Sunday, December 18, 2011

Medieval South Asians and outbound Travel..

Mark Twain had a number of observations to make on Travel - and the pithier ones are listed here - http://www.twainquotes.com/Travel.html. Travel certainly widens horizons, provides fresh perspectives, liberates the mind of prevailing prejudices. As one goes back in medieval  times, we hear of  travelers "inbound" to South Asia (routine examples - Hiuen Tsang, Fa-Hien, Marco Polo) - and not the other way around.
Of course, there were the Buddhist  missionaries spreading - circa Ashoka - the religion in SL and the East, but that BC era - & much pre-medieval. But, one never  heard of  memoirs or autobiographies, a la "Great Tang Records on the Western Regions" - that provided insights into the prevailing culture and living.

Could it be that the fabled & supposed prosperity that dulled the medieval natives into staying put and not bothering to seek outbound adventure? Was it a symptom of a stagnating society, a self-conceited society?
Or maybe  a  manifestation of the inward focus -  the inherent belief that the greatest enemy to conquer lies within?  
One can only guess.

Monday, December 5, 2011

US Public Sector - Job Losses

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/opinion/pain-in-the-public-sector.html?_r=1&hp mentions job losses in the public sector, mostly in the non-federal parts. And states, that this hits the black community blocking this route to the American Middle Class dream to that community.
One wonders how this issue would have been handled in emerging/developing countries? By simply printing more notes, maybe.
Ironical that a country with the largest international debt does not opt for deficit financing as a means to pay public sector employees payroll.