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Friday, October 14, 2011

[ALOCHONA] The India-Bangladesh border: A new beginning



The India-Bangladesh border: A new beginning


The year 2011 marks a new beginning for India and Bangladesh, which signed a series of agreements to manage their common border. The March 2011 Agreement on the non-use of lethal weapons by the Border Security Force (BSF), the Coordinated Border management Plan signed in July 2011, and the Protocol to the Agreement concerning the Demarcation of Land Boundary signed in September 2011 are some such accords that are expected to transform the India-Bangladesh border from a border management nightmare to a zone of peace and prosperity.

One of the most important initiatives undertaken as part of this framework was the setting up of bilateral institutional interactions to address and resolve various challenges along the borders. These interactions take place at the national, regional and local levels between ministers/officials of the concerned ministries as well as between officers of the border guarding forces at regular intervals. As far as the India-Bangladesh border is concerned, these interactions have been quite effective not only in sensitizing each country about the other's perceived threats and challenges but also in providing a platform to discuss various measures for improving management practices.

One recurrent issue had been the BSF personnel's firing upon, and the resultant deaths of, Bangladeshi citizens transgressing the border. While the Bangladeshi side used to argue that BSF personnel were killing innocent people, the BSF would assert that its personnel were firing at smugglers and hostile illegal migrants. After much discussion and deliberation, a common ground was found in the form of the BSF agreeing to use non-lethal weapons to warn potential illegal migrants or smugglers twice before resorting to the use of firearms. To be at first implemented on an experimental basis, an agreement to this effect was signed between the border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh in March 2011. Another significant outcome of the cooperative framework was the signing of the Coordinated Border Management Plan on July 30, 2011. The aim of this plan is to "enhance quality of border management as well as ensure cross-border security" by addressing challenges to the peace and sanctity of the border posed by human and drug trafficking, gun running and cross border crimes. Under the Plan, India and Bangladesh have agreed to conduct joint coordinated patrols in areas susceptible to trafficking and other crimes based on shared intelligence inputs.

Rampant smuggling along the border is yet another border management challenge which both countries are seeking to curb by agreeing to reopen border haats (marketplaces). Before 1972, border haats used to help people residing on either side of the border to trade their surplus produce in return for essential items. But these haats were shut down during Bangladesh's war of liberation, which not only led to economic hardship for the people but also fuelled widespread smuggling across the border. Realising the need for border haats, India and Bangladesh decided to re-open two such haats as part of a pilot project. The first of these opened at Kalaichar-Baliamari (West Garo Hills-Kurigram) on July 23, 2011. It will be held once a week every Wednesday from 10 am to 4 pm. It is expected that trade in this haat alone will total US$ 20 million a year. A second border haat will be opened at Ballat-Lauwaghar. If the project proves successful, more such haats will be opened.

The most significant of the challenges, namely, the border dispute comprising 6.1 km of an undemarcated stretch, enclaves and adverse possessions, has also been resolved through consultations. India and Bangladesh had established two Joint Boundary Working Groups I & II in 2001 in order to discuss the issue of undermarcated areas and enclaves and adverse possessions, respectively. These Groups met four times over ten years and came up with a mechanism to resolve the dispute, culminating in the Protocol to the Agreement concerning the Demarcation of Land Boundary between India and Bangladesh on September 6, 2011.

The new initiatives taken by India and Bangladesh have ushered a new beginning in the bilateral relationship as well as in the management of their common border. Yet, these are only baby steps and a lot still needs to be done. The success of the initiatives and projects undertaken so far will depend entirely on the manner in which they are implemented on the ground because it is here that the real test of any project or plan lies. For instance, the initiative to use only non-lethal weapons will reduce killings but only if it is implemented strictly and at the same time the BSF personnel are trained to judge an adverse move and react professionally. Similarly, the border haat project must be implemented properly and their numbers and scope widened so that corruption in issuing licenses to traders could be minimized and as large a number of people as possible benefit from these haats.

The writer is an Associate Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=206540



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[ALOCHONA] Uncharted trajectory of Indo-Bangladesh diplomacy?



Uncharted trajectory of Indo-Bangladesh diplomacy?

Matiur Rahman

Bangladesh is a delta country of over 700 rivers sharing 54 of them with India. India is on the upstream of these 54 rivers and Bangladesh is on their downstream. Rivers that run through multiple countries are considered as global water resources with unimpeded or at least equal access to all the countries that share them.

Water is the savoir of life on this planet. This is also vital to agriculture for irrigation and industries for shipment of goods as well as generation of hydroelectric power. It needs no overemphasizing. Water is scarce in many landlocked countries (i.e. Afghanistan and Nepal) and lack of access to water places them at a great disadvantage for trade and commerce.

Overall, water is more important than energy and gas. Due to climate change, water will be increasingly more scarce in the future. In particular, fresh water supply is likely to be in severe shortage. Countries will be fighting over water. Therefore, fruitful and forward-looking negotiations for river-water sharing between/among nations are pivotal, to say the least. They must occur for mutual net benefits in good faith, based on in-depth technical studies and expert opinions of all parties involved.

To rise as a cluster, regional infrastructural connectivity is imperative for co-prosperity of all neighbouring countries in the age of globalization. Transit and transshipment accesses are just one facet of the overall connectivity. They promote regional trade. However, transit must not be mixed up with transshipment in negotiations. Needless to say, trade is the key to economic success for all countries in modern days. This also helps hold countries together for the common goal of co-prosperity with congeniality in variances. In modern diplomacy, trade is a vital tool of negotiations.

Countries were arbitrarily separated by geographic boundaries. The colonial masters before leaving the colonies drew arbitrary geographic boundaries as a political design that stir disputes, conflicts, and occasional wars between neighbours. History provides resounding evidence to substantiate them. Furthermore, restrictions on trade and cross-border mobility of people act to the detriments of all neighbouring countries by impeding free flows of goods, services, labour, raw materials, capital, knowledge, and ideas. This, in effect, turns out to be a case of zero-sum game.

To some, all the aforementioned may deem utopian and theoretical. But the world has changed and will continue to change. To keep up with these continuous changes, we have to change our views and mindsets. The old dogmas, nostalgias and eccentricism will just push us backward and perpetuate adversarial relations. Forty years is a long time to wait for fruits of constructive diplomacy. Too much time has already been wasted in vain for vanity.

Now is the time for peaceful resolution of the existing/pending disputes between neighbouring countries (namely, India and Bangladesh). Both share a common border of approximately 2500 miles. We are surrounded by India on 3 sides. So is India by us. India and Bangladesh are asymmetric in size, resources, political environment, cultures, levels of economic progress, institutions (both political and financial), and global influence.

In asymmetry, we must explore complementarities for common interests. Clearly, Bangladesh is much smaller than India. Smallness should not always necessarily mean weakness because of strategic location, commanding leadership quality, and other concomitant advantages.

Diplomacy is both master art and science. This is not meant for amateurs as successful negotiations between countries require skills, experience, shrewdness, boldness, political acumen, ability to understand unspoken language, ability to dig out devils in details, and clear vision for the common benefits. Both sides ought to negotiate in good faith without creating resistance/friction and lingering ill feelings. They must negotiate by setting a list of national priorities with some flexibility to reach a common ground without giving in just for the sake of reaching an agreement.

