The prevailing “wisdom” on disinvestment is Catch-22

We will disinvest; we will not. We will divest upto 49%; no, we will not.

We will disinvest when the time is ripe. Meaning, when the market is ruled by fools and everyone and his sabjiwala is buying stocks.

Here’s my reading:

1. By saying they will disinvest, only when the market is near its peak, the government has professed to be the ultimate stock market expert. They can actually predict the peak.

2. They have also said that it takes 8-9 months for a single disinvestment to go through; that’s the time it takes the government to do all the due-diligence, window-dress the books,  do a multi-country road-show and so on.

3. 1&2 read together tells you that this government will never disinvest in anything, because they will have to anticipate the theoretical market peak 8-9 months prior to it happening.

4. If any proof was ever needed, it is here that the 1st 5 years of soporific calm that this government displayed, was not due to being periodically hit on the “left” side of the head by blunt instruments wielded by Messr Karat and Yechury. The Congress government of Manmohan Singh, does not need any further help in muddle-headed thinking; they are quite capable of muddling along themselves, thank you.

Bigger or better? In love and politics

Seth Godin is perhaps the most read author on business and marketing today. He blogs at http://sethgodin.typepad.com. Direct and simple and always making you think.

In his last post (Infinity- they keep making more of it), Seth talks about how most businesses are better off focusing on getting better (improving their products, processes, customer centricity..) rather than focus on getting bigger. How, in our quest to expand our market, sell to more customers and gain exposure to as many people as possible, we end up becoming all things to all people, losing the “edge” that gained us a loyal following initially.

This has parallels in our personal lives as well. How much time do we spend in deepening the existing bonds and cementing our current relationships? Do we make time for our family as often as we possibly can? Do we spend time with friends, pursuing common hobbies and interests?

One loving wife? Or many girlfriends to love?
None of our politicians are getting better; they are all getting bigger. Their “open-ness” to forming alliances with just about anyone has meant that we have now the marxists breaking bread with Mayawati and Jayalalitha. However, all alliances are temporary and will last only till the election results are declared. There are only a limited number of certainties in this election: about the politicians who will not work together, ever, come what may. These unlikely pairings include:

Mayawati and Mulayam, Mamata and CPM, Congress and BJP, Karat and Manmohan Singh.
Most other pairings are possible.
Notice, dear voter, how transient is their love for even those they have been in a formal alliance for more than 4 years? Laloo and Congress is a case in point. Or Naveen and BJP.

Dear citizen, are you being loved or being used?