Disclaimer: Whatever I write here is my personal reflection. My views evolve with time. This has nothing to do with influencing elections in any country. In 2016 when I wrote the posts, I had freedom to think. No external annoyances were there – like – you know everyone is reading your thoughts and that people may be reading the links that I read yet I have to write them down; people arriving at conclusions while I am typing; assumptions like if I write something today that means I am actively thinking about the society and if I skip it for a day or two then I had given up or is focussing on family; reading articles which have the similar topics/points that I intended to write;
My freedom to think is not there anymore though I can think.
December 10 2019:
December 9 2019:
The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means and how to respond: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/
“We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the response to it must be integrated and comprehensive, involving all stakeholders of the global polity, from the public and private sectors to academia and civil society…….. There are three reasons why today’s transformations represent not merely a prolongation of the Third Industrial Revolution but rather the arrival of a Fourth and distinct one: velocity, scope, and systems impact. The speed of current breakthroughs has no historical precedent. When compared with previous industrial revolutions, the Fourth is evolving at an exponential rather than a linear pace. Moreover, it is disrupting almost every industry in every country. And the breadth and depth of these changes herald the transformation of entire systems of production, management, and governance……
…..The possibilities of billions of people connected by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge, are unlimited. And these possibilities will be multiplied by emerging technology breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage, and quantum computing…… Like the revolutions that preceded it, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world. To date, those who have gained the most from it have been consumers able to afford and access the digital world….. In the future, technological innovation will also lead to a supply-side miracle, with long-term gains in efficiency and productivity. Transportation and communication costs will drop, logistics and global supply chains will become more effective, and the cost of trade will diminish, all of which will open new markets and drive economic growth. At the same time, as the economists Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee have pointed out, the revolution could yield greater inequality, particularly in its potential to disrupt labor markets. As automation substitutes for labor across the entire economy, the net displacement of workers by machines might exacerbate the gap between returns to capital and returns to labor. ……
….On the other hand, it is also possible that the displacement of workers by technology will, in aggregate, result in a net increase in safe and rewarding jobs. We cannot foresee at this point which scenario is likely to emerge, and history suggests that the outcome is likely to be some combination of the two. However, I am convinced of one thing—that in the future, talent, more than capital, will represent the critical factor of production. This will give rise to a job market increasingly segregated into “low-skill/low-pay” and “high-skill/high-pay” segments, which in turn will lead to an increase in social tensions….. ….. This helps explain why so many workers are disillusioned and fearful that their own real incomes and those of their children will continue to stagnate. It also helps explain why middle classes around the world are increasingly experiencing a pervasive sense of dissatisfaction and unfairness. A winner-takes-all economy that offers only limited access to the middle class is a recipe for democratic malaise and dereliction…..
….. Discontent can also be fueled by the pervasiveness of digital technologies and the dynamics of information sharing typified by social media. More than 30 percent of the global population now uses social media platforms to connect, learn, and share information. In an ideal world, these interactions would provide an opportunity for cross-cultural understanding and cohesion. However, they can also create and propagate unrealistic expectations as to what constitutes success for an individual or a group, as well as offer opportunities for extreme ideas and ideologies to spread….. On the supply side, many industries are seeing the introduction of new technologies that create entirely new ways of serving existing needs and significantly disrupt existing industry value chains. Disruption is also flowing from agile, innovative competitors who, thanks to access to global digital platforms for research, development, marketing, sales, and distribution, can oust well-established incumbents faster than ever by improving the quality, speed, or price at which value is delivered……
…. On the whole, there are four main effects that the Fourth Industrial Revolution has on business—on customer expectations, on product enhancement, on collaborative innovation, and on organizational forms. Whether consumers or businesses, customers are increasingly at the epicenter of the economy, which is all about improving how customers are served. Physical products and services, moreover, can now be enhanced with digital capabilities that increase their value. New technologies make assets more durable and resilient, while data and analytics are transforming how they are maintained. A world of customer experiences, data-based services, and asset performance through analytics, meanwhile, requires new forms of collaboration, particularly given the speed at which innovation and disruption are taking place. And the emergence of global platforms and other new business models, finally, means that talent, culture, and organizational forms will have to be rethought…… …. Overall, the inexorable shift from simple digitization (the Third Industrial Revolution) to innovation based on combinations of technologies (the Fourth Industrial Revolution) is forcing companies to reexamine the way they do business. The bottom line, however, is the same: business leaders and senior executives need to understand their changing environment, challenge the assumptions of their operating teams, and relentlessly and continuously innovate…..
…. As the physical, digital, and biological worlds continue to converge, new technologies and platforms will increasingly enable citizens to engage with governments, voice their opinions, coordinate their efforts, and even circumvent the supervision of public authorities. Simultaneously, governments will gain new technological powers to increase their control over populations, based on pervasive surveillance systems and the ability to control digital infrastructure. On the whole, however, governments will increasingly face pressure to change their current approach to public engagement and policymaking, as their central role of conducting policy diminishes owing to new sources of competition and the redistribution and decentralization of power that new technologies make possible. Ultimately, the ability of government systems and public authorities to adapt will determine their survival. If they prove capable of embracing a world of disruptive change, subjecting their structures to the levels of transparency and efficiency that will enable them to maintain their competitive edge, they will endure. If they cannot evolve, they will face increasing trouble. This will be particularly true in the realm of regulation. Current systems of public policy and decision-making evolved alongside the Second Industrial Revolution, when decision-makers had time to study a specific issue and develop the necessary response or appropriate regulatory framework. …..
…… How, then, can they preserve the interest of the consumers and the public at large while continuing to support innovation and technological development? By embracing “agile” governance, just as the private sector has increasingly adopted agile responses to software development and business operations more generally. This means regulators must continuously adapt to a new, fast-changing environment, reinventing themselves so they can truly understand what it is they are regulating. To do so, governments and regulatory agencies will need to collaborate closely with business and civil society. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will also profoundly impact the nature of national and international security, affecting both the probability and the nature of conflict. The history of warfare and international security is the history of technological innovation, and today is no exception. Modern conflicts involving states are increasingly “hybrid” in nature, combining traditional battlefield techniques with elements previously associated with nonstate actors. The distinction between war and peace, combatant and noncombatant, and even violence and nonviolence (think cyberwarfare) is becoming uncomfortably blurry. As this process takes place and new technologies such as autonomous or biological weapons become easier to use, individuals and small groups will increasingly join states in being capable of causing mass harm. This new vulnerability will lead to new fears.
