President Donald J. Trump has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center. He is now paying the price that so many others have paid for his disregard of science. We wish him well and a full and speedy recovery. We also recognize it is important, approximately one month before the presidential election, to reflect on the impact Trump’s disregard and mismanagement has had on the American democracy. In his inaugural address on January 20, 2017, after talking … [Read more...]
Articles
Frank blogs regularly for the Huffington Post and writes occasional columns and articles for publications such as the International Business Times and The Economic Times of India.
Frank writes on a wide variety of topics that are critical to shaping the future of America and the American dream and to making the United States and the world a better place. These include: Business; education; poverty and inequality; politics and public policy; immigration; manufacturing; innovation; leadership; citizenship; and social commentary.
Frank’s most recent blogs are highlighted on this page. To read other blogs or articles by Frank, click on the categories or publications links on the left.
2020 is the year of Indian-Americans, and they’re not with Trump
There are many reasons the president hasn’t been able to move the needle substantially with the Indian-American community. First and foremost is the former vice-president’s long track record as a supporter of India, dating back to his Senate days. Throughout the 232-year history of the United States (US) presidential elections, India had rarely been a campaign issue. The current election, pitting President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden, is changing that. With the … [Read more...]
A Beginning to Seek Peace in Afghanistan
On September 12, representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban met in Doha to start the Afghan Peace Process negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo referred to these negotiations as a “truly momentous breakthrough.” Max Boot, an expert for the Council of Foreign Relations disagreed. He advises “…no one should expect a breakthrough quickly – or at all. The two sides are too far apart and the conditions are not propitious to end the civil conflict that has been … [Read more...]
Addressing Muslim developmental needs in India is a hand-up, not a hand-out.
Although madrasas educate only between 2-4% of Muslim children and youth, they need to modernize their curriculum and move away from Islamic centric or Islamic-only education to a holistic approach that enables these students to integrate fully into Indian society, writes Frank Islam for South Asia Monitor. Eminent columnist Swaminathan A Aiyar called upon Wakf boards and wealthy Muslims to finance the development of “a string of world-class education institutions” that would … [Read more...]
The Great Society. One Time A Great Notion. Some Day A Great Nation.
“Would you tell me, please which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat “I don’t much care where,” said Alice “Then, it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.” -Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland Unlike Alice in Wonderland, many Americans, know where they want to go. They want to make America great. The problem is that what constitutes greatness and the way to get there differs substantially depending on … [Read more...]
Trump vs Biden: Impact of American Elections
On November 3, Americans will decide whether to give another four years to Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, or to give the Oval Office to former vice-president Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate. Their collective decision will impact the world, and India in particular. The US election is being held in an atmosphere of deep polarisation, arguably not seen since the Civil War more than a century and a half ago. Opinion polls reveal that the majority of Americans have made up … [Read more...]
The Precipitous Decline of America’s Social Capital in the 21st Century
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. — New York City Post Office Social capital is the glue that holds the American democracy and civil society together. In this twenty first century, America’s social capital has declined precipitously and the country is coming unglued. The United States Postal Service has been an essential part of this country’s glue. Its responsibility, in this regard, is … [Read more...]
For Strategic Reasons, India Must Deepen Defense Ties With the US
With India hoping to meet most of its defense needs locally, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the US and its companies are ideally positioned to be the best partners and allies for India in that campaign. Over the past 15 years, ties between India and the United States (US) have scaled new heights in almost every imaginable area. The annual bilateral trade in goods and services today is in the region of $150 billion. The two countries are now … [Read more...]
Promoting economic recovery in response to COVID-19
A recently published Congressional Research Service report on the ‘Global Economic Effects of Covid-19 states:”Estimatesso far indicate the virus could trim global economic growth by 3.0% to 6.0% in 2020, with a partial recovery in 2021, assuming there is not a second wave of infections,” The report warns ofheavy human costs in terms of ‘lives lost’, rising levels of poverty, derailed careers and increased social unrest. It projects that, global trade could drop by 13% to 32% and especially … [Read more...]
India should resist aligning with the US on China
Even though New Delhi and Washington have become closer strategic partners, especially in the past two decades, India has never openly aligned with the United States on China, despite US pressure to do so, writes Frank Islam for South Asia Monitor US President Donald Trump has issued two executive orders restricting Chinese social media networks TikTok and WeChat, on the grounds that they pose significant national security threats to the United States. These executive actions set a 45-day … [Read more...]