We have created a new column- US Election 2020 -where experts will analyze election scenario, week after weeks, until the election results are out, for the readers of The Indian Panorama.
Stony Brook Professor Helmut Norpoth is doubling down on his “Primary Model,” which has correctly predicted 5 out of the past 6 elections since 1996 and every single election but two in the past 108 years.
“The primary model gives Trump a 91 per cent chance of winning in November, “ Norpoth said. “This model gets it right for 25 of the 27 elections since 1912, when primaries were introduced.”
The two elections the model failed to predict were the 1960 election of John F. Kennedy and the 2000 election of George W. Bush.
We are still seven weeks out from the election, but if all you did was look at the polls, you might be discouraged about the chances of reelection for President Trump. Most of the polls have him behind Biden and not looking good. But of course as we know, polls are not particularly accurate and 2016 is a perfect example of that, especially when many seem to be slanted or often agenda-driven. Most of these polls are sponsored by the mainstream media that puts out fake news.
It is hard to know how the pandemic, not to mention the riots and chaos being propagated by the radical left, are going to affect the election. If you blame the party in power, that might adversely affect Trump and that is what the polls may be showing. But if you see that he is far better to bring the economy back and is already doing that, if you see that voting for Biden and Democrats would open the door for even greater destruction and chaos from the radical left, then it would seem that that should push those in the middle toward Trump. I personally know folks in the middle or who were liberals who could not stand Trump but now not only will be voting for him but pushing for him. Because they are so outraged at what has been happening on both those fronts and the Democratic reaction to it all. WILL THAT “SILENT MAJORITY” be speaking in November for Trump?
In May, Stony Brook professor Helmut Norpoth said his model was predicting that Trump would win. Now he is doubling down on the prediction, even after the pandemic and riots.
Norpoth’s model is based upon performance in presidential primaries and that enthusiasm or the lack thereof as the strongest indicator of the ultimate outcome. If in fact that is the measure, then there is no question that Trump trounced Biden big time in terms of enthusiasm. Trump has had record turnout of folks in the primaries even when he was the guaranteed winner. Biden in the early primaries had real trouble until South Carolina and is still objectionable than Bernie Sanders, albeit not by much. It would be really hard to say that anyone is enthusiastic about Biden.
What favors Trump in 2020 as well as the cycle of presidential elections operating for nearly 200 years, as illustrated by the snapshots since 1960. After one term in the White House the incumbent party is favored to win reelection unlike the situation when it has held office for two or more terms.
Norpoth’s model predicted Trump’s victory nine months before the election in 2016 and he predicts Trump will win by an even wider margin than he did then, 362 electoral votes versus 304 he had then. If you thought they cried then, just wait if that happens in November, the meltdowns are going to be historic.
(Ven Parameswaran, Chairman, Asian American Republican Committee (founded 1988) lives in Scarsdale, NY. His email: vpwaren@gmail.com)
WASHINGTON (TIP): President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate Deven Parekh, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the International Development Finance Corporation for a term of three years.
Deven Parekh is a Managing Director at software investment firm Insight Partners and joined the firm in 2000. Deven manages investments in application software, data, and consumer internet businesses globally. He currently serves as Board Chair for Bullhorn, Appriss, and EveryAction, and he is a member of the Board of Directors for Fanatics, Diligent, 1stdibs, Checkout.com, Episerver, PDI, Community Brands, Vela (formerly SR Labs), Chrono24, Campaign Monitor, Wallapop, FloQast, and Inhabit IQ. He also represents the firm’s interests in Automattic (WordPress), SkyTap, and Zenefits.
Deven was selected to be on the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Forbes Midas list. In 2016, 2018, and 2019 he was selected as a Top 100 Venture Capitalist by CB Insights, and in 2014, was named by AlwaysOn as a Venture Capital 100 winner for his investments in Twitter and Chegg.
Deven was previously a Principal at Berenson Minella & Company, a New York based merchant banking firm where he served on the firm’s M&A Committee. Prior to Berenson Minella, Deven was with The Blackstone Group, where he was involved in both M&A advisory and principal activities. In 2016, Deven was nominated and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the Overseas Private Investment Corporation Board. That agency has since been merged into the new U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and Deven was re-nominated to serve on the new DFC board in June 2020. From 2010–2012, Deven served as a Member of the Advisory Board of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the official export credit agent of the United States. He also previously served as a Member of the Technical Advisory Council of the Federal Communications Commission, assisting with developing informed technology policies to support America’s competitiveness and job creation in the global economy.
Deven currently serves on the Board of Overseers of NYU Langone and is a Member of the Board of the Tisch New York MS Research Center. He has previously served on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, and he is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Publicolor, a New York City based non-profit organization that focuses on inner city schools, which he chaired from 2007 – 2012. In 2006, Deven was named a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, which seeks to develop the next generation of community spirited leaders. Deven is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations as well as the Economic Club of New York. He received a BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Arizona State University Executive Vice President and Chief Research and Innovation Officer Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan has been named the 15th director of the National Science Foundation, unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 18 after his December 2019 nomination by President Donald J. Trump.
During his six-year appointment, Panchanathan will be responsible for overseeing NSF staff and management, program creation and administration, merit review, planning, budget and day-to-day operations. He also will direct the federal agency’s mission, including support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering, keeping the U.S. at the leading edge of discovery.
“Right now, the world faces significant scientific challenges — most obviously a pandemic,” Panchanathan said. “But in addition to providing creative solutions to address current problems, our eyes are on the future, leveraging partnerships at every level and encouraging diversity that breeds new ideas for a robust pipeline of young scientists. It is only through that expansive perspective on the scientific and engineering enterprise that we can recognize the brightest ideas and nurture them into tomorrow’s world-class technological innovations.”
Panchanathan is the Foundation Chair in Computing and Informatics at the School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering. He also founded the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing, where he researches human-centered computing to improve quality of life through artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques.
Beyond engineering and computing sciences, Panchanathan also champions transdisciplinary research through efforts to conceptualize and implement initiatives across disciplines, including the biological sciences, social sciences, physical sciences, humanities and public policy.
“America’s 20 trillion economy will rebound from third quarter and shock the world in the fourth quarter. The stock market will make a new high this year. Jamie Dimon, chairman of JP Morgan, a staunch Democrat, says U.S. economy will witness “quite rapid recovery” from Coronavirus pandemic”, says the author.
The stock market is a leading indicator of American economy. After President Trump was elected in 2016, the Dow Jone’s Average has jumped from 18,000 to almost 30,000. Because of Coronavirus and subsequent locked-in, the market plunged back to 18,000 by March 23, 2020. From March 23, 2020 to May 27, 2020, the Dow Jone’s has recovered 7540 points in a matter of two short months. This kind of rapid recovery has been unprecedented in the history of the stock market. This is highly remarkable and a very significant factor to gauge future economy. The NASDAQ dominated by trillion-dollar technology companies (Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Google) have performed even better than the Dow Jone’s. The Nasdaq is now only 5% from its all-time high reached in February before the Coronavirus.
