December 2011
1 post
gary's choices: Panetta on War With Iran →
garysick:
I recent months, we have had some strong views expressed, by people who have real knowledge of the situation, about the potential consequences of a military strike by Israel and/or the United States against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Former Mossad head Meir Dagan says it is “The stupidest…
November 2011
4 posts
CIA Spies Caught by Hezbollah and Iran →
Dozens of U.S. spies are rounded up in Lebanon and Iran. This is a major blow to the US (and the CIA). Let’s see how this affects US and Israeli program against Iran’s nuclear weapons and Hezbollah’s operations in the Middle East.
The missing debate about the economy: excess labor
The U.S. has been going through an economic malaise for over 4 years—so too have other countries. While we seem to be on a positive trajectory, it is unlikely that we will return to our long-term natural rate of unemployment of around 4 percent in the next 2 years, at least. Both the federal government and the Federal Reserve have been struggling to bring down the unemployment rate. Congress...
The problematique of conservatism →
This is an absolutely great article that outlines the current challenges that conservatism faces in the U.S., both ideologically and strategically, and why and how it must comes to terms with those challenges in order to ensure that it prospers and survives in the future. This is an honest article that outlines the myths, the truths, and the shortcomings of modern conservatism.
The Multiplier effect: How the economy stays slow →
This New York Times article is a good example of how the economy stays slow. While I am not sure about some of the numbers presented in the article; nonetheless, it does a good job of showing how short term changes or adaptions (call it whatever) in consumer behavior have chain effects throughout the economy.
There are two ways to look at the findings of this article, I guess. One could look at...
January 2011
1 post
Islam →
Absolutely, a must read! A collection of articles, interviews, and materials on Islamic demography by none other than the best of online news media, The Browser.
November 2010
3 posts
The economics of Prorastination →
Why do we procrastinate? A very interesting question.
Larry Summers and the Subversion of Economics →
A short while ago, The Chronicle Review, published a great article on the role of Larry Summers in the doing-of-the-financial-disaster. Above all, the article raises a very important question: who are these people that are solving our financial and economic problems and where do they come from? PBS, Frontline, also did a documentary, called “Frontline: The Warning,” about how Timothy...
Morality and Social Sciences
I have been studying social sciences for the last five plus years. It fascinates me that among all of the theories that western theorists have propounded to come to terms with social phenomenon, morality seems to be a systematic misnomer, especially among academic liberals. For the societal ills, some fault our institutions, such as education, for not developing and nurturing the human agency,...
September 2010
2 posts
gary's choices: One Iranian Hostage Out: What Does... →
garysick:
Today U.S. hiker/hostage Sarah Shourd left Iran on a chartered plane for Oman. She had spent more than a year in an Iranian prison, much of it effectively in solitary confinement. There are several reasons for her release:
She is ill. She has a lump in her breast and precancerous cervical…
Great articles on Pakistan →
The Browser, which also happens to be one of the highest journalistic webistes, in my opinion, has launched a series of articles on Pakistan. A must read for somebody who wants to start to understand something about Pakistan.
August 2010
3 posts
Jon Stewart Gives "Terrorist Command Center" Fox... →
garysick:
If you haven’t seen Jon Stewart’s take on the mosque kerfuffle, don’t miss it (click on the link above). He remains the most incisive and talented analyst and commentator in the US media.
June 2010
1 post
Major development in US war in Afghanistan →
Some U.S. geologists and pentagon officials have found minerals worth over a $trillion in Afghanistan. Least said, not only does this mean a significant change in U.S. attitude over the Afghan war, but also some opportunities for the Afghans to develop their country’s economy.
May 2010
3 posts
3 tags
Lets be honest about illegal immigration
Immigration is a hot topic these days. Well, more specifically, illegal immigration from the south of the border into the United States. While the debate continues, unfortunately to the lack of any constructive development, we are still unable to come to a conclusion regarding how we come to terms with migrants who enter the US extra-judiciously. There are five basic conventional arguments,...
3 tags
Still jobless
The first-job means different things to many. What position or a sector one chooses to work in is not merely an economic factor, but rather a social one, as well. While it is a very interesting subject to discuss why some people choose a specific job, I don’t mean to talk about it here. Instead, I would like to discuss how to be strategic about finding a job in this tough economy, especially if...
