COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Friday, October 13, 2006

Nobel Peace Prize Gets It Right!

Banker for the poor wins Nobel Peace Prize
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize on Friday to Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank he started 30 years ago, citing their efforts to create economic and social development from the lowest grass-roots levels.

Over the years The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to some surprising people. They include MIKHAIL SERGEYEVICH GORBACHEV, JIMMY CARTER JR., and YASSER ARAFAT. I have a hard time deciding which is the worse choice of that three. I guess I’ll give Carter the edge, because at least the other two realize they did not deserve it.

This year is different. The Nobel Prize goes for a small, charming powerful idea and ideal. Loan simple impoverished people a pittance, require them to pay it back, and let them use their innate entrepreneurial skills to improve their life. Compare that to the liberal giveaway programs that have impoverished millions in the US and caused untold social corrosion. This is a little background on the people and program.

The Hindu, May 25,2005

BIDAR: Surekha Sangappa is making a speech about the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines on interest rates on loans, using a power point presentation. The setting is not a corporate office, but an Ashraya house at Sastapur in Basavakalyan taluk. And members of the audience are not chief executive officers but unschooled women.
Ms. Sangappa is the president of Grameena Mahila Arthik Souharda Sahakari, the first micro bank in the district, formed by a federation of self-help groups (SHG). Ms. Sangappa has studied up to seventh standard. All other members of the board of directors never went to school. Stella, who keeps the bank's accounts, reads out newspapers to them. Promoted by Prawarda, the sahakari has lent over Rs. 25 lakhs to its members in one year. Recovery has been 100 per cent. Reasons for availing loans vary from treatment for dog bite to setting up cable television business. The interest on loans varies between 10 and 12 per cent. The sahakari gives loans to SHGs. This support has resulted in some SHGs reducing the interest on loans given to their members.
The sahakari was established with a contribution of Rs. 100 from each member as share capital. "Regular savings by members has contributed Rs. 3.5 lakhs to the bank. They have obtained loans from banks, which we have refinanced. Their internal lending has exceeded Rs. 27 lakhs," said H.N. Ranganatha Rao, Assistant General Manager of the NABARD. There were 15 persons in Sastpur and nearby villages whose profession was money lending till a year ago. But now, most of them have closed shop and are into other business, says secretary Basamma Sangamnath. Inspired by its success, members of SHGs in other taluks have approached the sahakari for guidance to start similar micro banks, she said.
Manohar Maski, president of the Karnataka State Souharda Federal Co-operative, feels that micro banking has advantages over the SHG system. "SHGs are not legal entities and therefore have limitations. They cannot give unlimited amounts of loans. They cannot extend mortgage loans. Most importantly, recovery in SHGs is based on peer pressure and there is no provision to take action against defaulters. But micro banks are registered bodies. They have the flexibility of an SHG and advantages of a bank." "Members of micro-banks, who are mostly farmers or farm labourers, can save during sowing or harvesting seasons. But SHG members do not have this advantage. Under a World Bank-aided programme, the Department of Women and Child Welfare is promoting micro banks. Over 80 micro banks have been established in the State and we plan to increase this number to at least 500 by 2007," Mr. Maski said.

13 comments:

  1. The Begining of the End of Harry Reid
    AJ Strata and commenters come through.
    CHECK OUT THE COMMENTS!
    Rush Link this morning.

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  2. A Federal Land Swap,
    dirty Deeds done dirt cheap.

    That is a real can of worms, them Land Swaps.

    Forest consolidation, riparian areas, the worthless becomes dear. The dearly held, worthless.

    Happens all the time, if swaps are allowed and made. Always politically explosive, usually on a local level.

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  3. As bad as a Federally mandated and earmarked exit ramp on the Praire Parkway in IL.

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  4. Property Rights, credit markets & the like need to spread across Latin America, as well.

    As we were discussing the "Revolution" in Mexico, what would you had said, rufus, if Mr Gore followed this path, in 2000?

    Mexico's Uncertainty Grows With "Parallel" Government
    By Andrew Buncombe
    The Independent UK

    Monday 18 September 2006

    The uncertainty over Mexico's political future has taken a new twist after supporters of the defeated presidential candidate elected him to lead a "parallel" government that will spend the next six years opposing the man who won the election.

