MORE about liberty and transparency.

The brainwashing of India that started with Nehru has not ended. I won't go into the incident which prompted the following email, but let me assert with all seriousness and rigour I can muster that I am a capitalist.

I UNAMBIGUOUSLY advocate capitalism. It is the most moral system, the system of the "Levellers" (John Lilburne), the philosophy of the Whigs, the "system of natural liberty" of Adam Smith.

I wrote a very clear blog post about it here.

(Edited) EXTRACT FROM AN EMAIL I SENT A SHORT WHILE AGO:

One economist (Adam Smith) called this "system of natural liberty". Another economist, who was following the totalitarian statist Hegel, called it "capitalism" in a derogatory way, to contrast with his version of the new economy he referred to as socialism (communism).