On the road to Liberty

My article titled "U.S. and Saddam Fighting Two Different Wars" was published in the "Asian Wall Street Journal" on 8th April 2003. The U.S.-led coalition is now at war with Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. Already, it is becoming clear that the two sides are fighting two very different wars. One side, the coalition, wants to reduce the death toll; the other hopes to thrive on death. Never before in history has any nation sought to win a war by trying to keep its own and as well as its enemy's casualties to the minimum. And perhaps never in history has the other side sought to win the same war by feeding on its own casualties. The U.S. and U.K. are relying on high-tech firepower. The aim of their surgical strikes is to target specific military, command and communication facilities. It is hoped that this will not only reduce civilian casualties, but also avoid as much as possible disruption to basic services like electricity, telephone, radio and TV, even if...

My article titled "Battling for Baghdad And Freedom" was published in the Wall Street Journal on 17th March 2003. War is a messy business. And it invariably imposes great human sufferings. Nevertheless, there are times when war is necessary to achieve an objective not possible by other means, particularly if the cost of inaction outweighs the cost of war. Most importantly, war is not an end in itself. It is only a means to a greater end. The question to ask today, therefore, is not about the tragedy of a possible war in Iraq, but the greater tragedy that might follow if Saddam Hussein is allowed to remain in power. Clearly, the issue goes beyond disarming Saddam, or even "regime change." It concerns instituting in Iraq a modern, liberal order based on the rule of law. It implies providing an opportunity for the Arab and Muslim population of the region to enjoy freedom and to benefit from peace and prosperity. If ever there was a case for a just war, the situation in...

"As' vemos que la pobreza energÈtica est· directamente relacionada con la pobreza econÛmica y los gobiernos como el de la India han prolongado esa situaciÛn al dificultar el desarrollo de nuevas fuentes de energ'a, con regulaciones excesivas e interviniendo en el mercado. My article titled El tr·gico mito de la energ'a renovable was published in Venezuela Analitica on October 28th 2002. (AIPE)- ¿Acaso los activistas de Greenpeace calientan sus hogares con excremento de ganado? ¿No? Entonces, ¿por qué les dicen a los pobres en las zonas rurales de la India que deben escoger fuentes de energía peligrosas y anticuadas, en lugar de la energía eléctrica utilizada por el mundo desarrollado? La coalición de gobiernos europeos, las ONG y los ambientalistas reunidos actualmente en Delhi, en la Conferencia de Cambios Climáticos de la ONU, propugnan la concentración en recursos renovables de energía para los países en desarrollo, en lugar del petróleo, carbón y gas natural. Per...

Does Anita Roddick warm her home with cow or buffalo manure? No? Then why is the Body Shop owner telling poor rural Indians that they should choose outdated and dangerous energy sources instead of the modern electricity that she and many of her do-gooder counterparts in organisations like Greenpeace use? I ask this question in the article titled Stop energy eco-imperialism was published by the International Policy Network on 20 October 2002. Does Anita Roddick warm her home with cow or buffalo manure? No? Then why is the Body Shop owner telling poor rural Indians that they should choose outdated and dangerous energy sources instead of the modern electricity that she and many of her do-gooder counterparts in organisations like Greenpeace use? Though British consumers have yet to make dung warming stoves the 'must have' heating source this season, Greenpeace and The Body Shop's Choose Positive Energy campaign, urges developing countries to 'Choose Positive Energy' s...

My article titled "The Green Peril" was published on 9th December 200. Deepak Lal sees the ecological movement as a new form of imperialism. While the green movement claims to have the future of the planet in mind, economist Deepak Lal warned of the new imperialist threat posed by the ecological movement, particularly for the developing countries. Prof.. Lal, who is the James Coleman Professor of International Development Studies at the University of California, at Los Angeles, USA, was delivering the inaugural Julian L. Simon Memorial Lecture organised by Liberty Institute, in New Delhi, on Saturday. The lecture attracted a wide audience, and was chaired by Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Member, Planning Commission. Dr. Ahluwalia introduced Prof. Lal as some one who never minces words. Prof. Lal lived up to that reputation. Prof. Lal noted the parallels between utopian ideas of Marxism, Christianity and the present day environmental movements. He said, "The ecological mov...

Recently, a dozen tigers died under mysterious circumstances over a span of a few days at the well known Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar. While the threat to the tigers in the wild is well recognised, the condition of the tigers in zoos across the country need to looked in to as well. In this article "Let the tiger earn its stripe" published in the Hindustan Times, on 16 July 2000, I note that a highly valuable animal like the tiger could well earn its keep, if we look for more creative strategies to help protect it. The king of the jungle has been on the run for some time now. And the chase to save it has also been on for a while. Yet tragedies like the one at Nandankanan happen making it worse for the majestic animal. There may be a case here for changing tack a little and throwing open the conservation effort to money, market and commerce. There are estimated to be only 7-7,500 of them left in the wild, about four or five thousand of them in India. Another couple of thous...

Following the tragic death of a dozen tigers in the Nandankanan Zoo in Orissa, I contributed this article to the Spotlight programme on the Conditions of Zoos in India, broadcast by the All India Radio on 11 July 2000. The death of a dozen tigers at the Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar, has shocked the world. There are estimated to be only 7-7,500 of them left in the wild. Another few thousands may be in captivity in Zoos and circuses around the world. Sadly, even Zoos, the last refuge for some of the wild and endangered species is no longer safe for the animals. Unless serious lessons are drawn and drastic reforms in organisation of zoos, as well as changes in the Wildlife Protection Act, are initiated, the days of the tigers and many other wild animals in India will be truly numbered. However, the response to this tragedy of the tigers so far has been extremely pedantic. A committee has been formed to investigate the deaths. And according to one newspaper report, the committee reach...