O P Bhatnagar - A Poet of Political Awakening Article Source

O P Bhatnagar is one of the most leading voices of Indian English poetry whose collections Thought Poems (1976), Feeling Fossils (1977), Angels of Retreat (undated), The Audible Landscape, Oneric Visions, Shadows in Floodlight (1984) and Cooling Flames of Darkness (2001) bespeak of political consciousness of the poet. As it is clear cut fact that Indian English poetry can never stay away from the socio-political atmosphere of India and poets who do not write under a single formula but rather start a dialogue between 'man and man' so Bhatnagar too deals with a number of issues of our society and politics. Dr. A.N. Dwivedi comments:

"Bhatnagar's poetry comprehends a great variety of themes which directly focus on the long ness of his experience and the solemnity of his involvement in the affairs of life." (CIE217)

Bhatnagar's tackling of political theme is more firm and larger than any other Indian English poet for he has touched almost all the aspects of political scenario. Dr.V.K.Singh observes:
"We find in Bhatnagar a frank analysis of the facts of contemporary life. Bhatnagar descants upon myriad aspects of political life as existing currently. No salient feature escapes his keenly discerning eye. Bhatnagar rips open the bosom of several political riddles. He mirrors before us what is what of all political problems." (152)

Themes like election, bribery, corruption, criminalization of politics, rampant bribery among the leaders degrading character of national leaders, division of society by communalism, castism, linguism, and regionalism etc and the utter loss of values in politics are touched by the poet in a remarkably sensitive and superbly sarcastic way which is still not being surpassed by any poet of Indian English Poetry. His assertion that 'Indian Poetry in English has to be Indian' cannot be overlooked if we aspire to promote Indian Literature. Merely copying and coping with the English and English Literature is insufficient because Indian sensibility is not suffering with the penury of thoughts, emotions and sensibility and because it has its foundation vitality and voice of potentiality. Dr. R.C. Sharma is right when he says:

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1232922

Unite08 - An Unrealistic Political Opportunist's Favorite Third Party Article Source

Again, history is on the path to repeat itself in American Politics. It seems like for 2 different reasons America's citizens have felt the need for a third party in politics. Either they believe in one or two political issues that they feel are not given a big enough role in either of the two big parties platforms or they don't believe in anything and are annoyed with how democracy and debate work to solve political issues in society.

The green movement in American politics showed that the first of the reasons for forming a political third party actually are useful way of having an impact on politics. The main reason the American political system has only two parties is the ballot setup and how political elections are won. As we all know, it takes a majority or 51% of the vote to win most elections in politics and 51% of the state's citizens votes to win all of the state's electoral college votes.

The majority system in politics pits two candidates against each other and gives no incentives for only winning 15% of the votes. The contrast to the American political system is Great Britain, which has a proportional system. Because of this system, politics in Great Britain are different at their core from American politics. In a proportional political system, if there are 10 seats available and a political party wins 20% of the vote then they win 2 seats out of 10. I'm sure you can imagine how this influences the whole art and strategy of politics in this system.

Ok so what is unity and what do they have to do with all of this?

Unity08 on the surface is trying to sell itself as the party of the people and uses polls and catchy marketing to try to convince people to join their cause. They are a wannabe third party that has no core issue(s) that are not covered by the two major parties. They actually claim that they take on the more crucial issues rather than the somewhat important issues that don't actually affect people.

They show base for their support by citing a polls that show the American public agrees with some things that are totally unrelated to a third party in politics. Things such as dissatisfaction with the way the country is headed and polarizaton. Also they polled on hypothetical questions of a different unity ticket and probably asked whether they agree or disagree with the idea. Good political pollsters know that people are always more likely to agree on any question when given the choice.

Ok now what do they have to do with third party politics? Well technically, they claim they do not want to be a third party. No No....They want to influence the big 2 political parties by giving them a wake up call. Oh it gets much better than this. They seem to contradict themselves a lot. They don't want to leave their political parties but they want a moderate candidate or one person from each big political party to join together and run under their ticket.

So on some of their crucial political issues of national debt, nuclear proliferation, health care for all, and the disappearance of the American Dream they just want one candidate from each party to come together and run?

Ok Ok....Slow me down if I am wrong about this but is their differences on how to go about these issues what makes America the model democratic republic? Did our founding fathers not set our political system up with just that clash and debate?

