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Exit Jaswant Singh
Thinking green |
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Suspensions upheld Only persons of integrity should man PSCs THE Supreme Court has done well in dismissing the petition of nine suspended Haryana Public Service Commission members, including its chairman, M.S. Saini, for a writ for quashing the Presidential reference for their removal on grounds of “misconduct and financial bungling”.
The Sino-Pakistan nexus
Ah Florence!
Looking for combat aircraft
Afghans expected to re-elect Karzai
Health
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Exit Jaswant Singh IN hindsight, it would appear that Mr Jaswant Singh’s new-found love for Jinnah and Muslims was the desperate salvo of a man who knew he was on the last boat out. Whatever injured innocence he may portray, he cannot claim that he was not aware that the BJP would throw him out for eulogising the founding father of Pakistan. After all, Mr L.K. Advani, too, had to quit as party president following similar remarks. The conclusion is obvious that Mr Jaswant Singh knew that his days in the BJP were numbered and he must make adequate retirement plans. Hence the change of tack on the status of Muslims in India. Mr Jaswant Singh, Mr Arun Shourie and Mr Yashwant Sinha had come to be considered dissidents following their criticism that those responsible for leading the BJP to defeat in the Lok Sabha polls had been rewarded. Yet, the party sought to delink him from the other two by nominating him chairman of the prestigious Public Accounts Committee of Parliament. But his praising the founder of Pakistan in his book, “Jinnah – India, Partition, Independence”, came as the last straw on the camel’s back. The shape of things to come was clear when the entire BJP top brass kept away from the book release function in Delhi on Monday. The expulsion order came at the meeting of the Parliamentary Board of the party during the opening session of the three-day “chintan baithak” of the top leaders in Shimla. While there are some murmurs among party men that proper procedure was not followed, these are not going to grow too loud, considering that Mr Jaswant Singh had already become a virtual persona non-grata. He was in the eye of a similar storm when he insinuated in his book, “A Call to Honour: In Service of Emergent India”, in 2006 that a mole existed in the prime ministerial office during the tenure of P V Narasimha Rao, who had leaked information to US sources. But the abiding legacy of Mr Jaswant Singh, who had held the portfolios of Finance, Defence and External Affairs under Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is the ignominy of personally escorting terrorists to Kandahar during the Indian Airlines hijack crisis. Mr Jaswant Singh’s political career—certainly with the BJP—has come to an end. The BJP action, however, will help him sell more of his book on Jinnnah.
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Thinking green THE fact that India faces “multiple environmental crises” is yet to sink in at the grassroots level. Consequences of climate change are not yet fully understood. Traditional water resources are drying up, while river waters have been polluted. Though there is a commendable national action plan on climate change in place, states have shown little interest in either following it or having their own versions suited to local needs. That is why at a meeting of state environment ministers in Delhi on Tuesday Prime Minister Manmohan Singh focussed on the challenge of “arriving at a new equilibrium between man and nature”. “We can and we must walk a different road, an environment-friendly road”, he emphasised. The new road to development has to be carved out with sensitivity towards an already fragile ecosystem. The question that people in general and policymakers in particular need to consider is: are we over-exploiting our natural resources in our greed for a higher and higher GDP growth? We have to live with water scarcity. This year the country is faced with a drought and this should make everyone introspect how efficiently we manage our water resources. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana are pumping out groundwater day and night to save their paddy crop, further lowering the water table, which is already at an alarming level. According to a study based on NASA satellite images and published in Nature magazine, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have lost a staggering 109 cubic kilometres of groundwater between August 2002 and October 2008 despite normal rainfall. During a below-normal monsoon the extraction of groundwater multiplies. Yet little is done to conserve water. Water storage facilities are woefully inadequate. Rainwater harvesting and other water management practices are hardly popular. Groundwater resources are not replenished. All this despite the fact that 70 percent of India’s irrigation and 80 percent of domestic needs are met by groundwater supplies. States must use Central schemes like NAREGA and Bharat Nirman to build water infrastructure. Green taxes can be levied to save water and discourage its wastage.
