Stop invoking history

 

The thing about dominating forces is their concern for history –in the process cleverly detaching from present, as also their confidence in complete control to dictate the present narration into future. Posing as righteous they value history as sole witness of their actions. Present is too insignificant, too incapable, for evaluating their actions -which ofcourse is mystified as it is blessed. Present is devalued, thrashed and made to fit in for the lens of history meanwhile exacting nefarious plans. History is a concern for narcissist who deem themselves as specially entitlement to decide the course for humanity and that their actions are beyond the conceptions of others -least the common populace. Thinking of present from the prism of distant future is a luxury, an indulgence, of megalomaniacal minds. It conveniently and purposely negates complexity of present into a single strand of possibility that history is expected to authenticate, hence the clairvoyant sagacity of perpetrators. Pity these people. They also have arrogant concerns for their legacy and their actions are calibrated as a pose for posterity at a great cost.

Yes some actions do change course of mainstream history but it is mostly exaggerated. History is too narrow an evaluation for complexity of humanity, the everchanging world. Much of humanity live hidden from the radar of mainstream history, isolated from its carefully calibrated concerns. This living ‘history’ –living with complexities of present, contributes to consolidation of vibrant unique culture and value systems. Historians exaggerate, indeed eulogize (particularly when the present of the society is too primitive and insecure), kings, wars and dynasties as defining passage of time. This is a sham concocted by sinister forces and does immense damage on younger generations as it capsulate humanity’s past into few megalomaniacs and nurture whims of feudal structures as defining. It poses these medieval brutal forces as presenting meaning for contemporary wherein these miserable were coping with brutal realities of their condition with limited wherewithal. Hinging contemporary discourse into claims of history is spurious, it is a sinister distraction. History will be stridently vehemently desiccated, eviscerated, and shredded in the light of the present and evaluated with and measured in value of life.

World has never witnessed such destructive capacity in the hands of few, as we see now, that could completely obliterate life on planet. Meanwhile climate catastrophes severely undermine future. Future with any semblance of present seems a luxury. If such is the complexity of present that future looks bleak for much of humanity it puts in frame the audacity of megalomaniac’s self assured claim of posterity lighting a beacon of grace for their irresponsible actions that severely peril the present. What could go wrong?

We have a cry baby!

 

No king protest

 Sometimes there is glitch in matrix and presents delectable coincidences that hold significant lessons for humanity. Charles and Trump shared birthday on the same day! They arranged military parade (feudal reference that generally are displayed in poorer countries to keep plebs occupied and connect to national pride in its basic reference of potential for violence and sense of security under paternalist state), ofcourse if there is cultural display that showcases rich diversity of the country and occasion for general bonhomie then it is welcomed and tolerable. Both these were cringe inducing senseless display of theatrics of grand that contributed to much greenhouse gas. Trump is a wannabe authoritarian who was carefully nurtured by neoliberal capitalism that (like religion) uses democracy for its nefarious control. Trump is a simplistic semiliterate marketeer who understands value of transaction, he is an embodiment of neoliberal transactional value system. There is no complexity, no knowledge, no understanding, no ethics, just the immediate goal -which necessarily is greed/control/power. He is a danger that system has birthed, and now grown beyond the system as unhinged loose cannon -which is ofcourse a good thing as along as it is cannibalising and destroys the system that is necessarily an elite consensus destroying planet.

