Bob Beamon declares it open

 

So, the exciting field events have started. It’s about running fast, jumping high, throw farther…there is no complication here you have to run fast, jump high, throw farther…that anyone anywhere in the world with an intact human body is capable of, and that is what makes it so riveting. It is what we are. Athletics is closest to what it means to be human being, the remarkable capacity of physical body. All sports are expression of human body but athletics is accessible to all. There is a primal connection with each viewer, it is a link that reminds of our resilience and thousands of years of journey of survival overcoming brutal forces of nature. Progress of sapiens is very much about intricate brain that freed mind from body to think, but feats of human body cannot be undermined, quite appropriately Bob Beamon led the scene.

It is amazing to watch the best of people express possibilities of body.  At the pinnacle of sport, the binary of winning and losing doesn’t make any sense and really doesn’t matter. The difference between the top few is quite insignificant. If you have done your best, you have done well. This doesn’t mean it is not about participation. You have to perform to your best. Which means best has to be good enough and an expression of collective possibility of human body through strive and excellence in chosen field. People finishing too far from the best are in the wrong place. Watching those in the zone pushing the boundary of possibility is a pleasure to watch. It is amazingly beautiful. I was watching Simone Miles. There was a glitch in the uneven bar, bend knees -just shows human frailty despite amazing capacity, and she slipped in ranking but covered with astounding floor routine (it was anything but routine). Though Andrade and Lee, and few more, were equally good, Miles stood out -she I believe like Beaman, Phelps, Bolt…is once in a lifetime talent. Pushing possibilities, a notch up, for humanity to catch, making the impossible normal, same when a precocious human took a bipedal step, sowed first wild seed to grow food, bold enough to look up at the stars to see a pattern and try to use his/her critical faculties to access speck of vast reality, to see rising water vapor and wonder the possibilities of energy that could drive tons of weight, with searing power of imagination and delicate choice of words “A moment -we uncertain step For the newness of night -Then fit our Vision to the Dark…” shifted the world a little. There are few people who stretch human imagination. Essentially these are not few they are many who work to create framework for this possibility, it's incremental mostly but once in a while, like a mutation, a leap is taken into the unknown for the world to cling to new possibility. So, to class it into binary of winning and losing is futile. It is a celebration of possibilities.

Researchers and epidemiologists have pointed to certain regions in the world for new type of viruses and bacteria to evolve and cross over to human to trigger pandemic. There are some defining characteristic to the region, significant being presence of high diversity and intense channels of exchange of microorganisms. These lead to new possibilities of microorganism to evolve and spread fast, sometimes leading to such evolution that completely break human immune system. These regions are vibrant with possibilities of new. I vaguely recall while reading Pearl Buck (I picked from pavement sale) there was mention on regions in the world with possibilities of new ideas and talent. A region with diversity, essential openness to thoughts and ideas, and bizarre, these are essential to abstract pathbreaking novel. Diversity is important ingredient, not the degrading insipid diversity of religion nor status quo stale traditions (or the cesspool diversity normalized by word defecating vermins) but vibrancy of thoughts from different races, regions, of world carrying fresh experiences, new vitality of culture and understanding, and assimilating and creating new possibilities. Such regions are treasured places for humanity. From ancient times (whether Egypt or Greece, buddhist centers from India to China to East Asia) to medieval times (in Europe like Vienna or later Paris) to modern (earlier London to later NewYork), to point few centers that created such spaces. Libraries did reduce the distance and time, but it is internet that made space and time meaningless, it has consolidated collective human mind. The reason why humanity is living in high possibility of new that was never possible. Novel ideas, original thoughts, unique creative expressions, travels and ricochets across the world instantly entering more number of minds than ever before. This with AI -like Alphafold, makes it accessible to anyone anywhere across the world to take it up. Truly amazing.  

**some Indians too have done exceedingly well particularly in shooting, archery and badminton, they may not have converted into medals but are in the zone of excellence, they gave their best and did well, that is what matters. Some faltered not in talent but psychological pressure -which unlike other region of the world carries aspiration of more than billion beleaguered people, so the competitors from China or Korea or US or Australia (to whom they generally lose) have no such mental pressure whatsoever. In this context the performance Manu Bhaker is stupendous, this youngster won two bronze and narrowly missed third. To put it in perspective only two decades back India could manage only one bronze in the entire game! Also note, most Indian participants come from extremely humble background so the expectation from these youngsters must be extraordinarily. Even after performing well, take for instance VijayKumar (silver medal at London Olympics), they are swiftly sidelined by mediocrity thriving careless system. The despicables in cash fattened Indian army found him wanting. Ideally Neeraj Chopra should show middle finger to Indian Army and quit. He may not realize that he has done more to Indian army than they can ever possibly redeem, it is well past emotional gratitude trap (Also, NDRF must have complete control of disaster management and rescue, and is upgraded into separate force, Army is meant to protect border and not to play savior during floods/landslide). 

Also note that this is an overwhelmingly mediocrity thriving society -that is kept in the stranglehold of absolute wastrels as moral arbitrators and nurturers of value system. As sports and awareness percolates and stranglehold loosens talent will find ways to showcase. But the sinister control finds its expression under the garb of media (arguable one the worst and most irresponsible media in the world, lacking talent, sensibility or vigor. Worst are found in other parts of the world too but they also have essential pool of talent. In India best is always rare and exception, and a threat to mediocres and will be squashed at the earliest occasion). Take this news of Simone Miles winning gold in Olympics (more than winning gold, it is the valuable moment in history of a special talent). This is the heading (pic herein). The necklace made of 546 diamonds -with picture, winning gold medal is secondary, ofcourse even Simone Miles is peripheral to diamonds! Imagine these people. The degraded minds at work. They channelize it for the herd to percolate the value system. These mediocres were controlling the narration for decades, now thankfully increasingly weakened by social media. They though do have some influence over herd manipulating career politicians and cheap attention seekers. They seek special privileges as fourth pillar of democracy!         

Trees kill people!

 

This is the conclusion of pretentious mediocre legacy media in the aftermath of major landslide that killed around 200-the fatalities keep rising as many are missing, injured hundreds and left thousands bereaved and cataclysmically changed their life. To make such appalling statements in the midst of human tragedy adds to ridicule gravity of crisis and meant to mock people by entitled insular primitives posing as media. To be fair the intention was to ridicule MadhavGadgil report -as they have persistently done for last many years, it was preemptive attempt as the report gains credence among people facing the fury of nature. A well-fed neoliberal lobby is working to feed the greed, as also tighten their sinister influence over self-serving insidious narration. This christian controlled media is quite influential in Kerala as it runs many milch outlets and has a significant control over narration -which ofcourse is weakening with rise of social media. They have major role in degradation of Kerala into cesspool of pathetic, and its incapacity to capitalize literacy into education, meanwhile also effectively using ‘minority’ status to play liberal-secular savior with easy mix of wanton consumerism that pitiable people are addicted to. Also recall that Church was very much against MadhavGadgil report and were central to orchestrated protests. It is but natural that primal connection with media will be displayed.