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Suspensions upheld THE Supreme Court has done well in dismissing the petition of nine suspended Haryana Public Service Commission members, including its chairman, M.S. Saini, for a writ for quashing the Presidential reference for their removal on grounds of “misconduct and financial bungling”. A Bench consisting of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice J.M. Panchal has not only rejected their plea to set aside their suspension by the Governor in August 2008 but also refused to equate them with public servants for purposes of applying the rules of dismissal as applicable for regular government employees. It ruled that the PSC members were holding constitutional posts and were governed by special provisions as envisaged by Articles 315 to 323 of the Constitution. The rationale behind empowering the Governor to issue summary suspension of the PSC members is to maintain public trust and confidence in the public service commissions, it observed. Though the outcome of the Presidential reference will be keenly watched by the nation, the Supreme Court ruling once again brings to the fore the steady deterioration in the quality of those manning the PSCs in almost all the states and the imperative need for selecting men and women of unimpeachable character and integrity to these crucial posts. The manner in which Ravi Sidhu, the then Punjab Public Service Commission chairman, had swindled money is one shocking example of how the PPSC’s reputation was besmirched. As the Bench has rightly underlined, for the successful functioning of the democracy, the PSC members’ selection process should be made foolproof. Few can disagree with its ruling that if persons of the “highest skill and irreproachable integrity” are appointed to these posts, these can be immunised from political pressure or favouritism. Indeed, much of the malaise in the PSCs can be checked if the Union Public Service Commission, instead of the state governments, selected chairmen and members of state PSCs. For fair and impartial selection as also good governance, the state governments would do well to keep off the selection of PSC members.
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Sweet are the uses of adversity, / Which like the toad, ugly and venomous, / Wears yet a precious jewel in his head. — William Shakespeare
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The Sino-Pakistan nexus Despite
the often unwarranted criticism that India’s foreign policy lacks dynamism, successive governments have shown imagination and dexterity in responding to the challenges that the country faced after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Nowhere has this been more evident than in India’s “Look East” policy initiated by Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. India realised that in a globalised economic order, its interests were best served by progressive economic integration with the fast growing economies of East and Southeast Asia. What followed was a policy which enabled growing interaction with Southeast Asian countries linked together in ASEAN. This was reinforced by the establishment of the BIMSTEC, linking SAARC members Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan with ASEAN members Thailand and Myanmar. The long-term vision has been to join a process of Asian economic integration without being hampered by Pakistan’s efforts to play a spoiler by linking economic integration within SAARC to its ambitions related to Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has tenaciously and courageously not allowed domestic compulsions and lobbying by states like Kerala which seek to protect their uncompetitive agricultural practices from competition, to hinder efforts to integrate India’s economy with those of East and Southeast Asian countries. Mr Vajpayee also overruled similar opposition when a Free Trade Agreement with Sri Lanka was being negotiated. On August 13 India inked a landmark Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN, which is now our fourth largest trading partner. The agreement comes into force on January 1, 2010, and will, in six years, minimise or end all trade barriers, boosting two-way trade. Contrary to the unwarranted fears expressed, the agreement protects the legitimate interests of the producers of plantation crops like coffee and pepper. India’s growing economic integration with ASEAN and its “Look East” policy, leading to expanding strategic ties with countries like Singapore, Japan and Vietnam, have been opposed by China, which looks at East and Southeast Asia as its backyard. China has sought to “contain” India by encouraging anti-Indian sentiments in India’s South Asian neighbourhood. Even as the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement was readied for signature, a “scholar” from Beijing’s International Institute of Strategic Studies made an astonishing assertion on August 8. His assertion was that India today was a “Hindu Religious State”, that Hinduism was a “decadent religion” and that, apart from annexing Arunachal Pradesh and working with countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan to separate Assam and Bengal from the Indian Union, China should encourage Tamil separatism and break up India into 20-30 nation-states. Interestingly, this is also the view of the rabid sections of the Pakistan military establishment which is echoed repeatedly by the likes of the Amir of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (now called the Jamat-ud-Dawa), Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, and by the chief of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Maulana Masood Azhar. Is it a mere coincidence that China has consistently sought to block moves for enhanced sanctions against the Jaish and Lashkar in the UN Security Council despite a broad international consensus favouring such sanctions? Did Premier Chou en-Lai not voice similar sentiments after China lost face following the 1971 Bangladesh conflict? Similar Chinese hostility to India was evident after the 26/11 Mumbai carnage. “Scholars” of the state-funded China Institute of Strategic Studies (CISS) proclaimed that the Mumbai attack reflected “the failure of Indian intelligence” and claimed that India was blaming Pakistan to “enhance its control over the disputed Kashmir”. Even before Pakistan claimed that India was manifesting aggressive intentions, a CISS “scholar” stated that “China can support Pakistan in the event of a war,” adding that Pakistan could benefit from its military cooperation with China while fighting India. This CISS “scholar” asserted that in such circumstances China may have the option of resorting to a “strategic military action in Southern Tibet (Arunachal Pradesh) to thoroughly liberate the people there”. A “scholar” of yet another state-run Institution, the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), in turn, claimed that the terrorists who carried out the attack in Mumbai came from within India. Chinese comments on the Mumbai carnage then echoed the views of the most rabid sections of the Urdu Press in Pakistan. The 26/11 terrorist outrage was followed by a visit to China by Pakistan’s senior-most military official, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Tariq Majid, who was received like a high state dignitary by Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping, Defence Minister Gen Liang Guanglie and Foreign Minister Yiang Jiechi. China’s Vice-President assured Pakistan of Chinese support in the UN by agreeing that their countries would support each other in international forums. In substantive terms, General Majid’s visit resulted in the signing of a new agreement on military cooperation between Pakistan and China. His visits to military establishments in China suggested that Beijing would expedite the delivery of four F-22 frigates to the Pakistan Navy. The delivery of 250 JF-17 fighters also figured, in the Sino-Pakistan discussions. More recently, the outrageous comments of the CISS “scholar” was followed by no less that the “Prime Minister” of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, Sardar Yaqoob Khan, asserting in Lahore on August 12 that India could not become an “Asian Tiger” until it withdrew its Army from “Indian-held Kashmir”. He added that India would disintegrate into six nation-states if it failed to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir. The recent articles by Chinese “scholars” could not have been published without authorisation at the highest levels in a country that rigidly censors Internet access of its citizens. While it would be counterproductive to get alarmed by such writings, these should not, at the same time, be ignored as China’s many apologists in India suggest. India needs to understand that ruled by an elite that has discarded Marxist ideology and lacks legitimacy, or a popular mandate, China is set to become more nationalistic and even jingoistic. It is a neighbour with whom we need to work regionally and internationally on issues of common concern like global warming and global trade negotiations. At the same time, there is need to accelerate economic progress and expedite our defence modernisation — both conventional and nuclear. The remark of the outgoing Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta that the gap between China and India was “too wide to bridge,” was torn out of context, ignoring the fact that he had also stressed the need to create a “reliable and stand-off deterrent” while building strategic ties with the US, the European Union and
Russia.
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Ah Florence! ON a visit to Florence in 1817, the famous French novelist Stendhal was overcome by nausea and giddiness. He believed it to be the result of exposure to too much beauty. On my recent visit to the Tuscan capital, I was struck similarly by the condition that has come to be known as Stendhal’s syndrome. The United Nations has estimated that about sixty per cent of the world’s art lies in Italy and half of that is in Florence, thereby making the city of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci the ultimate haunt of art lovers from all over the world. While every corner of the city seems infused with art, I was completely thrown off when after an unbelievably long wait in a seemingly endless queue; I was finally able to view the incredible Uffizi Gallery, which is loaded with Renaissance treasures. Leonardo da Vinci’s unfinished Adoration of the Magi left me mesmerized and stupefied. Like with any unfinished work of a maestro, I imagined what Leonardo da Vinci would have added if he had ever gotten around to completing his masterpiece. Equally enthralling was Doni Tondo, the only completed oil painting of Michelangelo. My favorite canvas, however, was Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, which is an unforgettable picture of Venus emerging from the waters. Like many other people, I had conjured up images of Venus but on viewing Botticelli’s painting, his vision of the Goddess of Beauty is now etched forever in my psyche. Another delight was the Ponte Vecchio, an astoundingly beautiful bridge across the river Arno. The story goes that when the Nazis bombed Florence in 1944, every other bridge except the Ponte Vecchio was destroyed because Hitler had commanded that the Ponte Vecchio be spared. Apparently, its beauty was not lost even on Hitler. While the artefacts of Florence survived the bombing of 1944, they were wrecked by a flood of enormous magnanimity in November, 1966. The Arno broke its banks at night and flooded the streets of Florence with mud, destroying not only life and property but also damaging thousands of precious artefacts and about four million priceless books. Volunteers, known as the ‘mud angels’ came from all over Italy to rescue as much art as they could. Walking around, I noticed that even after four decades, restoration was still in progress. Also fresh from restoration was the magnificent David. Standing before the legendary Biblical hero was a joy that transcends words. The thought that David was carved by Michelangelo from a single slab of marble at the age of 29, is in itself baffling. He had intended David to signify the glory, strength and resolve of the Florentine empire. Today, along with David, the cobbled streets of Florence are evocative at once of that same glory. A present-day image of Florence that is caught in my mind is of potted red geraniums growing on window sills. This perhaps is an effort on part of its residents to bring some colour and green to the otherwise tree-less city. And even though the Tuscan trip has been long since over, visions of art, the lingering relish of the pistachio gelato and the jolt of the Chianti hover over me. I guess all this is plenty to intersperse my time until a probable next visit.
