The quintessential right wing radical, supposedly representing the interests of “small town America”, now comes with a feminine twist. However Sarah Palin’s talents stop abruptly after she opens her mouth.
It is a miracle that from such a desolate void extends such a barrage of excrement that seems to embarrass its perpetuator every time she is interviewed on a credited media network. The barrage of excrement? Sarah Palin’s answers to most questions posed by anyone with half a brain (Sean Hannity excluded by implication). The desolate void? The unfortunate space between Palin’s ears.
Remarking that Obama doesn’t either declare or desire a wish for America to “win”, she seems confused – perhaps offended – as the crowds at her rallies seem to be. What in the world does “victory” mean? Didn’t Bush declare victory on May 1st, 2003? This binary win or lose perspective with respect to Iraq is not only naive, but dangerous, especially if held by those we trust in power. The process of democracy is long and arduous – typically taking multiple generations – after the suppression of cultural norms and traditions that directly oppose the growth of democracy, which seem to be in abundance in Iraq.
The “I can see Russia from my house” joke has been stressed out but its point still bears reiterating. With US-Russian relations strained, particularly since the recent Georgian conflict, can we seriously consider a cretin of an Alaskan governor as someone who has “foreign policy experience” with regards to Russia? Why wasn’t this dim-witted VP nominee trashed as soon as she alluded to this in the Katie Couric interview? I’d be impressed if she knew who the President of Russia actually is (Here’s a tip Sarah: it’s not Vladimir Putin).
Sarah Palin has destroyed any confidence I had in the Republican Party or John McCain’s campaign. Our country, and indeed the world, is facing one of the largest economic meltdowns for 50 years, but when asked about what she thinks we must do about it, her reply is the largely generic and mechanical free market tirade that the campaign has obviously had her memorize. This woman clearly has no understanding of the grave situation we are in, or of basic economic concepts for that matter.
Sarah Palin is nothing more than a pitiful demagogue, a Republican tragedy, and a complete and utter liability. I used to offer my condolences to Sarah Palin’s self respect every instance she opened her mouth and proved her ignorance beyond doubt, but now my pity has turned to deep concern. If Sarah Palin was applying for a menial job, her slowness might be considered cute. However, we are talking about potentially affording her the title of the most powerful person on Earth. It is official: Sarah Palin is a monumental disgrace as a VP nominee, and would be an absolute disaster as either the actual Vice President or as – and I hope I am not prophesising here – the President of the United States of America.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
The McCain Campaign's Experiment with the Darker Side of American Politics
“Who is the real Barack Obama?” asked John McCain in the UNM Student Union’s Ballroom. “A TERRORIST” someone bellowed from the crowd, a remark that provoked a look of surprise even from Senator McCain, but did not stop him from carrying on with the rest of his rhetoric. Why was John McCain so surprised at this comment when his running mate stopped short of making such a ridiculous assertion herself?
Other foolish remarks such as “KILL HIM” and “HE’S A TRAITOR” have followed the McCain campaign at Republican rallies ever since Sarah Palin decided to adopt the ‘inciting the mob’ tactic against Obama. The divisive rhetoric used in perpetuating the “Us vs. Them” mentality amongst voters undoubtedly has racial and thus dangerous undertones. This divergence of the McCain campaign from the issues to character assassination may prove to have dire consequences for future multiracial elections, American politics and perhaps American society as a whole.
The significance of the well calculated synchronization in highlighting the Hussein in Barack H. Obama as well as asserting that he “pals around with domestic terrorists”, emphasis clearly on the word terrorist, is indisputable. Attempts to present Obama as exotic, mysterious and deceitful have typically been left to the fringes of the far right conspiracy theorists hell bent on painting Obama to be a Muslim extremist or in some cases the antichrist. To bring this gibberish into the mainstream of American politics is nothing short of desperate demagoguery on the part of the McCain and Palin effort, and will go down in history just as the attacks on McCain’s children and the integrity of his record as a POW did in 2000.
I am astounded and saddened that McCain, being such an outspoken critic of gutter politics, would sink to such rotten depths himself. This type of assault is more of a reflection on the character of the McCain campaign rather than on Barack Obama himself, yet I fear that the dirt politics may still work in favour of McCain. No matter how much the American public says it hates negative campaigning, the numbers don’t lie. Negative adverts, character assassinations and fear tactics work.