…… But at the same time, advances in technology will create the potential to reduce the scale or impact of violence, through the development of new modes of protection, for example, or greater precision in targeting….. One of the greatest individual challenges posed by new information technologies is privacy. We instinctively understand why it is so essential, yet the tracking and sharing of information about us is a crucial part of the new connectivity. Debates about fundamental issues such as the impact on our inner lives of the loss of control over our data will only intensify in the years ahead. Similarly, the revolutions occurring in biotechnology and AI, which are redefining what it means to be human by pushing back the current thresholds of life span, health, cognition, and capabilities, will compel us to redefine our moral and ethical boundaries….. …. Neither technology nor the disruption that comes with it is an exogenous force over which humans have no control. All of us are responsible for guiding its evolution, in the decisions we make on a daily basis as citizens, consumers, and investors. We should thus grasp the opportunity and power we have to shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution and direct it toward a future that reflects our common objectives and values…….
…. To do this, however, we must develop a comprehensive and globally shared view of how technology is affecting our lives and reshaping our economic, social, cultural, and human environments. There has never been a time of greater promise, or one of greater potential peril. Today’s decision-makers, however, are too often trapped in traditional, linear thinking, or too absorbed by the multiple crises demanding their attention, to think strategically about the forces of disruption and innovation shaping our future. In the end, it all comes down to people and values. We need to shape a future that works for all of us by putting people first and empowering them. In its most pessimistic, dehumanized form, the Fourth Industrial Revolution may indeed have the potential to “robotize” humanity and thus to deprive us of our heart and soul. But as a complement to the best parts of human nature—creativity, empathy, stewardship—it can also lift humanity into a new collective and moral consciousness based on a shared sense of destiny. It is incumbent on us all to make sure the latter prevails”
September 12 & 20 (added epilogue) 2019:
Extracts from “The Tao of Physics” by Fritjof Capra:
“If physics leads us today to a world view which is essentially mystical, it returns, in a way, to its beginning, 2,500 years ago. It is interesting to follow the evolution of Western science along its spiral path, starting from the mystical philosophies of the early Greeks, rising and unfolding in an impressive development of intellectual thought that increasingly turned away from its mystical origins to develop a world view which is in sharp contrast to that of the Far East. In its most recent stages, Western science is finally overcoming this view and coming back to those of the early Greek and the Eastern philosophies.
This time, however, it is not only based on intuition, but also on experiments of great precision and sophistication, and on a rigorous and consistent mathematical formalism. The roots of physics, as of all Western science, are to be The found in the first period of Greek philosophy in the sixth century B.C., in a culture where science, philosophy and religion were not separated. The sages of the Milesian school in lonia were not concerned with such distinctions. Their aim was to discover the essential nature, or real constitution, of things which they called ‘physis’. The term ‘physics’ is derived from this Greek word and meant therefore, originally, the endeavour of seeing the essential nature of all things….”
“….In fact, they did not even have a word for matter, since they saw all forms of existence as manifestations of the ‘physis’, endowed with life and spirituality. Thus Thales declared all things to be full of gods and Anaximander saw the universe as a kind of organism which was supported by ‘pneuma’, the cosmic breath, in the same way as the human body is supported by air. The monistic and organic view of the Milesians was very close to that of ancient Indian and Chinese philosophy, and the parallels to Eastern thought are even stronger in the philosophy of Heraclitus of Ephesus. Heraclitus believed in a world of perpetual change, of eternal ‘Becoming’. For him, all static Being was based on deception and his universal principle was fire, a symbol for the continuous flow and change of all things. Heraclitus taught that all changes in the world arise from the dynamic and cyclic interplay of opposites and he saw any pair of opposites as a unity. This unity, which contains and transcends all opposing forces, he called the Logos. The split of this unity began with the Eleatic school, which assumed a Divine Principle standing above all gods and men. This principle was first identified with the unity of the universe, but was later seen as an intelligent and personal God who stands above the world and directs it. Thus began a trend of thought which led, ultimately, to the separation of spirit and matter and to a dualism which became characteristic of Western philosophy…”
“… The scientific knowledge of antiquity was systematized and organized by Aristotle, who created the scheme which was to be the basis of the Western view of the universe for two thousand years. But Aristotle himself believed that questions concerning the human soul and the contemplation of God’s perfection were much more valuable than investigations of the material world. The reason the Aristotelian model of the The universe remained unchallenged for so long was precisely this lack of interest in the material world, and the strong hold of the Christian Church which supported Aristotle’s doctrines throughout the Middle Ages. Further development of Western science had to wait until the Renaissance, when men began to free themselves from the influence of Aristotle and the Church and showed a new interest in nature. In the late fifteenth century, the study of nature was approached, for the first time, in a truly scientific spirit and experiments were undertaken to test speculative ideas….”
“…When I refer to ‘Eastern mysticism’, I mean the religious philosophies of Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. Although these comprise a vast number of subtly interwoven spiritual disciplines and philosophical systems, the basic features of their world view are the same. This view is not limited to the East, but can be found to some degree in all mystically oriented philosophies. The argument of this book could therefore be phrased more generally, by saying that modern physics leads us to a view of the world which is very similar to the views held by mystics of all ages and traditions. Mystical traditions are present in all religions, and mystical elements can be found in many schools of Western philosophy. The parallels to modern physics appear not only in the Vedas of Hinduism, in the I Ching, or in the Buddhist sutras, but also in the fragments of Heraclitus, in the Sufism of Ibn Arabi, or in the teachings of the Yaqui sorcerer Don Juan. The difference between Eastern and Western mysticism is that mystical schools have always played a marginal role in the West, whereas they constitute the mainstream of Eastern philosophical and religious thought…”
“….This formulation appeared in the seventeenth century in the philosophy of Rene Descartes who based his view of nature on fundamental division into two separate and independent realms; that of mind (res cogitans), and that of matter (res extensa). The ‘Cartesian’ division allowed scientists to treat matter as dead and completely separate from themselves, and to see the material world as a multitude of different objects assembled into a huge machine. Such a mechanistic world view was held by Isaac Newton who constructed his mechanics on its basis and made it the foundation of classical physics. From the second half of the seventeenth to the end of the nineteenth century, the mechanistic Newtonian model of the universe dominated all scientific thought. It was paralleled by the image of a monarchical God who ruled the world from above by imposing his divine law on it. The fundamental laws of nature searched for by the scientists were thus seen as the laws of God, invariable and eternal, to which the world was subjected. The philosophy of Descartes was not only important for the development of classical physics, but also had a tremendous influence on the general Western way of thinking up to the present day. Descartes’ famous sentence ‘Cogito ergo sum’- ‘I think, therefore I exist’-has led Western man to equate his identity with his mind, instead of with his whole organism..”
