MetaFilter posts tagged with China and India

The Economist: The World in 2010

goodnewsfortheinsane — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:09:43 -0800

In 2010, Obama will have a miserable year, NATO may lose in Afghanistan, the UK gets a regime change, China needs to chill, India's factories will overtake its farms, Europe risks becoming an irrelevant museum, the stimulus will need an exit strategy, the G20 will see a challenge from the "G2", African football will unite Korea, conflict over natural resources will grow, Sarkozy will be unloved and unrivalled, the kids will come together to solve the world's problems (because their elders are unable), technology will grow ever more ubiquitous, we'll all charge our phones via USB, MBAs will be uncool, the Space Shuttle will be put to rest, and Somalia will be the worst country in the world. And so the Tens begin.

The Economist: The World in 2010. Previously: 2009, 2008, 2007. How did we do last time around? Guest contributions: President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso lines up Europe's priorities President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev argues for dialogue and cooperation President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed wants his island nation to remain above water President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would like for Islam and the West to live in harmony President of South Africa Jacob Zuma says Africa should rise to the occasion Director-General of the World Health Organisation Margaret Chan predicts the development of the flu pandemic Managing director of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn explains how to prevent another crisis CEO of Yahoo! Carol Bartz believes business leaders should tap into the information flood Chairman of HSBC Stephen Green argues that the financial sector should welcome emerging economies CEO of Fiat Group and Chrysler Group Sergio Marchionne thinks greener cars require bolder action CEO/CTO of SpaceX Elon Musk says the private sector should handle space travel

The Feminine side of Buddhism

desjardins — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:54:48 -0800

As in most religions, Buddhism's pantheon of deities and saints has been male dominated. The preeminent exception to this is Kuan Yin, the goddess of compassion, also called Guan Yin or Kannon. She is the female form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, who underwent a gender shift after being popularized in China. She has inspired amazing forms of worship. Female Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Female deities in Buddhism

The Rise of the Rest

goodnewsfortheinsane — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:37:49 -0800

The Rise of the Rest. Fareed Zakaria's Newsweek article about a "post-American" world.

vintage images of the Far East and Asia

nickyskye — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:05:39 -0800

Images of Asia l India then and now video l Historical Chinese Postcard Project: 1896 - 1920.

Lee press-on car

XMLicious — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 05:16:25 -0800

The Tata Nano (pic) is a car that costs less new than the amount I've spent on gas during single car trips, recently announced to the auto market in India. The Chery QQ ^, successful , wide ly ex por ted, and recognized as the Hostage Taker's Vehicle of Choice by China Car Times, is the runner-up for the world's cheapest car but is still approximately twice as expensive. Yes indeed, the price of gas is not going to come back down. So much for my coast-to-coast road trips. Forbes magazine's The World's Cheapest Cars (javascript slideshow)

क़ूली

hadjiboy — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 02:50:24 -0800

He's probably the first person you'll see if you've ever been to an Indian Train Station. Not as dramatic as has been immortalized on screen, but certainly no less forgettable either. He is one of many who waits for his turn to carry your luggage on his head, or his shoulders, and maybe even around his neck. He has dreams and ambitions too, and just wants to earn a decent enough living. But it can get tedious at times, especially with the odds stacked against him. Personal life of a Chinese Coolie I was a lonesome, inquisitive kid at that time but ingenious enough to practically become a Chinaman myself during that summer. You may wonder that I did it but I got myself named "Wah Lee Melcium Boy" and nearly every Chinaman there knew me by that name. Under the guise of this "transmutation" I was able to penetrate parts of their secret private lives and sacred religious beliefs. Mostly their religion was a mixture of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. I got to know many of them by their first names, one or two of which now comes to mind as Wong Foo and Chinaboy Ken Tee. There were a number among them I called "my very best friends". All these Chinamen were "coolies" who had been shipped to America to work hard for the "Central Pacific" as railroad section - hands for just a few years out of their lives and they had crossed the Pacific ocean with the fond hope of exchange for a great deal more Chinese money so that after a certain few years in America they would return to China as "money lords" instead of living out their lives as just plain old "coolies". Many of them never did return to China for various reasons. Some got jobs killed while others preferred to stay in the U.S. in special occupations such as cooks, laundrymen or gardeners.
BBC: Coolies--How Britian reinvented Slavery [google video]

First of the photojournalists

Abiezer — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:55:43 -0800

Japanese places and people photographed by Felice Beato, a pioneer 19th century photographer who documented the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny and the Anglo-French military intervention in China before opening a studio in Yokohama in 1863. He also seems to have been the first photographer in Korea.Wikipedia NYPL archive First two links are units in MIT's Visualizing Cultures project.

