Monday, November 14, 2016

Will astrology provide any answers?

The election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the US is an opportunity for all the experts to try and predict what he is going to do. It is great fun because Trump has never held any elected office or government post or served in the army and he has a record for denying statements he has made in the past, accusing the media of being hostile. There is no doubt that the liberal media has been extremely hostile to Trump during the campaign and they have continued with their abuse even after so many days of the result being announced. A bunch of these 'experts' give their views on what Trump should and should not do. Strangely, most of them seem to be hoping that Trump will go back on his campaign promises. One Larry Korb writes that his advisers should get him to dishonor his campaign promises. So what does it mean for India? Alyssa Ayres is optimistic. "Trump has promised to renew and expand the US navy just at the time India is expanding its navy to ensure its role as the pre-eminent Indian Ocean power. Look for this aspect of Indo-US ties further," she writes. "Trump will enter office with a fully de-hyphenated view of India and Pakistan. He has spoken about India as a land of economic opportunity, has pursued property developments in India, and admiringly cited India's high economic growth rate during the third presidential debate. He has spoken of Pakistan as the most dangerous country in the world, and said that only India can 'check' Pakistan." On the other hand,"He has said that he would end the H-1B high-skilled worker visa programme --." Indian writers are naturally anxious. Will he create a trade war with China, which will harm the global economy, will he encourage Japan and South Korea to acquire nuclear weapons, which may provoke China towards open hositlity, will he make friends with Russia, which will be India's advantage, and will he tear up the nuclear accord with Iran, which will push Iran to develop nuclear weapons, prompting Gulf Arab states to acquire their own. Many European countries face elections over the next couple of years and Trump's victory is seen as a boost for those who want to stop immigration and leave the European Union. Donald Trump greeted Nigel Farage, the former leader of UKIP, in his penthouse apartment in New York. Marine Le Pen of the French National Front exulted that there is no difference between her party and the UK Independence Party which was behind the successful campaign to get Britain out of the EU, also known as Brexit. If the EU breaks up India will have to negotiate trade deals with every individual nation. Which means hundreds of foreign trips for ministers and civil servants. What fun.

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