United States – Budget Deal Prevents Government Shutdown

April 9, 2011

By Padmini Arhant

Congressional members under the leaderships of the House Speaker John Boehner, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and minority leader Mitch McConnell passed the budget providing federal funding to last until Thursday April 14, 2011 that averted the government shut down.

The stopgap measure allows government functionality and further time to complete the required tasks i.e. federal funding for the remaining year and the fiscal year 2012 budget approval.

Budget deal is claimed to have achieved $78 billion savings against deficit reduction without social issues holding up the legislation and the political gridlock serving none except news discussion.

As stated earlier the debt reduction is necessary but not at the vulnerable population expense.

The other areas consuming significant proportion of spending with negative returns are to be targeted rather than aiming at life saving programs and essential investments guaranteed to boost economic growth in the immediate and long term future.

The negotiation methods leading to a general consensus on the budget could be emulated in the coming week to avoid any delay or threats to government operation.

The elected representatives to public office bear greater responsibility to diligently engage in meaningful debates and reconcile the differences for a desirable outcome in legislative matter.

Again disagreements for political reasons are detrimental to national interest with an inevitable electoral backlash common in a democracy.

Identifying the unreasonable and unaffordable causes effectively benefitting all could facilitate better environment in public policy engagement.

Although every elected official is inclined to serve their respective constituency and political party,

The national legislation especially fiscal management is always contentious and requires rationality as well as balanced approach resisting political appeasement for universal benefit.

Every American is part of the society. Therefore health, education, jobs, housing and environment problems experienced as individuals or communities has ripple effects.

Poignantly denying funding for Planned Parenthood involved in women’s health care and wellness contributes to the national health care costs overriding deficit containment.

The Republican lawmakers and conservative democrats opposed to Title 10 related to funding for Planned Parenthood are requested to focus on the wide range of health benefits received by women in lower income category that otherwise could deprive them from healthy living standards not to mention the economic liabilities exceeding the fund provision for preventive care.

Such unnecessary opposition is deflective from the objective to reduce national debt.

Besides the political position could generate gender bias perception usually reflected in the electoral outcome.

Change promised on the campaign trail could be realized upon cooperation, acknowledgment of issues in the broader sense and sincere commitment to serve the people and nation at large.

Working in harmony could alleviate partisanship attributed to legislation failure.

Adopting a strategy to exchange ideas and recommendations at various levels to improve American lives while leaving behind the political ideology found in the legislation blockade would enhance performance and fix the broken system in Washington.

Nonetheless the renewed teamwork displayed in the budget agreement is commendable.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, The White House Staff, Congressional leaderships and members’ perseverance in this regard is greatly appreciated.

Hopefully similar actions will prevail in the week ahead becoming the new resolution rejecting obsolete practices in Washington politics.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Written by Padmini Arhant · Filed Under Featured, International Politics | Leave a Comment 

United States – Budget Impasse and Possible Government Shutdown

April 7, 2011

By Padmini Arhant

United States is confronted with many contentious issues.

The disagreement on federal spending, funding for the rest of this year, the deficit, and the FY 2012 budget constitutes the highlight of the political standoff.

There is no doubt that deficit is a major concern not only for the elected officials but also the mainstream taxpayers especially the average citizens forced with tax burden and drastic spending cuts directly affecting vital programs such as health, education and environment protection.

Republican members have always maintained that balancing a budget means targeting essential services to the vulnerable members i.e. children health, youth population dependent on educational grants, senior citizens and veteran affairs without due consideration for the reverse impact on the net output.

Meanwhile, the tax breaks to the wealthiest including estate tax exemption passed during the Bush tax cuts extension in 2010 combined with disproportionate defense expenditure on the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which were never even budgeted prior to engagement are contradictory to their objective in containing deficit.

The White House fiscal year 2012 budget and the 2011 federal spending is also based on drastic cuts in domestic discretionary spending expected to cause significant pain in states with budget crisis.

Again the Pentagon spending and corporate tax evasions have not drawn the White House and the conservatives’ attention in the crucial debate.

Otherwise – General Electric, America’s largest corporation having made ($14.2B) $14,200,000,000 in profits last year paid $0 in taxes — that’s right, zero dollars in taxes.

Further GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt ensured his compensation doubled and then diligently concentrated on imposing severe concessions in wages and benefits against 15,000 workers.