Subjectfying reality is the first assault on fact, in the aftermath of tragedy, the chaos, desperation, the reality is fluid, when raw emotions is seeking reasons and assuredness. This is the right occasion to murky the scene before the narration gets consolidated, rest is easy since herd lacks critical thinking. They very conveniently use nutcases in social media to create suitable narration. With wide spectrum of nutcases, bizarre and ridiculous thriving in social media you can easily select and connect few to patch up narration you prefer and create news for herd to consume. It is a compelling con work (visit to read https://www.manoramaonline.com/environment/environment-news/2024/07/31/madhav-gadgil-predictions-wayanad-tragedy.html). Under ‘Environment news’ -meaning not that important a subsection of main news, even after major disaster they have admirably kept the silos intact, so the deaths are environmental deaths(!), that would keep sacred silos like economy, politics, neoliberal capitalisms, development etc. pristine pure. The article is under clickbait quote of Madhav Gadgil, so the readers may think Gadgil was right and would go for the details, it’s a trap, the article is a hit job to ridicule Gadgil using shoulder of nutcases in social media (it’s recurrent pattern these days to create bizarre ‘news’ to keep herd occupied in muck). Dismissing Gadgil it says “global temperature rise leading to climate change is the reason for landslide and it has nothing to do with destruction of Western ghats”, an amazing argument that is being validated as news by influential regrettable legacy media. The argument runs parallel to fossil fuel guzzling horrible people from US to Arabia -entitled with disease of exceptionalism, who dismiss climate change and position these as subjective argument, debatable, and were indeed quite successful in feeding influential media outlets across the world till recently, even undermining compelling scientific studies and overwhelming consensus by scientists across the world. The increasing vehemence of indigenous and vociferous voices of youth, as also increasing climate disasters, shifted the ‘debate’, and has nothing to do with media ethics. So now the cunning is shifting the narration: what can we do “these are international problems” -the blame is shifted somewhere else to support exploitation of the region by the powerful through compliant corrupt system. The argument is extended meticulously in scientific tone (which I translate from original Malayalam, while I wonder whether these are random nutcase from social media, isn't there a deeper force working?) “as the temperature of Arabian sea increases, rate of cloud formation increases, and these move to Kerala and are prevented by Western ghats and hence lead to deluge and cloudbursts. Earth cannot absorb such surge of rainwater hence it is released as flood hence landslide”. There is a condescending tone, ‘this is not a new understanding, it is something we have learned in school”, so we don’t fancy experts, it is akin to brahmand level ‘native intelligence’ that some diseased dimwits flout to showcase special entitlements. They also ridicule that those who are ‘pasting posters claiming destruction of western ghats as the reason for disasters must be referred to psychiatrists’, such is the self-assuredness of their claim that is provided platform by legacy media, and in the same breath they pontificate that the “reason for such high fatalities is large number of uprooted trees crushing people!”. These are the people who want others to be referred to psychiatrists! The audacity despite lack of intellect or basic intelligence is characteristic feature of entitled, they also expertise in playact humility. You will find such nutcases around you all the time and to keep oneself immune to these in an overwhelmingly mediocrity thriving society is an onerous task made difficult when legacy media elevates them. They satiate their attention seeking desires at serious expense to society. And then to top it all instead of sincerely focusing on comprehensive understanding on Gadgil report including issue of demarcation of sensitive zones, forest fragmentation, converting to tea estates/resorts, constructing activities (infact apart from wanton construction there are unauthorized construction and illegal encroachments of fragile ecosystem, the region of impact didn’t have much of quarrying hence nutcases are being activated and platformed. Mining, rock quarrying and sand mining continues with policy makers diluting the law and even allowing illegal industry to thrive), conservation of endemic species, biodiversity conservation so on, so that people understand importance of Western Ghats and fragile ecosystem and why we have a collective responsibility, the media list these minor points (in the context of issue discussed thus an attempt to undermine, construct ridiculous in the template of school children homework) as recommended by Gadgil report (this while elaborating in detail on climate change and how we cannot be held responsible): don’t allow GM crops in Western ghats, stop use of plastic bags, don’t allow public property into private, stop new encroachment (emphasis here is earlier forest-converted-land can continue wantonly), river water pollution must be stopped, shift from chemical to organic fertilizers, people with more than two cattle must be helped to have biogas plants, promote solar energy, ban use of explosives to catch fish, don’t allow new mining license (implication is old can continue in sensitive zones)…so on. This is how they have diluted the report in the favour of those wantonly exploiting western ghats. It is DIY, easy to understand, without wasting your time template. Become a good citizen, and leave bigger matter to us. 

So what can we do except praying and upgrade fate, hence construct more churches, temples and mosques etc. Keep the herd distracted and isolated from reality with fun and frolic as news and entertainment, and when tragedy strikes bring out riveting stories of suffering with intrusive videos and pictures, and emphasis divine role of fate. Afterall what can we do when climate change is beyond us? We are trained to salivate at blessedness when crude amazingly mediocre attention seeking sundry buy latest fossil fuel guzzler luxury vehicle and is a news.                        

 

**When I was a kid one of the quiz related questions was about largest selling newspaper in India, it actually shocked everybody that this Malayalam newspaper from little state in south India topped the list. And then teacher would ask ‘anyone from Kerala in the class?”, and for a kid it was moment of pride, now increasingly clear misplaced, regrettable and sickening. It’s good that the readership and stranglehold of these sinister legacy media is dropping and mostly confined to elder generation. Like Kasturi&Sons they too can start investing in local kirana store rather than playing high moral saviors. Except herd seeking career politicians and attention seeking parasites nobody takes them seriously. Indeed, this degraded society has many media outlets oozing out of putrid pits as diversity pus that infects readers into self-assured literate incorrigible primitives.         

Killer landslides

 

Madhav Gadgil is an ecologist, an expert in his field, he did meticulous study of Western Ghats, spent years travelling the region and came out with a timely report. The report (with other experts as members) is a bench mark on conservation of Western ghats. So, what did the government do? They appointed former ISRO head (to call these people scientist is an insult, don’t think these pitiable ritualists understand significance of being a scientist), the fellow used space map/technology to mark out ‘green area’ and worked his presentable report. Basically, it was a hit job for the government without understanding of ground reality or any inclination what he was doing nor implication of his con act. It shows ethical values of former ISRO employee (and so the present govt even found him suitable, over competent educationists active in the field, to prepare policy report on education, such is the influence our man has built up over the years!). Not at all surprising since these people are nurtured by government, politicians, deep state agencies hence they are all ready for the job in lieu of power and influence (that also puts in context to his out of turn promotions throughout his career). Today’s landslide that killed more than 100 people in Wayanad (Kerala) is very much result of wanton exploitation of Western Ghat that likes of KasturiRangan facilitated with his shoddy deeply unethical involvement. He is very much responsible for criminal negligence and should indeed be arrested. A high-level committee must be setup to find out what are the factors that led to dilution of MadhavGadgil report and who all were involved in this criminal conspiracy.

