Not even the Indians want our currency.

[TonyM]

Last Updated: Friday, 16 November 2007, 16:15 GMT

E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Dollars no good for the Taj Mahal
By Jyotsna Singh
BBC News, Delhi


The Taj Mahal is visited by millions of tourists every year
Foreign tourists to many of India's most famous landmarks will no longer be able to pay the entrance fee in dollars, the government says.

The ruling is aimed at safeguarding tourism revenues following the recent falls in the dollar.

Until now, foreign tourists to sites such at the Taj Mahal have had the option of paying in dollars or rupees.

The ruling will affect nearly 120 sites of interest run by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Of these, at least 27 are World Heritage sites, including the Taj Mahal.

'International practices'

The ruling is due to be implemented next week. Entrance fees to the sites in question will be either 250 rupees ($6.35) or 100 rupees ($2.54).

"These rates have been fixed in line with international practices, and in order to take care of the fluctuation in the dollar rates," a spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism told the BBC.

Officials say the ministry wanted to act fast so that the revenues are not hit.

Indians only pay 20 or 10 rupees to enter ASI sites, a difference often questioned by foreign tourists.

But officials say there is nothing wrong with this because most Indians earn far less than the foreign visitors.

"The uniform rate applied by most foreign countries are often too high for most Indians anyway," the tourism ministry official told the BBC .

However, the Indian government has also decided that nationals from the regional South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation will not have to pay the higher rate.

Nor will people holding a government-issued People of Indian Origin (PIO) card.

India earned more than $6.5m in foreign exchange from more than four million foreign tourists to the country last year.

[netwrangler]

Last Updated: Friday, 16 November 2007, 16:15 GMT

E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Dollars no good for the Taj Mahal
By Jyotsna Singh
BBC News, Delhi


The Taj Mahal is visited by millions of tourists every year
Foreign tourists to many of India's most famous landmarks will no longer be able to pay the entrance fee in dollars, the government says.

The ruling is aimed at safeguarding tourism revenues following the recent falls in the dollar.

Until now, foreign tourists to sites such at the Taj Mahal have had the option of paying in dollars or rupees.

The ruling will affect nearly 120 sites of interest run by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Of these, at least 27 are World Heritage sites, including the Taj Mahal.

'International practices'

The ruling is due to be implemented next week. Entrance fees to the sites in question will be either 250 rupees ($6.35) or 100 rupees ($2.54).

"These rates have been fixed in line with international practices, and in order to take care of the fluctuation in the dollar rates," a spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism told the BBC.

Officials say the ministry wanted to act fast so that the revenues are not hit.

Indians only pay 20 or 10 rupees to enter ASI sites, a difference often questioned by foreign tourists.

But officials say there is nothing wrong with this because most Indians earn far less than the foreign visitors.

"The uniform rate applied by most foreign countries are often too high for most Indians anyway," the tourism ministry official told the BBC .

However, the Indian government has also decided that nationals from the regional South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation will not have to pay the higher rate.

Nor will people holding a government-issued People of Indian Origin (PIO) card.

India earned more than $6.5m in foreign exchange from more than four million foreign tourists to the country last year.Whacha mean "not even the Indians?"

There is no shortage of IQ in India. Seems obvious those folks have figured out the fate of the dollar long before our elected officials [or appointed pundits] might do so.

Looks like the days of the dollar as the international reserve currency are numbered.

[TonyM]

Whadda I mean? Well, if a bunch of cow worshiping, clit circumcising people can figure out that the buck ain't worth .04, then the rest of the world surely knew it yesterday. Know what I mean?

Being culturally intelligent and being financially intelligent are not synonymous with each other, therefore "even the Indians" has substance;)

[netwrangler]

Whadda I mean? Well, if a bunch of cow worshiping, clit circumcising people can figure out that the buck ain't worth .04, then the rest of the world surely knew it yesterday. Know what I mean?

Being culturally intelligent and being financially intelligent are not synonymous with each other, therefore "even the Indians" has substance;)Yeah, sure, Tony.

Tell it to the Maharishi. :lol:

[TonyM]

Well I invited Yogi to join me for dinner and discuss my contention at Ruth's Chris, but it seems they don't accept Rupees for payment, go figure.