 Now let us focus our attention to these lip-smacking pictures that british eloi so graciously enacts for the world. Let me make one thing clear I have nothing personally against Mr. Charles, or any other individual connected to feudal structure, they may be nice people or not I don’t know (I am just one in 7billion people located in some remote part of the world looking at the world in increasing amusement!) my concern is feudal structure and its implication on the world –particularly when these are powerful prominent presence. These anachronistic feudal structures are doing much harm to the world as they negate egalitarian values and stand as direct opposition and strident negation of democratic institutions and individual liberty –ascriptive values are constant threat to just world and shouldn’t have any place in 21^st century. They undermine humanity in every possible way. In this picture British PM –an elected representative (as also a emulative reference for former colonies on ideals of democracy as they have embryonic connections), is seen cringe supplicating before a man who is half her age and essentially there for the reason of birth (a reference for exceptionalism -supremacist values, and ascriptive entitlements that are fertile ground for feudal exploitation in poorer societies) –again as a person he may be nice or not is not the concern here. The second picture is benign, though Trump has funny ideas of himself as king –a lifelong president/ruler, a dictator. Starmer comes from hallowed tradition of supplicating to feudal authority but in here he is not emulating medieval theatrics to a wannabe. He is being decent, also considering Trump is an elderly fellow (it is also conceivable that Trump has dropped it purposely to create this very scene to show himself as ‘dominant’, hence conception of leader for the herd –anything is possible when dealing with reptilian hunter gatherer mind). It is also ironical hypocrisy that british neoliberal left media celebrates US egalitarian 'no king' protest. Authoritarian leaders generally take reference from past brutalities for control. Feudal structures are nurturers of these ideas of exceptionalism. 

Earth is such a beautiful place 

 

Where are we going?

 

Few minutes back President of USA posted this. I, like billions of common people across the world, don't know what to make of this troubling fast unfolding situation. 

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Alarm calls are getting louder

For last few days I am reading this amazing book that I ordered online (this is the amazing thing about buying online you can get rare and brilliant writers from anywhere in the world within few days –you are no longer in deep pit of Indian mediocre writing. Even a decade back you had to struggle to get a book and eventually give up after making rounds of bookstalls…I recall getting a desperately wanted rare book from South America from a person I randomly met and went out few times!). So here I am into a book that is absolutely besotted to Peregrine Falcon/tiercel (The Peregrine; JA Baker), his obsession to this bird is a unique form of writing –indeed brilliant, that I am yet to encounter (I have read many brilliant Indian writers on birds like Salim Ali, Ranjit Lal, M. Krishnan…so on). This book has since become a classic. Simultaneously I watch the world has become much dangerous as violence escalates to wars. Instability that question entrenched status quo is welcomed, dismantling pan global elite consensus on neoliberal capitalism that is founded on regressive values and nurtured on feudal exploitative structure, the chaos is much needed. Hopefully they churn out something that is reflection of reality and not fiction of unlimited growth. What is alarming is weakening of democratic institutions within nations, as also significantly, the breakdown of diplomatic consensus and restraint among nations. It is a remarkable failure of international community and lack of vision by leaders.

So as I read exquisite details that open up wonders of peregrine hawk I also see distressing videos of escalating war and mayhem while climate catastrophe creates other horror scenes of flooding and heat waves. “For warning…they (peregrine) rely on their remarkably keen hearing and on the alarm calls of other birds”, so the awareness of danger is from two sources, their own acute senses as also connection with reality of the world they live in. There are clear indication that world around us is collapsing, resilience of life giving ecosystem is diminishing, biomass diversity is reducing and species are vanishing. You can observe it by not seeing many species (like insects, birds so on) that you used to see and hear before. You can understand it by using critical faculties and reading extensively on these matters from people who have spent years researching and scientists who studied these minutely and reached a peer reviewed consensus, as also passionate people who have used innovative skills and ways to communicate the urgency of the matter. If you lack this basic sense then you are incapacitated to hear the warning. You also have to investigate the systems that incapacitate humans to hear and see the warning. How have their senses become so blunt, that they are so dehumanized, to use basic faculties? In nature there are two types of species which help humans understand condition of immediate environment. Indicator species like lichens tell us about quality of ecosystem. How people are reacting, responding and compromising with overwhelming systems that controls, tells us about condition of society and how much democratic humanistic concerns are valued. Clearly something is amiss. Sentinel species are the one that tells about dangerous environment, they detect toxic presence like canary in cave. There are prescient people with heightened sensibilities that connect to complexities of reality who keep warning us of the dangers. In an attention seeking economy and overwhelming crass these too are submerged by mediocre who caricature them for gain. Fortunately for humanity these wonderful people are nurtured and valued in evolved societies. They are making all efforts through their presence to warn us. I read them in their writing, hear them in their talks, watch them in their expressions, sense them in their art…the alarm calls are getting louder. If humans have senses even minutely as acute as peregrine falcon they will be alert. If they have any responsibility they will actively demystify and dismantle systems that blunt human sensibilities and negate humanity. Violence is a symptom of deep flaw and natural outlet of deviant systems. 