As the McCain campaign rallies transform into something akin to a KKK assembly with Republican adherents calling to “kill” the “traitor” Barack Obama, the silences of McCain and Palin represent a tolerance, even a disregard, to these feelings.
In conclusion, it is safe to say that John McCain has lost this independent’s vote, and I hope the rest of the American public won’t stand for the dirt politics either. Let us leave John Sidney McCain and Sarah Louise Heath Palin wondering what happened on November the 4th.
Other foolish remarks such as “KILL HIM” and “HE’S A TRAITOR” have followed the McCain campaign at Republican rallies ever since Sarah Palin decided to adopt the ‘inciting the mob’ tactic against Obama. The divisive rhetoric used in perpetuating the “Us vs. Them” mentality amongst voters undoubtedly has racial and thus dangerous undertones. This divergence of the McCain campaign from the issues to character assassination may prove to have dire consequences for future multiracial elections, American politics and perhaps American society as a whole.
The significance of the well calculated synchronization in highlighting the Hussein in Barack H. Obama as well as asserting that he “pals around with domestic terrorists”, emphasis clearly on the word terrorist, is indisputable. Attempts to present Obama as exotic, mysterious and deceitful have typically been left to the fringes of the far right conspiracy theorists hell bent on painting Obama to be a Muslim extremist or in some cases the antichrist. To bring this gibberish into the mainstream of American politics is nothing short of desperate demagoguery on the part of the McCain and Palin effort, and will go down in history just as the attacks on McCain’s children and the integrity of his record as a POW did in 2000.
I am astounded and saddened that McCain, being such an outspoken critic of gutter politics, would sink to such rotten depths himself. This type of assault is more of a reflection on the character of the McCain campaign rather than on Barack Obama himself, yet I fear that the dirt politics may still work in favour of McCain. No matter how much the American public says it hates negative campaigning, the numbers don’t lie. Negative adverts, character assassinations and fear tactics work.
As the McCain campaign rallies transform into something akin to a KKK assembly with Republican adherents calling to “kill” the “traitor” Barack Obama, the silences of McCain and Palin represent a tolerance, even a disregard, to these feelings.
In conclusion, it is safe to say that John McCain has lost this independent’s vote, and I hope the rest of the American public won’t stand for the dirt politics either. Let us leave John Sidney McCain and Sarah Louise Heath Palin wondering what happened on November the 4th.
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Death of the American Empire
Published in both the Daily Lobo (http://www.dailylobo.com) and the Albuquerque Journal (http://www.abqjournal.com)
Why are politicians sounding alarm bells as Wall Street goes down in flames?
It’s simple: our economy is three-quarters goods and services. When people don’t have disposable income or access to credit, three-quarters of our GDP will slide. Therefore, quite simply, we NEED a strong confident banking system. To have a strong confident banking system, you need a strong confident Wall Street. So yes, this does mean bailing out powerful greedy CEO’s, but you can rationalize this as a ‘necessary evil’.
If you want to blame anyone for this catastrophic disaster, blame Alan Greenspan. Greenspan’s extraordinary rate cuts in 2003, combined with the post 9/11 message from Washington telling the American public to “SPEND TO BE PATRIOTIC”, meant that borrowers got money easily and spent it just as easily. Home ownership soared in the US in 2003, and as the real estate markets boomed due to Greenspan’s interest rate cuts, borrowers pulled the equity from their homes created by this fake boom.
This ‘housing bubble’ gave new (borrowed) wealth to the homeowners who thought they had achieved their American Dream. This borrowed wealth was simply not sustainable in the long wrong. First the housing bubble burst - now Wall Street is in collapse because it can’t put a price tag on its own investments. No wonder Alan Greenspan was nicknamed Chairman Bubbles in 2004.
This crisis is a direct consequence of the whole scale financialization of the United States. A shrinking manufacturing sector was replaced by a de-regulated expansive financial sector, but instead of “diversifying our portfolio” as the Wall Street likes to say, we put all of our eggs into one basket. Now we are entirely dependent on a healthy financial sector for the strength of the rest of the economy. Contrast this with countries like Japan and Germany, both of whom have successful financial AND manufacturing sectors. Japan and Germany typically enjoyed large budget surpluses when we had record setting budget deficits.
