Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Corruption ~ Changing Scenarios that Define the Corrupt

      
          The Harvard Business Review is running a very interesting and insightful story on how money in politics is having a deleterious and increasingly eroding effect on U.S. innovation and the economic environment that fosters the same.


How Corruption Is Strangling U.S. Innovation
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/12/how_corruption_is_strangling_us_innovation.html

An excerpt from the original entry:

" If there's been one topic that has entirely dominated the post-election landscape, it's the fiscal cliff. Will taxes be raised? Which programs will be cut? Who will blink first in negotiations? For all the talk of the fiscal cliff, however, I believe the US is facing a much more serious problem, one that has simply not been talked about at all: corruption. But this isn't the overt, "bartering of government favors in return for private kickbacks" corruption. Instead, this type of corruption has actually been legalized. And it is strangling both US competitiveness, and the ability for US firms to innovate.

The corruption to which I am referring is the phenomenon of money in politics.

..Somehow, it seems that every time that [Mickey Mouse] is about to enter the public domain, Congress has passed a bill to extend the length of copyright. Congress has paid no heed to research or calls for reform; the only thing that matters to determining the appropriate length of copyright is how old Mickey is. Rather than create an incentive to innovate and develop new characters, the present system has created the perverse situation where it makes more sense for Big Content to make campaign contributions to extend protection for their old work.if you were in any doubt how deep inside the political system the system of contributions have allowed incumbents to insert their hands, take a look at what happened when the Republican Study Committee released a paper pointing out some of the problems with current copyright regime. The debate was stifled within 24 hours. And just for good measure, Rep Marsha Blackburn, whose district abuts Nashville and who received more money from the music industry than any other Republican congressional candidate, apparently had the author of the study, Derek Khanna, fired. Sure, debate around policy is important, but it's clearly not as important as raising campaign funds.

       ..Ars Technica reports that Derek Khanna is getting axed over his memo detailing the conflict between laissez-faire-oriented free market ideals and the regulatory monopoly that is copyright. 'The Republican Study Committee, a caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives, has told staffer Derek Khanna that he will be out of a job when Congress re-convenes in January. The incoming chairman of the RSC, Steve Scalise (R-LA) was approached by several Republican members of Congress who were upset about a memo Khanna wrote advocating reform of copyright law. They asked that Khanna not be retained, and Scalise agreed to their request. "

“Greed & Power-lust is a weed that grows only in the vacant lots of an abandoned mind. ” ~Ayn Rand

           The multifaceted Intent and the efforts to control and curb corruption increases levels of trust in the ability of institutions to effectively enforce laws/rules of trade in a fair manner. With varied periods of time pervasive bureaucracy and increasing red tape also tends to create a stagnant climate where corruption can and will flourish, with officials often demanding bribes for the myriad permits needed to carry on business among several other things. Entities and groups with a political and financial upper hand often tend to dominate and predate in a market such as this. High handed corruption as a result continues to remain a major deterrent to distributed and diverse economic activity. Often a better control of corruption has been historically associated with rising levels of innovation and entrepreneurship. Absence of such a critical and defining trust, would invariably restrict the scale and scope of trade and inversely effect productivity and investment in innovation and entrepreneurship.

        Yes, the puzzling relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation, and corruption suggests corruption is inversely correlated to economic growth, entrepreneurship and innovation. That is, beyond all debates and arguments several studies across the globe conclude that as corruption goes up, economic indicators go down. The scope/effects of corruption on business is mediated and outlined by several factors, all of which are related to the ability to reliably enforce rules that promote fair trade and transparency.

“Political corruption, social greed, and Americanized quasi-socialism can ruin even the most wonderful places. California proved that.” 

~Tiffany Madison

         Entrepreneurs and innovators are motivated by the portion of the value created by the venture that they are able to capture for themselves. As corruption increases, entrepreneurs face the risk of losing some of those profits to opportunists taking advantage of the corruption on the value chain. As a result, some potential entrepreneurs become discouraged and abstain from pursuing new business opportunities. The dampening effect of corruption has often been compared with that of taxes. Under this school of thought, corruption would differ from taxation only in the lack of public revenue generated. No matter the depth or potential of their innovations, all of their efforts to solve challenging industrial/social/economic problems could be stymied and nullified by corruption and unscrupulousness that favor the connections and short-term gain of a few over the long-term benefit of the industries they serve, the economy and the populace. Corruption is one of the most restrictive and intractable issues around the world, It is comparable to a wider and deplorable socio-economic disease that pervades and plagues entire cultures and economies  It inhibits the development of a stable and prosperous economy and the flourishing of an active democracy and citizen sector. Demanding transparency and fostering a culture in the public and private sector of accountability and  rule of law is perhaps the only real feasible approach to tackling this issue in the United States.

Sincerely,

Jai Krishna Ponnappan

------------P.S-------------

Blessed is The Fruitful Hand

“Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist.” 
~Edmund Burke

“Evil is not just a theory of paradox, but an actual entity that exists only for itself. From its ether of manifestation that is garlanded in perpetual darkness, it not only influences and seeks the ruination and destruction of everything that resides in our universe, but rushes to embrace its own oblivion as well.

