Bill Gates and Hillary Clinton go to India
Bill Gates and Hillary Clinton go to India
Date: Monday, July 27, 2009 4:10 AM
<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 2042 -- 7/27/2009 >>>>>
Bill Gates went to India and urged them to go after our high end R&D jobs
instead of low-cost labor jobs. Gates wasn't clear what he considers low cost
labor jobs but it's probably fair to guess that he was talking about
programming jobs that pay under $75,000 a year.
Bill Gates thinks the U.S. should let more smart people into the U.S. If
that's true, why is he saying that in India?
Q) Do you think the Obama administration really should have a
re-look at granting more H1 visas to India considering it is
an issue that has been discussed and it has caused lot of
heart break here in India as well?
A) I am big believer in liberal immigration that is letting
smart people move between countries. I think that is beneficial
and so I and Microsoft is talked about that to US for
eliminating or raising caps on immigration. I think that will
be a good policy for the country I don't know if that will
happen but that is certainly the position we have taken.
The week before Gates arrived, Hillary Clinton toured India. I don't know if
they met for a few hugs and kisses but you can see a video interview of
Clinton on India TV here:
http://www.ndtv.com/news/videos/video_player.php?id=1136669
Go to 8:45 for the outsourcing discussion
Clinton gave the standard warnings about the evils of protectionism, but then
said something about nations protecting their jobs. Clinton didn't give India
anything more than empty rhetoric and that alone will give them reasons to be
paranoid that Obama is going to do something to restrict H-1B.
Clinton boasted that her husband accelerated free trade to India, and bragged
that she was the co-chair for the India Caucus in the Senate. It's very
interesting that the only time Hillary Clinton brags about her perfidious
support for the India Caucus is when she is in India or Silicon Valley.
Clinton emphasized several times that the U.S. wants to continue with the
nuclear trade deal (nukes for mangos), and she gave them reassurances that
Obama loves India. For sure Indians appreciated the love talk from Hillary but
that won't be enough to dampen their fears that the U.S. is going to finally
stop giving jobs away to India.
Clinton straddled the fence on free trade but India was far less vague about
the insane "Cap and Trade" bill that the House narrowly passed. To put it
simply: India has no intention on taxing their carbon emissions -- but they
will happily watch us as we self destruct by embracing this loser legislation.
It's worth noting that China also told the U.S. to take a hike while they
continue to build coal fired electricity generation plants. So the fastest
growing carbon emmitters in the world will be content to allow the U.S. to
pave the way towards preventing global warming by taxing it's industries and
citizens to death.
REFERENCES:
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE56N2RI20090724
Bill Gates to India: Go high end on R&D
http://infotech.indiatimes.com/News/Gates-US-curbs-on-talent-a-mistake/articleshow/4816068.cms
Bill Gates: US curbs on talent a mistake
http://www.timesnow.tv/Should-let-more-smart-people-come-to-US/articleshow/4323115.cms
'Should let more smart people come to US'
http://www.cio.de/news/cio_worldnews/892959/
In India, Gates criticizes U.S. immigration policies
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/24/content_11763260.htm
Some hits, some misses on Clinton's India visit
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/341393/Clinton_Looks_to_Allay_Indian_Tech_Trade_Fears
Clinton looks to allay Indian tech-trade fears
http://www.mydigitalfc.com/views/why-do-we-bend-over-backwards-149
Why do we bend over backwards?
The last article is perhaps the most interesting. India has their share of
anti-globalists and they are not too happy the way the ruling elite kowtow to
Hillary Clinton. It's a bit ironic that the grand pooh-bahs in India gave Bill
Gates the Indira Gandhi Prize while the article was written by one of her
great grandsons -- Tushar Gandhi. What comes around comes around! LOL!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE56N2RI20090724
Bill Gates to India: Go high end on R&D
Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:41am EDT
By Matthias Williams
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Billionaire Bill Gates on Friday urged India to move
away from low-cost labor toward high-end research and development to keep its
giant IT sector competitive.
On a visit to New Delhi, the co-founder of Microsoft Corp called on the Indian
government to speed up its commitment to R&D and to boost low number of home-
grown PhD students.
Gates told a panel discussion that India's "IT success story" should strive to
add value and move away from low-cost labor as other developing countries play
catch-up.
