You know what I am? I’m a nationalist, OK? I’m a nationalist. Nationalist. Nothing — use that word. Use that word. Thus proclaimed President Donald Trump at a rally for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in Houston on October 22. Trump reaffirmed his proclamation in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on October 29 in which he explained: I look at two things, globalists and nationalists. I’m somebody that wants to take care of our country, because for many, many … [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.
Need to develop a world class higher education system in Pakistan
Pakistan has a large higher education system with over 190 recognized private and public sector universities. Unfortunately, no Pakistani university is among the top 600 universities in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019. This is an indication that there is a definite need to improve Pakistan’s higher education system. The need is exacerbated by the fact that the majority of the over 200 million people in the country are young. According to official figures, 64 … [Read more...]
Entrepreneurship helps female empowerment
Entrepreneurship in India today takes many forms. It ranges from entrepreneurs running neighbourhood stores, to those establishing businesses in emerging cutting-edge areas such as information technology, media and entertainment, and life sciences, to start-up operations related to new national initiatives such as Make in India. One of the things that those successful entrepreneurial ventures have in common is that they address an unsatisfied need. This is written to … [Read more...]
US midterm elections: A referendum on Trump’s policies?
The US midterm elections will be held on November 6. Many knowledgeable observers are calling these midterms the most important elections in a generation. Thats because, even though this is an off-year election in which there is no presidential contest, the election itself is a referendum on Donald Trump. President Trump's aggressive and attacking leadership style and personality has taken a country that was already divided and driven the voters into polarised camps. He has consistently … [Read more...]
Dr. Frank F. Islam: An Immigrant’s Trans-Pacific Success Saga
“To whom much is given, much is expected.” John F. Kennedy’s words are exemplified by Dr. Frank Fakhrul Islam, the dynamic entrepreneur, thought leader, writer and philanthropist, who is an inspiration to countless youth and entrepreneurs in his native India and his adopted homeland, the United States of America. Frank is the Head of the FI Investment Group LLC (FIIG), an investment firm he established in 2007 after he sold the QSS Group, his information … [Read more...]
US-India trade relations: India should keep cool, keep calm, and carry on
India should ignore the US president’s rhetoric. It should continue to stay the course in its current approach to trade negotiations with the US. There is no trade war today between India and the United States. On the other hand, there is not exactly peace. In early October, President Donald Trump called India “the tariff king, bringing to the fore bilateral trade frictions that have been simmering beneath the surface for a while. They’ve already called us to make a deal,” he … [Read more...]
“I am extremely positive about the future of America”
Frank F. Islam is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, civic leader and thought leader. Frank has a special commitment to civic, educational and artistic causes. In all of his endeavors, he strives to create opportunities that are sustainable and uplifting for humanity — guided by the virtues of hard work, focus, quality, innovation and kindness. Frank currently heads the FI Investment Group, a private investment holding company that he established in 2007 after he sold … [Read more...]
Realising the power of purposeful philanthropy
Pakistan is moving forward on its agenda to become a developed country. To help the country achieve that status and realise its full potential as a democratic nation, the citizens of Pakistan must exercise the power of purposeful philanthropy. Pakistanis are already among the most generous people in the world. The country contributes more than one per cent of its GDP to charity according to the Stanford Social Innovation Review. This is just below the United Kingdom where … [Read more...]
A “Radical” Proposal for Starting Up Rural and Urban Small Business Engines
Over the past few years the American economy has continued to recover, and this year the American economy has been firing on all cylinders. Because of this, access to capital for businesses of all sizes has increased substantially. As the Federal Reserve noted in a 2017 Report, however, “By 2017, credit flows to small businesses had improved, though they remained below their pre-crisis levels.” Small business access to capital varies considerably. Businesses in certain urban and rural locations … [Read more...]
Time To Increase Government Investment In Small Business
In the first week of October, President Donald Trump donated $100,000 — one quarter of his annual salary for this year — to the Small Business Administration. This money is to be used in a training program to help veterans make the transition to the private sector. President Trump’s donation should be viewed as a generous gesture. It could also be seen as an indication, as SBA administrator Linda McMahon stated in announcing the award, that “he clearly understands the value of small … [Read more...]