Charles Munger's (Warren Buffet's right hand man)... →
This is a speech by Charles Munger on the wisdom of Investment. Extremely brilliant in its simplicity and relevance to the perennial value of common sense and the ability to be broad minded while solving very specific problems.
October 2009
1 post
The Slum You Need →
Much of our work at Affordable Housing Instiute involves working with housing in slums. The founder of AHI, David Smith, writes a daily blog, which is updated on the institute’s website, on topics ranging from finance, real estate, to affordable housing, and etc.
Today he posted about the effect culling of pig culling has had on the Coptic Christian minority of Egypt and the waste disposal...
September 2009
2 posts
The un-heard side of Palestinian-Jewish Conflict:... →
These are pictures and descriptions that you will never see on CNN, MSNBC, or for that matter FOX (go figure). The purpose is not to demonize Jews or to patronize the Arabs, but to tell another side of the story that is not heard by most of us.
Wither reason? →
This article is about a black American convert to Islam, Mr. Abdul Rehman, who undertook Assassinations for, then, the new Islamic Republic of Iran and now, he is an active member in Iran’s “Green Revolution.”
If a layman Westerner were to read the above paragraph, he or she might cringe a little bit to the notion of “yet another Islamic radical.” However, a basic...
August 2009
4 posts
Iran's Chilling Show Trials →
garysick:
[This article — my first since a long vegetative summer vacation — was originally posted on The Daily Beast, at the above link. The full text is presented below.]
Iran today is doing what all aging revolutionary regimes seem to do—transforming itself into the image of the very regime it displaced. Just as middle-aged men and women look in the mirror and are surprised to see their...
I know I am not rational, but...
For many critical economics students—or at least that’s what I think—the concept that human beings are rational, seems idiotic, to say the least. And while the ongoing and lengthy economic and financial crisis has taught us that human behavior, economic and/or social, is not always (or mostly) rational, no other theoretical school has come up with a paradigm that is as rigorous...
Roger Cohen: The Making of an Iran Policy →
garysick:
While I was off at a beach, NY Times columnist Roger Cohen was hard at work. Cohen, you will recall, provided the most dramatic reporting on the aftermath of the Iranian June 12 elections, mingling with demonstrators on the street, with tear gas swirling and a scent of history in the air.
Last Sunday he wrote the most comprehensive summary to date of the Iranian developments and their...
July 2009
8 posts
revolution in US mainstream econ/finance...
My dear friends and the few numbered readers:
Please read the latest edition of The Economist. Specifically, their two articles: the one on economics and the other on finance. Why is this so significant? Well, basically, The economist has openly criticized and questioned the validity of the Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Theory, and the Price-theory for economics and finance,...
Does Relativism exist?
If there were ever a reason I would call myself a conservative would be over the debate of relativism vs. absolutism? For example, in the realm of politics, is war justified? Or, is killing justified? I believe it is; however, unfortunate it is for such a thing to happen. This argument follows in all realm of existence and thus, it is tangential to all forms of knowledge. Consequentially,...
Sexual bias and harassment of women in the sports... →
Objectification of women in work areas is not only socially pervasive, but it can have negative effects on future generations of women who seek to enter a specific trade or occupation.
The assault on Erin Andrews’ of ESPN is a testament to the harsh realities of sexual exploitation and harassment that women face in the work field, speically areas dominated by men. Not only do they have to...
Juan Cole: Rafsanjani's Steps to Resolve Iran's... →
garysick:
An excellent analysis of the current debate in Iran and of Rafsanjani’s critical speech on Friday, July 17. This speech, and the outpouring of support by the reformist camp suggests that the crisis of legitimacy in Iran is far from over.
The Han loss from Xinjiang Violence →
There is no doubt that Han people of China, who make up of over 90% of China’s population, enjoy probably 99% of China’s wealth. Poverty amongst ethnic minorities is rampant and pervasive. The state apparatus is repressive towards the ethnic and cultural existence and development of these minorities.
However, there is no excuse for the hundreds of poor Han who died in the Xinjiang...