“….As a consequence of the Cartesian division, most individuals are aware of themselves as isolated egos existing ‘inside’ their bodies. The mind has been separated from the body and given the futile task of controlling it, thus causing an apparent conflict between the conscious will and the involuntary instincts. Each individual has been split up further into a large number of separate compartments, according to his or her activities, talents, feelings, beliefs, etc., which are engaged in endless conflicts generating continuous metaphysical confusion and frustration. This inner fragmentation of man mirrors his view of the world ‘outside’ which is seen as a multitude of separate objects and events. The natural environment is treated as if it consisted of separate parts to be exploited by different interest groups. The fragmented view is further extended to society which is split into different nations, races, religious and political groups. The belief that all these fragments-in ourselves, in our environment and in our society-are really separate can be seen as the essential reason for the present series of social, ecological and cultural crises. It has alienated us from nature and from our fellow human beings. It has brought a grossly unjust distribution of natural resources creating economic and political disorder; an ever rising wave of violence, both spontaneous and institutionalized, and an ugly, polluted environment in which life has often become …unhealthy”…
“The Cartesian division and the mechanistic world view have thus been beneficial and detrimental at the same time. They were extremely successful in the development of classical physics and technology, but had many adverse consequences for our civilization. It is fascinating to see that twentieth-century science, which originated in the Cartesian split and in the mechanistic world view, and which indeed only became possible because of such a view, now overcomes this fragmentation and leads back to the idea of unity expressed in the early Greek and Eastern philosophies. In contrast to the mechanistic Western view, the Eastern view of the world is ‘organic’. For the Eastern mystic, all things and events perceived by the senses are interrelated, connected, and are but different aspects or manifestations of the same Physics ultimate reality. Our tendency to divide the perceived world into individual and separate things and to experience ourselves as isolated egos in this world is seen as an illusion which comes from our measuring and categorizing mentality….. The Eastern world view is therefore intrinsically dynamic and contains time and change as essential features. The cosmos is seen as one inseparable reality-for ever in motion, alive, organic; spiritual and material at the same time….. Correspondingly, the Eastern image of the Divine is not that of a ruler who directs the world from above, but of a principle that controls everything from within….”
“….The following chapters… are intended to suggest that Eastern thought and, more generally, mystical thought provide a consistent and relevant philosophical background to the theories of contemporary science; a conception of the world in which man’s scientific discoveries can be in perfect harmony with his spiritual aims and religious beliefs. The two basic themes of this conception are the unity and interrelation of all phenomena and the intrinsically dynamic nature of the universe. The increasing number of people have seen this as the underlying reason for the widespread dissatisfaction in our society, and many have turned to Eastern ways of liberation. It is interesting, and perhaps not too surprising, that those who are attracted by Eastern mysticism, who consult the I Ching and practise Yoga or other forms of meditation, in general have a marked anti-scientific attitude. They tend to see science, and physics in particular, as an unimaginative, narrow-minded discipline which is responsible for all the evils of modern technology. This book aims at improving the image of science by showing that there is an essential harmony between the spirit of Eastern wisdom and Western science. It attempts to suggest that modern physics goes far beyond technology, that the way or Tao-of physics can be a path with a heart, a way to spiritual knowledge. and self-realization….”
Epilogue:
“The Eastern religious philosophies are concerned with timeless mystical knowledge which lies beyond reasoning and cannot be adequately expressed in words. The relation of this knowledge to modern physics is but one of its many aspects and, like all the others, it cannot be demonstrated conclusively but has to be experienced in a direct intuitive way. What I hope to have achieved, to some extent, therefore, is not a rigorous demonstration, but rather to have given the reader an opportunity to relive, every now and then, an experience which has become for me a source of continuing joy and inspiration; that the principal theories and models of modern physics lead to a view of the world which is internally consistent and in perfect harmony with the views of Eastern mysticism. For those who have experienced this harmony, the significance of the parallels between the world views of physicists and mystics is beyond any doubt. The interesting question, then, is not whether these parallels exist, but why; and, furthermore, what their existence implies. In trying to understand the mystery of Life, man has followed many different approaches. Among them, there are the ways of the scientist and mystic, but there are many more; the ways of poets, children, clowns, shamans, to name but a few. These ways have resulted in different descriptions of the world, both verbal and non-verbal, which emphasize different aspects. All are valid and useful in the context in which they arose. All of them, however, are only descriptions, or representations, of reality and are therefore limited. None can give a complete picture of the world.
The mechanistic world view of classical physics is useful for the description of the kind of physical phenomena we encounter in our everyday life and thus appropriate for dealing with our daily environment, and it has also proved extremely successful as a basis for technology. It is inadequate, however, for the description of physical phenomena in the submicroscopic realm. Opposed to the mechanistic conception of the world is the view of the mystics which may be epitomized by the word ‘organic’, as it regards all phenomena in the universe as integral parts of an inseparable harmonious whole. This world view emerges in the mystical traditions from meditative states of consciousness. In their description of the world, the mystics use concepts which are derived from these nonordinary experiences and are, in general, inappropriate for a scientific description of macroscopic phenomena. The organic world view is not advantageous for constructing machines, nor for coping with the technical problems in an overpopulated world. In everyday life, then, both the mechanistic and the organic views of the universe are valid and useful; the one for science and technology, the other for a balanced and fulfilled spiritual life. Beyond the dimensions of our everyday environment, however, the mechanistic concepts lose their validity and have to be replaced by organic concepts which are very similar to those used by the mystics. This is the essential experience of modern physics which has been the subject of our discussion. Physics in the twentieth century has shown that the concepts of the organic world view, although of little value for science and technology on the human scale, become extremely useful at the atomic and subatomic level. The organic view, therefore, seems to be more fundamental than the mechanistic. Classical physics, which is based on the latter, can be derived from quantum theory, which implies the former, whereas the reverse is not possible. This seems to give a first indication why we might expect the world views of modern physics and Eastern mysticism to be similar. Both emerge when man enquires into the essential nature of things- into the deeper realms of matter in physics; into the deeper realms of consciousness in mysticism – when he discovers a different reality behind the superficial mechanistic appearance of everyday life.
The parallels between the views of physicists and mystics become even more plausible when we recall the other similarities which exist in spite of their different approaches. To begin with, their method is thoroughly empirical. Physicists derive their knowledge from experiments; mystics from meditative insights. Both are observations, and in both fields these observations are acknowledged as the only source of knowledge. The object of observation is of course very different in the two cases. The mystic looks within and explores his or her consciousness at its various levels, which include the body as the physical manifestation of the mind. The experience of one’s body is, in fact, emphasized in many Eastern traditions and is often seen as the key to the mystical experience of the world. When we are healthy, we do not feel any separate parts in our body but are aware of it as an integrated whole, and this awareness generates a feeling of well-being and happiness. In a similar way, the mystic is aware of the wholeness of the entire cosmos which is experienced as an extension of the body. In the words of Lama Govinda, “To the enlightened man . . . whose consciousness embraces the universe, to him the universe becomes his ‘body’, while his physical body becomes a manifestation of the Universal Mind, his inner vision an expression of the highest reality, and his speech an expression of eternal truth and mantric power.”
