AMERICA UNBOUND?

Engaging in conversations with strangers has been shown to have numerous positive effects on well-being. It can improve trust and contribute to a person's social health and overall well-being. Meeting strangers is not just beneficial; it's essential for business success in the 21st century.

In a world increasingly dominated by screens, reclaiming the art of conversation is moreimportant than ever.  By making a conscious effort to be present, listen actively, and engage in meaningful dialogue, we can foster deeper connections, build stronger relationships, and create a more fulfilling and enriching life, both personally and professionally.  So put down your phone, look up, and start a conversation. You might be surprised by the connections you make.

Early January 2002 President George W. Bush while watching a football game on television in his living quarters in the White House choked on pretzel and tumbled momentarily. But he never choked for a moment when he ordered the invasion of Iraq a year later. Nor did President Harry Truman choke when he ordered the dropping of atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, pooh-poohing J. Robert Oppenheimer as a “crybaby scientist.” In Chris Nolan’s movie, Truman gives Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) his handkerchief to wipe it off when Oppenheimer says that he has blood on his hands.

But in our daily lives we see some of the most talented people, experts in their fields, in academics, sports, entertainment, business, choke under pressure when the moment for performance comes for which they have prepared for days and days. Why do the brightest students sometime do poorly on standardized tests? Why do we flunk that interview or miss that golf putt when we should have had it in the bag? Why do we mess up when it matters the most, when the stakes are high? This is how Dr. Sian Beilock, a famed cognitive scientist and a polymath, Dartmouth College’s president begins her book, Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting it Right When You Have To. Based on multidisciplinary research, lab work, anecdotal evidence drawn from media and personal narratives, the book is intimate, intellectually engaging and insightful, and most importantly it is a kind of how to do manual.

However, I wonder whether there could be some positive effects of the natural phenomenon from which no human being is immune. Just consider: What if President George W. Bush had visualized the invasion of Iraq and choked under the psychological pressure and held back. A most unnecessary and tragic war could have been avoided. Or, if President Harry Truman had visualized the horrific human suffering and choked for a moment and instead ordered the dropping of atom bombs away from human habitation, which as well could have ended the war. How is it that people like Donald Trump never choke under pressure? Perhaps in her next book Dr. Beilock would tell us how the minds of politicians work, why they don’t choke under pressure as most of us, the best of us, do sometime.

The Tuck Business School’s Dean Matthew Slaughter and his colleague Matthew Rees issued a report about the whirligig of the business world and America’s pivotal role with an intriguing title, “Will the World Get a Vote in America?” They lament that America has lost its place in the global economy, though, according to them, “most Americans want to build more bridges connected to the global economy—along with more ladders of opportunity to take advantage of global engagement.”   The day Slaughter & Rees published their report about the need for global bridgebuilding and free flow of trade and commerce, on the Hill another deep discussion was taking place regarding the dark role of the Communist Party of China, which under President Xi Jinping has begun to use all available means not for bridgebuilding but to penetrate and hack the most vital entrails of American society. Slaughter & Rees idea of America’s engagement with the world is different from how the Communist Party of China under President Xi Jinping wants to engage with the world. Perhaps in their next report, Slaughter & Rees would respond to the challenge of doing business with China in the framework of geopolitical realities and national security.

Would America let down the world In 2024? Looking at the disorder and chaos of  2023, it seems more than ever that American global leadership is indispensable. Nonetheless, every year commentators and pundits utter the same shibboleths that the post-World War II global system which the United States built and sustained with its economic, military, and soft power is now breaking up amidst regional challenges, chaos, disorder, and strife; and not least the rise of China, its global ambitions, and its alliance with aggressive and authoritarian Russia under Vladimir Putin.

As it happened with other technologies of freedom such as the printing press, the Internet and social media, Generative AI would enable more people to access advanced AI capabilities, empowering individuals and groups to be more creative, productive, and knowledgeable. This would raise the average intelligence level of people and make societies more productive. By automating certain cognitive tasks, AI would free up mental capacity for people to focus on higher-level thinking and judgment. AI would help break down language barriers, translate ideas more effectively, and connect individuals with diverse expertise. This would lead to improved collaboration and communication across various fields and disciplines and cultures, and enhance the collective intelligence of Americans and free people everywhere.

Digital India under the tech-visionary Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces a new challenge as to how to create public-private partnership to harness the immense power of Generative Artificial Intelligence to bring about transformative changes in all aspects of Indian life.

