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All smoke and mirrors

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US President Trump addresses the joint session of Congress on February 28, Reuters/UNI

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A look at the key points of President Donald Trump’s first speech to the United States Congress and some meditations as to their merit

By Sujit Bhar

US President Donald Trump, in his first address to the Congress on the last day of February, made some specific points. Most still reflected his somewhat strange political beliefs, while some need reflection in a plane mirror. 

Here are our retorts to the highlights of the speech.

– “Recent threats targeting Jewish cemeteries as well as last week’s shooting at Kansas remind us that we are a nation that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all of its very ugly forms.”
Good, but Mr Trump quietly forgot to add that this should include even race-hate related crimes committed by White Supremacists as happened in the Kansas shooting of two Indians (as well as an American). The problem, Mr Trump, is that these hate criminals have risen through their belief in your exhortations. Would you have the courage to tackle the source?

“We’ve defended the borders of other nations, while leaving our own borders wide open, for anyone to cross.”
Agreed. There are too many armies of people walking into the US and attacking locals, taking away their jobs and creating mayhem in the US. But wait a second… anybody and everybody crossing into the US? It used to happen in places like the Republic of Congo and Angola when white armies were marching in. It happens in the US now? And, for the record, exactly which country’s borders does the US defend?

“America must put its own citizens first. Because only then, can we truly MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
Again, agreed that Americans were so great they put the citizens of all other countries first. Remember the delay in joining the war against one Adolf Hitler? And, then, remember how Americans were putting the citizens of Vietnam and Cuba and Guatemala first? They were ignoring poor Americans every time. This is payback time.

“Dying industries will come roaring back to life. Heroic veterans will get the care they so desperately need.”
Let me see if I’m getting this right. American industries—steel mills, and sugar mills and cotton yarn mills and motor car factories and computer hardware factories will all be back, hire only Americans, at American wage rates, sell to Americans only (at those prices nobody else will be able to afford them) and it will be La La Land, all over again. Right?

“Our neglected inner cities will see a rebirth of hope, safety, and opportunity.”
Agreed, again. This town in Kansas, Olathe, means “beautiful” in Shawnee. Neglected? Hear this: In 2008 the US Census Bureau ranked the city as the 24th fastest-growing in all of US. And CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked it No. 11 on its list of the “100 Best Cities to Live in the United States.” None talked about predatory White Supremacist ex-military personnel living there, ready to shoot down “foreigners” especially if they looked like “Iranians”. So what if they are highly educated Indians instead? Has this anything to do with your aversion to H1B visa holders?

“The stock market has gained almost three trillion dollars in value since the election on November 8th, a record.”
This is great. Way to go, Mr Trump. Your new economic and social policies… wait a second. What economic and social policies? You have some? And I thought all the industries that make the tech-heavy indices move have all voted against you. Haven’t they? So which industries have moved? Well, okay, you have appointed Rex Tillerson as your Secretary of State. Yes, that’s the reason. Yeah.

“We have placed a hiring freeze on non-military and non-essential Federal workers.”
Great, weren’t you supposed to generate more employment? Wasn’t that your campaign speech rhetoric? We thought job creation was going at a pretty fast clip in the late Barack Obama administration.

– “We have begun to drain the swamp of government corruption by imposing a 5-year ban on lobbying by executive branch officials.”
Great. There will be no lobbying any more. In India we, too, have no lobbying. It is bad karma. Some say your top appointees were the greatest lobbyists and political influencers in the US. We understand there aren’t any more left. Good for you.

“We have cleared the way for the construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines.”
Of course. America needs the oil it deserves, and to hell with the environment. And remember, there are billions of gallons more in Alaska.

“We have withdrawn the United States from the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership.”
That’s good. But job-killing? The partnership had not even laid out formal plans, nothing had started, nobody had been hired, and already jobs were being lost? That was bad.

– “To protect our citizens, I have directed the Justice Department to form a Task Force on Reducing Violent Crime.”
That task force is expected to comprise Whites only? Homogeneity is a good thing.

“We will stop the drugs from pouring into our country and poisoning our youth.”
Yes, that’s why you are building that wall. The simple, hardworking, family-minded White youths of America were being poisoned by all those “foreigners”. No wonder Adam Purinton shot down Srinivas Kuchibhotla in Olathe. If you aren’t White, you are either a terrorist or a drug dealer.

– “We will soon begin the construction of a great, great wall along our southern border.”
Finally, the wall. Let’s give you a tip. In India we have this project called MNREGA, where people dig trenches for nothing and get paid for it. Make your people rig the walls, then pay them good salaries and benefits. You will suddenly find a great number of walks to build, a great many years of huge employment.

“We are also taking strong measures to protect our nation from Radical Islamic Terrorism… It is not compassionate, but reckless, to allow uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting cannot occur… Those given the high honor of admission to the United States should support this country and love its people and its values… We cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists.”
Well, you have already tried the Travel Ban. We hear you are dropping Iraq in the new, improved Ban coming up. In India our Honourable Prime Minister Naredra Modi is saying the same things. Within the walls of the country, however, hate crimes are growing. We need to love our country more. We love Hindus in India, you love Whites in the US. So what’s the problem?

“As promised, I directed the Department of Defence to develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIS.”
Err… Mr Trump, we thought you had said you already HAD a secret plan? Why not share that with the Department of Defence?

“In the last 8 years, the past Administration has put on more new debt than nearly all other Presidents combined.”
Finally, you are right. Even when the government had no funds – it stopped, remember? – Obama had to spend. This is one point you really got right.

“Our trade deficit in goods with the world last year was nearly $800 billion.”
Yes, yes, the Chinese, remember? Dump your inexpensive products in China now. Let them suffer. Oh, sorry, you cannot produce in bulk, inexpensively.