In contrast to the mystic, the physicist begins his enquiry into the essential nature of things by studying the material world. Penetrating into ever deeper realms of matter, he has become aware of the essential unity of all things and events. More than that, he has also learnt that he himself and his consciousness are an integral part of this unity. Thus the mystic and the physicist arrive at the same conclusion; one starting from the inner realm, the other from the outer world. The harmony between their views confirms the ancient Indian wisdom that Brahman, the ultimate reality without, is identical to Atman, the reality within. A further similarity between the ways of the physicist and mystic is the fact that their observations take place in realms which are inaccessible to the ordinary senses. In modern physics, these are the realms of the atomic and subatomic world; in mysticism they are non-ordinary states of consciousness in which the sense world is transcended. Mystics often talk about experiencing higher dimensions in which impressions of different centres of consciousness are integrated into a harmonious whole. A similar situation exists in modern physics where a four-dimensional ‘space-time’ formalism has been developed which unifies concepts and observations belonging to different categories in the ordinary three-dimensional world. In both fields, the multi-dimensional experiences transcend the sensory world and are therefore almost impossible to express in ordinary language. We see that the ways of the modern physicist and the Eastern mystic, which seem at first totally unrelated, have, in fact, much in common. It should not be too surprising, therefore, that there are striking parallels in their descriptions of the world.
Once these parallels between Western science and Eastern mysticism are accepted, a number of questions will arise concerning their implications. Is modern science, with all its sophisticated machinery, merely rediscovering ancient wisdom, known to the Eastern sages for thousands of years? Should physicists, therefore, abandon the scientific method and begin to meditate? Or can there be a mutual influence between science and mysticism; perhaps even a synthesis? I think all these questions have to be answered in the negative. I see science and mysticism as two complementary manifestations of the human mind; of its rational and intuitive faculties. The modern physicist experiences the world through an extreme specialization of the rational mind; the mystic through an extreme specialization of the intuitive mind. The two approaches are entirely different and involve far more than a certain view of the physical world. However, they are complementary, as we have learned to say in physics. Neither is comprehended in the other, nor can either of them be reduced to the other, but both of them are necessary, supplementing one another for a fuller understanding of the world. To paraphrase an old Chinese saying, mystics understand the roots of the Tao but not its branches; scientists understand its branches but not its roots. Science does not need mysticism and mysticism does not need science; but man needs both.
Mystical experience is necessary to understand the deepest nature of things, and science is essential for modern life. What we need, therefore, is not a synthesis but a dynamic interplay between mystical intuition and scientific analysis. So far, this has not been achieved in our society. At present, our attitude is too yang-to use again Chinese phraseology too rational, male and aggressive. Scientists themselves are a typical example. Although their theories are leading to a world view which is similar to that of the mystics, it is striking how little this has affected the attitudes of most scientists. In mysticism, knowledge cannot be separated from a certain way of life which becomes its living manifestation. To acquire mystical knowledge means to undergo a transformation; one could even say that the knowledge is the transformation. Scientific knowledge, on the other hand, can often stay abstract and theoretical. Thus most of today’s physicists do not seem to realize the philosophical, cultural and spiritual implications of their theories. Many of them actively support a society which is still based on the mechanistic, fragmented world view, without seeing that science points beyond such a view, towards a oneness of the universe which includes not only our natural environment but also our fellow human beings.
I believe that the world view implied by modern physics is inconsistent with our present society, which does not reflect the harmonious interrelatedness we observe in nature. To achieve such a state of dynamic balance, a radically different social and economic structure will be needed: a cultural revolution in the true sense of the word. The survival of our whole civilization may depend on whether we can bring about such a change. It will depend, ultimately, on our ability to adopt some of the yin attitudes of Eastern mysticism; to experience the wholeness of nature and the art of living with it in harmony.”
September 7 2019:
There are two versions of God and Satan. God provides everything that Adam and Eve (allegory – human race) wants (to eat/survive) in His garden and Adam and Eve were not supposed to eat fruits from a specific tree. Satan convinces the couple to eat fruits from the forbidden tree and the couple are thrown out of the heaven. During those times when people used to worship the monarchies or those who had “divine right to rule”, the rulers were equivalent to God. Before monarchies, there were tribal chiefs or elders who were equal to other tribal members, but were well versed in providing guidance and directions. Mostly the tribes might have worried about survival strategies. It is possible that the people within the tribes were curious about their surroundings and came up with small scale inventions and discoveries, which might have spread to other tribes, but with limited scope to evolve, those discoveries might not have evolved to a grand or complicated scale – eg: local herbal remedies vs modern medicine. One has to remember that the instituion of monarchy was invented when large number of people had to be governed when civilizations were drawing large number of people towards them. Monarchies were adorned with throne and crown and many protective and decorative layers which inspired awe (somewhat like the hollywood version of an ordinary event), and was a centralised governing strategy which kept large number of people under control.
Monarchy as an institution might have evolved with time with its own pros and cons. But the curse of the centralised command and few bloodlines clinging to the divine right to rule by birth is continuing even today. Some of the documented royal houses have so many branches with many of them ready to contend for throne. Only recently the world is experiencing break from wars which were sometimes nothing but royal family fights. The royal family members are huge in number and if one is to fit them into a city or a small country, one can observe that it will be similar to other places. May be one fourth of the European population are descendants of Charlemagne. It is not difficult to see that royals are ordinary people like anyone else. The difference could lie in the networks and wealth they inherit which influence decision making. Why should the privileges be restricted to few families? Even today some people are thrilled by the magic surrounding a queen or king or prince or princesses. Other than monarchies we have real life examples of centralised command in the hands of dictators like Mussolini, Hitler, etc that had wrecked societies. [ https://futureofworking.com/6-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-communism/ ] Hitler’s national socialism and soviet’s communism are examples of centralised command structure where God promises to provide for sustenance. In such cases knowledge that empowers and frees people and help them to be independent is considered as Satan.
Today some of the corporates like Monsanto and Amazon and other digital giants are on a path towards different kind of centralisation and accumulation of wealth. May be the same goes for executive powers of the President or any single person within a democracy who holds enormous controlling power. There is no guarantee that the few digital platforms and the few people behind them will remain benevolent forever. Further, accumulating billions and trillions of dollars at the expense of disrupting small and medium businesses is not worth the free dividend that will be offered to the people as proposed by few – like offering 1000$ per month that will increase spending and thereby boost the economy. I somehow see a digital version of the soviet era communism where few digital giants will play the role of the soviet state / Hitler in controlling people’s economic affairs. With every sphere of human life coming under digital operations, only laws and regulations can provide protective measures. Then one may wonder about GCHQ, NSA and Five eyes and the likes where governments are abusing surveillance powers and are coming up with laws which legalize such practices. People seem to not realise the harms that digital era can bring and hence there are no protests against the abuses or no protests demanding protection of their rights. Some say that there is nothing to hide as they dont involve in criminal activites, but there are many things in life that require privacy and protection.