I feel like I am under the Capitol Dome looking at the painting of Thomas Jefferson apparently stepping on John Adams toe and unity asking Mr. Jefferson if they could shake him up and then to embrace Mr. Adams like his political best friend. The political founding fathers setup the American system on the ideals of Newtonian physics where 2 political parties would both butt heads and the equal opposite reaction would end in a balance.

You cannot expect to take bits and pieces from each different approach given by the major parties, throw them into a blender and out comes the perfect solution. Most moderates in politics today hold views on political issues that are held by both political parties. However, they are affiliated with a certain political party because they believe in their core platform.

Finally, if unity08 plans to have one prominent member from each party on their presidential ticket for the 2008 political elections then how do they decide which party holds the President and which one holds the Vice President. I feel like I shouldn't need to say this but unity08 makes it out like they do not see the huge difference in power between those two political offices.

So my final thought is this...The main founders and backers of unity08 are in this thing for exactly one reason. *Drumroll* MONEY. Plain and simple. Unity08 said they are seeking an advisory council from the FEC to see if they can be considered not a political committee. This means they do not want to be bound to FEC rules. Also nothing states that they are a non-profit and therefore I have to wonder whether they are not just a for-profit company.

Finally, one of the main founders bio on their webpage states this...

"Hamilton Jordan, Atlanta, Georgia. Carter White House Chief of Staff, writer, investor; focused on for-profit and non-profit start-ups; most importantly, father of three."

This could mean nothing but it sure sticks out...investor;...for-profit and non-profit start-ups. Also, most of these former political people would not have wasted their time on this if they couldn't control the cut they'll make as consultants for unity08.

hmmm...This thing smells of scam and unrealistic dreams that not only contradict the founding fathers political setup for America but are also bad for America. The 2 party system is and will always be the best system for America. Does America need political advocates and higher citizen engagement? Of course! Conflict and honest debate is the best path to the perfect solution.

Legal Domestic Abuse - Is the Family Court System Supposed to Be Just and Fair?

I often hear domestic violence survivors hollering that the family court system is not being just and fair. They say, it is supposed to be just and fair yet, it isn't.

My question is, "Is that true?" I'm not sure if the word "fair" is relevant here.

What Is Before the Court

You see the family court system is really about adjudicating on what's before the court. And what's before the court is more a matter of what the attorneys put before the court, that is, what they put in front of the judge.

So, if you are scratching your head or tearing your hair out over what's just and fair, I recommend that you consider what's before the court.

It's your business to carefully monitor whether your case is being put before the court in a way that represents your best interest. And if it is not, it is your responsibility to do something about it.

It is not the court's responsibility to make sure your position is properly represented. Rather, the court's job is merely to pass judgment on what is before the judge.

Being Proactive to Create Justice

Now, it is true that battered women often get the raw end of the deal in family court. It is also true that one of the reasons for this is because they are not knowledgeable on how to get their case before the court.

And sadly, as is typically the case, their counsel reflexively operates according to the financial politics of the case. You may think it is cold and cruel that finances govern the operation of the legal judicial system; but let's face it, attorneys are paid court agents. They are not free public servants, at least not in divorce court.

If you are a domestic violence survivor and protective parent in a custody or divorce matter, be mindful of the influence and control you could have by getting your case before the court.

Job of a Domestic Energy Assessor

How does one gain that competency though? A careful deliberation over the following points will ensure a successful and smooth career.

1. Be meticulous while opting for your training institute. The credibility of the institute goes a long way in determining your career. As per the new provision of the UK government authorized certificates are preferable.

2. One has to be well trained and practiced observing and jotting down of the points as this is an extremely important aspect of this job. The other part is the Energy Performance Certificate online software whose task is to assess the input of data fed by the DEA. Until and unless the DEA is perfectly well versed with the software operations and functions and competent in determining details of power consumption in the households as well as that which is in excess to the actual requirement it would be tough to do justice to the job and succeed.

3. Join the most successful company in this profession and get the chance of inspecting several houses rather than opt for a company in which you have no future growth and benefits. This will make sure that you gain more opportunity than your competitors in this area. It is extremely important to find the top and best pay masters in any profession and for people who choose to be DEA this need is even more.

4. Bear in mind to make a comprehensive and detailed report; it is best to finish your work the day you inspect a house. The most important prerequisite is to maintain soft manners and politeness even in the most irritating situations. Any lapse in this regard is going to make sure that you never peak your career. Also remember that your future assignments depend solely on your present performance that includes your efficiency at work as well as your capacity to deal with difficult clients tactfully while maintaining your cool and softness. The word of mouth goes a long way in publicizing and defaming. What the people who you have worked for say about you or don't say about you while recommending will make whole lot of difference to your career and that of the company that you work for.

