Intelligence of Countires

Let your friends overestimate you, because they will invest in your relationship & let your enemies underestimate you, so that you are ready for the sucker punch when they come for you

Belief

The erudite Javed Akhtar gave a useless answer to a question about Ramanujam being taught mathematics by God/ Gods utterances and his position on that as an Atheist. 

While won't belabor on the answer he gave, but there can be a better way to answer. An atheist is a belief system and if his belief in that helps him in his career, write good lyrics, win accolades then it's good for him. Similarly, if Ramanujam was devout Hindu, chanting Mantras of Vishnu, Shiva or Devi and it helps him formulate unparalleled Mathematical concepts, then his belief system is good for him. 

Again, even if you don't believe others belief, even that is a belief, till the time you are not pinching the other person. Even pinching is under tolerable limits for some religions particularly the eastern religions. 

Problem happens when the physical response goes towards picking knives and swords and inflicting grave harm and even death, which some belief systems have ingrained in them.  

Potential Maritime conflict: China & India

Due to the recent bonhomie evinced by Pakistan and US, instability in the CPEC corridor, China seems to be moving towards a maritime strategy.

Now China may be looking towards the Coco islands for a inroad via Myanmar to Soth China for its Energy lanes. India is also setting up its Nicobar base with eyes on Malacca strait and Chinese supply lines.

This might make the BoB very busy with Naval overlap, with both India and China trying to fight for a Naval Hegemony thereby raising a scenario of potential flashpoint in the zone.

What shapes the strategic culture of a nation?

Strategic culture is a heady mix of multiplicity of factors like geography, socio-religious, political leadership, history and culture. But I believe lot of it stems from the geography itself. As Tim Marshal put in his book, "Prisoners of geography", West induced "boundaries" which had been created during the retreat of colonial era have e.g. forced societies to become heterogeneous arrested along with population with differing ideologies which often lead to strategic conundrum for the nation itself which may at times lead to conflicts (e.g. Ethiopia / Eriteria case). Also, boundaries tend to create minority group which some neighboring countries might use as strategic asset (e.g. Russia using Russian minorities in Donbas region & Crimea) to shape their strategic culture)

Why Pakistan is indefatigable despite its delusions

Pakistan is strange state and a strange community of people. The expressions of people of Pakistan in general seems to be the expression of the majority Pakistani Punjabi and too an extent the Pashtuns who have been embedded with the Pakistani Punjabi psychology. But still, we can keep the regional psychology which overwise on its total aggregate psychology apart. 

A classic case which exhibits the societal flaw is the recent Asia cup. Having been beaten comprehensively despite the final humdinger, Pakistan continues to remain upbeat. An example being a cricketer who flaunted the controversial AK-47 celebration in a defeated cause, being feted for his performance and his Gun imitation being exemplified for an ad campaign with a sticker of the gun for a branding deal. 

It continues to show that for Pakistanis it's the wounded hard fought returned soldier which matters despite defeat. For he will be surely sent back to the frontlines even though it may be a sacrifice since as per Pakistan it's for the Allahs cause. 

On the political side of things their FM is still ecstatic in response to Indian Army Chiefs warning assertions to Pakistan in case it tries to do any mischief in the future. As per the FM the nation was born out of Allah's will and Allah will surely set them apart in the future despite the chest thumping around "6-0".

As a podcaster rightly said in his show, India has to be right and win every time against Pakistan be it in the military arena or sports arena but for Pakistan they just need to win once (and even that does not matter as per the example of the cricketer) , and it will be enough to rally them in in the delusion or illusion of the "God" promised victory eventually . How do you fight back such a thought?

Capitalistic World System of Immanuel Wallenstein

Immanuel Wallenstein talks about a world system which is dominated by the core group of countries which are democratic and capitalistic, followed by semi-periphery which contains authoritarian regimes like those of LATAM or North Korea and finally you have the Global South where you may have non-democratic and less stable countries. As per his theory this system is important for Capitalism to thrive i.e. a world system which is unequal in terms of governance, wages, social structure. The peripheral countries are needed to provide raw material, labor which can then be exploited by the Core group which can covert this into means of productions which drives Capitalism.

So, we have countries like Bangladesh which being a peripheral country helps the apparel industry of the US by providing low-cost services due to low wage. India also does export with US on the same yardstick, the IT industry labor-cost arbitrage being the prime example. 

With the new tariff wars the system is bound to shake as the drivers of Capitalism itself are going to impacted due to this disruption. There might be cases here and there, or offshoring options to countries which are more amiable to US terms of negotiations. India doesn't exactly appear in the peripheral belt because of its much mature economy social systems and democracy but still its far away from Core of Capitalistic belt of North America and the West Europe. Still if provides enough impetus in terms of its low-cost exports in tangibles as well as intangibles which US should very well soon realize. 

Practical Vedanta

Came up with an analogy by the Great Swami Vivekananda in one his many amazing lessons on practical Vedanta. This was the simple story of the Lion left with a floc of sheep's which had forgotten how to roar. And one fine day when it has encounter with a passing & observant Lion which takes the Sheep-Lion to the pond and shows its reflection and helps the Sheep-Lion conjure up its Roar. The analogy here was we all in our daily lives and work are living in a hypnotized world. When we are tuck in a job or mundane routines, we take it for granted, enclosed in the shell and get lost in the mundaneness and eventually get frustrated with our lives. Our situation is not different from the Sheep-Lion. Vedanta when applied here, beseeches us to get out of our comfort look outside and realize our true potential. That necessarily doesn't mean to quit jobs and assume a rebel attitude. It tells us to be optimistic and keep taking the small steps which often tend to postpone due to pre-occupation without worries. Worries and these baby steps can go together till them the time we realize that the steps we take our slowly shedding our worries and making us lighter. If you are frustrated with jobs start learning. If you think you won't be able to do construction of your new house because of job and studies, then very well take the step. If you feel you will have tough time taking care of your growing family with all these things happening, just surrender yourself to act of responsibility. Things will take care by itself.