Never before, the stock market has performed breaking all past records. President Trump and his policies have been credited by the investors and all Americans who have their pension funds invested in the market (401-K). Once the market performs, nobody can challenge because all Americans believe in higher wages and prosperity. Americans are wondering how the market could go up so big and so rapidly when the economy has been shut and the unemployment has exceeded historical record of over 20%. How can the market go up when the business of travel, restaurants, retail sales, manufacturing, and others have been stopped because of locked-ins?
The Federal Reserve cut the interest rate to zero per cent. The Federal Reserve is an independent agency. But President Trump pressured its Chairman Powell to lower the interest rate to zero. Now he has asked him to lower it further into negative interest rate so that it will grow the economy. The Federal Reserve has flooded the financial markets, commercial and investment banks, asset management firms, and large hedge funds with approximately 7 trillion dollars. What the Fed has done is unprecedented. Powell, the Fed Chairman has assured the captains of the industry that the Fed will employ all tools available in its hand to help the economy grow. With generous tax cuts and heavy deregulations by President Trump, potential for corporate profits have expanded. In addition, President Trump’s recommendation to the Congress to approve $3 trillion in fiscal support to all Americans, small businesses, and other businesses in distress have helped enormously in recovery of the economy. Generous unemployment compensation of $1200 per week has created unbelievable security and is perking the economy.
Americans received $1200 each and the government postponed filing of tax returns to July from April 15. Proof of climbing retail sales is the result of President Trump’s fiscal support. President Trump and the Congress are working on issuing second installment of $2000 each to drum up the economy.
The combined support from the Fed Reserve and the Congress is equal to 50% of America’s annual GDP of 20 trillion dollars. I would speculate that a substantial amount from this has gone into investing in stocks. Can we not ask how can the stocks skyrocket like this when the economy has been shut down and more than 40 million are unemployed? When the real economy is not generating any income based on productivity, how can the stock go up? President Trump has said that the economy he created is a solid and sound economy. Therefore, when the locked in is over, the economy will rebound and the stock market will go up like a rocket. Proof of the pudding lies in the eating of it. It appears now that President Trump’s prophesies are coming true.
Has the Fed Chairman Powell succeeded in playing magic? Or, is this artificial? Who knows? Let me analyze the comments of some vehement Democrats, economists, and industry captains.
JPMorgan Chairman, Jamie Dimon, a staunch Democrat and a candidate for the Secretary of the Treasury in Biden administration stated that the government has been pretty responsive, big companies have the means, hope we keep the small companies alive.” “growing stocks” from the Fed Reserve had helped small business. He said the U.S. economy could see a rapid recovery in the 3rd quarter. He said: “you can already see the positive effects of the current opening, at least for the economy.” The same Jamie Dimon has been highly critical of President Trump just for political purposes. But when his own company and stocks of major banks and financial firms go up, he cannot but tell the truth.
Michael Darda, MKM Partners Chief Market Strategist and Chief Economist said: “The market has been making a V-pattern upward and there has been a tremendous amount of skepticism around that but we are just starting now to see some evidence in the data turning some better than expected Housing numbers. As reopening gets underway, virtually all states now we are starting to see activity bounce off of very low levels.”
On Wednesday, May 27, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported a sixth straight weekly rise in mortgage applications. Data released Tuesday showed NEW HOME SALES in April topped estimates. Sales of new U.S. SINGLE FAMILY HOMES increased by 623,000 in April, beating estimates of 490,000.
Wharton School of Business Professor Jeremy Siegel told that new stock market highs this year is a ‘REAL POSSIBILITY’. Absent a second wave of Coronavirus later in the Fall, it is “even a likelihood that we will reach “fresh record highs.” This kind of over optimism from conservative and liberal economists is unprecedented.
“One of the unfortunate things about the lockdown is we have actually improved the prospects of the very companies in the stock markets.” Siegel added. “In fact, given no serious second wave, which could mean just effective therapeutics without even a universal vaccine, my feeling is it is even a likelihood that we will reach fresh record highs.” Siegel said.
(The author is a former President & CEO, First Asian Securities Corporation, NYC. His successful trading strategies on the day of 1987 stock market crash was highlighted by the WSJ. He lives in Scarsdale, N.Y. He can be reached at vpwaren@gmail.com)
ALBANY, NY (TIP): New York State Governor Cuomo said a shocking 21% of people from the five boroughs of New York City who were tested outside supermarkets were found inflicted with COVID-19. Men slightly outnumbered women.
The governor said the stunning assessment — which means up to two million New Yorkers in the city have gotten the virus — will shape the state and city’s plans to reopen at some point from the devastating. pandemic.
“What you do in a place with 21% is very different,” he said. “The facts dictate the action.”
Statewide, 13.9% of New Yorkers tested positive for the antibodies that are produced when people fight off the virus.
Long Island had a 16.7% rate. Westchester and Rockland clocked in at 11.7%.
Upstate, just 3.9% tested positive in the study, which covered 19 counties and 40 municipalities.
Cuomo announced the figures as the daily death toll dipped a bit to 438 Thursday, April 23.
The governor bemoaned the fact that New York has flattened the coronavirus curve, but still has about 1,300 new hospitalizations a day.
“We’ve basically flattened it out at about 1,300 people coming through the door,” he said. “And that’s not great. We’d like to see it going down faster.”
NEW YORK (TIP): Alleging that coronavirus was genetically-engineered in a Wuhan lab, an Indian-American survivor of the deadly virus has urged President Donald Trump to seek compensation from China, running into trillions of dollars, for the thousands of deaths and harming the American economy.
“The unleashing of global death and suffering with the coronavirus, a plague upon all of us, is worse than Pearl Harbor, and given its deception, and later, cover-up, lack any semblance of Honor,” Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra said in a letter to the president.
“On the established rules of law, China is at least guilty of negligence in proximately causing a world pandemic, where nearly two million people have suffered its pain and suffering, and nearly 122,000 souls have lost their lives and left their families damaged and fractured,” he said in a letter dated April 14.
China owes us civil compensation – at least for negligence – a fair and reasonable amount, “which I recommend match our standard for 9/11, but no less than $USD1 million dollars for every American who tested positive for Coronavirus, $5 million for every American who died, and $100,000 for every American who has to be ‘locked down’,” he said.
“I recommend, given the cover-up, which exacerbated the injury, pain and suffering globally, as well as avoidable deaths, that China’s ownership of debts in every country – for example the USD1.2T in China’s ownership of our T-Bills – be cancelled,” Batra said.
In his letter, Batra charged China with hiding the actual source of coronavirus.
The Indian Panorama was sent a copy of the open letter addressed to President Donald J. Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. with copies to Sen. Chuck Schumer, Leader Kevin McCarthy, Chairman Eliot L. Engel, Ranker McCall, Chair Carolyn B. Maloney, Ranker Jim Jordan, Chairman-Senator Risch, Ranker-Senator Bob Menandez, Secretary Pompeo, Secretary Esper, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and A.G. Tish James.
Here is the text of the letter.