"At first some of that (IT boom) was built on low-cost labor. And, of course,
as time goes on, you don't want to have that as the only differentiator and
it's not a sustainable thing, because others can come along with that as
well," Gates said.
India's R&D sector has made strides in recent years and attracted some big
foreign hitters, including Microsoft, in keeping with its IT- and service-
driven economic boom.
But hampered by structural problems and a lack of government commitment,
India's R&D still lags behind the United States and Asian rival China.
China has more than 1,100 R&D centers compared to less than 800 in India.
"Leading companies here are contributing a lot of ideas and techniques.
Even more of that has to happen and bring it to its full potential," Gates
said.
"You've got to get the government, universities ... and companies like
Microsoft to deepen their commitment to R&D."
India produces 100 computer science PhDs a year -- a fraction of China or the
U.S. -- even as it exports a large number of students abroad. While English-
speaking India is cheaper than China for R&D, New Delhi gives few incentives
to researchers.
Beijing offers incentives like tax breaks for R&D centers, and special
economic zones provide infrastructure for hi-tech and R&D industries.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://infotech.indiatimes.com/News/Gates-US-curbs-on-talent-a-mistake/articleshow/4816068.cms
Bill Gates: US curbs on talent a mistake
24 Jul, 2009, 1617 hrs IST,IANS
Print Email Discuss Share Save Comment Text:
NEW DELHI: Microsoft founder Bill Gates said it would be a "big mistake" if
the US imposes curbs on the entry of skilled workers from abroad, pu tting his
weight behind "smart people" from countries like India who want to work
overseas.
"I can't make any predictions. Immigration policy could get more difficult.
Microsoft as a company is very vocal. It would be a big mistake," Gates, here
for overseeing the philanthropic activities of his foundation, said in an
interaction with India Inc.
"The US Congress is very tough on immigration. But why not make an exception
for smart people?" said Gates while addressing an interactive session
organised by the National Association of Software and Service Companies
(Nasscom).
Even though Gates now devotes most of his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, he has always been vocal about his support for migrant
professionals that is reflected in the number of such workers at the Microsoft
offices in the US.
Gates said he was also keen to partner India in its ambitious plan to issue a
single identity card and number to its 1.17 billion citizens for which a new
authority has been formed under Infosys Technologies co-founder Nandan
Nilekani.
"Microsoft wants to be part of the Unique Identification Authority of India
project," he said, adding that he hoped to meet with Nilekani to discuss the
issue.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.cio.de/news/cio_worldnews/892959/
In India, Gates criticizes U.S. immigration policies
Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates traveled to India this week and delivered
a message to Washington: Don't clamp down on immigration. "The U.S. Congress
is very tough on immigration," Gates said today at the Transforming India
through Technology forum in New Delhi, according to compilation of press
reports . "But why not make an exception for smart people"
Gates' comments to the Indian forum were mostly boilerplate remarks that he
has consistently delivered on both sides of the Pacific. Gates is a
longstanding opponent of a cap on H-1B visas and has on numerous occasions on
that topic.
Earlier this week in the U.S., Gates continued to push for improvements to the
educational system. In a speech Tuesday at the National Conference of State
Legislatures in Philadelphia, the U.S. education system is in need of reform,
citing poor college graduation rates in the country.
"America is a land of staggering opportunity," Gates said. "But if you want to
make the most of this opportunity, high school is not enough, and some post
secondary [education] is no longer enough. If you want to have the skills to
build a career, or [to earn] the resources to raise a family, you need a two-
year or four-year [college] degree."
An American Enterprise Institute report ( ) released last month showed that
less than 60% of students entering four-year colleges graduate within six
years. The percentage varied widely among the long list of institutions.
For instance, 44% of freshmen students entering the University of Louisville
graduate within six years. while 34% graduate in that time from the University
of Memphis and 25% from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
"As a country, our performance at every level -- primary and secondary school
achievement, high school graduation, college entry, college completion -- is
dropping against the rest of the world," Gates said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.timesnow.tv/Should-let-more-smart-people-come-to-US/articleshow/4323115.cms
'Should let more smart people come to US'
25 Jul 2009, 2351 hrs IST
Microsoft co -founder and Bill Gates became the first business leader of the
world on Saturday (July 25) to receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace,
Disarmament and Development for 2007 in New Delhi. Speaking exclusively to
TIMES NOW , he hints that the Obama administration should raise the caps on
allowing more immigrants.