Following previous superpowers, the US has gone down the same treacherous road: from agriculture and fishing to commerce and industry, and now to post industrial large-scale financialization. Naturally from 2000 to 2008, under George Bush’s watch, the US accumulated unprecedented debt in all areas: from Uncle Sam’s record deficits to the Average Joe’s unpaid credit card – everyone owed someone else more money than ever before.
A professor of mine called this financial crisis a ‘collapse of the free-market ideology’, but history will call it the first casualty in the unavoidable disintegration of the supremacy of the USA. My message is simple: it is time to relieve ourselves of the American exceptionalism, self-aggrandizing ethnocentrism and outright arrogance we baptize our thoughts and discourse in: Say goodbye to hegemonic dominance, absurd claims of being God’s chosen nation and egotistical babble such as ‘God Bless America’. Instead, say hello to the mediocrity of inferiority.
Why are politicians sounding alarm bells as Wall Street goes down in flames?
It’s simple: our economy is three-quarters goods and services. When people don’t have disposable income or access to credit, three-quarters of our GDP will slide. Therefore, quite simply, we NEED a strong confident banking system. To have a strong confident banking system, you need a strong confident Wall Street. So yes, this does mean bailing out powerful greedy CEO’s, but you can rationalize this as a ‘necessary evil’.
If you want to blame anyone for this catastrophic disaster, blame Alan Greenspan. Greenspan’s extraordinary rate cuts in 2003, combined with the post 9/11 message from Washington telling the American public to “SPEND TO BE PATRIOTIC”, meant that borrowers got money easily and spent it just as easily. Home ownership soared in the US in 2003, and as the real estate markets boomed due to Greenspan’s interest rate cuts, borrowers pulled the equity from their homes created by this fake boom.
This ‘housing bubble’ gave new (borrowed) wealth to the homeowners who thought they had achieved their American Dream. This borrowed wealth was simply not sustainable in the long wrong. First the housing bubble burst - now Wall Street is in collapse because it can’t put a price tag on its own investments. No wonder Alan Greenspan was nicknamed Chairman Bubbles in 2004.
This crisis is a direct consequence of the whole scale financialization of the United States. A shrinking manufacturing sector was replaced by a de-regulated expansive financial sector, but instead of “diversifying our portfolio” as the Wall Street likes to say, we put all of our eggs into one basket. Now we are entirely dependent on a healthy financial sector for the strength of the rest of the economy. Contrast this with countries like Japan and Germany, both of whom have successful financial AND manufacturing sectors. Japan and Germany typically enjoyed large budget surpluses when we had record setting budget deficits.
Following previous superpowers, the US has gone down the same treacherous road: from agriculture and fishing to commerce and industry, and now to post industrial large-scale financialization. Naturally from 2000 to 2008, under George Bush’s watch, the US accumulated unprecedented debt in all areas: from Uncle Sam’s record deficits to the Average Joe’s unpaid credit card – everyone owed someone else more money than ever before.
A professor of mine called this financial crisis a ‘collapse of the free-market ideology’, but history will call it the first casualty in the unavoidable disintegration of the supremacy of the USA. My message is simple: it is time to relieve ourselves of the American exceptionalism, self-aggrandizing ethnocentrism and outright arrogance we baptize our thoughts and discourse in: Say goodbye to hegemonic dominance, absurd claims of being God’s chosen nation and egotistical babble such as ‘God Bless America’. Instead, say hello to the mediocrity of inferiority.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Superhighway To Hell
TEXAS – A NAFTA superhighway has outraged many Texans and also put fears about a North American Union into the hearts of people across the United States.
The proposed superhighway, also known as the Trans-Texas Corridor-35 and I-69, will first take route from Laredo (a city on the border of Mexico and Texas) to Texarkana (a city the border of Arkansas and Texas). Some critics remark that the finished superhighway is not only intended to go across Texas, but all the way north to Canada.
The cost of the project is said to be an astonishing $183 billion dollars over 50 years. The superhighway is said to be three times wider than a typical interstate at an incredible 1,200 ft width stretching over 4000 miles. There are planned truck lanes and passenger lanes which would allow vehicles to travel at 85 mph, as well as rail and utility lines.