To accomplish this, however, it must hide within the shroud of lies and deceit it spins to manipulate the weak-minded as well as those who choose to ally themselves with it for their own personal gain. For evil must rely on the self-serving interests of the arrogant, the lustful, the power-hungry, the hateful, and the greedy to feed and proliferate. This then becomes the condition of evil’s existence: the baneful ideologies of those who wantonly chose to ignore the needs and rights of others, inducing oppression, fear, pain, and even death throughout the cosmos. And by these means, evil seeks to supplant the balance of the universe with its perverse nature. 

And once all that was good has been extinguished by corruption or annihilation, evil will then turn upon and consume what remains: particularly its immoral servants who have assisted its purpose so well … along with itself. And within that terrible instant of unimaginable exploding quantum fury, it will burn brighter than a trillion galaxies to herald its moment of ultimate triumph. But a moment is all that it shall be. And a micro-second later when the last amber burns and flickers out to the demise of dissolving ash, evil will leave its legacy of a totally devoid universe as its everlasting monument to eternal death.”
~ by Adam Turquine. The excerpt is taken from the sequel to 'Beyond Mars Crimson Fleet'

“When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads.” ~ Ron Paul

CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX 2012

            Looking at the Corruption Perceptions Index 2012, it's clear that corruption is a major threat facing humanity.


         
           Corruption destroys lives and communities, and undermines countries and institutions. It generates popular anger that threatens to further destabilize societies and exacerbate violent conflicts.

            The Corruption Perceptions Index scores countries on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). While no country has a perfect score, two-thirds of countries score below 50, indicating a serious corruption problem.

           Corruption translates into human suffering, with poor families being extorted for bribes to see doctors or to get access to clean drinking water. It leads to failure in the delivery of basic services like education or healthcare. It derails the building of essential infrastructure, as corrupt leaders skim funds.

          Corruption amounts to a dirty tax, and the poor and most vulnerable are its primary victims.

So, How do we Counter the Effects of Public Sector Corruption?

              *Governments need to integrate anti-corruption actions into all aspects of decision-making. 
              *They must prioritize better rules on lobbying and political financing. 
               *They must make public spending and contracting more transparent, and make public bodies more accountable.

              After a year with a global focus on corruption, we expected more governments to take a tougher stance against the abuse of power. The Corruption Perceptions Index results demonstrate that there are still many societies and governments that need to give a much higher priority to this issue.

~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan

Toward Soviet America ? | An Appeal to Learn from the Mistakes of the Past

        

                This is a comment in response to a very interesting take on America by Xavier Lerma of Pravda posted on Liberty Newswire. It is easy to forget the past and to keep on persisting forward illogically, but there is quiet plainly a lot that needs to be learnt from history, not just our own but theirs as well. I apologize to many of my liberal friends reading this and especially those who work in the media industry. I believe that one can really learn a lot no matter where they are from, in that you have grown and done really well as directed and instructed to successfully propagate and promote all the many strong sentiments to the contrary and to give shape and power to this blinding and overpowering fanaticism over the last few years. It is indeed really hurtful and baffling to be labelled illiterate. I'd like to think and imagine that perhaps being gullible, irrational and willing is what has portrayed us with an otherwise undeserving, uncharacteristic and shameful identity such as this.

My response to the article,

Obama's Soviet Mistake

        

                   "Whatever concept one may hold, from a metaphysical point of view, concerning the freedom of the will, certainly its appearances, which are human actions, like every other natural event, are determined by universal laws. However obscure their causes, history, which is concerned with narrating these appearances, permits us to hope that if we attend to the play of freedom of the human will in the large, we may be able to discern a regular movement in it, and that what seems complex and chaotic in the single individual may be seen from the standpoint of the human race as a whole to be a steady and progressive though slow evolution of its original endowment." 

~ Immanuel Kant.

Taken from, "Idea for a Universal History from a Cosmopolitan Point of View" (1784)

             Perhaps it ought to be considered more of a concise summary and a gist, outlining the World's perspective of this country and the tough times and challenging position it finds itself in. Strong Words of Advice and more importantly a very well defined Warning to all the powers that usurp Freedom and dare to prevail against Free men. The only thing a lot of Americans would do well to read over and over again is what Putin said regarding the military, "...instead of solving the problem, militarization pushes it to a deeper level. It draws away from the economy immense financial and material resources, which could have been used much more efficiently elsewhere." , he has all the backing this country and the NWO can never even imagine or dream of at this stage. They hate what happened to them in their painful history and they rarely ever try to conceal the facts, their pain or their shame..... It's only beneficial and apt that such voices of solidarity and concern be heard.

"Mankind is so much the same, in all times and places, that history informs us of nothing new or strange in this particular. Its chief use is only to discover the constant and universal principles of human nature." 

