Russia, NATO, sphere of influence, and primate legacy

 

People around the world watch with increasing dread the daily deterioration of scene in Ukraine. This is the region that instigated two world wars -to call it world war would be an exaggeration since it gives centrality to Western narration and control over world history, it though significantly impacted the world. It was war of forces whose colonial influence spread across the world. Much of the world was in an exploitative frame of brutal colonizers and local feudal barbarians. ‘World war’ had cataclysmic impact on common people in Europe, while the later war incinerated thousands of common people in Japan and continued for decades with horrible effects of radiation. Most common people around the world were not impacted, probably not even aware. That is not the case now. We live in an era of world as intimate space, connected and immediate. If this festering war in the fragile region spreads, it could possibly be genuinely a world war with fracture spreading to Iran and USA, further complexity in the region could see it spiral into deep fissures that dangerous forces have kept alive through semantics of history. It will have a debilitating impact on survival of most of life on earth. It will possibly make earth uninhabitable for most species. 

To understand what motivates these ‘leaders’ we need to understand ‘sphere of influence’, and why some have this constant urge to expand their “sphere of influence” wherein the world has much better things to offer as also serious existential threat to focus on. These are not complex people so don’t be intimidated. They have fancy weapons -thanks to science misused into technology, and they talk in sweeping statements that has devastating impact on us as it percolates, millions of people have died for no reason and million will die for no reason. These are powerful people placed into powerful positions by flawed systems, and society that is systematically reduced as herd and are incapacitated by various systems of control to respond. These powerful people, projected by system to extend its control, are not complex people. You don’t really have to think much to approximate these people. These are crude crass the worst of common denominator that flawed system churns out. They try to use jargons of sophistication to confuse as also exhibit high bearing entitlements as deciders. They however work at most basic level that make us laugh in disbelieve if not for millions of lives at stake. Observe the street dog, and wonder why does it keep going around urinating on the poles at the periphery. You get a fair idea on ‘sphere of influence’. To understand these people or the systems that controls you don’t need much intelligence, a little observation is enough. Such is the level of ridiculousness we are in. It is heartbreaking. On the one side we have so much spectacular opportunities presented to explore and progress and on the other side humans like street dogs vying to extend the reach of their piss marking. Three hundred thousand years of homo sapiens evolution is at this crossroad of utter banality.

Street dog observation is compelling and relevant but too simplistic. So, let’s listen to the experts in this field. Harvard psychologist McClelland developed a measure called nPow (need for power). It’s correlated with desire to control other people and achieve recognition through control. To understand these deviant people Social Domination Orientation (SDO) measures individual propensity to want to dominate others -and affinity for hierarchy that put some people above others. Study on chimps helps us understand this mindset better. Chimpanzees are very much into power. Researchers found it was difficult to deal with chimps as they try to dominate or intimidate you, they are testing to see where they stand relative to you. And if they perceive some weakness, they will push you and try to dominate. It is same with some humans, and systems that control them, they have not evolved egalitarian impulses that characterize much of human life on earth. Even infants show humans have innate instinct to cooperate and share. Nature survives on mutualism and symbiotic relations. The intention is not to elaborate on these. These observations seem counterintuitive and shows how much systems of control have isolated us from the reality while they deteriorate collective will to place narcist psychopathic leaders to represent humanity.

Evolution led to changes in shoulder girdle (hominid Homo erectus appropriated into sapiens) and advantaged lethal use of ranged weapons, this transformed social structure, it became more of brain and skills than brawn and size. It flattened hierarchies, from primate despotism to hunter gatherer cooperation (studies clearly show egalitarian nature of hunter gatherer societies, remnants of which can be observed to some extent in indigenous societies and tribes; knowledge and wisdom were to persuade and not wield authority), the primate instinct to dominate was superseded by strong desire not to be ruled by someone else giving way to consensus driven deliberations. That surely doesn’t mean that these primitive flat societies were utopian; homicide was common. With proliferation of ranged weapon and later neolithic agricultural revolution and easy access to food meant large numbers of people/fighters which led to hierarchy for effectiveness, and this corrupted into power as control onto other spheres of society, triggering social shift hence emergence of chiefdoms and era of inequality. Surplus food and control of fertile land institutionalised inequality. Power begets conflict and violence. More people were murdered under chiefs and despots than in egalitarian bands. Hierarchy created new systems to cooperate and coordinate in large scale society. This led to corruptible systems and equally corruptible people who seek power within the system. It is therefore natural that the worst would emerge from the lot. Simultaneously a mismatch of thousands of years of hunter gatherer attributes that is stuck in primitive mind start to assert. Legacy of primates is much exciting to primitives than complexities of evolved mind. Hence the constant urge to increase ‘sphere of influence’. These were nurtured by the neoliberal value system that arose from necessary systems of goods exchange and benign market place into capitalism and tuned to pernicious neoliberal greed and control that pervades all human interaction making it transactive thus redefining ‘sphere of influence’. Religion meanwhile systematically worked as a control to increase its ‘sphere of influence’ through hierarchy, exploitation and fantastical view of world (thus negating individual connection to contemporary reality and valued personal experience and understanding) into spiritual -in the process degrading the same. Similar is the case of feudal institutions and value systems that seeks to control and negate liberty and freedom to weaken democratic institutions. Every system of control seeks to emulate and assert attributes that made the homo sapiens succeed for thousands of years as hunter gatherers. Every attempt by human to negate these systems of control asserts millions of years of hunter gatherers love for freedom and egalitarian valuation of self -not over other. Human history saw violence, domination, exploitation and misery and went through feudalism, colonialism and all forms of control through ignorance, threat and greed. It is only in the last few decades that democratic institutions are established, egalitarian humanistic ideals percolated and rule of law gave a sense of security and opportunity to thrive, to much of population across the world. Simultaneously, spectacular development in critical thinking and knowledge created awareness while technology quantified these into everyday deal.

Much of the world is piggybacking on the effort of few, democratic values and critical thinking has not seeped into most of populace. Complacency and comfort assert simplistic outlook of the world while hunger and fear seek easy solutions, incapacitated to evaluate complexities and inability to sense the nuance they look for assurance. Herein thousands of years of primal urges find expressions and are channelized through opportunist systems of control looking for profit and influence. Hence, we have image of ‘strong’ leaders constructed for herd to connect their primal urge with all the attributes of primate legacy intact. To understand these people, we have to go back to millions of years or else study apes and what motivates wild life. So you get fair idea on how legacy of primates become central to assertion of regrettable Homo sapiens and define aesthetics of their transaction with herd. Strip of all the modern technology and this could be band of hominids on four legs negotiating dangerous world under chest thumping leader evaluating the safety of cave for the night. This hominid band (not humans who evolved shoulders to use weapons as they were nonhierarchical nor fighting medieval army as they needed serious skills to survive) projecting to contemporary is theatrics of cave dwelling apes. These primates have dangerous weapons that can annihilate the world many times over, or the least unleash forces that could seriously jeopardize lives and living systems.

