The US has recruited and helped its allies economically by offering a special exchange rate vis-a-vis the US dollar.

Devalued European currencies after WWII helped Europe to rebuild its economy – and build up substantial US dollar reserves.

Favorable exchange rates were rejigged after the 1973 Oil crisis – with European recovery complete.

Next was Japan’s turn. As Japanese economy rebuilt itself, the Dollar-Yen exchange rate was renegotiated at the Plaza Accord.

Asian Tigers followed Japan.

As Asian Tigers ramped their economies, the prop of the over-valued US dollar was pulled by the US.

Asian Crisis followed.

In parallel, the Chinese Miracle was underway.

With China as the world’s 2nd largest economy now, with humongous forex reserves, time has come to deal new hand to China.

How long will China grow at the same pace – with a expensive yuan?

Till the dawn of 20th century, the world’s largest producer of gunpowder ingredients was India. Indian alone produced double of what the Rest of the world produced.

The Indian monopoly was broken by Germany in 1915, by commercializing the Haber-Bosch process for production of ammonia.

Production technology of gunpowder ingredients was available in lakhs of Indian households across the country.

Every child was taught how to handle explosives – Diwali.

Around 10 years ago, Indian Government decided to convert India’s knowledge of medical items into a computerized database (TKDL).

With lakhs of entries, this database now runs into crores (more than 10 million) of pages. This knowledge of medicines was traditionally, given to every house, for their use.

Specialists, like doctors, were kept out of this process – except in rare cases.

This social architecture is unique in world history.

Not really.

Slavery and piracy made some Europeans very rich.

This wealth was used to buy soldiers and gunpowder in India.

Indian gunpowder and Indian shipping contributed to British in power.

And not the nautch girls.

A 70 year old man, whose resolve lasted longer than the Government’s obstinate behaviour, garnered global attention.

Unlikely nations like China and Pakistan were impressed with this man’s fight against corruption in Government.

While 2ndlook has disagreed with the direction, content, of the movement, the sheer energy and enthusiasm that he has been able to generate is remarkable.

Rude and aggressive talking heads of Congress like Manish Tiwari had to eat crow.

Global media is dominated by a few news agencies.

In fact five – Reuters, Bloomberg, UPI, AP and AFP.

These agencies in turn are fed by various think tanks and research organizations, which then dominate global debate.

Same story on the internet.

In the last few years, top 10 websites control 75% of the web traffic.

Hollywood dominates the big screen.

Big media, kept at arm’s length, separated by chinese walls from the State, keeps the myth of Free Press alive.

For instance the highly flawed model of Transparency International, promotes a narrative of corrupt Africa and Asia.

To dominate the debate, censorship is not the only solution.

It is not even a preferred solution.

More noise is equally effective.

Why is the Desert Bloc so anti-sex and anti-marriage?

The Anglo-Saxon clique created such a huge anti-sex attitude in ‘modern’ times.

It is rivalled on the French side by equally physical representation of sex?

This has created a curious situation.

On the Gutenberg.com site, the most downloaded book in the last 1 week, 1 month and the 1 year is the Kamasutra by Vatsyayana.

Made me appreciate the the four freedoms of Bharattantra.

One may admire, adore or agree with the Mahatma.

Even worship. Or abhor, as some do.

But it has always been 2ndlook’s attempt to look at things – differently.

Gandhiji deserves no less. Not for his sake, but ours.

There has been no post on Gandhiji, for sometime, because there is so much that needs a 2ndlook.

Some of the images that accompany these posts are good reason to look at the post.

For the flavor of the times.

From 1765, after the Battle of Buxar, the British faced continuous wars in India.

Life threatening for the infant Empire, the British pulled out all stops to expand its Indian possessions.

India was the key to world domination.

India with the largest manufactory of saltpetre, a huge shipbuilding industry, with the largest gold reserves in the world, the British Empire needed everything that India produced.

Faced with wars in America and in India, Britain chose to let go of their American possessions – which were to become the United States of America.

After defeating Tipu Sultan (1799-1800), subduing the Marathas, the British, with Indian gunpowder, and gold from India confronted and defeated Napoleon in 1815.

It took 50 years after Buxar for an upstart to become the prime power.

100 years later, as this poster shows, the British saw themselves as an old Empire.

Rather strange that shalom, salaam, handshake, waving good-bye are all one-handed gestures.

Only namaskar is a two-handed gesture?

What’s common to medieval, ‘classic’ love-stories - Sohni Mahiwal, Heer Ranjha, Laila Majnu, Shirin Farhad. Even Romeo & Juliet.

Four of the five stories are set in the triangle of Punjab, Iran and Afghanistan – except Romeo & Juliet.

The other common aspect in all five stories is social and/or family opposition to the relationship between the lovers.

Now such stories should have happened in ‘casteist-Hindu’ society in Benares, Madurai or a Patna.

Have things changed now?

You only have to look at the hounding of Tiger Woods or the stoning of Sakineh Ashtiani to understand that leopards don’t change their spots.

Can cultures change centuries of conditioning?

Only भारत-तंत्र Bharat-tantra guaranteed four freedoms – धर्म (dharma – justice), अर्थ (arth – wealth and means), काम (kaam – human desires) मोक्ष (moksha – liberty)

And the three rights – ज़र (jar - gold), जन (jan - human ties) and जमीन (jameen – property)

For all.

Breaking mental models is usually the most difficult thing. Take this term.

Developing world. Usually means the poor countries of the world.

Modern economics lists four factors of production.

Land, labour, capital and entrepreneur or enterprise.

Like this graph shows, the Third World has it all.

Third World has all the factors of production. (Image source and courtesy - egpl.com). Click for a larger image.

The real issue is breaking the dollar standard.

Plus the undefined role of gold in modern global economy.