The TTC-35 is going to be financed by private investors, none of whom are American. The project involves millions of acres that the State of Texas has vowed they will take from unwilling owners through eminent domain. This coupled with the fact that no voter approval is necessary for the State of Texas to start construction has led many to express concerns about the true intentions of the superhighway.
“Is this part of the North American Union, or is this just to enhance travel in Texas? I suspect it’s a lot more” warns Ron Paul, presidential candidate and Texas congressman. “Plus everybody I’ve run into in Texas doesn’t want it.”
The Texas Department of Transport has said the corridor will be needed because three-quarters of Mexican traffic into the United States comes via Texas, and private investors are an ideal way to finance the project without severely dipping into state funds. However critics have suggested that due to over saturated Californian ports, the superhighway (via Mexican ports) is going to be used to import more cheap Chinese goods to flood the American market, and thus displace American made goods.
A total of around 10,000 Texans showed up to protest the superhighway at 46 separate town hall meetings in only a week. There are 12 town hall meetings planned before March 3. Some observers have suggested that this project is just another stepping stone towards the North American Union.
The growing fears of a NAU has been the subject of many shady and unfounded conspiracy theories, however with recent developments the theoretical concept has taken a much more legitimate role in the media. The hypothetical union of Canada, the United States and Mexico has been compared to the European Union.
The NAU could mean rules and treaties being set up to regulate and intrude on the free market American economy. Joint regulations of industries (such as fishing, and even what goes into food products) are common in the European Union.
Another result of the NAU would be the single and common currency called the Amero, similar to the Euro of Europe. Almost all three countries reject the idea of the Amero as a common currency amongst Canada, the United States and Mexico because of the consequential loss of economic sovereignty due to the complete control of the inflation rate by one particular country in the union.
Interestingly, this is the same argument that kept the Euro out of England which is why Euro’s are not commonly accepted in the United Kingdom. The Pound Sterling’s inflation rate is set by the Bank of England and therefore economic independence is maintained, whereas other countries in the European Union bow to inflation rates set in Brussels.
Nonetheless, it is clear that this Texas sized proposal of the TTC-36 has been met with the same Texas sized opposition, and the State Department of Transportation is going to have a tough time securing the land and the legitimacy needed to go ahead with this so called superhighway to hell.
The proposed superhighway, also known as the Trans-Texas Corridor-35 and I-69, will first take route from Laredo (a city on the border of Mexico and Texas) to Texarkana (a city the border of Arkansas and Texas). Some critics remark that the finished superhighway is not only intended to go across Texas, but all the way north to Canada.
The cost of the project is said to be an astonishing $183 billion dollars over 50 years. The superhighway is said to be three times wider than a typical interstate at an incredible 1,200 ft width stretching over 4000 miles. There are planned truck lanes and passenger lanes which would allow vehicles to travel at 85 mph, as well as rail and utility lines.
The TTC-35 is going to be financed by private investors, none of whom are American. The project involves millions of acres that the State of Texas has vowed they will take from unwilling owners through eminent domain. This coupled with the fact that no voter approval is necessary for the State of Texas to start construction has led many to express concerns about the true intentions of the superhighway.
“Is this part of the North American Union, or is this just to enhance travel in Texas? I suspect it’s a lot more” warns Ron Paul, presidential candidate and Texas congressman. “Plus everybody I’ve run into in Texas doesn’t want it.”
The Texas Department of Transport has said the corridor will be needed because three-quarters of Mexican traffic into the United States comes via Texas, and private investors are an ideal way to finance the project without severely dipping into state funds. However critics have suggested that due to over saturated Californian ports, the superhighway (via Mexican ports) is going to be used to import more cheap Chinese goods to flood the American market, and thus displace American made goods.
A total of around 10,000 Texans showed up to protest the superhighway at 46 separate town hall meetings in only a week. There are 12 town hall meetings planned before March 3. Some observers have suggested that this project is just another stepping stone towards the North American Union.
The growing fears of a NAU has been the subject of many shady and unfounded conspiracy theories, however with recent developments the theoretical concept has taken a much more legitimate role in the media. The hypothetical union of Canada, the United States and Mexico has been compared to the European Union.