[ The internet is broken. Can this group fix it? – POLITICO https://www.politico.eu/article/internet-governance-ottawa-regulation-balkanization-splinternet-global-jurisdiction-policy-network/
Europe seeks to lead a new world order on data – POLITICO https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-trade-data-protection-privacy/
Data protection in the EU | European Commission https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/data-protection-eu_en
Council Post: How Regulations Could Determine The Future Of Innovation And The Gig Economy https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/11/01/how-regulations-will-determine-the-future-of-innovation-and-the-gig-economy/#20e4c8325f43#20e4c8325f43
A proposal for modernizing labor laws for 21st century work: The “independent worker” https://www.brookings.edu/research/a-proposal-for-modernizing-labor-laws-for-21st-century-work-the-independent-worker/
China’s privacy norms could influence the future of tech https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2018/08/07/china-privacy/
Laws and Ethics Can’t Keep Pace with Technology https://www.technologyreview.com/s/526401/laws-and-ethics-cant-keep-pace-with-technology/
What You Need to Know About California’s New Data Privacy Law https://hbr.org/2018/07/what-you-need-to-know-about-californias-new-data-privacy-law
What Are Some of the Laws Regarding Internet and Data Security? https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-privacy-laws-regarding-internet-data-security.html ]
Now comes the other version of Satan. God (- this word denotes cosmic power to me) created the world and populated it with human beings. Humans are mirror images of God Himself who are endowed with the ability to raise above the primitive needs and have the ability to create and evolve and reach higher ideals – both in the external world in the form of achievements in the material world, as well reaching inner perfection. Many in today’s world might wonder what is the need for religion? Regardless of the intellectual debates and arguments, many might accept that Buddha or Christ were individuals who preached higher ideals and lived according to those ideals and many consider(ed) them pure and divine or reincarnation of God. There is a difference in the detachment that Buddha preached. He was born in a royal family and had consumed material benefits that many can only dream of. Yet he was not content with those pleasures and renounced his royal life when he saw the sufferings in the world. His continuous inquiry and penance lead to his enlightment which he preached to the world. Now people’s nature occupies a wide range of spectrum – like the VIBGYOR shades in a rainbow. Also the light is invisible in frequencies below and above this range. Similarly an individual who lives under crushing poverty while yearning for a better life cant say that he is practicing material detachment. There is a difference in the non-violence practiced by a chained prisoner and a sage like Buddha.
Attaining Buddhahood or living like that of Christ or other prophets is possible only if the individual is willing to make sufficient efforts. It is similar to alchemy in which the base metal is converted to gold. Leo Tolstoy was not happy with the violence that he saw around him, and had written that only by returning love as a response to a violent act can human beings overcome violence in this world. He further advocates non-violent resistance and condemns meekly succumbing to injustice. He was an inspiration to Gandhi’s non-violent struggle against British occupation – which inturn inspired Martin Luther King’s non-violent civil rights struggle. It is easy to say this, but difficult to practice. Satan (allegory) tempts human minds with the variations of seven sins. Those who are fed up with religion or recollect the oppression practiced in the name of religion may want to brush aside the term sin. But some of these people may be fighting against wars, or gang/police violence, rape, child abuse, etc. The 9/11 attacks instilled such a fear in human minds which demanded violent response, and created a vicious cycle that promoted terrorism and tough strategies to eliminate terrorism. What is wrong in terming ‘wrath’ as sin? Anger is like fire which be used to light a lamp, or cook food, or engulf cities like Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is necessary to be angry against injustice – but the response cannot be impulsive and instant – like shooting the one who punched you.
Non-violent resistance overcame British oppression, but didnt create scars as deep as the violence exhibited during India-Pakistan partition. Till today violence is considered as a fitting reply – an eye for an eye – and both countries harbour mistrust and resentment. This is a pattern across the world – where arms race is considered as a way to remain safe from violence. Though fear of destruction by nuclear weapons had averted large scale wars, plans to develop mini nukes and space weapons indicate that there is a need to change the mindset which demands violence to solve problems. Industrial revolution had triggered large scale weapons manufacturing along with other machineries and some families/countries generate wealth via weapon manufacturing which also includes guns. This is not to under-estimate the defence requirements of any country, but if weapons manufacturing companies are run like corporates which are under pressure to make profit, it is not difficult to imagine perpetual wars – where either lobbying/threat can influence decision makers & artificial terrorist threats can herd people into supporting war. People within USA or Europe or India have learned to live together and dont find a need for war among themselves. Can the whole world reach such a state where people can live together peacefully? May be it is possible – if there is mutual trust and interdependence among the nations. Economic inequality is a barrier for such peaceful co-existence.
But, globalization and trade dependencies has created alliances which make countries think twice before waging war and disrupting economies. Can nations come up with economic strategies that do not depend on military and surveillance industries for generating or retaining wealth? This culture of wealth generation which depends on persistent insecurity cant allow the collective redemption of the human race. Then comes the question of population level. From some of the articles that I read, I understood that there is a cult which worships mother Earth (Gaia?) – and is against industrialization and overpopulation, which will deplete and destroy the earth, and hence supports the concept of reducing the number of people and populating the earth with trees – as in the movie ‘Lord of the rings’, where trees invade cities. I am not sure if there are powerful people involved in such activities, but the question of increasing population level requires attention to ensure sufficient or surplus supply of vital natural resources. Technology and industrialization support increasing population levels unlike the early ages which were at the mercy of nature. We need to respect nature and care about ecology, but need not give up technology and revert to primitive ways of living which will lead to depopulation and thus protect mother nature.
Any issue can be viewed from multiple angles. Finding the equilibrium or balance is essential. The population question is also associated with domination, religion and birth-control. Some are of the view that strength lies in number and promote giving birth to lot of children. Pew research or other such sources promote statistics or predictions like this: in 50 years coloured people will overtake USA; eventually muslims will outnumber hindus in India, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and eventually x, y, z will happen. These kind of predictions or fear-mongering create insecurity everywhere – this is because of assumption that majority can wield power over the minorities. History shows that advanced weapons/warfare in the hands of few can overpower many who have relatively powerless weapons. At the same time the money and research spent in military R&D can come up with technologies that can improve lives – and the competition in acquiring advanced weapons eventually lead to widespread adaptation of advanced technologies by people all over the world. Eg: Internet, GPS, microwave, etc [ https://www.businessinsider.com/14-advanced-military-projects-that-could-change-the-world-forever-2012-8?IR=T#this-is-an-offensive-laser-weapon-mounted-on-an-aircraft-14 & https://www.pocket-lint.com/gadgets/news/143526-how-military-tech-changed-our-lives ]. Though most of the countries are wary of nuclear weapons, we cant underwrite the benefits of nuclear power.
