The CASA webinar on the US Presidential elections and its implications for India was interesting. The discussion with Lt Gen Gautam Moorthy, Ambassador Gurjit Singh and Prof Michael Rubin was frank and free. It emerges that the 'unknown' Harris could sandpaper the India US strategic partnership with human rights issues and centerstage fringe activism on Khalistan and Kashmir while the 'known' Trump will rub us hard on trade and a higher level of cooperation. India's handling of Trump 1.0 will stand it in good stead going ahead. One issue we need to remember - Kamala 'Chitti' is not an Indian candidate for the US presidency. Her Indian ancestry will make her behave more 'American' than normal Americans. India has the band width to deal with either and is already putting in place the blocks on which to steer the listing India US strategic partnership back to safe shores. https://www.youtube.com/live/QAYQ0k5-OVc
Published in the Eurasian Times @ https://www.eurasiantimes.com/ncb-aging-population-low-child-births-inevitable-communist/ It is now a well-established fact that China’s declining demography is a cause for concern. I was therefore reading up on the subject when I came across the graph below which indicates China’s population aged over 65. It caught my attention since it resembled a typical run rate graph in limited overs cricket where the scoring rates in the slog overs become steep. The thought which came to my mind is that China seems to have entered the slog overs in its demographic decline. The normal thinking is that China with its ‘great leaps’ in technology, military and economy under the able leadership of Xi Jinping and his hyper enthusiastic band of communist apparatchiks will tackle the problem with their customary efficiency and zeal to march onward to a Tianxia. However they will not. Simply because they cannot. In fact they might be heading into something which they