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. 

Startup Notes 1 - Relationships

In a startup you are continuously innovating renovating trying to find your niche. One of the ideas here is to find a niche, exploit and grow so that you become big or you become good enough at the least to have a profitable exit. In technology lot of such companies end up in the loop of expectation only. They may get hold of one or two accounts and feel they have the technology or IP deployed which might attract potential buyers. But such actions need to happen fast. Else being tied to a client who themselves don't have a clear tech roadmap may itself lead the company to fall back in the curve. And then it's back to again those tiring iterative experiments to bring in Gen AI, Agentic AI and toil to attach latest buzzword to the tech.

Potential buyers are off course looking at multiple factors or to rephrase there are more than one variable which might attract a potential buyer. e.g. A buyer may be more interested to buy the relationship more than IP to gain entry with client, the startup is associated with. In this the relationship has to be really compelling, right from Top leadership to the people on ground, which can also assure future cash flows purely based on relationship and not get stick on one victory (Amdocs acquiring smaller companies due to T-Mobile relationship_. Also, there might be an investor of a competitor who might take note and try for Aqisitions to create a combined entity (Actix/Amdocs).

Companies where leadership gets embedded in technology or IP creation is bound to lose on this front 

US & India: Has the love affair turned Sour?

Donald Trump just did a Thanos and helped assemble an unlikely alliance of the great civilizational powers of the East in China and India duly joined in by Russia which threatens to shake the world order. India and the US were always a natural partner despite animosities in the past which involves the infamous Nixon era. US is bound to ply by its interests and in an unseeming move to cow down its great rival China by trying to protype the great Tariff experiment with India, Mr. Trump has just blown the Lab experiment. Trump and Modi shared a great camaraderie up until now which seems to stand on shaky grounds with the latter not taking calls from the former as reported in the press after the June 17 call in the sidelines of the G7 summit. Trump also enjoys popularity in India primarily because of his no holds barred approach on issues like illegal immigration, terrorism & especially taking on the liberals and woke crusaders head on. Unfortunately, as the question of national interest arises, this is bound to make some of the same supporters angry who are at forefront and raising slogans again the US president and also threats of boycotting America Goods, which at this time seems bit farfetched, yet the bitter emotions have been sown. It will be interesting to see who will roll down first as US with Trump at helm won't give in that easily & will try to push its EU counterparts to apply pressure on the "RIC" bloc and primarily India. With Pakistan ready for subservience, US may use its traditional wartime lapdog useful to exert pressure on India primarily in matters related to Security, River sharing agreements, investments in defense where India would be keen to get US support. Also, with Pakistan reliant on Chinese equipment's and with seeming thawing Sino-Indian relations, it would be interesting to see how Pakistan will manage dual lip service at the same time. It would also be interesting to see how US plays the Bangladesh card which went through a violent shake up last year where US may have influenced the regime change. With China also seeking interest in Bangladesh, India may have chosen the right moment to warm its relations with China on key selective strategic aspects despite the recent and past tensions on the border. But all in all, as experts have pointed out, it's all up to Donal Trump. As Shyam Saran mentioned in a recent podcast, Mr. Trump seems to have a macro level chess moves already planned & it's only he who knows what the next move will be. Abhijit Iyer Mitra also put a significant point, which is, Trump has nothings to lose. Had this been his first term he might still be a little circumspect of some of the decisions. Even if MAGA movement carries on after 2029, it won't have its progenitor. Unless off course Mr. Trump pull up an unlikely trick out of his hat, to still influence the oval office post 2029.