If you read the excerpt of the MadhavGadgil report herein it mentions in no uncertain terms the areas that were affected by today’s landslide. It is not providence but years of dedicated work of an ecologist, a scientist and indeed a humanist (he meticulously traces different vulnerable tribes, emphasis tribal rights, native trees etc. The criticism of interest group on livelihood loss is now clear in the aftermath of recurrent disasters, meaning, ‘rigidity’ on conservation issues was well intended). I am really quite shocked that he is not heading some international agencies and contributing his valuable expertise. Or maybe they scuttled his chance, and may even promote likes of Kasturirangan (famous Indian crabs, ready for highest bidder). MadhavGadgil report is an important document that must be read by each and everyone particularly those living in and around Western Ghats. and shouldn’t be deceived by vested interests and ‘development’ psychopaths. It is important to understand that we are living in extremely fragile ecosystem that is severely threatened by climate change. Listen to the experts in the field, don’t get influenced by charlatans and attention seekers, keep yourself abreast with deleterious changes around us. It is not fate it is a human orchestrated disaster of greed and apathy. A responsible government would have taken necessary action on the recommendation of report.    

*As for me I understood the significance of MadhavGadgil report, and attempts to undermine it, so cycled from Kochi to Goa discussing importance of report to school and college students. It was more than a decade back.                                                                                                                                   

(a disclosure: even if there were no reports I would have still cycled, and found some other cause to get sponsor! Who doesn’t want to cycle in monsoon rain! -ofcourse now rain is dreaded, how things have changed in a decade, and how it could change in a decade to come).

When death is murder

 

Weapon of murder is callousness, apathy, a characteristic disregard for human life. These deaths are not accident or fate but murder by well-nourished system orchestrating against vulnerable. Time and place keep shifting but the template of gross violation on life continues. The play of blessedness and fate is iterated as eternal and a lesson. A cyclical nature beyond our control, so it is cleverly posited as nothing to do with corruption, greed or criminal negligence, even with evidence they are brushed aside or undermined with alacrity, the sinister system is too seeped into soul that it is incapacitated to be reformed. It is cunningly appropriated as fate and an occasion to drivel into people their precarious existence. The only option presented with much fanfare and testimonial from sideshow celebrities and attention seeking dopamine is to better your fate. Here too are charlatans ready with ritual of solutions to fleece. Since fate is death and misery while blessedness is money and power so this stampede to acquire, capture, grab, by whatever means. In this skewed degraded system, that conceives every occasion as an opportunity to make money and increase power and influence, majority are fated to be crushed while few emerge as winners to be emulated as lessons on inspiration. There is rarely any moment of self-reflection since critical foundation of society (religion/tradition/market/culture/relations/elders) is compromised and streamlined to serve these aspirations of success. Thus, the richest beggars and most powerful beggars are compelling role models for aspiring beggars. They provide meaning by compulsive exhibitionism of their shallow vacuous lives to enthusiasts incapacitated of any discerning skills or nuanced understanding whatsoever. This self-consuming loop is fed by institution under the garb of freedom and choice. These infect every aspect of life whether education, entertainment, art, spiritual or leisure. Nature, environment, humans, animals, are transactional in this worldview and its value to be assigned in the matrix of benefit. Every possibility of better human being is reduced and aggregated to means of intense social mobility of gathering power, money and influence. This journey, the desperation and final accomplishment of goals, is what makes life story simple and easy to understand. Complexities and vibrancy of living is rarely attempted, if ever, as minor sideshow, detour, character fault, to main story -established life pattern. The mind is cherished in juvenile, intellect celebrated in adolescent glories. What possibility do you see of such a society?

Three youngsters drowned (few days back one was electrocuted) and died horrible deaths trapped in shops tailormade to lowest evaluation of education. They were milch end of horrible operators including greedy authorities, irresponsible administrators, fleecing property dealers and hawkers of short cut knowledge. Almost three decades back I was in the same situation. I stayed about 100m away from the scene of tragedy, I know the place very well, the horrible value system and transactional objectified deals of greed, abject neglect, an overwhelming sense of insecurity at every turn (carefree youthfulness probably helped). Water clogging and drowning the area is not uncommon in this place (I recall a neighborhood boy washed away in the drainage few feet away from where I resided -an intensely polluted, noisy and congested locality, it affected me deeply and I really couldn’t sleep for few days until they found the body -essentially skeleton about a week later, had a sense of closure), so the claim that those who constructed new posh glittery building, as a façade to churn money by trapping the hapless, were not aware of recurring flooding in the area and so conveniently allowed basement into paid libraries of death trap are deceitful awful people an essential abstraction of characteristic values that define these cesspool of humanity -not that all are nasty I knew some wonderful people too but these were almost always exceptions.

I too was an extremely vulnerable youngster very much enmeshed in the degraded system, a simple pawn with no inkling of sinister forces at play. Not much reading, brought up in simple worldview, good thing for me was unlike other youngsters I really had no much aspiration (it wasn’t really thought driven but since I was messed up and would get things wrong hence the idea of trying within the defined didn’t work, and what I liked didn’t matter), when people were planning future of going abroad and corporate jobs I took the decision of moving to Chennai (then madras) ostensibly for ‘career’ but really I was tired of sunset at beach and wanted to see sunrise every day and that is precisely what I did! Those were my motivation. Very soon I realized “preparing for competitive exam” was an excellent strategy to immune oneself from surrounding, so from ‘preparing for MBA’ I stumbled upon ‘preparing for civil services’ quite accidently and found that it was long drawn out hence perfectly suiting my singular struggle to be left alone. I was quite a slow reader but what I read I found extremely interesting. Frankly I wasn’t into any matrix of power aspirational career or ambition to prove ‘intelligence’ that motivates these kind of career but somehow along the way reading became a motivation (lot of time in the name of ‘preparation for exams’ suited me immensely which slowly but deliberately led to serious reading, quite surprising shift since my recent obsessions were war comics), very soon I forgot about these exams and was reading beyond, and so shifted to compelling world of fiction, and soon realized I had lot to read meanwhile searched for reading related jobs and then finally to part time jobs that didn’t consume me (now that itself is another parallel struggle of skilling in public speaking, play act so on). Concentration was not a problem but shifting it from making spitbubbles, and let it land on page and rounding the random word, to reading was a challenge! Soon reading became central to my being, and for about three years I was just reading and reading the better and best. I used to shock people by saying “man you can murder someone if you want but don’t forget to read good book a week, and when you read good books you realize murder is futile, a waste of time!”, everybody is in existential mess. Realizing appalling limitedness of Indian writers, I was into best of the world, soon became a discerning reader. It is about this time I got the urge to write. I never really got a sentence right in my life, and I messed up everytime and so very soon gave up the idea of writing as too farfetched unachievable framework (framework are nuanced understanding and works on increasing probables unlike binary crass ideas of target or goal), but the urge to write was strong (it is not to be mistaken for motivation and fall into regrettable self-help industry cliché), very much fueled by overwhelming self-assuredness of mediocre Indian writing, and so I wrote a paragraph every day and compared with master writers so on. So, from reading, to writing, to public speaking, as also interacting with strangers was a struggle, I somehow worked it fairly well. I took up jobs that gave steady income for daily expense without consuming time, and gave me lot of free time to explore as also gave impetus to pursue jobs that were entirely new and interesting. I even tried HR related nonsense called personality development. I took it for fun and soon realized they pay huge amount but found it stale, superficial and against my value system. I stumbled into Civil service interview only a decade back, and found it immensely interesting as it needed depth of knowledge (as also suited my middle age increasingly bored mistaken for stern demeanor). This helped me to channelize the latest innovation, expand my understanding and finetune my reading. I also realized that like ‘preparing for exams’, after certain age, people voluntarily leave you alone! It is extremely gratifying in an intrusive crude society, ofcourse the context shift is from hopeful to hopeless that never really bothered me. 