The NAU could mean rules and treaties being set up to regulate and intrude on the free market American economy. Joint regulations of industries (such as fishing, and even what goes into food products) are common in the European Union.
Another result of the NAU would be the single and common currency called the Amero, similar to the Euro of Europe. Almost all three countries reject the idea of the Amero as a common currency amongst Canada, the United States and Mexico because of the consequential loss of economic sovereignty due to the complete control of the inflation rate by one particular country in the union.
Interestingly, this is the same argument that kept the Euro out of England which is why Euro’s are not commonly accepted in the United Kingdom. The Pound Sterling’s inflation rate is set by the Bank of England and therefore economic independence is maintained, whereas other countries in the European Union bow to inflation rates set in Brussels.
Nonetheless, it is clear that this Texas sized proposal of the TTC-36 has been met with the same Texas sized opposition, and the State Department of Transportation is going to have a tough time securing the land and the legitimacy needed to go ahead with this so called superhighway to hell.
Lack of critical thinking kills real experience
"Lack of critical thinking kills real experience"
by Raj Patel & Ender Kirin
Published editorial for the Gallup Herald on February 25th, 2008
"Barack Obama's a Muslim. Imagine if we had a Muslim President during 9/11. This is one nation under God." Can you imagine this type of bigoted annihilation of the truth being propagated in a university class room? I can - because I have seen it.
Among the other extraordinary claims of my classmate was that "Rudi Guiliani was pro abortion, whereas Hilary had a better idea about abortion because she was a woman." Perhaps my classmate has made the abysmal error in thinking that a Republican Party candidate would be pro abortion and a Democratic Party candidate would be anti abortion based in their respective genders.
People would argue that the classmate has a right to hold any opinion they wish, and they would even extend this right to them being able to express their opinion openly in this free speec age we live in. However what is most bewildering is that after the student had cast the ridiculous aspersions as part of a speech in front of the class, an abhorrent round of applause followed.
Naturally I decided to confront the student about the errors. I was under the impression that being on a university campus, open debate would have been welcomed, however I was wrong. The class went quiet as if I had just done something wrong, with the professor at the back of the class bellowing "refrain, Raj, refrain".
Perhaps some people can appreciate how absurd a university class this was. If you are penalized for questioning or challenging another point of view, especially in a university class, then there is something wrong with the class.
Aversion to critical thinking does not only fall into the domain of would-be pundits. In an effort to save themselves from the effort of having to examine their world too closely, people also miss out on many details that form the spice of life.
In one of my favourite local hang-outs, I witnessed an intersting machine with fresh eyes. On a busy winter morning like many others, an employee was making tortillas at Glenn's Bakery. Questions form like droplets of dew form on my mind, warmed by the new experience.
"Why are the tortillas so flufffy when they come out?" I posed the question thinking that she might know more about the process.
"I don't know," she just shrugged, and went back to pulling out tortillas.
"Don't you ever wonder?" I chanced. Her reply was "No." How much do we miss through rut-thinking and projections? I found myself thinking what a portion of my own experience is lost by not looking, not questioning. Maybe the whole wonder in life.
Whether through under-developed intellect or over-intellectualizing of situations, many people are disconnected from the reality and beauty of life.
The challenge is to engage more fully with the world, cross those imaginary lines of separation and find the real heart of life. Actual experience must inform intellect and fortify emotional intensity.
A critical questioning mind is beneficial in many different aspects of life. The courage to doubt yourself and those around you might do more than preserve the firing of neurons in that gray mass between your ears.
A critical mind is an aware mind, more likely belonging to an engaged person.
"People aren't looking for the meaning of life... they're looking for the feeling of being alive," Joseph Campbell once said. I can think of no better way to feel alive than to be profoundly engaged.
Rather than taking the wonder out of life or spoiling one's values, knowledge enchances this wonder by opeining up the possibility of new questions and given one firm ground upon which to base opinions.
by Raj Patel & Ender Kirin
Published editorial for the Gallup Herald on February 25th, 2008
"Barack Obama's a Muslim. Imagine if we had a Muslim President during 9/11. This is one nation under God." Can you imagine this type of bigoted annihilation of the truth being propagated in a university class room? I can - because I have seen it.