If so, it always becomes a very tough sale, politically. Diplomatic negotiations are tough, tenuous, and time-consuming. Thus, they require patience, perseverance and compassion on both sides. In diplomacy, failure is not an option and there is no alternative to keep dialogue open on an ongoing basis.

The trajectory of diplomacy is never linear. It is nonlinear with many zig-zags. Success is never guaranteed. Negotiations also often take a glacial pace. In one bout of negotiations, none should expect any miracles to happen. Efficient diplomats never raise expectations too high a prioi and never give any definitive timeline for concluding the negotiations successfully. Even if success is in sight, they downplay it until it is in hand.

Neither side should send confusing signals to the media. On each side, the message must be clear, realistic and unified, coming from a single source. Otherwise, the intended purposes will be lost in clouds of confusion. In diplomatic negotiations, success is never 100 percent for either side. This is possible only when one side speaks from a position of absolute strength and the other side surrenders its national interest. This would be an overbearing toward Bangladesh. This is no negotiation and no diplomacy. Neither side can be inflexible.

Any international agreements/accords/protocols must be ratified through a transparent and due democratic process. Governments come and go, but the nation has to live and comply with them for years to come. People must buy-in because they have a lot at stake.

No doubt, Bangladesh needs India for a number of economic, political and geostrategic reasons. India also needs Bangladesh's support to fight terrorism, to lift economies of seven sister states in the South, to secure a coveted permanent seat in the UN Security Council, to gain transit access to Bangladesh ports and to penetrate deeper in Bangladesh market of 160 million people living within a territory that is one-fifth of Texas, a US state, in size. Thus, the Indo-Bangladesh needs are mutual, though not mutually exclusive.

For successful diplomatic relationships, both countries must understand each other thoroughly including the political dynamics and realities. Unlike Bangladesh, India is a confederation as a conglomerate of 29 diverse states. The central government of India always may not have a final say in all vital issues. The states involved also have a say in finalizing an accord/agreement with a neighboring country. In democracy, the central government must heed the concerns and opinions of the state(s) involved.

Moreover, the current Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has a relatively weaker position in negotiations, as his government is formed in coalition with some smaller parties in the absence of a clear majority of his own party in the Lok Sabha. Indian powerful and outmoded bureaucracy may occasionally hinder the process of negotiations by taking nationalist positions.

The aforementioned give him no magic wand. So, one must understand the limitations of India's current central government. In these respects, Bangladesh government has a relatively unique position, although ministers are mostly bureaucrat-dependent in decision making due to comparative inexperience and less educational qualification. We must know how to capitalize on this uniqueness despite some limitations in governance and political unity.

The historic 1974 Indira-Mujib Accord for Friendship and Land-Boundary Settlements was put on the back burner by India after the brutal assassination of the Father of the Nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. As a result, Mrs. Indira Gandhi developed mistrust toward the next government of Bangladesh. The subsequent military-led government also failed to pursue its enactment actively with India. Both sides quietly allowed it to lapse in 1997. Meanwhile, there were exchanges of occasional good wishes and small pleasantries between leaders. But there were no noteworthy active diplomatic initiatives between them to resolve any outstanding issues in dispute, as outlined in the 1974 Accord. India alone is not thus to be blamed for this inaction.

Conjecturally, if Bangabandhu had lived longer, the Accord might have had successful implementation. Concerted efforts were made afterward since the assassination of Bangabandhu to create ill feelings against India by playing a broken record of the then Pakistani diplomacy. All parties must now come out of the old mode that failed miserably. This was good for neither Bangladesh nor India.

No doubt, the revival of the spirit of the 1974 Accord in 36 years or so is a step in the right direction. The signing of the Framework Agreement on Cooperation for Development on September 6, 2011 pending the Teesta Water-Sharing Accord and Transit Access is a partial success. The Bangladesh government talked about a linkage between the above as a face-saving strategy immediately after the signing of the Framework Agreement. But it turned out to be somewhat misleading almost immediately since a Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) was signed in May, 2010 granting India trial run of transit through Ashuganj Port pending specific timeframe for regular transit.

The Teesta Water-Sharing Accord faltered because of last-minute u-turn by Ms. Mamata Banerjee, the newly elected Chief Minister of West Bengal, for political consumption in her state with an eye on the next election. She claimed a much larger share of Teesta water for irrigation that is claimed to be crucial to West Bengal than originally agreed on a near 50-50 basis between New Dehli and Dhaka. This is a temporary setback, but not unlikely in diplomacy.

Dr. Manmohan Singh expressed dismay, but promised to pursue the matter with West Bengal. Bangladesh should continue the negotiations using both front and back channels for success, and the government of West Bengal has to be on board. To this end, power of convincing logic must play a role. Inflexibility cannot be a norm in constructive diplomacy.

Several successes are achieved by Bangladesh. Among them, the most important success is about gaining duty-free access for 61 items that include 48 RMGs to India, a vast market of 1.2 billion people. This may bring immense economic and business benefits to Bangladesh by improving the trade balance. Currently, Bangladesh imports about 15 percent of her total imports from India. If smuggling is included, the above will go even much higher. The colossal trade deficit of Bangladesh with India has been an eye-sore. Still, potential gains may be enormous.

But they may turn out to be hollow if India erects walls of non-tariff barriers against these items. Bangladesh needs to exercise extra caution against this possibility. The long-awaited opening of Tin Bigha Corridor that was granted through the 1974 Accord is another example of recent diplomatic success. They are though secondary to the Teesta Water Sharing Agreement that is still hanging in the balance. So, the most recent Indo-Bangladesh diplomacy is not a total failure as some would like to claim to score political points.

The Bangladesh government is to blame itself for creating confusions and suspicions in many minds because of ineffective communication, lack of dissemination of a unified message from a single source, lack of proper inter-ministerial coordination, minor bureaucratic snafus, and a largely last-minute political snag by the current Chief Minister of West Bengal. The Bangladesh government also became its own victim by creating hypes, prematurely. Some non-elected advisors with no field-level political experience to the Prime Minister tried to sidetrack the respective ministries speaking sporadically and imprudently to the news media for self-promotion/self-fulfilment. They added to the myriad of confusions. Their appointments reflect negatively on elected ministers and political leaders in general across the board. This applies to both present and past governments.

Effective diplomacy is a catalyst for regional peace and prosperity. At the same time, it helps promote global peace and stability. Peace at home is a prelude to regional and global peace. Advocacy for world peace with no peace at home may seem at odds, to say the least. Mere good intentions are not enough. They must be followed by appropriate and timely decisive actions. People care for good results that would benefit them.

To close this brief, the following quotations are cited:
"A diplomat is a man who remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age" —Robert Frost

"A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip."—Caskie Stinnett
"Trust but verify." —Ronald Reagan

—————————
Matiur Rahman is the MBA Director and JP Morgan Chase Endowed Professor of finance at McNeese State University, USA.

http://opinion.bdnews24.com/2011/10/14/uncharted-trajectory-of-indo-bangladesh-diplomacy/


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Re: [mukto-mona] Re: Breakling News: What's PM's faith? Asks Khaleda



Allah was a female goddess originally by the name of Ila (symbolized by the Hajre Aswad), which is one of the names of Durga. In course of time, however she became a male god though the icon, a female reproductive organ curved out of stone remained unchanged.  An article in this context was read in the University of Hawaii a few years ago. Anybody interested may find it with the help of search engines.

