Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams, chapter 447
Palash Biswas
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Oil Wars in the South China Sea, Chapter 5 in Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict. Metropolitan Books, 2001. ...
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Dump baggage of untouchability in mindset : Meira Kumar
Sun, Feb 7 09:25 PM
Chennai, Feb7 (PTI) Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today said changing the old mindset and discarding the baggage of "untouchability" and "caste discrimination" was needed to build a truly egalitarian society. Noting that laws on land reforms, abolition of untouchability, prevention of atrocities and child labour were not enough to transform the society, she said a change in the mindset of people was a must to create social equality.
"People admire our country for our democracy and particularly on how the economy has integrated.
Despite the global meltdown, we have maintained our growth. We have the ability to perform but what should be changed is the mental block," Kumar on her first visit to the State as Speaker said.
Pointing out that people had long been carrying the baggage of an "unchanged mind", she said, "We are in the 21st century and we should dump and bury the baggage. We should start the new century with a new mindset.
" She also pointed out that many developed nations also had a mental block. "America had a mental block.
But they have got Obama and got over of it", she said.
PTI
India proposes dates to Pakistan for official talks!
India tests long-range nuclear-capable Agni-III missile!
No change in Home Ministry's ideology in UPA II: Chidambaram
Corporate tax cut not likely in this Budget
Church of England's Vedanta shares sale welcomed
Present mind of parliament opposed to Gujarat anti-terror law, declares Chidambaram as Modi compliments Chidambaram Corporate War against terror!In a first from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on Sunday complimented Home Minister P. Chidambaram and his officials for their 'swift and positive' approach to fighting terror.On the other hand,Buddhadeb slams Trinamool for 'backing' Maoists!While the Brahmin kanya Rebellion in and as Human Platform in the India Incs Govt want PRIVATE Partnership in Railways!
I had to address rural doctors and social activists in DAKSHIN BARAST betwen Baruipur and Laxmikantpur on the NAMKHANA line, a stone`s Throw away from TMC Central Minister JATUA`s Home. I would write letter on the Privatisation of medical Infrastructure and NGO Role in health Service as GOVT. role in Rural health has been reduced to Zero. But it was HELL Breaking as ME and Sabita started from Sodepur. There was a Students` election, almost a CIVIL War in Bengal nowadays. It was very hard to detrain or entrain. Reaching Sealdah, we got the NAMKHANA Train and you would Never Believe how the Mulnivasi Indigenous Aboriginal Masses have been reduced to Rat Status. No relief for the Commuters even on a Sunday. Returning to my Workplace. my old journalist friend welcomed me saying Ten Million People gathered in Support of the Brahamin Front. But I saw not a BIRD perching on the South Section RLY station in the evening.What a Record breaking Brigade rally to Counter Matua Mamata Magic!While BUDDHADEB leads the War Against the Black Untouchables and he has to Host the Zero Intolerance strategy Meeting in the writers as Bihar and Jharkhand Chief Ministers plead for Talks. The Ruling Dynasty Zionist has Branded the Black Untouchables as Terrorists EN Masse! While they speak on Maoist Menace , they always mean Terror Strike against the ABORIGINAL India!
Just see and understand! United efforts are needed to fight terrorists, Maoists and communal forces that pose "major threats" to our internal security, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday as he asked the state and central governments to face the challenge with firm determination.
On the other hand,
No change in Home Ministry's ideology in UPA II, Chidambaram screams with Media applaud! Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Sunday said the emergence of some militant groups in Punjab and Rajasthan were not a serious problem for the country.
Earlier in the day, during the meeting, Chidambaram said: "Never before have the Central Government and the State Governments worked so closely together - or interacted more frequently - on matters concerning internal security. In a way, we are responding to the demands and expectations of the people of the country. It is the right response. In fact, it is the only response that will be seen by the people to be right.
Meanwhile,Human right activists, tribal leaders and social activists in Orissa Sunday welcomed the Church of England's decision to sell its shares in British mining major Vedanta due to its dissatisfaction with the company's rights' record in the state.
'It is a great step by the Church. It understood the peoples' concern to protect their livelihood, land, forest, culture and identity,' Bratindi Jena, an activist of the Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti, a tribal organisation fighting to protect the hills, told IANS.
'This great step encourages the community to continue their struggle and help other shareholder investors to think about their investment pattern in the company. The Church has given a clear message to all other investors,' she said.
Human rights activist and Lokashakti Abhiyan president Prafulla Samantray told IANS that they were thankful to the church for the step. 'In spite of all efforts by the company, the representatives of the Church could realise the plight of the tribals and established the truth,' he said.
The London-headquartered metals and mining company has built a one million tonne per annum capacity alumina refinery at the foot of the Niyamgiri hills near Lanjigarh in the state's Kalahandi district, some 600 km from here.
The company is waiting to mine bauxite from the nearby Niyamgiri hills - held sacred by the local residents - and this has been vehemently opposed by residents and social activists. The firm, which is currently sourcing bauxite from other states at market rates, said mining permission in the hills was essential for it to reduce the cost of production.
The Church of England Friday sold off its shares, worth 3.75 million pounds, in the Indian-owned Vedanta Resources, saying it was 'not satisfied' with the company's human rights records in Orissa.
Sasanka Patnaik, Vedanta spokesman in Orissa, said the development will not affect the company's projects in Orissa.
'We are disappointed by this development but it will no way affect our projects here. We respect the concern raised by the Church of England. We will continue to apprise them developments related to our project,' Patnaik told IANS.
Chidambaram held a press conference following the conclusion of a day-long 3rd chief ministers' meeting on internal security in last 13 months, in the national capital.
Replying to a question related to the emergence of militant groups in some states as was visible with the recent pasting of a poster from a Bhindarwale group at Delhi's Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Chidambaram said: " There are some signs of militant groups trying to raise their heads in Punjab and Rajasthan. But both-the Director Generals of Punjab and Rajasthan-have assured that they are capable of tackling militant groups."
"I don't it's a serious problem," Chidambaram remarked.
Chidambaram also informed journalists at the press conference that the chief ministers participating in the meeting on internal security supported the ongoing fight against Naxalism in the country.
"The response of the home minister and home secretary is swift and positive whenever there is a demand from the states," Modi told reporters on the margins of the chief ministers' conference on internal security.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress for "backing" the Maoists and other disruptive elements in the state.
"Utmost vigil, sustained and coordinated efforts of the central and state governments are needed. We must periodically review the systems that are in place and ensure the safety and security of our country and our citizens," Manmohan Singh said while inaugurating the internal security conclave for state chief ministers held here.
The prime minister listed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, Maoist insurgency in tribal-dominated central India and communal forces as "major threats" to the country.
Worst is over on food inflation: Manmohan Singh
"All of you are aware of the major threats to our security. Hostile groups and elements operate from across the border to perpetrate terrorist acts in our country. The state of Jammu and Kashmir bears the brunt of the acts of these groups.
"There is insurgency and violence in the northeast. Many states are affected by the Leftwing extremism, which I have in the past referred to as the greatest threat to our security.
The prime minister noted that there are also people "who try to divide our society on communal and regional lines".
"Each one of these threats require a firm determination and continuous vigil to tackle them. These threats to our society and people constitute a challenge that we shall and must meet at all costs," he said.
India on Sunday tested its indigenous long-range nuclear- capable Agni-III missile, catapulting the country into a select group of nations that have intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM)-capability, defence sources said.
The 3,000-km range missile, which is capable of carrying warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes, was tested from the Inner Wheeler Island at Dhamra, a launch site in Bhadrak district, about 200 km from Orissa capital Bhubaneswar, at 10.46 a.m.
Indian fighter jets to be armed with BrahMos missiles
This is the fourth test of the missile. The first test, from the same defence base on July 9, 2006, was unsuccessful. The second stage of the rocket had failed to separate from the missile quickly enough and the missile had fallen short of its target.
The DRDO-developed missile was tested again on April 12, 2007, and May 9, 2008, respectively and both the tests were successful.
Agni-III, one of the Agni series missiles, is a two-stage solid propellant missile with a length of 17 mt, diameter 2 mt and launch weight of 50 tonnes.
India to procure six more Akash missile squadrons
While Agni-I is a 750-800 km short-range missile, Agni-II has a range of more than 1,500 km. Both have already been inducted into the armed forces.
Addressing a massive rally called by the state's ruling Left Front at the sprawling Brigade Parade ground here, Bhattacharjee said the Left parties will foil anti-Left Front forces' attempts to create trouble in the state along with the peasants and workers.
"The anti-Left Front forces want to foment danger. We take these efforts to foment danger as a challenge. Alongside peasants and workers, we are taking it as a challenge. We will stop them," Bhattacharjee said.
The chief minister said his government will never surrender to the Maoist ultras who are a menace in West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts. "They are calling out our supporters from homes and killing them," he said.
Calling the Maoists "cowards", Bhattacharjee said though the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) central government was helping the state government in tackling the left-wing extremists, the Trinamool was "backing" them.
"Because the centre wants to help us, they are sending the central forces to combat the Maoists. But the Trinamool is opposing that. This party is saying that no central security forces can be sent.
