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Straight Angle™: December 2006
Sunday, December 31, 2006

New Year! 

The same time last year, I was sweating it out for the SAP certificaton exam at Hyderabad.This time, I am sitting in a hotel room at Plano, Texas, but not sweating-Its infact a bit cold here than I thought it would be.

Last new year brought in so many changes to my life. It removed many cobwebs, cleared some misconceptions, ushered in a new thought and brought in some treasured, lasting relationships. It also gave me some good amount of understanding of how stuff works. All in all a good year indeed in retrospect. Hoping this year too, brings with it the same kind of joy [I wouldn't complain if it is something different too ;)].

The one sore point of last year was that, for the entire year, the number of posts that I have made is only 47- I know the reasons for such a great drop- but then those reasons are as flimsy as the Windows Vista itself ;). Hope to clear that sore point this year atleast- afterall, Leapord is around the corner :)

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Friday, December 08, 2006

The tale of 2 sides! 

Exactly as we are moving towards(or at least holding in high regard) Western Ideas, here comes a western leader, [The two links seems to provide two different versions- Not sure, why is BBC updating such off the same URL] saying thing or two (apparently, which one I am yet to ascertain).

The "Notepaded" Version of the two pages read thus:
Conform to our society, says PM

People entering the UK must be prepared to be tolerant or not become part of British society,
Tony Blair has said. (Emphasis Added)

In a speech at Downing Street, Mr Blair said that tolerance was "what makes Britain, Britain" and warned "we must be ready to defend this attitude". The prime minister said: "So conform to it; or don't come here. We don't want the hate-mongers, whatever their race, religion or creed." He also defended multiculturalism, saying it should be celebrated. The lecture comes a year after Mr Blair said he never quite knew what people meant by multiculturalism.

Mr Blair said: "It is not that we need to dispense with multicultural Britain.
"On the contrary, we should continue celebrating it."

Duty to integrate
In the speech, Mr Blair also announced a crackdown on funding for religious and racial groups, saying in the future they would have to prove they aimed to promote community integration. Commenting on the speech Liberal Democrat communities spokesman Andrew Stunell said: "We must ensure that the voices of moderation have their say, but support for organisations must not be distorted by government driven targets or Tony Blair's personal agenda." It was important to demonstrate what integration meant, Mr Blair said.

"The right to be in a multi-cultural society was always implicitly balanced by a duty to integrate, to be part of Britain, to be British and Asian, British and black, British and white." Mr Blair emphasised this was not about rejecting values, nor diluting identity or religion. However, he called for Britain "to re-assert the duty to integrate, to stress what we hold in common and to say: these are the shared boundaries within which we all are obliged to live, precisely in order to preserve our right to our own different faiths, races and creeds". The suicide bombings in London on July 7 last year had thrown the whole concept of a multicultural Britain "into sharp relief", the prime minister said.

'Distinctive culture'
He insisted it was an idea that should still be celebrated but said it went hand in hand with a "duty" to share "essential values". "When it comes to our essential values - belief in democracy, the rule of law, tolerance, equal treatment for all, respect for this country and its shared heritage - then that is where we come together, it is what we hold in common." The prime minister said Britain was "better placed than most" to have a sensible debate on the issue.But it had to be prepared to stand up and fight for the tolerance which was its hallmark, he added. "If you come here lawfully, we welcome you. If you are permitted to stay here permanently, you become an equal member of our community and become one of us.

"The right to be different. The duty to integrate. That is what being British means.
"And neither racists nor extremists should be allowed to destroy it." Mr Blair praised Tory leader David Cameron, saying it was "not conceivable in my view" that he would seek to exploit immigration to win votes. "That is both a tribute to him and to the common culture of tolerance we have established in this country today."
The Other page read:
'Duty to integrate,' says Blair

Tony Blair wants Britain to celebrate multiculturalism Britain can celebrate its multicultural society while reasserting the "duty" to integrate, Tony Blair has said. In a speech at Downing Street, the prime minister said differences could be preserved in an integrated society. He warned that "we must be ready to defend this attitude" and tolerance was "what makes Britain, Britain". He said: "So conform to it; or don't come here. We don't want the hate-mongers, whatever their race, religion or creed." The lecture comes a year after Mr Blair said he never quite knew what people meant by multiculturalism.

