printThe excerpt is from “Importing Monstrous Morals,” now on WND.COM:
“In its contempt for women, India, our democratic ally, has advanced little since the time it practiced Sati, ‘the custom of burning a widow alive on the funeral pyre of her husband.’
Then, Western values had valiant defenders like General Sir Charles James Napier. When ‘Hindu priests complained to him about the prohibition of Sati by British authorities,’ Napier replied:
“Be it so. This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. But my nation has also a custom. When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property. My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the widow is consumed. Let us all act according to national customs.” (Via Wikipedia. )
Nowadays, our ‘national customs’ are exemplified by ‘enlightened’ observers—ABC’s Elizabeth Vargas, for example—who gather and disseminate spotty, decontextualized data, in this case, about “the systematic, widespread elimination of India’s baby girls.” Vargas traveled to India for the current affairs program ’20/20.’
Back in the 1800s, Napier understood “Sati” as a cultural barbarity.
In 2011, Vargas is somewhat vague. Critical faculties dulled by the belief in the equal worth of all cultures and peoples, Vargas failed to firmly finger the sacred cultural cow to which Indians sacrifice a million girls every year. (The Economist is more optimistic, putting the number of girls who go missing as a result of a gender preference for boys at 600,000.)
… poverty and lack of education play almost no role in this morally monstrous practice. …
In utero and outside of it, the elimination of women in India is not about what we here in the US call “reproductive rights.” This is about the right to life. In India, a woman’s life, fetus or fully formed, is worthless.
… Empirical proof of these impregnable positions was provided by the University of California, San Francisco. UCSF conducted a “qualitative study of son preference and fetal sex selection among Indian immigrants in the United States,” showing that “Indian immigrant women are using reproductive technologies and liberal abortion policies in the United States to abort female fetuses.” The study was published in Social Science & Medicine. Therein, the objects of observation are quoted as saying that, “There is such a thing as too many daughters, but not too many sons.”
The complete column is, “Importing Monstrous Morals.” Read it now on WND.COM.
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UPDATE (Dec. 16): Pam Maltzman: About the US getting India’s best and brightest: It’s probably the opposite, as those who come here are likely untouchables fleeing the cast-system in India and seeking a better station in life. It is well known, if not documented—for who would have the courage?—that Indians working in our massive high-tech conglomerates, as I stated in the column, are often very average in technical skills. They do, however, excel in exercising bureaucratic power; are quarrelsome, arrogant, and can talk up a storm. As soon as they are in positions of power, they are in the habit of hiring their own kind, often irrespective of merit, and to the detriment of The Other Kind. Massive companies, flush with billions, work much like government, within which fiefdoms with power structures develop. In these chieftainships, the relationship between productivity and profit is loose, at best. So long as the Chief has a good connection to the next top dog, he can chug along for years, before his little nexus collapses. Looking diverse is one of the main goals of the multinational with billions to blow. If a project collapses with a female at the helm, for example, a lot of musical chairs and cover-up action will ensue, as females are a prized minority too.
Wonderful commentary on what you don’t know about diversity may change – or kill – you.
The invincibility of daft and regressive cultural divergencies of second and third world countries with our own eventually will have their way with the civilized world. What civilization once went around the world putting an end to it now incubates. I suppose this is what bhavacakra (the wheel of life) is meant to explain.
I found it early this morning while scanning the news on H-1b visas
Thanks for inserting the H-1B visa issue into your piece of Indian morals.
and THANK YOU for noting “If you are as clueless as the Republican presidential contenders about America’s labyrinthine visa programs – most of the candidates call for more special visas for highly skilled individuals”
Are there any presidential candidates standing up for the American S.T.E.M. ( Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) professionals?
All the candidates seem to be pandering to corporate America, wanting their fill of cheap labor.
I wish some one would call them on this position!
Few journalists, reporters, commentators are confronting the issue of AMERCAN JOB DESTRUCTION
here’s something I found on an obscure tech BLOG
It poses interesting insight into importing foreign (INDIAN) labor.
o Companies ruined or almost ruined by imported Indian labor
Adaptec – Indian CEO Subramanian Sundaresh fired.