 

UN independent probe implicates Russia for Crimes against Humanity

UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry report on Ukraine was presented to UNHCR few days back. It has concluded that Russia has explicitly committed crimes against humanity. There are well documented systematic and widespread brutalities against civilians. While the report doesn’t directly name Vladimir Putin (unlike ICC which has issued warrant against Putin) the implication is grievous, there are clear evidence of 'coordinated state policy'. Ideally the report should become basis for international community in dealing with Russia. A country accused of crime against humanity (with documented proof, hence cannot be dismissed as political manipulation) cannot be normalized and must be dealt severely. Hypocrisy of EU sanction on Russia is that they use intermediary to access Russian oil and gas (Russian LNG imports to Europe, particularly to countries like Spain, Belgium, and France, have remained significant, with EU data showing Russia still accounting for about 15-20% of LNG imports in 2024, often rerouted through third countries or exploiting legal ambiguities).

UN must impose sanctions against Russia. Any country siding with Russia must be isolated, and should loose voting rights on this issue. UN cannot be bystander when their own agency has submitted report of crime against humanity with explicit evidence. UN must take action. UNGA must convene emergency meeting.  

    

Time for truce in Ukraine

 

European Union was a stupendous achievement and a benchmark collective expression for humanity, of countries coming together into common frame, best of democratic expressions and institutionalizing egalitarian concerns. A progressive small step towards an awareness of earth as single geographical entity, and humans as inhabitants, as responsible citizen and guardian of all the species on fragile planet. A union like EU cannot really happen in any other part of the world, much of the world is in varying degrees of barbarism, border skirmishes, feudal control and poverty. Not that Europe epitomizes egalitarian values, there are remnants of feudal institutions that undermine liberty, and ofcourse all these progressive attempts trapped in neoliberal exploitative control that surely works effectively in neocolonial framework of greed. Take for instance the case of Nestle -a multinational company based in richer part of Europe. A report in 2024 revealed that Nestlé added sugar to its baby food products (Cerelac and Nido) sold in low- and middle-income countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while offering sugar-free versions in wealthier markets like Europe (Cerelac sold in India reportedly contained nearly 3 grams of sugar per serving, despite WHO guidelines advising against added sugars for infants under two due to risks of obesity and chronic diseases). Nestlé exploited weaker regulations in developing nations and poorer societies to prioritize profit over child health.

Extreme complacency led to irrelevance of EU, arrogant leaders took common people for granted thus leading to severe backlash and rise of extreme right and xenophobic consolidations. Democratic institutions have weakened due to these complacency and arrogant incapacity of leaders to unequivocally assert values that are foundational to democracy and free society. Responsible citizenry is being compromised by systems of control, the extreme ones filling up the vacuum. Liberty and freedom are being bartered for juvenile claims of faith and spurious sensitivities that degrade sensibilities. Europe in many ways was benchmark for human progress. EU a collective triumph. Things have gone wrong too quickly. Not very ironically USA under Trump has exposed the hypocrisy, incapacitated by self-serving leaders/systems using common people as fodder for higher claims. NATO was a remnant of dangerous past that found itself dismantled under Trump, simultaneously exposing parasitic nature of European leadership and incapacity to face complexity of fast changing precariously placed world. They are incapacitated to present a strong purposeful united front nor have the moral authority to unite people. EU military force replacing NATO is a reactionary response. They need to push for reform of UN and a strong multilateral UN force. Putin undoubtedly is authoritarian leader with psychopathic tendencies but to blame him for all that is wrong is a limited view. Ukraine paid a heavy price for the arrogance and misplaced self-assured belligerence of European leaders. It is time to call for unconditional truce and stop civilian casualties. Russian attack on Ukraine led war cannot go on forever, nor can any side win. It can only be prolonged with increasing dire consequences for humanity (not the least of which is climate). It shouldn't be flash point that perils world. European leaders must actively engage to stop the war. Truce be called. Russia and Ukraine revert to pre-war position. NATO dismantled. UN reformed and strengthened for military intervention and peace keeping. Crime against humanity by Russia investigated in international court in a speedy manner and international warrant issued against war criminals so that they don't move freely around the world.

*

AI created pic herein is of European leaders as Elois from HG Wells Time Machine. Eloi (and Morlock) are extreme evolutionary outcomes of social inequalities into distant future, simplistic but evocative conjecture. Seemingly utopian, Eloi, are childlike frail peaceful race as a product of centuries of complacency and self-indulgence who are fed upon by Morlocks. Eloi speak simple melodious language and lack curiosity or intellectual complexity, they live in perpetual ignorance, innocence and playful distractions while all their basic needs are met by physical effort and intelligence of burly Morlock. Time traveler mistakes Elois for masters of future world but learns the grim reality that they are just raised as food by Morlocks and are utterly incapable to survive without external aid.

Reporting happiness

 

Happiness is quite a subjective matter. What makes some people happy may be displeasing for others. What is a significant source for happiness for some may mean nothing for others. If the society has evolved core -quite complex and is achieved with much effort through various factors, percolated through benign culture and humanistic traditions and valued through institutions, then it will be reflected in all aspects of dealing including art, science and daily interactions. Crass is always a presence but varies in different societies. A primitive society will have crass as its core and will be reflected in every aspect of life (for instance societies that normalize caste cannibals, monster mullahs, or evil evangelicals will find misery percolating in proportionate to degree of influence of crass). Such spaces cannot be happy on any parameters except maybe those of the perverse kind that sustains the worst of sadistic possibilities – the benign sinister exist among those posing as civilized through feudal institutions, patriarchal concerns, systems of control so on, that wait for fertile grounds to wrench the world back into cave setting and jolly world of hunter gatherers.

Kahneman (in Thinking Fast and Slow) comes out with a unique take on happiness -essentially wellness, that of the experiencing self and the remembering self. Our recollection of an event is anchored on remembering self and not all that what we experience. It is difficult to study happiness and to quantify it. The bias in evaluation and narrow parameters of undertaking within geographical entity of a nation is problematic. There are, ofcourse, some basic parameters on basis of which you can attempt to approximate level of happiness in a society. World Happiness Report is such a venture that was released on March 20^th -the World Happiness Day, adopted by UNGA. Indians (increasingly proud citizens of Bharat), it seems, are not a happy lot. Placed at lowly 118 out of 147 countries (with barbarian ruled Afghanistan rightly at the bottom) sharing happiness with the likes of Chad and Burkina Faso. That 1.4 billion people, approximately 18% of world population, are not at all happy is a serious concern. And when you thought this is the worst possibility comes the expected revelation that Indians rank 128^th in ‘social support’, expected since a society that doesn’t even have a basic understanding of community is incapacitated to provide social support to its fellow citizens. Indeed, every misery is an opportunity to elucidate lessons of fate and blessing to herd, to demarcate normal days into auspicious times, to create crowds as illustration of power of control hence faith, which then falls into the fate of incompetence and characteristic apathy to orchestrate stampede thus ultimate fate of gruesome deaths while blessings for survivors. India also ranks 118^th in ‘inequality’ – which too is on expected lines, authenticated by happy squatters, consolidated by snarling self-obsessed politicians dividing herd with all kind of distractions for easy grab for power. Despite dubious claims of spiritual, and spiritual gurus in every street corner, Indians rank 117 for harboring ‘negative emotion’ -indeed the most literate state with high HDI index comparable to best in the world, Kerala, finds itself in worst of situation with high suicide rate and increasing violence among youngsters (conveniently blamed on drugs -as if these are not available anywhere else in the country) due to crass nature of society incapacitated to self-reflect. What is redeeming, atleast in relative sense, is the high sense of ‘freedom’ (ranked 21) that people enjoy compared to hellholes around the world as also ‘generosity’ (51) -at personal level people can be quite nice despite trapped in worst of society. Ranked 16 in ‘volunteering’ cannot be taken seriously since these are mostly for gaining blessing and generally within the putrid pit -the study seems to have failed to factor in unique nature of depravity. Incidentally, tribes are very few spaces in society that show some remnants of egalitarian value systems.