On Fri, Oct 14, 2011 at 3:27 PM, pijush <pijush.bose@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

Allah or Ma Durga both are All Mighty. Name may be different but the power is same as Sun=Surja=Suraj and so on.

Yours ........



--- In mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@...> wrote:
>
> It is unfortunate that the people of Bangladesh got such a vacuous leader, like Khaleda Zia, in the opposition party. She is not only illiterate, she is also immature. How can a leader use such a cheap political shot? It is really unthinkable to imagine that such a person could be the Prime Minister of a country. People around her, such as, Mohiuddin and others, who are trying to promote this garbage through this forum, will be Ministers, if Khaleda becomes Prime Minister someday. Can you think about the plights of religious minorities at that time?
>  
> After 2001 election, when Khaleda was prime minister and thousands of religious minorities were being brutalized, she was telling the world that perfect religious harmony existed in Bangladesh. She could not even understand that, by doing so, she was giving open license to the perpetrators to continue brutalization of religious minorities. Religious persecution and mayhem continued unabated throughout her tenure. She must be proud of her previous record; otherwise she would not play the same card again.
>  
> Jiten Roy
>
>
> --- On Wed, 10/12/11, GT International <gti82@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: GT International <gti82@...>

> Subject: RE: [mukto-mona] Breakling News: What's PM's faith? Asks Khaleda
> To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, khabor@yahoogroups.com, ovimot@yahoogroups.com, guhasb@..., unitycouncilusa@..., captchowdhury@..., srbanunz@..., manik061624@...
> Cc: dug_alumni@yahoogroups.com, sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com, obaidul.quader@..., rezaul_khan@..., ershad.hm@..., muntasir@...

> Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 10:17 AM
>
>
>
>  
>
>
>
>
>
> Mohiuddin Anwar,
>
> Breaking News!!!!!! Whao.......Since you are so obsessed with this outragious irresponsible cheap shot from Khaleda to Hasina regarding Hasina's religion, do you honestly believe Hasina is not Muslim? JAMATI gang tried these tectics of making their opponenet as Hindu or non-muslim since early 50s and never succeded and never will as people in general reject this notion anyway. You guys can stoop to REAL LOW and use ISLAM for your petty political gain anytime. Do you think questioning ones faith in such a sarcastic way is fine in ISLAM? What a shame when a former PM stoops to this low? for GOD sake, keep politics within politics; do not mix it with religion. Besides, we all know Khaleda's practicing of religion anyway; she is a habitual drunkard. The women can not wake up before 10:00 am; how does she pray for Fazar? Anyway, sorry I should not bring those into this discussion anyway as we all are responsible for our own action to Allah. So there
> you have my comments....
>  

> BTW, who is Dhamand Mia and what is your relationship to Mulana Mannan? You never answered these questions?
>  
> -M.Islam 
>
>  
>
> > To: khabor@yahoogroups.com; ovimot@yahoogroups.com; guhasb@...; unitycouncilusa@...; captchowdhury@...; srbanunz@...; manik061624@...; manik061624@...; mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
> > CC: dug_alumni@yahoogroups.com; sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; obaidul.quader@...; srbanunz@...; rezaul_khan@...; ershad.hm@...; muntasir@...; unitycouncilusa@...; guhasb@...
> > From: mohiuddin@...

> > Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:47:54 +0000
> > Subject: [mukto-mona] Breakling News: What's PM's faith? Asks Khaleda
> >
> > What's PM's faith? Asks Khaleda
> > Tue, Oct 11th, 2011 10:28 pm BdST Dial 2000 from your GP mobile for latest news
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Sylhet, Oct 11 (bdnews24.com)â€"BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has questioned about the religion of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
> >
> > "Prime minister Sheikh Hasina told a Durga Puja function that our Maa Durga has arrived by elephant…we want to know which religion she actually believes in," the opposition chief told a public meeting at the city's Alia Madrasa ground on Tuesday.
> >
> > She also slated Hasina for the dropping the words 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Allah' from the constitution.
> >
> > "Our prime minister has abolished absolute faith and trust in Allah from the constitution," the opposition leader said.
> >
> > Islam was retained as the state religion through the 15th Amendment to the constitution. The amendment also restored secularism as one of the four main pillars of the constitution ensuring equal rights and dignity for the people of other religions.
> >
> > bdnews24.com/sm/ost/bd/2119h
> >
> >
> > My comment: Interestingly Prime Minister Hasina did not withdraw her comment about Ma Durga yet , nor declared Tauba for Shirk(parting someone with Allah Rabbul Alamin).
> > If her comment is true, she should explain her position to the nation. If she is secular or anything else t she must declare that for the greater interest of the republic and its people.
> >
> > __________________________________________________________
> > 2550% Penny Stock Gains?
> > Our last pick exploded 2550% - Join our newsletter for free picks!
> > http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL3241/4e949db222704c5c4c9st04duc
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > ****************************************************
> > Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration:
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> > http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68
> >
> > http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585
> >
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> >
> > "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
> > -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>




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Re: [mukto-mona] FW: THE PARTITION AND TODAY'S PAKISTAN



Sorry again, please insert 'want' before Kashmir.  I also support the idea of an Indian confederation.  But the leaders before wanted strong center and all the power in their control.  Their idea has become untenable in less than a hundred years.  Let us hope that sanity will prevail in the long run. Let the control freaks be shown the exit door.

On Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 9:25 AM, Kamal Das <kamalctgu@gmail.com> wrote:
Why does Pakistan want Kashmir?  It can't even keep Baluchistan, Sindh, Peswar etc. without military rule.  If Islam alone could unite Pakistan, there would not be twenty two nations in the middle east.  Even Allah did not believe in Islamic Intelligence.  He advised them to trust it less than Koran, hadith, Sunnah, opinion of the muftis and a whole lot of other things.


On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 7:50 AM, subimal chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

Unification would be too much to ask for right now although that does not seem to be an impossible proposition given the fact that all these countries in the subcontinent share a common legacy. In sixties Bhutto (had already left Ayub Khan and was an aspiring leader of Pakistan) during his visit to the then East Pakistan told the prominent East Pakistani student leaders that solution of the Kashmir problem would be possible only under an Indian confederation. Very bold idea indeed! The idea is thought provoking.  

From: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 1:16 PM

Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] FW: THE PARTITION AND TODAY'S PAKISTAN

 
Allama Mashraqi's grandson is clearly proud of his grandfather's position on the partition of India in 1947. However, he and intellectuals like him need to objectively look at all the filthy water that has passed through the Indus and the Ganges over the last 64 years. Just shunning the mistakes and misfortunes of 1947 would be too much of living in the past. They need to look at the realities of today and the foreseeable future.
 
To me, the sub-continent overall would be much worse-off if the three parts were to just unite to one country today. Here are some realities:
 
In Pakistan , the school-children in their regular school curricula learn hatred against non-Muslims, especially against the Hindus. They are clearly not ready to live in harmony in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic environment. They and their recent past generations need to be seriously re-educated in order to unite with India .
 
In Bangladesh , "If Awami League wins the election, Azan will be replaced by Ulu-dhwani" was a slogan in 2001 for BNP to win the national election with a two-thirds majority. If the voters had a sense of decency, they would have taken it as an insult by realizing that an honorable nation can not insult a minority group (the Hindus, who utter Ulu-dhwani during their religious rituals). While Bangladeshis are overall better than Pakistanis, they are also not ready to unite with a secular India .
 
