Time to push ‘reset’ button Frank Islam (Issues) / 26 May 2014 A brand new beginning for US and India is the need of the hour The resounding verdict given by the people of India in favour of a Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Narendra Modi provides a great opportunity for Washington and New Delhi to press the proverbial “reset” button on their relations, which have been anything but warm for more than a year. Suggestions that India-US relations, described not long ago by … [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.
California Dreaming: Sterling, Chrome, Salas
Some of the major sports stories over the past few weeks have had a California connection. First, there was Sterling -- Donald, that is. Then, there was Chrome -- California, that is. Now, there is Salas -- Lizette, that is. No sterling or chrome in her story, but it is a golden one. Each of these stories is different. But, they share one thing in common and that is they are the stuff of dreams. Donald Sterling's story is one of a dream that turned into a nightmare. This billionaire … [Read more...]
Under Modi, hard to forecast exactly what will happen to the Indo-US relationship going forward
India will remain a big part of the US pivot toward Asia. WASHINGTON, DC: After a resounding victory for Narendra Modi and the BJP/NDA, the question arises why was this such a convincing win and what does it mean for the future of India and its relations with the United States. In part, the win is undoubtedly attributable to the media savvy campaign run by the charismatic Mr. Modi who worked tirelessly in the run-up to the election and throughout the election process (9 voting days spread … [Read more...]
Capitalists in the 21st Century: Workers Must Step Forward
Thomas Piketty's new book, Capital in the 21st Century, which examines the nature and forecasts the consequences of wealth and income inequality has shot to the top of the best-seller's list since its release here in the United States on April 15. Based upon his analysis of two decades of data from 20 countries, Piketty, a French economist paints a rather gloomy picture of the U.S. In an article for The Financial Times, he writes that prior to World War I wealth inequalities were far greater … [Read more...]
A Lesson in Democracy From India
India is voting. That might not seem like a big deal to many people in the United States. But, it is a very big deal for three reasons: The size of the electorate in any other democracy pales in comparison to that in India. The manner in which the elections are being conducted. The expected participation rate in the elections. According to the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., India has 815 million eligible voters. That compares to 193 million voter in the U.S. for an … [Read more...]
Student Athletes or Employees: The Debate in Perspective (Part 2)
This is the second part of a two-part blog on this issue. In the first blog, we defined the context and defined some of the parameters of this debate and concluded by agreeing with Donald Remy, NCAA attorney that "improvements need to be made". In this blog posting, we provide more analysis on why those improvements are necessary and set out recommendations and possible options for making those improvements. Most of the press over the past month has centered on the NLRB ruling that stated … [Read more...]
Student Athletes or Employees: The Debate in Perspective (Part 1)
Now that March Madness is over it is time to bring a little sanity to the debate over whether those engaged in major college sports are student athletes or workers. The sides advocating for unionization of students involved in those sports and those opposing such a move both have some legitimate points. We believe that the best way to look at this, though, is by considering the broader context rather than by merely evaluating contending positions for and against unionization or the status of … [Read more...]
Enhancing America’s immigrant advantage
Talented immigrants have always been a major source of our country’s competitive advantage. Because of the inability to reach agreement on a “passable” immigration reform bill, that advantage is being put at risk. I write this as an immigrant myself who came to the United States from India at the age of 15 to pursue the American dream and was able to achieve it. I recently visited India where I spoke at some important universities regarding my career and the opportunity for success in … [Read more...]
Glenn Miller: Now and Then
On Sunday, April 13, the day before Passover, a man named Frazier Glenn Cross, known as Glenn Miller, is alleged to have shot and killed three people outside two Jewish facilities in Overland Park, Kansas. Miller's apparent intent was to wreak violence upon the Jewish people as others have shamefully done here in the United States and in countries around the world in the past. None of Mr. Miller's victims, however, was Jewish. The people who died were: Reat Griffin Underwood, 14, an … [Read more...]
A False Choice: Earned Income Tax Credit or Minimum Wage Increase
The release of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) study, The Effects of a Minimum Wage Increase on Employment and Family Income, in mid-February created a brouhaha within and around the Beltway. In our opinion, however, the study brought more heat than light about what to do to address the economic needs of those in low income families and low wage workers. That's because the study itself became the story as its methodology and conclusions were debated by those in the economic … [Read more...]