Ironically Jeffrey Immelt is the Chair of President Barack Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness – the coveted status for any Corporate Executive to be in the realm of policy making at the executive branch.

People grievance in this regard is justified – Mr. Immelt assisted his company to evade taxes on its mega profits and subsequent to securing personal compensation double has been pursuing the workers to accept pay cuts – signifying the culture in the corporate dominant political systems.

Citizens petition seeking CEO Jeffrey Immelt to step down and President Barack Obama for Mr. Immelt’s resignation is yet to be obliged much to public frustration.

CEO Jeffrey Immelt position as the Chair of the White House council is evidently in conflict of interest and therefore honoring citizens’ call to quit from the controversial post would be a dignified decision in a democratic setting.

Perhaps the lawmakers’ favoring austerity on the middle and low income America could review their overwhelming generosity in tax breaks facilitating certain corporations and the super rich executives to defraud the current taxation law.

Congressional Democrats particularly the progressives being the only hope for average Americans are hamstrung in their efforts to prevent the intense attacks against the working class.

Social security – the guaranteed safety net for the baby boomers and retirees is another misplaced political maneuver in the fiscal mismanagement.

The latest stopgap measure passed in the House by Republican majority providing a mere week funding instead of the remaining year reflects the lack of seriousness to perform the services pledged on the campaign trail.

Balanced approach and clear rationale is required to overcome the political gridlock contributing to possible government shutdown likely to exacerbate the situation rather than resolving for national benefit.

Congressional members from both parties are urged to set aside their respective political differences and earnestly involve in fruitful discussions to exemplify their commitment to the American electorate.

Representatives are elected to run the government efficiently and not dedicate to the closure for political appeasement.

Besides the House Speaker John Boehner in the tearful moment upon being elected the Republican leader declared the victory as the strong message from the American people to “change course.”

It is poignant to remind the esteemed Speaker John Boehner on the promises made at the emotional hour.

Republican Congressman John Boehner’s statements were:

“The people’s priorities will be our priorities. The people’s agenda will be our agenda.

This is our Pledge to America; this is our pledge to you!

Let’s start right now by recognizing this is not a time for celebration. This is a time to roll up our sleeves and go to work. We can celebrate when small businesses are creating jobs again.”

The status quo could be attributed to politics served more with rhetoric than actions and as for changing direction – it is worth travelling down memory lane when the then Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich successfully led the Government shut down under the former Democratic President Bill Clinton.

Experimenting old ways for new results might yield self-satisfaction and in this instance to national detriment.

However prolonging the stalemate only confirms the reluctance to ‘Change’ despite the relevance in political stagnancy.

Promoting inaction is not the solution to the burgeoning problem and,

Political leaderships arriving at a consensus through middle ground without marginalizing those struggling to make ends meet or the demography striving hard to revive the economy is instrumental in leading the nation forward.

Spending cuts are vital in the areas that are redundant and destructive to humanity like incessant warfare as well as incentives to energy behemoths indulging in environmental damage.

Contrarily the spending reductions are invariably focused on life saving and prospective investments.

Hence the two substantial avenues to address the federal spending, balancing the budget and deficit control – essentially fiscal responsibility are:

Containing military expenditure with a definitive exit strategy on Iraq, Afghanistan and military bases around the world.

Tax reform to close tax evasion loopholes and tax structure review for fair assessments.

Additionally eliminating wasteful spending i.e. earmarks with the exception of infrastructure improvement in the congressional districts or uplifting social standards producing business and community growth opportunities benefitting all are viable for a meaningful breakthrough in the budget dispute.

It is time to deliver and not deliberate on the government functionality through collective reconciliation of the fiscal matter.

Hopefully all parties will rise to the occasion by recognizing their individual obligation to public and national service without alienating the issues for political purpose.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

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Message to Iman Al-Obeidi – Beacon Light of Libya

April 6, 2011

From: Padmini Arhant

Dear Iman Al-Obeidi,

Your courage and love for your country is witnessed with great admiration not to mention the attention around the world.

Please remember – your plight along with thousands of martyrs to free Libya will not be in vain.

Your ordeal is shared among the compassionate fellow humans across the globe and those responsible for innocent civilians suffering will be brought to justice.

More poignantly they will be ousted from power regardless of their maneuver to prolong oppression.