Of course, then there are the Presidents and Prime Ministers and the other dignitaries, whose positions would be lost if a re-unification were to happen. They are not likely to support the act (re-unification) that causes the loss of their personal powers and visibilities in the world.
 
Thus, I see this talk of the sub-continent's reunification as too premature, and worth no more than just showing respect to the leaders of the sub-continent that were against the partition in 1947. This is looking at the past only. To look at the future positively, the re-unification proponents need to promote secularism and human dignity everywhere in the sub-continent.
 
Personally, to me, there is hardly any difference between many countries and one country, as long as all parts of the sub-continent respect the dignities and rights of all their people. Just look at the European Union and the NATO, for two good (but not necessarily perfect) examples.
 
Sukhamaya Bain
 
 
From: manz195 <manz195@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 9:05 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] FW: THE PARTITION AND TODAY'S PAKISTAN






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Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
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http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68

http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




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Re: [mukto-mona] FW: THE PARTITION AND TODAY'S PAKISTAN



Why does Pakistan Kashmir?  It can't even keep Baluchistan, Sindh, Peswar etc. without military rule.  If Islam alone could unite Pakistan, there would not be twenty two nations in the middle east.  Even Allah did not believe in Islamic Intelligence.  He advised them to trust it less than Koran, hadith, Sunnah, muftis and a whole lot of other things.

On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 7:50 AM, subimal chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

Unification would be too much to ask for right now although that does not seem to be an impossible proposition given the fact that all these countries in the subcontinent share a common legacy. In sixties Bhutto (had already left Ayub Khan and was an aspiring leader of Pakistan) during his visit to the then East Pakistan told the prominent East Pakistani student leaders that solution of the Kashmir problem would be possible only under an Indian confederation. Very bold idea indeed! The idea is thought provoking.  

From: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 1:16 PM

Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] FW: THE PARTITION AND TODAY'S PAKISTAN

 
Allama Mashraqi's grandson is clearly proud of his grandfather's position on the partition of India in 1947. However, he and intellectuals like him need to objectively look at all the filthy water that has passed through the Indus and the Ganges over the last 64 years. Just shunning the mistakes and misfortunes of 1947 would be too much of living in the past. They need to look at the realities of today and the foreseeable future.
 
To me, the sub-continent overall would be much worse-off if the three parts were to just unite to one country today. Here are some realities:
 
In Pakistan , the school-children in their regular school curricula learn hatred against non-Muslims, especially against the Hindus. They are clearly not ready to live in harmony in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic environment. They and their recent past generations need to be seriously re-educated in order to unite with India .
 
In Bangladesh , "If Awami League wins the election, Azan will be replaced by Ulu-dhwani" was a slogan in 2001 for BNP to win the national election with a two-thirds majority. If the voters had a sense of decency, they would have taken it as an insult by realizing that an honorable nation can not insult a minority group (the Hindus, who utter Ulu-dhwani during their religious rituals). While Bangladeshis are overall better than Pakistanis, they are also not ready to unite with a secular India .
 
Of course, then there are the Presidents and Prime Ministers and the other dignitaries, whose positions would be lost if a re-unification were to happen. They are not likely to support the act (re-unification) that causes the loss of their personal powers and visibilities in the world.
 
Thus, I see this talk of the sub-continent's reunification as too premature, and worth no more than just showing respect to the leaders of the sub-continent that were against the partition in 1947. This is looking at the past only. To look at the future positively, the re-unification proponents need to promote secularism and human dignity everywhere in the sub-continent.
 
Personally, to me, there is hardly any difference between many countries and one country, as long as all parts of the sub-continent respect the dignities and rights of all their people. Just look at the European Union and the NATO, for two good (but not necessarily perfect) examples.
 
Sukhamaya Bain
 
 
From: manz195 <manz195@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 9:05 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] FW: THE PARTITION AND TODAY'S PAKISTAN





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Re: [mukto-mona] Re: Fw: [chottala.com] Beheading of a Bangladeshi Citizen



Thanks for saying that all methods of execution including beheading is bad. But from your narration of Saudi style eye witnessed public beheading one will have a different impression. Looks like you proudly support the method. Although personally I am highly critical of religions in general, I must say that it is the people like you who make a great religion like Islam look so bad in the eyes of non-Muslims. The beheading scene is so public that even children are also allowed to watch it! What do the child psychologists say about this method of public execution? 
What do you think about the fact that not all Muslim countries follow the same practice? Don't you think that they are acting in a more civilized way? Beheading was a ccommon practice in almost every culture. Have you ever thought why it is no more in practice in the civilized world?
    

From: Mohiuddin Anwar <mohiuddin@netzero.net>
To: chottala@yahoogroups.com; khabor@yahoogroups.com; ovimot@yahoogroups.com; captchowdhury@yahoo.ca; jnrsr53@yahoo.com; mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com; manik061624@yahoo.com; manik195709@yahoo.com; observer@dhaka.net
Cc: faithcomilla@gmail.com; dug_alumni@yahoogroups.com; guhasb@gmail.com; drmohsinali@yahoo.com; aahmed@voanews.com
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2011 7:27 PM
Subject: [mukto-mona] Re: Fw: [chottala.com] Beheading of a Bangladeshi Citizen

 
All execution is bad ,elecric shock, injection, with rope or beheading, the result is same.
Shortest time needed to kill a person is to kill them by beheading. It needs only few seconds to kill a person, in other forms of execution that take even minuites to kiill a person.
I personally saw a beheading in Riyadh in during 80's, it takes only few seconds for a person to die. Of course huge bleeding occurs after the death. How much painful this method only experts can say that. After beheading the person ,the executioner(Jollad) cut the big veins of both legs to expedite the death and pain.Severed Head seperated from the body. Even children watch such execution in Saudi Arabia .No photography allowed at all. Saudi Police cordoned that entire area near the Mosque for beheading, and the Imam of that Mosque declares the verdict  of the court after Jumaa prayer. As Imam declares the verdict the executioner bring the accused from the prison van to the middle of the lawn and tell him/her to kneel down facing the floor. As the condemned person seats , immidiately executioner complete his duty from behind in a second with his sharpest tall sword.
People around shout "Allahu Akbar" after the execution. After the beheading Police collects his head and body and take this dead body by the black prison van.
 
 
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Neyamath ullah Sikdar <neyam12345@yahoo.com>
To: "chottala@yahoogroups.com" <chottala@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Fw: [chottala.com] Beheading of a Bangladeshi Citizen
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:42:08 -0700 (PDT)

 
 
Its a really very touch~able. How could they do this things.. in this 21st century??????? Its not grantable.
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: siraj uddowllah <siraj_58@hotmail.com>
To: chottala@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 6:09 AM
Subject: [chottala.com] Beheading of a Bangladeshi Citizen

 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9NVFC8NbuE


 


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Re: [mukto-mona] FW: THE PARTITION AND TODAY'S PAKISTAN



Partition of India did not happen suddenly.  It was planned much before the Balfour declaration.  It was planned in the same year when Indian National Congress was formed.

On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 12:37 AM, qar <qrahman@netscape.net> wrote:
 

Pakistan was created as an Islamic crescent around the Soviet Union, also to thwart the rise of Indian Nationalism.  The crescent turned into a 'crescent of troubles' as dubbed by Zbignew Brezinski.