The intention of writing these is to show that apathy by responsible makes life miserable for vulnerable, it leads to death and misery. Vulnerability leads to anxiety hence the system must not only be responsible but empathetic. A primitive society degrades and restricts choices for youngsters, it straight jackets life into narrow degraded deal. It makes it immensely difficult, therefore takes enormous effort, to find oneself. Most are not able to and gobbled up by insouciant negligence, many are oppressed in the weight of the struggle and taper off into vacant life. In rare instances the oppressive system can create positives. I never ever thought I will take up writing (and people around me still don’t know I do write), and I am able to express myself the way I want to is immensely satisfying meanwhile tighten some screws and hit some nuts to work the complacent.    

Longue vie à la France!

 

Olympic opening ceremony was one of the best in the living memory. Contemporary, elevating freedom and fun, fierce individual assertion in a classic French way that makes it endearing and will be remembered for a long time to come. No staid choreography -that is reflection of authoritarian order, but lively chaos of life on river and monuments. Idea of France is a defining idea of humanity, and to assert that in such energetic carefree way is what defines human life. This is also what sports is all about. Liberty and freedom are indelible hope for future that stand against limiting feudal world and restrictive religions. Pièce de resistance was ofcourse spectacular scene of beheaded Marie Antoinette, shocking and hilarious –a constant reminder of sinister presence of feudal values that degrade our ideas of just world and threaten our hard-won ideals on which humanity is hinged. French people condemned monarchy to the dustbin of history, flourished in new energy of freedom and with it breached sacred narration of feudals as status quo settled space for social progress (what it created was cesspool of ascriptive exceptionalism and exploitative value system). Emulation of last supper was counter narration that very much reflected contemporary assertion of individual choices and a firm statement on diversity against authority cultivated by sacred mainstream icons. It also reminds us that how liberty and freedom is being restricted and really cannot be counter narration but celebration. We can imagine a world without religion and border. We can imagine diversity of lively choices that defines what it is to be human. Longue vie à la France! May they assert their values and define humanity for better deal and a beacon for hopeful future. My only concern was that they could have included valuable indigenous voices from French speaking regions.

Meanwhile usual social media outrage and rage loop of lowest denominator attention seeking industry was alive with ridiculous and wasted. Some calling it satanic, lucifer, pagan, garbage, and what not, ofcourse with detail analysis in well exploited template of conspiracy theory for herd to munch on. Worst of the people were triggered. Mediocre castetva media in India too showed its tentacles (sample herein) linking nutcases to create narration that align with their ‘pure’ worldview. They have also found ‘pure’ allies in feudal Britain to fight hindutva! They are charmers and movers of degraded sinister world. Beware.     

let the game begin!

 

Dangers of divine rights and coronation

 

US is a flawed nation. But despite its horrible flaws it continues to be one of the few spaces on earth which values democracy, liberty and equality -how much of it is practiced can be debated but structure is intact and intend is valued. Much of best human endeavor originates in US hence to a large extent path of humanity’s progress and hope. US remains a significant nation and indeed a positive presence despite the horrors. It is for no reason that much of the world wants to, and continues to, migrate to US as it provides opportunities and freedom. It provides the best of the world, and ofcourse the worst of what a liberal progressive society can bring. Open societies expects responsibility and awareness to sustain, and this is where it is collapsing. Neoliberal hedonism can give impression of liberty and freedom but it is severely limited and sets the rot. Rule of law is collective will that comes with awareness of duties of citizens, or else we get violence and police overreach, there is general lack of trust on individuals and institutions which gives way to authoritarian rule. Neoliberal hedonist values breed pernicious nihilism that is mistaken for individualism. It leads to alienation and regressive collective consolidation. Lulled into alternate reality, consumerism sedated reasoning faculties, fantastical grandeur that opulence presents creates vision of chosen people, abstracting worst template from religion for atavistic consolidation. In a very riveting way, you could trace Huxleyian indulgence consolidating into Orwellian nightmare. Lack of awareness and irresponsible ways also means they are incapacitated to fathom the loss, the irretrievable nature of collapse. It happens when all the breathtaking human progress, unique context of evolution, is lost in daily inanities and bickering. Degradation of democracy is a loss to humanity. This becomes critical considering that much of world is deeply enmeshed in primitive swath -the evertightening grip of uncouths that is also actively nurtured by opportunist manipulators in liberal world. Democratic institutions, defining values of human progress like freedom, equality and liberty, are constantly being threatened, weakened and compromised, not only by fascist forces but also by dangerous liberal posing debauch persistently undermining ideas of diversity by encouraging regressive as collective identity. Semantics of primitive horrible past is being carelessly used to forever freeze narration and condemn humanity into recurring hell. Trapped in a fantastical alternate reality they are incapacitated to glimpse the profound progress all around nor are equipped to realize spectacular opportunities to evolve and understand. Exciting possibilities and hopes of future are lost in limiting intellect and instead constructed past becomes dreamland of perfection. Insatiable neoliberal wanton greed and omnipotence of opulence gives way to visions of mythical grandeur of past devoid of any context or care. From this putrid cesspool the calls of revivalist con artists gains credence.

The foundation of US is consolidation of republic that defeated monarchy, the british monarchy -theatre of absurd is still kept intact as a tribute and sustenance to feudal values across the world. US, despite problems, stands as beacon of democracy and liberty. Recent ruling by SCOTUS giving immunity to charlatan Trump invokes medieval concept of divine right -an exception not meant for common people, this british value system is a severe assault on progressive ideas, liberty and equality, it is an affront to modern world we live in. Now, anointing Kamala Harris as successor without due process is another blot on democracy. Democracy is not about coronation with cabal of nodding elite, blessing media and hooting plebs. Democratic party is in increasing danger of becoming like Republicans in their pursuit of power.

When evil is beyond Kafkaesque

The conception of evil arose from alternate reality of religion, the intention was ofcourse betterment of individual hence society, simultaneous evolved awareness with degradation of hedonist world makes conceptions of alternate reality -conceived in medieval times, inadequate and meaningless to deal with complexities and urgent emergent realities of contemporary world. Evil was created as neat binary of good (which extended to juvenile conception of heaven and hell) for ease of convenience, a simplistic premise of moral for people to latch on to. In the uncertainties of medieval times, it worked to create workable ethical standards and synergy of dealing. You can deal with evil, or atleast equip yourself with an understanding, if he or she is a human. A human despite flaws suffers from human condition. Despite the megalomaniacal sickness and grandeur infected from alternate realities of religion and market they will have to face existential doubts and weaknesses that are too human. Now imagine an evil beyond human conception, an evil which is no longer human, an evil that is not contained in the binary of good or evil but carries complexities of good and evil. An evil that is beyond Kafkaesque -a suffering of modern times that mix existential and human condition into neglect, a bizarre and illogical world of total alienation and utter horror. An evil so logical that it questions our hold on reason. This has never happened before in human history, it is unprecedented. This is what is unravelling.

