PM of India Shri Manmohan Singh Adderesses in International Conference Of Jurists On Terrorism, Rule Of Law And Human Rights - Following is the text of the address delivered by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh while inaugurating International Conference of Jurists on Terrorism, Rule of Law and Human Rights in New Delhi today

The rule of law and regard for due process and respect for fundamental Human Rights are the very foundation of any modern civilized society. These are enshrined in our magnificent constitution. But all these values are today threatened by the forces of terrorism. It is in this context that the subject of your conference is both timely and relevant to our times. There is an integral link between our defence of human rights, our defence of the rule of law and our fight against the forces of terrorism, extremism and intolerance.I have often said that terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace and freedom everywhere. This is an inevitable consequence of the increasing integration of global economy, polity and society. The forces of terrorism, inspired by ideologies of hatred, intolerance and exclusion, pose today a fundamental challenge to liberal democracies, pursuit of secular ideals, pluralism and all that we associate with freedom, the rule of law and human rights. They pose a challenge to democracy at home, to democracy in our region, to democracy around the world.

I believe therefore all peace-loving, democratic forces around the world have to join hands in the fight against all manifestations of extremism and intolerance. The threat of terrorism in this increasingly integrated world that we live in is not divisible. The fight against it is also not divisible. The defence of freedom and peace is also not divisible. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the international community for expressing its solidarity with the people of India in the wake of the horrible terrorist attacks at Mumbai. I have received phone calls and letters from numerous Heads of State and Government from all over the world and from our neighbourhood, assuring us that they stand with us in our fight against terrorism.

In our region, there is today growing awareness that terrorism and extremism pose a threat to democracy and development. Governments and authorities in our region and elsewhere have therefore a moral duty to act firmly and quickly. Our people expect us to stay united, stand united and act unitedly in the face of these grave challenges that we face. The greatest contribution of our freedom struggle and our national movement is the democratic inheritance we have got. Our freedom struggle was forged on the anvil of pluralism. Unity in diversity, was our defining motto. The Rule of Law and the Constitutional guarantee of fundamental human rights were the greatest gift we secured for ourselves as a free people.

It is these fundamental and defining features of our nationhood that are today challenged by the forces of extremism, irrespective of the ideology that inspires them. The time has come for all of us to unite and speak as one in defence of our democratic inheritance. The people of India have shown tremendous unity and courage in this critical hour. It is heartening that major political parties have also risen above their narrower interests to speak and work in a spirit of cooperation. The recent dastardly attack in Mumbai follows a pattern that has become all too familiar. There is an organized attempt by forces inimical to freedom and peace in our region to destroy Indian democracy by striking at the very roots of our nationhood. These terrorists seek to pit one community against another. There is a systematic effort to spread communal disharmony and conflict.

By weakening the fabric of our nationhood these terrorists seek to destroy our well-being and the foundation of our prosperity. There is a method to their madness. When cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Jaipur are targeted, the target is also Indias economic rise. When our economy is hurt, our people are hurt. Our democracy is hurt. When democracy is challenged in India it is a challenge to the human spirit the world over. Because there has been no greater social-political experiment in our time than Indias attempt to acquire economic strength and international stature within the framework of a plural and secular democracy.

We need to be resolute, and yet careful in our fight against terrorism. We need to understand the relationship between human rights and the fight against terrorism. The two concepts are not mutually exclusive. They can and should go hand in hand. When in conflict, it is possible to resolve them. Systematic terrorists acts qualify as they must as crimes against humanity. They sometimes threaten national security. In certain circumstances, States are both entitled and obliged to take steps that seems to derogate from human rights principles. But we should not feel discouraged. Certain rights and freedoms can be derogated from, but only to the extent necessary to meet the security threat. The fight against terrorism should not result in brutalization of our society. We must also ensure that no group or section of society gets targeted in our commitment to fight terrorism. What is required is flexibility. It is a matter of national pride that in the midst of the tragedy of last month, our people across several States chose to exercise their franchise in state elections and demonstrate their faith in the Rule of Law and in our democratic system. Even in the State of Jammu Kashmir we have seen record polling so far.

No greater testimony is needed to popular commitment to the Rule of Law and democracy in our country. For this very reason it is incumbent upon all of us, who discharge our responsibilities through various institutions of our democratic Republic, that we do so with utmost dedication and commitment. Our legislature, our executive and our judiciary, and indeed our civil society institutions, including media, have a responsibility for the proper functioning of our democracy. Democracy does not mean the exercise of ones franchise once in five years. The Rule of Law is a continual process. Every day, every moment, in every place, a free people expect to see the Rule of Law prevail through the transparent and proper functioning of democratic institutions. There is no better insurance against the forces of extremism, intolerance and terrorism than the efficient and fair functioning of the institutions of democratic governance.

