The United Nations human development index now ranks Canada as 11th
Canada has slipped out of the top 10 countries listed in the annual United Nation’s human development index — a far cry from the 1990s when it held the first place for most of the decade.
The 2013 report, which reviews a country’s performance in health, education and income, places Canada in 11th place versus 10th last year.
Continue reading Canada drops out of top 10 most developed countries list
Alarms are ringing as negative trends come together in a perfect storm. Is the United States sleepwalking into economic and geopolitical decline?
By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE, UPI Editor at Large
WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) — Gen. David Richards, the British chief of staff, in the understatement of the week, says the strategic landscape is “worrying” and the outlook “bleak.”
The United States as the world’s strongest geopolitical player has become ungovernable, saddled with a dysfunctional Congress. House and Senate together, with 535 members, maintain 250 committees and subcommittees and micromanage muscular government decisions into unworkable policy directives.
No fewer than 108 committees have oversight jurisdiction on Homeland Security.
The latest book of Edward Luce, the Financial Times’ chief U.S. commentator, and former FT Washington bureau chief (2006-11), is titled, “Time to Start Thinking: America in the Age of Descent.”
America, he says, is sleepwalking into economic and geopolitical decline.
Censoring Dawn TV – by A. H. Nayyar
A very interesting thing happened this evening (28th July).
DawnTV was airing Arshad Sharif’s talk show Reporter. The topic today was growth of Islamic militancy, especially Jundullah within Pakistan’s military and its connection with Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.
He started by showing a documentary on how Jundullah started in Quetta cantonment, how it spread across different formations of the military, showing some footage that looked original.
The discussants with Arshad were Air Marshall Shahzad Choudhry, Zahid Hussain and ret Gen Hamid Nawaz. As the documentary started, we saw, Hamid nawaz getting up and leaving.
Arshad then showed another short documentary which gave public sentiments on such trends in the military. Then came a commercial break.
After the break, the viewers saw that the program has been taken off the air. Instead Dawn started airing a completely different and old episode of Reporter. Clearly, the live program was censored. And clearly, from the top military brass.
What does the military have to hide that needed this censoring? Any comments from anyone knowledgeable?
I truly fear for the life of the brave journalist who had prepared the documentary.
Courtesy: → LUBP
via → LIC blog
Gerald Celente, the man behind the famous Trends Journal, is Max Keiser’s guest for this edition of Press TV’s On the Edge. The main focus the show is on the relationship between Middle East uprisings and financial changes as a result of such political transformations. Enjoy.
– You Tube
Blasphemy Law: Mullahs fighting each other for political gains (2 JI) – Wichaar Analysis
The prime mover of TNR is Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), the mother of most theocratic and extremist religious trends. JI is another case of fake contender of ideology of Pakistan. The party opposed the creation of Pakistan tooth and nail and issued fatwas against Mohammad Ali Jinnah. By the way it got foothold in Punjab courtesy of Allama Mohammad Iqbal. A landlord Chauhdry Barkat Ali had asked Allama Iqbal to recommend a suitable Islamic organization who can take his estate in Pathankot. Allama Iqbal recommended Maulana Maudodi and this is how JI expanded its base in Punjab. This one of the reason that I feel that JI cadres and Taliban are Iqbal’s ‘Shaheens.’
Presently, JI is competing for influence for itself but that is its secondary goal versus Fazalur Rehman whose main goal is political power. For JI, TNR is a vehicle to keep religious parties united and to slowly dismantle what is left of the secular institutions of the state. Taliban and other jihadi groups very well fit in its strategy to undo the system. Therefore, while Taliban and other jihadis keep the state engaged with guns JI provides a political cover to them. …
Read more : Wichaar
The threats to the Pakistani state include socio-cultural intolerance, religious extremism and the use of violence to pursue self-articulated narrow ideological agendas. If these negative trends are coupled with a faltering economy, there is little hope for a stable, democratic Pakistan. …
Read more : Daily Times
Dr Baldev B. Matlani, Mumbai, India
… Sindh is an exception in this regard as even in the face of mounting hostilities and pressure from government, Sindhi writers are leaving no stone unturned in Sindh.
Read more >> Dr Baldev B. Matlani
WASHINGTON DIARY: The film factor
by: Dr Manzur Ejaz, USA
Courtesy: Wichaar.com, July 7th, 2009
A reinvigorated film industry will not only provide jobs to hundreds of thousands of people, it will also be a major source of foreign exchange earnings because of the large expatriate community living in Europe and North America. Most of the time the entertainment industry, particularly films, are early indicators of future economic and political scenarios. From Hollywood and Bollywood to poor Lollywood, all film industries give very good indications of things to come. Lollywood’s annihilation and Bollywood’s expansion tell the story of two competing countries.
Continue reading Films are indicators of future economic and political scenarios
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