Ciao.
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Looking for combat aircraft Should
India go in for a fighter aircraft that is already with its main regional adversary – Pakistan? Well, this multi-billion dollar question is being hotly debated in the Indian Air Force fighter pilots’ community. India has entered the second and most critical phase to purchase 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) at an estimated cost of $10 billion. The flight trials started in Bangalore from August 17. More trials will follow at Jaisalmer and Leh. The short-listed six aircraft are: US Boeing’s F/A-18IN, American Lockheed Martin’s F-16IN, French D'assault's Rafale, Swedish Saab's Gripen, European consortium's Eurofighter Typhoon and Russian MiG-35. The IAF intends to purchase the combat jets at an estimated cost of $10 billion to replace its ageing Russian-made MiG-21 fleet in phases and help in curbing the recent trend of depleting squadron strength. India had floated the tenders for this deal in August 2007. The exhaustive technical evaluation of the six global manufacturers’ bids was completed early this year. The arrival of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 fighter plane for trails has made many in the IAF apprehensive. Its selection, they fear, may become a ‘combat disadvantage’ for India. India’s main regional adversary, Pakistan, has been operating F-16 aircraft since the mid-eighties and is currently flying the F-16 Block 50. Top IAF officers believe that operating similar fighter aircraft means the Pakistan Air Force will be significantly aware of many of the F-16IN capabilities, employment philosophy and weaknesses. This data in turn could be shared with the Chinese Air Force, considering the close political and military ties between the two countries. The aircraft is also well known to many Third World countries through sales to Egypt and Central Europe, among others. One of them said, “Choosing the F-16 would inject an element of uncertainty and confusion for IAF pilots attempting to distinguish the friend from the foe if pitted against the Pakistan Air Force.” There was no response from Lockheed Martin despite repeatedly asked by this correspondent: Why is F-16 aircraft suited for India despite Pakistan also having it? Boeing's warplane F/A-18 was chosen to fly first for flight tests in Bangalore, beginning this week, to be followed by Lockheed Martin’s F-16 in August-end. The other contenders Rafale, Gripen, Typhoon and MiG-35 will come for flight tests later. From Bangalore, the scene will shift to Jaisalmer for summer trials and to Leh for high-altitude trials. The whole process is likely to end by April next year. The first phase involved the training of Indian pilots on the competing aircraft in the country of origin. The second phase is the flight trials on Indian soil and airspace. The third phase will be the test of specialist weapons that the manufacturers provide on the aircraft in the country of their choice. The IAF's number of squadrons had gone down to an alarming 31.5 squadrons in 2006. After the induction of British advanced jet trainers ‘Hawk’ in 2008, the fleet strength has increased to about 33.5 squadrons, compared to the sanctioned squadron strength of 39.5 squadrons. The MMRCA’s induction is likely to start by 2015. A maximum of 42.5 squadrons’ strength is expected in the IAF by 2022. Regional challenges from China and Pakistan and the need to ensure the security of global trading routes at sea call for a careful consideration of the long-term effects of the MMRCA selection on India’s defence. The short-listed aircraft offer a range of size, technology, capability and future growth. Key characteristics of the competitors should be considered that determine the defence posture contribution of the selected MMRCA aircraft. Single engine vs. twin engine: The Lockheed Martin F-16IN and Swedish Gripen NG belong to the single-engine category and the Boeing F/A-18 IN, Russian MiG-35, French Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon belong to the twin-engine category. Military aviation experts point out that the twin-engine aircraft historically have provided greater safety, launch/mission reliability and survivability in both peace and operations. This is substantiated by a study conducted by the US Air Force, which examined F-16 and F-15 accidents over a six-year period. The twin-engine fighter aircraft is useful for India’s vast distances, climatic and elevation challenges, and for far-flung maritime approaches to secure. In combat or peace time, the twin-engine aircraft are more likely to bring the pilot home from varying conditions in which the IAF must operate. Latest technology: This key factor will decide India’s future defence posture. Regional adversaries facing capabilities they do not possess may be deterred from aggressive action. Boeing has