समय महान है

विजय लक्ष्य प्राप्ति
की ललक में
बन रहा शैलीन चरित्र का त्यागी
चाल-चलन हैं विद्रोह के
जैसे बीहड़ के बेताब बाग़ी

तीव्र हो रहा तेरा अभ्यास
ज्वाला की गर्जना
को धारण कर
सोच हो रही ऐसे प्रज्वल
जैसे रक्त में बहुबाँटी
बहे जल प्रपात-सा वेग

टप टप परिश्रम कर इस अनल में
उमड़ उठे ग्रीष्म काल में मेघ

पर संसार का संरक्षक
यही कहे
कि शीघ्रता में करके विलीन्
सफलता न हो समीप

ना बन कठोर अपने आप से
नम्र होने दे दोनों नयन
बूंद-बूंद को पीर कर,
पीछे रखे पद चिह्न को देख
पाए अनुभव को कर ग्रहण

होती है तेरी वृद्धि तब भी
आता प्रयास के अंत में विराम जब भी
पतन के पथ में बस रह जाता है अभिमान
विफलता से न होता कोई अपमान

करता रहे जतन धीरे-धीरे
क्योंकि व्यक्ति को बनाता है समय महान!

T and lessons from Mahabharata

Mr. T has a big ego, so did Shishupala who felt he could incessantly insult his cousin Krishna, without realizing that even the manifestation of the Supreme Preserver has set limits to patience. T also feels that US with him at helm is all pervasive, no power can shake him. He prides on the fact the US possess indestructible weapons which can wreak unforgivable havoc on its enemies. So was Bhasmasura endowed with the boon, by the Lord of Destruction, wherein anything he touched gets burnt and destroyed, which also boomeranged on the mighty Lord himself, only to be saved by a sensual manifestation of the supreme preserver.

This is not to imply that PM of India or other world leaders who Mr. T has rubbed the wrong way, may necessarily be the final deliverer of justice. It is to show the world that the path taken by President of US with regard to his reckless tariff measures or his bizarre claim as being messiahs of peace, repeated chest thumping of stopping wars world over including Operation Sindoor  is bound to have consequences to the one who thinks he is all haughty and almighty.

The modern-day Krishna or Mohini will not manifest immediately. The consequences have started germinating the day when absolute craziness was unleashed and set into motion. Krishna in the form of some world leaders or leaders within the US or even within the electorate of the US, is waiting with patience for Shishupala to commit his 101st misstep or the ones Mr. President thinks are his allies or cronies within his government may actually be a Mohini in disguise. It's important for Mr. T to get down the path he has taken or else it's going to be a cause for his own damnation.

Sentiments of the Masses

 Indian judiciary is becoming a mockery. While pronouncing the judgement on Kamal Hassan's "Kannada is derived from Tamil" remark, judge mentioned to lawyer that he won't accept any apologies from Mr. Hassan as he has hurt the sentiment of the Masses. This is absurd and unqualified statement. Now the question to be asked to judge is - " Who defines a mass"," What is the definition of sentiments here", " what is the level of hurt on those sentiments". Such anecdotal and loose statements are a cause for worry.

Commentary by ChatGPT

Here’s a balanced and constructive commentary on your statement, maintaining the spirit of your concern while enhancing clarity and professionalism:

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Commentary:

The recent remarks by a judge while adjudicating Kamal Haasan’s case — particularly the refusal to accept an apology on the grounds that he has "hurt the sentiments of the masses" — raise important questions about the role of the judiciary in a democratic society. The statement, as reported, is concerning not because of the legal outcome per se, but due to the subjective language used in the courtroom.

In a legal system grounded in objectivity and evidence, phrases like “sentiments of the masses” must be carefully qualified. Who exactly constitutes the “masses”? How are “sentiments” defined and measured? What is the threshold for determining that those sentiments have been "hurt"? Without such clarity, judicial commentary risks drifting into anecdotal generalization, which could erode public confidence in the impartiality of the bench.

While courts do have a role in balancing freedom of speech with public order, that balance must be achieved through precise legal reasoning — not rhetorical or emotive pronouncements. Loose or sweeping statements, especially in high-profile matters, can set concerning precedents and contribute to the perception that the judiciary is increasingly politicized or populist.

It is essential for the judiciary to uphold constitutional values, including free expression, while also being mindful of public sensitivities. But that balance must rest on clearly articulated legal standards, not vague references to mass emotions.