AIG (signed outsourcing deal in 2007 in Europe with Accenture Indian frauds, collapsed in 2009)
AirBus (Qantas plane plunged 650 feet injuring passengers when its computer system written by India disengaged the auto-pilot).
Apple – R&D CLOSED in India in 2006.
Australia’s National Australia Bank (Outsourced jobs to India in 2007, nationwide ATM and account failure in late 2010).
Bell Labs (Arun Netravalli took over, closed, turned into a shopping mall)
Boeing Dreamliner ES software (written by HCL, banned by FAA)
Bristol-Myers-Squibb (Trade Secrets and documents stolen in U.S. by Indian national guest worker)
Caymas – Startup run by Indian CEO, French director of dev, Chinese tech lead. Closed after 5 years of sucking VC out of America.
Caterpillar misses earnings a mere 4 months after outsourcing to India, Inc.
Circuit City – Outsourced all IT to Indian-run IBM and went bankrupt shortly thereafter.
ComAir crew system run by 100% Indian IT workers caused the 12/25/05 U.S. airport shutdown when they used a short int instead of a long int
Computer Associates – Former CEO Sanjay Kumar, an Indian national, sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for accounting fraud.
Deloitte – 2010 – this Indian-packed consulting company is being sued under RICO fraud charges by Marin Country, California for a failed solution.
Dell – call center (closed in India)
Delta call centers (closed in India)
Fannie Mae – Hired large numbers of Indians, had to be bailed out. Indian logic bomb creator found guilty and sent to prison.
GM – Was booming in 2006, signed $300 million outsourcing deal with Wipro that same year, went bankrupt 3 years later
HP – Got out of the PC hardware business in 2011 and can’t compete with Apple’s tablets. HP was taken over by Indians and Chinese in 2001. So much for ‘Asian’ talent!
HSBC ATMs (software taken over by Indians, failed in 2006)
Intel Whitefield processor project (cancelled, Indian staff canned)
JetStar Airways computer failure brings down Christchurch airport on 9/17/11. JetStar is owned by Quantas – which is know to have outsourced to India, Inc.
Lehman (Spectramind software bought by Wipro, ruined, trashed by Indian programmers)
Medicare – Defrauded by Indian national doctor Arun Sharma & wife in the U.S.
Microsoft – Employs over 35,000 H-1Bs. Stock used to be $100. Today it’s lucky to be over $25. Not to mention that Vista thing.
MIT Media Lab Asia (canceled)
MyNines – A startup founded and run by Indian national Apar Kothari went belly up after throwing millions of America’s VC $ down the drain.
PeopleSoft (Taken over by Indians in 2000, collapsed).
PepsiCo – Slides from #1 to #3 during Indian CEO Indra Nooyi’ watch.
Polycom – Former senior executive Sunil Bhalla charged with insider trading.
Qantas – See AirBus above
Quark (Alukah Kamar CEO, fired, lost 60% of its customers to Adobe because Indian-written QuarkExpress 6 was a failure)
Rolls Royce (Sent aircraft engine work to India in 2006, engines delayed for Boeing 787, and failed on at least 2 Quantas planes in 2010, cost Rolls $500m).
SAP – Same as Deloitte above in 2010.
Singapore airlines (IT functions taken over in 2009 by TCS, website trashed in August, 2011)
Skype (Madhu Yarlagadda fired)
State of Indiana $867 million FAILED IBM project, IBM being sued
State of Texas failed IBM project.
Sun Micro (Taken over by Indian and Chinese workers in 2001, collapsed, had to be sold off to Oracle).
UK’s NHS outsourced numerous jobs including health records to India in mid-2000 resulting in $26 billion over budget.
Union Bank of California – Cancelled Finacle project run by India’s InfoSys in 2011.
United – call center (closed in India)
Victorian Order of Nurses, Canada (Payroll system screwed up by SAP/IBM in mid-2011)
Virgin Atlantic (software written in India caused cloud IT failure)
World Bank (Indian fraudsters BANNED for 3 years because they stole data).
I could post the whole list here but I don’t want to crash any servers.
