Look we have fixed these two countries

US has done a great favour to Afghanistan and Iraq by attacking them. These countries no longer have dictators. They have "democracies". Oh wait. Iraq doesn't have a government 10 months after election, and won't have one in the foreseeable future. Afghanistan does have a "government" in theory, but not much in practice. And here's the cake: in the latest transparency international report, Iraq and Afghanistan place 175 and 176, respectively, only exceeded perception of corruption by the shining examples of Myanmar and Somalia.

Finding a low-price car rental

A post after a long time. I think I want to jot down anything interesting for the day in this blog. I was looking for a low-price car rental in New York. Went to Kayak. $77 a day + tax. A bit steep. Tried AAA. ~$60 a day incl. tax with Hertz. A little better. Went to Hertz website. They had a AAA coupon for 1 day free. Final cost ~$50 a day. I guess as good as you can expect in NY, I guess.

Unraveling 2

Eric Holder may be the next AG. After leaving the Clinton administration, he worked for Covington & Burling in defending/settling corporate misdeeds (notably Chiquita). To his credit, opposed death penalty, though he has no say on it.

Some kind fellow found some information on him (as opposed to the wire services disguised as news) http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7891962&mesg_id=7891962

The unraveling of change: Obama picks Rahm Emanuel for chief of staff

Obama has picked Rahm Emanuel, his liaison with the AIPAC as chief of staff. Palestinians have no hope for the next four years.

Apparently the LHC going to bring the world to an end

There was panic in India yesterday that turning on the LHC would destroy the earth!

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How to tackle climate change the right way

The biggest trouble with the current situation is that the environment is treated as an unlimited commons, which clearly it is not. No one has to pay for environmental resources that they use and that has led to apathetic destruction. The solution is to make sure people using the resources pay for it.

But who decides what's a good price? The best known current method is to use a trading system. Who gets the money? I would suggest the UN. Environment is a global resource and the UN is currently hobbled because it does not have revenue of its own. Seems like a win-win.

Of course, a system such as this cannot be introduced over night. It will have to be gradually phased in and the assets gradually released for trading. Unlike the EU system for carbon trading however, the incumbents should have to purchase assets as well.

Will something like this ever going to happen? You bet it isn't. The incumbents have too much control over the process. So the most that will get done is a EU like system in the US with more corporate sops.

The thugs of VHP strike again

VHP is at it again. Their leader got killed, perhaps by naxalites. So they decided to disrupt life in Orissa, attack churches and kill Christians. What happened to the normally brutal Orissa police? Why can't put this thugs behind bars? BJP, which made VHP legal during its tenure at Indian government, was of course delightfully supporting this atrocity, perhaps materially.

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