“The first power station to produce electricity by using heat from the splitting of uranium atoms began operating in the 1950s. Today most people are aware of the important contribution nuclear energy makes in providing a significant proportion of clean electricity. The applications of nuclear technology outside of civil electricity production in power plants are less well-known. Radioisotopes, nuclear power process heat and non-stationary power reactors have essential uses across multiple sectors, including consumer products, food and agriculture, industry, medicine and scientific research, transport, and water resources and the environment — https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/non-power-nuclear-applications/overview/the-many-uses-of-nuclear-technology.aspx. ” Fossil fuels lead to pollution, but more than pollution (may be new efficient ways can curb the pollution), the race to secure this non-renewable resource which is essential for industries and thereby economic growth & security will be a major justification for switching to other sources of energy. Other than Solar and Wind energy, Thorium and fission energy sources may be available in the future. The question that lingers for an ordinary person like me is: why is that a developing country like India with many people below the poverty line have restrictions in using fossil fuels/nuclear power for energy requirements and are expected to depend on developed countries?
Probably investing in Thorium (which is available within India) reactors or development of other indigenous technologies and infrastructures specific to India’s needs might require the involvemment of the government – as Abdul Kalam stated, India need to focus 70% on development politics considering the diversity within India which reflects in the challenges faced in the formation of stable central government. Currently India has a stable government at the centre – which can be used to come up with policies that benefit all the states as well all of people within India. [ https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/apj-abdul-kalam-pm-narendra-modi-india-knowledge-superpower-285245-2015-07-29 ] There are lot of people who can become job creators within India by establishing entrepreneurial units in different sectors. Ease of starting and running a business within India will help the country and this will inturn enhance self-respect of Indians. Promise of development politics earned BJP majority of people’s votes. People rejected corruption and had chosen development. But unfortunately the power of the majority was spent in conflicts. Are people more interested in fighting over petty issues with people of other religion and caste and language? May be the same holds good for people all over the world. Why cant some global issues be solved together? What stops people from appreciating the “other”?
“In fact, all the modern civilisations have their cradles of brick and mortar. These (city) walls leave their mark deep in the minds of men. They set up a principle of “divide and rule” in our mental outlook, which begets in us a habit of securing all our conquests by fortifying them and separating them from one another. We divide nation and nation, knowledge and knowledge, man and nature. It breeds in us a strong suspicion of whatever is beyond the barriers we have built, and everything has to fight hard for its entrance into our recognition…. … All our poetry, philosophy, science, art and religion are serving to extend the scope of our consciousness towards higher and larger spheres. …. Man’s abiding happiness is not in getting anything but in giving himself up to what is greater than himself, to ideas which are larger than his individual life, the idea of his country, of humanity, of God. They make it easier for him to part with all that he has, not expecting his life. His existence is miserable and sordid till he finds some great idea which can truly claim his all, which can release him from all attachment to his belongings. Buddha and Jesus, and all our great prophets, represent such great ideas. They hold before us opportunities for surrendering our all [ https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/tagore/sadh/index.htm ] ”
It seems as if people are searching for a higher purpose or identity but are drawn to instant gratification or fall prey to fake prophecies or toxic notions of identity or religion. I learn more about life and God from books like “Sadhana -the realisation of life” by Rabindranath Tagore. Mostly the author is talking about Upanishads and quotes Buddha & Jesus and he mentions God as Infinite. Once such higher concepts enter the mind, it seeks more from other sources like “Imitation of Christ” or Quran or Bhagavat Gita or the likes. Rather than finding faults, mind seeks guidance. Each has something new to offer or add to the existing understanding. Realising higher ideals in life is like climbing Mt.Everest – different individuals might have reached different heights, but what is important is to have the right tools and guidance to reach the peak. What is important is to obey the conscience and listen to the inner voice which can eventually learn to identify the husk and the grain. The bliss and adventure is reserved for everyone and the Infinite is magnanimous enough to embrace everyone. When we think only about a narrow section – for example my tribe or my religion and tend to shrink our understanding or accomodation of others, the circles get smaller and smaller and eventually can only think of ‘me’. But thinking in terms of ‘us’ or ‘we’ expands us gradually and may be we can learn to enlarge our circles and think about us – the human race.
August 31 2019:
Some of Lincoln’s quotes on labour and education:
“If at any time all labour should cease, and all existing provisions be equally divided among the people, at the end of a single year there could scarcely be one human being left alive—all would have perished by want of subsistence.”
“Beavers build houses; but they build them in nowise differently, or better now, than they did, five thousand years ago. Ants, and honey-bees, provide food for winter; but just in the same way they did, when Solomon referred the sluggard to them as patterns of prudence. Man is not the only animal who labors; but he is the only one who improves his workmanship.”
“Property is the fruit of labor…property is desirable…is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built.”
“The prudent, penniless beginner in the world, labors for wages awhile, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land, for himself; then labors on his own account another while, and at length hires another new beginner to help him. This, say its advocates, is free labor—the just and generous, and prosperous system, which opens the way for all—gives hope to all, and energy, and progress, and improvement of condition to all.”
“The old general rule was that educated people did not perform manual labor. They managed to eat their bread, leaving the toil of producing it to the uneducated. This was not an insupportable evil to the working bees, so long as the class of drones remained very small. But now, especially in these free States, nearly all are educated–quite too nearly all, to leave the labor of the uneducated, in any wise adequate to the support of the whole. It follows from this that henceforth educated people must labor. Otherwise, education itself would become a positive and intolerable evil. No country can sustain, in idleness, more than a small percentage of its numbers. The great majority must labor at something productive.”
“Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. That every man may receive at least, a moderate education, and thereby be enabled to read the histories of his own and other countries, by which he may duly appreciate the value of our free institutions, appears to be an object of vital importance, even on this account alone, to say nothing of the advantages and satisfaction to be derived from all being able to read the scriptures and other works, both of a religious and moral nature, for themselves. ”
Few observations I made in the recent past are that the people in developed and rich countries are not willing to do the hard jobs. Legal and illegal immigrants (mostly coloured or Eastern European) are roped in to do these jobs. Many locals on the welfare support are not ready to take the hard jobs. If I look at the American system, atleast the European and Jewish immigrants who began working at the lower rungs of the society have moved up the social hierarchy. May be other immigrants will move up the ladder in the near future. Outsourcing and globalization has shifted wealth from West to the East, while colonialism shifted wealth from East to the West. Yet most of the Eastern countries or the global South have not yet achieved a high standard of living as in the West. Ghettos in the developed countries are much more wealthier compared to the slums in the global South. It is inevitable that people all over the world will strive for higher standard of living. At the same time people who lost their jobs in the West find that life has become difficult. Some long for the return of the outsourced jobs. For me it was difficult to live in Europe when people pointed out that they lost their jobs to countries like India and that young people are struggling to find jobs while some immigrants are taking local jobs as well. The question surrounding integration is also discussed often in the public.