In several landmark cases (Schenck v. United States, Brandenberg v. Ohio, among others) the US Supreme Court has ruled that free speech under the First Amendment has absolute protection unless it creates clear and present danger amounting to an imminent threat of violence. But when does that tipping point, “an imminent threat of violence,” occur when a university president should ask the police to intervene, in which case  protesting students, numbering thousands in some cases, might turn violent at the sight of the cops.  The Gaza-Israel conflict is a complex issue with deep historical roots and profound implications not only for diplomats and international relations experts but also for people in streets and college campuses. It is an issue that takes an existential dimension and elicits gut-wrenching emotions and polarized views, making it a challenging subject for any open and rational discussion. On college campuses, where the exchange of ideas is a fundamental principle, this issue has led to heated debates, protests, and in some cases, allegations of censorship and suppression of free speech.

Democratic institutions are the pillars of a free and democratic society. They include the electoral system, the courts, the media, and the legislature. These institutions check and balance each other, ensuring that no one branch of government becomes too powerful. Trump has repeatedly attacked democratic institutions. He has called the 2020 election fraudulent, even though there is no evidence to support this claim. He has also threatened to jail his political opponents and has suggested that he might not accept the results of the 2024 election. Trump's attacks on democratic institutions are a threat to the very foundation of our democracy. If he is re-elected, he will likely continue to undermine these institutions, making it more difficult to hold him accountable and further eroding our democracy.

“WHO YOU GONNA CALL?”

Certainly not Ghostbusters, even “if you’re seeing things running through your head.” Nor would Elvis Presley’s romantic lyric “Tell me dear, Are You Lonesome Tonight,” would help you to get out of a funk, a shade of gray mood characterized by feelings of emptiness, lack of motivation, grouchiness, some kind of diffused malaise.

Most of us know how our bodies twist and turn, ache and break, and we readily seek medical help; but very few of us understand our cognitive health, how and why our minds become dysfunctional. We spend billions and billions on our physical health but not much on our mental health.

Maps have always played a pivotal role in shaping geopolitical realities. They serve as powerful tools of communication, shaping public perception and, at times, laying the groundwork for territorial aggressions. China understands this power well and has been actively using maps to assert its territorial claims. 
China's unfounded territorial claims, backed by fake cartographic forays, from  the Himalayas to the South China Sea and other parts of the world such as Russia-China border belie China’s pretentious claims about peaceful coexistence. 

Very soon, in a week or so, thousands and thousands of young people would be flocking to campuses across the country hoping to build a bright future for themselves, which would also shape the nation in this age of Generative Artificial Intelligence and MAGA tribalism. Parents would hope and pray that their children would stay safe and healthy on the campuses; and when they graduate, the world be their oyster.   

I would have to reprogram my mind and clear my conscience and try my best to become an impartial juror because the Sixth Amendment commands that the accused, Donald J. Trump, “shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury.” Jury duty is one of the most sacred obligations of being a citizen.

Can I really become an impartial juror in spite of the fact that since the November 2020 presidential election results, I have been exposed to the most horrendous, though spectacular, images of the Capitol being assaulted by a murderous mob and  Senators and House members running helter-skelter for safety; watched the Select Committee January 6th live proceedings and read the executive summary report, which concluded that none of the events of January 6th would have happened without Trump.  And oh my God! then there’s the Trump tweet,  "Be there, will be wild!"

Last month, a tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean took a giant step for mankind.  

Vanuatu, an archipelago of islands, like many other countries in the Indo-Pacific such as Fiji, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Madagascar, is vulnerable to the ravages of extreme climate changes. The rising sea levels triggered by global environmental pollution and rising temperatures might make some islands vanish altogether.  

A new climate narrative that fires up youth environmental activism, myriad high stake climate injury court cases, investments in new climate technologies that create business opportunities, and most importantly, political commitment from global leaders would bring about slow mitigation of the climate crisis.

The term cyberspace was coined by William Gibson in his 1984 science fiction Neuromancer—a dark social universe. But America created cyberspace, the Internet,  based on its democratic value system—free, open, decentralized, distributed, and self-governing.

 What if the Internet had been created in China or Russia?  Its architecture and algorithms would have been very different, geared more toward creating a surveillance society than enhancing democratic values.

Spreading democracy is a worthy goal but the United States faces complex challenges in an interdependent world, challenges that are compelling policymakers, Democrats and Republicans, to act as pragmatist idealists. Instead of crouching toward China or Russia as a model, developing nations should look to the United States. This is the biggest challenge for US international diplomacy today. Rebuilding Ukraine after the Russian guns are silenced and enabling it to become a member of the European Union would create hope for democracy. But it is the vast and economically vibrant Indo-Pacific region that is the best hope for democracy, and where India is a shining star.

 It's true that nobody has a monopoly on truth; therefore, the First Amendment, in essence, says: Speak up fearlessly so that truth might emerge. In the marketplace of ideas, when robust and uninhibited discussion about public issues leads to outright lies, inaccurate information, or misinformation, the remedy is not censorship or suppression of the information however outrageous it may be. But what's the remedy?