CROSS-CURRENTS ... 4

Will President-elect Trump on assumption of office follow up on his campaign promises and cause much turmoil in the world or will he sober down to pursue saner policies that will make the world more stable and a safer place to live in?

Liberalism dies again and again but the liberal voice must continue to be sounded lest the world slides back to medieval absolutism. But liberalism must not become passive spectator to the death-dance of fanatical ideologies coming in the garb of faith and culture.

Amidst all the din of political adjustments let us not forget that our greatest enemy is CLIMATE CHANGE and we ought to do something about it. We have passed the eleventh hour and are now in peril of extinction as a species.

We have to wait and watch how Donald Trump alters the narrative of Islamic fundamentalism or Islamist terrorism as America under his leadership gears up to tackle this global menace.

The entire equation of global politics changes as Donald Trump assumes office of the President of the United States of America. One wonders how assertive America will now be in her foreign affairs or how reticent will she be to engage in international conflicts.

Will Trump have the courage of conviction to pursue the destruction of Islamic terrorism at its source or will he like others before him merely make cosmetic strikes at this cancer which is rooted deep below in the medieval mindset of man? Will he have the courage after all to call 'a spade, a spade' or will he also hide behind evasive verbal sophistication to bypass the issue, now that his primary objective of election to the office of the President has been achieved through his characteristic vitriol against Islamic terrorism among his other tirades? Will he now in earnest stop all Islamic immigration to USA or will an inevitable softening of stance show him to be a statesman so few expect him to be?

Today we hear so much of 'left liberalism' but, pray, tell me when was the leftist a liberal historically? Were the socialists and the communists liberal in thinking? Were they not extreme radicals who were proponents of proletariat revolution?

Indian foreign policy with the United States should include propagation of the Vedanta philosophy as taught by Swami Vivekananda for it is a gift from the Indian sage that lies unopened with this great country that was sanctified by his footsteps over a century ago, and, as such, it will strike the right chord with the American people if they are made aware of this glorious heritage of theirs that can revitalise them at this inflection point in their national life. The Vedanta has been and will be India's greatest contribution to the thought-pool of the world. In this way America will discover her spiritual moorings and India will gain the respect and genuine friendship of the most powerful nation of the world. The propagation of the Vedanta will give India not only international prestige but will give her solidarity at home as well.