In the recently concluded G7 meet in Italy Pope Francis addressed the group on dangers of AI. This is significant, now I do have strong reservation on religion as also its pernicious presence in contemporary world but I do find Mr. Francis interesting and indeed a valuable and influential presence. So, whenever he speaks about anything other than religion, I give it due importance to probe further. The risk of autonomous weaponized AI is real. AI weapons that are trained and authorized to select their own targets and attack without further human authorization. It an evil that cannot be adjudicated with human reason nor contained by human condition. It augments ‘conventional, nuclear and cyber capabilities in ways that makes security relationships among rivals more challenging to predict and maintain and conflicts more difficult to limit’. AI is set to become indispensable part of defense system as it provides invaluable strategic advantage and insights that humans have no access to. It has capacity to identify patterns beyond human conception that even adversary did not plan, and then, recommend most optimal dynamic strategy to counteract in realtime. The simultaneous transfer of information to top decision makers in crisis situation is matter of concern since these become black box decisions -not accessible to human logic or reason, indecipherable to humans -that may leave them unsettled, but nevertheless certain of its strategic advantage. AI is superior to human reasoning with access to deepest pattern of reality in a way that is beyond human capacity, indeed range of human thought. There are two immediate issues here when non-human logic is introduced into military strategy; firstly, the strategic advantage created cannot be halted since enemy will be perceived to have formidable advantage, and secondly, since these capabilities are undecipherable accountability cannot be fixed hence severely impinging democratic discourse space and diplomactic negotiation imperatives. AI already has an upperhand over humanity. The race for strategic AI advantaged formidable defence system has already begun, and most likely is being used by IDF. There is a need for international moratorium on destabilizing AI capabilities that has exceptional destructive capacities. It is an arduous task since AI’s separate logic system by its very nature is incalculable hence generates autonomy and is adaptable to extremely volatile reality. Human oversight is essential before it spirals into most optimal strategic advantage bypassing humanity. AI cannot be autonomous. Transformative AI capabilities needs verifiable restraints and authorization for irretrievable actions where human lives are at stake. This new emergent reality needs entirely new vocabulary to deal.                          

Alternate reality is weaponized

There were always attempts by sinister forces to create alternate reality so as to trap humans for control and gain. Religion and neoliberal market are compelling source of alternate reality. The seeds for religions were spiritual yearning for better understanding of reality that weren’t apparent to immediate experience of senses. It also attempted to understand egalitarian values and spread morals which had significant impact on consolidation of humanistic ideas and ethics. Alternate reality in this context was idealized version, evolved reality, that were sought to be inspiration for compassionate humans and a better society. It was also an attempt to understand human condition hence also opening philosophies of inquiry. As religion consolidated and moved away from benign intents systems of alternate reality became source of control. Instead of empathizing with human condition and reality of their existence it proceeded to systematically strengthen alternate reality with specific aim to trap and control people in the garb of faith. Sacredness and holiness were judiciously used to create systems of control in the alternate reality. Capitalism infected market with its own alternate reality of exaggeration and manipulation for immediate monetary profit, in many cases working closely with religion. Emotions were once valued, now it is commodity for exploitation. Human relations that were meant to consolidate society into better self is now occasion for manipulation. So what we have is herd fixated on gains from alternate reality (manifested through blessedness, good fortune, closely working with opportunism and crude values) while losing track of their reality, alarmingly in many cases use of mental faculties and basic sense. 

Rapid proliferation of social media in the last decade has created virtual reality that further consolidate alternate reality away from individual reality and context of living and life. Virtual reality easily exploits the template of religion and mechanism of neoliberal market to create an addiction to alternate world. Unlike the basic intention of alternate reality that religion created -to ameliorate human condition and vision of better world, virtual reality created by social media was never an attempt with egalitarian intent or humanistic concern. It was opportunistic venture within the neoliberal capitalistic framework to amass profit from new technology. Better possibilities through social media were effort of few essentially against overwhelming odds, indeed in the attention seeking cesspool such synergic association for voice were exceptions. It surely cannot be denied that internet has done much good and made life easier by making world accessible and transparent but mostly it has had a devastating impact on human life and society. It continues to spiral down into attention seeking economy pulling majority into lowest commonest denominator of reckoning. The brutes and primitives create rage and outrage loop for audience to gawk. Technology cannot really be blamed, it has help consolidate the existing framework of alternate reality and efficiently streamlined for benefit of few. Virtual reality has augmented alternate reality and made it more vibrant and immediate, and indeed very plausible alternate reality for many. In this milieu misinformation and disinformation find easy takers while conspiracy theories not only rival mainstream media discourse but is seen as participant -also a reflection on how much media is compromised that it has effectively lost trust and is no longer seen as credible source but representing agenda in an increasingly polarized world loosing faculties of critical thinking and with it connection with reality. Sincerity is no longer a survival attribute of Darwinian (wrongly attributed and wrongly understood) economy. Trust is lost. Fact becomes subjective. With it the edifice of discourse collapses.  

Enter AI. AI brings exciting possibilities of exploring reality in a way that is beyond human capacity indeed not available to human consciousness, it is redefining reality as we know -as mentioned earlier AlphaZero and Halicin are marvelous example in the limited context that shows immense possibilities of AI. It has potential to make deeper reality accessible to us beyond human capacity. Meanwhile, in a not entirely unexpected turn of events, it is being used to weaponize alternate reality. It has increased potency for misinformation and disinformation and provided ammunition to conspiracy theories. Fake is now compelling and fast replacing real, and with it devious people normalized into everyday life in a new urgency. Unless AI apps are stringently regulated and responsibility assigned this is downhill with devastating consequence. It is important that AI apps (as also oversight on foundational models) is aligned to liberal values and factual probabilities without restricting its creative possibilities. What is being played out in US is a lesson to the world. In 24/7 social media glare each happening has conspiracy mongers scooping in with alarming alacrity and amazing efficiency, and with latest intrusive technology they consolidate compelling alternate reality to polarize and control the narration. As it is AI chatbots have increased efficiency to manipulate emotions in a way that is unthinkable and scary. With its superior reasoning that is beyond human conception it is unhinging our critical thinking faculties; it has sown doubts on our abilities as human. At this critical juncture we need to firmly hold on to our deepest held ideas and consolidate humanist liberal values that define modern society and possibilities of better future. AI must be unraveled and put in context by the deeper meaning of what it is to be a human. 

