In response......
Found this very interesting post over at Kichan's blog (Krishnan Nair for the ones that don't know him..)
http://kaynair.blogspot.com/2006/03/light-fire.html
The above post got me thinking and i have something here that is not necessarily related yet in a queer way, well, related...! I actually wanted to comment there - but very quickly realized what I have to say might be very loooooong, all over the place and not directly related to post as a comment - its also something I want people that come to my blog to see and debate about....so anyways....here goes:
Its funny you mention that hero-worship is because of ignorance - a quick look around the "developed, educated (!)" world would suggest otherwise - just look at the blind trust americans have posed in their poster boy president George W even as he keeps changing the reasons for invading and oppressing Iraq....around the world its amazing what blind faith and belief can throw.
Given this, I would like to commend out founding fathers for putting in a democratic system of checks and balances in our society - so even if these "leaders/politicians" forget their real duty, sense of selflessness and service and start indulging in money-mongering, you can throw them out and elect some one else (well, at least theoretically, that's how it works - now if more people vote on Indian Idol than the general elections and yet blame the 'dirty, corrupt' politicians for everything that is wrong with India, there's nothing much the founding fathers could have done about that...).
I believe this is also tied to the reason why Socialism is today a failed idea, they (the socialists) got defeated by their own ideals and the fact that absolute power ALWAYS corrupts - be it in the USSR, Poland, Romania, East Germany, Cuba or even China (which is really capitalist in a socialist mask).....It always began with a few idealists throwing out the oppressors and promising peace, justice and most importantly EQUALITY for all.....egalitarian society - aah what a lovely concept - but such an oxymoron.....any society by definition is a loose, heterogeneous conglomeration of human thoughts, ideas, beliefs and customs - it is by definition a group of Individuals living together for some cause - and no two humans at the end of the day are really identical - so how can egalitarianism work beyond a point??...how can you deliberately suppress one's ambitions to cater to another's sloth in the name greater good for society - it is against the very fundamental laws of nature (everything is moving towards more chaos from initial order)........lets take an example.....
Imagine this country or group of people that has been freed from oppressors (rulers, kings, dictators, zamindars whatever) by a group of young idealists....Who then form a government of and for equality, but they now have ABSOLUTE power and the devotion of a doting public. The ideas of equality soon take effect - all property is owned by the government, no religion, no political affiliations, compulsory military service...etc etc. Now everyone in the country is not alike, different people have different aspirations, different motivations, levels of ambition and so...the slow (slow -might spare the original leaders, but the next generation is always caught square in the middle) process of societal arbitration starts....the more adventorous amongst the population start looking for soft spots in the rules or loopholes, look to trade their responsibilities, look to lure, bribe and corrupt the leaders....well the leaders who are the darling(s) of the people, have already forgotten their ideals and have become power drunk.....as I said - the human mind has found only one cure for temptation - some other temptation......the same idealists or their next generation at most now, in name of maintaning equality and order start practising the very same policies, they fought against......look at Cuba - does it today represent even one-tenth of what Che Guevara fought and gave his life for????......take our own example - Kerala - the crown jewel in Indian socialism (lets not even discuss WB) is quite honestly a mess - surviving today on foreign remitance....no industry worth its name survives here today - the government cant achieve a thing and the unionized mafia control everything - the same keralite that is so industrious when outside the state, turns into the epitome of sloth the minute he/she starts working in kerala.......why ? - protectionism breeds complacency, complacency dilutes morals and devotion & absolute power add spice to the broth (or coconut oil to the fire in kerala's case :-)).....when the people in power dont have anyone to answer to - they become answerable to the devil - God's ideals are too painful....Shakespeare's Julius Caesar said it beautifully - after Brutus and his mates murder Caesar - Brutus addresses the crowd - the gathering immediately applauds him and asks for him to installed on Caesar's throne - hail the new Caesar they say.....what a sad and ironic thing to say - they very thing he tried to eliminate got hold of him........
So I say my friends - the answer to the problem is not educating the public, pitying the poor or banning hero-worship......the answer is doing our civic duty - get out there and vote, at the minimum.......speak up when given the chance and elect those that you think and know can make a difference and vote them out when they get stale.......THAT is the way out - when politicians know that they are being watched and their performance matters - they will do work, good work - education, infrastructure and everything else we blame the system for today will get taken care of - lets do our duty and STOP blaming the system and pitying the poor......again - tying it back to Kichan's blog - you will see its not really a response to what he said......yet it is related in the sense that overall he seems to be saying the same thing - politicians and leaders are a reflection of society, so cleanse them while you have the chance and power to do so......this is my opinion and thoughts on whats really wrong .....
