REGIME CHANGE!!! MY FAITH IN DEMOCRACY HAS BEEN RESTORED!

[HKRockChick]

story.news.yahoo.com/news...6&ncid=716



This is fantastic! The BJP - India's right wing fanatic Hindu Nationalist Party is OUT! Now other religions hopefully can breathe in peace. It also restores my faith in India's tolerance and acceptance - our first foreign born leader!



I was speaking to my mother - she was so worried, because the BJP was instigating crimes against Christians, Muslims, and other minorities, and interfering with private convent school curriculums. Worse, rummy was courting Advani, one of the WORST Hindu fanatics. He's been behind most of the hindu-muslim violence in India. It was predicted they would win big time.



I hope the Congress party lives up to their election promises to boost the rural poor.



And I hope the Congress continues with the progress India has been making.

Edited by: HKRockChick at: 5/13/04 1:01 pm

[Rev9Volts]

CONGRATULATIONS!



i know nothing about india's government except about the caste system i learned in school.



is this new group moderates or extreem leftists?



anytime there is religious freedom enhancement is good. more of any kind of freedome is good well unless it infringes on someone elses' freedom you know....

[HKRockChick]

India is a secular country, but the Hindu nationalist party won votes on the basis of playing the religious card. Nevertheless they did continue with the economic reforms (while ignoring the poor). India has progressed by leaps and bounds, the middle class has grown. However the rich/poor divide has also grown, and that is never a good thing.



The other thing is that Sonia Gandhi has little or no experience, she is the wife of assassinated PM, Rajiv Gandhi. However, I believe that one of her advisors is the first guy who opened India's markets. And maybe someone having new to politics is not such a bad thing!



All I can say is, you never know. I believe if these guys dont live up to their promises they likely will get booted out. I hope the opposition doesnt escalate Hindu-Muslim violence in order to play this card again. In any event I believe that they will indeed promote secularism and reverse the ominious turn India seems to be taking, and educate our rural poor. Its about time.

[Rev9Volts]

interesting and educational. playing race or religious card "sucks" to say the least. thanks!

[HKRockChick]

Yes it does. India is 80% Hindu and THEY voted OUT the nationalists - they voted in a Catholic and likely a Muslim too, gotta wait and see who gets the final chairs. I've grown up with moderate Muslims (and Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Bahais), so I know how peaceful and kind they are - no different from anyone else.



While Hindus are likely the most tolerant people on earth, normally its the poor that opt for the religious card because they can be (and were traditionally) swayed by fundamentalists. I'm proud that this looks like it has been overcome.

[DreamTone7]

Good news...now let us keep our fingers crossed.

[Rev9Volts]

Quote:

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While Hindus are likely the most tolerant people on earth, normally its the poor that opt for the religious card because they can be (and were traditionally) swayed by fundamentalists.

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and add poorly educated... that is also in america... whether they support jessee jackson or pat robertson.

[HKRockChick]

by poor I mean illiterate (not just poorly educated), barely scraping by for food, living in hutments, working the land for a pittance. These are India's poor. Parents dont like to send their kids to school because it takes away one more bread earner. And its difficult to study because there's no electricity.



sigh. We need to close the gap between the rich (and there's some HUGE wealth amongst the rich) and the poor. I have some theories (well dont I always) but thats another story.

[Rev9Volts]

i see... the "poor" black people vote democratic because they are told and are too ignorant to see welfare/social programs enslaves them.



still having grown up in mississippi (my mom was from greenwood where robert johnson was killed) those poor blacks are about as poor as any one iin any country and are illeterate.

[HKRockChick]

I thought state and religion were to be kept separate? If you want to help the needy why not fund secular organisations?



news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=...pr/bush_10



Bush Plugs Religion-Oriented Initiatives



Fri May 14, 4:45 PM ET



By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer



MEQUON, Wis. - Trying to showcase the softer side of his political agenda, President Bush (news - web sites) said Friday there is an important place for the government in religion-oriented initiatives aimed at helping the needy.



Instead of ignoring religious charities and other organizations, "this country will encourage ... good works in every way we can," Bush said in a commencement speech at Concordia University in Wisconsin, a state he lost by 6,000 votes four years ago.



"Government can play many important roles, but it cannot take someone's hand and be their friend. You have that power," Bush told the graduating class of Concordia, many of whom are going into the ministry.



Under an executive order Bush signed earlier in his presidency, religious organizations can compete for billions of dollars in social service funding.



Bush's push to expand the role of churches and religious charities in government programs is a cornerstone of his "compassionate conservative" agenda, but it has caused controversy in Congress from the start. Opponents worry that government would wind up paying for religion.



Earlier in the day at a fund-raiser in a museum of luxury American cars in Missouri, the president raised $2.2 million for the GOP's get-out-the-vote fund. Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) brought in $300,000 for the same fund in Orlando, Fla. Since February, Bush, Cheney and first lady Laura Bush have helped the RNC raise at least $17 million at such events around the nation. The president has amassed some $200 million for his own re-election.



Friday's trip comes on the heels of an effort by Bush to shore up his political base and ease concerns among conservatives about the scope and cost of his Iraq (news - web sites) policy.



He told a gathering of conservatives Thursday night that they need not fear that he'll waver on Iraq, promising "America will finish what we have begun" despite rising international concerns over American conduct and an increase of violence directed against Americans.



Some prominent conservatives have voiced increasing skepticism about the administration's Iraq policy, his proposals to liberalize immigration and costly spending at a time of growing deficits.



However, he was warmly received at a dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the American Conservative Union, where the audience of about 500 people chanted "Four More Years" upon his arrival and gave him three standing ovations.



When Bush's religious initiative stalled in Congress, he began sidestepping lawmakers with executive orders and regulations to give religious organizations equal footing in competing for federal contracts. The president has called for legislation that would give religious groups access to federal funds as long as their services are available to anyone.



Bush's remarks at the 123-year-old Concordia University are the first of three commencement addresses the president will make. He speaks May 21 at Louisiana State University and June 2 at the Air Force Academy.



It was just a week ago that Bush was in Wisconsin, traveling rural roads in a bus tour of counties along the Mississippi River, where voters in rural areas and small and medium-sized towns will probably determine whether the state goes to Bush in November.



Underscoring the importance of both Missouri and Wisconsin to Bush's re-election campaign, Friday's trip is the 17th of his presidency to Missouri and the 11th to Wisconsin. Bush won Missouri four years ago, defeating Al Gore (news - web sites) there by over 78,000 votes. The state has gone with the candidate who won the White House all but once since World War I.

[HKRockChick]

news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=..._elections



Stupid idiots! This is the problem with India, and always has been. There'll always be corrupt idiots playing mind games for their crappy agendas. This time its the leftists. arrrrrrrrrrgh. I truly hope they sort it out otherwise its going to be one gigantic mess. And it doesnt matter who comes to power, because they'll have to make a coalition, always dependent on the vagaries of the other bit parties.



I'm sick of these jokers.

[Rev9Volts]

yea hk they are all the same... always was and always will be.



like in france... robspear (sp?) etc after french revolution was worse than louis 16.



the more things change the more they remain the same....

[HKRockChick]

Robespierre, I think his name was.



I just hope it doesn't turn violent in India now.



Bastards all of them.

[Galmin]

Quote:

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I thought state and religion were to be kept separate? If you want to help the needy why not fund secular organisations?

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The needy is in this case the Bush admin. Their need is support in the form of votes come electionday.

[Rev9Volts]

the idea was to save money not hiring govt. workers to passw out money...