"Trinamool wants CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) men to be killed. They want bloodletting in the three districts. Why are they so sympathetic to the Maoists?" Bhattacharjee wondered.
Refering to the movements for Gorkhaland, Kamtapur and Greater Cooch Behar states in the northern parts, Bhattacharjee said his government will not allow anybody to break up West Bengal.
"The Trinamool is trying to create and fan disturbances. So it is not saying anything against these forces of disruption. In fact, they have joined hands with these forces," he said.
Mentioning the Gorkhaland agitation in Darjeeling, he said the Left Front government was willing to give more autonomy to Darjeeling. "They want to wean Darjeeling from our state. But we won't allow any partition of Bengal."
The chief minister urged sections like Muslims, peasants, film artistes and singers to support the Left.
He called upon the Muslims, who have been supporting the Trinamool in recent times, not to let anyone disturb the communal amity in the state. "They (opposition parties) are spreading poison. They are lying. They want to keep you in isolation."
Need stiff law to counter terrorism: Modi
The praise comes a day after Modi took a jibe at the central government over price rise.
BJP leaders have been targeting the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for being 'soft' on terror.
The hostile attitude of "our neighbouring country", Modi said, has made "security an important issue which needs to be taken seriously".
Centre lacks vision to tackle price rise: Narendra Modi
However, the Gujarat chief minister was critical of the central government for not giving the nod to his state's proposed anti-terror act - the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime (GUJCOC) Bill.
India has proposed that the foreign secretary-level talks with Paksitan be held either on February 18 or February 25 and has indicated that it is ready to discuss all bilateral issues of concern.
Home Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday said he could not pilot the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime (GUJCOC) Bill as "present mind of Parliament was opposed" to its provisions, similar to that of POTA, which has been repealed.
"Confession to a police officer are inadmissible. The parliament no longer approves a confession before a police officer. Similarly, Parliament no longer approves the idea that the public prosecutor's work must have greater weight than the judge's decision," he said.
Modi compliments Chidambaram's fight against terror
Chidambaram said, "Parliament no longer approves that a person should be held without bail and without chargesheet for a longer period than the period stipulated in the CrPC".
"The present mind of Parliament was opposed to these three provisions. Therefore, how can I as Home Minister pilot a Bill which was passed by Parliament which does not have these three provisions," he said in a press briefing after Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal Security.
26/11: JuD chief invites Chidambaram for dialogue
"They were specifically dropped from the law. They are no longer in the statute book and then recommend to the President a Bill which has these three provisions. I have to reflect the expression on mind of Parliament and I am reflecting the mind as last expressed by Parliament," he said.
Earlier, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today made a strong pitch for sanctioning the Bill, saying lack of adequate legal provisions was the "biggest" issue concerning internal security.
Pakistan's High Commissioner Shahid Malik has flown to Islamabad to discuss the proposed dates with the foreign office after holding discussions with Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao here on Friday.
The Pakistani side is expected to get back to Indian officials this week, sources said here on Sunday.
Terming internal security as a 'critical' matter, India on Sunday expressed concern over increased infiltration attempts from Pakistan recently and said these threats shall be overcome 'at all costs' with a coordinated efforts between the Centre and states.
Inaugurating the Chief Ministers Conference on Internal Security, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "Hostile groups and elements operate from across the border to perpetrate terrorist acts in the country. The state of Jammu and Kashmir bears the brunt of the acts of these groups."
He said while there had been a marked decline in the number of terrorist incidents from 2008 to 2009, "infiltration levels have shown an increase in the same period. Recently, there have been some incidents which are disturbing."
The Prime Minister referred to his recent meetings with the Chief Secretaries where he had called for a coordinated effort between the Centre and the states to face the threats. "We are also aware that the Central government has much more to do", Singh said and gave an assurance that there will be "no let up in our commitment and our efforts."
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, in his opening remarks, referred to the meeting of terror groups like
Lashker-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen in Muzzafarabad in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir on February four and termed these groups as "dark forces" which are "implacably" opposed to the country. He asserted that they would be defeated whenever confronted.
"Their weapons are mayhem and violence; and their goal is forcible annexation of Kashmir. Let me make it clear that these dark forces will not succeed in their designs. We will defeat them whenever and wherever we confront them", Chidambaram said.
The Prime Minister listed various threats to the internal security in the country, including threats from across the border, Naxalism and insurgency in North east. "Each one of these threats requires determination, hard work and continuous vigilance to tackle. These threats to our society and country constitute a challenge that we must and shall overcome at all costs", Singh said.
Apart from coordinating efforts, he listed specific steps which the states could take. "I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Chief Ministers to create special intervention units in their states to enhance the speed and decisiveness of the quick response teams", besides developing specialised commando forces in the states which could be deployed to act as a deterrent to terrorist designs.
Singh said November 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai had "made us painfully aware of the need to strengthen our coastal security." He said the National Committee on Coastal Security under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary had been constituted to adopt an integrated approach to the issue.
"The Committee has taken action to increase the level of patrolling and surveillance along the Indian coastline and bring about greater coordination between the various agencies that can contribute to security along our coasts."
"The issue of multi-purpose identity cards with biometric features to residents in coastal areas is expected to be completed by September 2010. The process of registration of boats and vessels has gathered momentum", Singh said.
In his speech, Chidambaram said there has been no significant terrorist attack and no significant communal violence in the last 14 months which was a matter of satisfaction but that did not mean that the country was not vulnerable to terror strikes.
"That, I hasten to add, does not mean that there has been no violence or that we are not vulnerable to terrorist attacks; or that there are no triggers for communal disturbances. "We must remain vigilant. We must continue the work on enhancing capacity. And we must reform our institutions and systems of governance in order to pre-empt terrorist threats and prevent communal discord," he said.
Describing Naxalism as a grave threat, the Home Minister said the Centre had announced that it would encourage state governments to talk to Naxalites if they abjured violence but the offer was scoffed at and spurned by the CPI (Maoist). "Hence, in consultation with the Chief Ministers of Naxal-affected states, we decided to boldly confront the challenge thrown by the CPI (Maoist)", the Home Minister said.
Referring to the acute problem of manpower in state police forces, Chidambaram said there were humongous vacancies in the sanctioned posts. As on January 1, 2009, there were 1,53,428 vacancies which was expected to dip to 1,38,559 on March 31 this year.
"In addition, there is Uttar Pradesh where there is a peculiar situation. In December 2008, Uttar Pradesh had sanctioned 2,04,021 new posts and I am informed that the process of recruitment is underway. The vacancy position reflects a very unsatisfactory state of affairs."
The Home Minister said based on the responses to the questionnaire, sent by the Home Ministry to all states seeking information under 15 heads, it was found that only nine states and Union Territories have a separate cadre for intelligence and only 16 states or UTs have accepted the scheme suggested by the Intelligence Bureau to restructure the state special branches. "While nearly all states have set up QRTs, six states have not yet set up anti-terrorist units", he said
Pakistan's business community welcomes talks with India
Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir will travel to New Delhi for wide-ranging talks with Rao that could include issues of concern to both countries.
The decision to start foreign secretary-level talks signal a thaw in bilateral ties and is a reflection of India's desire to keep "channels of communication open" with its neighbour.
'Dark forces' in Pakistan won't succeed: Chidambaram
India paused the composite dialogue with Pakistan after the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks that were allegedly masterminded and executed by Pakistani militants.
India will focus on its core concern of cross-border terror and the continuing presence of anti-India terror infrastructure on its soil. If Pakistan raises Kashmir and other issues including the issue of river waters, India is ready to listen to Islamabad's point of view, the sources said.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday clarified that no change has come in the ideology of his ministry under the present or previous United Progressive Alliance government and it remains the same.
He expressed satisfaction over the interest shown by Chief Ministers in Centre's effort to maintain internal security.
Briefing the media at the end of Chief Minister's conference on internal security, Chidambaram said: There is no change in the ideology of the Home Ministry. It was same during UPA I and continuing in UPA II."
"The Home Ministry is following secular, non-discrimination and pro-Human Rights ideology, if that favours States then all States have taken the matter of internal security seriously," he added.
Chidambaram said: "I am happy that for the first time both Centre and the States are not only on the same page but also they are reading the same song when it comes to internal security."
"I think this a big achievement in itself," he added.
Commenting over repeated rejection of Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Act (GUJCOCA) by the Home Ministry, Chidambaram said: "If an Act passed by the State Government is not in accordance with the last expression of the Parliament, then it will be rejected."
Validity to the confession before the investigating officer and giving more stress to the views of Public Prosecutor were in the Prevention of terrorism Act (POTA). But POTA has been repealed, Chidambaram said.
"When the Maharashtra anti terror law got the signature of the President of India the POTA was the last expression of the Parliament. But the present expression of the parliament doesn't have POTA clauses in its mind, so the Home Ministry recommended to the President of India in accordance with the last expression of the parliament, Chidambaram added.
The conference discussed the police modernisation process in detail and most of the states expressed willingness to increase the budgetary allocation under the head "Police."
"We brought to the notice of the states that the budgetary allocation made under the head Police is very meagre and they acknowledged the fact and assured to correct it," Chidambaram said.
Police strength remains an acute problem to the country.
