Monday, July 28, 2008

"Benefits" of Deregulated Capitalism



Lack of regulation in capitalism leads to the ability to roll up huge gains in wealth for those at the top of the food chain, and also leads to huge economic disasters on a national scale such as we are experiencing now in the US.

The italicized portion of the previous sentence is precisely why business, the rich, the media and the plutocratic political parties in the US (originally the Republican Party, but now both parties), support the deregulation of the capitalist system in the US and all over the world.

The verdict is in on the deregulation of capitalism that has been the rage all over the world for the past 30 years. Almost everywhere it has been tried, it has caused massive discrepancies in wealth distribution. The top 20% of the income earners everywhere on Earth have benefited, and the bottom 80% have lost out.

That's why Latin America has been voting in leaders who have campaigned on platforms that can be roughly translated as, "The Hell with neoliberalism". Far from being Leftists or Communists, most of the new Latin American Left is simply objecting to the observable failure of 20-30 years of neoliberalism in Latin America and trying to fashion some sort of social democratic alternative.

Even honest proponents of neoliberalism in the US media like Fareed Zakaria have admitted that neoliberalism in Latin America has failed. The usual lie has been, "It hasn't had enough time to work yet."

This is a lie.

Neoliberalism in Latin America is working exactly as planned.

It was designed to enrich the top 20% and impoverish just about everyone else. Everyone on Earth, neoliberalism has devastated the public sector, wages, working conditions, schools, health care, etc. It has probably killed millions of people. In fact, there is good evidence that it is killing millions of people all over the world every single year.

Read about the history of the US economy in the late 1800's as it lurched from one panic to another, with wild run-ups in wealth for the rich in between.

Unregulated capitalism is like a cocaine addict with a trust fund. He can have a real wild blast as long as the money lasts, get high as a damned kite and soar to the skies. There's almost no limit to how high he can get. When the crash comes, he's going to be pounded physically and psychologically, and his trust will be drained. Freemarketeers argue that it's worth it for the fun of the run.

Regulated capitalism is like a middle-aged man who drinks a couple of glasses of wine a night. He's not able to get rip-roaring drunk like he did in his youth, nor is he able to drink his troubles away, but the hangovers are nonexistent, and he's not committing slow suicide anymore either.

Regulation is like a fog layer on the coast in a Mediterranean climate. It takes the extreme heat and cold out of a climate and leaves it at a moderate, some would say boring, middle.

During the Roaring 20's, people forget 80% of the US population actually lost money. It was only "roaring" for the top 20%. Nevertheless, most Americans think of this as a time unlimited prosperity. As we can see, not only is America governed and reported on exclusively by the Rich, but even our very history is the History of the Rich.

Engineering & Related Technologies

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Important Steps to Studying Abroad For Education

Foreign under-graduation opens up a wide range of career opportunities, however, the process of applying, getting admission and, finally, going abroad is long and needs meticulous planning. Here is a step-wise guide to making it work.
The top six countries -- the US, Canada [Images], the UK, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand emerge as the preferred destinations.

Choose your field

By the time you are through with school you should have an idea of the area that you want to build your career in and/or what you are good at. The choice of the exact course and specialisation can then follow.
Do your research - Before starting off, a student should go through the information that is available on various websites." It may be time-consuming and confusing, but there is no substitute to being well informed.
Another effective way of doing due-diligence is visiting educational fairs of different countries. "At such fairs, many colleges come in and tell you what exactly they have to offer; even the faculty of the colleges is present.

Guidance and location

The next place to go to would be the official educational representatives of the countries in India. Alongside, you can take help from agents and/or educational counsellors, who can guide you throughout the entire process. Sircar advises caution here: "Check if the counsellor is an approved agent. You can even check with the colleges concerned. Do a background check. You can also tap into alumni networks and contact Indian students who have used an agent to get recommendations."
Charges. -The services of the official representatives are mostly free. Agents, however, make money from commissions from colleges and service fees from students. Some take a refundable deposit that you lose if you do not take admission through them. US universities don?t give agents a cut, so counsellors often charge a package fee for five to six universities. You can budget for around Rs 10,000 for these services

Choose the place

This is a bit tricky. Ideally, this should depend on where the best course in your field is offered). Singh, who also wears the hat of the president of the Association of Australian Representatives in India (AAERI), says: "While the US is known for research, the UK scores in pure studies, and Australia in applied sciences and vocational courses.

