The Palin Effect: The Political Reshaping of Sarah Palin
A year ago no one anywhere (expect maybe Alaska) would have known who is Sarah Louise Palin. But today with the tag of a Vice-Presidential Candidate she has quickly become the face of the new spirit of the Republican Party.
Significantly credited with the re-election of Senator Saxby Chambliss (R) of Georgia in December 2008 there is no denying the mighty force of the “Palin effect”. The seemingly innocuous ability to not only be considered as the everyday American but also capable of projecting herself as the standard bearer for Republican values. Almost magical at energizing the base of the party her aspirations for the future remain hopeful but unknown.
The spin doctors and political consultants over at the GOP have created a she-Frankenstein monster of sorts, a being too amazingly unique to take down yet unnervingly unpredictable in her intent. The former image of Palin as the Governor from Wassila who thinks that proximity to a foreign nation is tantamount to foreign relations experience and is floored by stunning questions such as “what do you read?” has quickly fallen wayside in her journey towards courting mainstream America. The new and improved Palin version 2.0 is subtly becoming somthing akin to a more human Ann Coutler with a dash of Dick Cheney.
With a autobiography on the best-sellers charts that quaintly explains her folksy charm and personal beliefs (“if God didn't want us to eat animals why did he make them out of mean?”) her reinvention of herself might not be considered an entire success. But that hasn't stopped the public from embracing her anyway. Surprising many with 21% approval rating as a viable candidate for the 2012 elections (Gallup Poll) her time in the big leagues of American politics has just begun.
Her heartfelt appearance of Oprah drew over 40 million views for the show (highest since 2007)
where she promoted her book and discussed her family and in particular her daughter and grandson. With a stoic stance of understanding and apparent compassion towards her grandson's father – Levi Johnston – there are many who were so mesmerized that they see-sawed from dislike to ambivalence.
Not only did her her book make her millions she has also cashed in on broadcast news with a two
year contract with FOX News. Appearing as a political commentator she handsomely promotes her book and defends herself against competing claims. What must be recognized here is that regardless of her politcal foibles she has secured for herself a mighty pulpit from which to influence women voters, the independents and leftist Republicans for the next two years. A dangerous weapon in the hands of the Republican Party especially in the run up to the 2010 mid-term elections.
Sarah Palin has done a lot of things that might be considered in-congruent with the image of the
aspiring long term politico. Many contemporaries of Palin believe that her quitting as the Governor of Alaska was a political suicide. Congressman Steve King (R) of Iowa in an issue of The Hill newspaper said that, “I don't know of anyone who has successfully and voluntarily pulled themselves out of political office and been able to leverage that into more political success.”
So is that it for Barracuda Palin? Unlikely.
With time and a peculiar gravitas in her corner the next three years promise a host of surprises from the former Alaskan beauty queen. It is entirely possible that with the freedom of holding no political office she is open to fund raising and popularising brand Palin in the Lower 48 states that just didn't seem to connect with her last November.
Some might argue that the high road to her political future should have been different. She should have finished her term as Governor, educated herself on policy points and formed for herself a coherent and articulate position with which to re-enter American politics. But as any good politician knows the problem with taking the high road is - “what if you fall off?”.
The question still remains that does this reshaping have any real organisation behind it or are we
just witnessing the method in this madness? Does the GOP have any real control on Hurricane
Sarah or are they all just along for the ride, hoping that whatever 2012 brings (Mayan apocalypse or not) the White House, the Senate and Congress will once again shift sides due to the “Palin effect”.
Only FOX News will tell.
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The Red River of India
An Editorial
The spread of Naxal-Maosim along the eastern corridor indicates that violence is only a symptom of the great red plague that could leave thousands dead.
In 1967 with the split in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the creation of Communist
Party of India (Maoist-Leninist), “Naxalism” originated as a political/colloquial term that has
spawned itself into not only a national but a cultural icon. As inspiration to songs, movies and
novels it has exposed us to the ugly side of political rebellion.
Admittedly preying on the hopes of those least fortunate, the Naxal ideology has found root in
hundreds of districts across the impoverished “Red Corridor” of India. With 231 out of 626 districts under Maoist influence and 40% of the area painted red, states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal in the east to Chhattisgarh, and the Gadchiroli region of Maharashtra, as well as Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka are all gradually submitting to violent upheavals.
The blood stained hands of martyr like ideologues makes for fascinating story telling but as we
analyse the blood we are forced to concede that the violence is only a symptom of a much larger,
wider and systemic ailment that has gripped our nation. The chronic negligence over time of the
backward regions of India by the rest of the country has fueled the very fire which threaten to burn it down.
Naxal leaders like Koteswar Rao (Kishenji) confidently and publicly speak of over throwing the
government and trampling over Kolkata. With the February 2009 surge by Indian paramilitary and police forces to contain and eradicate the red threat still under way, the rebels are ready with an equally formidable response. With factions spread out beyond the borders and support from Nepal and perhaps even China, there is no doubt that the Indian assault will have its share of set backs in its quest for an uncertain victory.