Hope you’ll be writing more on the h-1b issues, American Job destruction
I still remember you piece
Bye Bye Engineering
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38064
Why Aren’t The H-1B Hogs Satisfied With The O-1 “Extraordinary Ability” Visa?
http://www.ilanamercer.com/phprunner/public_article_list_view.php?editid1=470
as always
EngiNERD (Unemployed engineer)
contributor to
http://www.eiass.com/E-Newsletters.htm
http://www.eiass.com/Articles.htm
For those of you wanting more information on the H-1B issues
LET ME OFFER THESE WEBSITES:
http://www.american-engineers-for-america.info
http://www.noslaves.com
http://www.brightfuturejobs.com
http://www.eiass.com/Articles.htm
http://www.americanworker.org/
http://www.competeamerica.us/
http://www.h1bscam.org ( sadly removed Was a great website! )
http://www.hireamericansfirst.org/
and these reports, commentaries:
Why Americans Don’t Study Science—It Doesn’t Pay
http://www.vdare.com/rubenstein/050215_nd.htm
What Engineering Shortage ?
http://www.tbp.org/pages/publications/Bent/Features/Su09Brown.pdf
There Is No Tech Worker Shortage
http://www.numbersusa.com/content/learn/issues/high-tech-workers/there-no-tech-worker-shortage.html
U.S PhDs Have It Tough Enough Without Importing Immigrants
http://www.vdare.com/rubenstein/110616_nd.htm
What Kind of Country Destroys the Job Market for Its Own Citizens?
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts07162005.html
Newsflash: There is NO Engineering Shortage
http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2005/06/newsflash_there.html
Scientists and Engineers in Short Supply? Not Likely
http://chronicle.com/blogPost/ScientistsEngineers-in/5783/
Mr. President, there is no engineer shortage
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-innovations/president-obama-there-is-no-engineer-shortage/2011/09/01/gIQADpmpuJ_story.html
the above is just a sample
AND here’s the mantra:
“The goal is NOT to Find and American worker!”
http://www.youtube.com/programmersguild
And there is now even protest songs!!!
http://www.complex-numbers.com/home/dog-one.html
Lap of Luxury (The H-1B Song) http://www.complex-numbers.com/home/dog-one.html
LYRICS: http://www.complex-numbers.com/home/laplux.html
2 companies on that list didn’t crash because of Indian software, GM because it makes lousy cars which can’t compete against Japanese, German, Korean or Indian(in that order) in the Indian market. I don’t think they can do well anywhere else, their Asian offerings are from former Daewoo, not at all American. AIG went under because of its geniuses, outsourcing had nothing to do with it. They received a load of TARP money which was used to bail out Obama’s banking buddies who funded his election.
On H1B visas, it works like any government program. Here is how the interview goes
Consulate employee: Who do you work for?
Me: Indian firm ****
CE: Who will you be working for in USA?
Me: American firm ***
CE: You will receive your passport in 4 days.
That is what it takes, to get a H1B and the interview takes less time that the initial fingerprinting.
Not to rain on the Ron Paul Parade, but it is precisely this sort of disaster that he supports, via open borders/free trade libertarian economics. Still, RP appears to be the candidate least likely to blow up the world over a non-existent Iranian nuke so, if he goes 3P, he’s got lil’ Tril’s money and vote.
Aw Trilby, you still are not comprehending things that well, maybe you need to stop by the library again. H1B is not free trade but government/corporate managed trade policy. Free trade is where the prospective employee has to prove to the prospective employer that he/she has the qualifications and ability to do the job. No one drags him/her to the front of the line. Free trade is where Joe competes with Frank for Johnny’s business and if Johnny don’t like either of them, he can go to Fred. Free trade means that everyone has to compete on their own merit. Take that concept and apply it to education, manufacturing or simply who makes the best hamburgers, it’s a level playing field.
There are many, many more barbaric customs in India which one hopes will eventually stop. To name two (from stuff I’ve read on the net:
1. To commemorate something which happened to a long-ago Indian princess, in some places the oldest girl is made to be a temple prostitute (being “nice” to daddy’s friends) so that the rest of the family can eat.
