Sanjeev Sabhlok's Blog, page 101

My next post on TOI blogs: “The liberals have entered the electoral fray”

This is a report on Malkajgiri elections.  

In 1848 JS Mill demolished the policy that Trump is now following – and this had long previously also been demolished.

From JS Mill’s Principles of Political Economy. Of these false theories, the most notable is the doctrine of Protection to Native Industry—a phrase meaning the prohibition, or the discouragement by heavy duties, of such foreign commodities as are capable of being produced at home. If the theory involved in this system had been correct, the […]

Letter to farmers

The situation in India is pretty dire for farmers. They are not only getting no returns form their produce, they are losing money. The problem, of course, is that farmers repeatedly vote for those who promise them subsidies and loan waivers.  They are working very hard against their own interest sinc they don’t understand that […]

My next TOI blog post: Not presidential, not proportional, just state funding of elections

This.

My next TOI blog post: Ill-informed opposition to private schools for the poor

This post responds to this one by Anurag Behar.

Where I differ – and quite strongly – from Rajaji

I’ve by now had a good look at Rajaji’s writings. There is much to admire about him. He has no doubt about socialism being a bad idea. He repeatedly shows how socialism and communism will achieve the same – bad, violent, coercive – outcome. He is prolific in his critique of socialism. To that extent […]

Lost its anchor: Rajaji’s April 1959 essay in which he lays out his theory of the individual

LOST ITS ANCHOR CONSERVATION is the first law of progress. It change for change’s sake is to be condemned, why should people be shy about calling themselves conservative ? To conserve is to look after what is good and not to let thoughtless ruin overtake what is essential and good, in a hunt after will-o’-the-wisps. […]

The touchstone of policy: Rajaji’s March 1959 essay where he erroneously links trusteeship with capitalism

THE TOUCHSTONE OF POLICY WHAT was the reason for this flop ? The easiest way out would of course be to shrug our shoulders and say that State policy is not authentic, that you can’t always find where the mistake in the sum is, and hence the reason why it didn’t ‘ come off ‘. […]

Gandhiji’s answer to Marxism: Rajaji’s essay March 1959 in which he shows Nehru’s socialism is communism

GANDHIJI’S ANSWER TO MARXISM I adhere to my doctrine of trusteeship in spite of the ridicule that has been poured upon it. – MAHATMA GANDHI As the citizen’s duty of non-violent disobedience enunciated by Thoreau was the basis of the Gandhian struggle against foreign rule, the basis of the Gandhian answer to the modern challenge […]

Retreat from Gandhism: Rajaji’s essay February 1958 chastising Nehru for socialist coercion

RETREAT FROM GANDHISM Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru is averse to revise the steps he has adumbrated as leading to what he calls socialism. He feels compelled to take these particular steps which he thinks he has pledged his party to. The fundamental and fatal error in these ideas is a reliance on compulsion, a reliance on […]