Tourist destination

Lake turns blue and add a perfect shade of green

Hyacinth’s waxy leaves adds to invasive allure

Palm trees line up and freeze against the setting sun

Cormorant emerge with fresh catch and a photogenic glee

Stork billed kingfisher pose expertly for top destination

Clam collectors wave their sinew body for better angle against the sun

Women stop their daily chores to arrange the exotic

Girls expectedly giggle, boys carelessly laugh

Polyglot tongue deep fried in desperation prowl for better deal

Shorebirds mud stamped hieroglyphs deciphered by the drowned

You will see miracles

When languages collide in mind

Thoughts cross boundaries

It’s like a river breaking into ocean

Fresh and saline water breach barrier

Words settle in nutrient rich unfamiliar estuaries

Subconscious sediments extracted from strange ages

Create diverse marshland of unruly thoughts vying for expression

Like an occasional mangrove propagule breathing an entire island

As if it is the only home  

Cumulonimbus is moving in

 

A decade back south west monsoon used to be languorous incessant rain, sometimes intense, but mostly dreamy stretch of cirrus stratus clouds and lively scenes. Rainy season stalled action, people shifted to special diet, lazy intonation of prayers and ayurvedic treatment for yearly rejuvenation. Intensity, and frequency of these intense rains, have increased dramatically in the last few years. Rain is now dreaded. It has become an omen for sinister natural forces in abidance. Kerala, a strip of fragile land locked between mountain and ocean, is extremely vulnerable. In my understanding Ockhi cyclone in 2017 was the trigger point indication of irreversible climate flip. Ockhi was a rare cyclone that crossed from east coast to west coast -taking people in the region by complete surprise, and travelled almost 2000km. After Ockhi there are clear indications that weather is detaching from fixed pattern into increasingly troubling unknown, things are not going to be the same again.  

Ocean temperature is steadily increasing and warming of Arabian sea is estimated to be 1.5 times higher than other oceans around the world. This creates dire situation. One of the significant outcome is change in pattern of cloud formation. Sea surface temperature rise creates atmospheric instability and intense low pressure, as also warming atmosphere increases the capacity of air to hold moisture, leading to formation of cumulonimbus clouds. Cumulonimbus clouds are vertical clouds unlike what you generally see during monsoon; the cirrus stratus spread out. Cumulonimbus clouds rise like a plume, born through convective current as warm air rises and cools, they rise higher and higher, thick and motionless stretching to wide area hence giving rise to static charge. They carry enormous amount of water leading to extreme rainfall and lightening and many a times cloud burst, and what makes it particularly worrisome is that it is difficult to predict. If you observed rain, SW monsoon is generally quieter unlike NE monsoon that happens during November-December -you could see cumulonimbus cloud building up during day time followed by intense rains and lightening in the night (as a youngster I even hid under the bed to escape the high decibel lightening noise of NE monsoon!, also recall, in the aftermath going to public library in Kochi to find about lightening). Things have taken a definite turn in the last few years. SW monsoon is now about cumulonimbus, intense windy rain and lightning, immediately followed by sunny and blue sky. Few weeks back I was caught up in this sort of rain, it was so intense that within matter of few minutes I was wading in one feet of water, lightening also killed two people. Such dramatic intense rain is increasing in frequency, and can easily turn catastrophic in fragile ecosystem. Be very concerned, something sinister is looming in the horizon. Be prepared people.                       

 

Faith of the matter

 

The last post was meant to be about stampede that killed more than hundred people and maimed hundreds more but I meandered into something else and decided I may not have to express thoughts on something that happens at regular basis in this blessed part of the world. But the way barbarians in the media are going for the onslaught, and the narration that is sought to be consolidated leaves me deeply troubled. Need to also add I avoid TV nor waste time on popular media of what is essentially a mediocrity thriving society that has potential to ensnare and waste you (apart from regular nonsense, including necessary slant to the news to conform deep narration, there is an obsessive interest in private life of entertainers and attention seeking upstart sundries, the voyeurism is intended to infect people while they gain attention and life affirming branding of superficial lives). I generally catch news trends on social media since I am located here, one must have a side glance on local, as also national, and international trends that excites herd since an excited herd has the high probability to intrude your world. If you don’t keep an eye on herd, you could be caught off-guard and trampled.

 So, in the aftermath of stampede that killed more than hundred and left many more seriously injured the nasty media was working on controlling narration. Instead of focusing on administration they were consolidating narration that was meant to demean and degrade the victims. What we saw was criminal negligence by essentially an incompetent administration. Incompetent because they are incapacitated to be responsible since once they get job security, influence over common people, they deem themselves blessed and will emulate all the debauchery of sanctum squatters. So, people gathering, stampeding, dying, not yet dead, dead, bodies (it is even difficult to show some dignity to dead body, the rote is deep), are all play of fate. They all share the same value system hence the market media play savior by focusing on lowest hanging fruit to milk the issue for daily wage as also consolidate their world view and blessedness. This arrogant display of power, influence and indifference in the most unfortunate of circumstances is what makes it especially depraved.    

Market media and legacy outlets -that were fed and fattened for decades, were seen focusing on nature of cult, vituperative details of hapless people’s faith while concurrently showcasing squatter authenticated pure worldview. They were highly critical of the idea of “human god”. Castetva and hindutva media were both vociferous in their contempt while they wrangle to play savior. Let’s be very clear this incorrigible debauchery in the guise of dispensing news is meant to insult the victims and an assault on faith of dead who died due to criminal negligence. What people want to follow, or not follow, as their faith is their choice. They face immense tribulations and have coping mechanism that is quite ancient system in this part of the world. What is important is whether it violated any law, rule of law is the only matter that is open for investigation. Even here conjecturing is being used by narration controllers to demean and degrade. And yes, in case you want to question the nature of cult then you must be open to these questions every time some tragedy happens, or even otherwise -I believe everything must be open to question and scrutiny (except something that is personal and doesn’t have any impact on others or society). Hinduism is essentially about cult, and cannot be sanitized into sanctum squatter’s infective ‘purity’ or sanitized temple space. In this society if people find someone of value they assign godly attributes, it can be good or bad (personally I think it is problematic particularly when deified or assigned inscrutable faith, but respect for great soul is valuable since through this evolved values get rooted, helps in betterment of individual and society) and can be manipulated by charlatans. But then what is it about religions that is different? Dude in imaginary space sending someone (worked as prophet) to write holy book that excites cave minds or god dude’s son worked his way up as carpenter to walk on water, performing miracles including coming out of dead, while another dude is habituated to drop in as avatar even for minor family dispute, working fantastical narration of simultaneously saving dharma, sometimes quite fortuitously as a king to fight devil in human form weaving compelling stories as moral study and message, another carried empathy to understand human condition but was converted into dude (so much so that hindi word for statue is budh). Millions pray on these as their focus of faith, they also fight and kill to establish superiority of their dude over other dude. Some peacenik arbitrate reminding that all dudes are same why fight! Ofcourse it rarely works with herd hooked to fantastical stories and supremacist ideas.