There are claims that having immigrants helps the economy, as they are new to the country and hence work hard to establish themselves, and thus their contribution is vital – in the form of entrepreneurship ( which will generate jobs ) or cheap labour ( which helps in supplying low cost products to local consumers and hence boost the local economy ). Yet the economic insecurity and the fear of immigrants have resulted in far right movemments. Depending on how far one is willing to look back, history provides different answers to the conditions that lead to the current scenario. According to some, the white race and colonialism are at the centre of the history (which goes back to 400-500 years) and all the credit for the modern civilization goes to the Western countries. Those who are willing to find out what happenend before few thousands of years may quote China, India or Egypt as centres of great civilizations. Not many are claiming the award for building Angkor wat temple or coming up with Mayan calendar and pyramids. Contribution of Islam in the field of science is forgotten even by muslims. Europe prefers not to talk about the changes brought in civilization via Spain by Islamic invaders. Every race has something to be proud of. Great achievements interspersed across countries and civilizations can serve as a reminder of what humans can achieve collectively.
Before automobiles were invented someone invented wheels. Before publishing books, someone invented spoken languages and then written languages. There were times where it had taken months to produce or copy one book before automation of writing. Even weapons have evolved gradually from bones & stones to bows & arrows to spears & swords to nuclear and space weapons. To whom should the credit go? – To the human nature that was curious to know how things work and was keen to continuously improve its living conditions, and was progressing inch by inch with every small change that made lives better. Human race stands on the shoulders of efforts previous generations who might have sacrificed a lot, who might have faced innumerable adversities starting from dangerous weather patterns & wild animals to the nearby tribes competing for the same scarce resources of food and water, etc. Thankfully humans were not satisfied in just playing “clash of civilizations” where each group competes with the other for resources and victory means destruction of the “other”. This might have left humans in the ranks of animals who compete and kill each other for food. Invention of large scale agriculture was a way of solving food scarcity problem. Invention of modern houses is a way of learning to protect ourselves from harsh weather patterns. The glory of ancient civilizations rest in what they did at that specific point of time in overcoming adversities and imagining how life can be different.
Just hanging on to the olden glory doesnt solve the current challenges. Then there are disputes in inheritance of glory of the ancient achievements, which sees no end just like those families fighting over inheritance of the wealth earned by the hardwork and ingenuity of their father or grandfather. The nature of adveristy has taken a different form. There are no more wild animals roaming amidst the human dwellings and people are afraid of other people. Does the solution lie in wiping out the races that look visibly different and occupying their land and resources? What next after populating the earth with people of same race? Will Europe accept black plague as a wise method to secure resources? May be Mayans perished because of endemic warfare or overpopulation and environmental degradation. But we have science and technology today to create rain, desalinate sea water, disperse clouds, develop high yield crops, etc. What stops us from solving the problems collectively and benefiting from each other’s contribution? I have to quote the Jallikattu protests that took place in Tamilnadu recently. At that point of time, farmers were suffering because of droughts and many were committing suicide. Jallikattu (an ancient sport which mimicks taming wild bulls) was banned as it was considered to be cruel towards the animals taking part in the game, which also includes occasional human casualties. The ban was considered to be an effort in erasing the identity of the local culture.
This kind of sentiment prevails in the West as well – that the identity of white race is being erased by allowing coloured people to live in their land. In India it was about big companies usurping natural resources, corporates (this is a country of 1 billion+ people with many using ground water for agriculture and daily use) depleting groundwater, etc along with the frictions created by the life style changes that had taken place rapidly in the past 20+ years. Corporates dont give jobs to kiths and kins but to anyone who can perform the job and hence have shaken the old rigid hierarchies. As years pass, the corporates are keen to reduce the pay of employees and layoff experienced employees whose payscale is much higher than the new recruits. The same economic insecurity lingers here as well. There were people promoting the idea of Universal Basic Income. This is also similar to the welfare system which reduces the incentives to work or take risks. Welfare benenfits which serves as genuine safety net for people who are in need is not discussed here. With no labour, probably the economy and the luxuries associated with it may flop. Further, an individual needs avenues to create and contribute in meaningful ways through which both individuals and the society keep evolving. It is true that free time allows a person to learn more about life and help him/her to pursue higher ideals in life. But there are many more people on this earth who cant make ends meet.
Preaching higher ideals to those who are with empty stomach is of no use. Global south has a long way to go in eradicating poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition and in providing basic infrastructure and healthcare. Middle class people are worried if automation will take away those jobs which involve routine/repetitive tasks. I am not an expert to answer this question, but automation will be of help if machines can do the dangerous or demeaning jobs or those jobs which no one wants do. The employment model of Walmart or Amazon and the gig economy which demands longer working hours and lower pay is a form of modern day peasant life. Depending on few corporates for jobs and wealth generation could also lead to a form of economic fascism. Corporates have triggered a change in the global system. While there are corporates who care for the society and display social responsibility, those corporates which are similar to British/Dutch East India company is of no help today. Countries like India have generated lot of educated youngsters. There should be space for experiments and innovation which will enable solving problems in the society as well as generate wealth which inturn will eradicate poverty. Corruption and bureaucracy will not solve the nation’s problems. Coming back to Jallikattu protests, it was a way in which people showed their solidarity towards the farmers who were struggling. It also was an effort to retain their collective identity.
It was a peaceful assembly of large number of people – a display of the power of peaceful democratic protests. It was a protest – without affiliation to any political party or any narrow interests, but with a specific aim which most of the people agreed on, and the political leaders too lifted the ban on Jallikattu via constitutional amendment. [I hope sufficient protective measures are taken to ensure the safety of animals and the participants in the game].
Some of the people who gathered for the protest were also voicing their opinion against corruption as well as the overreach of the central government / foreign countries and influence of corporates. While people turned their attention to society’s problems collectively, there were lot of disinformation which triggered people emotionally – there was a bogeyman against whom people were united. The same people power was immediately directed towards demanding river water from the neighbouring state. In this case there was a political party trying to take leadership and in this issue anger was directed towards the neighbouring state (this water dispute is going on for a very long time) – while most of the states were suffering from lower rainfall at that time, which was also the cause of disruption in agriculture in other states as well, with cities struggling to manage their water needs. It has become normal that droughts and floods occur frequently without any practical collective solution unlike some developed countries.
It seemed as if people’s lack of understanding of what was going on within the country and internationally was used to spread disinformation like – jobs were outsourced to deplete natural resources in India, Denmark is a country where most of the people rely on agriculture, high milk yielding foreign breed cows are going to destroy our local breeds of cows and thereby local culture, British did lot of good things for India under colonial era and now the system has become awful etc etc. Usually at the national level – Pakistan and muslims are the targets, and same may be the case in Pakistan. It was almost similar to the fear and dislike instilled in the Western countries – where all coloured persons suddenly became potential terrorists. In West, people longed for that golden era when prosperity reigned. People remember colonial era but not the era when peasants had to fight against poverty and power. In India the golden era existed before invasion by foreign forces – for some it is British and for others it is Islamic invaders. But opinions of some great minds from India give a hint that India had became stagnant and was plagued by internal conflicts.