~ David Hume

Here's the original post as seen on Pravda,


            "Putin in 2009 outlined his strategy for economic success. Alas, poor Obama did the opposite but nevertheless was re-elected. Bye, bye Miss American Pie. The Communists have won in America with Obama but failed miserably in Russia with Zyuganov who only received 17% of the vote. Vladimir Putin was re-elected as President keeping the NWO order out of Russia while America continues to repeat the Soviet mistake.

After Obama was elected in his first term as president the then Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin gave a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January of 2009. Ignored by the West as usual, Putin gave insightful and helpful advice to help the world economy and saying the world should avoid the Soviet mistake.

Recently, Obama has been re-elected for a 2nd term by an illiterate society and he is ready to continue his lies of less taxes while he raises them. He gives speeches of peace and love in the world while he promotes wars as he did in Egypt, Libya and Syria. He plans his next war is with Iran as he fires or demotes his generals who get in the way.

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." 

~ George Santayana 

Putin said regarding the military,
"...instead of solving the problem, militarization pushes it to a deeper level. It draws away from the economy immense financial and material resources, which could have been used much more efficiently elsewhere."

Well, any normal individual understands that as true but liberalism is a psychosis . O'bomber even keeps the war going along the Mexican border with projects like "fast and furious" and there is still no sign of ending it.  He is a Communist without question promoting the Communist Manifesto without calling it so. How shrewd he is in America. His cult of personality mesmerizes those who cannot go beyond their ignorance. They will continue to follow him like those fools who still praise Lenin and Stalin in Russia.  Obama's fools and Stalin's fools share the same drink of illusion.

Reading Putin's speech without knowing the author, one would think it was written by Reagan or another conservative in America. The speech promotes smaller government and less taxes. It comes as no surprise to those who know Putin as a conservative. Vladimir Putin went on to say:





"...we are reducing taxes on production, investing money in the economy. We are optimizing state expenses.

 The second possible mistake would be excessive interference into the economic life of the country and the absolute faith into the all-mightiness of the state.

There are no grounds to suggest that by putting the responsibility over to the state, one can achieve better results.

Unreasonable expansion of the budget deficit, accumulation of the national debt - are as destructive as an adventurous stock market game.

During the time of the Soviet Union the role of the state in economy was made absolute, which eventually lead to the total non-competitiveness of the economy. That lesson cost us very dearly. I am sure no one would want history to repeat itself."

President Vladimir Putin could never have imagined anyone so ignorant or so willing to destroy their people like Obama much less seeing millions vote for someone like Obama. They read history in America don't they? Alas, the schools in the U.S. were conquered by the Communists long ago and history was revised thus paving the way for their Communist presidents. Obama has bailed out those businesses that voted for him and increased the debt to over 16 trillion with an ever increasing unemployment rate especially among blacks and other minorities. All the while promoting his agenda.

"We must seek support in the moral values that have ensured the progress of our civilization. Honesty and hard work, responsibility and faith in our strength are bound to bring us success."- Vladimir Putin

The red, white and blue still flies happily but only in Russia. Russia still has St George defeating the Dragon with the symbol of the cross on its' flag. The ACLU and other atheist groups in America would never allow the US flag with such religious symbols. Lawsuits a plenty against religious freedom and expression in the land of the free. Christianity in the U.S. is under attack as it was during the early period of the Soviet Union when religious symbols were against the law.   

Let's give American voters the benefit of the doubt and say it was all voter fraud and not ignorance or stupidity in electing a man who does not even know what to do and refuses help from Russia when there was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Instead we'll say it's true that the Communists usage of electronic voting was just a plan to manipulate the vote. Soros and his ownership of the company that counts the US votes in Spain helped put their puppet in power in the White House. According to the Huffington Post, residents in all 50 states have filed petitions to secede from the Unites States. We'll say that these Americans are hostages to the Communists in power. How long will their government reign tyranny upon them?

Russia lost its' civil war with the Reds and millions suffered torture and death for almost 75 years under the tyranny of the United Soviet Socialist Republic. Russians survived with a new and stronger faith in God and ever growing Christian Church. The question is how long will the once "Land of the Free" remain the United Socialist States of America?  Their suffering has only begun. Bye bye Miss American Pie!  You know the song you hippies. Sing it! Don't you remember? 

The 1971 hit song by American song writer Don McLean :)

"And, as I watched him on the stage my hands were clenched in fists of rage.

No angel born in Hell could break that Satan's spell

And, as the flames climbed high into the night to light the sacrificial rite, I saw...

Satan laughing with delight the day the music died

He was singing, bye bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry

Them good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singing...

This'll be the day that I die

This'll be the day that I die

So, the question remains:

How long will America suffer and to what depths?"

"History is for human self-knowledge ... the only clue to what man can do is what man has done. The value of history, then, is that it teaches us what man has done and thus what man is." 

~ R. G. Collingwood 

Thoughts, Prayers.....

& Best Regards,

Jai Krishna Ponnappan

Ref. http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/19-11-2012/122849-obama_soviet_mistake-0/

Image: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=511381688880848&set=a.370676586284693.91483.275406119145074&type=1

Caught Colluding with the Gas Industry ~ New Testimony Alleges Corruption at the Pennsylvania DEP

           The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has created incomplete lab reports and used them to dismiss complaints that Marcellus Shale gas development operations have contaminated residential water supplies and made people sick, according to court documents and other sources.