Among the other extraordinary claims of my classmate was that "Rudi Guiliani was pro abortion, whereas Hilary had a better idea about abortion because she was a woman." Perhaps my classmate has made the abysmal error in thinking that a Republican Party candidate would be pro abortion and a Democratic Party candidate would be anti abortion based in their respective genders.
People would argue that the classmate has a right to hold any opinion they wish, and they would even extend this right to them being able to express their opinion openly in this free speec age we live in. However what is most bewildering is that after the student had cast the ridiculous aspersions as part of a speech in front of the class, an abhorrent round of applause followed.
Naturally I decided to confront the student about the errors. I was under the impression that being on a university campus, open debate would have been welcomed, however I was wrong. The class went quiet as if I had just done something wrong, with the professor at the back of the class bellowing "refrain, Raj, refrain".
Perhaps some people can appreciate how absurd a university class this was. If you are penalized for questioning or challenging another point of view, especially in a university class, then there is something wrong with the class.
Aversion to critical thinking does not only fall into the domain of would-be pundits. In an effort to save themselves from the effort of having to examine their world too closely, people also miss out on many details that form the spice of life.
In one of my favourite local hang-outs, I witnessed an intersting machine with fresh eyes. On a busy winter morning like many others, an employee was making tortillas at Glenn's Bakery. Questions form like droplets of dew form on my mind, warmed by the new experience.
"Why are the tortillas so flufffy when they come out?" I posed the question thinking that she might know more about the process.
"I don't know," she just shrugged, and went back to pulling out tortillas.
"Don't you ever wonder?" I chanced. Her reply was "No." How much do we miss through rut-thinking and projections? I found myself thinking what a portion of my own experience is lost by not looking, not questioning. Maybe the whole wonder in life.
Whether through under-developed intellect or over-intellectualizing of situations, many people are disconnected from the reality and beauty of life.
The challenge is to engage more fully with the world, cross those imaginary lines of separation and find the real heart of life. Actual experience must inform intellect and fortify emotional intensity.
A critical questioning mind is beneficial in many different aspects of life. The courage to doubt yourself and those around you might do more than preserve the firing of neurons in that gray mass between your ears.
A critical mind is an aware mind, more likely belonging to an engaged person.
"People aren't looking for the meaning of life... they're looking for the feeling of being alive," Joseph Campbell once said. I can think of no better way to feel alive than to be profoundly engaged.
Rather than taking the wonder out of life or spoiling one's values, knowledge enchances this wonder by opeining up the possibility of new questions and given one firm ground upon which to base opinions.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Indian Invasian of The American Hospitality Industry
Originally published in The Gallup Herald on Tuesday Feb. 19th, 2008
Indian Influx
GALLUP – Walk into any motel on the Route 66 strip, and you will almost certainly find a person from India behind the counter.
A large number of East Indian immigrants came into the US from Africa and India in the 1970’s. Armed with only entrepreneurial prowess and a will to succeed, they have monopolized the hospitality industry. The Asian American Hotel Owner’s Association boasts 8,000 members who own over 22,000 hotels and motels. This represents over 1 million rooms which accounts for 50 percent of the economy lodging properties, and 37 percent of all hotel/motel properties in the United States.
The statistics do beg the question: What was so attractive about the motel industry to East Indian’s in particular?
“It was the oil embargo,” says Kamlesh Patel, owner of Arrowhead Lodge on Route 66. “American motel owners panicked because the embargo stopped American’s from driving around their own country for vacations and we were here to pick up the pieces.”
The formula was simple – buy a relatively rundown motel at a very reasonable price, call in family members from India and invest money into the property. The result was family run roadside motels that kept a healthy profit margin.
“I could send my kids to college and still live comfortably,” says Smita Patel, who owns the Lariat Lodge. “I didn’t even have experience when I first started, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.”
Aruna Patel, co-manager of the Best Western Red Rock Inn, pointed out that without Indian investment into Gallup, none of the major franchise motels (Best Westerns, La Quinta, Hampton Inn, Ramada Inn, Super 8’s and more) would have been built. She said the reason why Indians flooded Gallup in the mid 1980’s was because it represented the crossroads where Route 66 passed through the Native American heartland.