Q) Do you think the Obama administration really should have a re-look at
granting more H1 visas to India considering it is an issue that has been
discussed and it has caused lot of heart break here in India as well?
A) I am big believer in liberal immigration that is letting smart people move
between countries. I think that is beneficial and so I and Microsoft is talked
about that to US for eliminating or raising caps on immigration.
I think that will be a good policy for the country I don't know if that will
happen but that is certainly the position we have taken.
Q) You have taken lot of interest in this unique ID project that has been
undertaken by the Government of India. Is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke
about it earlier today when you met him?
A) I am excited that project is starting. It will take time to come together.
But I see some great opportunity. I talked to Nilekani about his work and
offer to help anyway I can. I am hoping that overtime it may be applicable to
health problems, getting immunization rates up, tracking some of the
programmes to make sure that they are working well.
Q) There has been lot of criticism about the project that you have been
undertaken here in India about HIV Aids. Do you really think it is working on
the ground, do you see real movement in the sense of the project that you have
started considering HIV aids?
A) The Avahan HIV programme has been a great success. It doesn't mean we can
let down our god because the message about safe practices getting out these
communities and talking to them, we have to keep those messages strong. About
Avahan is very well and I am very proud how that is going.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/24/content_11763260.htm
Some hits, some misses on Clinton's India visit
BEIJING, July 24 -- George W. Bush's eight years in the White House
transformed the tenor of India-US ties, especially in the defense and nuclear
fields.
In the backdrop of that legacy of hype and hyperactivity, US President
Barack Obama's efforts to revive the arms control agenda, especially the
comprehensive test ban and fissile material cut-off treaties, his support for
climate change negotiations leading up to the Copenhagen conference in
December, and his perspective on terrorism and Kashmir, asking India to open
peace talks with Pakistan, have created serious misgivings in New Delhi.
It is in this context that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's July
18-21 visit to India opened a new chapter.
The itinerary and agenda of Clinton were unusual. She began her visit from
Mumbai, India's commercial capital, instead of the political capital, New
Delhi, staying at Taj Hotel for two days. Her stay at the Taj was to express
her solidarity with the victims of the Nov 26, 2008, attacks, she said. The
attack on the Taj and several other places in Mumbai killed 186 people,
including about a dozen Americans and other foreigners. Her engagements in
Mumbai ranged from the media, educational institutions, the business community
and civil society.
In New Delhi, however, her agenda was more focused on evolving a new
dialogue regime for deepening Indo-US strategic cooperation, discussing
regional issues, finalizing all the aspects of a civil nuclear deal,
reconciling views on climate change, fighting non-proliferation and terrorism
and devising a set of rules for fair global trading.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Clinton that India had chosen
two sites - in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh provinces - to set up US-made
nuclear power reactors. The decision is seen as a continuation of Bush's
policies of increasing interactions with India and providing it greater access
to US nuclear materials and technologies.
The two countries concluded the End User Monitoring Agreement (EUMA),
Science and Technology Endowment Agreement and the Technology Safeguards
Agreement, which will help India launch civil and non-commercial satellites
containing US components.
The US welcomed India's participation in FutureGen Project for
construction of the first commercial-scale carbon capture and sequestration
project. India's participation in the Integrated Ocean Development Project, an
international endeavor for understanding Earth and ocean dynamics to fight
climate change, was welcomed too.
The two countries agreed to start an annual "Indo-US Strategic Dialogue"
at the foreign ministers' level, with the first scheduled for next year in
Washington.
Back in the US, Obama submitted to US Congress last Tuesday his first
update on the US-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Non-proliferation
Enhancement Act of 2008, which is seen in the US as an initiative toward
ensuring India's non-proliferation credentials. Many details of this report
are unlikely to be made public.
The EUMA is seen as her big take-away from India. It will open the doors
for Boeing and Lockheed Martin to sell their high-tech military technologies
to New Delhi. To begin with, India can place an order of 126 fighter jets
worth 10 billion U.S. dollars. The EUMA had been under discussion for some
time, and India was reluctant to allow "intrusive"
inspection of its military bases that used US equipment and components. But US
law required India approve the agreement, and Clinton managed to clinch that.
