Tech Policy

Al Jazeera has the best coverage...

It is perhaps befitting that the best news coverage of the crisis in Egypt (or for that matter Tunisia or Algeria) comes from another new agency in the region -- Al Jazeera is covering these events in a manner shows it's undisputed leadership in reporting important political events of our times, far ahead of any news source I have seen.

Hatzius, Krugman and Feldstein at the Newseum

Who is more pessimistic? As Hatzius says, the next six months or so will be telling as to whether we are going to double dip. As far as unemployment goes, we are sure to retouch 10 handle.

Only when the tide goes out....

I have (had?) a lot of respect for Warren Buffet. He once said famously that only when the tide goes out do you find out who has been swimming naked. Sad to say that the Financial Crisis and the Great Recession has revealed that Buffet and Munger -- the great investors of Berkshire Hathaway, beneficiaries of TARP and other bank bailouts, and Goldman defenders among other things -- have been found wanting appropriate beach wear.

Summers to go at the end of 2010, when will Geithner go?

Barry captures my emotions about departure of Larry Summers from the WH, and failure of Obama on economic front perfectly.

Bill Richardson Miserable on Meet the Press

Bill Richardson looked really poor on pretty much everything from Energy Policy to Iraq and Immigration at this Sunday's Meet the Press. Watch for yourself and decide.

NUTJOB

If you have a better word to describe Sen. Inhofe (R-OK), then please let me know. (via Think Progress)

Inhofe insists that he feels even stronger about taking on what he sees as the current hysteria about global warming than he did several years ago when he first uttered that now-famous hoax statement. In an interview, he heaped criticism on what he saw as the strategy used by those on the other side of the debate and offered a historical comparison.

  "It kind of reminds . . . I could use the Third Reich, the big lie," Inhofe said. "You say something over and over and over and over again, and people will believe it, and that's their strategy."

...While declining to watch either the Gore movie or the Brokaw documentary, the senator said he armed himself with the statements used in both.

"I know the text, and I know they are using old stuff that has been totally discredited," Inhofe said. "Everything on which they based their story, in terms of the facts, has been refuted scientifically."

... He dismisses even the suggestions that Americans could help by giving up big cars or using more energy-efficient light bulbs. "It is not going to make any difference," the senator said. "But if it makes them feel good, they can do it."

I am sorry for offending the people of Oklahoma. I do not disrepect them, but one has to ask: Why do you keep electing this man?

Another Tangled Web

Today on Democracy Now!, a former NSA and DIA intelligence agent spoke out about the domestic spying program, and much more. What is interesting is that Tice was thrown out of service in May 2005 for speaking inside DIA against FBI's incompetenece in the Katrina Leung case. The "parlor maid" is is one of the more fascinating espionage case I have known. Tice has written to the Congress that he wants to testify in front of Congress about NSA's domestic spying program. Tice belives that even President Bush may not have complete knowledge of the program, but if Bush knew all the aspects of the program, then there should be serious charges, including impeachment, against him.

Chuck Hagel Continues to Impress

Earlier in September, I noted that Chuck Hagel (R-NE) made some of the more interesting remarks at the Terrorism, Security, and America's Purpose conference. Yesterday, Hagel spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations on The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy. The Kansas speech referenced by Hagel was delivered at Kansas State Landon Lecture Series.
While I applaud Hagel's position on foreign policy issues, I know little about his domestic policies. Yet, while I dont know if he will make it, I feel that Hagel should be someone to watch closely on the road to White House in 2008.

... and I thought that the US believed in Market Economy

Frankly, I am sick of hearing how high the gasoline prices are (THEY AREN'T) and how much money oil companies are making (A LOT). James Hamilton has a snarky post titled Senate finds the facts about Big Oil, and Environmental Economics has more (althogh they were published in the reverse order).

India-US cooperation on Nuclear Power?