As on January 2009 the total number of police personnel actually in place in all States and Union Territory s was 14,70,837.
It increased to 15,04,153 by September 2009 and is projected to increase to 15,81,439 by March 2010.
"About 1,10,000 police personnel have been or will be recruited in a period of 15 months that signals a positive response to the trauma of 26/11, and kindly note that we are filling the vacancies which are neglected from the last five to six years so it will take time," Chidambaram said.
"Many states have assured to achieve Zero Vacancy" at the earliest, Pondichery already achieved it, Gujarat assured to achieve it by March and Maharashtra by the end of this year," he added
Chidambaram informed that the Centre has also asked the states to send the list of new arms to be procured, so that the Home Ministry can giver orders for the same at one time.Emirates plane recalled to Mumbai after threat call
An Emirates Mumbai-Dubai flight made an emergency landing at the Mumbai airport on Sunday soon after take off following an anonymous call warning that there were terrorists on board. Two passengers - a man and his wife - have been detained by police for questioning.
According to an airport official, the flight EK-505 was recalled by the air traffic control following the call shortly after 9.30 am on Sunday.
Red alert at Indian airports following hijack threat
As the flight returned under full emergency at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, it underwent full security procedures.
This included deplaning all the 200-plus passengers and crew, and a thorough screening of the aircraft, all the travellers and their baggage.
The procedure went on for over four hours.
Man jokes about terrorism at German airport
A male passenger - identified as Shahbaz - and his wife have been detained by the Sahar Airport police for questioning.
The flight left for Dubai shortly after 2 pm, the official said.
Netizens praise Rahul for taking on Shiv Sena, MNS
A few 'Shiv Sainiks' might have waved black flags at him but thousands in Mumbai welcomed Rahul Gandhi with open arms when he visited the megapolis defying treats from the Thackerays, thus breaking the fear psychosis created by the Sena and the MNS.
Rahul Gandhi's visit to Mumbai may have left the Senas crying hoarse and Uddhav Thackeray saying that Maharashtra is under 'Mussolini' rule, but rest of India hailed the young leader for taking on Shiv Sena in their own den and proving that Mumbai is for all.
And the net is abuzz with praises for Rahul Gandhi for cocking a snook at the Shiv Sena at their bastion by taking the local train from Dadar.
Here's what the netizens have to say about Rahul's visit to Mumbai:
Rahul tamed the Sena
He came, he saw, he conquered! - Liji
Yes Rahul did made everyone's day by travelling in the local train as a normal person and not bothering about the security. And that was a bold reply to Shiv Sena and to their threats. That's the spirit Rahul! You will surely make an efficient PM. - Vidhi J
Rahul has done it pretty well! We appreciate the bold but tactical approach to his opponents and well wishers alike. Sena's mish mash rants towards ethnicity is something outdated and politically motivated. The people of Maharashtra will rule out all that as rubbish. - Jolie V
Rahul has shown what it takes to be a politician with commitment for values. His integrity leaves the 'sick' Sena with urgent need for introspection which they will not do as obvious by another 'stupid' reaction by Uddhav post Rahul visit. - Surfeus
Certainly Rahul has given big jolt to Sena. It's high time Sena should learn to do positive politics rather than trying to win votes by creating regional differences. - Sanjay
Well done Rahul. For once the Thackerays and their stupid Shiv Sena look like a bunch of spineless snakes squirming in each other's huts while the real owners (Indians) roamed in their homeland like everywhere else in India. - Anonymous
His gesture will certainly go a long way, to assure people that he is not going to be bogged down by Sena's foolish rhetoric. Mumbaikars are all praise for him. He has certainly won their hearts - Syed
Rahul has done something courageous. Not only me but the entire country is proud about what you have done. We would love to see you as the next PM - Mukesh
Rahul has done it again. 3 cheers!. Sena should be tamed. We all are Indians and Mumbai is also a part of India. - Sankararaman
Rahul's visit to Mumbai might have hurt the pride of the Shiv Sena. We all know that the Sena stands tall by inducing fear and domination on the people. Rahul has given a jab in their tummy of the Sena with his Mumbai Drama. But this do not make much of a difference to the plight of the common man on the street. - Dev
It was a publicity stunt
Yes this is a gimmick. But it is better than Thackharey gimmicks. And yes, Mussolini raj is better than Thackharey's gundaraj. This is what most Maharashtrians think. - Shailendra
Rahul has acted pretty well in a perfect drama with his own security by his side and nothing to fear of . With his Italian background, foreign education without any knowledge of Indian culture, he pretends to know/understand them by visiting slums students etc. It's just a part of publicity stunt. - Alagu S
Can prince Rahul perform a similar feat in Srinagar and come out in one piece? Why not give us the pleasure of seeing him prove us wrong? - PK Kaul
Just ask Mr. Rahul to travel by crowded trains instead of roaming around with Z+ security. - Chitra
Next I wish Rahul will start a campaign to amend constitution so that we voters get the right to recall Netas and fix them if they have defects like the 'Honda Car'. Lots of our Netas are defective. They don't perform, they become dishonest and corrupt and needs fixing properly by the people who made them Netas. - Babu
Tamasha for all, pre-arranged by Rahul, heir to throne of the Italian born Sonia who rules now! With shameless, spineless scholars at her beck and call paying obeisance, they continue another form of monarchy, in the name of 'democracy'. - Raman
This is a very low grade stunt. Rahul made sure having highest security around him (paid by Tax-payers like us)! Where was this person when there was severe earthquake in Maharashtra? When there was flood? When the farmers committed suicide? - Atul
Corporate tax cut not likely in this Budget
The government may not tinker with the corporate tax rates in the Budget 2010-11 despite pressure from India Inc to slash rates or at least do away with surcharge and cess. The industry has been clamouring for a reduction in corporate tax rate to 25 per cent from the current over 30 per cent, including education cess and surcharge. Corporate tax rates could be kept at the same level and the industry may have to wait for fiscal 2011-12 for the rate to be 25 per cent as proposed in the draft direct taxes code, said a senior Finance Ministry official. Currently, domestic firms earning total income of over a crore in a year have to pay corporate 30 per cent tax. Besides, surcharge of 10 per cent and education cess of 3 per cent are imposed on them, taking the total tax liability to 33.99 per cent. Those earning up to Rs one croreof income draw a total tax liability of 30.9 per cent. "Rate changes are unlikely in the Finance Bill 2010," global fianncial consultancy firm Ernst and Young tax partner Sudhir Kapadia told PTI. He, however, pointed out that the government could go for a bold move like the abolition of the surcharge and cess, and introduce a flat rate of 30 per cent. .
PTI
UAE firm joins UN good governance initiative
Dubai, Feb 7 (IANS) A company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has joined hands with the UN to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, WAM news agency reported Sunday.
Dubai Properties Group (DPG) is among 5,500 firms worldwide to join the UN Global Compact (UNGC) initiative. Other stakeholders from over 130 countries are also its members.
The initiative was launched in July 2000 to influence policies that are sustainable and socially responsible. It seeks to align business operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
Khalid Al Malik, CEO of Dubai Properties Group said: 'This membership strongly reflects our continuous commitment to achieving international standards in pursuing our corporate responsibility goals.
'By adopting the highly effective principles recommended by the UN, DPG aims to demonstrate its ability to identify and implement environmental, social and governance initiatives for the benefit of the community and our stakeholders,' he added.
Good response from centre in fighting Maoist violence: BJP's Raman Singh
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sunday lauded the efforts of Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in tackling Maoist insurgency that plagues his state.
"Compared to the past experience of seven years, we have got a good response from the central government. We are feeling better and confident (in fighting Maoist guerrillas),"Raman Singh said at the chief ministers' conference on internal security here.
"Chidambaram has clarity of thought... the prime minister also takes interest," the chief minister told reporters.
He said there was good coordination between the police forces of the Maoist insurgency affected states in their fight against the leftwing radicals in tribal-dominated central India.
"The coordination is taking place at the level of directors general of police and inspectors general of police," he said.
Raman Singh said his government had recruited 26,000 police personnel and set up a jungle warfare school to counter the Maoist menace.
He said the central government should bear the expenses of the paramilitary forces deployed in Chhattisgarh to fight the guerrillas.
"The state has to bear around Rs.200-400 crore because of the presence of central paramilitary troopers. This money should be borne by the centre," he said.
Last updated on Feb 7th, 2010 at 15:42 pm IST--IANS
Other News Headlines
A man was shot dead and his neighbour injured when they tried to chase away armed robbers in their area in southwest Delhi Sunday, police said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday asserted that his government will never surrender to the Maoists and launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress for "backing" the left-wing rebels and other disruptive elements in the state.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday evening congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for successfully test firing the indigenously built nuclear-capable Agni-III missile with a range of over 3,500 km.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Sunday met Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray to urge him not to oppose the participation of Australian cricketers in the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao flies to The Hague Monday to attend a three-day preparatory meeting for the Nuclear Security Summit that Washington will host in April.