Nonetheless, the EUMA has become a major controversy even before Clinton
left New Delhi for Phuket, Thailand, on July 21 to attend the ASEAN Regional
Forum. The agreement has worked as glue to unite the entire opposition in
India, which describes it as a compromise on India's security and sovereignty.
The entire opposition walked out of parliament when the foreign minister read
out a statement on the conclusion of Clinton's visit.
The Indian government's efforts to describe it as continuation of the
India-US Defense Cooperation Framework Agreement of 2005 and give an assurance
that intrusive inspections are not part of the deal have cut little ice with
the opposition.
Another $10-billion deal is likely to be signed for the sale of power
reactors. Though the two countries began talks in Vienna on July 21 on
sensitive reprocessing arrangements and procedures, the deal had generated
enough controversy even before Clinton left India.
Asked by the media about the new draft rules of Nuclear Suppliers Group
(revised para 6 & 7 of INFCIRC 254/part I) that bans sale of enrichment and
reprocessing items to India, Clinton appeared unclear about it.
Even besides that, it was not sweet talk all the way for Clinton, with
Indian Minister for Environment and Forest standing his ground by saying India
will not be willing to compromise developmental needs to meet binding
greenhouse gas emission cuts. He highlighted India's concerns over carbon
tariff threats emanating from developed world, including the US.
Clinton conceded, though that the US and India continue to have "different
views" on several issues and that Washington is eager to "work through" these
divergent views.
On Iran, more specifically, the two countries, had "lot to discuss",
though both felt that global security would be threatened if Teheran developed
nuclear weapons. In the end, Clinton's visit looks like her first brush with
forces of continuity, which remains at the core of India's foreign policy.
The author is professor of Diplomacy & Disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru
University, New Delhi.
(Source: China Daily)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/341393/Clinton_Looks_to_Allay_Indian_Tech_Trade_Fears
Clinton looks to allay Indian tech-trade fears Patrick Thibodeau
July 27, 2009 (Computerworld) U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last
week pledged to work with Indian government and business officials to improve
high-technology trade relations but offered no specifics about how that goal
can be accomplished.
During a visit to India that ended early last week, Clinton agreed with
officials there to continue talking, "with the objective of facilitating
smoother trade in high technology between the two economies."
The talks have been dubbed the High Technology Cooperation Dialogue.
Clinton's statement appears to be an effort to lessen Indian concerns about
U.S. protectionism that were triggered by a number of recent events. For
instance, President Barack Obama in May commented that the U.S. has developed
a tax code "that says you should pay lower taxes if you create a job in
Bangalore, India, than if you create one in Buffalo, N.Y."
In an interview on Indian television, Clinton defended Obama, noting that he
"has said we do not want a return to protectionism. Outsourcing is a concern
for many communities and businesses in my country, so how we handle that is
something that we're very focused on doing in a way that doesn't disrupt the
great flow of trade and services that go between our countries."
Atul Vashistha, chairman of IT services consulting firm NeoIT Inc. in San
Ramon, Calif., suggested that Clinton is trying to assure Indian officials and
businesses that services export issues will be addressed in the talks.
Indian IT companies want "all voices [to] be heard prior to any big decision,"
he added.
Vashistha said that India's IT leaders "believe that [Clinton's] comments make
it clear that there is a push toward protectionism in the U.S. and that she'll
be addressing it via [the] Dialogue."
U.S. officials must also mitigate fears among the Indian high-tech community
that have been sparked by proposed U.S. legislation that would place a number
of restrictions on overseas companies seeking H-1B visas, observers said.
The bill would also enable the U.S. Department of Labor to conduct random
audits of employers that use H-1B visas and more closely investigate H-1B
applications.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.mydigitalfc.com/views/why-do-we-bend-over-backwards-149
Why do we bend over backwards?
Decrease text sizeIncrease text size
Jul 26 2009 23:17 hrs IST
By Tushar Gandhi
In the past, we were an enslaved people. If the way we kowtow to some is an
indication, we still behave like serfs. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the US
secretary of state, arrived in India and we behaved as if an emissary of God
had descended on our shores. We fawned and we fretted. We have a tradition of
treating our visitors as Gods, Atithi Devo Bhava, but do we need to bend over
backwards?