[kingfisher]

That was good! I just spit Tea all over my key board LOL

[Billionaire Boy]

I didn't know they did female circumsicion in India, interesting

[netwrangler]

Well I invited Yogi to join me for dinner and discuss my contention at Ruth's Chris, but it seems they don't accept Rupees for payment, go figure.I surrender! :lol: :lol:

[TonyM]

I didn't know they did female circumsicion in India, interesting


It is reportedly more prevalent in many other countries to be fair, and calling it circumcision was putting it mildly, it is in fact horrific mutilation.

[TonyM]

I surrender! :lol: :lol:

Darn, this was getting interesting.;)

[aiki14]

Being out of town I miss a lot of the fun, I saw the thread and was ready to refute it. I was paid in american currency when I sold the indians firewater and blankets back in my days with O'Rourke Enterprises. Then I saw you were talking about the other Indians, and since there are no Indian restaraunts here, I don't know if they do or not.

[TonyM]

Yes, I must be more careful to differentiate between the Indians that were exploited by the British and those that were exploited by the Americans. Although both Indian versions have now managed to successfully exploit both groups of exploiters several centuries later. There may not be a creator, but this Karma gimmick seems to be fairly plausible.:lol:

[netwrangler]

Darn, this was getting interesting.;)Well, if you insist...

It seems you are working under the mistaken assumption that the British invented India. For that matter, you probably think that the British invented English. It is these assumptions that are carrying you astray.

Actually, with both India and English, the Brits took something that was working when they came upon it, and turned it into something that is now impossibly complex.

If only you could see that, you would see as well that the Brits are not qualified to talk about monetary matters—The Pound Sterling, indeed! Couldn't use gold, could you?

The proof of this cultural deficiency is plain to see in the Brits' inability to subdue Ireland. (OK, there's a quibble that Ireland may not have met the same previously stated precondition when the Brits came upon them, but let's not quibble.) It is intuitively obvious that we Irish have a superior medium of exchange—potatoes. Now there's a currency that will put dinner on the table!

[TonyM]

Well, if you insist...

It seems you are working under the mistaken assumption that the British invented India. For that matter, you probably think that the British invented English. It is these assumptions that are carrying you astray.

Actually, with both India and English, the Brits took something that was working when they came upon it, and turned it into something that is now impossibly complex.

If only you could see that, you would see as well that the Brits are not qualified to talk about monetary matters—The Pound Sterling, indeed! Couldn't use gold, could you?

The proof of this cultural deficiency is plain to see in the Brits' inability to subdue Ireland. (OK, there's a quibble that Ireland may not have met the same previously stated precondition when the Brits came upon them, but let's not quibble.) It is intuitively obvious that we Irish have a superior medium of exchange—potatoes. Now there's a currency that will put dinner on the table!

Your dissertation would be well noted and unrefuted, except that I don't think I made any claims other than that both types of Indians have been exploited.

The parallels between both Indians is nothing short of amazing though. The Brits discovered India, took the land and forced the natives to build railroads so that they could keep their tea in plentiful supply, one does not plunder a nation without first having had some tea and crumpets my old boy.

The Brits also managed to find yet more Indians and proceeded to steal their land only to lose it to themselves over a tiff about a tea party in Boston! Then these Brits now turned 'Americans' (the name itself another stolen item) started to build railroads using Chinamen (whom also have a good bit of tea coincidentally) and in the process they enslaved the original owners of the land by getting them hooked on Ireland's only real currency...Bushmills, which was obviously provided by the other builders of the railroad...the Irish!

The proof of the Brits complete assimilation of the Irish is in the bastardized Latin called Modern English that the spudpickers so gleefully speak both North and South. The Irish should not however feel slighted by this happenstance at all, since the practical domination of the known world at the time by the British Empire is the reason that English is the chosen International language.

Pounds sterling indeed, only the Americans have pulled a greater scam although it should be noted that war caused the collapse of the world's strongest currency and should be considered at least a contributing factor for the decline of the dollar at this point in time. The war with Germany itself was ironic since Olde English was derived from Germanic language.