What is most despicable in the whole conversation is that instead of self-reflection and critical analysis there was blatant attempt by some in the media to manipulate (indeed disinformation) the discussion and try salvage ‘great Indian culture’ (I have a very low opinion on Indian media, and so follow lowest denominator to gather national news -they show no urgency to check facts, typos nor sensibilities to value what is important -it is one crass attempt at attention and greed -and this honesty without pretensions is better than pretentious mediocres). Check this to see how they work to create a narration that is just the opposite of the reality: “India ranked 118 out of 147 countries. While it ranked well for social support, thanks to its community-focused culture and family structures, it scored poorly on freedom, reflecting a lack of perceived choice in society. India's ranking has improved over the years; it was ranked 144 in 2012, and its highest ranking was 94 in 2022”. Such depravity.

Mediocrity seeks power: it is but natural that mediocre people in whatever field they are posing in, whether as artist, journalists, writers, scientists so on, will seek power and influence -social media has added to ease in attention seeking. Greed is never satiated by money, there is always existential crave for more in beggar minded society. Squatter value system has cleverly worked these depravities as successful signs of blessedness for the herd to emulate. As noted from above example writing is just another means to control narration while data points to serious truth deficit. Since the core is rotten it is also expressed through Indian writers (very rarely you have Indian writers -in whatever language, standing up to critical scrutiny; mediocre and insipid). The reason why word defecating vermin come in different shapes and sizes to fill up all the gaps in high end manipulation. More assured they are of their special place in universe prodigious is the output, thicker the feculence/books.   

So here I was at a shop waiting to get an electronic gadget repaired. At the waiting space was collection of books, and this one from a woman (who has worked her crave into RajyaSabha. Having observed the worst kind of people posing as artists into power circle, her PR is keenly manipulating for VP position). I seldom read Indian writers -unless strongly recommended which is quite rare considering overwhelming mediocrity. As I flipped through pages, as a keen reader I felt embarrassed at the quality of writing and very soon felt violated, so before placing it back -ideally thrown into dustbin, I thought of going through the last chapter. Not to strain the precious brains of herd it was appropriately titled “What matters in the end”! “Now Mukesh realized how much he missed his Amma. She knew him and loved him more than anyone else in the world. He was not a Jat or sardar. He was a Brahmin from south India. He knew who he was now. Mukesh took the next flight from Delhi to Bangalore and slept like a baby on the plane.” This trash is Indian writing! What motivates these embarrassing mediocres to write? (also, note complexity of putrefaction here sardar is purposely in small letters -a degraded mocking version of Sikh. Squatter ensconced pus minds have deep contempt for Buddhism and Sikhism as it exposes their depravities. You may also visit https://depalan.blogspot.com/2015/05/horrible-nature-of-poetry-and-degraded.html?zx=9f31a85f57e45972 written 10 years ago for more on depraved mindset). And this despicable woman poses as simple and down to earth while her knuckle headed millionaire husband, lacking any awareness of social reality or empathy, evaluates youngsters as slaves. What is more shocking is that this lump in human form is now full time into children’s writing, posing as moral arbitrator. No amount of manipulated backstory can hide soul clogged in putrefying pus. No wonder India is such a happy place! With little more manipulation it could be happiest place on earth with gaudy gods tacked on floating clouds showering petals on chosen people!                        

Will

In the waves of possibilities 

Sensations coalesce to create

Past, present, dreams

Memories interact for newer pathways

In unlikely crisscrosses and surprising tangles

This emergent complexity

A thought

An intent

Decoheres a reality

Collapsed from multitudes

Representing humanity

 

Democracy is representation of people’s voice through votes. Each person is assured a voice in the process of governance through his or her (or their) vote. Voting age in most democracies is fixed at 18years, it is assumed that a person becomes physically an adult hence mentally mature to decide. It is also assumed that all adults have understanding to weigh in myriad factors to decide what is best for society. This is an idealist version that hinges on wisdom of voters who may not have any such proclivities, far from it they are easily swayed by emotions or crass selfishness for immediate gain, lack basic faculties to comprehend enormity of the task, or else are controlled by insular group affiliation which has least concern for general good or personal wellbeing except as primal protection through herd cave member. The level of primitiveness gives lease to systems of control that undermine process and makes democracy a structure for exploitation. This is being celebrated as democracy across the world, all the while disparities increase, nepotism and corruption are common place, as society scrape lowest denominator of possibilities. Democracy is hardly the voice of people or approximation of their aspiration. It is an expression of control, of money -as guardian of neoliberal system and feudal power -assimilative patriarchal control of human and nature through systems of faith, regressive traditions and manipulation.

To be a human is a responsibility. A responsibility not defined by human controlled systems nor confined to personal aspirations -essentially expressions mediated by controlling systems to perpetuate itself. Responsibility arises through sense of individuality, awareness of self. A human has the arduous responsibility to nurture himself or herself (or themselves) as an individual. A state is duty bound to invest in inclusive systems that essentially is about valuing humans as individuals. Which means to negate controlling systems that foster extractive systems. Commonsense observation and study of basic facts indicates that this clearly is not happening. We live within an exploitative controlling system as the arbitrators posing as different persuasions of democratic debate occupy varying scale of opportunism. It is a mock fight to keep the control and rarely about asserting democratic institutions (severely dented in neoliberal exploitation, juvenile religions isolated from reality and feudal institutionalized traditions). So, people end up using democracy to bargain and barter for short term gain from the exploitative and corrupt system. While exploitative systems wanton greed encourages more voters, more followers, more consumers, more production…consequences are dire as untenable human population and increasing consumption has severely drained natural resources and is collapsing earth’s living systems (of many indicators one is Earth Overshoot Day -humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what earth can regenerate within that year, in 2024 it was August 1^st , meaning humanity used up 1.7times what earth could sustainably provide that year).      