“Honorable Messrs Trump, Pelosi, and McConnell:
Let me begin with three obvious facts: first, the Chinese civilization is a great one, with many superlative contribution to humanity, including, empire building, martial arts, gun powder, tea, and perhaps, best of all, Confucius (who famously said: May you live in boring times); second, I am a Blessed survivor of Coronavirus, that at 104.3 fever, when I was on fire for 2-3 days, I was at the surreal edge between live and death, where I could calmly talk to God to allow me to live so I may serve and protect my family and serve the Greater Good. In my personal and intimate experience, I labeled Covid19 as a Trojan Horse, as it obviously has a very friendly “handshake” with every host’s auto immune system to gain entry, before turning to destroy one’s Walls of Troy; and third, today the known global Covid19 cases are 1,945,055, with 121,897 global deaths, total US cases of 584,073 with 23,700 deaths, and New York, our epicenter, nearly 11,000 New Yorker have died. As a disclaimer, I am an American first, a registered Democrat second, and I voted for Donald J. Trump in 2016. I applaud the President for standing up to China’s unfair trade with us, and I am most troubled with her 24/7 global efforts to gain military and economic superiority on land, air, water and space, well beyond OBOR, and her continuing and enhanced misbehavior in South China Sea. Finally, yesterday, I specifically tweeted to dear Amb. Zhang Jun, China’s PR, and to her bilateral Ambassador Cui – as “fairness, respect and personal honor requires me to invite you to respond to my Tweets I’ve made re China, WHO and Covid19.” Unlike, on April 4, 2020, when PR Zhang and I respectfully conversed on Twitter, albeit, about the serious need for China to disclose the “Raw Truth” about Covid19, China’s distinguished diplomats incredulously maintained “radio silence,” when being forthcoming was what was required – both as a duty, and as reciprocal honor.
Recently, on April 9, 2020, House Oversight and Reform’s Ranker Jim Jordon, and his colleagues, sent a gentle letter to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, DG, of the WHO. I join in said letter, albeit, I would not have been so gentle to a dishonest fiduciary, whose misconduct proximately caused the world’s public health to lay in ruins and the world’s economies were set adrift from both fiscal and monetary policies.
WHO breached its fiduciary-forensic duties owed to the world, as it dishonestly enjoyed being China’s lap dog and purposefully issued false statements and delayed declaring a pandemic so as to create a confusing record for nations’ leaders, reasonably causing miscalculation. I had in days prior to Rep. Jordan’s letter, called for an amendment to the UN Charter, to do away with the moth-balled Trusteeship Council and to replace it with a new Public Health UNSC, but named “UN Pandemic Council,” with 12 Permanent Members and 9 or 13 Rotating Members, charged with Responsibility to Protect, a sovereignty-piercing power, and have OPCW, as well as a reconstituted WHO, albeit, re-named, and then report to it. I am happy to say, Philippines Foreign Minister, dear Teddy Locsin has publicly – on Twitter – approved my proposal, and other nations’ Permanent Representatives have expressed interest in also supporting such a change to surgically remove the corruption-cancer and establish “clean margins” for honest fiduciary-forensics to protect the global Public Health.
It is a curious fact, that where-ever we have cut back in our contributions at the UN and her “organs,” China for merely giving UN the funding-shortfall we created, has become the “cherry on top” of all such organs. This is wrong, and an insult to our mammoth contributions still being contributed, but, incredulously, taken for granted. The WHO ought to be defrocked and defunded, while its function – only vital if the forensics are done consistent to high fiduciary duties – and then, it too, as reconstituted, report to the new proposed UN Pandemic Council.
The role and function of the United Nations is vital and important as ever, as the UNSC, charged with preventing WWIII has handsomely succeeded, even as the weeds of local and regional wars have mushroomed. UN is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. Perfect time for some “spring-cleaning,” and re-calibration to achieve necessary reforms to better effectuate the high ideals of the UN Charter. It is, after all, a paraphrased amalgam of our Declaration of Independence and our cherished Constitution, to help form a more perfect world.
Wuhan Seafood Market
Coronavirus – as a matter of biochemistry (see, “1st documentary movie on the origins of CCP virus – Tracking Down the Origin of the Wuhan Coronavirus” (The 1st Documentary) http://youtu.be/Gdd7dtDaYmM).
I rely upon this cited evidence, see below, as it credibly shows, and I credit it, that the “story of the Wuhan Seafood Market” is a pretext and an elegant cover-up, which is exposed as such with biochemistry: China denied there was any “human-to-human” transmission. Well, we know that to be a Big Lie, as we are all under a Lockdown to prevent “community spread,” i.e. human-to-human transmission. Jon Cohen wrote in the Journal Science, “Wuhan seafood market may not be the source of novel virus spreading globally.” In a paper entitled, The clinical features of patients with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, published in The Lancet, whose first author Huang Chaolin, Deputy Director of Jin Yin-Tan Hospital, and Dr. Sean Lin, who said:
Symptom onset of the First Patient is on December 1, [2019] had NO relation to the Huanan Seafood market;
No epidemiological link was found between the first patient and later cases;
III. On December 10, [2019], there were 3 more cases, 2 cases of the 3 cases had NO relation to the Huanan Seafood Market;
Since December 15 [2019], a cluster of cases with a history of seafood market exposure have been reported;
NO one sells BATS at the Wuhanan Seafood Market and NO BATS have been found.
Judy A. Mikovits PhD, Molecular Biologist, Former Director of Lab of Antiviral Mechanisms NCI said: There were no bats, and the idea of the spread so fast through the population is highly unlikely and improbable.
There were 99 confirmed cases at Jin Yin-Tan Hospital, of which 50 had NO exposure to Wuhanan Seafood Market.
45 of the 425 confirmed cases before January 22 [2020], had NO contact with the Wuhanan Seafood market, albeit, the secondary source of a virus appears to be mushrooming and over-shadowing (cover-up) the original breach of the original virus.
Daniel Lucey, an epidemiologist at the University of Georgetown said the First case would have been infected by the virus already in November [2019] – if not earlier because there is an incubation time between infection and symptoms surfacing. [Means Wuhanan Seafood Market is a secondary source, not the primary source, and as a result of “community spread,” at best, or a separate virus introduced to cover up the earlier one, at worst].
Gordan Chang, Asian Affairs Expert, and columnist, said: We know that Beijing for six (6) weeks in December [2019] and January [2020] suppressed information, before acknowledging on January 20th, and they then started a campaign of suppression of information, and on January 26th created a panel, and it was very heavy with propaganda officials. Indeed, the vice chairman of the group is the Communist Party’s propaganda czar. The Communist Party Group imposed a false diagnostic criteria, starting with – must have contact with Wuhanan Seafood market, knowing a solid one-third of the cases had ZERO contact with Wuhanan Seafood Market. Thank God, they didn’t impose a Bat-Bite requirement for their investigation. Hence, it was the start of an organized cover-up, and to mislead the world as to what China was really up to.
Gen. Robert Spalding, Senior Fellow Hudson Institute, and former NSC Senior Strategy Director, was in China when SARS happened. Same playbook.
