The Tibet Question

Speaker Pelosi presented the first Lantos Human Rights Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama this morning in the Capitol Visitor Center. Named for the late Congressman and human rights activist Tom Lantos, the Lantos Human Rights Prize is intended to raise awareness about human rights violations and honor the brave individuals who are committed to fighting for human rights throughout the world. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Not even the Dalai Lama is asking for Tibet to become an independent country. I am not going to exceed him in my expectations for Tibet. When the Dalai Lama was in Tibet one person was the religious leader of the Tibetan people, and the same person was also the political leader. How do I feel about that? How do I feel about bullock carts compared to bullet trains? The same person being the religious and political leader by birth is a political bullock cart. It is not a modern concept. And there is no ancient boundary I am beholden to. This is the age of globalization, internet and trans-continental trains. National boundaries matter less and less. What matters is trade.

But then human rights are religion to me. Free speech is religion to me. Religious freedom is religion to me. Political reform is in Beijing's best interests. It is not true the Chinese economy is too mature to attempt double digit growth rates. But the only way China goes back to double digit growth rates now is if it engages in fundamental political reform.

But then that does not mean copying the American system. If America were to get more democratic, it would bring about fundamental campaign finance reform. If America were to become better at respecting human rights, the American police would not brutalize African Americans, and the American criminal justice would not be so skewed against them. So, just like China, America itself is a work in progress.

China moving towards political pluralism and free speech takes it to cutting edges of technology. China going federal integrates it with Taiwan.

Tibet has seen progress in the physical sphere. You see shiny trains. But its cultural heritage remains sacrosanct. And I never have never will approve of the police brutalization of peacefully protesting Tibetan protesters in Kathmandu.

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Massive Infrastructure, Massive Growth

What needs to be done is fairly simple. Which means Nepal has been paying a huge price for corruption, political incompetence, and the ethnic myopia of its current crop of leaders. One more revolution (this time electoral) has become necessary.

India was richer than China in 1990, measured by per capital income. China happened right before your eyes, and you know it. 20 years would be enough time to turn Nepal into a living, breathing China, economically speaking. All you have to do is clean up the politics, get rid of the entire political class. They had their chance, and they blew it. Get in some new blood.

Those who are saying this is not the time for politics, this is the time for relief work are either dishonest, or ignorant and misguided. This is precisely the time to clean up the politics. If you can bring about 100% online transparency, that would kick start the system.

The work is obvious.

• Broadband is at the top of the list when it comes to infrastructure talk today. Get broadband to a village before you get a road there, and people could go to college right there, and they could engage in global ecommerce. 
• Roads and bridges are important. The political elite in Kathmandu has been doing all it can to make sure the Hulaki Rajmarg in the Terai does not get built, they hate Madhesis so much. The truth is, if you build that highway, that makes the Terai vibrant, and less Nepalis will end up abroad. If you are against sex trafficking, build the Hulaki Rajmarga. 
• Revolutionary education. This is the centerpiece. How fast can you take 100% of the population, young and old, through high school? How fast can you take 50% through college? You do that much, and you are a first world country. You have to use technology. You use the FM radio. Beam out lessons over the air. Adults too proud to attend school will tune in. Use MOOCs (Massively Open Online Courses) for the college part. 
• Health. Here I admire Mao and Fidel. You train health care workers and teachers on a massive scale. And deploy. 
• A business friendly policy environment. Modi is not a corporate stooge. He realizes that the government's budget is small. For all that he wants to do, he has no option but to involve the private sector. A small, effective government does the trick. FDI is key. The single, best, easiest thing to do there is to do the dual citizenship thing that the NRNs want. Let the diaspora bring in global money. You could bring in FDI, or you could send cheap labor to Qatar. Take your pick. 
• Once these basics are put in place, Hydro and Biotech and all the fancy stuff happen on their own. 

But it all starts with clean politics. I say it is Kotparva time. 

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