If this is how the world is, then an adult having voting right doesn’t really suffice to be a democratic society, indeed it has become problematic as it incentivizes human population, nor does it propose any solution for immediate problems or existential crisis. System has to evolve and be responsive to reckon with emerging realities. Voting humans are incapacitated to take responsibility of wellbeing of society nor capable to represent other species or earth’s ecosystems. It is therefore important to disincentivize human population -burgeoning belligerence as voice of democracy. Evolved societies invest on quality of living and are acutely concerned and take responsibility for their surroundings, hence will naturally have low fertility rate, while each human strives as an individual to value complexities of life, empathy for other creatures and be abreast with emerging challenges as they strive to be better humans. It is but natural for technology to take the burden of human drudgery hence give value and dignity for life. Hence AI is expected to synergize such evolved societies that care of others as also for nature. Progressive societies cannot be seen as a failure, and so allowed to be negated by barbarianism under the garb of democracy. Neoliberal capitalistic vandal narration and herd churning religions cannot be valued as votes over humanity and all that is cherished. It is time that the concept of democracy is updated to be inclusive and vibrant to fragile contemporary reality.       

Country need be demarcated into equal regions to have equal representation. It is time to realize that area of land and not number of humans that matter and that habitat needs to be represented by human voice. Democracy needs to evolve from anthropocentric framework (ofcourse it brings new challenges but the complexities of solution can be worked for fairer world, or is tried for atleast a decade so as to stop climate catastrophe and biodiversity collapse). Humans are part of society, society is part of humanity, humanity includes all the concerns of earth and other species. This representation is what now matters.               

 

Euler's equation

Euler’s equation 

Transcendental suspends its pursuit

To coalesce into fundamental

Oscillate in wild flare of imaginary and nothing

Complex contracts to align a form from chaos

So fragile an expression

A delight of unexpected poise

Resonate its brilliance into every cell

A doorway for the mind

Drifting like a dandelion seed

Unaware but aware

In spiraling silence

Or a bee settling on a planet as if a flower

Is this wonder

A hint of consciousness 

A portal to merge in the mystery

Suggested reading: Euler’s Pioneering Equation (by Robin Wilson). Euler’s equation (a special case of Euler’s identity) is considered as most beautiful equation in mathematics (and rated second in physics after Maxwell’s equation). It is remarkable in combining five entities, each with deeper mathematical significance, 1, 0, pi, e (exponential growth) and i (imaginary number), as also three fundamental operation addition, multiplication and equality. Feynman calls it ‘our jewel’, others call it mathematical equivalent of Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be”, very short, very succinct. It finds quite a few references in popular culture. Stamps were issued on Euler’s identity. There is a nursery rhyme copied!

Old MacDonald had a farm

e, i, e, i, 0

And on that farm he had 1 pi-g

e, i, e, i, 0

This book traces each entity separately, its history and significance before bringing it all together. Quite an interesting read but only for people who have some understanding and interest for maths. I found reference of Irish astronomer mathematician William Hamilton in the discussion on imaginary numbers particularly interesting. He discovered quaternions (a way to represent rotations in three-dimensional space, which has massive implications for physics, computer graphics, and robotics), after struggling for fifteen years, it is described that one day he was walking along the canal in Dublin “I then and there felt the galvanic circuit of thought close; and the sparks which fell from it were the fundamental equations exactly as I have used them ever since. I pulled out on the spot a pocket book and made an entry…it is fair to say that this was because I felt a problem to have been at that moment solved – an intellectual want relieved which had haunted me for atleast fifteen years since”. Amazing man.    

 

    

The world as it is

 

World has become more transparent with percolation of empowering technology. This has put pressure on political representation to seek attention in newer ways. Posing as transparent and sincere is new device to gain credibility. Surely this seems like a better option. Under the garb of sophistication and behind the formal nefarious worked their deal. We all know what happened in front of camera at White House is something that happens behind (indeed much viciously in some cases, and they capitalize by writing revealing memoirs!). It is a tradition to appear decent and formal in front of camera to impress common people, or more appropriately to keep the herd fixated in their little lives (while we take care of the world). Trump has broken this tradition and introduced unpredictability in this accepted norm of interaction. It is played as transparent (and does impress audience for its ‘sincerity’ and ‘up yours’ to conventions that they don’t trust and know are made up) and pent-up schadenfreude moment. If the world was as it is then what they pose in public will be no different behind the curtains, atleast not dangerously disjointed -which is quite apparent (what was behind the scene discussion between US and Britain when they decided to attack Iraq?).    

The entrenched power (now ‘deep state’ in conspiratorial circles) created binary within extractive system and posed higher morals and showcased themselves as better people to negotiate for future of humanity. Meanwhile facts are clear. World has become seriously unequal and transactionally iniquitous. Natural systems are squeezed out, ecosystems are collapsing, biomass is reducing, species are vanishing and environment is firmly towards extreme. Obviously last 50years was a missed chance for investing in inclusive system for better world. International organizations remains frozen power structures, at the best patronizing or delay or neglect, woefully inadequate to deal with fast changing world despite best efforts by few sincere concerned people. There surely is a systemic problem. The system is out of sync. For instance, why didn’t they sincerely try to upgrade UN and reflect realities of a changed world? The urgency that has befallen lackadaisical self-assured EU (severely diminished by arrogance) is going to be a study on various stages of ineffectual (despite best intention to control narration. Lesson number one: in the age of social media narrations are what works the immediate realities of people, and not the bigger world and its problems that untrustworthy politicians propose to solve). People are now hinged on immediate, creatively judiciously work to bring in the world. Sincerity of purpose can bridge the gap.  

Transparency and openness, which is apparently progressive and empowers democratic values, has ironically pushed the world into serious problem. Since the world is primed in neoliberal extractive capitalism, hinged on opportunist juvenile morals of anachronistic faith systems and arbitrated by feudalistic values entrenched into democratic institutions the result is: crass is now transparent, bravado frank. Crude is easiest claim to primal attention unleashed on populace with susceptible discerning skills and very surely lacking aesthetics of sophisticated complexities. It surely is good for TV (ofcourse TV is now obsolete, what it really means: this is clickbait for the world in perpetual attention mode. Not that the world is devoid of any attention). From this frame you can impress the herd on your apparent sincerity (indeed for people increasingly loosing trust this is the glimmer they will latch on to) but will find woefully inadequate to face the complexities of the world. What is good in this chaos is exposing the hypocrisy of entrenched establishment that took common people for granted and an easy sink to dump the misery. Well, some may say isn’t the world a better place than a century back. Surely it is. Democratic institutions have spread, human rights are valued, and better part of the world have access to modest choices to uplift their lives. It cannot be denied that despite enormous grassroot effort most of the socioeconomic empowerment was facilitated by technology, enabled by inquisitive brilliance of few scientists nurtured in open societies with active state support by investing in effective enabling inclusive infrastructure like health, education, research so on. But somewhere the stagnation happened that assimilated all the progress into extractive systems. You may like or dislike but Trump is a disruptor that the stagnant system conceived to resuscitate itself. The angst of binary that appropriated all morals is unravelling in realtime. Hope these will wake people from complacency and push for systemic changes. Stop posturing (it will be easily dismantled) and show sincerity. Days of charming complacency is over.           