An Indian student who did his Bachelors in Business Administration and HR Management from Keene University, UK, says, "The UK is one of the best places for management education; you get exposure to an economically advanced business environment."
Costs. Herein comes the question of what you are comfortable spending since you are likely to be paying your way through. Course fees and living expenses vary across countries. Often, the duration of course will be determined by the country you are going to. The longer it is, the higher the costs. So please do the maths before you choose


Part-time jobs.

If you are borrowing to finance your studies, you would want to earn to keep your liabilities down. You might even want some cash in hand to live a little better. Pachisia, for instance, works as a computer lab assistant for $10-11 an hour but he cannot manage all the 20 hours allowed per week because of semester timings.
Working after graduation. International job exposure looks good on a CV in today's globalised environment. If this is priority, your course should be in a country that allows you to stay on. New Zealand is the best place for this. Australia, too, welcomes foreign students. The permanent residence application system is very transparent. The US and the UK are a bit stuffy in this respect. If you are planning to stay on in the UK, you are barking up the wrong tree, the route is tedious. Some people who are not familiar with city life prefer to experience the traditional English Life. If you have such preferences, factor them too.

Courses and applications - Select the Course

Whether you will take this step before or after you have chosen your destination will depend on your priorities. You could even get lucky and find the best course in your preferred country. If the course is more important than the destination, you could find yourself grappling with a range of admission and visa requirements.
However, admission into a top programme makes it worth the trouble. After you go through the eligibility and other criteria, try to narrow the list down to five.
While doing this, check how well the degree is recognised across the world and whether it opens doors in the job market or academia, depending on your preference.
Also check out the course and university rankings. The admission process can throw up surprises, so it's better to apply to more than one university unless you are sure of yourself.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

All information about Student Visa for Australia


Of all countries the Australian Visa is the most time consuming and involves a detailed list. Today VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd. has an agreement with the Commonwealth of Australia to provide Australian visa application services in India and Nepal from 1 October 2007. Applicants can lodge their visa application with VFS in person at their nearest of the 10 centers across India and Nepal. You can also send your visa application directly to VFS Application Centers New Delhi through courier. Please ensure that all fields in your visa application form have been completed to avoid any processing delays.

You must go through a medical check up before your student Visa for Australia can be issued.
The revised fee effective April 26, 2008, is Rs.17000/- equivalent to approximately AUS $450.
In addition to visa fees India and Nepal visa applicants has to pay a non refundable service fee favouring “VFS GLOBAL SERVICES Pvt. Ltd.,” in cash or demand draft drawn, payable at New DELHI. Please note The VFS offices will not accept personal cheques. For more details on the service charge please

Since the process is lengthy it is advisable to apply well in advance as the Visa can take as long as 12 weeks to be approved.

Your Passport should be valid for at least 1 year, to be sent along with the application fee and application form duly completed and signed by you. Four (4) recent photographs must be attached. The intending student must have a Letter of Acceptance from a recognized University confirming the tuition fees, living costs and the date of admission and Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment - (ECOE). All original mark sheets, work experience and Letters of Recommendation signed by professors who have taught you must be submitted with the application. A well written Statement of Purpose, evidence of Overseas Health Insurance Cover (OSHC) taken by way of receipt of payment for cover.

Proof of funds to support yourself during your tenure of studies in Australia which include Bank Statements, FD Accounts, IT returns for the past 3 (three) years, or Loan Sanction Letter from a recognized registered Bank. Proof of payment of tuition fees (attach photocopy of receipt). The original Fixed Deposit receipts and Bank Statements will have to be submitted along with your application