Each one of us has therefore a responsibility to discharge. There are attempts sometimes to justify violence in the name of the breakdown of the Rule of Law. Bad governance, non-transparency, corruption and the miscarriage of justice only give anti-social and anti-national forces greater opportunity to feign discontent and hatred. The answer to these inadequacies lies in the more efficient functioning of our institutions, not in their destruction. I therefore urge each one of us who values the ideas and ideals that define our nation and our Republic to ensure the proper functioning of our democratic institutions. This is imperative in our battle, I should say, in our war against terrorism and extremism.

I hope your conference will discuss these and other relevant issues and thereby contribute to a further strengthening of the foundations of our free society.

The Prime Minister also gave away awards to eminent Jurists on this occasion. The Chief of Justices of India Dr K.G. Balakrishnan and the Minister of Law Justice Shri H.R.Bhardwaj also spoke during the session.

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When my parents bought their first home in 1954 they paid $8,000 for it. Today, you cant even buy a new car for $8,000, and you certainly cant buy a new SUV for $8,000.
Or, maybe you can!
With gas prices headed toward $5 a gallon and a barrel of oil up three and a half dollars in a single day (again!) as I write this, many people have discovered that they cannot unload their formerly beloved Sport Utility Vehicles at any price. Vehicles that once cost over 30K new off the lot now have trade-in values of pennies on the dollar. If youve already tried to trade down to something more fuel efficient, and you still owe on your auto loan on the SUV, you know what Im talking about.
Its depressing.
Not to worry. A nice SUV is good for lots of other things besides driving. You just have to use your imagination and go with the flow. Get your bike down from the garage rafters, buy a public transit pass, and consider the following ideas for that beautiful gas hog:
1)      Use it for a vacation home. Around here, a cabin on the lake rents for upwards of $600 a week. Thats a mere fraction of even the highest SUV payment. Park your baby somewhere beautiful, plug in one of those mini-fridges, and watch the sunset for a truly creative and economic stay-cation. When your week at the lake is up, rent your SUV out to friends and family members and use the income to pay off that loan and get the hybrid your budget craves.
2)      Put your mother-in-law in it. Building codes often prohibit separate mother-in-law quarters on your residential property, but you can park your SUV anywhere you want in your own yard. Get one of those prefab, concrete porch stoops, push it up to the hatch back door, plant some flowers, and presto! Instant mother-in-law apartment!
3)      Turn it into performance art. Apply for a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Fill your SUV with foam peanuts and set fire to it in front of Ford Motor Company in Detroit while pretty girls dressed in Japanese Hello Kitty outfits dance around it and roast marshmallows. Use the NEA grant money to pay off the loan, and film the performance with your mini-cam to put up on www.YouTube.com for passive income. Retire early, drive a Tesla.
4)      Give it away at the office Secret Santa exchange this December. This only works if you dont actually commute to work in it. If your coworkers are on to you, you might have to make your spouse do it.
5)      Drive it to New Orleans, donate it as temporary housing. Take the tax write off for a charitable contribution, and if your loan company comes after you, call the local papers and make sure it looks like they dont care about hurricane victims, at all, not even a little bit.
These are just a few, simple ideas to get you started. Im sure that with a little effort you can think up lots more. Probably readers of this blog have some they will post for you free of charge. Make a game of it. Get your friends to help you brainstorm other creative ways to use their SUVs too.
When you get to 100 creative ways to use your SUV, write and publish these ideas as a book: 100 Ways to Use Your Useless SUV. In fact, if you go to www.lifetips.com and join as an author, they will publish your book for you (as long as it is 100 tips on, you know, anything) and sell it in bookstores and at Amazon and cut you $2 per copy sold, which really isnt that bad for something your friends actually did most of the work on. Keep all the money for yourself.
Retire early. Drive a Tesla.