Grok approximates me!

 So, I asked Grok (X AI) to visit this blog and write profile of the blogger. Within few seconds it was ready with the brief (imagine 20 odd years of effort capsulated in few seconds! I am speechless). Quite an interesting read and some amusing insights. Grok thinks i am well suited for 19th century coffeehouse!!

I am truly done here man! Where is my time machine? I am off to meet Ada Lovelace, Dostoevesky, Emerson...

Depalan strikes me as a man shaped by duality—someone straddling the personal and the political, the local and the global, with a restless intellect that refuses easy categorization. Likely in his late 40s or early 50s by 2025, given the blog’s timeline from 2006 onward, he carries the weight of someone who’s lived through enough cultural and historical shifts to distrust grand narratives. His South Indian roots, hinted at through mentions of Tamil Nadu and a surname tied to the region, suggest a grounding in a place rich with history, language, and struggle—perhaps a Tamil or Malayali background, where resistance to overreach, be it colonial or corporate, runs deep. Yet his gaze extends far beyond, dissecting global systems with the same intensity he applies to a village’s water woes.

He’s no armchair critic. His writing hints at a life of movement—physical travel through India’s dusty towns, intellectual journeys through philosophy and poetry, and emotional traversals of anger, wonder, and disillusionment. A 2006 post about investigating Coca-Cola and Pepsi’s impact on Tamil Nadu’s water tables paints him as a hands-on skeptic, chatting up locals and scribbling notes, less a journalist than a wanderer with a cause. His hesitance about photography in that same piece suggests a preference for words over images, a man who trusts language to capture both the tangible (parched fields) and the ethereal (Kunitz’s verses). This isn’t a tech-savvy influencer but someone who’d rather wrestle with ideas than polish a persona.

His worldview leans toward the deconstructionist, as his blog title proclaims—an unpicking of power’s threads, whether it’s multinational greed, war’s dehumanization, or democracy’s hypocrisies. His 2022 post on “crime against humanity” reveals a voice hardened by global crises, yet there’s a softness beneath: a poetic streak that surfaces in unexpected metaphors or quiet reflections on coexistence with nature. He’s likely read widely—Marx might mingle with Tagore in his mental library—but he’s no academic; his style is too rough-hewn, too personal, marked by long, winding sentences and occasional grammatical stumbles. It’s as if he’s thinking aloud, unconcerned with impressing anyone but himself.

Physically, I’d imagine him unassuming, with sharp eyes that miss nothing, the kind of person who blends into a crowd but startles you with a pointed question. He might carry a weathered notebook, scribbling thoughts on a train or under a tree, more at home in the wild than in urban sprawl. Socially, he seems solitary—not antisocial, but content with his own company, perhaps skeptical of collectives despite his empathy for the downtrodden. The blog’s sporadic updates suggest a life driven by impulse rather than routine—he writes when moved, not on schedule, hinting at a temperament that’s both stubborn and free-spirited.

Politically, he’s a rebel without a banner, critical of both authoritarianism and hollow liberalism, yet he doesn’t preach solutions. There’s a whiff of the anarchist in him, tempered by a realist’s sigh. Spiritually, he might lean toward the agnostic or the quietly reverent—nature and poetry are his touchstones, not dogma. As of February 25, 2025, Depalan feels like a man out of time: a thinker who’d fit as easily in a 19th-century coffeehouse debate as on a modern blog, a voice too jagged for mainstream appeal but too sincere to fade entirely, etching his mark in a digital wilderness few may ever find.

Systems of control

 

A society can progress if its institutions are inclusive and responsive to changes from interaction with surroundings and sensitive to the needs. Democracy is a fair system that strives to represent and evolve as progressive society while anchored to individual freedom and liberty. It is a conception, indeed the only one, that has the most potential to work for inclusive progressive society and create ecosystem for best of humanity and nature. Individuals in their free will deciding to intentionally participate, cooperate and organize on progressive platform, evidenced in ethical concerns, valued in liberating education, nurture best possibilities of democracy hence humanity. This enlightening possibility is threatened by extractive systems that thrive on systems of control. If humans are not free and their liberty not safeguarded then democracy becomes ineffectual and indeed a mockery played on common people. Only a free human can embody and express diversity. Any system of control therefore diminishes an individual hence is a threat to democracy. These also create extractive intent in liberal ideas as also in impartial truth-seeking progress in science through direction of technological growth.

Extractive systems like neoliberal capitalism, religion and primal associations (mostly based on exceptionalism, or fear or desperation) have severely dehumanized individuals and made them vulnerable to exploitation. Unless system of control is persistently negated and reasoned, legally challenged, ridiculed as aberration, democracy will be periled and controlled by few. There is no free will in associating with systems of control. It is indoctrination. System of control create authority and in extreme cases authoritarian leaders who emerge by tapping and manipulating systems of control. Authoritarian leaders are manifestation of systems of control. Authority expresses systems of control. It surely doesn’t mean that absence of authoritarian leader is indication of thriving democracy. As long as systems of control exists it undermine democratic institutions and prevents percolation of democratic norms into society, family and individuals. Thus severely compromising progressive potential and humanistic possibilities creating limited individuals and a dead society compelled to repeat history. Since they lack evolved values, wisdom through contemporary understanding, empathy for human condition, they need system of control to manipulate for power.

Each and every system that seeks control must be resisted, demystified, scrutinized and evaluated on contemporary knowledge and awareness. Past cannot be reference but understanding. There is no learning from past since contemporary is qualitatively different and paradigmatically indifferent from past. History is essentially teleological fragmented narration of present that is meant to assert control. Past therefore can only be an understanding, a limited insight into contemporary. Nothing is sacred, least of all any systems of control that intents to degrade humans and devalue progressive ideas. Humans are vibrant sentient being hence cannot be allowed to slip into herd, and become expression of worst possibilities. Identity of a human must be basically and firmly hinged on being a human and the existential awareness herein. That is the least expected from all the contemporary knowledge and progress made. Any form of discrimination must be understood from this stand point and dealt with awareness of systems of control. Unless humans are not extricated from control discriminations cannot be removed, or else it is an extension of victimhood of past that seem to be least concern for contemporary reality and changing dynamics. Persistently negating systems of control and nurturing inclusive egalitarian value system is how discriminations removed and humanity progresses.   