International Headlines
- Sumatran tiger may become extinct in 2015
- London shuts down business offices in New Delhi, Mumbai (Lead, correcting para one)
- NATO mulls relations with China, India, Russia at conference
- Victoria top cop's advice to Indians to 'act poor' slammed
- UAE to host global humanitarian aid conference
Kerala News
- Condoms from Kerala on way to bedrooms Down Under
- PM says worst of food inflation over, public disagrees (Roundup)
- PM calls for export ban on essential items
- I belong to the stage, not films: Isha Sharvani
- Aloula Geojit Brokerage gets licence in Saudi Arabia
Entertainment News
- Katrina Kaif's wardrobe malfunction
- Chozhar Peravai slams Selva for wrong portrayal
- Jayaram apologizes for his remarks on Tamil women
- Vikram walks out of '24'
- Salman Khan urges politician to leave art
Sports
http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a113243.html
Terror threats to be overcome at all costs: India
Pak-based terror groups will be defeated: HM
Maoists blow up railway tracks; kill officials ahead of shutdown
Gaganjeet Bhullar lifts Asian Tour International crown
Experts peg FY10 GDP growth at 6.7-7.4%
Talks will focus on terrorism and hurting issues: India to Pak
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Record Mercedes-Benz sales in January
ICTT project to be operational by June
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Markets gets a reprieve on spl session
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Ranbaxy arm under US FDA scanner
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MJ 'to give evidence in his own death case'
'LSD and coke once drove Gaga to death'
'Striker' becomes first Bollywood film to release on YouTube
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Morehttp://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Terror-threats-to-be-overcome-at-all-costs-India/576686/
Maoists blast railway tracks in Bihar | |||
| 2010-02-07 10:10:00 Last Updated: 2010-02-07 10:58:48 | |||
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Thackeray fumes at Sena flop show against Rahul | |||
| 2010-02-07 08:48:16 | |||
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Obama appoints Jhumpa Lahiri to arts committee | |||
| 2010-02-06 10:00:00 Last Updated: 2010-02-06 11:37:41 | |||
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Uddhav: Won't allow Mumbai to be separated from Maharashtra | |||
| 2010-02-06 23:00:00 Last Updated: 2010-02-07 00:15:45 | |||
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Scientist takes giant leap in quantum computing | |||
| 2010-02-06 16:30:00 Last Updated: 2010-02-07 02:52:24 | |||
| |||
Ground Zero
http://orissaconcerns.net/2010/02/ground-zero/
Dilip Bisoi
Financial Express
Posted online: Feb 07, 2010 at 1959 hrs
From Bhubaneswar, it takes us five hours to reach Patna village, at
the heart of Posco-India's planned 12-million tonne steel plant. We
find children playing with pebbles, but they aren't at an innocuous
game—they arrange tiny stones across the road when they see an
approaching vehicle, imitating elders who routinely put up road
blockades or gates to prevent entry of unknown vehicles. Patna falls
within the core area of the proposed 4,004 acre plant site, and
villagers, who are against the project, keep round-the-clock vigil on
the movement of outsiders.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik may have assured South Korean
President Lee Myung-Bak that the land acquisition process for the
$12-billion plant in Orissa's Jagatsinghpur district will be speeded
up, but at Ground Zero, things don't look so easy. Posco-India still
doesn't have an inch of land, though the final forest clearance came
through in December, on the eve of Lee's visit to India as chief guest
for Republic Day. Of the 4,004 acres identified for the project,
2,958.79 acres is forestland.
He was keen to visit the Posco site, but was told the ground situation
wasn't conducive. There's stiff resistance to the project from locals,
but Posco-India and the Orissa government is hoping to win over the
opposition with the promise of a better rehabilitation and
resettlement policy.
"The resettlement and rehabilitation package of Posco-India for the
plant at Jagatsinghpur is in line with the Orissa government's R&R
Rules 2006, which is regarded as one of the best R&R policies in the
country," says Posco-India General Manager (external relations)
Simanta Mohanty. "We are confident that everybody in our project area
will be at an advantage with our package. Our package is specially
oriented towards landless labour and we have made special provisions
for employment of those needing jobs. We are compensating those who
have planted betel vines on government land and we are sure they will
see that we are giving them a fair deal," he adds. Over the past three
months, the Patnaik government, too, has given a push to the land
acquisition process, but villagers will need a lot of convincing
before they give up their land.
In neighbouring Govindpur, children play cricket, imagining the ball
to be Posco-India. Every time a batsman hits the ball hard, a cheer
goes up. The villagers of Govindpur are quite militant in their
opposition to the project, considered to be the country's largest FDI.
Four years of agitation have changed the lives of villagers living in
Posco's proposed site. For villagers, guarding the gates has become a
daily chore. All their discussions revolve around the Posco project.
Womenfolk do their household work, but with an eye on the main street
for Posco executives or government officials. Posco officials are
often detained for a few hours by villagers.
The two villages of Govindpur and Dhinkia are at the heart of the site
and this is where the dictates of the Posco Pratirodha Sangaram Samiti
(PPSS), the organisation that is spearheading the anti-project
movement, runs. PPSS has virtually converted the 4,004 acres into a
fort, with 17 gates plugging all the roads to the core area. No gates
open without the permission of PPSS. The PPSS chief, Abhaya Sahoo,
guards the main gate at Balitutha, the entry point to the Posco site.
The PPSS network is quite strong. When government officials or Posco
company executives start from Bhubaneswar for Jagatsinghpur, Sahoo
gets the information, and villagers are alerted immediately.
With the forest clearance coming through, and Lee's visit putting the
project onto the fast track, the Jagatsinghpur Collector has put out
ads asking betel vine owners to claim compensation and give up the
land. Interestingly, the 4,004 acres is part of a vast stretch of land
that was added to the mainland when the sea receded, so the landscape
is dotted with huge sand mounds. The government says the reclaimed
land is government land but people have lived here for generations.
Over the years, the forests too have disappeared—first the mangroves
and then the casuarina plantations, destroyed by a super cyclone. Now,
villagers grow betel vines and cashew on the high lands and have
converted the low laying areas to paddy fields. "The paddy field gives
us rice for the whole year and the betel vines the cash to buy other
items," says Ramesh Mohanty. "We will not allow the Posco project to
come up on this site," says PPSS chief Abhaya Sahoo. "No
rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) policy is acceptable to us," he
points out.
When you argue that Posco-India has promised to give a better package
than the R&R package announced by the state government, Dhinkia
sarpanch Sisira Mohapatra, who is also the general secretary of PPSS,
shows you the R&R package of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for the
oustees of Paradip Refinery project. A vacant plot of seven acres,
earmarked with concrete pillars outside village Dhinka, is the
so-called rehabilitation colony. The abandoned, dilapidated facility
centre (hospitals, schools and temples) isn't assuring villagers.
"We have seen the R&R package of a public sector company. How do we
trust a foreign private company?" Mohapatra shoots back. The stories
of promises not kept and the success of people's movements like the
anti-missile test range agitation of Baliapal have kept the resistance
against Posco alive. But the Orissa government too has made a heap of
promises to Posco-India which it will find very difficult to walk away
from.
--
"[It is not] possible to distinguish between 'numerical' and
'nonnumerical' algorithms, as if numbers were somehow different from
other kinds of precise information." - Donald Knuth
--
"[It is not] possible to distinguish between 'numerical' and
'nonnumerical' algorithms, as if numbers were somehow different from
other kinds of precise information." - Donald Knuth
_______________________________________________
connect mailing list
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http://orissaconcerns.net
Gates Denies Nuclear Deal With Iran Is Near
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By Maureen O'Gara Google reportedly called up the black ops National
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Throne of Islamabad shaken, Killing of U.S. marines at Dir by ...
By (Author )
In Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom is a joint venture of
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Pakistan Day parade cancelled for security reasons
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Afghan-international security force joint-operation results in ...
KABUL (BNO NEWS) – An Afghan-international security force on Saturday
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Description Security SHIFT SUPERVISORS $14/hour International security
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India News
Church of England's Vedanta shares sale welcomed
IANS - 07:32 PMBhubaneswar, Feb 7 (IANS) Human right activists, tribal leaders and social activists in Orissa Sunday welcomed the Church of England's decision to sell its shares in British mining major Vedanta due to its dissatisfaction with the company's rights' record in the state.
- Emirates plane recalled to Mumbai after threat call IANS - 06:02 PM
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- India can't afford to be lax on inflation: RBI IE - 05:56 PM
India can't affordto be lax about fighting inflation as the nation seeks to slow price gains to 5 per cent or less, central bank Deputy Governor K C Chakrabarty said on Sunday "You cannot afford to be in any way lax in monitoring inflation and controlling it", Chakrabarty said in an interview in Sydney.
- Now online donations to Golden Temple IANS - 05:35 PM
Amritsar, Feb 7 (IANS) It's good news for those wanting to make a donation to the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine, at Amritsar but unable to do so by physically coming here. They can now donate online.
- Retain stimulus measures: Commerce Ministry IE - 04:29 PM
The Commerce and Industry Ministry has urged the Finance Ministry to retain the stimulus package in the forthcoming budget, stating that its withdrawal may "unsettle" the industry and impede the growth momentum.
- Corporate tax cut not likely in Budget IE - 04:27 PM
The government may not tinker with the corporate tax rates in the Budget 2010-11 despite pressure from India Inc to slash rates or at least do away with surcharge and cess.