“If it wasn’t for the Indian’s, you wouldn’t even see any franchise motels. There would be a void in the industry without us,” she said. “We made money but reinvested it in Gallup, you don’t see many people doing that”
One explanation for the Indian influx is their preference for the relatively laissez-faire economic approach adopted by the US government. The Indian government has held a very interventionist approach to the economy until very recently.
“Resources were limited back then, loans were difficult to obtain.” says Dinesh Patel, owner and manager of Desert Skies motel on the west side. “We preferred the motel industry because we could turn it into a family business.”
The Indian interest in hospitality is not set to slow down. Ever increasing numbers of Indian owned motels are projected, except now the owners are not only first generation immigrants but second generation Western educated Asian Americans.
“I grew up in a motel, running it and living in it,” says Falgoon Patel, 21 year old co-manager of a Best Western. “I’m going to college right now but after I get my degree you can bet I’m going to invest in a hotel, it’s what I’ve done my whole life”
Most of the Indian’s who came to Gallup did not have much but have earned their livelihoods following almost the exact same blueprint. They all agree what attracted them to the motel business is the deep tradition of hard work with family support. It is an age old practice adapted to modern America for a prosperous result.
Indian Influx
GALLUP – Walk into any motel on the Route 66 strip, and you will almost certainly find a person from India behind the counter.
A large number of East Indian immigrants came into the US from Africa and India in the 1970’s. Armed with only entrepreneurial prowess and a will to succeed, they have monopolized the hospitality industry. The Asian American Hotel Owner’s Association boasts 8,000 members who own over 22,000 hotels and motels. This represents over 1 million rooms which accounts for 50 percent of the economy lodging properties, and 37 percent of all hotel/motel properties in the United States.
The statistics do beg the question: What was so attractive about the motel industry to East Indian’s in particular?
“It was the oil embargo,” says Kamlesh Patel, owner of Arrowhead Lodge on Route 66. “American motel owners panicked because the embargo stopped American’s from driving around their own country for vacations and we were here to pick up the pieces.”
The formula was simple – buy a relatively rundown motel at a very reasonable price, call in family members from India and invest money into the property. The result was family run roadside motels that kept a healthy profit margin.
“I could send my kids to college and still live comfortably,” says Smita Patel, who owns the Lariat Lodge. “I didn’t even have experience when I first started, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.”
Aruna Patel, co-manager of the Best Western Red Rock Inn, pointed out that without Indian investment into Gallup, none of the major franchise motels (Best Westerns, La Quinta, Hampton Inn, Ramada Inn, Super 8’s and more) would have been built. She said the reason why Indians flooded Gallup in the mid 1980’s was because it represented the crossroads where Route 66 passed through the Native American heartland.
“If it wasn’t for the Indian’s, you wouldn’t even see any franchise motels. There would be a void in the industry without us,” she said. “We made money but reinvested it in Gallup, you don’t see many people doing that”
One explanation for the Indian influx is their preference for the relatively laissez-faire economic approach adopted by the US government. The Indian government has held a very interventionist approach to the economy until very recently.
“Resources were limited back then, loans were difficult to obtain.” says Dinesh Patel, owner and manager of Desert Skies motel on the west side. “We preferred the motel industry because we could turn it into a family business.”
The Indian interest in hospitality is not set to slow down. Ever increasing numbers of Indian owned motels are projected, except now the owners are not only first generation immigrants but second generation Western educated Asian Americans.
“I grew up in a motel, running it and living in it,” says Falgoon Patel, 21 year old co-manager of a Best Western. “I’m going to college right now but after I get my degree you can bet I’m going to invest in a hotel, it’s what I’ve done my whole life”
Most of the Indian’s who came to Gallup did not have much but have earned their livelihoods following almost the exact same blueprint. They all agree what attracted them to the motel business is the deep tradition of hard work with family support. It is an age old practice adapted to modern America for a prosperous result.
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Ridiculous Nature of the American Political Process
I’m feeling restless, standing in Gallup’s Fire Station on Feb. 5th 2008. Yes, the date should sound familiar – it’s ‘Super Tuesday’ and no - I’m not here to see the pretty red trucks - I’m here to vote for the candidate I want to run for the Democratic Party in the general elections of 2008. Or so I thought...