5. Ensure that no discrepancies creeps in your report for it will be evident in the EPC of your customer. Any blunder of this sort is not likely to be looked over as this Certificate is required for the Home Information Package, as per the guidelines and instructions of the Government of UK. It is also a tricky job to inspect homes that fall in the category of "nearly completed" for that will require inspection and analysis of the proposed plan. In order to reach the exact figure you will have to make assumptions and that is where the chances of going wrong are maximum. This part will test your capacity to the core.

These are the facts you need to bear through your career as a Domestic Energy Assessor.

Congress Should Block Bid for New Domestic Spy Powers

National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell recently circulated a draft bill that would grant the NSA authority to monitor foreigners without obtaining FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) court approval and grant immunity to telecommunications firms currently facing possible civil litigation over their role in such surveillance that culminated in the U.S. District Court's overturning President Bush's domestic surveillance program. McConnell's draft legislation would permit the monitoring of foreigners by such tactics as phone taps and the monitoring of U.S. e-mail accounts outside the FISA process. Although McConnell is likely to argue that the realities of the post-9/11 world require such a program, the costs in terms of eroded Fourth Amendment protections and elevated risk of abuses would likely outweigh any incremental benefits that might result from the dramatic broadening of the government's domestic surveillance authority.

Currently, the FISA framework is sufficiently robust and flexible to handle the challenges presented by the post-9/11 world. Under FISA, the government can petition a secret court for approval to monitor a person if there is probable cause to believe that such a person is working for a foreign power against the United States. The same holds true with respect to members of international terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda. In short, the FISA process already permits the monitoring of suspected terrorists, but such monitoring requires FISA court consent based on the existence of probable cause. The existing approval process merely offers a checkpoint to ensure greater accountability and an evidentiary standard to ensure that there is reasonable basis for such monitoring.

All said, the draft bill would not, for the first time, create a mechanism for monitoring suspected terrorists. That mechanism already exists and should be actively employed. Instead, the bill would eliminate the framework for accountability that is built into existing law and overturn the reasonable evidentiary standard that must be met in order to carry out such monitoring. Such legal protection is essential to securing the Constitutional foundation on which U.S. society rests.

In the wake of the American Revolution, the experience of excessive searches and seizures under King George III loomed large in the memory of the new nation's people and leaders. In the years leading up to the American Revolution, the issuance of general warrants and writs of assistance was pervasive. As early as 1765, a court expressed concern over the practice of issuing such warrants that were aimed at stamping out "seditious libel." Today, one could readily substitute "terrorism" for "seditious libel," but the concern would remain as valid as it was more than two centuries ago.

Then, Lord Camden warned that if such tactics were found acceptable, "the secret cabinets and bureaus of every subject in this kingdom will be thrown open to the search and inspection of a messenger, whenever the secretary of state shall think fit to charge, or even to suspect, a person to be the author, printer, or publisher of a seditious libel." The ratification of the Fourth Amendment was intended to preclude those and similar abuses. Since then, courts have regularly reaffirmed the Fourth Amendment's protection against "searches conducted outside the judicial process without prior approval" by a judge as "unreasonable" but have allowed "a few specifically established and well-delineated exceptions."

If FISA protection were eliminated, historical precedent strongly suggests that abuses could be expected. Leading up to the enactment of legislation that created FISA, the Church Committee revealed in 1976 that every President from 1946 to the time of its investigation had engaged in "warrantless wiretaps" on national security grounds and that there had been "numerous political abuses." The Church Commission proclaimed:

Too many people have been spied upon by too many Government agencies and too much information has been collected... The Government, operating primarily through secret informants, but also using other intrusive techniques such as wiretaps, microphone "bugs", surreptitious mail opening, and break-ins, has swept in vast amounts of information about the personal lives, views, and associations of American citizens.

That experience was not an isolated exception. On April 11, 2007, The Washington Post reported, "[T]he Justice Department and FBI have been sharply rebuked for bad bookkeeping and other mistakes involving their powers under the USA Patriot Act to secretly demand Americans' e-mail, financial and other personal records through...national security letters."