>>>>>>>> I am not exactly a fan of Pakistan for many reasons. But we should stay factual on important issues. Brezinski was in charge of foreign policies during Carter and relationship with Pakistan was "Very warm" during that time and the decade followed it ( Under Ronald Regan). In fact CIA, ISI, Mosad and Saudi government worked as a team to spawn Taliban around that time.
[ Source:Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History ]



It is convenient for Brezinski to distant himself from Pakistan but most of the problems Pakistan faces are created by the US state department. Regan even invited the Taleban leaders ( Known as Mujahideen back in the 80's) to the White house and compared them with the founding fathers of America. Most of the "Trouble" was inserted by players outside of Pakistan.

In Bangla we say, " Kheya par hole majhi shala.." [ Which roughly means after using someone you point fingers at them]


It was also created to compensate the Islamic world against the creation of Israel, so wrote A. J. Moore in his 'Escape from the Empire'  Now that the land has become an epicenter of militant Islam, is the West planning to split the land into different nations? 

>>>>>>>>>>  Creation of Israel was a work in progress for long time and partition of Sub-continent happened all of a sudden. The partition was mostly a domestic issue but Israel was an international issue and still remains that way. People who are unaware with these subjects may accept it as such but that is not the case at all. The Zionist movement was a political movement which took a religious tone sometime after the initiation. Now it is well known to be overtly racist towards non-Jewish native population.

Now Pakistan became an "Epicenter" of violence in the name of Islam. I totally agree. However if we read the narrative without related background, we may end up with a misunderstanding the whole situation. In fact an American academic Akbar Ahmed wrote a great deal about transitions of Pakistan. Which was not a well planned but merely a product of time. When the time expired and it suffered an identity crisis, we broke away from it. Because we could not identify with goals of Pakistan anymore.

Islam Under Siege: Living Dangerously in a Post- Honor World (Themes for the 21st Century Series


Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity: The Search for Saladin



Pakistan was exploited by many nations. It was also supported immorally by certain nations, we all remember OUR story of 1971 and how many "Pro-democratic" countries were willing to help us out. Even in our darkest hours we were merely pawns of Global "Cold war". Pakistan had solid backing from the very people who are picking it apart. The same way Saddam was used and then taken apart.

Now "Pundits" are saying a lots of things because they "Talk" to make a living. Today Pakistan is the bad guy and tomorrow it may turn out to be the best "Friend".

If you do a dispassionate analysis there are very few similarities between Israel and Pakistan. Despite "Unique" situation Israel faces, it has global support from "Friends of Israel". Pakistan on the other hand is a puppet and cannot even plan it's own future.

The so called "Islamic" world did not even exist during creation of Israel. Until very recently Islamic countries (With majority Muslim population) failed to address Palestinian human rights abuses unitedly. So the "Islamic world" is still a "work in progress" and consists of mostly former colonies of western nations ( Except few countries like Saudi Arabia). It will take few more years before most Islamic countries can work effectively. Muslim Bengalis know that, except few countries most "Muslim" countries failed to even speak on our behalf. So the premises of the statement is flawed and misleading. It gives too much credit to Muslims countries and I don't feel credit can be given to most Muslim countries for the things they have done during 1948. ( Which is next to nothing!)

Shalom!




-----Original Message-----
From: Kamal Das <kamalctgu@gmail.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Oct 12, 2011 8:15 am
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] FW: THE PARTITION AND TODAY'S PAKISTAN

 
Pakistan was created as an Islamic crescent around the Soviet Union, also to thwart the rise of Indian Nationalism.  The crescent turned into a 'crescent of troubles' as dubbed by Zbignew Brezinski.  It was also created to compensate the Islamic world against the creation of Israel, so wrote A. J. Moore in his 'Escape from the Empire'  Now that the land has become an epicenter of militant Islam, is the West planning to split the land into different nations? 

On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 4:51 AM, Farida Majid <farida_majid@hotmail.com> wrote:
 

 

Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:26:20 +0100
Subject: THE PARTITION AND TODAY'S PAKISTAN



I would like to share this review of a book that my friend, Prof Ishtiaq Ahmed, had been working on for many years. I have not read it yet, but I know it is an important book that attempts at uncluttering the understanding of the pain and disaster of Partition. Away from Punjab, on the Eastern front, it may even help us understand the 'conspiracy' of the War Criminals of 1971 that we are finding so onerous to prosecute in Bangladesh. Thank you Ishtiaq, and congratulations!
 
<< There is yet another book added to the long list dealing with the Partition of the subcontinent. But this book is different. Entitled Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed, it is written by Mr. Ishtiaq Ahmed, a Pakistani based in Sweden. Mr. Ahmed is a professor of political science at the Stockholm University. He spent 15 years of research to write this book. The long endeavor is visible in the book. The result is rewarding. >>
 
The Partition and Today's Pakistan
By Rajinder Puri


Please click here or copy & paste the link given below to view it.
http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=11524

Regards
Farida Majid




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Re: [mukto-mona] Heart breaking news from KSA.



Ask any mufti, read any book on the history of primitive Islam, or you may read 'The Shade of the Sword' by M. J. Akbar.  Read more and be less of a believer.  King Solomon the wise prayed to God for wisdom and he died an apostate.  r, Oh quasi-theocrat, read books on religion, and otherwise holy books.  You would need nothing more to loose your faith.

On Fri, Oct 14, 2011 at 12:47 AM, qar <qrahman@netscape.net> wrote:
 

Source please?


-----Original Message-----
From: Kamal Das <kamalctgu@gmail.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Oct 13, 2011 5:23 am
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Heart breaking news from KSA.

 
The Saudi ambassador should know that as Hazrat Ali and Fatima refused  allegiance to Abu Bakr, the first Caliph of Islam, Ali was forcibly removed from his house and his house was burned down.  As a result, Fatima, daugter of the prophet of Islam, was burned.  She died a day later.  Such a cruel event might have been sanctioned by Allah.

On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 6:33 AM, Jamal Hasan <poplu@hotmail.com> wrote:
 

 
Daily Star news:
 
Saudi Ambassador in Dhaka proudly and boldly defended beheading eight Bangladeshi young men. Ambassador responded to the question of Bangladeshi reporters by saying:
"The Saudi government acts to implement the law of Allah. We had nothing to do but to uphold the sanctions of Allah. The sharia law has been implemented through the execution," the ambassador said.
 





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[ALOCHONA] Average worth of top 5% Americans





Using P/E Ratio Formula of figuring out worth of a company, if USA's GDP of $ 14 trillion is considered Profit, USA's total Worth is $ 182 trillion. The Researchers say 42% of all wealth of USA is owned by 1% of Americans and top 5% of richest Americans have a worth of 60% of the all wealth of USA?
This means, ... 
.
* 42% of 182 trillion = $ 76.44 trillion for 1% of US Population or 3.8 million.
$ 76.44 trillion divided in 3.8 million people = $ 24,818,181 or 24.8 million is the Average Worth of top 1% richest Americans.
.
* 60% of 182 trillion = $ 109.2  trillion for 5% of US Population or 15.4 million.
$ 109.2 - 76.44 = 32.76 trillion or Worth of other 4% below the top 1% or 9.32 million Americans.
$ 32.76 trillion divided in 9.32 million people = $ 3.515,020 or 3.5 million is the Average Worth of next top 4% richest Americans.
.
Damn, even if you have $ 3.5 million, you are still below average of the 2nd class of the 4% richest Americans, what am I going to do ...!
.
S U Turkman
 



From: Jimmy jamshaid <jimmyjum@gmail.com>




CHARTS:

Here's What The Wall Street Protesters

Are So Angry About...