claimed that only F/A-18IN offers fully integrated Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar built specifically for the aircraft and operated by the offering country. The rivals of F-6IN have claimed that its AESA Radar is not operated by the US. Lockheed Martin, however, claims that F-16IN is using Northrop Grumman APG-80 AESA revolutionary all-weather and precision-targeting sensor radar, which is the only AESA operational in the international market today. Stealth capability is another example of the most up-to-date technology providing a major capability edge. With the exception of the F/A-18IN, none of the short-listed aircraft offer designed in stealth technology. As a result, adversaries may eventually be able to add stealth capability to their aircraft. Upgradation: The capability to add new systems in the future is another factor determining the defense impact of a candidate MMRCA aircraft. The capacity to add new avionics systems requires available weight margin, electrical power and cooling to accommodate additional systems. Compared to older and smaller designs, newer aircraft promise more opportunity for future growth. The short-listed aircraft also offer the opportunity to benefit from the upgrade plans and investments of the offering nation. Boeing claims that the rival F-16 is now being retired from the US Air Force inventory. The MiG-35 and Gripen NG are said to be not in operational use by any nation. The F/A-18IN and Rafale aircraft are scheduled for continued use by the offering nations for many decades. In the long term, upgradation will be a key factor in the continued defence contribution of the MMRCA aircraft in the IAF. The real ‘dog fight’ to win India’s most significant defence deal seems to be between the two American competitors, Boeing and Lockheed
Martin.
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Afghans expected to re-elect Karzai FROM the gravel lot where he repairs cars, Babarak Shinwari can see the spot where the suicide bomber killed three of his cousins last year. At his home nearby, where his four children live without electricity, he says he prays to God for a president who can bring peace and security. But on Thursday, Shinwari plans to vote the same way he did five years ago: for Hamid Karzai. The fact that Karzai remains the favorite to win Thursday's election, despite his government's poor record on security and the economy over nearly eight years in power, says much about the mindset of Afghans as they prepare to go to the polls. In interviews with more than a dozen residents on Tuesday near Jalalabad, heavily populated by Karzai's fellow Pashtuns, all said they planned to vote for the incumbent, even though many were critical of his performance. That paradox reflects a deeply felt suspicion among Afghans of anyone promising change. In recent decades, Afghans have lived through periods of horrific violence and destruction, with each successive regime bringing greater deprivation than the last. Many Afghans reason that although Karzai's government has been disappointing, it could always be worse. "We don't have any alternative to Karzai," Shinwari said. "We are afraid of what the other candidates might do." Indeed, low expectations may be Karzai's greatest ally. "During the Taliban, we had dirt roads. There were few vehicles. Women couldn't go outside. There were no televisions, no mobile phones, no hotels, and now we have all those things," said Jalil Jan, 30, who owns two gas stations near Jalalabad. "It is true that violence has increased, and the Taliban is stronger, but Americans can't even stop the Taliban; how is Karzai expected to? He's trying his best." Many Afghans also have misgivings about Karzai's most prominent opponent, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, a Tajik whose ethnicity makes him unacceptable to a large number of Pashtuns, the nation's dominant ethnic group. Abdullah has campaigned on his history of involvement with the armed resistance, first to Soviet occupation in the 1980s and then to Taliban rule in the 1990s. Although that message resonates with some voters, it alienates others who do not want to revisit such violent periods. There are more than 30 other candidates, but none besides Karzai has a wide following. A poll by the International Republican Institute released last week found that 44 percent of Afghans plan to vote for Karzai, compared with 26 percent for Abdullah. A third candidate, former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani, trailed well behind. "People still support (Karzai) because despite the high number of contenders, they don't see a real alternative," said Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, a nonprofit research group. Abdullah and Ghani "were part of Karzai's policies, so they're also responsible for the failures linked to them." Before Karzai came to power, Khaiyal Wali, now 27, earned about $2,000 a year growing poppies for the drug trade. During Karzai's tenure, local elders forced him to stop, and now he earns about one-fifth as much cleaning fuel tanks. The U.S.