“I saw his colours clearly in the brilliant light: back and secondaries rich burnt sienna; primaries black; underparts ochreous yellow, streaked with arrowheads of tawny brown. Down the pale cheeks the long dark triangles of the moustachial lobes depended from the polished sun-reflecting eyes. Through the smoke, through the spray, he glided over the wall in a smooth outpouring, like water gliding over stone. The wader shimmered to earth, and slept. The hawk’s plumage stained through shadows of smoke, gleamed like mail in glittering spray. He flew out in the grip of the gale, flicking low across the rising tide. He slashed at a floating gull, and would have plucked it from water if it had not flown up at once. He flickered out into the light, a small dark blemish diminishing along the great sword of sun-dazzle that lay across the estuary from south”.  Phew, now that is some evocative writing!                               

 

Uncertain times, entropy, chaos…

 

As the systems are shaken there is a general view that we have entered uncertain times! To make it clear world was always uncertain. Life lives by negotiating edges of ever present chaos. That is how species evolve by being under constant loop with ever changing reality. Indeed most human being live with amazing insecurities, negotiating life as it presents. It is very few who are controlling and negotiating the systems that find themselves suddenly thrown into chaos. With Trump blasting neoliberal ecosystem of understanding of Left and Right with his carefully nurtured transactional world view, add to the uncertainties of climate breakdown, AI, as also herd getting weaponised through social media thus giving new vigor to atavistic concerns and juvenile preoccupations of religion. Delicately balanced political correctness (the consequences of which were delegated to common people) is now collapsed under woke debris. This stable world that was orchestrated as “progress” was very much confined to few, ofcourse much of the world is relatively better off thanks to comforts and conveniences provided by innovative technologies, socialist concerns of state across most of the world, and egalitarian value system in some societies that create resilience and social safety net. What is more this growth was hinged on unlimited supply. This unlimited supply for unlimited neoliberal growth was to be provided by exploiting earth and people. Clearly life giving ecosystems are collapsing as also income disparities have increased. Neoliberal capitalism was kept isolated from reality through wanton exploitations -that created spurts of material benefits, while morphing these through sophisticated economic jargons of development and management language of efficiency, and creating incentive to join the system to be successful –for which religion provided compelling validation. 

Systems need to be in constant feedback loop with ever changing reality and is dynamic to factor in fast changing complexities. If it is meant to provide security for few and creating illusion for most then it will collapse the moment reality strikes. The myth/fiction will not sustain. There is an urgent need for capitalism to factor in socialist concerns that create inclusive society as also values collective actions and emerging concerns while maintaining individual ingenuity and liberty. Dee Hock was an amazing guy, he proposed chaordic manager (chaordic organization) –to engage chaos and working out order herein or let’s say meaningful pattern. This is qualitative shift from sedate corporate manager who is expected to work in stable extractive world to balance control and order. Chaordic is a significant understanding; maybe what we need is a chaordic capitalism as the world shifts closer to chaotic reality. Accept chaos –entropy is a reality, create systems to factor in chaos and try to find meaningful patterns to work out a sustainable strategy.              

Redefining framework of discourse

 