Invocations of national security do not offer sufficient basis to overturn long-established and specific Constitutional protections. The domestic surveillance abuses cited by the Church Committee occurred, on occasion, precisely when statutory prohibitions "were intentionally disregarded in the belief that because the programs served the 'national security' the law did not apply." Neither are arguments that the terrorists exploit the U.S. legal system, while seeking to undermine U.S. national security, any more persuasive. "On some occasions when agency officials did assume, or were told, that a program was illegal, they still permitted it to continue," the Church Committee revealed, adding, "They justified their conduct in some cases on the ground that the failure of 'the enemy' to play by the rules granted them the right to do likewise, and in other cases on the ground that the 'national security' permitted programs that would otherwise be illegal." A culture in which the most fundamental rules are trampled is especially hospitable for the rise of tyranny.

Considering that the McConnell legislation would eliminate the accountability that is provided by the FISA process, as well as the evidentiary standard of probable cause, it could facilitate the kind of abuses the Church Committee addressed some three decades ago. That Committee found, "The overwhelming number of excesses continuing over a prolonged period of time were due in large measure to the fact that the system of checks and balances--created in our Constitution to limit abuse of Governmental power--was seldom applied to the intelligence community."

In addition to rejecting the McConnell draft, Congress should be prepared to take such additional measures as might be required to shore up the nation's Constitutional protections. "It is during our most challenging and uncertain moments that our Nation's commitment to due process is most severely tested; and it is in those times that we must preserve our commitment at home to the principles for which we fight abroad," former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor explained in the war on terrorism-related Hamdi v. Rumsfeld decision.

In the end, Congress has no higher duty than to safeguard the integrity of the U.S. Constitution in which the Nation's most cherished freedoms are enshrined into law. Constitutional prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures were established for good reason based on the early historical experience. More than two centuries of U.S. history and jurisprudence have validated those protections time and again. Rather than advocating legislative changes that would have the genuine potential to undermine crucial Fourth Amendment protections and lead to the kind of abuses that FISA was established to prevent, Mr. McConnell would do better to rebuild the Intelligence Community's human intelligence capabilities and to direct its agents to make active efforts to directly or indirectly penetrate Al Qaeda and other State or non-State actors that threaten U.S. national security.

Responsibilities and Jobs of a Domestic Assessor

The world is in a mortal peril. The rate at which we are destroying our ecosystem is staggering and shocking. The human race has destroyed millions of acres of forestland, and has converted it into farms and for civilization. The earth is calling us to take some concrete steps to maintain the fulcrum and balance of our environment.

If this continues unabated, all of mankind may cease to exist in a few more centuries. Fortunately, all the countries in the world have realized that something concrete must be done to preserve the environment. The rich countries have vowed to take action against global climate change by bringing in modern green technologies.

For the past 100 years, technology has destroyed the ecosystem. Today the invention of green technology or the technology which is helpful to the environment has raised the hope of restoring the ecosystem. A domestic Energy Assessor has the onus to preserve the environment and to prevent humans from running it. A person is entitled to carry out assessments in households, only and only if he is qualified as a Domestic Energy Assessor from the institution of an accredited quality. However one needs to pay heed to many issues that may come up during the process. Therefore a high degree of professionalism maintained by independent thoughts and a firm judgment is very much needed.

The Domestic Energy Assessor must have an Insurance policy in case he gets sued by a client. The client can sue him on the basis that the data he has provided is faulty. There are a specific set of rules that need to be followed by every DEA, and every decision must be made by keeping the regulations in mind. There are many factors that the DEA must consider before he gives his decision. The factors include the risk and safety involved. The space for 'space heating' need to be determined by the dimension of buildings that are yet to be constructed and the buildings that already have been. If there are any changes that the DEA feels should be inducted, he can give suggestions to the home owners.

Energy appliances are thoroughly checked for the level of emission. One may change the arrangement or the appliances in order to make the house environment friendly. If the cavity in the walls is not insulated properly, it is possible you may have issues. Energy can be saved, if the walls are insulated properly. Moreover the SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) ratings will improve and your energy bill will come down. The DEA inspectors will also carefully look at the boilers, fireplaces and heaters in the house. The DEA inspectors are provided the access to every nook and corner of the construction. Co-operation and willingness to listen is always required of the home owners. The DEA inspector must be polite and quick. The DEA inspector checks the age of the building, extensions, if any and the materials used for the construction of the building. Every factor, whether big or small come into play when having the environmental friendly home is concerned.