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7. Defer taxes. Certain kind of investments let you postpone paying taxes on earnings to a later year, when you maybe on earnings to a later year, when you may be in a lower bracket.  One sure advantage of tax federal is tax-free compounding.  Series EE U.S. savings bonds offer this feature, as do annuities.  You can defer paying taxes on the interest on savings bonds until the bonds are cashed.  With an annuity, taxes aren’t due until the income is actually paid out.  Another tax-delaying tactic:  Buy Treasury bills that mature next year.  Although you get your T-bill interest when you buy the security, you don’t need to report the income on your federal tax return until the T-bill matures.
Every rule has its exception, so here’s this one’s.  Quite a few of the changes in the 1997 tax law provide tax breaks only if your income is below certain levels during the year.  So you may find that in order to claim them you’ll want to push income into the current tax year in order to keep your income lower next year, when you’ll then be able to grab these new tax breaks.  For instance, say you’re a married couple with two children under 17 and your adjusted gross income will be $126,000.  If your income will be the same next year, you won’t be able to claim the full $400-per-child tax credit created by the 1997 law, since it phases out for couples with incomes over $16,000 of next year’s income into this year (or just find new ways to keep the tax man away from $16,000 of your income next year), you’ll get the credit after all.  One way to do this:  Increase your pretax contributions to your employer-sponsored retirement plan and flexible savings account next years, which will lower your adjusted gross income.
8. Bunch your deductions if you will have trouble itemizing. You may find that you don’t have quite enough write-offs to exceed the standard deduction $7,100 in 1998 for married couples filing jointly; $4,250 for singles) and itemize on your tax return.  In that case, see whether there are some deductible expenses you expect to incur next year that you could make this year to let you itemize and get some extra write-offs.  (Some often over-looked deductions: legal fees relating to the production, collection, or advice about taxable income and investment expenses such as financial planner fees, IRA custodian fees, subscription to investment publications, or the cost of safe-deposit boxes in which you store securities or tax documents).  Conversely, if it’s pretty clear you won’t be able to itemize, try to postpone to next year expenses that you could write off if you itemize.  That’s because next year you might just have enough deductions to itemize.
By the way, make sure you understand the difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit.  A deduction isn’t as valuable as credit.  That’s because a deduction reduces the amount of your income subject to tax, so that only a percentage of the expense gets recouped as tax savings.  A credit, however, reduces your tax liability dollar for dollar.  Put another way, if you owe $5,000 in taxes but have a tax credit of $500, you would owe only $4,500 in taxes.

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This should be posted everywhere for discussion.



Labor supporters of Barack Obama have made "card check" the primary basis for their support for Obama and the Democrats and it know appears attaining even "card check" from Barack Obama and the Democratic Party is in doubt.



What does everyone think of this coming from George McGovern, one of Barack Obamas most progressive supporters?


Does this portend what is in store from "Progressives for Obama" on other issues?



Do Progressives for Obama have anything to contribute concerning this little from the Democratic Party?



I wonder how John Edwards responds to McGovern? What about Hillary Clinton? Anyone heard from Barack Obama regarding this Wall Street Journal op/ed piece by George McGovern whose support he has enthusiastically received?


This raises important questions of to what extent lobbyists exert influence over politicians, like George McGovern, even when these politicians are no longer in office.



This op/ed piece by George McGovern should also serve to explain to "Progressives for Obama" that when it comes to working class ideas, policies and solutions to problems there is one heck of a chasm between big-business monopoly interests and the interests of the working class in the Democratic Party.



Like any other pro-labor reforms, card check faces an uphill struggle, even though it has been put forward as the centerpiece of organized labor's reason for endorsement of Barack Obama.



John Sweeney and Andrew Stern along with those who advised us that the closing of the St. Paul Ford Plant was a done deal have told us that card check will become reality with a Barack Obama Administration and Democratic Party majorities in the House and Senate even on the one and only pro-worker policy these people have held out to working people as a reason to vote Democrat; this one pro-working class policy is far from a done deal should Obama and Democratic majorities be elected in the House and Senate.



This raises the question: Was George McGovern pressured by team Obama to come forward with this opposition to card check?



Democrats voiced their opposition to card check long ago, something Sweeney and Stern have ignored even as they pump millions of dollars of workers' hard earned money into supporting these reactionary shills.



To think, with all the hard-earned dues of union members being pumped into the campaigns of Obama and Democrats including Blue-dog Democrats working people will not even be able to leave the voting booth confident they are getting card check as part of the deal in return for their votes; this is shameful.



All these millions of dollars of union members might better be spent organizing a grassroots, rank and file movement against at will hiring; at will firing in twenty-eight states, including Minnesota and Michigan.



Better yet, organize such struggles as part of the campaign for national "card check" legislation so even when enacted, "card check" will not be undermined by at will hiring; at will firing.



What is most interesting, when I brought forward a resolution on the issue of at will hiring; at will firing (in opposition) before the State Convention of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party; Ray Waldron, the President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, along with his sidekick, Mark Froemke, organized the opposition and even after the resolution was seconded to thunderous applause... Waldron was quick to bring his floor workers into action twisting the arms of "union leaders" not to vote for the resolution I introduced calling on Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party's Legislative Caucus in the Minnesota to rescind at will hiring; at will firing legislation.