Henry Blodget | Oct. 11, 2011, 1:03 PM | 1,091,691
 
The "Occupy Wall Street" protests are gaining momentum, having spread from a small park in New York to marches to other cities across the country.
So far, the protests seem fueled by a collective sense that things in our economy are not fair or right.  But the protesters have not done a good job of focusing their complaints—and thus have been skewered as malcontents who don't know what they stand for or want.
(An early list of "grievances" included some legitimate beefs, but was otherwise just a vague attack on "corporations." Given that these are the same corporations that employ more than 100 million Americans and make the products we all use every day, this broadside did not resonate with most Americans).
So, what are the protesters so upset about, really?
Do they have legitimate gripes?
To answer the latter question first, yes, they have very legitimate gripes.
And if America cannot figure out a way to address these gripes, the country will likely become increasingly "de-stabilized," as sociologists might say. And in that scenario, the current protests will likely be only the beginning.
The problem in a nutshell is this: Inequality in this country has hit a level that has been seen only once in the nation's history, and unemployment has reached a level that has been seen only once since the Great Depression. And, at the same time, corporate profits are at a record high.
In other words, in the never-ending tug-of-war between "labor" and "capital," there has rarely—if ever—been a time when "capital" was so clearly winning.

Let's start with the obvious: Unemployment. Three years after the financial crisis, the unemployment rate is still at the highest level since the Great Depression (except for a brief blip in the early 1980s)

Let's start with the obvious:                                     Unemployment. Three years after the                                     financial crisis, the unemployment                                     rate is still at the highest level                                     since the Great Depression (except                                     for a brief blip in the early                                     1980s)

Jobs are scarce, so many adults have given up looking for them. Thus, a sharp decline in the "participation ratio."

Jobs are scarce, so many adults                                     have given up looking for them.                                     Thus, a sharp decline in the                                     "participation ratio."

And it's not like unemployment these days is a quick, painful jolt: A record percentage of unemployed people have been unemployed for longer than 6 months.

And it's not like unemployment                                     these days is a quick, painful jolt:                                     A record percentage of unemployed                                     people have been unemployed for                                     longer than 6 months.

And it's not just construction workers who can't find jobs. The median duration of all unemployment is also near an all-time high.

And it's not just construction                                     workers who can't find jobs. The                                     median duration of all unemployment                                     is also near an all-time high.

That 9% rate, by the way, equates to 14 million Americans—people who want to work but can't find a job.

That 9% rate, by the way,                                     equates to 14 million                                     Americans—people who want to work                                     but can't find a job.

And that's just people who meet the strict criteria for "unemployed." Include people working part-time who want to work full-time, plus some people who haven't looked for a job in a while, and unemployment's at 17%

And that's just people who meet                                   the strict criteria for                                   "unemployed." Include people                                   working part-time who want to work                                   full-time, plus some people who                                   haven't looked for a job in a while,                                   and unemployment's at 17%

Put differently, this is the lowest percentage of Americans with jobs since the early 1980s (And the boom prior to that, by the way, was from women entering the workforce).

Put differently, this is the                                     lowest percentage of Americans with                                     jobs since the early 1980s (And the                                     boom prior to that, by the way, was                                     from women entering the workforce).

So that's the jobs picture. Not pretty.

So that's the jobs picture. Not                                   pretty.

And now we turn to the other side of this issue... the Americans for whom life has never been better. The OWNERS.

And now we turn to the other side                                   of this issue... the Americans for                                   whom life has never been better. The                                   OWNERS.

Corporate profits just hit another all-time high.

Corporate profits just hit                                     another all-time high.

Corporate profits as a percent of the economy are near a record all-time high. With the exception of a brief happy period in 2007 (just before the crash), profits are higher than they've been since the 1950s. And they are VASTLY higher than they've been for most of the intervening half-century.

Corporate profits as a percent                                     of the economy are near a record                                     all-time high. With the exception of                                     a brief happy period in 2007 (just                                     before the crash), profits are                                     higher than they've been since the                                     1950s. And they are VASTLY higher                                     than they've been for most of the                                     intervening half-century.

CEO pay is now 350X the average worker's, up from 50X from 1960-1985.

CEO pay has skyrocketed 300% since 1990. Corporate profits have doubled. Average "production worker" pay has increased 4%. The minimum wage has dropped. (All numbers adjusted for inflation).

After adjusting for inflation, average hourly earnings haven't increased in 50 years.

After adjusting for inflation,                                   average hourly earnings haven't                                   increased in 50 years.

In short... while CEOs and shareholders have been cashing in, wages as a percent of the economy have dropped to an all-time low.

In short... while CEOs and                                     shareholders have been cashing in,                                     wages as a percent of the economy                                     have dropped to an all-time low.

In other words, in the struggle between "labor" and "capital," capital has basically won. (This man lives in a tent city in Lakewood, New Jersey, about a hundred miles from Wall Street. He would presumably be "labor," except that he lost his job and can't find another one.)

In other words, in the struggle                                     between "labor" and                                     "capital," capital has                                     basically won. (This man lives in a                                     tent city in Lakewood, New Jersey,                                     about a hundred miles from Wall                                     Street. He would presumably be                                     "labor," except that he                                     lost his job and can't find another                                     one.)
Image: Robert Johnson

Of course, life is great if you're in the top 1% of American wage earners. You're hauling in a bigger percentage of the country's total pre-tax income than you have at any time since the late 1920s. Your share of the national income, in fact, is almost 2X the long-term average!

Of course, life is great if                                     you're in the top 1% of American                                     wage earners. You're hauling in a                                     bigger percentage of the country's                                     total pre-tax income than you have                                     at any time since the late 1920s.                                     Your share of the national income,                                     in fact, is almost 2X the long-term                                     average!
Image: David Ruccio

And the top 0.1% in America are doing way better than the top 0.1% in other first-world countries.

And the top 0.1% in America are                                     doing way better than the top 0.1%                                     in other first-world countries.
Image: David Ruccio

In fact, income inequality has gotten so extreme here that the US now ranks 93rd in the world in "income equality." China's ahead of us. So is India. So is Iran.

And, by the way, few people would have a problem with inequality if the American Dream were still fully intact—if it were easy to work your way into that top 1%. But, unfortunately, social mobility in this country is also near an all-time low.

And, by the way, few people would                                   have a problem with inequality if the                                   American Dream were still fully                                   intact—if it were easy to work your                                   way into that top 1%. But,                                   unfortunately, social mobility in this                                   country is also near an all-time low.

So what does all this mean in terms of net worth? Well, for starters, it means that the top 1% of Americans own 42% of the financial wealth in this country. The top 5%, meanwhile, own nearly 70%.

That's about 60% of the net worth of the country held by the top 5% (left chart).

And remember that huge debt problem we have—with hundreds of millions of Americans indebted up to their eyeballs? Well, the top 1% doesn't have that problem. They only own 5% of the country's debt.

And then there are taxes... It's a great time to make a boatload of money in America, because taxes on the nation's highest-earners are close to the lowest they've ever been.