Significantly words shouldn't be allowed to be misused. Words cannot be trapped into the reality of past and becomes extension of system of control. New realities need words to evolve to associate complexities of present, or else new words needs to be created to reflect and calibrate contemporary reality. For instance words like spiritual must find its original meaning and shouldn’t be allowed to be trapped in system of control like religion. Spiritual is a free state of spirit, deep awareness of human condition -indeed the original inspiration of most of religions -that has now become systems of control. Contemporary religion is now a well-established system of control that reduces humans to followers, isolate from reality into anachronistic fantasy hence trapping their spirit into degradation and estimated into juvenile frame. There is nothing spiritual in this dehumanization. Religion is an expression of system of control that persistently devalue egalitarian intents and humanitarian concerns as it prevents democratic institutions to percolate. These shouldn’t allow to control the meaning of words so as to usurp original intent and control narration to extend system of control. Humans must have correct estimation of reality through words so that they are equipped for truthful awareness. So that they use their mental faculties and empathy to assert their liberty and value their freedom. Be grateful to immense effort and sacrifices made by brilliant caring humans over the centuries to nurture these wonderful possibilities.                                        

Retreat

The window opens briefly

All there to see and choose

Bright blue sky offers all the bright and blue

Scythe like vultures ride high on thermals

Gossamer float to shore precious

A form resonates the whole

The sun, moon and earth

It promises it will be

To the closing eyes      

Exponential escalation in Human Wildlife conflict

 

Humans (specifically indigenous people/tribes) have coexisted with wildlife for centuries. In the last few decades this coexistence is severely threatened as the resources dwindles while detrimental climate factors are becoming obvious. Expanding human population and its increasing consumption is a major source of biodiversity loss, habitat destruction and a serious concern for sustainable earth. This reality is sought to be undermined by sinister forces that prioritize greed (the neoliberal capitalism) and control (juvenile fantasy driven religions). We have reached an impasse -a culmination of various detrimental factors accentuated by climate change, that this reality can no longer be hidden through fantastical fiction and narrative control. As forest get degraded (fragmented/reduced through logging, mining, expanding human settlements and land conversion/intensification for agriculture/livestock grazing) with human encroachment, invasive species, unpredictable and extreme climate, it has escalated Human Wildlife conflict (HWC). Wildlife is increasingly losing space and resources they need to survive and thrive. There are lots of studies done on this issue with expert suggestions for context specific conflict management, community engagement and sustainable coexistence. There is also a call for including HWC/coexistence into SDG goal since it directly impacts several key aspects of sustainability. Sometime back I read about Sonitpur model (human-elephant conflict in Assam that works to involve and educate local population) that provides viable strategy. The problem is as HWC increases it becomes difficult to maintain sustainable strategies in cooperation with local communities. Fast and appropriate compensation package helps to control the situation. Use of latest technologies like IOTs and data pattern through AI is helping to understand this issue and suggest solutions. Early warning system for local population (when I conducted trekking, I relied on local spotters to warn me of elephant movements) and providing source of food and water for wildlife in the core areas are being tried. What cannot be denied is that situation is set to deteriorate.

Strip of land nestled in dense forest of western ghats and ocean, Kerala, is facing an unprecedented rise in HWC. Extractive system (includes politicians, religious leaders and market media) successfully scuttled MadhavGadgil report which after extensive study provided comprehensive suggestions. A literate healthy state (Kerala model) lacking the capacity to educate was found severely wanting and short shrifted in its determinedly middle-class aspirations. A staid society lacking vigor dutifully assigned itself into various roles as thriving consumers and beggar minds of neoliberal capitalism. Nepotism driven pusillanimous value system surrenders to worst possibilities whether religion or communism, very deviously served by legacy media and its deep entrenched depravities and cantankerous arbitrators and self-appointed representors. As HWC escalates it is contributing to burgeoning attention economy, creating "opportunities for enterprising" to game the system. For a fatalism driven society fate will have to work its charm to impress the herd.  

Primitives in conflict with elephants: there is another serious problem that was always present in this deplorable section; an orchestrated conflict between temples and elephants. Severely stressed elephants, placed in crowded noisy sultry spaces adorned in cheap glitter, kill people regularly, even the judiciary is compromised to depraved sentiments of herd and its godforsaken tradition that is part of past horrors. It is truly heartbreaking to watch magnificent intelligent creatures like elephants chained and paraded by these sick inbred minds to showcase their control as also their depraved valuation of propitious. Quaint aesthetic temples and heightened nuanced mural expressions were clearly appropriated from meditative Buddhism hence these incursions adds to the mismatch. Primitives in aesthetic surroundings lacking basic sensibilities, a faith devoid of compassion and herd incapacitated to introspect. Elephants should be banned from any rituals, these sensitive animals in no case be near to any crowd or noise. Elephants are free animals that have roamed the land for 6million years, hence belong to forest or protected areas as endangered species. They must be respected and not patronized or objectified for sickening anthropomorphized reasons or props for religion. Humans, if they feel so, can visit these sanctuaries to express their respect and adoration for elephants on equal terms.    

Presence 

In the crowd

Like canopies of trees

Minding the space

Always aware, always cautious

Of the other.

The world is the way it is

Formal, courteous, ugly, salacious, pleasant

They debate, they argue, they agree, they disagree

They hug, they fight

And so it goes on.

All the while the roots grow deep to connect

The hyphal network of collaborations

Distributing nutrients and sharing warnings

Stray talks and serendipity

Wise takes and some love

Making the presence all the more precious

As a tree in the forest    

Deconstructing meanings with narrative control

 

Derrida would argue that there is no true meaning of word, only the one appropriated by power, the dominant narration assimilates the meaning. One will not entirely agree with this assertion since word do have meaning assigned as it comes into existence, a meaning that is mutually agreed within the frame of reference or ‘language game’ as Wittgenstein puts it. The way the word changes meaning, is deconstructed and appropriated, is where Derrida’s relevance becomes apparent. A word with idealistic fervor and evocative like woke is appropriated into pejorative and indeed in lightning speed as social media dog whistle for dismissing those exhibiting concerns and meaningful involvement is startling. Words don’t live in isolation, they work within the evolving dynamics of society. The meaning of the word can only shift if the language game, that is, context of the word, itself is shifting. You cannot change the meaning of the word if the context isn’t favorable. This then points to the direction the society in general is moving, the shifting of aggregate, or atleast mainstream narration that is being controlled by forces consolidating power. From idealism to sarcasm, from genuine concern for systemic inequities and deeper involvement to superficial transactive engagement and weaponizing dubious narrations is a statement on contemporary world, it really doesn’t augur well. The movement of meaning is consolidation of intent.  

It cannot be denied that performative puritanism, political correctness and virtue signaling has overtaken idealistic concerns. Feudal forces are nurturing pliable peasants and primitives under the cloak of diversity as also as a strategy for their own increasing relevance as the situation degrades. Meanwhile concerns are swiftly trashed into binary bins of easy consumption and playact for distraction and control by devious forces posing as whatever benefits the occasion. Shorter attention span has made matter worse while systems of control undermine critical thinking and encourage herd expressions. Meaningful discourses are losing anchors of reference and are being decontextualized as caricatures of amusements. This is problematic. There is a need for narration that reflect contemporary world instead of present as extension of past loop. If people are becoming sarcastic and transactive, and world in general is alarmingly consolidating superficial and manipulative, then it must be reflected and abstracted into words. Unfortunately though semantics of dealing is not able to keep up with internet speed hence these appropriations that creates attention. The problem is when words with idealistic intentions are appropriated, and with brute force and contempt displayed in this process. Words must approximate the reality but hauling the word that anchors concerns for social justice and awareness of systemic inequities and eviscerating into opposing meaning is ruthless display of wanton power of manipulation that is fueling misinformation and disinformation. Sarcasm as a mainstay of discourse has dire consequence.