'Demonstrate integration'

Last year, Commission for Racial Equality chairman Trevor Phillips caused controversy by suggesting that multiculturalism may now be outdated. He also warned that Britain could be "sleep-walking" towards US-style ethnic segregation because of a failure to address differences and create common values. Mr Blair said: "It is not that we need to dispense with multicultural Britain."On the contrary, we should continue celebrating it." In the speech, Mr Blair also announced a crackdown on funding for religious and racial groups, saying in the future they would have to prove they aimed to promote community integration.

Identity

It was important to "demonstrate and underline what is meant by integration in modern Britain," he said. "The right to be in a multi-cultural society was always implicitly balanced by a duty to integrate, to be part of Britain, to be British and Asian, British and black, British and white." Mr Blair emphasised this was not about rejecting values within a multicultural Britain, nor diluting identity or religion. However, he called for Britain "to re-assert the duty to integrate, to stress what we hold in common and to say: these are the shared boundaries within which we all are obliged to live, precisely in order to preserve our right to our own different faiths, races and creeds". The suicide bombings in London on July 7 last year had thrown the whole concept of a multicultural Britain "into sharp relief", the prime minister said.

'Distinctive culture'

He insisted it was an idea that should still be celebrated but said it went hand in hand with a "duty" to share "essential values". "When it comes to our essential values - belief in democracy, the rule of law, tolerance, equal treatment for all, respect for this country and its shared heritage - then that is where we come together, it is what we hold in common.

The prime minister said Britain was "better placed than most" to have a sensible debate on the issue. But it had to be prepared to stand up and fight for the tolerance which was its hallmark, he added. "We are a nation comfortable with the open world of today," he said. "If you come here lawfully, we welcome you. If you are permitted to stay here permanently, you become an equal member of our community and become one of us.

"Then you, and all of us, who want to, can worship God in our own way, take pride in our different cultures after our own fashion, respect our distinctive histories according to our own traditions; but do so within a shared space of shared values in which we take no less pride and show no less respect. "The right to be different. The duty to integrate. That is what being British means. "And neither racists nor extremists should be allowed to destroy it." Mr Blair praised Tory leader David Cameron, saying it was "not conceivable in my view" that he would seek to exploit immigration to win votes. "That is both a tribute to him and to the common culture of tolerance we have established in this country today."
Now, if you can see the language of the two editions, they are very different- while the first sermons the people, the second one urges. But, if you are to go by the URL, you would probably find only one page(Which one, I don't know and would that be at least any one of these too is some thing that I am unable to guess).

This, seems to me as a step by a confused, identity less and "I-Want-To-Be-Good-To-All" syndrome and an irony in itself. Tolerance in itself is not the least a Britian Value(just ought to read some of Winston Churchill's quotes about India and Gandhi- We would know the kind of Tolerance that Blair claims to be so "British"). Hardly is Britian a multiculturalist country. I wonder what would have made them think they are multiculturalist- there is nothing wrong in thinking so- guess the over stuffed Chicken Tikka Masala made them so...but then, to claim history which doesn't exist would only lead to further alienation.

The same western countries were afraid of Nationalism in other parts of the world and now, they want to have their citizens to be British and Black, British and White, British and Asian...essentially whipping up Nationalist feeling, when what you would expect them to promote Genuine non-intervention in the affairs of the individuals as a Western State.

The speech also has an implicit assumption that only immigrants are racist, hate mongers- because it is only those who shouldn't "come into Britian"- so it is indeed okay if you are a British hate monger- after all it's the Tolerance that Britian is known for, from the time Humans were conceived in the evolutionist embryo of the Monkeys!- Also note that the religious communities need to prove that they aim to promote Community Integration- the word whether this also means the Catholic Church is yet to be out..but let us assume it too, would be part of this proposal. I think and believe Catholic Church in Britian is a religious entity and not a secular one-as often the case in India!

Cross posted at: Third Eye

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Thursday, December 07, 2006

Truth of the fun! 



True...I would say! [;)]- Warning- A 10 minute video - but fun and to a good extent true.

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Swarnasrikrishnan/Male/28. Lives in India/Tamilnadu/Chennai, speaks Tamil, English, 

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