Guns have just one function and that is to kill. As expected the right wing Supreme Court in the US overturned the ban on handguns in Washington DC. The surprising thing, for me, is that the conservatives, including President Bush, are devout Christians. The life of Jesus was exemplary. As the Son of God he took great care to be born in a stables of a single mother, always took care of the poor and the sick including leprosy patients at a time when leprosy meant a slow and painful death and he forgave his enemies while in great agony on the cross. For me one of the greatest defining moments of his life was just before his capture. He knew that he had been betrayed and the Romans were coming for him yet he did nothing. He could have prayed to God,' Father, please send a dozen angels armed with AK47s and we will teach the Romans the mother of all lessons. While you are at it send down a couple of RPGs and we will have the Pilate fellow washing his underwear instead of his hands.' But he did nothing. He did not ask for spear, sword or even a knife. Worse he did not ask for a shield. HE CHOSE NOT TO DEFEND HIMSELF. These Christian fanatics send millions of dollars every year to India to convert Hindus but worship the National Rifle Association. Strange fellows.

At last the official rate of inflation is stated to be around 12% after lying for years about the Indian growth story. However, this is still the wholesale rate so the Consumer Index will be closer to 20%. As usual the free loading press accepts the government lies and excuses about what caused the inflation. The Finance Minister goes around blaming OPEC for the rising oil prices and the industrial countries for causing food inflation by diverting land for biodiesel production. He does not have the courage to blame himself for the mess he and his colleagues have caused in the last four years that they have clung on to their seats. We are told by the sycophantic press what a great economist the Prime Minister is and then we are told that there is nothing anyone can do. It is only recently that oil prices have been raised in India so that could not be the cause. As for food, it was this bunch which reduced our food stocks because they had begun to believe their own lies about the great Indian growth story. The truth is that the Congress has allowed the treacherous Commies to dictate terms and have not carried out any economic reform. The much vaunted growth has been fueled by bubbles in property and share prices brought about by black money which is generated by corruption. The remedy is simple. Cut the number of ministers, hang Chinese spies, shut down the IAS school and reduce the number of kleptocrats by 75%. Talking rubbish about the aam aadmi and hanging on to gaddis with the support of traitors will nullify any effort at controlling inflation. We wait for stagflation.

At last a few African leaders are waking up to the killing fields of Zimbabwe. No one has had the decency to speak the truth about Zimbabwe and Robert Mugabe for more than two decades while he has destroyed the economy, murdered thousands of opposition supporters and shamelessly allowed his wife on shopping trips to Europe. Now he is helpless. He cannot allow anyone else to become President because he may be tried and hanged. Possibly he will be killed by his own coterie of murderers if he tries negotiating with the oppostion or tries to flee the country. Problem is that there can never be any adequate punishment for mass murder or genocide. After all you can hang a man only once so once he has killed one person he might as well kill as many as he likes since the punishment remains the same. So the people suffer. Trouble is that not one leader in Africa can chastise Mugabe because he can be accused of the same offences. Therefore, they have been taking refuge behind stupid excuses that it is an internal problem and that Mugabe is a resistance hero as if that gives him the right to murder. It is hard to understand how that continent can breed an army of butchers including Idi Amin, Charles Taylor, Omar Bashir and Mugabe to name a few. The list of honour will probably stretch to hundreds. Perhaps with murders, Aids and now famine Africa will one day become devoid of human beings.

It is all about race. Recently I have read many articles all of which have propounded the theory that in these post modern times the US has moved beyond racial divisions citing Obama's popularity among young and educated whites. But is it all so simple? All blacks interviewed on tv have said quite clearly that they voted for him because he is black and a lot of whites have voted for him so as not to be accused of racism and to feel a supercilious smugness about their open mindedness. African Americans ( AAs ) are quick to accuse others of racism but as an Asian I see them as one of the most racist people in the world. They were brought as slaves by whites in inhuman conditions and treated as less than animals for centuries but they have adopted the religion and names of their white masters, joined the American army and killed hundreds of thousand of Asians. They have fought in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet these countries never shipped African slaves or ever colonised any African country. Only one AA had the courage and honour to say 'this is not my fight' during the Vietnam war and that was Mohd. Ali, the boxer. For that he was hounded and paid a heavy price. A few days back an AA film director ( forget his name ) accused Clint Eastwood of racism because he did not feature any black in his film on Iwo Jima. Clearly this fellow is proud of AAs killing Asians as part of the American army. He is not alone. African Americans have killed hundreds of thousands of Asians for no reason and are proud of it. Rabid racists.