Critical Evidence – The Mysterious Gene Sequence (from the 1st Documentary):
The coronavirus, aka “2019-n-CoV” – has a 100% amino acid similarity in the nsp7 and E proteins with “Bat-SL-CoVZC45″ and “Bat-SL-CoVZXC21, but worst of all, the “2019-n-CoV” – has a reversed-engineered and grafted-on in a lab of the natural-to-bats “receptor-binding” domain structure, the “mushrooms” on the surface, of the “SARS-CoV” – i.e. a transplantation of the Spike Glycoprotein(S), the natural “mushroom” on the surface of “SARS-CoV” is in a lab genetically added/spliced/grafted onto o “2019-n-CoV” – which I have, from personal experience, called a Trojan Horse to have a friendly “handshake,” is in fact accurate biochemically – as the “receptor-binding” unlocks the human cell, and enters the human body much easier! The SARS’ “Bat-SL-CoVZc45″ and “Bat-SL-CoVZXC21″ – with its natural Bat-based “mushrooms” on the surface – did not enter humans.
CDC’s Error: Curiously, the CDC.Gov site publishes the January 29, 2020 article in The Lancet – which gets into the genome characteristics of the subject coronavirus, aka “2019-n-coV” aka “2019-nCov,” at
(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/genomic-characterization-of-2019-nCoV-Lancet-1-29-2020.pdf ), which states the predicate findings, as
“The ten genome sequences of 2019-nCoV obtained from the nine patients were extremely similar, exhibiting more than 99·98% sequence identity. Notably, 2019-nCoV was closely related (with 88% identity) to two bat-derived severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronaviruses, bat-SL-CoVZC45 and bat-SL-CoVZXC21, collected in 2018 in Zhoushan, eastern China, but were more distant from SARS-CoV (about 79%) and MERS-CoV (about 50%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 2019-nCoV fell within the subgenus Sarbecovirus of the genus Betacoronavirus, with a relatively long branch length to its closest relatives bat-SL-CoVZC45 and bat-SL-CoVZXC21, and was genetically distinct from SARS-CoV. Notably, homology modelling revealed that 2019-nCoV had a similar receptor-binding domain structure to that of SARS-CoV, despite amino acid variation at some key residues.”
Despite finding that 2019-n-CoV had these “receptor-binding,” which is not natural, but was reverse engineered, like the WHO misleading the world, issued an “interpretation” that ignores the non-natural addition of these Spike Glycoprotein to Coronavirus!
Edgar Allan Poe: Purloined Letter
I well recall the famous American mystery writer, Edgar Allan Poe, who in his “Purloined Letter” – has the subject letter hiding in “plain sight” in a letter box on the desk, while everyone is looking for secret compartments. Here, the first case had NO exposure to Wuhanan Seafood Market, and there are NO bats at said market. Hence, Wuhanan is secondary source, after community spread, and can be ignored and discarded as a “cover up.” The actual and original source of the coronavirus is therefore elsewhere. That is an undeniable fact, well capable of meeting even the criminal standard of proof – “beyond a reasonable doubt.” I, therefore charge China with hiding the actual source of coronavirus, and ignore the fraudulent assertion by the Chinese Communist Party Propaganda Czar that Wuhanan Seafood Market, with zero Bats, has any value to getting to the source, or finding the most precious item right now across the world: the most effective vaccine to this plague from China. China, it appears, is following an old playbook it developed in SARS outbreak
The question, then arises: where, oh where, did Coronavirus come from?
The answer, given the reverse-engineered receptor-binding, my “Trojan Horse” element, which makes this virus so contagious, since it took a natural element in the two SARS virus, and spliced it on to Covid19 to unlock human auto-immune system/defense.
Why did China allow its citizens to travel the world after November 2019, when she knew there were coroanvirus (with artificial receptor-binding) cases, which had nothing to do with Wuhanan Seafood Market? Was this negligence? Was this intentional? I cannot prove intent, but negligence, is overwhelming.
China had a duty to tell the WHO, and the world (not, do a “hit & run”):
The International Health Regulations (2005) are internationally binding rules upon member-states, which obligate them in handling public health issues, especially, for highly transmissible diseases. Ironically, they were adopted after the 2003 SARS outbreak in China – and then too, China was criticized for not promptly disclosing – what I have demanded – the “Raw Truth.” These rules are enforced by the WHO, China’s Lap Dog, and thru the ICJ. Among the Rules violated by China include, WHO’s Article 6 (Not notifying WHO of a Public Health Emergency – in November 2019), article 7 (Un-timely information-sharing during an emergency), Article 64 (not providing timely epidemiological reports – the core violation, given China’s active cover-up, and even substituting Wuhanan Seafood Market as a false source), and finally, violating the anti-corruption regulation, Article 37 (seeking to influence the WHO DG Dr. Ghebreysus, and staff – WHO has played well as a lap dog, and hence, China has violated this Article).
Pearl Harbor – FDR: “A Day That Will Live in Infamy” – when Kamikaze Pilots of the Imperial Forces of Japan hit us on December 7, 1941 in a sneak attack, but in broad daylight, their attack started at 7:55 am and lasted till 9:00am, a little over an hour, causing, according to the National Park Service, 1998 Navy personnel, 109 Marines, 233 Army personnel and 48 civilians killed at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941; a total of 2388 Americans killed. Still, the Japanese airmen were enemy combatants, and died in service to their Emperor – until General Douglas MacArthur had him abdicate divinity on the deck of the USS Missouri. Here, however, China used – negligently or heaven forbid, intentionally, her everyday unwitting citizen-tourists and businessmen, contaminated with Coronavirus, to spread the deadly and lab-engineered plague of death and destruction, and then covered it up and went ‘radio silent.” China is criminally guilty at least of a “Hit and Run.” If our Government was to find out that we were Pearl Harbored, even more sneakily than on December 7, 941, then China must lose her UNSC Permanent Seat, and give the world $100 Trillion in reparations, and disband her military.
Rule of Law in our Rules-based world – The Standard of Proof and Permitted Inferences: I honor the established standard of proof, and permitted inference – Civilly, when only compensation is due, the standard is “mere preponderance of the evidence,” and a “negative inference’ is charged, when a party who ought to speak up or produce documents, but doesn’t, such party is presumed to be hiding “inculpatory” evidence of said party’s guilt. My near 10-day Tweets in seeking to honesty crack the Coronavirus case – based upon reliable evidence – and a specific tweet, predicated upon fairness, respect and personal honor, to Ambassadors Zhang and Cui, including, even a tagging of “@China_mfa,” sadly, did not cause a tsunami of facts and documents showing China’s innocence to come my way today.
Instead, China has “closed” and “covered up” tighter than a drum used in parades. This behavior violates a core “duty” to speak up, let alone help find the best Coronvirus vaccine. Accordingly, on the established rules of law, China is at least guilty of negligence in proximately causing a world pandemic, where nearly 2 million people have suffered it’s pain and suffering, and nearly 122,000 souls have lost their lives and left their families damaged and fractured. A simple example: a trucking delivery service has two trucks, one that is a flat-bed, and the other, which is a closed truck-container. The Owner directs the driver to use the flat-bed truck, load it up with boxes, and then strap them down tightly. The driver, on the road, hits a few bumps, does a few hard brakes, and the next thing you know, as he is going around a turn his load becomes loose and shoots across the highway. The cars behind while trying to avoid being “shot at” by the bouncing boxes, crash into each other or the road divider, many suffering injuries, and some even dying. A lawfully negligent driver would stop his truck, get out, and try to help, or at least call 911 for ambulance and police. China didn’t do that. China kept driving, and when asked, told falsehoods to deceive. Hence, under established laws, China is at least guilty of a “Hit & Run,” which is a crime.