          As a result, state Rep. Jesse White, D-Cecil, today called on state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate the DEP for "alleged misconduct and fraud" described in sworn depositions in a civil case currently in Washington County Common Pleas Court.

         "This is beyond outrageous," Mr. White said in a press release. "Anyone who relied on the DEP for the truth about whether their water has been impacted by drilling activities has apparently been intentionally deprived of critical health and safety information by their own government."

Ref: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/marcellusshale/state-representative-calls-for-probe-of-dep-water-testing-reports-660215/#ixzz2B7hEvjsl

THE SKY IS PINK 

by Josh Fox and the GASLAND Team

        This  is an emergency short film from Josh Fox, the Oscar-nominated director of GASLAND addressing the urgent crisis of drilling and fracking in New York state. 

Go to NYAgainstfracking.org for more info and to get involved. Connect with us at https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkersAgainstFracking
http://twitter.com/#!/NYAgainstFRACK

Posting this via Josh Fox (Filmmaker, Activist) Follow and find out more at,

http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/

Outrage, But No Surprise At DEP Corruption Charge

         Fellow citizens of Pennsylvania, we have a serious problem.  The suspicion that PA DEP is colluding with the gas industry, a belief long held by many living in the Marcellus Shale, has just been supported by the sworn testimony of two whistleblowers.  

      
        Two employees from within the PA DEP, Taru Upadhyay and John Carson, have given depositions describing outrageous breaches of trust by the PA DEP, alleging they deliberately failed to report the presence of metals, which are known hydrofracking-related contaminants, in water wells it tested in the Marcellus Shale:

Aluminum
Copper
Silicon
Lithium
Molybdenum
Zinc
Nickel 
Cobalt
Titanium
Boron
In addition, the following volatile organic compounds commonly found in the Fracking process were also found in the wells and not reported:
Acteone
Chloroform
T-butyl alcohol

         Don Hopey has been reporting in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the DEP has systematically been producing incomplete lab reports on water wells affected by hydraulic fracturing and has been using those tainted reports to refute the claims of those Pennsylvanians whose water has been affected by drilling operations.
       
        These are VERY serious allegations.  People in PA usually only request water testing by the DEP because they suspect their water has been contaminated.  PA Rep. Jesse White is rightly calling for a State and Federal investigation.  If the PA DEP has been deliberately altering or obstructing test data and telling people their water was safe, then, as Rep. White says "anyone who relied on the DEP for the truth about whether their water has been  impacted by drilling activities has apparently been intentionally deprived of critical health and safety information by their own government".

         Many throughout PA have waited months for DEP water test results, only to find out that they were mysteriously hung-up in Harrisburg.  many have experienced disceprancies between the costly independent water tests they ordered from private labs and "official" test results from the DEP.  As a result, many have long suspected misconduct or some form of obstruction at work within the DEP.  I'm one of them.  But this week's revelations are jaw-dropping for even the most jaded conspiracy theorist.   They leave me shocked and outraged.
          
         This egregious behavior represents a naked example of putting corporate profits ahead of public health and safety, even at the cost of poisoning our water and our faith in government.
What a sad contrast with what we've seen in the last week as federal, state and municipal governments mobilized an unprecedented and moving response to Hurricane Sandy.  All across the eastern seaboard we are mourning the lives taken by this storm and sending our thoughts to those whose loved ones have been lost.  While we reel from its effects, we're also aggrieved that these extreme weather events, which grow in intensity and destructiveness every year, are only beginning to be acknowledged as effects of climate change.  


         Fracking and other extreme techniques for extracting and increasing our reliance on fossil fuels only stand to make it worse.
         
         Pennsylvania's citizens have had enough of being exploited by big oil and gas.  They deserve an immediate and thorough investigation into this brazen, and what seems to be illegal conduct of Krancer and Corbett's DEP.  If the whistleblower's allegations and the Post-Gazette's reporting turn out to be true, we should call for the impeachment and/or recall of the Corbett administration.

Posted by Jai Krishna Ponnappan

Blessed are the Peacemakers

         
        This a comment in response to an interesting article pertaining to a very important subject seen on Truthout.org . You'll find the original post here.

"It's Not About Religion: A Conversation With Author and Middle East Expert Gregory Harms

Image Ref. http://truth-out.org/news/item/11967-its-not-about-religion-a-conversation-with-author-and-middle-east-expert-gregory-harms "

 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." 
~ Matthew 5:9 

             I understand why there is always a perennial chain of thought speculating and theorizing around the facts that visit this subject with time. One can only sincerely appeal to others that they never fail to consider and examine all of the many key multi-billion dollar industries that have vested interests and more subtle agendas. These are well and truly here to stay and are linked from both here in the West to much of the middle east. Off course, there are always serious concerns that need to be addressed with a multi faceted and multi-lateral approach, aside from this both Geo-politics and strategic military advances are merely manipulated fronts and manufactured cases that take care of several interests and self serving benefits. 