Our first Prime Minister, Mr. Nehru did a lot of damage to the country. Apparently Gen. Cariappa told him, ' give me 24 hours and I will give you Kashmir' but Nehru chose to go to the U.N. and left a permanent problem for India. He failed to read the treacherous Chinese and the country paid a heavy price. The Chinese still occupy at least 50000 square miles of Indian territory. He followed a command economic structure which bred massive corruption and this has become institutionalised today. He was pro Russian but it was the US which saved the country from famine with PL 480 supplies. He divided the country along caste and state lines. The list goes on. He did two good things. First, he held elections every five years probably because he knew he would win. Second, he built centres of excellence and these have served the country very well. Unfortunately the present government seems determined to destroy the only legacy Nehru left behind. First, Ramadoss, the Health Minister tried to wreck AIIMS, the only quality medical institution in this country. Now some idiot has decided to open seven new IITs in seven different states. These IITs do not have any building or any faculty but will begin admitting students this year. Thus under the stewardship of the widow of his grandson, Sonia Gandhi, Nehru's only legacy will be devalued for ever. India, the country of the third class.

The Hon'ble Finance Minister has expressed satisfaction at record tax collections in the last financial year and has urged the tax department to greater diligence. He even sets targets for the department much like private companies set targets for their salesmen. While the F.M. was asking for more taxes the Prime Minister was asking the kleptocrats not to hold their meetings in five star hotels and for politicians to cut down on foreign junkets, 90% of which are for personal enjoyment. It would be funny if it were not so tragic. One politician has described the Gujjars as 'beggars' for wanting a bigger slice of reserved jobs. Surely the politicians and the kleptocrats are the biggest beggars in the world. In all this talk about increasing tax collections there is never any talk about better services and proper accountability. Every time an Inidan buys a car about half the price is a total of various taxes. Petrol is heavily taxed. Road tax is collected with registration tax. Yet all the new highways being built are toll roads. For example to travel from Delhi to Agra you have to pay toll three times but that does not guarantee you a hassle free ride. Some youngsters from the US were travelling to Agra by taxi but were pulled over by the police who noticed 'goras' and wanted bribes to let them go. When we pay tax we should have the power to say that this money is n0t meant for thieving politicians, their fat ugly wives and their drug crazed criminal children. Unless we know that our money is being spent for the right causes Indians will always be reluctant tax payers.

After dithering for a long time the Indian government has increased patrol price by Rs. 5, diesel by Rs. 3 and domestic gas cylinders by Rs. 50. This has been applauded by our free loading journalists who are always complaining about subsidies on fuel because this helps the middle class people who own vehicles and use gas for cooking. Since the subsidies are paid out of the government's tax collections there is less money left for poverty alleviation schemes. This is so false and perverted that it takes your breath away. Very little of the poverty alleviation schemes actually reaches the poor. Vast sums are siphoned off by politicians and kleptocrats. These schemes are hand outs which make the poor think that they can go on producing any number of children and then expect to be given money. Studies have shown that rapists and criminals come largely from the poorer sections of society and these people are breeding without control. The middle classes pay all the taxes, get no services and are ignored by politicians because they do not form a vote bank. We are supposed to be equal in a democracy but to be middle class in India is to have no power at all.

As feared, Barak Obama is indeed the Democratic candidate for President of the US in November. He has marketed himself as a candidate for change but one wonders what change he has in mind. Will he dare to take on the NRA and ban all guns that kill so many blacks and put so many in jail every year? Will he dare to sign a comprehensive climate change treaty against the wishes of the oil lobby? Will he pressure Israel to stop settlement building on Palestinian land and not to use disproportionate force against civilians? Will be able to change the rabidly right wing Supreme Court where judges are appointed for life and will refuse to resign of die during a Democratic administration? Will he be able to carry out comprehensive reforms of healthcare industry so that poor blacks can access quality healthcare? Will he be able to enforce human rights for terrorist suspects against the wishes of the miltary? Perhaps he will change the colour of the loo paper in the White House. One thing is for certain, he is likely to be disastrous for India. Because of his parentage he may favour Pakistan to our detriment. All Indians should pray for John McCain and those who can should try and get him elected.