Pakistan and India came to the brink of war in February this year when their air-forces clashed following a deadly suicide attack in Indian Kashmir’s Pulwama district. This was frightening because the only rational way forward for these two nuclear armed rivals must be peace and not war. This is the point that Tarun Basu makes in his article for last month’s South Asia Monitor in which he advises that both countries need to acknowledge their mistakes and act in the best interest of … [Read more...]
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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.
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A Sound Idea That Will Be Difficult To Implement
“The rich are different than you and me” F. Scott Fitzgerald allegedly said to Ernest Hemingway in the first quarter of the 20th century. Hemingway replied, “Yes, they have more money.” Today, in the first quarter of the 21st century, the rich have a lot more money. And because of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), they will have even more and the middle class and average US citizen will have less. That’s what William Gale, the Arjay and Frances Miller Chair in … [Read more...]
Opportunity Zones For Whom?
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 contains a provision for the establishment of Opportunity Zones (O-zones or ozones) across the United States. The question is opportunity for whom? Ostensibly, the TCJA, which gives substantial tax credits to O-zone investors, is designed to increase investments in distressed communities in order to spur economic development and job creation. In its early stages, though, it appears that the primary beneficiaries of this legislation may … [Read more...]
Negotiation is the only way out of the India-US trade war
Commentators in the United States and India are beginning to call the current trade standoff between the two countries a full-blown trade war. “It’s official: India is Trump’s next target in the trade wars,” the Washington Post recently declared. What prompted the Post and other newspapers and analysts to come to that conclusion was the US announcement that it will end preferential trade treatment for thousands of Indian products guaranteed under the Generalised … [Read more...]
Universal basic income a good idea, but needs to be tested
In this national election year, the concept of a universal basic income has become a political football. The opposition Congress Party is promising to implement a “nationwide minimum income for the poor” and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is proposing a “basic income for poor farmers.” What is not needed on this very serious and important topic is the scoring of political points. What is needed is a careful and considered non-partisan assessment by an independent commission to … [Read more...]
The Automation and Artificial Intelligence Race:
Who Will Win and What Does Winning Mean? Following up on the promise made in his State of the Union address, on February 11 President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence. There was no money provided in the Order for what is being called the American Artificial Intelligence Initiative (Initiative) and each agency was directed to “prioritize investments” in AI research and development. Therefore, … [Read more...]
Automation, Artificial Intelligence and the American Dream
This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it. Those were the words of HAL 9000 (HAL) in the classic science-fiction movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey (2001)). HAL was a programmed computer that controlled the systems of the Discovery One spacecraft, and interacted with the crew on the spaceship in an almost human way, doing things such as talking with them and playing chess. When 2001 was released a little over one half a century ago, what Hal was able … [Read more...]
Pakistan’s employment conundrum
Being one of the world’s most populous countries, Pakistan is uniquely blessed with plenty of untapped human resources. Most of the country’s over 200 million citizens are young and ready to work. However, there are not enough jobs in the country to cater to the growing needs of its younger population. According to estimates of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), unemployment between the ages of 15 and 24 in Pakistan is 10.8 percent. This is higher than other countries in the … [Read more...]
Mayday: Brexit-Related Decisions and Britain’s Future
Mayday is recognized internationally as a word signaling a life-threatening emergency. The word is repeated three times in a row “Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.” to ensure there is no confusion regarding it being a call for help. In 2019, Mayday has taken on a new meaning for Great Britain. It is a word signaling distress and chaos in trying to reach a mutually agreed upon solution in Brexit-related decisions. There are three Maydays here as well. Mayday 1 was Parliament’s decision to defeat … [Read more...]
Pakistan’s bid to become a regional peacemaker: a positive step
Pakistan, under the new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, appears to be repositioning itself to be a regional peacemaker. This is a positive step in a region that has been conflict torn for decades and where the divisive issues are compound and complex. This repositioning began early in Prime Minister Khan’s tenure when he offered to provide mediation assistance to end the Yemen war. Early on, he also pledged to hold peace talks with arch-rival India and extended … [Read more...]