Always try to think critically while getting to the roots of why, when and how these destabilizing and volatile social upheavals and turbulence have come about. There is always an intrusive nose searching for opportunities to dominate and enter through the crack and commence with a clearly defined and demarcated cycle of exploitation. 

The big questions: Why Not? Who is to Stop? ~ We are not men we are advanced primates, slaves of our own habits... with a really long... long way to go before we become fully Human. I greatly admire some of the voices coming from the Left here in America, the only problem is they seem to be a little ahead of their time and out of place in world that promotes hate, manipulation and war. We can only prepare with prayers for peace and hope. It is sad indeed how some war mongering monsters can't even do that.

Thoughts & Prayers For Peace, Love and our higher needs as Humanity.

Sincerely,

Jai Krishna Ponnappan.

Taxes and Leadership ? It's Your Money ~ Demand Fiscal Responsibility and Transparency !

        
        
          This is a comment in response to an interesting statement by Angus King, a Maine independent for US senate.

The original message, 

"I will not sign any pledge that limits my ability to represent Maine. "

Image Ref. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=438060762898471&set=a.351838554854026.76499.344010372303511&type=1&relevant_count=1 

         This is a highly debatable and crucial subject of great concern and grave consequences for many of us and this Nation. Given national politics and the directions taken at the center, it's easy to understand why many might be inclined to follow suit and make such ill-conceived associations. I agree that it plays an essential role but taxes alone don't make or break leadership. 

Taxes factor into the economic climate and environment, and eventually impact/affect people, investors, enterprises, their sentiments and the decisions they make. 

Governments have a responsibility towards All people, they are answerable the most when it comes to hindering growth and progress in the pursuit of excessive governance, regulation, taxation and similar socialist agendas.


P.S ~ This is an educational and insightful video, but it still does not touch upon or factor in the Human component and volatility stated above,




Sincerely,

Jai Krishna Ponnappan

P.S ~ I hope others can learn from this, it can be understandably difficult to walk that thin line. I'd like to add that Angus has outlined his plans and intentions for a lowered tax rate here,

Ref.http://angus2012.com/issues/#TaxReform

" Implementing tax reform :

Federal tax law is too complex – it takes over 73,000 pages for the Standard Federal Tax Reporter to explain the federal tax code. 

The tax structure must be simplified and reformed to lower rates, close loopholes, and ensure that everyone is paying their fair share – this includes the wealthiest Americans. 

I was in favor of ending the Bush-era tax cuts immediately, but after continued poor employment numbers, we need a more nuanced approach. 

We should consider pegging the sunset of these tax cuts to something non-arbitrary, like a certain amount of GDP growth, or a lower level of unemployment. This would avoid the unproductive brinkmanship that Congress engages in over this issue – and could prevent our fragile recovery from being further slowed down."

Polar Bear S . O . S ~ A breakthrough for polar bears if we can mobilize today

            

Last Friday the Russian Federation sent a letter to the Obama Administration promising that Russia would support a resolution to ban the international polar bear fur trade if the U.S. government introduces it.

Now we must prevail on the Administration to seize this extraordinary opportunity -- and we must do it quickly. The deadline for our government to submit a resolution is this Thursday, October 4.

The White House needs to hear from you immediately.




       
             Please send a message urging President Obama to lead the way globally by proposing a ban on the commercial trade in polar bear parts at the next meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

This ban could help end one of the biggest threats to polar bear populations. Despite the growing threats of climate change, toxic pollution and oil development that jeopardize the very existence of polar bears, hunters continue to kill hundreds of them every year -- and are allowed to sell their body parts legally in the international market.

That madness must end -- for the sake of polar bear survival. But time runs out this Thursday.

Urge President Obama to champion global polar bear protection right now -- so that Russia and other nations will follow.

Unless we are ALL still living like.... 

We should all be against fur.

       There is NO way someone can justify the brutal treatment and then murder of animals JUST FOR FASHION! it's absolutely appalling  when we have made so many synthetic fibers that require no abuse of animals and look EXACTLY the same! I cannot wrap my mind around why someone would ever wear the fur of an animal that was hunted down or treated so terribly and then killed, and actually support all of this!

        It is environmentally damaging, cruel, unsustainable and unnatural. Fur trappers  and hunters disrupt the ecosystems by trapping animals and create imbalances. Fur farmers raise the animals in such unclean conditions that feces and urine among other filth is dumped directly into the ground and water supply. Many species of animals have also gone extinct or become endangered due to the fur industry's practices. It's gross and insulting. Many people who wear fur are examples of people who are willing to spend thousands of dollars for all of the above to happen, just so they can show off their wealth.  Humans hunt down, kill and skin animals for fur.... for mere luxury. There is an end in sight to this madness. Choose an end before it's too late and you've slipped down enough to become unworthy of that choice.

PLEASE HELP STOP THE HUNTING OF POLAR BEARS FOR PROFIT!