There is a renewed vigorous attempt by devious forces to play savior by controlling vestigial narration into contemporary. Invoking words with loaded meaning from past that has no connection with the realities of present other than keeping their own significance as also estimating and trapping common people as unthinking herd. Words like antisemitism cannot be allowed to be used as if nothing has changed in the world in last many decades. The context of the world we live in 21^st century cannot be allowed to be pulled into horrors of past to create narration that has no semblance to people’s reality. These words undermine and dilute the complexities of the world we live in. Religion is not sacred nor is Judaism nor jews (nor criticism of Israel be automatically deemed as criticism of jews). References to Nazi or Hitler shouldn’t be allowed to be reduced as mere antisemitism hence frozen into specific context of history. These are threat to humanity (it is a threat to each and every human), and must be dealt in within the ambit of rule of law. There nothing more to it. This attempt to haul in decomposed baggage of history through sophisticated semantics –these intellectual jargons are meant to obfuscate reality into convenient frame, to establish sterling historicity defining presence. Every attempt to alter reality to fit in concerns of past must be resisted. That doesn’t mean history is not important, its importance is only in understanding and not keeping it alive by extending meanings of words from past. This completely bypasses human understanding and changed realities of present. It is a sinister attempt to undermine human progress and control people as puppets. What has happened in history must be understood and kept away from present; it’s a closed chapter and shouldn’t be allowed to claim anything. Present must be dealt with egalitarian values and stringent rule of law using latest technology. An incapacitated society and a vacant ruing civilization keeps invoking the grandeur or grievance of past. It is meant to keep the herd occupied. 

Serious concerns like discrimination must be dealt with tools that sync in with the realities of present. There is an industry functioning that evaluate everything in the light of dead past to replicate and perpetuate horrors of the past. It is a failure of present if history has to be invoked. History only becomes significant, and repeats, when people are reduced to herds, when people are not vigilant and complacent and fall for easy narration of pattern from past. Atrophying religions have strange claims of their myths through history, and are nurtured by left to centralize history to constantly diminish the present. Definition of antisemitism cannot be allowed to frozen in the past and treated as some sort of fragile concept, it will have to face the rigor of the present, and redefined upgraded to meaningful definition of the contemporary or else it is a sinister attempt to replicate past by converting people into herd. Nazi were antisemitic and responsible for genocide of Jews. It is one of the horrifying chapters of human history. The attempt here is not to deny horror of holocaust but to dissociate from dangerous repetitions of past. It is an attempt to reframe framework of discourse so as to not negate the contemporary. Therefore in the contemporary world Nazi salute cannot be seen as antisemitic. It must be seen as a caricature of past that shouldn’t be given the import it craves. It is definitely an assault on humanity as it reminiscence horror of past and an attempt to recreate therefore highly objectionable and must be stringently dealt. The shift from framework of specificity of history, from context and concerns of past, to secular universal relevance and humanist concerns of present is a significant step that must be acknowledged. Invoking the history of genocide against jews as only relevant to jews undermines contemporary humanity and attempts to replicate failure of past. It acts to segregate humans into unthinking compassionless people dictated by fate of history, herds controlled by devious narration controllers. In the contemporary understanding prejudice is directed against a human, and cannot be against religion since religion has factors working which can be fertile source of prejudice which the concerned religion will have to deal and investigate the source of prejudice. Prejudice against a human is against his or her being like gender, skin color so on hence against humanity. A person from any religion is human first, and that concern frames the response.  

Religion cannot claim to be discriminated; it is the people who are discriminated not the system. Also beware of the clever attempt to create binary narration for Islamophobia; it has very less to do with realities and context of antisemitism nor can these two religions be equated –it is false equivalence to hide dangers of Islamism. Discrimination must be addressed and dealt with care without normalizing systems of control. As humanity evolves contemporary world should be equipped to explore tribulations of human condition, rather than easy anachronistic fixes and complacent replication of primitive past. We must use our intelligence and be alert against nefarious forces particularly the narcist ones in the cloak of saviors. Meanwhile religion and supremacist values must be constantly reminded of its limitations within rule of law and doesn’t have any special claim whatsoever that undermines human rights and individual freedom and liberty. A thriving humanity will have healthy religiophobia and will resist feudal systems of control. It will have humanist rule of law and empathy driven aesthetic expressions. Critical cases will have to be dealt on case by case basis rather than swept in flourish of narration and attached to broader pattern to create superstructure of concerns. Contemporary world is too complex and connected to have sweeping patterns.

Systems that nurture history to define contemporary must be deconstructed and resisted with full force of humanity as it thrives on dehumanizing contexts. History provides rather minor understanding of present (it is not a guiding force), more of unique context of past, and a significant realization of threat that it carries if replicated. Humanity will have to make all attempts to dissociate from pull of the past –replication can only happen if complexities of present are negated. Present is the best possibility of human history. It has to be understood, cherished, and valued to deal with increasing complexities of future.                             

