Some excellent articles have appeared in the recent weeks to help people understand the magnitude, gravity and the implications of the current financial crisis. I recommend a recent post by William K. Black on this subject in the Huffington Post. See here.
Black makes an interesting analysis of the biggest white collar crime the world has witnessed, and which has pushed the financial markets to become profoundly dysfunctional. He is the author of “The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One: How Corporate Executives and Politicians Looted the S&L Industry”.
I can imagine the hurt and humiliation of an average US citizen, first when their country was violated (9/11) from outside; and, now, the horrible realization that the fence inside was itself eating the crop.
In this great financial crime it seems many powerful people made hay. Could it be that this bonhomie of the criminals cut across party lines?
The strength of the American system was in investigation, accountability and punishment. At the moment the blame is being put on the dysfunctional system…I have yet to hear any individual being held accountable except for the old whipping horse…GWB.
I refuse to believe that in front of the macho GWB the entire American edifice to protect its citizens became impotent. Could it be that the “protectors” all stood to benefit from the present mess?
Barack Obama is not a magician to set everything right. Howsoever good his intentions, he is a part of the system. And the system is presently sick…very, very sick.
Americans need not just bask in the glory of the victory of Obama, and hope that their woes would be over by just waving flags in his honour.
Americans need to put a lot of pressure on the Obama administration to identify and punish the guilty. (The diversionary tactics of the Bush era should no longer be allowed to continue to save the big-time criminals within the country).
Until the emphasis is put on proper investigation of this mind-boggling financial fraud, the powerful criminals identified and punished, it would be extremely difficult to put the American system back on rails.
Mr Obama has no option but to get tough like some Sherrifs of yore, or his reputation as a well-meaning person would soon evaporate. And, yes. his election slogan for “CHANGE” would appear meaningless and opportunistic.
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.