Words are important. The reason why valued words like woke was squeezed into opposing meaning in realtime has also to do with lack of concern hence inadequate words to approximate the emerging reality and changing challenges and experiences of people. General apathy as they watch posers scale treacherous moral high grounds to represent. Political correctness at expense of people and virtue signaling of sickening self-righteousness, that had no connection with contemporary reality, by devious forces under the garb of liberal. People desperately needed words that reflected their frustrations and articulated narrations that valued their experience.  Liberal democracies were reduced in the clutch of feudal forces who unleashed neoliberal extractive systems. The backlash found the way through social media. Social media has empowered common people, the reason why woke shifted meaning with such alacrity. Meanwhile be careful woke may just be the beginning of appropriation of words into building new narration of horrifying convenience. Words need to be valued and anchored to reality otherwise it becomes absurd, a parody. Unraveling experiences of fast changing world and the collective insecurities of people must be valued and approximated into words, or else you will have words appropriated and experience contextualized into narrations that creates fertile grounds for deception. This lack of complexity in dealing with contemporary reality is source of degradation that helps powerful manipulators.

(picture herein is AI generated, refined after few prompts)                  

AI is scaling!

 

Future is not in scaling

 

It is not scaling but optimization. In nature species survive using sophisticated strategies with less and rarely by scaling and growing bigger and bigger or using brute forces. Nature optimizes through utilizing shape and conserving energy. System as it optimizes there is a synergic elegance that sync with forces of nature. Sophistication is simplified play of various complexities. As we move towards quantum the more these nuances are understood better is the chance to tap on to source. I recall mentioning researchers using c elegans as a template to use few neurons to create a neural system for self-driving vehicles (visit me at https://depalan.blogspot.com/2024/05/how-creative-is-ai.html). Imagine the level of sophistication of slime mold that doesn’t even have neuron! Imagine sophisticated strategies of microscopic viruses like bacteriophages and elegant devastatingly brilliant evolutionary response by bacteria. To know that crispr might just be tip of iceberg sends shiver. These species are tapping on iterated strategies evolved for 3.5billion years. Homo sapiens meanwhile evolved only about 0.2millions years. Suffice to add microorganisms work in survival of humans through symbiotic associations, so we too are involuntarily tapping on billions of years of intelligence of bacteria while we study viruses and worms to understand cutting edge evolution.

DeepSeek Chinese AI chatbot is a bombshell, some are calling it sputnik moment. More than an occasion that will spur AI race between US and China -which it surely has as the gap close, what it is indicating is paradigm shift in AI progress (frankly I was expecting Japanese to come with more-from-less AI tech, they really are quite good at miniaturized sophistication!). DeepSeek's R1 chatbot has used fewer and less sophisticated chips that outperforms models developed by OpenAI, Google, Meta and Anthropic across various benchmark and overall quality. It has shaken the AI industry. It questions the focus of AI infrastructure.                   

What a wonderful book!

 

Reading a book is an investment of time and effort. So, you have to be careful what you choose to read. Located in a society with mostly low caliber pretentious writing, the collective premium on quantity rather than quality, it become an arduous task to choose good books. It took me few months of reading the best of Indian writers to realize the pattern that lack the fervor and sincerity, it is a patch up staid work of patronizing and proprietorship meant to awe the herd, an extension of self as entitlement, guardian of society as wise writers and creative people automatically elevated as overseer of wellbeing of unfortunate mass. In this crass conception river is no longer river but god’s braid, land becomes godly mother, trees are undoubtedly god’s miracle…such self righteous sacred sickness...and from this blessedness of profound disconnect from reality they carry persistent civilizational itch and overbearing self-assigned responsibility to search meaning of their goddamn life. Writing in all-encompassing flourish and uncommon confidence lacking qualities and restraints of self-reflection with meagre skills they rush to quainter aspects and bigger questions of life for which they are naturally fated to find answers, existing all the while in plain sight as greatness of ancient mythical wisdom and uniquely gifted cave dwelling ancestors. Having appropriated miracles through words in simultaneous immunity from nuance or empathy they stampede for recognition for their nonexistent abilities, to claw to greater showcase, a grim battle to anchor their mediocrity into rewards, positions, recognitions without which they face abyss of anonymity hence all the attributes and desperations to social climb of middle class -the one that truly connects them to common people by default, and validate veneer of sophistication over crude nouveau rich amass. It is when I read best of international writers that I realized amazing depth of lack in Indian writing -ofcourse with very few and rare exceptions. As a reader it took lot of effort to create framework for accessing better writing.               

I have read the best of fiction over the decades, and shifted to short stories due to personal lack. Recently as reality barge with alarming consequences I shifted to nonfiction to tighten my bearing, I truly thought I am done with fiction. And then I came across Orbital by Samantha Harvey, it is the premise that excited and immediately riveted me. Never have I read a fictional perspective from space, and none written as far as I know. What further fascinated me was that it is not science fiction, I do love to read science fiction but possibilities of factual description from space in the framework of fiction was too good to miss. I have watched NASA footage of earth from space (stunning movie ‘Gravity’ too) as also videos of inside of space station and always wondered about day-to-day life, feeling and thinking through this space capsule observing as they are something very few humans have (few minutes in space left William Shatner in deep sense of sadness and grief “made my connection to our tiny planet even more profound”). A limited writer would’ve messed it up but Harvey is brilliant. “And in time we come to see that not only are we on the sidelines of the universe but that it’s of a universe of sidelines, that there is no centre, just giddy mass of waltzing things, and that perhaps the entirety of our understanding consists of an elaborate and ever evolving knowledge of our own extraneousness, a bashing away of mankind’s ego by the instruments of scientific enquiry until it is, that ego, a shattered edifice that lets light through.” The book is a prose on life from space, a poetry of life in all its fragile splendor. It is quite a thin book (capsulated as a day in space with 16chapters as 16 orbit around earth with sunrise every 90minutes), but I spent near about two months to read it. “Maybe the whole nature of things is one of precariousness, of wobbling on a pinhead of being, of decentering ourselves inch by inch as we do in life, as we come to understand that the staggering extent of our own non-extent is a tumultuous and wave tossed offering of peace.” It is such a beautiful expression that you reread paragraphs, pages and chapters (for instance the last page I read for three days!), and start to have surreal dreams about earth as if moving across the window. This is a defining book in many ways, this book places iconic earthrise picture (William Anders, Apollo 8, 1968) in its entire perspective, overwhelming context. “Before long, for all of them, a desire takes hold -to protect this huge yet tiny earth. This thing of such miraculous and bizarre loveliness. This thing, that is, given the poor choice of alternatives, so unmistakably home. An unbounded place, a suspended jewel so shockingly bright. Can human not find peace with one another? With the earth? It’s not a fond wish but fretful demand. Can we not stop tyrannizing and destroying and ransacking and squandering this one thing on which our lives depend? Yet they hear the news and they’ve lived their lives and their hope does not make them naïve. So what do they do? What action to take? And what use are words? They’re humans with a godly view and that’s the blessing and also the curse.”