- 'Indian banks ahead of BRIC nations' IE - 04:27 PM
The Indian banking system, on many parameters, is much ahead of that in the BRIC nations and developed countries as it has maintained resilience and continues to provide growth opportunities even in the current economic situation, industry body FICCI said in a study.
- Emirates plane makes emergency landing at Mumbai airport IANS - 03:13 PM
Mumbai, Feb 7 (IANS) An Emirates airline plane enroute to Dubai made an emergency landing at the Mumbai airport Sunday after an anonymous caller rang up to say that there were terrorists onboard. Two people have been detained, an airport official said.
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The Pied Pipers are ready to play again. Between September and December of 2009, nine realty companies submitted their draft red herring prospectuses for an initial public offering (IPO) of their equity shares.
- India's HAL supplies parts for US fighter jet IANS - 02:51 PM
New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS) The public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has begun supplying fuselage parts for the formidable Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jet in what is seen as global recognition for the Indian aeronautical industry.
- Highway blockade to hit supplies in Kashmir valley IANS - 01:18 PM
Srinagar, Feb 7 (IANS) Fresh snowfall and slippery road conditions blocked the Srinagar-Jammu national highway for the second day Sunday, raising fears about the availability of essential supplies in the Kashmir valley.
- Delhi Metro to take sharpest turn in Gurgaon IANS - 01:12 PM
New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS) The Delhi Metro's much awaited extension into neighbouring Gurgaon will have the track's sharpest turn. Construction of this stretch of the track has taken metro engineers twice as long to complete, officials said Sunday.
- Upcoming rail budget fuels hope, complaints in Bengal IANS - 01:11 PM
Kolkata, Feb 7 (IANS) Having received a bounty of projects from the railway budget last year, people in West Bengal are waiting expectantly as 'Didi', as Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is known here, again gets ready to place her proposals in the Lok Sabha Feb 24.
- Maoists blast rail track in Bihar, trains disrupted IANS - 01:02 PM
Patna/Kolkata, Feb 7 (IANS) Train traffic was disrupted as Maoists blew up a railway track in Bihar's Jamui district early Sunday to enforce a 72-hour long strike called by them to protest a proposed security operation against the rebels, officials said. Rail services were affected in West Bengal as well.
- G7 pledges to keep stimulus going, despite debt woes HT - 11:40 AM
Finance ministers of the world's seven leading industrial nations, meeting in a remote part of northern Canada Saturday, promised to keep up stimulus spending to bolster the economic recovery despite growing concerns over rising debt in the US and Europe.
- Economists see greater role for public sector in health, education IE - 06:44 AM
"While India has taken several measures to empower the private sector over the last two decades, nothing has been done to empower the public sector to do what it must do: provide facilities for health, primary education and sanitation.
- States' claim of lack of funds false: Montek IE - 06:44 AM
Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has come down heavily on the attitude of the states that complain they have little money.
- Wall St gains drive Sensex to snap 2-day losing streak IE - 06:44 AM
Stocks snapped a two-day falling streak to close higher on Saturday buoyed by overnight gains on Wall Street, but investors remained cautious about European debt and the global recovery.
- Ratiopharm fields decisive takeover bids - sources Reuters - Sat, Feb 6
Generic-drug makers Teva and Actavis, backed by Swedish buyout firm EQT, have placed make-or-break bids for German peer Ratiopharm but drug major Pfizer is expected to also be a contender, sources said.
- Most chief ministers oppose Bt Brinjan, admits Ramesh IANS - Sat, Feb 6
Bangalore, Feb 6 (IANS) Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh admitted Saturday that a majority of chief ministers had come out against the commercialization of Bt Brinjal.
Next »| Great Indian consensus farce Squabble deflates meet on inflation | ||
| OUR BUREAU | ||
New Delhi, Feb. 6: The war on prices today became a war among politicians, compelling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to play peacemaker. Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee were locked in a running spat today at a conference of chief ministers and Union ministers convened by the Prime Minister to discuss ways to tackle soaring food prices. Modi accused the Congress-led UPA of failing to deliver on its promise of foodgrain at Rs 3 a kilo to the poor, prompting Mukherjee to interrupt the chief minister and accuse him of politicising price rise, said sources who had access to the closed-door meeting. But Modi said he was reminding the ruling coalition of its election promise and not politicising the issue. The two continued to spar. Mukherjee interrupted Modi at least thrice before Manmohan intervened, the sources said. The Prime Minister said the Food Security Act provided for foodgrain at subsidised rates to the poor but the scheme could not be implemented immediately because of drought. He assured the participants, who included Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and railway minister Mamata Banerjee, that the government would provide cheap foodgrain to the poor after the impact of the drought eased. Independent analysts agreed with the Prime Minister on the impact of the drought but pointed out that the country was paying the price for not providing irrigation facilities to more than half the fields. Besides, fundamental problems such as poor railroads and highways make it tough to transport food during a crisis, leading to shortages and higher prices in many cities, they added. Modi kept hammering at the Centre, saying the UPA-ruled states had failed to act against hoarders and that 83 per cent of raids on hoarders were carried out by non-UPA and primarily NDA-ruled states. The sources said the Rajasthan chief minister and Congress leader, Ashok Gehlot, then wondered aloud: "Where is the NDA today?" Modi, who at one point shook hands with Mukherjee, later defended his speech but added that he would not attend such meetings in the future if he was not allowed to speak. The spat overshadowed the meeting so much that some BJP leaders interpreted the Gujarat chief minister's attack on the Centre as an attempt to project himself as the only Opposition leader capable of taking on the UPA and a reminder that when the time came, he could move to the national stage. A BJP leader said it was also Modi's way of reminding the party leadership of its failure to capitalise on inflation, which affects all sections. But sources in the PMO said none of the other four chief ministers from BJP-ruled states supported Modi during or after the spat. The conference concluded by agreeing to form a core committee of chief ministers and the central ministers concerned to deliberate on measures to increase agricultural production and improve delivery systems. Bhattacharjee and Modi are among the members of the panel. | ||
 http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100207/jsp/frontpage/story_12076827.jsp |
| Climate crusader's legacy: 121.1 tonnes of carbon | ||
| MARTIN EVANS | ||
London, Feb. 6: Rajendra Pachauri, the embattled head of the UN's climate change panel, clocked up more than half a million miles of air travel in a year and a half as he travelled the world warning of the global warming threat. On his international missions, Pachauri, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), called for radical action to stave off environmental disaster. He urged people to eat less meat, pay aviation taxes and even ban giving iced water in restaurants. But in order to get his message across, the former railway engineer created an enormous carbon footprint of his own. Pachauri has been the chairman of the panel since 2002. Documents available on its website showed that in one 19-month period, he clocked up more than half a million miles in the air as he travelled the world on official business. Between January 2007 and July 2008, he took more than 120 long-haul flights and 43 short-haul trips, taking in countries such as New Zealand, America and Fiji. Pachauri's trips would have produced 121.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide, according to calculations by ClimateCare, a carbon offset provider. It is estimated that the average Indian produces just over 1 tonne. The international climate change debate has been dominated in recent months by disclosures of leaked emails, suggesting unfavourable data was being suppressed. It also emerged that predictions that the Himalayan glaciers could melt by 2035 were out by 300 years. Pachauri refused to apologise over the blunder, claiming he could not be responsible for every word of a 3,000-page report. Most of Pachauri's trips involved high-level meetings with world leaders, environmental experts and influential business executives. But in May 2008, he flew more than 6,500 miles from Tokyo to New Haven in Connecticut to collect an honorary degree from Yale University. Speaking last September ahead of the climate change conference in Copenhagen, Pachauri admitted his carbon footprint was significant. He told a UN publication: "I really have one area where unfortunately I am guilty of a pretty large carbon footprint, and that is in terms of travel. That is something that unfortunately I can't do anything about because I have to spread the message. "I have to go all over the world and I have to convince people that this is a serious problem that we have to address. But in terms of my personal lifestyle, I'm very careful about not being consumptive in my habits. I'm careful about use of transport in my daily life." A source within the IPCC said: "This period was exceptional in terms of air travel and since then Pachauri has significantly cut back, using video conferencing technology where possible for overseas events." Pachauri has faced growing criticism regarding his links to worldwide business interests. He is director-general of the Delhi-based The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri). He has denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest. Speaking on Radio 4 on Friday, he said any money he makes from his consultancy goes back into the Teri research organisation. | ||
| THE DAILY TELEGRAPH | ||
|
| Brinjal a madhouse hostage | ||
| AJAY SUKUMARAN AND G.S. MUDUR | ||
Feb. 6: High-decibel exchanges on genetically modified (GM) brinjal, potentially India's first edible biotech crop, have sparked concerns among sections of scientists whether its fate now hinges on emotions rather than science. The last of a series of public consultations called by the Union environment ministry ended today in a packed auditorium at Central College, Bangalore, after four hours of debate, punctuated at times by shouts and sharp verbal exchanges. At one point, a nutritionist called environment minister Jairam Ramesh "an agent of Monsanto", the biotech firm, following which both suggested that the other required psychiatric help. "I want to talk to people from the health sector. I'm sorry, I don't want to talk to health patients. Please leave. Bye. Go to Nimhans," Ramesh told the protester. Ramesh told the gathered scientists, farmers, and non-government organisations that he would announce on February 10 his decision on whether the brinjal should be released for cultivation. India's apex biotechnology safety regulator — the environment ministry's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee — has already approved the brinjal, modified with a bacterial gene that makes it resist attacks by insects. Some scientists, science policy makers and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar have in recent weeks questioned the need for public consultations, arguing that the GEAC is a technology body and a statutory agency. "As far as we are concerned, the safety issue has been resolved," said a senior official with the department of biotechnology. However, there are voices of dissent within the scientific community. Ramesh has justified the consultations on the ground that when issues involving human safety are involved, the government has a right and a responsibility to engage in widespread consultations. Several states, including Bengal, have decided to reject the modified brinjal after advisories from state scientists. "By initiating the consultation process, (Ramesh) appears to be casting aspersions on the integrity of the GEAC," said C. Kameshwar Rao, a botanist and executive secretary of the Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education. Rao said science appeared to take a backseat with participants shouting in favour or against the brinjal today. "There were ill-informed or mischievous claims from both sides," he said. Biotech proponents say the brinjal will reduce the use of pesticides and increase worm-free brinjal. However, critics believe the brinjal should be tested more rigorously to establish its safety for human consumption. Ramesh has repeatedly asserted that the consultations are intended only to gather views from diverse groups and should not be interpreted as a question mark on the GEAC. "Much of the (public) debate has been overtaken by emotions," said K.K. Narayanan, chief executive officer of a biotech company in Bangalore. "We're worried that in such an atmosphere, the easy thing to do would be to delay the release." | ||
|
Terrorism, Naxalism, insurgency continue to threaten India: Chidambaram
Updated on Monday, August 17, 2009, 10:53 IST
Chidambaram stated that the police was one instrument which can help in tackling and winning over these three internal security threats. Noting it was the police which have paid the heaviest price in fighting these threats, the minister asked state governments to provide them with all necessary assistance.