Injustice endured by you and other patriots serve as testimony to tolerance reflected in complacency and complicity to a large extent revealed in the latest developments.

Otherwise the request to shut down the communication media used by Muammar Gaddafi and servitudes for false propaganda would not have been slighted combined with expediting arrest warrant for trial in the International Criminal Court dismissed as ‘not interested in prosecution.’

Such reactions suggestive of the strong alliance between the so-called democratic powers and dictatorships for economic interests.

However the same actions were diligently carried out in toppling the democratic government in Lebanon demonstrating the U.S and allies’ discriminatory foreign policy.

People power can no longer be suppressed throughout the world on a wide range of issues.

As stated on numerous occasions – the governments run by the global empire are on the brink of collapse adversely affecting the dictatorial powers relying on false assurance.

Therefore the leaderships in the Middle East and elsewhere are reminded to refrain from use of violence and abuse against pro-democracy movement in the respective nations.

Furthermore they are also advised not to under estimate the revolutions’ resolve to prevail in the quest for political freedom and fairness in the society.

Muammar Gaddafi and loyalists too have daughters, sisters, wives and mother in their lives.

Yet the inhumane treatment of Iman Al-Obeidi and several young captives confirm the lack of respect for life particularly women targeted as inferior and vulnerable members by the tyrannical force and their supporters.

Iman Al-Obeidi and all other hostages’ immediate and unconditional release ending in family reunion are paramount to avert cataclysmic events for the authoritarian powers and descendants.

The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and family departure is quintessential to represent the meaningful political transformation and the western powers’ have an opportunity to prove their commitment in this regard beginning with Iman Al-Obeidi and many victims release from Gaddafi aides’ custody.

Hence the government under Muammar Gaddafi leadership has less than twenty-four hours to free the honorable daughter of Libya Iman Al-Obeidi and every other citizen held in detention.

Failure to act including external interventions as occurred previously would exacerbate the political crisis and the imminent fall of the defiant authorities.

Iman Al-Obeidi and other persecuted citizens are requested to remain strong for you will not only see the daylight,

Indeed cherished as the beacon light in Libyan liberation cause.

Peace to you and your family with a bright future on the horizon.

Thank you.

Best Regards

Padmini Arhant

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Libya – The End Game

April 4, 2011

By Padmini Arhant

Middle East uprisings are evolving into prolonged violent crackdowns.

Libya has been in the center stage allowing the dictatorship to negotiate with the western democratic powers.

The reports on events such as secret talks between the heir apparent Saif al-Islam Gaddafi aides and U.K. foreign ministry on the Libyan leadership substitution rather than regime change with people choice is the fundamental cause for the frustration witnessed in the regional demonstrations.

Further, the defectors and the next of kin from the declining dictatorial powers viz. Libya and Egypt are granted asylum in the United Kingdom revealing the strong relationship maintained with the unpopular leaderships.

The United States refusal to recognize the National Transitional Council in Benghazi, Libya based on “We don’t know who they are,” is a weak and disingenuous argument considering –

The White House admission of CIA operatives on the ground along with MI5 surveillance of not only the Libyan opposition but also the entire pro-democracy movement in the region.

Despite rigorous monitoring the United States and United Kingdom might refute information about the people represented revolutions,

Nonetheless the ordinary citizens from all walks of life in these societies have risked their lives to openly plead through western media for recognition.

The world witnessed their ally Muammar Gaddafi and the clan brutality in the genocide against civilians and army personnel rejecting the shoot at sight order confirming the leaderships’ true characteristics and utter disregard for life in general.

Libyan massacre through aerial bombings and ground assault since political unrest epitomizes Muammar Gaddafi and the descendants’ ruthlessness to remain in power with the oligarchy complicity in the decadent power survival.

Muammar Gaddafi and the dynasty having exemplified unparalleled monstrosity arguably is the ultimate threat to humanity compared with any groups suspected by the western powers in their procrastination to legitimize the republic appointed National Transitional Council awaiting opportunity to lead the revolution.

It is clearly indicative of the irony in the leading western democracies – the United States and the United Kingdom willingness to conduct meetings with the regime while the revolutionary council members are sidelined exacerbating the citizens’ plight in the forty-two years of oppression.