The point being made here is that cults consolidating few centuries back are normalized as ‘religion’, and passed on without scrutiny, even seeking protection for their herd as cherished identity, while recent herd working on the same framework are classified as unthinking peasants. This is unacceptable premise and grossly discriminative. Organized religions (as also organized hinduism) have contempt for “human god” hence legacy media and market players find these as easy prey, it’s easy to conform with powerful organized force than with righteous and unbiased scrutiny. Will they ask question, in case there is stampede during Ganesh chathurti, as to the ridiculous tradition of praying to God with elephant head or inane rituals, and eviscerate the faith through panel discussion and call for rational way of life? Will they question people stampeding in mecca or self-flagellating herd (such brutal self-flagellation in public space must be unlawful) as to why do they do such nonsense, of rotating around big cube or whatever, and initiate validity of mentioned in so called holy book, or praying a dead man’s statue screwed on cross? So, people have right to faith, or no faith, and they can follow whatever crap they fancy. In a free liberal society there is space to pursue one’s interest. Better ideas, evolved thoughts and innovative pursuits emerge in open societies. Such societies also see liberty misused and insecurities exploited. Ofcourse it is a different matter that these indicate failures of education, collective loss of society and incapacity of individuals. There will be cults, there will be degradations in the name of faith, there will be exploitation of insecurities -authenticated through long tradition of faith. Regressive values and dehumanizing traditions must be questioned across the board. Therefore this bourgeoise elitist attempts to classify faith into bigger -hence unquestioned as belief, and minor -hence ridiculed as superstition (on these matters sociologists and anthropologists suffer from dominant narration sycophancy hence cannot be taken seriously), must be questioned. The only thing that matters is; is it within the law, does it physically impact other (like blocking/noise/stampede) as also what steps state machinery has taken to see that it is properly conducted. Ideally, we should also seek to scrutinize how much these miracles driven nonsenses, holy texts, sacred traditions so on impact society as also individuals particularly vulnerable children, that is what is expected from civilized society and need to be focus of scholars. Critical scrutiny shouldn’t be confined to small cults or vulnerable people -indeed these diversity of faith connected to local reality could be serving immediate existential purpose with limited harm against colossal damage religions continues to unleash on the world. If you seek to eviscerate cults when hundreds have died recently then the same stringent standards and ridicule must be applied to religions. By making fun of common people’s faith and choices meanwhile safeguarding miracle driven balderdash of powerful religions legacy media and marketeers are showing their prejudices and essential incompetence that defines such ogle. They emulate organized religion's contempt for pagan thus reducing world into binaries to severely degrade humanity. What must be reiterated is that these kinds of recurring tragedies are due to state apathy and criminal failure of district administration therefore there must be criminal proceeding against them. Government job/money is not for showcasing blessing but performing duties efficiently and effectively. What is needed is empathy driven quality education. Meanwhile a civilized society will stricture media; ideally minimum decency would self censure ridiculing faith of recent dead. What is yet again made clear is that we don’t live in ideal world -not even decent, it is a crass crude world of beggar minds stampeding for next joint of opportunism. The irony not missed here is that when others die in stampede of different setting there isn’t any moment of self-reflection.     

Facing the evil

 

What do you do when insecurities you face in life is so basic that you are incapacitated to be a human? It is a grim struggle to claim semblance of being a human. When the system is hinged on fate, and fate has burdened you in debris of overwhelming odds, how do you claim your life? This is constant struggle of people in this part of the world, and many get trapped and trampled in stampede as they come in terms with reality of their existence and die miserable deaths. In this extreme violence on soul the human body is kept intact as a carrier of game of fate. Human bodies are where liberal battles of democracy are fought. Bodies are kindling to keep the flame of grand narration burning. It must spread the brightness of fiction of nonviolence and diversity, and we must reclaim the dimming brightness with more sacrifices. Incidentally, Shaivism was very much a primordial cult with extreme tendencies and violence was very much part of its bearing (which could be traced to stone ages without the later consolidation into Shiva -much later appropriation into hinduism). Shaivite cult formed mercenaries of war in ancient medieval India. The attempt to sanitize into nonviolence doesn’t stand basic scrutiny. Ofcourse these were assimilated into squatter narration, and myth were churned to consolidate and work out divine relationship between various sects, and with narration control these were stamped on to people. One must add cosmic dance is quite a nuanced idea and a charming visual motif, the spectacle of death and mayhem emulated the existential nature of life during uncertain violent medieval times. Not only invaders, infighting, natural disasters, but disease wiped out much of population regularly. Microorganisms added much uncertainty to life.        

Hinduism was never really a religion as is understood by organized horrors on humanity. It was built on cult and myths, on conveniences and wisdom, practical and spiritual. Oldest ideas of human yearnings and myriad faiths knitted the concept of singular religion that assimilated quite recently -as it faced organized religions onslaughts (as also better narration of control hence vigorous myth building that emulated organized, ending with prominence of single book -bhagvad gita) and later pressures of nation state et al legal needs into single entity. Meanwhile over centuries local traditions were assimilated into its fold with myths of bigger gods, grander avatars and smaller local representation (hence the local god through compelling apophenial side story became symbol of bigger trinity). Squatter control created a pan subcontinent narration that were spread through these channels which consolidated with power. With it the framework of misery which acquired neatness as colonial british saw the opportunity of easy exploitation. Divine rights were attributed as the inbred cannibalised the region into worst of humanity with purity of purpose. Nature provided the bountiful while the region slipped into wasteful mediocres and pompous nincompoops sowing vilest values. The best of thoughts were always exceptions while nuanced contribution from this region happened much before squatter consolidation -enlightened Upanishad were contribution of vibrant seers and saints (inbred mediocres are incapable to have the intellectual brilliance, the wisdom or any empathetic qualities) contributed much to Indian/Hindu philosophies that is plagiarized into sanskrit -sometimes the mismatch in claim and affect is hilarious!, while much of ‘philosophies’ were embarrassing grand urges of imbeciles. Later contributions happened as a resistance to squatter degradation and growing tentacles that had started to eviscerate humanity. Incidentally, Hinduism, as is understood today, cannot claim Nalanda. Nalanda was an Indian idea of quainter humanistic world that was determinately against inbred squatters, and there is a definite reason why it ceased with spread of Hinduism. Buddhism was not trying to reform squatter consolidation of hinduism, it vehemently stood against it. If marauding Islam demolished and burned the physical idea of Nalanda the spiritual idea was demolished by Hinduism. Islam destroyed violently while hinduism destroyed nonviolently. It is striking that nonviolence posing MK Gandhi took quote from bible on the “famous business of turning the other cheek” (it so happens that I am reading Joseph Brodksy’s collected essay Less Than One, and had intended to write about a few weeks from now), moral supremacy is a serious infection afflicting caste cannibals -the sense of entitlement and compromised self-worth/hometruth makes them easily susceptible to narcissism. What is infection on humanity is the reason for some to live. What kind of people are these?