      Polar bears are well and truly threatened.  Their lives are affected by any change in global climate.  Such a climate change may be caused by several factors including humans introducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.  Polar bears require the large amounts of ice present in the Arctic for survival.  Although most polar bears live far from heavily populated human areas, pollution still has adverse effects.  Chemical pollutants travel by wind and precipitation, eventually reaching even the most remote arctic regions.  These pollutants will then carry through the food chain and accumulate within predators like polar bears, resulting in disease and eventually death.  Drilling, mining, fishing, hunting and the broad spectra of other human interactions also threaten the lives of polar bears.

Cruelty for Profits and 

the Vanity of Ugly Hearts

          People who kill animals and make coats out of their skins make money out of it, and people who wear the coats think they look glamorous. The fur trade tries to advertise fur as ‘natural’ to hide the horrific and unnatural way that the animals are imprisoned on fur farms, hunted or trapped in the wild, and then killed.

It's Time for a ban on the Commercial Trade in Polar Bear
Put an end to this sickening Cruelty

        Despite the growing threats of climate change, toxic pollution and oil development that jeopardize the very existence of polar bears, hunters continue to kill hundreds of them every year -- and are allowed to sell their body parts legally in the international market.

Call on President Obama to lead the way globally by proposing an urgently-needed ban on the commercial trade in polar bear parts at the next meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Please add your signature to the petition available on the link below,

https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2887&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=af1l6w9kx9.app304a

Letter of appeal,


"Dear President Obama:

The Russian Federation recently promised that it would support a resolution to ban the international polar bear fur trade if your administration introduces it. I fervently hope you will seize this opportunity for global polar bear protection.

With polar bears gravely threatened by climate change, we must take all possible measures to limit other deadly pressures on them, including the international trade in their body parts. Scientists estimate that rising temperatures will cause two-thirds of the world's polar bear populations to go extinct by 2050. Their populations cannot afford to be hunted simply to meet the international demand for polar bear rugs.

At the last meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) two years ago, your administration sponsored an urgently-needed proposal to ban the global trade in polar bear parts. That initial effort failed to get enough votes and since then, the situation for polar bears has only gotten worse. 

In advance of the next meeting of CITES in March 2013, please lead the way again. With Russia now willing to vote for a ban, we are in striking distance of success if you move the issue. Please do so now for the sake of polar bear survival. "

Thank you for answering the polar bear’s SOS. 

Sincerely
Jai Krishna Ponnappan

P.S ~ JOIN US AND SAY NO TO THIS SICKENING, CRUEL, HEARTLESS AND BARBARIC TRADE

https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2887&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=af1l6w9kx9.app304a


UPDATE as of 9th October 2012: 

A copy of the letter I received, 

" Dear Jai Krishna,


VICTORY FOR POLAR BEARS! 



I have great news to share. 

The Obama Administration has just announced that it will support an upgrade in international protection for polar bears. 

If it passes, that increased protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) will help end trophy hunting and stop the global trade in polar bear body parts.

This breakthrough would not have happened without your activism. In recent weeks more than 100,000 of you wrote to the White House, asking President Obama to stand up for polar bears. 

And you were heard! 

I’m asking you to send a message to President Obama right now and thank him for doing the right thing for the sake of polar bear survival. 

But please know that this fight is far from over. 

Between now and March 2013, when the CITES treaty talks take place, we will have to expand our campaign to make sure that other key nations line up with America’s pro-polar-bear position. 

So much is at stake: each year hundreds of polar bears are still being hunted as trophies, with their pelts and body parts traded globally. Canada, which is home to two-thirds of the world’s polar bears and includes some of the world’s most important polar bear habitat, still allows both trophy hunting and commercial trade. 

If the polar bear is to survive, we must end these destructive practices by upgrading polar bear protection under CITES. 

Around the world, NRDC has played a leading role on this issue. Our team recently traveled to Geneva to advocate polar bear conservation with the CITES Standing Committee, and we partnered with allies in Norway and the European Union to build international momentum. 

Most importantly, our team helped secure the support of Russia -- a key player in polar bear conservation -- for the US proposal. 

Over the next few months I’ll be updating you as the CITES treaty talks approach -- and asking you to take more action to maximize our chances of success. 

In the meantime, please take a few minutes to savor this victory -- and please send your thanks to President Obama for leading the way internationally. 

Thank you again for helping to make this breakthrough possible. 


Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President  "

Women have the Right to Control their Fertility and Fate

             This is in response to a post on Capitalism Institute,

Here's the original post,

"Birth control isn't a right. Having sex whenever you want isn't a right. Putting a gun to a rich stranger's head so you can force him to give you money to buy birth control to have sex with another man also isn't a right.

If you can't afford to buy some birth control, you have no business risking a pregnancy. And you definitely have no business forcing me to pay for it all. Abstinence is free.

That I have to write this out is sad. That the man occupying the White House doesn't agree with me is just pathetic."

Ref.https://www.facebook.com/CapitalismInstitute/posts/412291775492631

My response,

             I agree that forcing others to pay for someone else's birth control isn't fair. I hope and wish this is made clear that efforts to assist birth control is not restricted to this Nation alone, there is a very urgent need all around the Globe to ensure that both men and women have access to these. 