Talking about terrorism, Chidambaram said there had been no major attack in the country since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He credited better intelligence as the reason behind the improved situation, but cautioned that the threat hasn't completely vanished.
While mooting the creation of separate cadres for gathering intelligence, the Home Minister said most cities in the country should have quick reaction teams in place to tackle the terror threat. The minister also made it clear that there was no illusion over the threat posed by Naxalism to India, adding the government was serious in tackling the menace.
Chidambaram further said the Centre will encourage state governments to talk to Naxal groups.
Commenting on the insurgency situation, Chidambaram said while militancy was on the decline in Jammu and Kashmir, the situation in the north-eastern states continues to remain volatile.
World Military Spending
Author and Page information
- This page: http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending.
- To print all information e.g. expanded side notes, shows alternative links, use the print version:
Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes … known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.
— James Madison, Political Observations, 1795
This web page has the following sub-sections:
- World Military Spending
- Spending for peace vs spending for war
- US Military Spending
- In Context: US Military Spending Versus Rest of the World
- In Context: US military budget vs. other US priorities
World Military Spending
Global military expenditure stands at over $1.46 trillion in annual expenditure at current prices for 2008, and has been rising in recent years.
Constant 2005 dollar values are used for comparing past years, where the the 2008 spending amount is over $1.2 trillion:
(1991 figures are unavailable.)
Summarizing some key details from chapter 5 of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)'s 2009 Year Book on Armaments, Disarmament and International Security for 2008:
- World military expenditure in 2008 is estimated to have reached $1.464 trillion in current dollars (just over $1.2 trillion in 2005 constant dollars, as per above graph);
- This represents a 4 per cent increase in real terms since 2007 and a 45 per cent increase over the 10-year period since 1999;
- This corresponds to 2.4 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP), or $217 for each person in the world;
- The USA with its massive spending budget, is the principal determinant of the current world trend, and its military expenditure now accounts for just under half of the world total, at 41.5% of the world total;
SIPRI has commented in the past on the increasing concentration of military expenditure, i.e. that a small number of countries spend the largest sums. This trend carries on into 2008 spending. For example,
- The 15 countries with the highest spending account for over 81% of the total;
- The USA is responsible for 41.5 per cent of the world total, distantly followed by the China (5.8% of world share), France (4.5%), UK (4.5%), and Russia (4%):
Military spending is concentrated in North America, Europe, and increasingly, Asia:
SIPRI also adds that recently more countries have increased their military spending. Factors include
- Foreign policy objectives
- Real or perceived threats
- Armed conflict and policies to contribute to multilateral peacekeeping operations
- Availability of economic resources
The last point refers to rapidly developing nations like China and India that have seen their economies boom in recent years. In addition, high and rising world market prices for minerals and fossil fuels (at least until recently) have also enabled some nations to spend more on their militaries.
China, for the first time, ranked number 2 in spending in 2008.
In their earlier 2006 report SIPRI noted that, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Russia and Saudi Arabia have been able to increase spending because of increased oil and gas revenues, while Chile and Peru's increases are resource-driven, "because their military spending is linked by law to profits from the exploitation of key natural resources."
Also, "China and India, the world's two emerging economic powers, are demonstrating a sustained increase in their military expenditure and contribute to the growth in world military spending. In absolute terms their current spending is only a fraction of the USA's. Their increases are largely commensurate with their economic growth."
The military expenditure database from SIPRI also shows that while percentage increases over the previous decade may be large for some nations, their overall spending amounts may be varied.
(See also this summary of trends, also from SIPRI.)
The latest figures SIPRI uses are from 2008, and where necessary (e.g. China and Russia), include estimates. These figures also do not reflect the full effect of the global financial crisis, the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s, which future figures will likely reflect.
Spending for peace vs spending for war
In a similar report from 2004, the SIPRI authors also noted that, "There is a large gap between what countries are prepared to allocate for military means to provide security and maintain their global and regional power status, on the one hand, and to alleviate poverty and promote economic development, on the other."
Indeed, compare the military spending with the entire budget of the United Nations:
The United Nations and all its agencies and funds spend about $27 billion each year, or about $4 for each of the world's inhabitants. This is a very small sum compared to most government budgets and it is just a tiny fraction of the world's military spending. Yet for nearly two decades, the UN has faced a financial difficulties and it has been forced to cut back on important programs in all areas. Many member states have not paid their full dues and have cut their donations to the UN's voluntary funds. As of May 31, 2009, members' arrears to the Regular Budget topped $1282 million, of which the United States alone owed $857 million (67% of the regular budget arrears).
— UN Financial Crisis, Global Policy Forum (accessed September 13, 2009)
The UN was created after World War II with leading efforts by the United States and key allies.
- The UN was set up to be committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security.
- Yet, the UN's entire budget is just a tiny fraction of the world's military expenditure, approximately 1.8%
- While the UN is not perfect and has many internal issues that need addressing, it is revealing that the world can spend so much on their military but contribute so little to the goals of global security, international cooperation and peace.
- As well as the above links, for more about the United Nations, see the following:
- This web site's section on the United Nations and Development looks at its role in fighting poverty and other issues, plus some of the problems it faces.
- The United Nations web site
At the current level of spending (for 2008), it would take just a handful of years for the world's donor countries to cover their entire aid shortfall, of over $3.6 trillion in promised official aid since 1970, more than 35 years ago.
Unfortunately, however, as the BBC notes, poverty fuels violence and defense spending has a tendency to rise during times of economic hardship. The global financial crisis is potentially ushering in enormous economic hardship around the world.
At a time when a deep economic recession is causing much turbulence in the civilian world … defense giants such as Boeing and EADS, or Finmeccanica and Northrop Grumman, are enjoying a reliable and growing revenue stream from countries eager to increase their military might.
Both geopolitical hostilities and domestic violence tend to flare up during downturns.
…
Shareholders and employees in the aerospace and defense industry are clearly the ones who benefit most from growing defense spending.
Defense companies, whose main task is to aid governments' efforts to defend or acquire territory, routinely highlight their capacity to contribute to economic growth and to provide employment.
Indeed, some $2.4 trillion (£1.5tr), or 4.4%, of the global economy "is dependent on violence", according to the Global Peace Index, referring to "industries that create or manage violence" — or the defense industry.
…
Military might delivers geopolitical supremacy, but peace delivers economic prosperity and stability.
And that, the report insists, is what is good for business.
— Jorn Madslien, The purchasing power of peace, BBC, June 3, 2009
The Global Peace Index that the BBC is referring to is an attempt to quantify the difficult-to-define value of peace and rank countries based on over 20 indicators using both quantitative data and qualitative scores from a range of sources. Here is a summary chart from their latest report:
Global Peace Index 2009 attempts to rank nations on various indicators of peace. Most countries are not considered peaceful, unfortunately.
(The top ranking nations on the global peace index were, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Austria, Sweden, Japan, Canada, Finland, and Slovenia. It is worth looking at the report for the full list of indicators used, which cover a mixture of internal and external factors, weighted in various ways.)
Other spending priorities»
These issues have been of concern for a number of years. For example, consider this from 1998:
The illegal international drugs trade is estimated to be worth more than $400 billion, coming second only to military expenditure.
