A President who seeks not to divide, but to unify: Biden on Biden
On Saturday night Joe Biden delivered his victory speech, after
his tally shot past the 270 mark, pushing Trump into history as
a one-time President. Although Biden's speech was overtly
characterised by a catholicitv, there was an undercurrent of a
spiritual orientation that makes him look less realistic and not
convincingly promising. Earlier, in her speech, America's first
woman Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris said, "While I may be
the first woman in this office, I will not be the last... And the
road ahead will not be easy but America is ready, and so are Joe
and I." Her speech highlighted a vision and determination.
WASHINGTON, Nov 8: In active politics spanning 48 years since he was elected
to the Senate first time, and after a couple of attempts at the top job in the
past, former Vice-President and Democrat Joseph R. Biden Jr. has now finally
made it. Third time lucky, and mission accomplished. He has crossed the 270
mark as per unofficial results released by States till Saturday.
On the great occasion of his victory speech at Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday
night he remembered his late son by reciting his favourite Catholic hymn 'On
Eagle's Wings' which has come true in part and the rest is yet to come.
“I pledge to be a President who seeks not to divide, but to unify. Who doesn’t
see red and blue States, but only a United States...And who will work with all
my heart to win the confidence of the whole people,” he gave expression to his
intended universality.
If that is not enough, a seemingly ebullient Biden's rhetoric goes on, "This
is the time to heal in America."
But the ground reality is composed of a devastating, deadly pandemic ravaging
the country, the economics that is in a disarray, mounting social tensions, disappearing
jobs, a politics dividing the country like never before - on the whole a grim
scenario calling for drastic action, and not rhetoric! But Biden says, “We can
do it.”
The victory speech comes even as his Republican rival President Donald Trump,
who has not conceded yet, has challenged the legitimacy of the election although
most of his allegations of electoral malpractices are blind, non-specific and
not supported by any evidence.
Biden did not counter Trump in his speech but only said, “The people of this
nation have spoken...They have delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory.
A victory for ‘We the People.’ We have won with the most votes ever cast for
a presidential ticket in the history of this nation — 74 million."
”It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each
other again, listen to each other again... And to make progress, we have to
stop treating our opponents as enemies," Biden said.
He announced that on Monday he would form a committee of top science and health
experts to draft a plan for battling the pandemic. It would be ready when he
takes office in January.
Biden was introduced by his running mate, Kamala Harris, who will be the first
woman Vice-President in the country's history.
Kamala Harris paid tribute to her late mother, an Indian immigrant, and the
other generations of Black, Asian, White, Latina, and native women who had "paved
the way for this moment tonight". "While I may be the first woman in this office,
I will not be the last," she said.
There were celebrations in major cities soon after news agencies and networks
called the race and started addressing Biden as President-elect. Trump supporters
continued their protestes at many places but were low-key.
If the results are to be challenged, the aggrieved party needs to approach
the courts in the concerned States and depending on the order the affected party
could go in appeal to the US Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, counting is still incomplete and the States have to issue certification
for the results to become official. This must be before the electoral college
meets on Decenmber 14. Till then the results are unofficial.
New President is officially sworn into office on 20 January.
The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.
ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!
The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.
Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.
A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924)
(Today's headlines )
Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...
Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.
Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.
ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!
What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America!
(Today's headlines )
PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).
In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.
THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.
The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.
Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See:
New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)
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