Im still thinking.....
http://kaynair.blogspot.com/2006/03/light-fire.html
The above post got me thinking and i have something here that is not necessarily related yet in a queer way, well, related...! I actually wanted to comment there - but very quickly realized what I have to say might be very loooooong, all over the place and not directly related to post as a comment - its also something I want people that come to my blog to see and debate about....so anyways....here goes:
Its funny you mention that hero-worship is because of ignorance - a quick look around the "developed, educated (!)" world would suggest otherwise - just look at the blind trust americans have posed in their poster boy president George W even as he keeps changing the reasons for invading and oppressing Iraq....around the world its amazing what blind faith and belief can throw.
Given this, I would like to commend out founding fathers for putting in a democratic system of checks and balances in our society - so even if these "leaders/politicians" forget their real duty, sense of selflessness and service and start indulging in money-mongering, you can throw them out and elect some one else (well, at least theoretically, that's how it works - now if more people vote on Indian Idol than the general elections and yet blame the 'dirty, corrupt' politicians for everything that is wrong with India, there's nothing much the founding fathers could have done about that...).
I believe this is also tied to the reason why Socialism is today a failed idea, they (the socialists) got defeated by their own ideals and the fact that absolute power ALWAYS corrupts - be it in the USSR, Poland, Romania, East Germany, Cuba or even China (which is really capitalist in a socialist mask).....It always began with a few idealists throwing out the oppressors and promising peace, justice and most importantly EQUALITY for all.....egalitarian society - aah what a lovely concept - but such an oxymoron.....any society by definition is a loose, heterogeneous conglomeration of human thoughts, ideas, beliefs and customs - it is by definition a group of Individuals living together for some cause - and no two humans at the end of the day are really identical - so how can egalitarianism work beyond a point??...how can you deliberately suppress one's ambitions to cater to another's sloth in the name greater good for society - it is against the very fundamental laws of nature (everything is moving towards more chaos from initial order)........lets take an example.....
Imagine this country or group of people that has been freed from oppressors (rulers, kings, dictators, zamindars whatever) by a group of young idealists....Who then form a government of and for equality, but they now have ABSOLUTE power and the devotion of a doting public. The ideas of equality soon take effect - all property is owned by the government, no religion, no political affiliations, compulsory military service...etc etc. Now everyone in the country is not alike, different people have different aspirations, different motivations, levels of ambition and so...the slow (slow -might spare the original leaders, but the next generation is always caught square in the middle) process of societal arbitration starts....the more adventorous amongst the population start looking for soft spots in the rules or loopholes, look to trade their responsibilities, look to lure, bribe and corrupt the leaders....well the leaders who are the darling(s) of the people, have already forgotten their ideals and have become power drunk.....as I said - the human mind has found only one cure for temptation - some other temptation......the same idealists or their next generation at most now, in name of maintaning equality and order start practising the very same policies, they fought against......look at Cuba - does it today represent even one-tenth of what Che Guevara fought and gave his life for????......take our own example - Kerala - the crown jewel in Indian socialism (lets not even discuss WB) is quite honestly a mess - surviving today on foreign remitance....no industry worth its name survives here today - the government cant achieve a thing and the unionized mafia control everything - the same keralite that is so industrious when outside the state, turns into the epitome of sloth the minute he/she starts working in kerala.......why ? - protectionism breeds complacency, complacency dilutes morals and devotion & absolute power add spice to the broth (or coconut oil to the fire in kerala's case :-)).....when the people in power dont have anyone to answer to - they become answerable to the devil - God's ideals are too painful....Shakespeare's Julius Caesar said it beautifully - after Brutus and his mates murder Caesar - Brutus addresses the crowd - the gathering immediately applauds him and asks for him to installed on Caesar's throne - hail the new Caesar they say.....what a sad and ironic thing to say - they very thing he tried to eliminate got hold of him........
So I say my friends - the answer to the problem is not educating the public, pitying the poor or banning hero-worship......the answer is doing our civic duty - get out there and vote, at the minimum.......speak up when given the chance and elect those that you think and know can make a difference and vote them out when they get stale.......THAT is the way out - when politicians know that they are being watched and their performance matters - they will do work, good work - education, infrastructure and everything else we blame the system for today will get taken care of - lets do our duty and STOP blaming the system and pitying the poor......again - tying it back to Kichan's blog - you will see its not really a response to what he said......yet it is related in the sense that overall he seems to be saying the same thing - politicians and leaders are a reflection of society, so cleanse them while you have the chance and power to do so......this is my opinion and thoughts on whats really wrong .....
Im still thinking.....
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