Additional facts: China has cancelled approximately 8 million cell phones in the last 3-4 months – each Chinese citizen is authenticated by their government by their cell phone. Unless you are dead, you don’t cancel your cell phone. This suggests that China’s coronavirus death toll far exceeds its official number of a mere 3,300. Since President trump has sought to impose fair trade between us, China’s FDI in the United States has dropped from over $45 Billion to just over $5 Billion. This shrinking footprint suggests evasion of expected sanctions for bad acts.
Recommendations and Conclusions to POTUS and U.S. Congress:
China owes us civil compensation – at least for negligence, which has been proven the legal standard – in a fair and reasonable amount, which I recommend match our standard for 9/11, but no less than $1 million dollars for every American who tested positive for Coronavirus, $5 million for every American who died, and $100,000 for every American who has to be “locked down.” Every other nation can negotiate – using our good offices of Secretary Pompeo – for their fair and reasonable settlement;
China owes criminal “hit & run” sanctions: I recommend, given the cover-up, which exacerbated the injury, pain and suffering globally, as well as avoidable deaths, that China’s ownership of debts in every country – for example the $1.2T in China’s ownership of our T-Bills – be cancelled. As a further example, it means Sri Lanka’s $9 B debt is cancelled, and she gets her largest port back. Furthermore, China must vacate Mischief Reef, and stop all aggression, such as blocking “freedom of navigation,” or just a few days ago, ramming a Vietnamese fishing boat, with eight fishermen fishing in Vietnamese waters. This outlaw behavior coupled with aggressive and active attempts to buy military enhancing capacities must stop.
As I respectfully told China’s distinguished Foreign Minster Wang three years ago in 2017 at the UNGA, China is inviting a Little War now, or a Big War later – and I prefer a Little War now. He responded, “No War; No War.”. The unleashing of global death and suffering with the coronavirus, a plague upon all of us, is worse than Pearl Harbor, and given its deception, and later, cover-up, lack any semblance of Honor.
Respectfully,
/s/
Ravi Batra”
(Ravi Batra is an attorney based in New York. He can be reached at ravi@ravibatralaw.com)
It may be accepted that waiting to restart all sectors of the economy simultaneously will unnecessarily keep some sectors shut that actually can be re-engineered to open without much further delay.
America should restart its economy and other operations by mitigating risk and making sure that it is done right to be able to succeed at the effort. While playing safe and delaying it beyond May 2020 may sound like the appropriate step to take, we should also know that it brings with it a loss of about two trillion dollars and a consequential setback worth several trillion dollars more every month. On the other hand, restarting America early may bring the risk of extending the misery due to COVID-19. There is no way to come to an optimized solution to this problem. It will have to be made by guts and appetite for risk-taking. We have to carefully look at several pro and con aspects and decide.
Restarting the economy would be especially important because some estimates tell us that the effect of coronavirus could hang on until August 2020 or even later. A shutdown of that magnitude no economy will be able to handle. Moreover, some say that coronavirus would come back with an even greater vengeance as cold season returns in the fall. The economy has to be ready to cope with that if it does indeed happen. In fact, the longer the U.S. economy remains in this dormant state, the longer it will need to get restarted, harder to bring it back to its past size and the greater irreparable harm it will cause.
To restart the economy, we will look at the type of operations deployed for product and service transformation. There are certain operations that are large, both in terms of the size of employment and contribution to the gross domestic product. This list includes businesses such as restaurant, retail, sports and entertainment, education and training, and travel and tourism that can be restarted with proper and careful reconfiguration, adaptation of technology, redesign and/or creative reinventing of their processes, workflows, and scheduling. Their restart can be begun in a matter of weeks.
We can formulate standards of operating for those large organizations that have more machine and technology interface and reduced human interactions. Such outfits include manufacturing, service processing, fulfillment centers, etc. The restart of these businesses will depend on how soon each of them comes up to these standards.
Taking the calculated risk of restarting this economy that had been willfully put to sleep rather than shut down because of an external one-time mishap will be unavoidable. It will have to be woken up with whims, such as presidential or gubernatorial executive orders . The alternative in the form of slower legislative processes will likely cause a long-lasting recession or depression or deep depression, as some are stating.
Moreover, no matter when we restart the economy, given the politically ultra-divided America and the anxiety over the upcoming presidential election, opposition to any proposal to restart is bound to be there. That is why, we have to move fast and devise a scheme to open the economy and begin the restarting in weeks rather than months. It may be accepted that waiting to restart all sectors of the economy simultaneously will unnecessarily keep some sectors shut that actually can be reengineered to open without much further delay.
Utilizing the countrywide state by state and county by county data on coronavirus already collected by the White House, we can sectorize our economy and get what can be started within weeks by presidential order and what will need congressional action. The latter will have to be started soon and completed on an expedited basis.
Operations that need longer will be restarted applying science, engineering and technology. Our effort should be to redesign human and machine interactions, human-to-human contacts, and group interfaces, all with the goal to mitigate the risk of any second or later legs of COVID-19. We should also work to adapt and design or redesign technologies, operations, and communication systems for keeping workers safe from all similar communicable diseases. This should also make the companies become even more productive.
America should use COVID-19 experience as a way to emphasize self-dependence for the production and distribution of all goods, services, processes, and technologies. This experience has taught us that all these are important and not just the essential ones.
We should also work to make sure that we bring back manufacturing to the USA and place requisite importance on research to help us achieve this self-dependence in an economically competitive way. The White House should continue to exert pressure to make sure that American business invests in the goal of self-dependence. Furthermore, we should make sure that our businesses set research and development intensity to achieve the goal.
We should also fight COVID-19 worldwide and help other countries restart their economies, replicating what we did to put the world back to work after the two world wars.
( A. D. Amar, Ph.D. is Professor of Management at the Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079 (ad.amar@shu.edu). He was one of the three academics who endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2015, much before the primary elections of 2016. Later, he founded Indian-Americans for Trump 2016, a PAC, registered to promote Trump for president)
WASHINGTON (TIP): President Donald Trump on Sunday announced he’s extending his administration’s guidelines on social distancing amid the COVID-19 outbreak until April 30.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, said the choice to extend the guidelines was not made lightly.
“We know it’s a huge sacrifice for everyone,” she said, adding that more detailed guidance will be released Tuesday, March 31.
Earlier Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN”s “State of the Union” he anticipates the coronavirus could kill between 100,000 and 200,000 Americans while infecting “millions,” though he said the outbreak is difficult to model as it is “such a moving target.”
Trump said his administration was extending the guidelines with hopes of avoiding a catastrophic death toll. He said that if the U.S. “could hold that down to 100,000” or fewer deaths, his administration will have done a great job in handling the outbreak.
Much of the nation is currently shuttered to contain the spread of the disease, which first appeared in China late last year. As of Sunday morning, roughly 140,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the U.S., the highest total of any nation, with more than 2,400 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.