The state of technological labor resources

Gyan — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 02:01:25 -0800

Where the Engineers Are - "To guide education policy and maintain its innovation leadership, the United States must acquire an accurate understanding of the quantity and quality of engineering graduates in India and China."

"...as a Russian and Chinese-led alliance created to counter US hegemony"

delmoi — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:07:28 -0800

The Shanhai Cooperative Organization. ^[wiki] When Moscow and Beijing engineered the creation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) six years ago, I am not sure if they foresaw its emergence as an important actor in the international order. Iran, India, Pakistan and Mongolia, currently observers, are lobbying hard to get accepted into this club. The US request for membership was rejected two years ago.

In the eyes and mouth

infini — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 22:12:41 -0800

The 100 Most Powerful Women in the world has been an education in showing me the beauty inherent in strength, particularly when a woman has embraced her own sense of power. Look at these red lips, these kohl lined eyes, this frank face full of mischief. These are Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Heads of State, powerful government officials, CEO's and more. Just reading their bios tells you so much about who they are and what they believe in. Would a similar collection of 100 men offer as much to ponder over and respect?

Limits to growth redux

wilful — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 15:39:43 -0800

State of the World 2006 , an annual research report prepared by the Worldwatch Institute, has just been released, with a special focus on China and India. Although Limits to Growth type predictions have had their critics, many of the stats and projections presented have a certain brutal inevitability about them.

Eastern vs. Western Philosophy

Gyan — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 08:41:30 -0800

The other philosophy: Eastern

Freedom at Midnight

infini — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 13:55:43 -0800

Freedom at Midnight - At midnight, on the night of August 14th 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru claimed Independence from the British in New Delhi, India. 58 years later today, India along with China is in the mainstream news media as a "super power to be". While there is much discussion on how exactly all of this will play out in the near future, there are also some concerns as to whether this is nothing more than an updated version of the "burgeoning middle class of 140 million people" that sent numerous multinationals to unsuccessfully launch new products in this emerging market. However this tryst with destiny plays out, Happy Birthday India.

They Will All Go Together When They Go

jfuller — Sat, 16 Jul 2005 06:24:03 -0800

The atom bomb is 60. It's very popular now and becoming more so daily. The most recent nuclear nation to threaten to use theirs is China. The U.S, Europe, and the U.S.S.R. got through a half century Cold War without immolating themselves. Will South and East Asia be as successful and/or lucky in the near future?

Mountain Voices

plep — Sun, 10 Apr 2005 12:10:47 -0800

Mountain Voices. 'This website presents interviews with over 300 people who live in mountain and highland regions round the world. Their testimonies offer a personal perspective on change and development.'

The Next War?

kablam — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:57:44 -0800

Is the next war unavoidable? China is now building a large amphibious fleet, with the sole purpose of invading Taiwan. This joins its ever-growing and formidable surface and submarine fleets. Thousands of coastal surface-to-surface missiles, with dozens added each month, now face Taiwan. For its part, Taiwan is considering an $18 Billion arms purchase from the US. India is ramping up its military might, and even Japan is changing its neutral defense policies. Is a major Asian conflict coming soon?

Asia: Full of Grace

euphorb — Wed, 21 Jul 2004 01:42:15 -0800

Asia Grace

Blake — Wed, 23 Oct 2002 17:28:23 -0800

Why 'sustainable development' is neither. Globe & Mail Columnist Doug Sanders takes a shot at "Sustainable Developemnt." He says the Left likes it because it doesn't involve big corporations, and the right likes it because it reduces government spending, but the phrase now has as many as 57 competing definitions.
He asks "Should we rush to make the world wealthier first, so that cleanliness will then take care of itself?", since the countries that are the cleanest and have the most protected land are those that are the richest. After all, he says, "we all want to be rich, and we all want to be clean -- but not necessarily at the same time". India Is Interested, China Has A Plan, and I think we've discussed The Big Summit.

Rastafari — Thu, 07 Feb 2002 16:58:23 -0800

New World Order? As Israel and India form a new friendship, it seems that Israel's arch enemy, Arafat, is forming alliance with China, India's arch enemy. Apologizes for linking to DrudgeReport for the Arafat story, but that's all I could find.