…..but will it win the war?

While I haven’t picked sides in the Tamil-SriLankan politics , I think this time I can confidently say that the Rajapaksha is being extremely short sighted. And it is in the interest of the next generation of  Sinhalese citizens to ceasefire and offer humantarian support. 

Rajapaksha may successfully exterminate the current LTTE stronghold of a few hundred; but by allowing 200,000 Tamil civillians to be caught in the crossfire and refusing to offer them humanitaian support; the government is not winning any friends, quite the contrary. It is preparing a fertile ground for the children caught as refugees to have deep wounds and a Tamil cause tomorrow.

I think they may have given birth to many Prabhakaran’s during this war. Which is scary, because it has taken them 26 years to corner one Prabhakaran.

……posed by Anurag kashyap. He discusses censorship of his films due to their political nature vis-a-vis the free speech enjoyed by politicians, especially given the current political mudslinging. 

“Politicians can go up on stage and say anything without fear; why is it that we have to live in fear? Why is it that I can’t say anything? Why is it that Narendra Modi can abuse Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh and question them; why can’t I question them?”

Full post here.

Jhalak Dikhla Jaa

 Jhalak producers defend themselves and the celebrities are caught with their pants down again. I love how Karan is shown cuddling with his choreographer first with background  music and effects and then without music and effects. The immense bitchiness of it all

While I used to think that BJP was the lesser of many evils in Indian politics, I think I have changed my mind since I started reading that previously moderate members like Shourie and Jaitley have started projecting Modi as future PM because of his “developmental work” in Gujarat.

I would much sooner die than vote for a party where Modi could become PM.

(There is a similar discussion on genocide and efficiency in the liberty v efficiency debate video below.)

Last week the GMU Econ Society organised a debate where Caplan argued in favour of Liberty and Hanson in favour of efficiency. 

I missed it (midterms!), and was waiting to catch it online. Watch the video, it’s fantastic.

Caplan v Hanson

HT: Dan Smith

A condensed version of all the manifesto’s can be read here.  

Analysis of the manifestos can be summed up in one line.

All proposed policies by all parties = Rentseeking

As always there are also some WTF quotable gems here.

1. Congress’s Food Agriculture and Land Policy-”A new Land Acquisition Act to protect landowners.” (emphasis added)
2. CPI’s Defence and Foreign Policy-”No strategic policy with the US.” 
3. BJP’s Gender Policy-”Eliminate gender discrimination in wages.”
4. RJD’s Terrorism and Internal Security Policy-”Extend anti terror laws to include communalism.”

I love this headline.

It is as if the Left has accepted that they were never really fit to run the government. And that they are better at opposing any policy, irrespective of the government.

And now, since they have been an ineffective opposition (since the nuclear deal went through), they are doing the world a favour by deigning to consider joining the next government.

My favourite picture from today’s polling is of a ninety year old woman being carried to the polling booth.

Some people think their vote counts……

clearly they are not the ones who have been hanging out at GMU.

Yesterday I saw Gordon Tullock. This is the second time I met him. (The first time resulted in an insult within the first few minutes). The brown bag event resulted in a very interesting Q&A session with Tullock. 

When Tullock was asked what he thought to be his greatest contribution he said, “Teaching economists that they don’t have to stick to economics.”

Personally his work convinced me to not just stick to law and to study economics. For that, I shall be forever grateful.

Today’s PPE workshop with Prof Loren Lomasky reminded me of this quote from Through the Looking Glass “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.”