The aggregate tax rate for the top 1% is lower than for the next 9%—and not much higher than it is for pretty much everyone else.

As the nation's richest people often point out, they do pay the lion's share of taxes in the country: The richest 20% pay 64% of the total taxes. (Lower bar). Of course, that's because they also make most of the money. (Top bar).

And now we come to the type of American corporation that gets—and deserves—a big share of the blame: The banks. Willie Sutton once explained that the reason he robbed banks was because "that's where the money is." The man knew what he was talking about.

And now we come to the type of                                     American corporation that gets—and                                     deserves—a big share of the blame:                                     The banks. Willie Sutton once                                     explained that the reason he robbed                                     banks was because "that's where                                     the money is." The man knew                                     what he was talking about.
Image: AP

Remember when we bailed out the banks? Yes, and remember the REASON we were told we had to bail out the banks? We had to bail out the banks, we were told, so that the banks could keep lending to American businesses. Without that lending, we were told, society would collapse...

Remember when we bailed out the                                   banks? Yes, and remember the REASON we                                   were told we had to bail out the                                   banks? We had to bail out the banks,                                   we were told, so that the banks could                                   keep lending to American businesses.                                   Without that lending, we were told,                                   society would collapse...

So, did the banks keep lending? Um, no. Bank lending dropped sharply, and it has yet to recover.

So, did the banks keep lending?                                     Um, no. Bank lending dropped                                     sharply, and it has yet to recover.

So, what have banks been doing since 2007 if not lending money to American companies? Lending money to America's government! By buying risk-free Treasury bonds and other government-guaranteed securities.

So, what have banks been doing                                     since 2007 if not lending money to                                     American companies? Lending money to                                     America's government! By buying                                     risk-free Treasury bonds and other                                     government-guaranteed securities.

And, remarkably, they've also been collecting interest on money they are NOT lending—the "excess reserves" they have at the Fed. Back in the financial crisis, the Fed decided to help bail out the banks by paying them interest on this money that they're not lending. And they're happily still collecting it. (It's AWESOME to be a bank.)

And, remarkably, they've also                                     been collecting interest on money                                     they are NOT lending—the                                     "excess reserves" they                                     have at the Fed. Back in the                                     financial crisis, the Fed decided to                                     help bail out the banks by paying                                     them interest on this money that                                     they're not lending. And they're                                     happily still collecting it. (It's                                     AWESOME to be a bank.)

Meanwhile, of course, the banks are able to borrow money FOR FREE. Because the Fed has slashed rates to basically zero. And the banks have slashed the rates they pay on deposits to basically zero. So they can have all the money they want—for nearly free!

Meanwhile, of course, the banks                                     are able to borrow money FOR FREE.                                     Because the Fed has slashed rates to                                     basically zero. And the banks have                                     slashed the rates they pay on                                     deposits to basically zero. So they                                     can have all the money they want—for                                     nearly free!

When you can borrow money for nothing, and lend it back to the government risk-free for a few percentage points, you can COIN MONEY. And the banks are doing that. According to IRA, the "net interest margin" made by US banks in the first six months of this year is $211 Billion. Nice!

And that has helped produce $58 billion of profit in the first six months of the year.

And it has helped generate near-record financial sector profits—while the rest of the country struggles with its 9% unemployment rate.

And these profits are getting back toward a record as a percentage of all corporate profits.

And those profits, of course, are AFTER the banks have paid their bankers. And it's still great to be a banker. The average banker in New York City made $361,330 in 2010. Not bad!

This average Wall Street salary was 6X the average private-sector salary (which, in turn, is actually lower than the average government salary, but that's a different issue).

So it REALLY doesn't suck to be a banker.

So it REALLY doesn't suck to be a                                   banker.

And so, in conclusion, we'll end with another look at the "money shot"—the one overarching reason the Wall Street protesters are so upset: Wages as a percent of the economy. Again, it's basically the lowest it has ever been.

And so, in conclusion, we'll                                     end with another look at the                                     "money shot"—the one                                     overarching reason the Wall Street                                     protesters are so upset: Wages as a                                     percent of the economy. Again, it's                                     basically the lowest it has ever                                     been.

So now you know!