Brodsky deals with this moral balderdash brilliantly, it needs intellect and empathy -deep awareness of human condition, it has to be lived, and a lawyer politician turned moralist caste cannibal is surely incapable despite the best effort of narration controlling cheerleaders. Brodsky begins by putting the context; since ‘turning the other cheek’ is not fully quoted (“a line taken out of context will leave you crippled”!), and indeed in the limited context the ‘moral victory’ could be mistaken by the adversary (it also has to be understood and emphasized: a superior adversary where you don’t have any chance of fighting back) as impunity. Brodsky quote in length an incident that took place in prison in Russia, the young prisoner “remembered the text of Sermon on the Mount better than Tolstoy and Gandhi”, he understood the complete context. The context of the quote continues with ‘let him have thy cloak’, and further do whatever is demanded, and this is where goodness shifts to metaphysics, hence cannot be quantified into the needs of modern politics. Brodsky elaborates “Quoted in full, these verses have in fact very little to do with nonviolent or passive resistance, with the principles of not responding in kind and returning good for evil. The meaning of these lines is anything but passive, for it suggests that evil can be made absurd through excess”. “The victory that is possible here is not a moral but an existential one”. Brodsky explains “To base ethics on a faultily quoted verse is to invite doom, or else to end up becoming a mental bourgeoise enjoying the ultimate comfort: that of his convictions. In either case it results in yielding ground to evil, in delaying the comprehension of its weaknesses. For, evil, may I remind you, is only human”. Giving exaggerated attribute to evil, indeed constructing one to distinguish themselves is what Indian liberal posing “mental bourgeoise” do as they parasite on dehumanizing system and cannibalize common people. Prescient and perceptive Brodsky was devastating on India “ethics based on this faultily quoted verse have changed nothing in post-Gandhi India, save the color of its administration. From a hungry man’s point of view, though, it’s all the same who makes him hungry. I submit that he may even prefer a white man to be responsible for his sorry state if only because this way social evil may appear to come from elsewhere and may perhaps be less efficient than the suffering at the hand of his own kind. With an alien in charge, there is room for hope, for fantasy”. Brodsky was too benign in his understanding of Indian society. Common people don’t really suffer from illusion of “own kind”. They very well understand evil that castetva represents and sinister nature of their posturing. Brodsky calls for innovative vibrant original forms of resistance to evil, implying that staid morals of religions have far lived its context. Resistance to evil must emerge from reality of the world we live in.     

The language the earth speaks

The language the earth speaks

Is no longer the language I know

I repeat words to get the meanings

It rains, rains, rains

It’s hot, hot, hot

I listen to the warblers for interpretation

They have changed their tone too

They migrate to stranger places

Where there is less rains, rains, rains

Where it is less hot, hot, hot

 

False equivalence

 

When falsehood is not tagged by coordinators for dubious reason of balance of debate it is being wantonly unpardonably irresponsible. Opinions and views cannot be based on lies, it is a basic flaw, the onus is on the system to flag and rectify it immediately with corrections. It means media must be extremely competent to the task it is assigned. They must be aware and ready with each and every detail of the issue with fact and figures from authentic source. If debates are carried out in ethical vacuum with nobody taking any responsibility it degrades society, it makes discussion meaningless, it makes debate farcical. Also, we live in a world where intrusive tech is questioning the very frame of authenticity, manipulation is being weaponized. People are being bombarded with all kinds of videos and sound bites that are fake. Meanwhile people are being sedated with loads of inane information and outrage, and are systematically incapacitated to think. It is indeed natural progression of neoliberal controlled market media working on exaggeration and manipulation. Millions of people across the world ruin their life stuffing processed food which are promoted, indeed extolled, as smart choice for unthinking people literate enough to efficiently execute their inflated crave. Entertainers, and now godforsaken influencers, are cleverly promoted as opinion makers within this charade that has come to define democracy. It is people's choice. Nothing explains likes of Trump to be even considered seriously. It is a failure of society. It is also a failure of democracy that frail unfit Biden is made to assume that he is the only choice left to save the "free world", while others play tictactoe in the sidelines without any urgency for increasingly dire situation. Ofcourse they will not have to pay the price, it is always the common people who will be in misery, while they can easily position to be savior without taking any responsibility whatsoever and amass power and influence.

The other day NYT edit asked for Biden to step down from the presidential race. There was hue and cry from what you thought were sane people. Some ask why was no such call made to felon Trump. Well, this is classic case of false equivalence. Trump is the failure of legal system; they could have stopped him decades back; it is also an indictment of elite section who indulged and nurtured him for decades despite apparent grievous flaws. It is an ethical failure. He is byproduct of manipulation. The call to step down is a joke for him and his supporters since they reached here by gaming the same system which is now asking them to be fair! Waste of time, or maybe an occasion for moral positioning for incorrigible few. Asking Biden to quit is about realism, it is a practical first step in an alarming situation. Lacking critical thinking or awareness herd -with voting rights, are trained on perceptions, ‘strong man’ narration is foundational embed. Also, they seek confidence, connection and sense of security. They need someone to articulate the reality for them convincingly. Lacking critical thinking they live in logical fallacy of argumentum ad verecundiam, authority is always right. Hence authoritative figure must exude confidence, otherwise facts are suspect. In this world attacking the person weakens the fact! Facts are right or wrong depending upon the person, another of logical fallacy ad hominem. So, if Biden pauses fact is weakened. Imagine how degraded the world has become with constant bombarding of misinformation and disinformation. The reason why Critical Thinking need to be a must subject for students as also for media (as Taiwanese minister mentioned few years back, we need nerd defense against herds!). Interestingly tu quoque logical reasoning of pointing out the hypocrisy can easily destroy charlatans like Trump but that needs strong articulation, timing and context. These are simple basic needs, and if you cannot even understand this then what the hell.                                              

 

Deeply upsetting

Watching American presidential debate upset me in no uncertain terms. And this from a person who is located thousands of miles from USA and has no stakes in US elections whatsoever. Narration in US has substantial impact on humanity, as also, despite grievous problems this is a region that has provided for much of liberal space that values human liberty and freedom. It nurtures best of minds to channelize for progress. There are few evolved spaces left around the world and is being rapidly diminished by market, religions, feudal values and opportunism. US elections does matters to humanity.

I am sure Biden is a nice man and much liked, and that makes it terribly upsetting to see him struggle, not because there is anything wrong with him. He doing his best as the physical self allows him to. It is obvious that Biden is not what he was few years back. Some people age faster, some people slower, it becomes difficult for some people to do things that was much easier few years back. A politician at such high stakes situation must be alert in his/her demeanor, sharp in communication, appropriate in choice of words, ready with forceful ideas, emphasis of nuance that syncs with people, subtle humor that consolidates empathy and charm, exemplifies human condition and ofcourse heightened awareness of context and responsibility of his/her position. That an elderly man with weakening senses is being put through these angers me (placed in front of a charlatan who should have been easily muzzled in his own lies and deceit), watching his desperate pauses and prime time scrutiny on his loosening grip also crumbles something existential in us too, it was excruciating. This was not a debate it was a spectacle. A spectacle of callousness. A disturbing confluence extracting contemporary uncaring world into focus. No caring person would like to see their loved ones to be in such a position for crass cruel scrutiny. Democratic party must be ashamed of itself, they suffer from such amazing sense of entitlement is truly shocking. It also puts focus on the system that connives to place an elderly man in such state of desperation for world to gawk and comment, as also nurture a con artist to be his adversary. As they say democracy is like an egg shell weak from inside if the checks and balances are corrupted, nepotistic and infected with crony capitalism.

Surely Democratic Party will have their own mechanism to find a suitable alternative at the earliest. As an outsider I see Michelle Obama as a brilliant possibility.           

 

 

Shravan Sibling's Burden!