Rabid frothing of neoliberal muck

 

The most “powerful man” in the world (as defined and nurtured by neoliberal value system) and the most “richest man” in the world (as defined and nurtured by neoliberal value system) are going for each other’s jugular. The ramification is exponential to what is happening on regular basis across the world. These are worst people sorted by the system to ace itself as a self justification, they reflect the crass system. Juxtapose this with degrading of atmosphere and polluting of river, land, air, water, silence and darkness, ensuing breakdown of climate and biodiversity loss, also lack of trust in insular media, the astounding lack of responsibility. These are very much the byproduct of transactional value system, a general lack of self awareness and existential humility. The crass is reaching a critical point, the rabid frothing of neoliberal muck is hitting the roof. As climate breakdown accelerates crude ego maniacal humans are in muck fight, the system has made them ineffective to have even basic sense. Self preservation of the system is at the expense of life on planet.   

For last many decades every transaction is valued on profit (or power accrued which pave way to greed), success in these anchored meanings of deal, fantastical views of religion synced to create world of debauchery, a compelling exceptionalism and supremacist presence. These encroach institutions as extraction including education (classified as human resource) and nature (classified as natural resource) attuned to greed, acquisition and ease of consumption. Words like progress and development were redefined on the parameter of neoliberal capitalism and its egomaniacal assuredness. They undermined democratic institutions, transgressed ethics, nurtured feudal regressive values and enthused hunter gatherer juvenile mindsets.         

Swaying hands, swaying branches

“If you analyse a molecule of chlorophyll, what you get is one hundred thirty six atoms of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen arranged in an exact and complex relationship around a central ring. At the ring’s centre is a single atom of magnesium. Now: if you remove the atom of magnesium and in its exact place put an atom of iron, you get a molecule of haemoglobin. The iron atom combines with all the other atoms to make red blood…” (Annie Dillard Pilgrim in Tinder Creek –what a wonderful book!)  

Maybe, maybe by mistake

A fortunate quirk of nature

An unseen hand

Slice magnesium atom and swap with iron atom

Slice iron atom and swap with magnesium atom

Chlorophyll fills my veins

Blood fill chloroplast

The tree becomes me

I become the tree

While hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, dance unaware

Swaying hands, swaying branches      

 

Nimbostratus shifting to cumulonimbus

 Monsoon is getting erratic, just when the peninsula was preparing for heat waves, there is rush of rains –intense, short with high winds. What used to be stretched out nimbostratus affair – steady moderate redolent dreamy rain, rarely any thunderstorm or high winds -that was mostly confined to NW monsoon, is now overtaken by cumulonimbus intermittent intense dreadful show. It is ofcourse respite from heat for millions of people but along the Western Ghats rains are getting erratic and sinister. Warming Arabian ocean –sea surface temperature, increases moisture in the atmosphere enhancing convective updraft for cumulonimbus and with warm air holding more moisture (7% more with 1degree centigrade warming) hence the intensity of short lived rainfall. Convective storms are brief and swift as it releases energy rapidly through burst of rain and downdrafts as heavy winds -normally wind hovered around 40-50km/hr but now it is mostly 60km/hr and more. Hills of Western Ghats also create localized intense orographic rains –sometimes cloud bursts, in the fragile landslide prone region.

This time around monsoon not only landed on Kerala coast much early but advanced rapidly, accelerating monsoon onset and northern progression. Other global factors like Mascarene high intensification, Somali jet strengthening, favorable MJ oscillation, absence of El Niño, reduced snow cover, so on increase moisture for changing pattern of south west monsoon rains.        