– “Right now, American companies are taxed at one of the highest rates anywhere in the world.”
That’s why they have offices in places like Ireland, where they hardly tax you. The US has been okay with this for a long time.

– “Harley Davidson told me it’s hard to do business with others because other nations tax their motorcycles at 100 per cent. They didn’t ask for a change but I AM!
The world deserves Harleys at cheap prices. I agree. These are necessities. Like you export high-priced cancer drugs.

The rest were repetitions of the same, in different words – as per reality TV lingo, they then become different subjects. But we should stop somewhere.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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World Earth Day 2024: Google Doodle showcases aerial view of planet’s natural beauty

Google celebrated Earth Day 2024 with a special doodle featuring an aerial view of our planet’s biodiversity.

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Google shared a doodle today to celebrate World Earth Day 2024, which showcased aerial photos of the planet’s biodiversity and natural beauty. Google reminded us of the importance of protecting planet earth for future generations with the help of this doodle.

The Google letters depict specific locations across the globe where people, communities, and governments work every day to help protect the planet’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and resources, according to the explanation of the annual Earth Day 2024 doodle on their website.

It said, these examples remind us that there’s much more to do to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, but also offer the promise of hope and optimism.

The islands of Turks and Caicos are represented by the letter “G.” The islands’ conservation efforts are concentrated on protecting important regions for biodiversity and addressing persistent environmental problems.

The largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Scorpion Reef National Park, is represented by the letter “O” in the Mexican flag.

The letter “O” features Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park, which was designated as a national park in 2008 following decades of advocacy. The ecology within and surrounding the biggest glacier in Europe is safeguarded by this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The letter “G” has the Jau National Park in Brazil on it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest forest reserves in South America.

The Great Green Wall of Nigeria is represented by the letter “L,”  and the Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves of Australia are represented by the letter “E.”

Meanwhile, Earth Day is a worldwide event that promotes protection of the environment every year. April 22 serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and sustainable practices to guarantee a healthier world and a brighter future.

The occasion inspires people across the world to come together and take action to protect the environment, strengthening our bonds with nature and promoting good change.

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Bigg Boss 14 contestant Rahul Vaidya struggles walking in knee deep water, compares Dubai rains with Mumbai floods

Singer and TV personality Rahul Vaidya was recently stranded in the Dubai rains.

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Rahul Vaidya, who was in Dubai ahead of his show which was scheduled to take place today, left the country due to heavy rains and reached Kolkata. The artist shared on social media his encounters in the UAE city, including challenges like walking through knee-deep water. Rahul provided an update regarding the heavy rainfall in Dubai on his Instagram profile.

The Bigg Boss 14 contestant revealed that he was in Kolkata and prepared to do an evening performance. Recalling the terrifying period he went through, Vaidya said there was a lot of confusion and panic in Dubai. The situation was similar to that when heavy floods hit Mumbai in 2005.

Vaiday also posted seval other images and videos of cars that were underwater and flooded roadways. The Bigg Boss 14 contestant, who shared his ordeal, claimed that even though it had just rained for two hours, the situation was dire.

In one of the video, which went viral he can be seen struggling in walking in knee-deep water. He can be also seen holding his sneakers in one hand and with other hand he was seen managing other things.

This is the result of the two hours of rain that it had, he can be heard saying in the video. Vidya also said he dosen’t believe Dubai is accustomed to a lot of rain. Everything had stopped working, he remarked.

After taking part in the first season of the singing reality show Indian Idol, Rahul Vaidya gained widespread recognition. In addition to Bigg Boss, he took part in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11.

Meanwhile, heavy rains that triggered flooding in the UAE and Bahrain, which left 18 people dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday, have paralyzed the financial hub of the Middle East, Dubai.

A lot of incoming flights were diverted from Dubai’s international airport because of the rain. At 7:26 p.m., the busiest airport in the world for foreign visitors stopped accepting new arrivals; a gradual resumption was announced for more than two hours later.

Images of planes navigating flooded tarmacs are making the rounds on social media.

According to pictures shared on social media, the flagship malls Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both experienced heavy floods, while at least one Dubai Metro station had water up to the ankles.

There were several road collapses, severe flooding in residential areas, and numerous reports of leaks from windows, doors, and roofs.

Due to the unfavourable weather, schools around the United Arab Emirates were forced to close, and as more storms are predicted, the closures are anticipated to last until Wednesday. The government of Dubai allowed its staff to work remotely till this Wednesday.

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Dubai sky turns green during storm in UAE, video goes viral

The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain.

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1 person was killed in UAE as it witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, stranding commuters, flooding roads, disrupting trains and flights and resulting in water leakage from mall ceilings. The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain. It is being said that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.

The heavy rainfall in UAE came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Many parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which caused students to be trapped in buses and swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.

Videos from Dubai circulating on social media showed widespread waterlogging on roads in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other important cities. This left daily commuters in cars and other vehicles struggling to get back home. Dubai metro station too was seen flooded and closed.

One such video circulating on social media shows the aerial view of the city of Dubai from the top of a building. In the video the stormy winds are seen blowing over the city of Dubai. As the storm intensifies the Dubai sky turns green and ultimately gets covered by heavy rainfall. The video has gone viral on social media with more than 1.1 million views.

Another video showed water leakage from the ceilings of shopping malls, flooding the floors and destroying goods. A video which was shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Videos from many outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain showed escalators being rendered unusable. Majid Al Futtaim, the company which owns the Mall of Emirates, said that the shopping complexes have been kept open and the customers are being sent away from the flooded areas. 

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