So now you know!
Image: Julia La Roche for Business Insider
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lets-start-with-the-obvious-unemployment-three-years-after-the-financial-crisis-the-unemployment-rate-is-still-at-the-highest-level-since-the-great-depression-except-for-a-brief-blip-in-the-early-1980s.jpg lets-start-with-the-obvious-unemployment-three-years-after-the-financial-crisis-the-unemployment-rate-is-still-at-the-highest-level-since-the-great-depression-except-for-a-brief-blip-in-the-early-1980s.jpg
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put-differently-this-is-the-lowest-percentage-of-americans-with-jobs-since-the-early-1980s-and-the-boom-prior-to-that-by-the-way-was-from-women-entering-the-workforce.jpg put-differently-this-is-the-lowest-percentage-of-americans-with-jobs-since-the-early-1980s-and-the-boom-prior-to-that-by-the-way-was-from-women-entering-the-workforce.jpg
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ceo-pay-has-skyrocketed-300-since-1990-corporate-profits-have-doubled-average-production-worker-pay-has-increased-4-the-minimum-wage-has-dropped-all-numbers-adjusted-for-inflation.jpg ceo-pay-has-skyrocketed-300-since-1990-corporate-profits-have-doubled-average-production-worker-pay-has-increased-4-the-minimum-wage-has-dropped-all-numbers-adjusted-for-inflation.jpg
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in-other-words-in-the-struggle-between-labor-and-capital-capital-has-basically-won-this-man-lives-in-a-tent-city-in-lakewood-new-jersey-about-a-hundred-miles-from-wall-street-he-would-presumably-be-labor-except-that-he-lost-his-job-and-cant-find-another-one.jpg in-other-words-in-the-struggle-between-labor-and-capital-capital-has-basically-won-this-man-lives-in-a-tent-city-in-lakewood-new-jersey-about-a-hundred-miles-from-wall-street-he-would-presumably-be-labor-except-that-he-lost-his-job-and-cant-find-another-one.jpg
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of-course-life-is-great-if-youre-in-the-top-1-of-american-wage-earners-youre-hauling-in-a-bigger-percentage-of-the-countrys-total-pre-tax-income-than-you-have-at-any-time-since-the-late-1920s-your-share-of-the-national-income-in-fact-is-almost-2x-the-long-term-average.jpg of-course-life-is-great-if-youre-in-the-top-1-of-american-wage-earners-youre-hauling-in-a-bigger-percentage-of-the-countrys-total-pre-tax-income-than-you-have-at-any-time-since-the-late-1920s-your-share-of-the-national-income-in-fact-is-almost-2x-the-long-term-average.jpg
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in-fact-income-inequality-has-gotten-so-extreme-here-that-the-us-now-ranks-93rd-in-the-world-in-income-equality-chinas-ahead-of-us-so-is-india-so-is-iran.jpg in-fact-income-inequality-has-gotten-so-extreme-here-that-the-us-now-ranks-93rd-in-the-world-in-income-equality-chinas-ahead-of-us-so-is-india-so-is-iran.jpg
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and-by-the-way-few-people-would-have-a-problem-with-inequality-if-the-american-dream-were-still-fully-intactif-it-were-easy-to-work-your-way-into-that-top-1-but-unfortunately-social-mobility-in-this-country-is-also-near-an-all-time-low.jpg and-by-the-way-few-people-would-have-a-problem-with-inequality-if-the-american-dream-were-still-fully-intactif-it-were-easy-to-work-your-way-into-that-top-1-but-unfortunately-social-mobility-in-this-country-is-also-near-an-all-time-low.jpg
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so-what-does-all-this-mean-in-terms-of-net-worth-well-for-starters-it-means-that-the-top-1-of-americans-own-42-of-the-financial-wealth-in-this-country-the-top-5-meanwhile-own-nearly-70.jpg so-what-does-all-this-mean-in-terms-of-net-worth-well-for-starters-it-means-that-the-top-1-of-americans-own-42-of-the-financial-wealth-in-this-country-the-top-5-meanwhile-own-nearly-70.jpg
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and-remember-that-huge-debt-problem-we-havewith-hundreds-of-millions-of-americans-indebted-up-to-their-eyeballs-well-the-top-1-doesnt-have-that-problem-they-only-own-5-of-the-countrys-debt.jpg and-remember-that-huge-debt-problem-we-havewith-hundreds-of-millions-of-americans-indebted-up-to-their-eyeballs-well-the-top-1-doesnt-have-that-problem-they-only-own-5-of-the-countrys-debt.jpg
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and-then-there-are-taxes-its-a-great-time-to-make-a-boatload-of-money-in-america-because-taxes-on-the-nations-highest-earners-are-close-to-the-lowest-theyve-ever-been.jpg and-then-there-are-taxes-its-a-great-time-to-make-a-boatload-of-money-in-america-because-taxes-on-the-nations-highest-earners-are-close-to-the-lowest-theyve-ever-been.jpg
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as-the-nations-richest-people-often-point-out-they-do-pay-the-lions-share-of-taxes-in-the-country-the-richest-20-pay-64-of-the-total-taxes-lower-bar-of-course-thats-because-they-also-make-most-of-the-money-top-bar.jpg as-the-nations-richest-people-often-point-out-they-do-pay-the-lions-share-of-taxes-in-the-country-the-richest-20-pay-64-of-the-total-taxes-lower-bar-of-course-thats-because-they-also-make-most-of-the-money-top-bar.jpg
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and-now-we-come-to-the-type-of-american-corporation-that-getsand-deservesa-big-share-of-the-blame-the-banks-willie-sutton-once-explained-that-the-reason-he-robbed-banks-was-because-thats-where-the-money-is-the-man-knew-what-he-was-talking-about.jpg and-now-we-come-to-the-type-of-american-corporation-that-getsand-deservesa-big-share-of-the-blame-the-banks-willie-sutton-once-explained-that-the-reason-he-robbed-banks-was-because-thats-where-the-money-is-the-man-knew-what-he-was-talking-about.jpg
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remember-when-we-bailed-out-the-banks-yes-and-remember-the-reason-we-were-told-we-had-to-bail-out-the-banks-we-had-to-bail-out-the-banks-we-were-told-so-that-the-banks-could-keep-lending-to-american-businesses-without-that-lending-we-were-told-society-would-collapse.jpg remember-when-we-bailed-out-the-banks-yes-and-remember-the-reason-we-were-told-we-had-to-bail-out-the-banks-we-had-to-bail-out-the-banks-we-were-told-so-that-the-banks-could-keep-lending-to-american-businesses-without-that-lending-we-were-told-society-would-collapse.jpg
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so-what-have-banks-been-doing-since-2007-if-not-lending-money-to-american-companies-lending-money-to-americas-government-by-buying-risk-free-treasury-bonds-and-other-government-guaranteed-securities.jpg so-what-have-banks-been-doing-since-2007-if-not-lending-money-to-american-companies-lending-money-to-americas-government-by-buying-risk-free-treasury-bonds-and-other-government-guaranteed-securities.jpg
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and-remarkably-theyve-also-been-collecting-interest-on-money-they-are-not-lendingthe-excess-reserves-they-have-at-the-fed-back-in-the-financial-crisis-the-fed-decided-to-help-bail-out-the-banks-by-paying-them-interest-on-this-money-that-theyre-not-lending-and-theyre-happily-still-collecting-it-its-awesome-to-be-a-bank.jpg and-remarkably-theyve-also-been-collecting-interest-on-money-they-are-not-lendingthe-excess-reserves-they-have-at-the-fed-back-in-the-financial-crisis-the-fed-decided-to-help-bail-out-the-banks-by-paying-them-interest-on-this-money-that-theyre-not-lending-and-theyre-happily-still-collecting-it-its-awesome-to-be-a-bank.jpg
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meanwhile-of-course-the-banks-are-able-to-borrow-money-for-free-because-the-fed-has-slashed-rates-to-basically-zero-and-the-banks-have-slashed-the-rates-they-pay-on-deposits-to-basically-zero-so-they-can-have-all-the-money-they-wantfor-nearly-free.jpg meanwhile-of-course-the-banks-are-able-to-borrow-money-for-free-because-the-fed-has-slashed-rates-to-basically-zero-and-the-banks-have-slashed-the-rates-they-pay-on-deposits-to-basically-zero-so-they-can-have-all-the-money-they-wantfor-nearly-free.jpg
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when-you-can-borrow-money-for-nothing-and-lend-it-back-to-the-government-risk-free-for-a-few-percentage-points-you-can-coin-money-and-the-banks-are-doing-that-according-to-ira-the-net-interest-margin-made-by-us-banks-in-the-first-six-months-of-this-year-is-211-billion-nice.jpg when-you-can-borrow-money-for-nothing-and-lend-it-back-to-the-government-risk-free-for-a-few-percentage-points-you-can-coin-money-and-the-banks-are-doing-that-according-to-ira-the-net-interest-margin-made-by-us-banks-in-the-first-six-months-of-this-year-is-211-billion-nice.jpg
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and-it-has-helped-generate-near-record-financial-sector-profitswhile-the-rest-of-the-country-struggles-with-its-9-unemployment-rate.jpg and-it-has-helped-generate-near-record-financial-sector-profitswhile-the-rest-of-the-country-struggles-with-its-9-unemployment-rate.jpg
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and-those-profits-of-course-are-after-the-banks-have-paid-their-bankers-and-its-still-great-to-be-a-banker-the-average-banker-in-new-york-city-made-361330-in-2010-not-bad.jpg and-those-profits-of-course-are-after-the-banks-have-paid-their-bankers-and-its-still-great-to-be-a-banker-the-average-banker-in-new-york-city-made-361330-in-2010-not-bad.jpg
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this-average-wall-street-salary-was-6x-the-average-private-sector-salary-which-in-turn-is-actually-lower-than-the-average-government-salary-but-thats-a-different-issue.jpg this-average-wall-street-salary-was-6x-the-average-private-sector-salary-which-in-turn-is-actually-lower-than-the-average-government-salary-but-thats-a-different-issue.jpg
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and-so-in-conclusion-well-end-with-another-look-at-the-money-shotthe-one-overarching-reason-the-wall-street-protesters-are-so-upset-wages-as-a-percent-of-the-economy-again-its-basically-the-lowest-it-has-ever-been.jpg and-so-in-conclusion-well-end-with-another-look-at-the-money-shotthe-one-overarching-reason-the-wall-street-protesters-are-so-upset-wages-as-a-percent-of-the-economy-again-its-basically-the-lowest-it-has-ever-been.jpg
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