I know it's not possible for any of us to argue with the rest of the world or reason with them as to why they should abstain or shouldn't concern themselves with reproduction. 

The big problem is even the most impoverished person in the poorest countries of the world seems to have needs and is also managing to reproduce to a certain extent. 

What comes after a child is born is even harder for any form of welfare to manage. Please make an effort to understand why   birth control is both beneficial and fundamentally essential.  

A video message all the way from down under,


Ref. http://www.engagemedia.org/Members/pc/videos/clinic-22aug09_transcoded.mpg/view

Cottingham et al. (2012) writing in The Lancet put forth seven measures required by the human rights standards of international law for governments to eliminate unmet need for family planning and achieve universal access to contraceptive information and services:
    
       Governments have a formal legal obligation to do all they reasonably can to put these measures in place as a matter of urgent priority, and failing to do so without a compelling reason places them in breach of binding international treaty obligations pertaining to health and human rights. 

Cottingham et al. recommend that governments, NGOs, health-care providers and citizen advocates act to compel enforcement of these obligations to secure the existence and support of effective and inclusive birth control policies, improve the quality of reproductive health services, and achieve universal access to reproductive health including family planning. Guidance and assistance are available to help meet these obligations. 

For example, a World Health Organization publication can help identify inconsistencies between national laws and international human rights obligations (e.g., denying unmarried women contraceptive services.) http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/7/09-063412.pdf 

       WHO staff can assist with removal of such barriers to access to and the provision of high quality sexual and reproductive health services, which can help meet the considerable remaining need for family planning.


Sincerely,

Jai Krishna Ponnappan

Is Japan another Tibet ? Why Thieving Senkaku from Japan isn't all that easy

            This is a comment in response to a well written but hopelessly one sided opinion on The New York Times,

An excerpt from the original entry,

"For months now the waters around Japan have been teeming with territorial disputes, first with South Korea and now with China and Taiwan. The virulence of this latest Chinese-Japanese spat is chilling, and there’s no end in sight.

Neither history nor geography are clear on the complicated ownership of the tiny islets called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. In this sensitive period of political transitions in both countries, wisdom would have dictated restraint. But in April, Shintaro Ishihara, the influential governor of Tokyo, threatened to buy the disputed islands from their private owners. His taunting forced the normally measured prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, to take a hard stance by announcing the national government’s purchase of the isles."

Ref.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/29/opinion/japan-is-flexing-the-wrong-muscles.html?ref=global-asia&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_ae_20120928&_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/29/world/asia/china-alters-its-strategy-in-dispute-with-japan.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_ae_20120928 "

Is Japan another Tibet ?

        I understand the geography seems quite clear but may be there has been some dust being deliberately kicked up to conveniently rewrite/repaint history. 

        It's really strange and troubling to understand why the author seems to entertain and blindly support the claims by China and Taiwan when the islands have historically been controlled by Japan. It's easy to manufacture a dispute by claiming what belongs to another, it is ridiculous to support, tolerate and promote people who resort to staging and engaging in such devious tactics.

        Given the regime, its ambitions and some serious intelligence leaks, one can't help but make and permanently seal a defensive purchase. This is yet another case of more bullying by China. To much of the international community Tibet remains a forgotten story and a shamelessly neglected Human tragedy. Was is it the same sense of legitimacy that prevailed when they tried to lay claim to Taiwan as well? If it weren't for American intervention, it would have been just another Tibet. Which has led to the Taiwan coast being one of the most heavily fortified coast line in the world.

It's really amazing, amusing and pathetic at times to see just how many here in the West are busy su*king up to the leadership in China.

Sincerely,
Jai Krishna Ponnappan

Fight this Heartless Abomination ~ Stop Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking

 
        This is a comment in response to a post seen on the page Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This is a remarkable and wonderful page I greatly admire, love and support.

Here is the original post,


" Nicholas Kristof writes about President Obama's speech on human trafficking today, and notes that pressure from the public makes a difference:
"On the India/Nepal border, I once chatted with an Indian policeman who was on the lookout for terrorists and smuggled DVDs but was uninterested in the streams of Nepali girls passing through, destined for the brothels in Bombay and Kolkata. The policeman explained that America was pressuring India on movie piracy, so let’s show India and the world that we’re also concerned with enslaved children."

Please help Nicholas and the Half the Sky Movement show the world that we will not tolerate modern slavery. Share this column, raise your voice, and tune in to the Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide documentary on PBS Oct. 1 and 2 at 9pm/8pm CT. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/opinion/kristof-in-obamas-speech-their-voices.html?ref=opinion

Link Review : These former sex slaves said the president gave the voiceless a voice in his landmark speech against Human trafficking. Let's hope this is a turning point.

My response,
                   I greatly commend and admire the president for making this statement and I hope that this sentiment can transform into affirmative actions, commitments and much needed efforts. Without taking anything away from this I'd also like to add these few words of caution and question.