Pakistan issues equal rights to transvestites →
I grew up in Pakistan making fun of my fellow transvestite citizens. Not until recently have I felt ashamed of my previous behavior. Lives of these individuals is reduced to prostitution, abuse, and begging. They are effectively turned into laughing stocks of the society for no fault of their own. Argueably, in fact, factualy, they are the worst-off members of Pakistani community, followed by...
Interview with Henry Kissinger →
While most will disagree with me, I believe that Henry Kissinger might argueably be the finest diplomat U.S. had in the late part of the 20th century. The interview reflects the man’s genius.
Development in dangerous places →
brilliant sets of articles on development (political economy).
June 2009
14 posts
Iran's power struggle →
garysick:
There are many different ways to look at the developments in Iran. One perspective that seems to have been ignored is what I regard as the cardinal role of the Revolutionary Guards.
Over the twenty years that Khamene’i has been the rahbar or Leader, he has allied himself ever more closely with the Revolutionary Guards – to such an extent that it is no longer apparent to me who is...
Celebrations for the underdogs and the villanized
To the majority of the American people, the “Muslim World” might appear to be falling apart. From the post-elections riots in Iran that seem only to get more violent each day, to the suicide attacks in Iraq and Pakistan, and of course, the political failure that is Palestine. Putting aside the questionable notion of the “Muslim World,” which seems to homogenize a world that...
Mousavi's new revolutionary manifesto →
garysick:
[This commentary was originally posted on The Daily Beast.]
Today, Mir Hossein Mousavi, the presidential candidate who has come to represent the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people, issued a formal statement. The text is available at the title link.
Although he denounces the “lies and fraud” of the leadership, particularly in the recent election, he views the fraudulent...
1 tag
““To the guy whose girlfriend has developed a really annoying crush on...”
– To those who follow or know anything abut cricket
Is this another Iranian revolution? →
garysick:
To someone who has watched and studied the Iranian revolution of 1979 with fascination, developments in Iran today have an eerie reminiscence. Then there were massive protests that filled the streets, often marching in dignified but ominous silence; there was bloodshed as nervous security men with guns faced determined but unarmed crowds; there were sullen mourning parades; there were...
Creative Destruction, or Destructive Creation? An... →
The answer to the last question—“what will rise in its [Kashghar’s place], and why?”—is very simple. All one has to do is go to Shanghai or any major city on China’s eastern coast and take a road trip to Yunan (China’s most ethnically diverse province). All one will observe is tall building in an organized manner, all designed by Western architect...
Iran's political coup →
garysick:
If the reports coming out of Tehran about an electoral coup are sustained, then Iran has entered an entirely new phase of its post-revolution history. One characteristic that has always distinguished Iran from the crude dictators in much of the rest of the Middle East was its respect for the voice of the people, even when that voice was saying things that much of the leadership did not...
Iran's "Wizard of Oz" moment? →
garysick:
You remember the dramatic scene in “The Wizard of Oz,” when little dog Toto overturns the screen to reveal that the “great wizard” is in fact a very ordinary man who has been using tricks to manipulate events. Iran is experiencing its own Wizard of Oz moment.
President Ahmadinejad, never known for his caution or perspicacity, has used the unprecedented TV public debates with his...
Who done the financial crisis? the poor?
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Is Obama Running for President (of the world)? →
garysick:
Having watched Obama’s speech in Cairo and having now read it carefully several times, I wonder if he is not running for president of the world.
During the U.S. presidential election campaign, Barack Obama was criticized by folks like Sarah Palin because he had overwhelming support overseas. From the nativist perspective, if the Brits and the frogs like you, let alone the Egyptians...
I am not racist, but I just don't like Arabs... →
It has brought me great pain to learn that the community I lived in Pakistan actively excluded ethnic minorities and refugees from our neighborhood. The saddest part is that I belonged to an upper-middle class community that took pride in our behavior to the people who worked for us (the refugees and minorities). However, I was always taught that our way of living was for us and therefore, we...
“haliddino illal hub
There is no system of belief without love!”
– A quote from the fatimid tradition, which I adhere to.
“Poverty is not an economic phenomenon. At the heart of poverty lies political...”
– I gathered these thoughts after reading multiple papers of Mr. Tasneem Siddiqui, founder of Saiban. The man is a true inspiration and a hero to me.
May 2009
11 posts
China's fascination with objective growth and its... →