In the combat zone, the recent casualties suffered from NATO attack against Libyan opposition position impending investigation is yet another compounding factor generating a perception of misplaced coalition with the regime more emboldened from the setbacks on the population front.

The dictatorships defiance to reconcile terms with reality and the hope of being salvaged by the powerful liaison will not come to fruition due to the imminent regime collapse evident in the fractured government under Muammar Gaddafi.

Besides the global empire allies in Libya, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan…attention to the developments in the democratic systems is vital to realize the people power impact on the prominent leaderships defeated in the respective political actions viz.

Canada – The government led by the Prime Minister Stephen Harper brought down by no-confidence vote in the Parliament on March 26, 2011 with opposition strengthening ties to remove the failed leadership from power.

Germany – The German Chancellor Angela Merkel was delivered a humiliating loss in a poignant regional election on March 27, 2011 over nuclear policy reviving the Green party resurgence.

These are phenomenal evolutions in the inevitable new beginning on the horizon.

Attempts to evade or circumvent the long overdue political transformation would precipitate the natural course resulting in the rapid expulsion of forces responsible for the status quo.

Hence the authoritarian leaderships relying on the influential alliance to suppress the public demand for the cessation of power are reminded to acknowledge the revolutions resolve to implement the desirable change through republic governance.

The dynasties and demagoguery era is nearing end with the meaningful democracy pledged to national interest unlike the prevalent self and special interest succeeding in republic empowerment.

Again the reforms offered in the wake of mass protest are unauthentic considering the exchanges within the establishment.

People involved in seeking political freedom are requested not to relent and accept superficial or hypothetical proposals meant to benefit the puppet governments run by the international nexus organization.

Libya and other oppressive leaderships using violence against own people cannot sustain power irrespective of the western efforts to extend the political crises by default predominantly for economic and strategic advantages in the oil rich nations.

Any genuine resolution to Libyan warfare would comprise legitimizing the citizens’ council thereby denouncing the existing autocracy and expediting Muammar Gaddafi, family and associates’ departure.

On the contrary the deliberations and discreet dialogues with the preferred nominee Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi implicated for Libyan bloodshed confirms the western democratic powers’ paradoxical maneuver.

Striking deals with repressive regimes involved in the slaughter is anything but democratic.

The hypocritical stance in providing refuge and recourse to belligerent leaderships sharing identical traits with terror masterminds especially in killing innocent civilians is noteworthy.

Muammar Gaddafi and the loyalists never had credibility among the people persecuted over several decades.

Launching successors from Gaddafi family or the cabinet would be resistance to real democracy by the democratic powers lacking in transparency and accountability on the domestic and foreign policy contributing to human suffering.

Libyan revolution persistence in the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi is necessary for true liberation and honoring martyrdom across the nation to free Libya.

Wishing the people of Libya triumph over tyranny.

Peace, progress and prosperity to Libyan patriots.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

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India Wins the World Cup Cricket 2011

April 2, 2011

By Padmini Arhant

Heartfelt Congratulations! To Indian Cricket team for a spectacular victory in the riveting game with billion fanfares cheering the Indian troop on the battle ground against formidable Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan team impressively challenged the Indian side that contributed to earning the prestigious title.

The incredible performance from the Indian batsmen particularly Gautam Gambhir assuming responsibility at the critical position joined by the Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and later Yuvraj Singh led India to the anticipated victory.

Gautam Gambhir and others deserve due recognition with an award for their commitment that guaranteed the end result.

Team efforts from India and Sri Lanka made the grand finale a historic moment to prove the respective caliber in the most popular sport revered by the people across the Indian sub-continent.

The Indian team demonstrated resolve in rising to the occasion and delivered their promise by winning the most coveted trophy.

It is Dusserah for India – a festival time rejoicing the glorious triumph in the hard fought final match.

Indian Cricket team makes India proud in winning the World Cup Championship.

Best Wishes to Sri Lanka in their future endeavor and India for continuous success in every frontier.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

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World Cup Cricket Final 2011

April 2, 2011

By Padmini Arhant

The mega sports event grand finale is scheduled to begin momentarily.

Indian and Sri Lankan Cricket team have an opportunity to display their extraordinary talent.

Good Luck! For a spectacular game between the two popular teams – India and Sri Lanka.

Rest to follow upon conclusion of the much awaited cricket extravaganza.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

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