In Michigan, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, in spite of my request to him, has refused to authorize the UAW's lead lobbyist, Nadine Nosal, to undertake a campaign among Democratic Party legislators and the "labor governor," Jennifer Granholm, in opposition to at will hiring; at will firing and rescind, once and for all, this most Draconian legislation that is the major impediment to union organizing.



I bet even George McGovern is opposed to at will hiring; at will firing.



Not one single elected Democratic Party state legislator in any state where it exists, has had the courage to challenge at will hiring; at will firing.



At will hiring; at will firing is the real impediment to union organizing that even card check legislation will not be able to overcome.



Not once have we heard one peep from John Sweeney or Andrew Stern concerning at will hiring; at will firing for the simple reason that the pro-business, anti-labor Democrats we all know to be lurking in dark corners would come out of the woodwork like termites getting a good dose of Chlordane. These are Democrats The AFL-CIO and Change to Win put in office.



By the way card check will not apply to some two-million workers employed in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages in the Indian Gaming Industry this industry enforces its own Draconian version of at will hiring; at will firing claiming this state legislation in Michigan and Minnesota as their guide in relations.



I think we should find out what Cynthia McKinney and Cindy Sheehan have to say about all of this.



We need to take a reading of where Barack Obama and all Democrats stand on this entire scenario before Election Day because with the price of gas, there is no use making a trip to the polls on Election Day if we arent going to get something for our votes on the Red Lake Nation Indian reservation here in northern Minnesota people make sure they at least get turkey or a tank of gas for making the trip to the polls because they know they wont get anything else from their votes all working people should learn a lesson from Red Lakers.



For anyone who really wants to know what kind of government working people can expect to get from the Democratic Party, just ask Democrats running for public office to do as George McGovern has done with "card check;" state their positions in writing on at will hiring; at will firing.



John Sweeney and Andrew Stern are said to be fuming after reading George McGovern's op/ed piece, printed below, in the Wall Street Journal... and justifiably so.



But, at least George McGovern is not going into public office... while Barack Obama and his mixed-bag of Democrats are.



Brownstein/Hyatt/Farber/Shreck has lobbied hard against "card check," too; this grouping of law firm/lobbyists of choice for big-business which has become a primary component of state-monopoly capitalism and its slavish support for AIPAC is also the major backer and booster of Barack Obama.





http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121815502467222555.

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2005 federal tax forms
Tax Changes You Should Know for 2005 Returns
Every year, you have to file tax returns and every year there are changes to the tax code. Here are some key changes for 2005 to keep in mind when you prepare returns.
Tax Changes You Should Know for 2005 Returns
2005 was a fairly quite year when it came to changes to the tax code. Most changes were in the form of tweaks, instead of major overhauls. This break seems to have given the IRS a change to clean up some of its procedures as it has started simplifying forms. Nonetheless, here are changes to keep in mind when preparing your tax returns.
1. Donations of automobiles to charities are being treated differently from 2005 forward. If you donated a car to charity in 2005, you may be in for a minor shock. Instead of claiming fair market value, the deduction for the donation is now limited to the actual gross payment received by the charity when auctioning off the automobile. The charity you donated to should have sent you correspondence indicating the amount in question. If they did not, contact them to get one so you know what you can deduct.
2. The business mileage allowance is a two-tier system for the 2005 tax year. For business miles incurred during the first eight months of the year, the deduction is 40.5 cents a mile. For the last four months of 2005, the deduction is a whopping 48.5 cents a mile. This odd use of two calculations is due to the explosion in gass prices in 2005.
3. In a positive development, the exemption amount on your tax returns has gone up. For each exemption, you can now deduct a hefty $3,200 per exemption. Keep in mind, however, that exemptions are graduated per your adjusted gross earnings. The more you make, the less of an exemption you can claim. The specific graduated percentages depend on your filing status, so you’ll have to take a look at the tax tables to ascertain the impact on your tax filings.
4. The standard deduction that can be claimed by those who do not itemize has gone up. Again, it depends on your filing status, so make sure you take a close look at the numbers on whatever version of form 1040 you are using this year.
5. The earned income tax credit assists low income taxpayers by cutting the amount of taxes that have to be paid. To claim the tax credit, you have to be earning under a certain amount. This amount has increased for the 2005 tax year. You’ll have to look at your tax form to get the specific amount as it varies pursuant to your filing status and the number of children you are claiming.
6. If you lived in any area devastated by Hurricane Katrina, the IRS is giving out major concessions to help alleviate any tax problems. Go to the IRS web site to learn more.
As you can see, the tax changes for 2005 aren’t particularly significant. Still, you need to know them when you file.

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