And consider the following, reflecting world priorities:
| Global Priority | $U.S. Billions |
|---|---|
| Cosmetics in the United States | 8 |
| Ice cream in Europe | 11 |
| Perfumes in Europe and the United States | 12 |
| Pet foods in Europe and the United States | 17 |
| Business entertainment in Japan | 35 |
| Cigarettes in Europe | 50 |
| Alcoholic drinks in Europe | 105 |
| Narcotics drugs in the world | 400 |
| Military spending in the world | 780 |
And compare that to what was estimated as additional costs to achieve universal access to basic social services in all developing countries:
| Global Priority | $U.S. Billions |
|---|---|
| Basic education for all | 6 |
| Water and sanitation for all | 9 |
| Reproductive health for all women | 12 |
| Basic health and nutrition | 13 |
(Source: The state of human development, United Nations Human Development Report 1998, Chapter 1, p.37)
It would seem ironic that the world spends more on things to destroy each other (military) and to destroy ourselves (drugs, alcohol and cigarettes) than on anything else.
These statistics are quickly getting old. If someone has had the time to research updated statistics, please let me know!
US Military Spending
The United States has unquestionably been the most formidable military power in recent years. Its spending levels, as noted earlier, is the principle determinant of world military spending and is therefore worth looking at further.
Generally, US military spending has been on the rise. Recent increases are attributed to the so-called War on Terror and the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions, but it had also been rising before that.
For example, Christopher Hellman, an expert on military budget analysis notes in The Runaway Military Budget: An Analysis 
, (Friends Committee on National Legislation, March 2006, no. 705, p. 3) that military spending had been rising since at least 1998, if not earlier.
Travis Sharp, from the Center for Arms Control provides spending figures from 2000 to the requested figures for 2010 shown here:
Overall spending
Defense budget vs War spending
The decline seen in recent years above are due to a number of factors:
- Iraq war reduction and redeployment to Afghanistan
- 2010 figures are preliminary as of writing, not including nuclear weapons programs
- The global financial crisis, affecting all nations, is making governments rethink some military spending.
Nonetheless, compared to the rest of the world, these numbers have long been described as "staggering."
In Context: US Military Spending Versus Rest of the World
When the US Fiscal Year 2009 budget request for military spending came out in early 2008, Travis Sharp and Christopher Hellman (mentioned earlier) projected the spending of other nations planned for 2008 thus allowing comparison between US military spending and the rest of the world:
Note that the sources for world military spending is different to SIPRI, used above. As well as combining war supplemental spending to regular US military spending, other numbers and estimates will differ to graphs and charts shown earlier. See sources for further information.
Pie chart
Top spenders ranked (and sources)
Military spending in 2008 ($ Billions, and percent of total)| Country | Dollars (billions) | % of total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source: U.S. Military Spending vs. the World, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, February 22, 2008 Notes:
If you are viewing this table on another site, please see http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending for further details. | |||
| United States |  711 | 48.28% | 1 |
| China | 121.9 | 8.28% | 2 |
| Russia | 70 | 4.75% | 3 |
| United Kingdom | 55.4 | 3.76% | 4 |
| France | 54 | 3.67% | 5 |
| Japan | 41.1 | 2.79% | 6 |
| Germany | 37.8 | 2.57% | 7 |
| Italy | 30.6 | 2.08% | 8 |
| Saudi Arabia | 29.5 | 2.00% | 9 |
| South Korea | 24.6 | 1.67% | 10 |
| India | 22.4 | 1.52% | 11 |
| Australia | 17.2 | 1.17% | 12 |
| Brazil | 16.2 | 1.10% | 13 |
| Canada | 15 | 1.02% | 14 |
| Spain | 14.4 | 0.98% | 15 |
| Turkey | 11.6 | 0.79% | 16 |
| Israel | 11 | 0.75% | 17 |
| Netherlands | 9.9 | 0.67% | 18 |
| United Arab Emirates | 9.5 | 0.65% | 19 |
| Taiwan | 7.7 | 0.52% | 20 |
| Greece | 7.3 | 0.50% | 21 |
| Iran | 7.2 | 0.49% | 22 |
| Myanmar | 6.9 | 0.47% | 23 |
| Singapore | 6.3 | 0.43% | 24 |
| Poland | 6.2 | 0.42% | 25 |
| Sweden | 5.8 | 0.39% | 26 |
| Colombia | 5.4 | 0.37% | 27 |
| Chile | 4.7 | 0.32% | 28 |
| Belgium | 4.4 | 0.30% | 29 |
| Egypt | 4.3 | 0.29% | 30 |
| Pakistan | 4.2 | 0.29% | 31 |
| Denmark | 3.9 | 0.26% | 32 |
| Indonesia | 3.6 | 0.24% | 33 |
| Switzerland | 3.5 | 0.24% | 34 |
| Kuwait | 3.5 | 0.24% | 35 |
| South Africa | 3.5 | 0.24% | 36 |
| Oman | 3.3 | 0.22% | 37 |
| Malaysia | 3.2 | 0.22% | 38 |
| Mexico | 3.2 | 0.22% | 39 |
| Portugal | 3.1 | 0.21% | 40 |
| Algeria | 3.1 | 0.21% | 41 |
| Finland | 2.8 | 0.19% | 42 |
| Austria | 2.6 | 0.18% | 43 |
| Venezuela | 2.6 | 0.18% | 44 |
| Czech Republic | 2.5 | 0.17% | 45 |
| Romania | 2.3 | 0.16% | 46 |
| Qatar | 2.3 | 0.16% | 47 |
| Thailand | 2.3 | 0.16% | 48 |
| Morocco | 2.2 | 0.15% | 49 |
| Argentina | 1.9 | 0.13% | 50 |
| Ukraine | 1.7 | 0.12% | 51 |
| Cuba | 1.7 | 0.12% | 52 |
| Angola | 1.6 | 0.11% | 53 |
| New Zealand | 1.5 | 0.10% | 54 |
| Hungary | 1.3 | 0.09% | 55 |
| Ireland | 1.1 | 0.07% | 56 |
| Jordan | 1.1 | 0.07% | 57 |
| Peru | 1.1 | 0.07% | 58 |
| North Korea | n/a | n/a | 59 |
| Global Total (not all countries shown): 1,472.7 | 100% | n/a | |
Why does the US number seem so high when the budget announced $517.9 for the Department of Defense?
Unfortunately, the budget numbers can be a bit confusing. For example, the Fiscal Year budget requests for US military spending do not include combat figures (which are supplemental requests that Congress approves separately). The budget for nuclear weapons falls under the Department of Energy, and for the 2009 request, was about $29 billion.
The cost of war (Iraq and Afghanistan) is estimated to be about $170 billion for the 2009 spending alone. Christopher Hellman and Travis Sharp also discuss the US fiscal year 2009 Pentagon spending request and note that "Congress has already approved nearly $700 billion in supplemental funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and an additional $126 billion in FY'08 war funding is still pending before the House and Senate."
Furthermore, other costs such as care for veterans, health care, military training/aid, secret operations, may fall under other departments or be counted separately.
The frustration of confusing numbers seemed to hit a raw nerve for the Center for Defense Information, concluding
The articles that newspapers all over the country publish today will be filled with [military spending] numbers to the first decimal point; they will seem precise. Few of them will be accurate; many will be incomplete, some will be both. Worse, few of us will be able to tell what numbers are too high, which are too low, and which are so riddled with gimmicks to make them lose real meaning.
— Winslow T. Wheeler, What Do the Pentagon's Numbers Really Mean? The Chaos in America's Vast Security Budget, Center for Defense Information, February 4, 2008
Commenting on the earlier data, Chris Hellman, noted that when adjusted for inflation the request for 2007 together with that needed for nuclear weapons the 2007 spending request exceeds the average amount spent by the Pentagon during the Cold War, for a military that is one-third smaller than it was just over a decade ago.
Generally, compared to Cold War levels, the amount of military spending and expenditure in most nations has been reduced. For example, global military spending declined from $1.2 trillion in 1985 to $809 billion in 1998, though since 2005 has risen to over $1 trillion again. The United States' spending, up to 2009 requests may have be reduced compared to the Cold War era but is still close to Cold War levels.
In Context: US military budget vs. other US priorities
Supporters of America's high military expenditure often argue that using raw dollars is not a fair measure, but that instead it should be per capita or as percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and even then the spending numbers miss out the fact that US provides global stability with its high spending and allows other nations to avoid such high spending.
Although some of the issues discussed here are about US spending, they are also relevant to a number of other nations.
Should spending be tied to GDP?
Chris Hellman argues that GDP is not an appropriate way to measure necessary US military budget allocation:
Linking military spending to the GDP is an argument frequently made by supporters of higher military budgets. Comparing military spending (or any other spending for that matter) to the GDP tells you how large a burden such spending puts on the US economy, but it tells you nothing about the burden a $440 billion military budget puts on U.S. taxpayers. Our economy may be able to bear higher military spending, but the question today is whether current military spending levels are necessary and whether these funds are going towards the proper priorities. Further, such comparisons are only made when the economy is healthy. It is unlikely that those arguing that military spending should be a certain portion of GDP would continue to make this case if the economy suddenly weakened, thus requiring dramatic cuts in the military.