With an annually rising death toll on both sides, with figures reaching upwards of 6,000 (BBC),
what is certain is that one way or the other, the Red Corridor is the main setting for the Red River of India that will result from the bloody face off that is surely on its way.
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PLEAS SUPPORT TIBET: Justice for Tibet and Dhondup Wangchen
Kodaikanal: The new year has not brought much joy for the exiled Tibetan community in Kodaikanal this year. The sudden arrest and conviction of Tibetan Filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen on 28th December of last year has left the community incensed.
Dhondup a prominent film maker was arrested on 26th March for ""inciting separatism and stealing, secretly gathering, purchasing, and illegally providing intelligence for an organisation, institution, or personnel outside the country" according to the government prosecution.
"The circumstances of his arrest and trial are entirely fabricated," said Ritesh Kumar, 29, in Kodaikanal of the Tibetan Youth Congress, "He wasn't doing anything illegal."
Kodaikanal and nearby areas have a large exiled Tibetan population that currently subsists on trade and retail thanks to the Indian government and in coming tourists. "There is a clear violation of law and civil rights," says Ishat Dalai, 39, advocate affiliated with The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, "Mr. Wangchen was denied his choice of defence attorney which is in against China's Criminal Procedure Law and its duties towards international human rights conventions."
As numerous youth oriented grass roots movements begin organizing in Kodaikanal to confront the People's Republic of China against the injustice against Dhondup Wangchen, many fear it is already too late. With reports of poor health (suffering from Hepatitis B) and lack of medical facilities shadowing Dhondup in jail his survival seems unlikely.
"The world has failed Tibet," says Lokesh Dorje, 68, shop keeper at Kodai Lake, "There are too many atrocities to count. We only have slogans left. Please Save Tibet."
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Positive Development Story - Return of India’s “Missing” Women
Bhairavi is a healthy baby girl born of proud Indian parents at six pounds and two ounces. Had she been conceived a year earlier she might have ended up dead. Another possible victim added to the 50 million “missing” women of India as described by the UN and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.
The Delhi government’s cash initiative last year for families with a female infant seems to have at least saved one life but is it cause enough to celebrate just yet?
Revolution of Unequal Measure?
The 9600 Rupee (USD 210) government bonuses offered to parents for every new girl child born in the last year is touted as a critical measure leading to this year’s improved gender birth ratio. Coming from deplorable conditions wherein only five years ago only 860 female births took place for every 1000 male, the current year’s 1008 female to 1000 male birth ration can be considered a revolution.
“I wouldn’t call it a revolution, “says Santosh Pathak, a Statistical Officer at the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, “the spike is most probably a reaction to the cash incentives and less of a sociological indicator.” Even the United Nations Population Fund has unequivocally stated that “the figures are impossible” given that the mean “natural” ratio is not more than 965 females to every 1000 males.
But even as the government is preparing to set up cradles throughout municipal offices of the nation to save unwanted female infants, the survivors of generations past remember the futility of such government policies.
“I was asked to get rid of my baby when the doctors told my husband that I was going to have a daughter,” says Shanti Bhattnagar, 63, an office clerk, “I refused. That was nearly the end of our marriage.” The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 had just been passed and was being regularly flouted by citizens and doctors alike. “My husband was convinced by his sisters and our daughter was born.”
Considering how her daughter turned out, Shanti is more than jubilant. Not only did her daughter succeed in becoming a doctor, she is the first member of their family to go abroad. “A mighty feat for a girl, as some say,” remarks Shanti with a proud smile.
In Search of Conscionable Reform
The world has changed for women as evidenced by the UN’s far encompassing Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). With over 120 countries ratifying the charter and over thirty years in effect, the Convention still aspires to ensure absolute equality and conscionable accountability.
India is yet to accept all articles of the convention according to Sunila Abeysekera, the head of International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) South Asia. Rightly arguing the futility of partial enforcement of rights the IWRAW is faced with the Indian government’s hesitation.
“What good is CEDAW if I can be forced into marriage?” says Sakina Suterwala, 19, a Muslim minority student of political sciences, “The government in its zeal not to infringe on minority rights is condemning half its constituency. We want to be women first, minorities later.”
The rising consensus among NGOs and the youth lies in the support of restructuring mindsets rather than manufacturing opportunities. “The women empowerment schemes of the last 30 years have been hogwash,” says Rama Nagarjun, a professor of sociology, “India is a stubborn country of traditions that have never quiet been washed off their past sins. The post-colonial attitude has only made things worse with a supposed ‘return to roots’ approach on the part of the rural population. And that is where most of these atrocities still happen. Who cares about Delhi?”
The government has provided opportunities in the form of free education, favourable loans and various medical facilities to women across the country. But when compared across the world, India has stepped down a rank since last year to 114 out of 134 in gender equality. The only sub-index where it shows strength, is ironically, political empowerment; active politics with inactive governance.