If reports are to be beli-eved, what is now being called a gaffe at Sharm-el-
Sheikh in Egypt by prime minister Manmohan Singh, when he offered to separate
the terror attacks from resumption of ta-lks with Pakistan, was becau-se we
wished to project a good picture to the visiting US secretary of state. At the
time of the attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001, the National Democratic
Alliance government dithered because a military strike against Pakistan could
have jeopardised the ongoing US action in Pakistan against Al Qaeda. Our
security concerns did not se-em matter.
This time round, the prime minister was seen to have gone soft to get a pat
from the visiting US secretary of state. If true, India s interests have been
compromised. I have yet to come across a state that considers its security and
integrity as subservient to that of other nations. If we behave like doormats,
people will wa-lk over us.
When Hillary Clinton was in Mumbai, our security for-ces in association or on
orders of the US security service tu-rned Mumbai into a fortress. Areas were
cordoned off with no consideration to the hardship caused to residents.
Residents of Walkeshwar weren t allowed to come out of their homes because the
US secretary of state was shopping at the Seva Store in their neighbourhood.
Our ministers are-n t accorded such treatment even on official visits to the
West. They stand in immigration queues and are frisked. But then it isn t the
fault of western authorities, they are just doing their duty.
One incident during the visit of Hillary Clinton that was annoying was when
two Mumbaikars, Feroze Mithibo-rewala and Kishore Jagtap, were picked up from
their ho-mes and detained by the police for the entire duration of her visit
to Mumbai. Neither Feroze nor Kishore are terrorists, nor are they dangerous.
Both are committed political activists, both passionate re-bels for a cause,
but harmless people. Feroze and Jagtap we-ren t planning any demonstr-ation
against the visiting secretary of state. They are both paranoid that, as they
term it, the neo-colonialist, capitalist, zionists are conspiring to ev-
entually colonise the world. Why did the Mumbai Police have to detain them?
Were they acting on orders from the US secret service? If that was the case,
it is shameful.
Americans don t detain Khalistan supporters in the US when Indian dignitaries
visit US cities. Not only the Mumbai Police but the Union home minister must
explain to the nation why they considered two Indian citizens to be a threat
to the visiting US secretary of state. Was there a threat perception or, as
usual, we were pleasing our masters? Going back to Pakistan. That country has
always bested India in diplomacy. It still does.
Our prime minster s recent offer to delink terrorism from resumption of peace
ta-lks at the non-aligned summit in Egypt is considered a diplomatic faux pas.
Time may pr-ove this perception wrong, but for the moment that s how it seems.
During the run up to independence, while the British were busy playing the
Congress against the Muslim Lea-gue, leaders of the League managed to snatch
away mu-ch more from Congress leaders than they could have ever hoped for.
They continued to do so after Partition. Pandit Nehru was adamant about
keeping the external affairs ministry and Sardar Patel was insistent about
keeping the home portfolio in the interim government. The Muslim Le-ague was
thus gifted the powerful finance portfolio. They were handed over the purse
strings of the interim government, which they used to devastating effect.
Congress ministers were made to grovel at the feet of the finance minister for
every penny.
Finally, the harassment became so unbearable that, at a later date, Pandit
Nehru confessed that, "The headache was so persistent and unbearable th-at we
were willing to cut off our head to get rid of the headache."
The coups by Pakistani diplomacy against us continued when they managed to get
Panditji to refer the matter of Pakistan s invasion of Kashmir to the United
Nations. Kashmir is still festering and we are suffering for more than 60
years now. Then Pakistan forced a ceasefire on us and has since illegally held
on to occupied Kashmir. Once ag-ain, displaying the ease with which they can
outmanoeuvre us. The only time we managed to beat Pakistan was in 1971. When
Indira Gandhi, the iron lady of modern India, adroitly ordered and backed a
masterly military operation against Pakistan and liberated Bangladesh.
I hope our current rulers remember this lesson from history. We have bested
Pakistan only by a military option, never by diplomacy.
The writer is founder president, Mahatma Gandhi Foundation
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