In a Joint Statement Between President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh:

President Bush conveyed his appreciation to the Prime Minister over India's strong commitment to preventing WMD proliferation and stated that as a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology, India should acquire the same benefits and advantages as other such states. The President told the Prime Minister that he will work to achieve full civil nuclear energy cooperation with India as it realizes its goals of promoting nuclear power and achieving energy security. The President would also seek agreement from Congress to adjust U.S. laws and policies, and the United States will work with friends and allies to adjust international regimes to enable full civil nuclear energy cooperation and trade with India, including but not limited to expeditious consideration of fuel supplies for safeguarded nuclear reactors at Tarapur. In the meantime, the United States will encourage its partners to also consider this request expeditiously. India has expressed its interest in ITER and a willingness to contribute. The United States will consult with its partners considering India's participation. The United States will consult with the other participants in the Generation IV International Forum with a view toward India's inclusion.

The Prime Minister conveyed that for his part, India would reciprocally agree that it would be ready to assume the same responsibilities and practices and acquire the same benefits and advantages as other leading countries with advanced nuclear technology, such as the United States. These responsibilities and practices consist of identifying and separating civilian and military nuclear facilities and programs in a phased manner and filing a declaration regarding its civilians facilities with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); taking a decision to place voluntarily its civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards; signing and adhering to an Additional Protocol with respect to civilian nuclear facilities; continuing India's unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing; working with the United States for the conclusion of a multilateral Fissile Material Cut Off Treaty; refraining from transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technologies to states that do not have them and supporting international efforts to limit their spread; and ensuring that the necessary steps have been taken to secure nuclear materials and technology through comprehensive export control legislation and through harmonization and adherence to Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) guidelines.

The Hindu, BBC and the Economist try to parse what this means. The most important part is not here in the statement, but as the Hindu report points out:

New Delhi is said to be keen to purchase at least six nuclear power reactors but was unable to do so inthe face of sanctions and restrictions imposed by Washington following the 1974 Pokharan nuclear test. These restrictions were also implemented by the Nuclear Suppliers Group which includes Russia.

Several obstacles remain before Indian can dream of purchasing nuclear power plants from the US. Firstly, President Bush will have to convince the Congress that cooperation with India on nuclear power technology is beneficial to the US interests. I am not certain that Congress will be all out in supporting sale of nuclear fuel for the Tarapur facilities (360 MW). IF the US congress agrees to these plans then getting the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to cooperate with India will be fairly straightforward. France and Russia have been willing to help India with nuclear technology and fuel, but have been held back due to strong US resistance and pressure applied through the NSG.
Placing India's nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards is a welcome step. India's nuclear power program needs a great deal of transparency. I have been threatening to make a long post about India's nuclear power plans, so I will leave that issue for later.
One final thought on this small, but rather important development from India's point of view. US has been opposed to the Iran-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline for quite some time now. This issue is likely to come up during the so called US-India Energy dialogue, if it did not come up during this visit by Manmohan Singh to Washington. In my opinion, India will be making a strategic mistake if it decides to slow down efforts to build the Iran pipeline due to opposition from the US.

UPDATE (07/20): Siddharth Varadarajan in the Hindu is critical of the agreement. The Washington Post is more pragmatic.

...Now consider the risks in the administration's gamble. Pakistan, India's neighbor and rival, will seek a similar de facto blessing for its nuclear status.
...The administration's efforts to contain the nuclearization of Iran and North Korea may also suffer. Help in building civilian nuclear reactors is a carrot for countries that agree not to build nuclear weapons. If India can build such weapons and then munch the carrot anyway, why should others not aim to do likewise?
...Monday's U.S.-India communique is only a declaration of intent. To clear the way for U.S. assistance to India's civilian nuclear program, the administration will have to ask Congress for legislation. To salvage something of the nonproliferation regime, the administration will need buy-in from other nuclear powers. In both cases, the administration will need to convince a skeptical audience that the gains from its proposal outweigh the risks.

See also Stephen Cohen's piece India: America's New Ally? for an interesting take on why India-US can not be simplified under the rhetoric of natural allies.

UPDATE (07/25): Ila Patnaik engages in straight talk over the potential of nuclear power in India. In her piece and here again, I am hearing about radioactive gases from burning coal. Does anybody have an idea what might cause radioactive gases to come out of burning coal?