Please don’t provoke Nature, anymore . Be fearful of the approaching catastrophe. Now is the time to get out of the way of a devouring monster of Coronavirus.
President Trump should impose a nationwide lock down, a COMPLETE lockdown, not a partial, half hearted one, which is not of much help. Let him take a cue from India and stop all wheels of movement from Air to Land to Sea for at least 4 weeks until the virus finds no prey and turns away in despair. The 100,000 strong Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) has also made the demand. President Trump may please not be dismissive of the professional prowess and expertise of doctors . “If it were up to the doctors they may say, ‘Let’s keep it shut down, let’s shut down the entire world.”
Brave Americans should not shy away from paying a little price now to secure their lives and those of their loved ones and communities.
Economies can be rebuilt with a little extra effort over a period of time. But the human lives lost can never be brought back to life.
Let Americans opt willingly for the discipline needed to combat the monster of Coronavirus and follow the advice of health experts. It applies to all, including President of America.
Just look at the speed at which Coronavirus is advancing in the worst hit New York. The number of cases in 1 day, from March 25 to 26 rose by 3101 to reach a total of 23112. The number of deaths has risen to 365, increasing day by day.
At the time I am writing this comment, I get the news that the global number of Coronavirus cases has crossed 500,000, and the US has surpassed all nations, including China and Italy in the number of Coronavirus cases. It now has 82,400 cases, with more than 1,170 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. China and Italy had 80,000 cases. Do not forget, in the US , Coronavirus is yet to peak. Imagine the loss of life awaiting us .
Hospitals do not have the required number of beds. They do not have equipment for daily surges of patients. Health workers do not have the protective gear and are exposed to the deadly virus themselves. We know health officials the world over succumbing to death while treating patients. And, on top of it, there is no antidote to the pandemic.
Please do not believe in rumors about drugs / antidotes having been discovered or being available until the health authorities of America announce the drug. And, also remember drug that can kill or keep the virus away will not be available immediately after announcement, and surely not to all 300 million Americans simultaneously. Between the Eureka and the availability of the drug, there may be a significant period of wait. Americans surely cannot go off the guard during this period.
All talk about economy- markets, job losses, revenue losses are of concern mainly to the rich who stay insulated away from the scene of production of wealth and are safe and secure. They are not the ones working in restaurants and stores. They are not among the first responders. They are not cab drivers, train drivers and construction workers. They are not the producers of wealth. They are managers and keepers of wealth. Those who produce on an hourly basis are the ones exposed to the deadly virus. Those who are talking about economy and wealth creation are out of the way of harm by Coronavirus in the sanitized , secure environs of their mansions. The question is why the lives of common Americans s be put at stake for creating wealth for the comfort and luxury of the few.
Now is the time to decide whether economy is above human wealth of America. Surely, Americans will not want dollar value to be put on their precious lives.
We are and will always remain the greatest nation on the Earth for the values we cherish, not for the wealth we may have.
Most Americans to get 2 installments of $1200.00 checks, based on their income
Large part of stimulus money to go to businesses
WASHINGTON (TIP): The proposed legislation the details of which remain in flux, could exceed $1 trillion. It may include direct payments to individuals, small-business lending, payroll tax cuts, and credit facilities for larger businesses and commercial paper facilities.
The “phase three” bill unveiled by Senate Republicans on Thursday, March 19 includes rebates of $1,200 for most individuals who reported less than $75,000 on their 2018 tax returns, or $2,400 per couple who filed their taxes jointly and made less than $150,000.
Another $500 would be added for every dependent child. Low-income Americans with at least $2,500 of qualified income, but who do not earn enough to pay income tax, get a smaller benefit of $600, or $1,200 for couples.
The payments would be gradually phased out for individuals with income between $75,000 and $99,000, at which point payments cut off.
In a speech on the Senate floor Thursday, March 19 afternoon, McConnell said he hoped this “bold new proposal” would receive “bipartisan respect and mutual urgency.” He added that discussions between Republicans and Democrats about this legislation needed to occur on a “member level,” and said that Republican committee chairmen would begin speaking with their Democratic counterparts tomorrow.
“These are urgent discussions. They need to happen at a member level and they need to happen starting right now,” McConnell said.
McConnell told reporters Friday that he had given the bipartisan groups of senators negotiating the legislation a midnight deadline to get to an agreement, and he would take basic procedural measures so the legislation could be brought to the Senate floor. He also said that he planned for senators to draft the final legislation on Saturday.
Some of the credit facilities for larger businesses will go to industries the government is looking to aid.
Several companies and industries are seeking relief. They include the U.S. travel and tourism industry, which is seeking $150 billion in aid, the U.S. airline industry which is seeking government aid of more than $50 billion, and Boeing and is seeking $60 billion for itself and the aerospace supply chain.
The administration has made clear it is intent on helping those industries in particular that have been pummeled by travel restrictions. Trump said in a news conference Tuesday, March 17 that the challenges facing the industry are not its fault.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have supported offering relief to certain industries, particularly airlines, which have drastically cut back capacity as the coronavirus and resulting travel restrictions spread. Defenders of industrywide bailouts think collapses would hurt workers as well as executives. Airlines, in particular, are viewed as essential to the U.S economy, supporting 750,000 jobs and local hubs throughout the country.
“Central banks need to work with major financial institutions to target cheap credit to vulnerable businesses — airlines, hotels, manufacturers paralyzed by broken supply chains and the like,” wrote Damon Silvers director of policy and special counsel for the AFL-CIO.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has told GOP senators that unemployment could reach 20% if Congress doesn’t enact the administration’s proposed stimulus package.
A number of Democrats, however, have said they will not support any bailout of an industry that doesn’t come with sacrifice from companies.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts on Tuesday, March 17 outlined her own set of stipulations for any big business that receive federal bailout money. They include permanently giving up stock buybacks and adding at least one seat to the board representing workers.
There have also been continued disputes between the two parties over paid leave for workers. Democrats have pushed hard to offer all U.S. workers the ability to stay home during the pandemic without fear of losing a paycheck. Republicans, though, have argued that certain small businesses may not be able to afford that service, while cash flow freezes up.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow and Legislative Affairs Director Eric Ueland are also at the Capitol on Friday to work with both parties on reaching an agreement.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch ally of the president who has voiced opposition to giving direct cash rebates to American citizens, warned on Friday that the final bill could be “a hell of a lot more than $1 trillion.”
“I talked to Mnuchin this morning, here’s the challenge here. We gotta tell the public the truth, we’re going to be floating probably 70% of the nation’s payroll,” Graham said. “The federal government is going to underwrite probably 70% of the payroll in this country if the containment policies continue to be this aggressive. Nobody’s ever thought of that before, nobody’s ever done that before, it’s gonna be a hell of a lot more than $1 trillion.”
McConnell explained Senate Republicans’ approach in a speech previewing the proposal on the Senate floor Thursday morning, laying out “four pillars” of the massive spending package: relief for small businesses, cash assistance for taxpayers, loans to businesses in major industries and resources to combat the virus itself. Republican senators met over lunch on Capitol Hill to hammer out the particulars.