-financed alternative agricultural development programs he had heard about brought him nothing, he said. "That was just on TV," he said. But he still supports Karzai, if for cynical reasons. Corruption is endemic to politicians, he said, and Karzai and his cronies have had years to enrich themselves. Karzai has also relied heavily on tribal elders, local officials and regional commanders, such as the Uzbek militia leader Abdurrashid Dostum, to generate votes for him. Ruttig said there is anectodal evidence of governors offering services to citizens groups, provided they support Karzai. Under the law, governors are not allowed to use public resources on behalf of any candidate. Afghanistan's Electoral Complaints Commission last week imposed a $1,500 fine on Karzai's second running mate, Karim Khalili, currently a vice president, for improperly using Defense Ministry helicopters for campaign events. "(Karzai) effectively controls the administrative and provincial system, especially on the district level," Ruttig said. "Then you get the tendency, of course, toward the winner. If the trend is set, the impetus is there. Then more and more people flock to the guy perceived to be the
winner." — By arrangement with LA Times-Washington Post
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Health IN boardrooms, classrooms, bedrooms and the playing field, we all recognize the classic signs of a "Type A" personality. And most of us know that these hard-chargers seem to be at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. But who has ever heard of the Type D personality? Depending on whom you ask, D stands for distressed. Or it follows sequentially from Type A; Type B (A's opposite – laid-back, cooperative, slow to anger); Type C (a martyr – compliant, eager to please, and prone to hopelessness and depression; studies have shown Type Cs to be vulnerable to cancer and other malfunctions of the immune system). In any event, Type Ds are notable for negative thinking, worrying, suppressed anger and a tendency to respond to stress by withdrawal and denial. They stew. They simmer. They blame themselves – and others. And when it comes to feelings, they're given to stoicism: They rarely give voice to strong emotions, such as anger, and are likely equally disinclined to acknowledge them, say, in daily journal entries. Turns out, being a Type D isn't a personality type given to robust health, either, a fact that a new study underscores. In an article in this week's Archives of Surgery, Dutch researchers found that Type D personalities who suffer from peripheral artery disease – a build-up of plaque in the lower body's veins and arteries that causes cramping and pain in the legs and pelvis – were more likely to die in the four years they were studied than fellow patients with peripheral artery disease who were not identified as Type Ds. The study followed 184 patients diagnosed with peripheral artery disease and who had filled out questionnaires that identified their personality traits as Type D. Type Ds were strong on social avoidance and tended to fret a lot. They were mostly likely to agree strongly with statements such as "I often find myself worrying about something," or "I would rather keep people at a distance." By the end of the study period, 16 of the Type-D PAD patients had died – three times the number expected among a group of their average age (64) and health status. That's despite the fact that the Type Ds on the whole had no greater risk factors for death than did any of the PAD patients in a larger study. Most – seven – died of cancer, and six of cardiovascular disease. What is it about Type Ds that might make them more vulnerable to succumbing to a wide range of illnesses? For starters, said the study's authors – led by Annalies E. Aquarius – studies have shown that Type D personality types tend to respond to stress with a surge of stress hormones, and that their blood carries physiological markers of inflammation higher than those not identified as Type D. Inflammatory processes over time are widely believed to give rise to cancer and erode the function of arteries. Beyond that, the researchers note, the types of behavior that emerge from Type D personalities might well lead to a reluctance to acknowledge unwellness, to seek care or to participate aggressively in one's treatment. As physicians cope with epidemics of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, the authors say, the importance of personality types in influencing treatment decisions, quality of life and outcomes will be ever more
important. — By arrangement with LA Times-Washington Post
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