— Chris Hellman, The Runaway Military Budget: An Analysis , Friends Committee on National Legislation, March 2006, no. 705, p. 3
Since Hellman wrote the above, there has of course been the global financial crisis, that started from the US and has spread. Hellman might be surprised to find that even in such times, there are still serious proposals for pegging military spending to GDP. In recent months some senators and representatives have introduced proposals and bills calling for 4% of GDP to be guaranteed as the military budget (not including "supplementals" for war).
As Travis Sharp summarizes, critics of tying the US military budget to 4% of GDP fail in 3 ways:
- It would add $1.4 trillion to $1.7 trillion to deficits over the next decade and provide more defense funding than is forecast to be necessary;
- It would determine budgets using rigid formulas instead of realistic threat-based analysis, which would allow procurement to drive strategy rather than the other way around; and
- It is politically unviable in the economic and budgetary environment faced by the United States.
Sharp also adds that when the war supplemental for Iraq and Afghanistan are considered, the US budget is already over the 4% mark. The other concerns is that tying it to GDP eases the debate that would otherwise occur on the issue:
GDP is an important metric for determining how much the United States could afford to spend on defense, but it provides no insight into how much the United States should spend. Defense planning is a matter of matching limited resources to achieve carefully scrutinized and prioritized objectives. When there are more threats, a nation spends more. When there are fewer threats, it spends less. As threats evolve, funding should evolve along with them.…
Unfortunately, setting defense spending at four percent of GDP would shield the Pentagon from careful scrutiny and curtail a much-needed transparent national debate.
— Travis Sharp, Debate: Four Percent of Gross Domestic Product for Defense?, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, February 26, 2009 (Emphasis added)
(See also the Tying U.S. Defense Spending to GDP: Bad Logic, Bad Policy, (April 15, 2008) from Travis Sharp for additional details.)
With the change in presidency from George Bush to Barack Obama, the US has signaled a desire to reform future spending and already indicated significant changes for the FY 2010 defense budget. For example, the US has indicated that it will cut some high-tech weapons that are deemed as unnecessary or wasteful, and spend more on troops and reform contracting practices and improve support for personnel, families and veterans.
There is predictable opposition from some quarters arguing it will threaten jobs and weaken national security, even though spending has been far more than necessary for over a decade. The Friends Committee on National Legislation argues that the job loss argument is weak: "It is true that discontinuing weapons systems will cause job loss in the short term, but unnecessary weapons manufacturing should not be considered a jobs program (that would be like spending billions of dollars digging holes), and research shows that these jobs can be successfully transferred to other sectors." In other words, this is unnecessary and wasted labor (as well as wasted capital and wasted resources).
US high military spending means others do not have to?
Some argue that high US military spending allows other nations to spend less. But this view seems to change the order of historical events:
- During the Cold War, high spending was common around the world.
- High spending was reduced by allies such as various European and Asian countries as the Cold War ended (almost 2 decades ago) not because other nations felt they would be protected by the US — a dangerous foreign policy choice by any sovereign nation to rely so much on others in this way — but because they perceived any global threat from the Cold War had diminished and simply didn't need such high spending any more; globalization of trade was supposed to be ushered in and lead to a new era.
- It was only the US as the remaining global super power that maintained a high budget. Many argue this was to strengthen its position as sole super power and that its "military industrial complex" was able to convince their public to maintain it.
Past empires have throughout history have justified their position as being good for the world. The US is no exception.
However, whether this global hegemony and stability actually means positive stability, peace and prosperity for the entire world (or most of it) is subjective. That is, certainly the hegemony at the time, and its allies would benefit from the stability, relative peace and prosperity for themselves, but often ignored in this is whether the policies pursued for their advantages breeds contempt elsewhere.
As the global peace index chart shown earlier reveals, massive military spending has not led to a much global peace.
As noted in other parts of this site, unfortunately more powerful countries have also pursued policies that have contributed to more poverty, and at times even overthrown fledgling democracies in favor of dictatorships or more malleable democracies. (Osama Bin Laden, for example, was part of an enormous Islamic militancy encouraged and trained by the US to help fight the Soviet Union. Of course, these extremists are all too happy to take credit for fighting off the Soviets in Afghanistan, never acknowledging that it would have been impossible without their so-called "great satan" friend-turned-enemy!)
So the global good hegemon theory may help justify high spending and even stability for a number of other countries, but it does not necessarily apply to the whole world. To be fair, this criticism can also be a bit simplistic especially if an empire finds itself against a competitor with similar ambitions, that risks polarizing the world, and answers are likely difficult to find.
But even for the large US economy, the high military spending may not be sustainable in the long term. Noting trends in military spending, SIPRI added that the massive increase in US military spending has been one of the factors contributing to the deterioration of the US economy since 2001. SIPRI continues that, "In addition to its direct impact of high military expenditure, there are also indirect and more long-term effects. According to one study taking these factors into account, the overall past and future costs until year 2016 to the USA for the war in Iraq have been estimated to $2.267 trillion."
US military budget vs. other US priorities
The peace lobby, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, calculates for Fiscal Year 2009 that the majority of US tax payer's money goes towards war:
As a pie chart
Furthermore, "national defense" category of federal spending is typically just over half of the United States discretionary budget (the money the President/Administration and Congress have direct control over, and must decide and act to spend each year. This is different to mandatory spending, the money that is spent in compliance with existing laws, such as social security benefits, medicare, paying the interest on the national debt and so on). For recent years here is how military, education and health budgets (the top 3) have fared:
Discretionary budgets in $ (billions) and percentages| Year | Total ($) | Defense ($) | Defense (%) | Education ($) | Education (%) | Health ($) | Health (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sources and notes
| |||||||
| 2009 | 997 | 541 | 54 | 61.9 | 6.2 | 52.7 | 5.3 |
| 2008 | 930 | 481.4 | 51.8 | 58.6 | 6.3 | 52.3 | 5.6 |
| 2007 | 873 | 460 | 52.7 | 56.8 | 6.5 | 53.1 | 6.1 |
| 2006 | 840.5 | 438.8 | 52 | 58.4 | 6.9 | 51 | 6.1 |
| 2005 | 820 | 421 | 51 | 60 | 7 | 51 | 6.2 |
| 2004 | 782 | 399 | 51 | 55 | 7 | 49 | 6.3 |
| 2003 | 767 | 396 | 51.6 | 52 | 6.8 | 49 | 6.4 |
For those hoping the world can decrease its military spending, SIPRI warns that "while the invasion [of Iraq] may have served as warning to other states with weapons of mass destruction, it could have the reverse effect in that some states may see an increase in arsenals as the only way to prevent a forced regime change."
In this new era, traditional military threats to the USA are fairly remote. All of their enemies, former enemies and even allies do not pose a military threat to the United States. For a while now, critics of large military spending have pointed out that most likely forms of threat to the United States would be through terrorist actions, rather than conventional warfare, and that the spending is still geared towards Cold War-type scenarios and other such conventional confrontations.
[T]he lion's share of this money is not spent by the Pentagon on protecting American citizens. It goes to supporting U.S. military activities, including interventions, throughout the world. Were this budget and the organization it finances called the "Military Department," then attitudes might be quite different. Americans are willing to pay for defense, but they would probably be much less willing to spend billions of dollars if the money were labeled "Foreign Military Operations."
— The Billions For "Defense" Jeopardize Our Safety, Center For Defense Information, March 9, 2000
And, of course, this will come from American tax payer money. Many studies and polls show that military spending is one of the last things on the minds of American people.
But it is not just the U.S. military spending. In fact, as Jan Oberg argues, western militarism often overlaps with civilian functions affecting attitudes to militarism in general. As a result, when revelations come out that some Western militaries may have trained dictators and human rights violators, the justification given may be surprising, which we look at in the next page.
Where next?
Related articles
- The Arms Trade is Big Business
- World Military Spending
- Training Human Rights Violators
- Military Propaganda for Arms Sales
- Small Arms—they cause 90% of civilian casualties
- A Code of Conduct for Arms Sales
- Landmines
- Arms Trade Links for more information
- Militarization and Weaponization of Outer Space
- Star Wars; Phantom Menace or New Hope?
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Centre, states to act together in fighting insurgency: PC
Announcing a two-pronged strategy to deal with naxals, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the Centre and the states would act together to overcome all challenges posed to internal security.
At the conference of chief ministers on internal security, he also said some state governments in the northeast allowed themselves to bend before insurgent groups, making the fight against insurgency much more difficult.
"We will talk, we will act, we will restore order and we will undertake developmental activities" in naxal-hit areas, he said adding the affected states have resolved to confront and overcome the challenge of the CPI (Maoists).
Explaining the two-pronged approach, he said first the territory under naxal dominance would be freed from the Maoists and then development activities would be carried out.
The Home Minister said since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks the country has faced no terror strike but "it does not mean that the threat of terror has vanished or receded."
Agencies Tags : P Chidambaram, Mumbai terror attacks, Naxals Posted: Monday , Aug 17, 2009 at 1719 hrs
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