Nagarjun laments how any real change in the mindsets is yet to be seen. “Boys are still preferred and it isn’t so much right as it is fashionable for a girl child to have a successful education, only if it is to garnish her marital resume.”
But many still look beyond the government for answers.
“Our World, Our Future”
“When Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister I cried”, says Julia De’ Souza, 68, a retired school teacher, “I was 25 and I believed I could do anything I wanted with my life. And I like to believe that I did.”
“I was lucky I suppose,” she says, “my husband allowed me to study; I had children, made a home but I never relinquished my spirit. I see too many bright girls doing that today. With all the opportunities they have before them I just can’t understand why...”
The city may have just responded to the economics of government policy in its statistical spike or perhaps this year might be the first of the many that marks some revelatory shift in the way that the Indian society behaves. Looking towards the future Julia’s 19 years old grand-daughter Stephanie is less subdued and a full measure more tenacious in her outlook on society.
“Women have changed, some in more ways than one. Be it in the bedroom or the board room, women of Delhi, and yes India have come a long way.” She says with fiery passion, “And it could have been much worse considering our heritage. But we have always been patient and beings of faith. I have faith that our world, our future will not be impeded by parochial traditions and economic burdens.”
But as is the case when we consider matters of faith, it is but in the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, that we may find the millions of missing women making their return in the generations of tomorrow.
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Get Rich Quick: Amassing wealth at 21
When Abhishek Rai turns 21 next year he is going to be a millionaire. Some of this credit should go to the foresight of his parents. But the remarkable fact is that all the decisions leading up to his fortune were his own.
“I received a huge amount, nearly thirty thousand rupees from my relatives for my upanayana ceremony (a Hindu coming of age ritual) when I was eleven,” recounts Abhishek.
“We knew it would be tempting for him to spend all the money on frivolities,” says Dr. Rai, 56, a practicing pediatrician in Kolkata, “but thought better of him to learn the responsibilities and opportunities that come with money. So we opened a fixed deposit account in his name.”
As his 15th birthday came closer Abhishek became more anxious to spend the money. So his parents made a “deal” with him. Dr. Rai’s “deal” with his son involved him having to learn a thing or two about investing.
The idea of easy money and no manual labor was a great incentive to invest says Abhishek. Since then he made all the choices with regards to which companies to invest in and has almost made a career out of that deal.
Abhishek is soon going to graduate with a degree in accounting & finance ready for business school the tuition for which will be paid for by his investments.
“To earn without work is sinful,” promulgates Dr. Rai. “But I’m glad Abhishek caught on to the art of investing and has made smart choices.”
Smart Investors, Young Investors
Regardless of the age, money is serious business. The desire to be wealthy and successful is imprinted on every young mind. Most middle class families leave education as the only inheritance for their children. It isn’t surprising then that young people today are willing to make sure they can live off the interest on that very inheritance.
“Our college has an investment club which maintains a virtual stock market of real world companies,” says Mudita Mithel, 19, of H. R. College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai, “We learn how to analyze a company; its operations, plans, everything.”
With colleges starting their own investment clubs and young people more interested in the stock market the number of casual yet serious minded young investors has seen an uptake.
“Investing isn’t gambling as most young people think,” clarifies Prakash Shukla, 31, a Dalal Street broker, “True investing is about planting the right seed at the right time in the right soil. Unfortunately most people think only in the short term and suffer losses.”
The key idea behind successful investment is doing so for the long run. Allowing your money to work for you takes time which most young people aren’t willing to give.
Shahrukh Shah, an engineering student in Mumbai handles the investments of his and three friends who all invest in the stock market. “We have no hang ups about delaying our gratification,” says Shahrukh Shah, 20, “We all have to run in the rat race but by saving instead of spending now we may just not have to run that long.”
As more young people make the foray into well informed and disciplined investing, their earning potential increases manifold bettering their chances at financial freedom later in life.
Some Tips
Simple steps to setting up your own investment base:
1. Get a PAN card. All earnings, salaried or capital gain, need to be registered for tax purposes. So a PAN card becomes your doorway to becoming an earning member of society.
2. Open a savings and DMAT account. It is a legal requirement for investing that makes all your dealing virtually accessible online for your convenience.
3. Do the research. Nothing worth having comes easy. Look into the financial broad sheets about the ups and downs in the market. Also refer to financial news and perhaps get a consult from a broker.
4. Buy broad. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket with a single company or a single type of investment. Diversify with equity, mutual funds, commodities and foreign exchange. The greater your spread, the greater the gains and stability.
5. And if you’re really serious then learn the lingo. What are derivatives? Futures? Swaps? The many devices used to trade can often make the difference to a serious investor about how much and how fast they make their fortune.
“There is a whole world worth exploring.” says Ankit Bharadwaj, 52, a self-employed “wealth consultant” and former associate at ABN Amro, “My three rules are – invest in a fundamentally sound company, invest whatever you have as no amount is too small and most importantly take a little bit out every once in a while and have a good time!
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