2. To commemorate some other occurrence, there is some sort of ritual in which children are buried alive.
Issue A (abortion) – I find myself uncomfortable with Alan Keyes types who seem hell bent to the point of wanting TV cameras in vaginas (or at least just scream a lot). But the other end of the issue basically treats a fetus with no more rights or humanity than a paper clip. If such is true, then there can be no “moral issue” in abortion for ANY REASON whatsoever – and I have problems with this.
Throughout my life, I have rejected the Marxist view of propertied people and capitalists and “profit” as PARASITES. Nevertheless, as I grow older, I also grow a bit uncomfortable with Rand as well – in that one can certainly argue that fetuses are PARASITES but then so would be young children, old people, sick people, dumb people … and finally in Hindu culture – women.
So in my old age, I mix my Rand with some Moses. Judeo-Christian societies are wealthy enough that they can take care of the less able, young and old, without disposing of them AND without setting up gunpoint altruism (based on Marxism). The old Testament forbids coveting and theft but allows for leftovers (food that falls off the vine) and voluntary charity for the less forutunate.
And I think it works better than Hinduism and Islam.
While I oppose abortion and murder, I do have an emotional reason to consider the latter for all those quacks who constantly claim that there is a SCIENTIST AND ENGINEER SHORTAGE.
Another thing: I’ve seen posts where Indians keep bragging that they’re oh-so-much-smarter than Western Caucasians, yet this is not the first time I’ve seen posts listing their blunders.
Makes me wonder if there’s a list anywhere of their medical blunders! I must also wonder about their medical hygiene (they drink from the same rivers in which corpses are floated).
I’ve also read that in spite of the alleged brightness of the overseas Indians, the average IQ on the subcontinent isn’t very high. Might have something to do with malnutrition. I suspect that most of the overseas Indians are from the higher castes.
Another comment about the Libertarian Party: A lot of the fellow libertarians I know have no idea of the dangers of unrestricted Muslim immigration. They seem to have drunk the Kool-Aid that all cultures are equal, all people are more or less equal, and that they’ll assimilate once they’ve had a good taste of Western lifestyle! NOT!!
Another thing: I’ve seen posts where Indians keep bragging that they’re oh-so-much-smarter than Western Caucasians, yet this is not the first time I’ve seen posts listing their blunders.
Steve Sailer has a new post with updated information on PISA scores and India. It might surprise some whose only experience with Indians is in a university setting.
Dear Ilana,
I couldn’t help the urge to leave a comment this time. I cannot say much about the title subject, but I was expired by the update and where it took the discussion – since I have a considerable amount of the firsthand experience on that subject.
Your analysis of “massive companies” is spot on! Your description of indians in those companies is hilarious. However, your assumption about the untouchables coming to the US to escape the caste system is a wrong one. I have worked in IT for large corporation for more year than I care to remember, all long with a lot of Indians. Never came across an untouchables (they would probably not admit to that status anyway) but quite a few Brahmins which are the highest caste. They all came here for the opportunity (perceived or real) to improve their material well-being, to live in the “shining city on the hill”. On the individual level Indian vary greatly in skills and personality, from excellent to mediocre professionally, and mostly pleasant personally. Your hilarious description mostly applies to corporate whips in charge, and there you can substitute women, blacks, chinese, philipino, or anybody else for the indians – it just what the large corporate culture is.
That is why you and Mr.(Ms.?) TRILBY is right about the “pure” libertarians. They very often contradict themselves because they don’t take their teachings logically to the very end. It may very well turn out, in an ideal, 100% private property world in the US, for the big corporations to import workers from other country – even without any government involved, even after paying various charges and fees to all private parties involved in such undertaking.
The ultimate goal of any corporation – even unprotected by government – is to make profit, by appealing to the largest number of customers, and to cutting cost wherever possible. The latter may lead to the importation of labor or the outsourcing, the former – to appealing to whatever (good or evil and stupid) sentiment is prevailing among the customer base. Flush with billions (mind you, this may still happen in the pure libertarian world) the “massive companies” can operate like this for quite a long time. Greed, arrogance and stupidity are unfortunately just part of life, government or not.