Congressional efforts to address the impacts of the coronavirus come amid the first indications that the outbreak is prompting widespread job loss on a scale not seen since the 2008 financial crisis. The number of people filing for unemployment benefits shot up last week, an increase that is “clearly attributable to impacts from the COVID-19 virus,” according to the Department of Labor. In the week ending on March 14, the number of jobless claims was 281,000, an increase of 70,000 from the previous week.
As the pandemic shuts down business across the county, the surge in newly laid off workers is crashing states’ unemployment websites. In Ohio alone, more than 48,000 people applied for jobless benefits during the first two days of this week — 26 times the amount from the week before.
As of Thursday evening, there were over 12,500 confirmed cases of the coronavirus across every state in the U.S., and more than 175 people have died.
The Senate Republicans’ bill largely squares with the Trump administration’s request. In a memo on Wednesday, the Treasury Department laid out what it hoped to see in the bill, asking for two rounds of direct cash payments to taxpayers, worth $250 billion each. The first payment would be made April 6, and the second would come on May 18 if the crisis hasn’t abated.
On Thursday morning, McConnell said the cash infusion “would complement unemployment insurance and could be put toward immediate needs during this crisis.”
“For Americans who are still working, the money would provide some extra certainty in this uniquely uncertain time,” he added.
McConnell said some of the small business loans would be forgiven if used to retain workers or cover basic operational expenses. “The portions of these funds that small businesses use on core expenses such as paying workers and paying their rent or mortgage will convert into grants they will not need to pay back,” he said.
McConnell had tasked three working groups to develop the proposed phase three legislation, which serves as the jumping-off point for negotiations with Democrats. After the text of the proposal emerged, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has called for a “Marshall Plan” to address the crisis, spoke on the Senate floor.
“We will look at it and read it tonight. But from what I’m told, it provides a bailout for a number of industries. Again, we have to put the workers first,” Schumer said, who earlier called for both sides to come together “from the get-go so any final product can pass as swiftly as possible.”
However, Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed concerns about the proposal in a joint statement released Thursday night.
“We are beginning to review Senator McConnell’s proposal and on first reading, it is not at all pro-worker and instead puts corporations way ahead of workers,” Pelosi and Schumer said.
At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, President Trump said during a briefing with members of the White House coronavirus task force that Republicans and Democrats in Congress were “pulling together.”
“I hope everything’s going good on the Hill. Maybe I shouldn’t say this until I check out what’s going on because you never know,” Mr. Trump said.
“In the light of President’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly that it is necessary to “increase the prosecution and punishment of crimes against religious communities”, the world is waiting to see whether he will raise the issue privately with Modi during the state visit, make a public statement in support of constitutional rights similar to Obama, or remain silent. Then we will have a much clearer idea whether religious freedom is merely a political football or a sincere goal of the Trump Administration.”
On the surface, President Trump appears committed fully to the idea of Religious Freedom. He has been very vocal about the issue on many forums that include the United Nations. To his credit, he has appointed Mr. Sam Brownback, a conservative Catholic, to the position at the State Department as the Ambassador of Religious freedom. Evangelical leaders in the U.S. are some of the most ardent supporters of this President anywhere because of his clear commitment to the cause. To the delight of his Evangelical base, he has not only spoken against the ‘Johnson Amendment’ that prohibits Clergy from commenting on politics from the pulpit but also issued an Executive order that lessens its enforcement power and limits its bureaucratic oversight.
However, a different picture emerges if one delves deeply into the inner workings of this President concerning this very issue. As someone who has participated in the Religious Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C., I witnessed the selective application of this issue firsthand that suits his political purposes. There were many speakers from countries like China and Iran who detailed the suppression of religious freedom in those countries and the persecution of the faithful by the authorities. However, India rather conspicuously was missing any representation at the conference.
The weaponization of religion by the current Administration – so they can preserve their power -has reached a fever pitch in India, where minorities are being lynched for their dietary habits and churches are being torched by the Hindutva radicals. When questioned about this absence, an official of the State Department could only respond by saying that India was invited but declined to participate. It is hard to believe that speakers from authoritarian regimes of China and Iran somehow found their way to the conference, but Indian representatives willing to speak on the matter could not be found! Upon questioning, Mr. Brownback feigned his ignorance in this regard and said someone from India should have been present. However, according to several sources, White House appears to have given special instructions to the State Department not to bring the current BJP government’s shabby record on religious freedom to the table.
Now that President Trump is on the way to India to meet with Prime Minister Modi, whom he considers his strategic partner, it is important to examine how the wellbeing of the minority Christians in India, as well as the interests of American Christian leadership, may have been undermined by this Administration for either political expediency or plain business interests.
Firstly, let us take the case of ‘Compassion International,’ a Christian Charitable organization in the U.S. that has done incredible work around the World, including India, by clothing, feeding, and educating impoverished children by allowing their upward mobility. The Modi Government has decided to throw out the organization while knowing fully well that they are jeopardizing the futures of 145000 poor children only because the organization is considered ‘Christian.’ If the country is so opposed to foreign funding, why then the Hindu organizations like ‘Ekal Vidyalaya,’ a Sangh Parivar affiliated outfit in the U.S. continue to collect funds from all Americans including Christians?
To add insult to injury, Mr. S. Jaishankar, the diplomat, turned politician who is the current Minister of External Affairs, is said to have invited the lead attorney for the organization and gave him a tongue-lashing at his office lambasting the organization and accusing its leadership of engaging in proselytizing. The organization had vehemently denied these charges often raised by anti-minority zealots who could care less about the lives of the lower caste and poor folks around them. Moreover, it is genuinely disappointing to see a diplomat who had such a rich multi-cultural global experience, including being Ambassador to the United States, to behave with such arrogance and lack of empathy.
Another arena where American Christian leadership is unfairly treated by India is in the issuance of visas to those who aspire to visit their fellow Christians to attend a conference or a convention. In a shocking display of bad faith, only a few months ago, nine leaders from the New York Council of Christian churches headed by Rev. Peter Cook, who traveled to India with valid visas were denied entry at the Chennai airport. And after subjugating them to a grueling 12-hour questioning, they were deported back to the United States. ‘The team was there to meet some people and learn,’ said Mr. Cook, who is also the Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches. They were even denied the basic courtesy of making a phone call to their would-be hosts. According to one of the team members, an immigration official went as far as to pronounce, ‘we don’t want Christians to come here’!
Visas are indeed considered a privilege, not a right; however, protocol and courtesy call for reciprocity. Hindu religious leaders from India appear to have unlimited access to visit or serve their fellow faithful in this country. The number of religious visas issued to Hindu temples and other religious institutions by the U.S. stand at an all-time high. However, an American Christian leader does not even have an option to apply for a visa on such a ground. If one dares to take a tourist visa and attend any of the church meetings, he/she risks not only being deported but will be banned from an entry back to India for their lifetime.