         " Modern day slavery and trafficking is a sickening  organized crime perpetrated on most occasions with the full awareness, cooperation and consent of authority figures and the establishment. For anyone who has gone beyond just questioning a cop or repeatedly been severe enough in reprimanding him with a slap on his career, they can with absolute certainty state that it takes a whole lot more muscle than just a speech, the assertion of political will or even its good intentions. Think of those women and girls as your own sisters and mothers, would you let this happen to them in that case.... ? "

Here are a few other messages related to this painful subject that I had posted earlier in the past few days,

Please connect with them on facebook, Trade of Innocents - the movie producer Laurie Bolthouse along with Mira Sorvino and Mr. Yury Fedotov of UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime speaking at the Mashable Social Good Summit.

Here is the official trailer,

Please support this film and help bring to light and fight this heartless and cruel abomination,




      To conclude this entry I would like to add a brief message to caution you that as we approach these elections people here in America often tend to polarize and act in a rather needlessly hostile way while politicizing certain key social issues that have nothing to do with politics but rather are demons that plague our society as a whole at all times. 
     Please refrain from using these or taking advantage of such a sensitive subject in an attempt to leverage support or gain votes, however passionately you may otherwise at odd times feel about the struggle against this sick, cruel and heartless abomination.

Here is another example of a stranger intrusively going for it with a tinge of extremism in their tone after seeing that independent people, voters, commentators and thinkers, are in the habit of supporting conservatives and republicans when they are caught in the right side of morality among other things.

The original post along with the comments can be viewed at the link below,

https://www.facebook.com/Jai.Krishna.Ponnappan/posts/442397335799691

The petition I had signed and shared. Please review and sign it if you haven't already done so. Thanks
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/137/612/805/?cid=FB_TAF

Marisa: It hurts. But who can do anything to stop that? Pride and greed are taking over the souls and there are too many selfish and egotist people who don't care about anyone but themselves.

Me: It is not merely about selfishness or egotism, that is prevalent everywhere a man can cast his eyes around here with very few rare exceptions if any. The Truth about slavery and human trafficking has more to do with sadism, a lack of empathy, immorality and exploitation. It costs money, power and political muscle to really fight or challenge this. I am not fully aware of the situation in Canada. To my knowledge Human trafficking and slavery here in the North East of the U.S.A ranging from Virginia to the tri-state is fully linked with organized criminal rings that are extremely hard to encounter and prosecute. Collecting evidence in itself has been life threatening, a real nightmare for those who dare to care. And yes, you are reasonably right there is only so much that a cop, an investigation or a court can do but this is a tireless and ongoing fight. Unfortunately people in general are not very aware or concerned despite running several campaigns to try and enlighten and spread the message.

Marisa: Please, read this article. I went to the premier of this documentary film and I interviewed Michael Cory, the producer for my webpage, some years ago. He has been helping organizations who are fighting sex trafficking for years. It's very frustrating and yes, it's about perverts that are besides full of greed. They buy people who are not perverts but they only care about money. That's why it's so difficult to find their hiding places. And what about the men who go there and pay for raping the minors?? Yes, I'll share.

http://artistinterviews.com/web/content.php?idE=261&pag=1

Marisa: I already shared and signed the petition. Do the same, please.

Me: Thank You so much Marisa and thanks for the reminder as well. As it is mentioned in the link review above " JaiKrishna just added signature #3,026 to the petition." Thank You for sharing. Have a nice day.

The true cause for the first initiating statement was a message posted a few minutes earlier in response to this post,

View it here,
https://www.facebook.com/CapitalismInstitute/posts/408673672521108

" .....This is why small businesses are disappearing in America. When you have high taxes, it makes it more difficult for people to keep their heads above water. "

My response : "Point well made. It's amazing how this country has changed, it feels like it's owned by another..... It has reached a point where it is very well a measurable risk and potential disadvantage staying here. From what I've seen it's only things like Family, personal bonds and these sentiments to keep on believing and having faith that keeps a lot of enterprising Americans hopeful and anchored. My sincere concern and thoughts for those keeping their heads above water."

Life is very fragile, sometimes short. There is no time to waste on such trivial matters brought out by small minded and self serving people who are looking to promote their own agenda by such means. Sometimes if not most times it is hopelessly easy to penetrate and see what is truly running through a person's mind and their hearts. It is easy to read it like a book. It is also just as easy to predict their next moves and what both their immediate and distant futures look like. Never entertain such people or such machinating agendas and thoughts when what hurts and plagues Humanity the most continues to do so unabated.

Sincerely,

Jai Krishna Ponnappan

P.S : And as for those Indian border police. Yes corruption is paying and paving the way for such things. There used to be a time when these men respected women a great deal. Now thanks to western media and films and the way they use, dismiss, portray and present women, even these men have started to take after such base habits and vile values. From payrolls to households there is gender disparity almost every where here. From ads to birth control there is exploitation and abuse of women being promoted from here to the rest of the world. Leadership comes with consequences and responsibilities. Do not lead when you are bold enough to ignore both.