    By a show of hands, hundreds of thousands of supporters of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador voted for the former mayor of Mexico City to head the alternative government that will oppose the administration of the president-elect, Felipe Calderon. Suitably enough, the vote was taken in the central plaza, or Zocalo, which has been home to his campaign for many months.

    "It should be clear why we've taken this road," Mr Lopez Obrador said. "It's not because of a whim, or anything personal ... This is the firm and honourable response to those who have converted our political institutions into a grotesque farce." Quite what form the parallel government of the left-wing Mr Lopez Obrador will take is unclear, though supporters said he would work with a full cabinet. A number of committees have already been formed. Saturday's demonstration in support of Mr Lopez Obrador brought supporters from across the country. Pedro Perez, a 61-year-old coffee exporter from Mexico City, watched from a hotel rooftop. He told the Associated Press: "This is a very important day for all of us who have defended democracy and want the country to change for the good of everyone."


    One Country, One Government.

    One Country, Two Governments
    Civil War or Revolution

    Bet there is no shortage of AKs or trainers. The South's gonna rise again, Viva Zapata!

    ReplyDelete
  5. ...and take the Norte with it.
    I'll get the link.
    ---
    Email to the Baron:

    Here’s a quick runthrough of what I’ve found so far at work. You’ll see that its pretty one-sided.

    Blocked Blogs:
    Captain’s Quarters
    Cox and Forkum
    Gates of Vienna
    Little Green Footballs
    Michael J. Totten
    Michelle Malkin
    Power Line
    Protein Wisdom
    Rantings of a Sandmonkey
    Roger L. Simon
    The Adventures of Chester
    The American Thinker
    The Belmont Club
    The Doctor is In
    Wizbang

    Blogs not blocked
    DailyKos
    Democrat Underground
    America blog
    Atrios.blogspot.com
    JuanCole.com
    The Huffington Post
    Talkingpointsmemo.com

    In fact, every blog linked to off of DailyKos seems to work.

    Please, please get the word out about this. It not only royally sucks that I can’t read stuff during downtimes at work, but they are being so blatantly biased as to what is being blocked. Thanks.

    Baron Bodissey
    ---

    Today's Post:
    Wear it With Pride .

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  6. Dept of Interior, the Federals

    Call your Congressman and let 'em have it. The Republicans have had their Majority for years, sure has made a difference in Federal Management, not.

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  7. The North American Union
    ---
    I read recently that in the Los Angeles region, racial and ethnic segregation is in fact increasing, not decreasing as the Multicultural diversity enthusiasts are claiming. One of my friends from California sent me a link indicating that some of the large Hollywood studios are contemplating moving out of Los Angeles because of the tensions and crime rates caused by massive Mexican immigration. With Latin American immigration, the US is also importing some of the problems of Latin America. The violent gang problem that is so huge in Central America is now being exported to you. So maybe will political corruption.

    Will the USA become the Brazil of North America, with massive Third World ghettos, urban violence and a few rich, gated communities in between? Or will the country simply fall apart?

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  8. No, rufus, not the historical precendent, in Latin America or especially, Mexico.

    Words have meaning down there. There already are Political Parties. He is forming a Government, that is not "walking back", no that is moving ahead.

    The South of Mexico has been hotbed of discontent, historicly, more so now as the economic prosperity has not reach those folk. There is more history of revolution in Mexico than not.

    From Havana to Caracus, in Quito, La Paz and north to Mexico City the fuze is lit. Elections or no, the bad boys with guns are not going quietly into the night.

    Combined and aligned with Abracadbra, lil' Kim and the Russian Bear. These folk mean to Party, at our expense.
    It's a heady cocktail to be sure.

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  9. Doug and DR, you anticipated my next post. I promise to quit for the day!

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  10. Jr met a girl, last night. She's from the "South", came up with her family. Two of her brothers have been killed, here in AZ, as a result of gang disputes.

    Gangs of illegals, fightin' for control of the south side Phoenix turf.

    Zones of control, doug. With no-go areas for normal police patrols. Ghettoization of Amerika.

    Girl had drifted a bit north, into a controlled Zone, lookin' for new turf, perhaps?

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  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  12. Doug said...
    Junior needs his AR!

    Every true American had better be prepared for a day of reckoning.

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