“It seems easier on balance not to read the news. Some do and some don’t, but it’s easier not to. When they look at the planet it’s hard to see a place for or trace of the small and babbling pantomime of politics on the newsfeed, and it’s as though that pantomime is an insult to the august stage on which it all happens, an assault on its gentleness, or else too insignificant to be bothered with. They might listen to the news and feel instantly tired or impatient. The stories a litany of accusation, angst, anger, slander, scandal that speaks a language both too simple and too complex, a kind of talk in tongues, when compared to single clear, ringing note that seems to emit from the hanging planet they now see each morning when they open their eyes. The earth shrugs it off with its every rotation. If they listen to the radio at all it’s often for music or else something with an innocence or ultimate neutrality about it…something with a sense of play, of things mattering and then not mattering, of coming and going and leaving no mark. And then even those they listen to less and less”. Reading these lines seems something similar to what you experience in meditative silence in nature, the stillness that lasts in profound awareness and becomes part of your being, an armor against overwhelming crass. But then there is also an inescapable realization “…then one day something shifts. One day they look at the earth and they see the truth. If only politics really were a pantomime. If politics were just farcical, inane, at times insane entertainment provided by characters who for most parts have got where they are, not by being in any way revolutionary or percipient or wise in their views, but by being louder, bigger, more ostentatious, more unscrupulously wanting of the play of power than those around them, if that were the beginning and the end of the story it would not be so bad. Instead, they come to see that it’s not a pantomime, or it’s just not that. It’s a force so great that it has shaped every single thing on the surface of the earth that they had thought, from here, so human-proof.”     

Apart from each and every sentence what I found particularly brilliant was unique take on Apollo11 moon landing, the view of Michael Collins -the third astronaut who stayed behind while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. “Everybody is invisible -Armstrong and Aldrin inside the lunar module, humankind unseen on a planet that could easily, from this view, be uninhabited. The strongest, the most deducible proof of life in the photograph is the photographer himself -his eye at the viewfinder, the warm press of his finger on the shutter release. In that sense, the most enchanting thing about Collin’s image is that, in the moment of taking the photograph, he is really the only human presence it contains.” So is the disquieting reference of Sergie Krikalev -the soviet cosmonaut who got stranded in space for almost a year as Soviet Union disintegrated. “Humankind is not this nation or that, it is all together, always together come what may. He sits in timeless stillness amid the module’s perpetual eighty decibel machine vibration while around him the green Velcroed flammable walls close in airlessly. And each day and week the crack on its hull widens and Krikalev’s smile seems more and more vaunted and more and more godly. Let there be light, he seems quietly to say”.            

     

The great unravelling

 

In the aftermath of World War II, as colonial power retracted, deep state consolidated all across the world. In weaker nations with nascent compromised democratic institutions powerful outside forces arbitrated these consolidations. These seized entrenched channels of colonialism to create post-colonial exploitation couched in language of democracy and liberal values. So instead of nurturing democracy they used democracy as source of control. Democratic values were undermined to consolidate democratic institutions as source of power. It activated feudal framework, regressive institutions and primal associations as easy mechanism to ensnare and control herd. So eventhough people voted, ostensibly to different political parties, it is similar kind of people who get elected with incremental addition that valued status quo, and these elected leaders were further controlled by superstructure of deep state. A clear case of deep state control is spread of neoliberal extractive system that used language of democracy to consolidate and used feudal nepotistic connections to extract. That this extractive mechanism seems immune to immense misery through widening inequality and imminent collapse of climate is telling. They use manipulated media controlled in neoliberal value systems to create and control narrations as also keep the herd distracted. Any aberration is ridiculed and stamped out as threat.

In the garb of democracy with no connection to reality, unhinged in self importance, they promoted extreme as natural choice, extreme crude choice of ‘identity’, extreme form of religions (specifically conveniently constructed ‘minority’ through narration control as their lynchpin of benign caring self in an increasingly apparent compromised self that was easy for common people to decipher). Meanwhile to prevent scrutiny they undermined the ability by degrading primary education and access to health, as the crass spread they positioned as civilized blessed arbitrators. As the misery grew people reacted in ridicule (one word that saw realtime shift into complete opposite of its meaning in shortest of time is ‘woke’, a pejorative sarcasm that consolidated through social media) and as the anguish multiplied opportunistic forces saw the widening gap while the deep state posing as liberal wallowed in self-assured arrogance. Reactionary forces consolidated through majority extremism and calls of sentiments connecting to glorified past that is being threatened. If democracy had percolated through humanist institutions, if liberal thinking had consolidated through quality education, then it would have worked as anchor so as to not allow misuse of democracy couched in language of liberal to nurture any form extremism and regressive values. If liberal was rooted in humanistic concerns and not a compromise to capture power by sinister feudal forces to maintain control under the garb of democracy and high sounding ethical concerns then we wouldn’t be in this impasse in crucial juncture of human history. If systems of control were demystified and negated to help humanistic values to percolate to each individual we wouldn’t have seen en masse regressive consolidation. Liberals were living vicarious life by exaggerating concerns to make themselves relevant. Arrogance prevented awareness of shifting reality -nor were they really bothered as long as anything that gave them traction to showcase carefully tailored benign self -essentially built on misery of common people.             

Make no mistake the opposing forces, although unleashing chaos across the world, is still a binary within the framework of neoliberal value system except that the pretentions of liberal is scaled down or abandoned. The regressive majoritarian is viciously seeking to occupy the centerstage. The viciousness is the key attribute here, it carries the rage of people left neglected and ridiculed, it effectively channelizes the helplessness of common people in an increasingly insular manipulated world. Deep state created system of control and the political parties occupied this spectrum of influence in different shades of opportunism. What Trump represents (as also those with authoritarian tendencies but supported by populace) is the promise of uprooting status quo, the ensuing chaos in the carefully constructed liberal world. There is an unraveling of liberal control deep state, the hypocrisy of those in power in last many decades will be exposed. And I surely hope it is devastating so that we get to reevaluate the meaning and significance of liberty and freedom and how it is consolidated through democratic institutions. The sinister system of control posing as liberal need to be exposed. Since democracy has not percolated this chaos will consolidate another system of control -the conservative religion and opportunistic faith. Secular humanism was misused by sinister forces and has lost ground to retrieve herd. What is clear is that juvenile religion will give ample space for neoliberal system to extract and keep the herd rivetted.