Interesting thought about eradicating poverty. I guess this implies that poverty can be eradicated within the bounds of capitalism, without having to rely on purely socialistic ideals.

If you want to eradicate poverty, you don’t do it by redistribution of existing wealth. You have to create more wealth. — Narayana Murthy

There will always be a rich and poor divide. But that does not necessarily mean that the poor are living in poverty. Poverty ends when a country can provide opportunities to everyone to allow them to earn a livelihood capable of supporting the basic human needs and maintaining a minimum standard of living. For a country as populous as India, providing (let alone guarantee) opportunities to everyone is a monumental task further complicated due to the lack of resources, effective governance and vision.
This opportunity is difficult to guarantee in a country as populous as India.

Three girls in the common room discussing among themselves, as I happened to pass by. I found the quote very intriguing.

Memories are trapped in spaces.

Ironically, I found this very motivating to return to India.

Interviewer: Going back to 1981, how difficult was it to start a new business under the Permit Raj?
Narayana Murthy: It used to take us about 12 to 24 months and about 50 visits to Delhi to import a computer worth $1,500.
Read it here

This year I filed the 1040 online on TaxAct. It is a straight forward process which the online software makes very simple. Just a multitude of questions and the return is completed, ready to be signed and e-filed. The data (W-2, trades, etc.) can also be automatically pulled in through a limited number of supported sources. It took me about 2 hours to complete the process and within 12 hours the e-file status was accepted by the IRS. The actual refund was posted into my bank account by direct deposit about a week later. What could be more streamlined?

In Bangalore filing the yearly returns was even simpler. A tax consultant contracted by the Company prepared the returns and filed it with the IT department for a fee of around 4 dollars. The signature on paper replaced the clicks, the cheap human resource substituted for the online.  The actual refund was a different matter and took a lot of time. Evidently, the government sector does not work very efficiently. After all time is money and hence money should be returned on time.

This tax filing season arose out of a bad financial recession and was accentuated with a Tea-Party season. I understand both sides of the debate but still who wouldn’t like lower taxes? Then I discovered that the budget of the city of San Francisco is about $8 billion. Well, I am trying to be understanding about that but come on … $8 billion? Where does all that money go? Is America the biggest economy of the world just because the people are consuming too much? I don’t have enough data on that but courtesy of TaxAct I do have the data about where does all my tax money go. The table below provides a summary of government tax spending percentages applied to the tax I paid in 2009:

Social Security, Medicare, and Other Retirement:   37%
National Defense:   20%
Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Related Programs:   14%
Physical, Human, and Community Development:   9%
Net Interest on the Debt:   8%
Unemployment and Social Services:   6%
Veterans and Foreign Affairs:   4%
Law Enforcement and General Government:   2%

Amazing statistics, aren’t they?

As I was going to the airport, the iPod chanced to play this forgotten song from my playlist. I thought how appropriate.

How many roads have I wondered?
None, and each my own
Behind me the bridges have crumbled
No question of return

Autumn leaves like discarded dreams
trampled underneath a tide of careless feet
it’s the same song playing
everywhere I go
it’s like an army marching right through me.

Nowhere to go but the horizon
where, then, will I call my home?

Summer spent, in the high grass
or just fragments, ransacked memories
dark river snakes, across this murky hall
boatman sings his downstream melodies.

How many roads have I wondered?
None, and each my own
Behind me the bridges have crumbled
where, then, will I call my home?

You can listen to this song by Susheela Rahman on YouTube.