Fear not though, the gold of which you inquire was being stolen from the Spanish, as soon as 10 Downing Street remembers where they put it I'm sure it will be returned to it's rightful owners...the Incas.

One of the few nations not to buy into the Euro, happens to also be the one that has a favorably high exchange rate vs the Euro. I declare the Brits the best and longest running international thieves.

Now for the Coup de Grace; the Americans are trying to change their government back to that from which it defected more than 200 years ago.

[aiki14]

Here the Indians are making a pitch for investments in USD denominated securities:
https://secure.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=cle

[TonyM]

Here the Indians are making a pitch for investments in USD denominated securities:
https://secure.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=cle

Haha, more exploitation eh?

Here's some real Indians taking the white eyes USD (http://www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/)

[netwrangler]

Your dissertation would be well noted and unrefuted, except that I don't think I made any claims other than that both types of Indians have been exploited. Why should your not making claims have anything to do with my saying that you are mistaken.

I'd much rather put words in your mouth and ascribe thoughts to your mind then deal with your actual (and somewhat meager) claims. This is a technique that I picked up from both the Republican and Democratic candidate debates. Seems to rank right up there with answering the question you wanted to be asked, rather than the one actually posed.

Now for the Coup de Grace; the Americans are trying to change their government back to that from which it defected more than 200 years ago.Don't you mean Coup d'etat?

The Bush Administration's view of the power of the Presidency certainly seems to presage returning to a monarchy.
Perhaps there is a sub-continent parallel here:
Musharraf:Bhutto :: Dubya:Hillary
=====
But speaking of parallels, I was wondering if you enjoyed the movie [not to say 'film'] Bend It Like Beckham as much as I did. I thought it worked on many levels.

One level not picked up by many critics was seeing the Bhamrag family as a parallel to a San Fernando Valley family. The marriageable sister [Pinky?] is a classic Valley Girl. Mrs. Bhamrag and her coterie comprise a Kaffee Klatch with yenta-like tendencies.

The loop closed on this parallel when David Beckham, albeit a ghost of his former self, showed up on the Los Angeles soccer/football scene this year.
BTW: Closing the loop on a parallel is not a mixed-metaphor; it is simply recognition that things in Southern California are often non-Euclidian.

Time for a Bushmills...:)

[TonyM]

Why should your not making claims have anything to do with my saying that you are mistaken.

I'd much rather put words in your mouth and ascribe thoughts to your mind then deal with your actual (and somewhat meager) claims. This is a technique that I picked up from both the Republican and Democratic candidate debates. Seems to rank right up there with answering the question you wanted to be asked, rather than the one actually posed.

You're trying to confuse me by being honest about posing a straw-man argument. An unusual approach for sure.

Don't you mean Coup d'etat?

Nope, I meant the final blow in my dissertation vs yours, it was not intended to be merciful as in the original intent of the phrase...just final. I will concede that your suggestion works, just not in the spirit I had intended.

Bush Administration's view of the power of the Presidency certainly seems to presage returning to a monarchy.
Perhaps there is a sub-continent parallel here:
Musharraf:Bhutto :: Dubya:Hillary
=====
But speaking of parallels, I was wondering if you enjoyed the movie [not to say 'film'] Bend It Like Beckham as much as I did. I thought it worked on many levels.

One level not picked up by many critics was seeing the Bhamrag family as a parallel to a San Fernando Valley family. The marriageable sister [Pinky?] is a classic Valley Girl. Mrs. Bhamrag and her coterie comprise a Kaffee Klatch with yenta-like tendencies.

The loop closed on this parallel when David Beckham, albeit a ghost of his former self, showed up on the Los Angeles soccer/football scene this year.
BTW: Closing the loop on a parallel is not a mixed-metaphor; it is simply recognition that things in Southern California are often non-Euclidian.

Time for a Bushmills...:)

I have not watched that movie and therefore cannot comment, perhaps the film Babel would be a good commentary on cultural differences or even lack thereof, in the macro.

I've been to the Bushmills facility, once lived in Antrim actually. I wasn't of drinking age or interest at the time, but it is one of those places to visit I can cross off of my list.

Slainte:D