After waiting for about 40 minutes (an unacceptable wait – the Democratic Party clearly underestimated the amount of people who would turn up to vote in Gallup by setting up only one voting booth), I was told by a Democrat volunteer I could not vote because I did not register as a Democrat. So I questioned ‘When will I be able to vote, then?’ The reply was ‘when the Independent Party holds its elections’. What an absurd response.
So the American political system, delegate of democracy, once again fails who it was set up to serve. Let us take a closer look at this ‘democracy’ that we champion around the world as some type of exceptional and exclusive quality to America alone.
America has one of the world’s lowest voter turnout rates – but the highest number of elections and elected offices than any other liberal democracy.
The sheer cost required to run for election and reach out to the large number of constituents means that filthy rich corporations have an exceptional influence on candidates and therefore on policy.
This also means that only the exceptionally well off can run to become President of the United States.
Real political debate amongst candidates is just not possible in the United States – as they all dissolve into childish bickering with falsehoods, lies and empty rhetoric occupying most of the other time.
The length of elections leaves many people feeling disenchanted with the whole process.
How does one mobilize voters when no credible grass roots organizations can reach out to people anymore?
News media doesn’t help: it is only interested in what the major candidates have to say rather than giving all candidates equal exposure, furthermore they seem more interested in how much money a candidate raises rather than his or her stance on any particular issues.
Borders of voting districts in states are decided by the majority political party in that state (which means that they will obviously use this power in a way to draw voting districts in order to maximize benefit to that particular political party).
Finally, voting irregularities and technical problems (still acceptable in the most advanced liberal democracy in the world?) were strife throughout the November elections. Nevertheless, Al Gore won 50,999,897 votes, roughly 540,000 more than Republican rival George “Dubyah” Bush, yet Dubyah won the election because it is an Electoral College that picks the President.
So is this the reason why America has such a low voter turnout? Are people just sick of the political process in this country? For lack of a better word (I hate the 2008 election buzzword), something has to change. I’d probably propose scrapping the whole election process and putting something more representative in its place. Then again, I think American’s had enough of English people telling them how to run their country around 232 years ago…
After waiting for about 40 minutes (an unacceptable wait – the Democratic Party clearly underestimated the amount of people who would turn up to vote in Gallup by setting up only one voting booth), I was told by a Democrat volunteer I could not vote because I did not register as a Democrat. So I questioned ‘When will I be able to vote, then?’ The reply was ‘when the Independent Party holds its elections’. What an absurd response.
So the American political system, delegate of democracy, once again fails who it was set up to serve. Let us take a closer look at this ‘democracy’ that we champion around the world as some type of exceptional and exclusive quality to America alone.
America has one of the world’s lowest voter turnout rates – but the highest number of elections and elected offices than any other liberal democracy.
The sheer cost required to run for election and reach out to the large number of constituents means that filthy rich corporations have an exceptional influence on candidates and therefore on policy.
This also means that only the exceptionally well off can run to become President of the United States.
Real political debate amongst candidates is just not possible in the United States – as they all dissolve into childish bickering with falsehoods, lies and empty rhetoric occupying most of the other time.
The length of elections leaves many people feeling disenchanted with the whole process.
How does one mobilize voters when no credible grass roots organizations can reach out to people anymore?
News media doesn’t help: it is only interested in what the major candidates have to say rather than giving all candidates equal exposure, furthermore they seem more interested in how much money a candidate raises rather than his or her stance on any particular issues.
Borders of voting districts in states are decided by the majority political party in that state (which means that they will obviously use this power in a way to draw voting districts in order to maximize benefit to that particular political party).
Finally, voting irregularities and technical problems (still acceptable in the most advanced liberal democracy in the world?) were strife throughout the November elections. Nevertheless, Al Gore won 50,999,897 votes, roughly 540,000 more than Republican rival George “Dubyah” Bush, yet Dubyah won the election because it is an Electoral College that picks the President.
So is this the reason why America has such a low voter turnout? Are people just sick of the political process in this country? For lack of a better word (I hate the 2008 election buzzword), something has to change. I’d probably propose scrapping the whole election process and putting something more representative in its place. Then again, I think American’s had enough of English people telling them how to run their country around 232 years ago…
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