 

 

The word

Words can change world. Words do change world. Atleast it does to me. I felt two fingers probing pockets of my trouser. Two fingers like head of cornered snake rushing for exit, bumping into wall, sneaking, rushing, desperate. The disappointed fingers had moved to the next passenger in the crowded bus. The bus reeked of all kinds of known and unknown smell, it wafted and mixed to create shocking cocktail. So as I was saying words do change world. You may not realize but we shift from one world to another through words. We anchor our world through words. That is nonsense, said the co-passenger, it is our thought that anchor the world. Words are poor effort. Words are too porous to contain a thought. By the time it reaches you much of it is consumed by the noise. So what, shouted the driver, no words have ever helped me. He stopped the crowded bus in the middle of crowded street. People inside the bus and in the street spoke about words, they explained their relation with words, their elations and disappointments. It seemed the world had halted all its business to speak about words. Shopkeepers spoke about words to their customers while in restaurants people stopped eating and spoke about words. New words were floating in the air. These new words brought new meanings that couldn’t fit in the old discourse so it started shedding. It was as if a giant hole was created in the space from where words entered the world and left as if humans were conduit to words. It flitted from person to person emoting their feelings, sometimes anger, sometimes delight. Words ruled the mind. Except. Except the pickpocket whose fingers sneaked, writhed, searched the depths of pockets, handbags and every crevices for hidden, forgotten, saved, valued fiction. Words roll in the grime of reality, evolve, learn to sneak into deeper crevices of thoughts and walled ideas.                              

International Biodiversity Day

 

With biodiversity degrading at an alarming rate due to various factors, very much anthropogenic -increasing human population and consumption economics are major contributors. There is dwindling genetic diversity, vanishing species and ecosystem degradation whether land, freshwater to ocean. With loss of biodiversity the resilience of life is diminished. We are in the midst of 6^th extinction event.  

With heavy pre-monsoon showers little garden snails are out in the open, this one I saw today morning perched on resplendent peacock flower plant (also known as pride of Barbados).   

A walk along the river

I sense my reflection, and a split

Swimming in primordial ocean

A prokaryote, learning to trap sun

A trilobite, assembling my backbone

A tetrapod, adapting the land

A primate, grasping tool

A human

What is that I know?

What fictions I create?

Worlds collapse into one

Random patterns awaken soul

The trees feel in their wood

As much as I in my bone

That magpie robin has sweetest of calls

Indian media is a disgrace

 

I don’t watch TV, so no Indian news channels or any other news channels, stopped it long time back, and so streamline news through various sources from net, and try to verify it (and yes the last post of “designate terrorist” I went by official source. I hope it is verified, not removing it since it doesn’t significantly alter the narration. Pakistan army is very much in cohort with Islamists and undermines civilian authority). They are trying to ensnare people into narration through opinions rather than news as facts –even these prioritized or negated to suit narration. Indian media lack basic professional ethics and behave like street hooligans and hecklers (they now call it godi media as if it is a new phenomenon, previously these were dongi media run by different kind of sycophants -their nautanki change according to demands of power). These do have serious ramification on streets and the way discourse is dealt. If these were sideshow then it is fine –all societies have rogue elements, but what is unfortunate for this nation is that these are mainstream. The core is rotten. They have no care or concern. These people only see opportunism, and neoliberal values have evaluated them as successful on to beleaguered populace. Also beware of neoliberal left sources too. They create binary of concern and use semantics of compassion and sophisticated expressions to enamour audience as some historicity affirming presence, an intellectual opportunism to control narration. They are not crude as neoliberal right but ridiculous and equally sinister in their intent. Indeed, neoliberal left “The Hindu” was source of devious disinformation (while islamophilia afflicted british eloi "The Guardian" is working its sinister empire building narration).           

Verifying facts, basic decency in discourse, and trying to understand the issue without fear or favor for people to judge, as also show empathy and concern, is how news must be dealt. Neoliberal right Indian media lack any of these. They are a disgrace. In this instance they brought disgrace to the nation. If they have any decency they must apologize.

*A personalized news- AI news agent, is what I need that keeps me updated to what is significant to the world (decided by the impact) as also to me (for instance I prefer news related to climate, technology, science, nature so on, strictly no nonsense like cricket, movies as news, nor interested in views of some politicians –official statement maybe) –international, national, local news, consolidated into gist with verified facts. I will seek opinion and views from people whom I prefer and if needed indepth from various credible sources.