It is not only the American Christian leadership that is put under the grind but also Indians who have immigrated to this country and acquired U.S. Citizenship. Many of them took the opportunity to avail themselves of the Overseas Citizenship (OCI) card, believing that it would give them privileges on par with Indian citizens except for voting or owning agricultural lands. However, as Dr. Christo Philip from Houston found out, one of his frequent trips to India turned out to be a nightmare. He was stopped at the airport and deported back to Spain, where the flight originated, ending up in prison for a day and losing his OCI status. He was falsely accused of evangelizing though, as a medical doctor, his primary interest was to serve the needy people over their health concerns at some of the remotest parts of India. Although the Delhi high court has finally restored his OCI status, the Judge involved may have paid a higher price and said to have been reassigned since then.
The current OCI application contains obvious conditions preventing ‘Missionary work’ and ‘Journalism’ and combined with the provision in the newly passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) empowering the bureaucracy to cancel OCI card for any ‘violation of the law’ has sent shivers down the spine in the Indian Christian leadership in America. Mere participation of religious activity while visiting India could now be construed as a violation of the OCI agreement, and there are plenty of folks in the RSS cadre and in the bureaucracy who are more than willing to collude in making such a participation a violation of the law that may also be beyond any judicial review. The provision of ‘journalism’ may shield the Government from any form of criticism from OCI cardholders who may want to pen their experiences in any of the media outlets.
Let me also quote from a letter recently sent by a multi-faith group to President Trump highlighting the plight of an American Pastor named Bryan Nerren that shows Religious persecution is not restricted to Indian citizens only. “In October 2019, police arrested U.S. pastor Bryan Nerren in Bagdogra airport in India. The police arrested him on the grounds of failing to declare funds, this followed after the officers in New Delhi interrogated him, asking him if he was Christian and if the money was for Christians or Hindus, they cleared him at the airport in New Delhi only to have him arrested in Bagdogra. The pastor was compliant and said he would fill out the customs form but was instead arrested. Authorities confiscated the pastor’s funds and passport, and while he has now been released, he is still waiting to receive his passport. Senator Alexander and Senator Blackburn are working on his case. The boldness of the authorities’ arrest and discrimination of a U.S. national because of his faith – shows that actors of religious persecution in India, afforded government impunity, further embolden state and non-state extremists to continue their discriminatory and abusive actions towards non-Hindus”.
The ill-treatment of the Christian leadership by the officials is not just limited to American Christians but includes leaders from other countries as well. Considering that India, which has 30 million of its citizens living abroad and more at home are looking for opportunities around the World, what the Modi government has done to a Spanish Nun who lived in India for five decades and serving the poor is deeply shameful. Sister Enedina, 86 years old, a member of the Daughters of Charity, was denied the renewal of her visa and was told by the Government that she had ten days to leave the country. She flew August 20 from New Delhi to Spain. It should also be noted that the Modi administration has so far not extended an invitation to Pope Francis, who is eager for such a visit, despite appeals from various Christian and secular quarters.
In many of the incidents highlighted above, so far, Trump Administration appears to have taken a wait and see attitude in dealing with the Modi Administration. In the light of President’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly that it is necessary to “increase the prosecution and punishment of crimes against religious communities”, the world is waiting to see whether he will raise the issue privately with Modi during the state visit, make a public statement in support of constitutional rights similar to Obama, or remain silent. Then we will have a much clearer idea whether religious freedom is merely a political football or a sincere goal of the Trump Administration.
(Author is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations)
Curtains came down Feb 5 on “Drama Impeachment” of President Trump- the third US President to be impeached, bringing cheer and jubilation among Republicans and sighs of desperation among Democrats.
The Democrats will not tire of accusing Senate Republicans of being blind to the failures and foibles of President Trump who they believe is a threat to America, and Republicans accusing Democrats of unethical conduct all along in harassing a performing President and finding faults with him where none existed.
Now that the Drama is over, what do Americans expect of the Republicans and the Democrats?
2020 is the election year. Obviously, another Drama to keep Americans engaged and amused will be unveiled.
Trump and his Republicans have all the good tidings for Americans- a bouncing market, a growing economy, a healthy number of steady job creation, more secure borders, with the border wall in the South, a safer and more secure America, a restrictive immigration policy to keep away hordes of immigrants from entering the country and snatching away the jobs of “Americans” etc. Enough to satisfy Americans.
Democrats , not controlling the levers of power despite of their Congressional majority are left with finding fault with Trump’s foreign policy which they term as erratic , and which they complain has been alienating the traditional partners and supporters of the US on world for a, leading to alienation of the country.
Trump’s trade policies and military engagements abroad are some of the foreign policy issues which have often been criticized by Democrats. But Americans find the Trump policies have not worked against America and Americans. In respect of trade policies, America has been able to make more money as in the case of Trump’s insistence on NATO partners to cough up their fair share. Americans are impressed with billions of dollars coming to the US as a result of Trump’s policies.
What more Democrats have to nail down Trump? “
“Erratic foreign policy” card does not work with Americans who, like common people anywhere in the world, are more interested in having jobs, steady income, social and health benefits etc.to enjoy a comfortable living.
How many Americans are bothered about America’s military engagements abroad? Knowing the history of America will help us a little. In its existence of 244 years, America has been engaged in wars for 224 years, with only a brief period of peace spanning 20 years. Americans are used to military engagements. They don’t find it unusual or alarming.
Democrats have found this card failing.
One issue that the Democrats thought will invite the ire of Americans against Trump was his character, and Democrats did indulge in his character assassination with a vengeance and unprecedented vigor, only to find it is a non -issue with most Americans. Democrats dropped it as a hot potato but only after getting some heat on the issue.
The economic disparity between the top 10 percent and the bottom 90 percent does make many think about why it should be what it is. Income disparities are so pronounced that America’s top 10 percent now average more than nine times as much income as the bottom 90 percent, according to data analyzed by UC Berkeley economist Emmanuel Saez. They average over 39 times more income than the bottom 90 percent. The bottom 90 percent surely want a more equitable distribution of wealth. They surely want the benefits of the wealthy America to percolate down to them. But, again, Democrats themselves are divided among the right wing, the center, the left and the ultra-left when it comes to the method to achieve greater fairer distribution of wealth. Here again the Democrats are at a disadvantage.
Immigration is another issue which is equally important for both the Republicans and the Democrats.
President Trump wants a restrictive Immigration policy. No illegal entry. Refugees only selectively. Fewer immigrants to protect the jobs of Americans. He surely desires strongly to get rid of the 15 million odd undocumented and illegal immigrant population, which he could and would do, once Republicans have majority in both the Congress and the Senate. With Supreme Court securely tucked in his pocket, Trump has only to wait until the Republicans gain majority in both the Congress and the Senate when he strikes it big.
NEW YORK (TIP): Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg said he thinks President Trump should be impeached, despite his prior reservations. The former New York City mayor sat down with “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King in Colorado on Thursday, December 5, for his first TV interview since joining the race for the Democratic nomination.
“Do you think Trump should be impeached?” King asked.
“I think it’s a very serious thing but it — and I was before opposed to it but after looking at all of the evidence, I think yes. Sad, but yes,” Bloomberg said.
“What is the biggest thing that troubles you about him?” King asked.
“He does not seem to understand that he is an elected official whose job it is to work for the public rather than for himself,” Bloomberg said.
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