All those discussions blaming each other and the lack of mutual respect and distrust leads nowhere but war or similar destructive conflicts. The more I tried to find out about what happened in the past by reading materials from sources like Larouchepub, the more I realised it is futile to cling to the past resentments or even past glories. May be there are two equal and opposing forces like left wing- right wing, aristotle – plato, city builders – empire builders, east – west, etc which are deployed globally. Swami Vivekanadha praises Alexander, Genghis Khan and Napolean as great unifiers of this world. May be the opposing forces are artificial constructs that are designed to help humanity march forward – together. Those who can understand this will find that the harms inflicted on others is nothing but harm inflicted on self and will learn to live with each other peacefully. Monarchies or a superhero cannot solve all the problems in the society. Leaders can provide vision and guidance. Only if people are willing to discharge their own duties and responsibilities, societies can function cohesively. Freedom within a democracy would also mean recognising the rights and freedom of others.
It is vital to protect the environment and secure water supplies, prevent pollution, plant trees, and make sure industrial wastes are recycled or treated properly before discharging it into the water bodies or pumping it underground, etc. The country should demand their fair share in the usage of natural resources by other countries. But rejecting industries and depending only on agriculture cant secure land / jobs for millions of people.
I draw inspiration from the teachings of Swami Vivekanandha and Dr.Abdul Kalam.
Vivekanandha’s words:
“We do stand in need of social reform. At times great men would evolve new ideas of progress, and kings would give them the sanction of law. Thus social improvements had been in the past made in India, and in modern times to effect such progressive reforms, we will have first to build up such an authoritative power. Kings having gone, the power is the people’s. We have, therefore, to wait till the people are educated, till they understand their needs and are ready and able to solve their problems. The tyranny of the minority is the worst tyranny in the world. Therefore, instead of frittering away our energies on ideal reforms, which will never become practical, we had better go to the root of the evil and make a legislative body, that is to say, educate our people, so that they may be able to solve their own problems. Until that is done all these ideal reforms will remain ideals only. The new order of things is the salvation of the people by the people, and it takes time to make it workable, especially in India, which has always in the past been governed by kings.”
Extract from Dr.Abdul Kalam’s speech:
http://abdulkalam.nic.in/Speechlist.html
http://abdulkalam.nic.in/sp070507.html
“With rapid growth of private sector in the country, I visualize that education is now an important part of corporate social responsibility, as much as it is the responsibility of government. The seeds of peace in the world have their origin in the righteousness in the heart of every individual. Such righteous citizens lead to the evolution of enlightened society. Education with value system has to be so designed that the righteousness in the heart is developed in young minds. That should be the mission of education. ……The convergence of Bio, Nano and IT is expected to touch every area of concern to the humanity. The “World Knowledge Platform” will take up the missions, in some of the areas discussed further, which are of utmost urgency to all of us to make our world a safe, sustainable, peaceful and prosperous place to live:
1. Water: Desalination of sea water using solar energy, channelization, networking of rivers, cost effective safe drinking water.
2. Healthcare: Diagnosis, drug delivery system, development and production of vaccines for HIV/TB, malaria and cardiac diseases, detection and cure of diabetics.
3. Agriculture and Food processing: Increased production of food grain in an environment of reduced land, reduced water and reduced manpower; preservation of food; food processing; cost effective storage and distribution.
4. Knowledge products: Hardware, Software and Networking and Storage Products including handheld micro and nano electronic devices.
5. Transportation systems: Fossil fuel free transportation systems using renewable energies, safety systems, hardware and embedded software integration.
6. Habitat: Energy efficient, water efficient, pollution free habitat.
7. Disaster Prediction and Management: Earth quake forecasting, assessing in advance the quantum of rain for particular cloud condition.
8. Capacity Building: Quality human resource development for all the above areas including the development of personnel with world class skills”
August 28 2019:
While addressing hierarchy, it is interesting to note down the social hierarchies that prevailed in the past all over the world. Mostly kings and priests occupied the top most layers while working class remained at the bottom. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. May be there were more tyrants than benevolent kings and queens, may be priests began abusing their privilege while serving as the intermediary between God and people. For example ordinary people could not read bible or other religious scriptures but had to depend on the priests. I wonder if the subjects were able to question their kings and queens. Noble men and their families occupied positions of privilege and only after the French and American revolution ordinary people had the oppurtunity to move up the social ladder. Liberty in this context could mean a lot of things like freedom of expression, freedom to practice religion, free speech, ownership of land etc. Science and knowledge and free commerce liberated people and helped them break the chains of feudalism. With freedom comes responsibility. Constitutions and the rule of law are efficient only as long the people who uphold them are worthy of it. It is not difficult to misinterpret the term liberty, etc or subvert the constitution as per the will and wishes of the corrupted ones. In a democracy what is the role of the people? Is flat hierarchy or direct democracy possible?
If the number of people in a governed area, say like a village, is small, it is possible to imagine direct participation of people in management of all the affairs that touch their lives – provided there are no feudal landlords, and people are capable of ordering their own affairs . But as the area increases and includes towns and cities and states, and includes people from diverse walks of life, management gets complex and hence the need for experts and departments and institutions. It is not possible for everyone to keep track of everything in a society. Majority of the people are busy with managing their families and earning their livelihood. People can neither be complacent and leave everything in the hands of bureaucrats, nor can millions of people micromanage or impose their opinion in every affair. Balancing act will be to obey the laws as well as keep themselves informed of public affairs and hold elected officials accountable and protest and demand change when it is necessary. In the past few years one can see the impact of social media on politics. Just like fire, social media requires prudent usage. It has brought people closer and has made communication quick and easy. It is easy to learn about other cultures, others’ point of views, etc ( positive impacts and potential ). Sometimes free speech and freedom of expression are producing unpleasant and undesirable effects in the society.
Direct democracy via social media can be nightmare since people get triggered by tweets or posts with incomplete information, and people are not able to distinguish between genuine and fake news. Twitter trials are nothing but digital lynchings. Meaningful contribution to the society requires identifying concrete problems in our societies and arriving at suitable solutions and implementing the solutions. Social media and internet can be modern day gladiator arena or a source of intoxication which keeps providing addidictive options just like gambling or a place where endless discussions & debates lead nowhere. Or these could be tools that can empower people by educating them and help them make informed decisions and solve important issues – which can eventually create true democracies that are by the people of the people and for the people. Democracy requires people to work offline as well.
I was an individual who started observing the world via internet approx 10 years ago and only recently has experienced the taste of digital activism when I realised my voice is reaching the power. Even I am learning more about democracy and its potential. I can see two democratic countries – India and America. In India before the arrival of internet, it was not possible for me to know about the world. Most of the 24/7 news channels cant provide window to many important global and national issues. May be this true for majority of the countries. Internet provides the freedom to look for information. In a democracy like India, people dont appreciate corruption and many more issues, but dont know how to tackle it collectively. It seems as if people are relying on few authorities and cant dare and forge new paths. Family politics is like a mirror image of the monarchies with some politicians imagining themselves to be rulers. Ordinary people dont think of involving in politics and used to brush it aside as sewage. There is constitution, but most of the people dont quote constitution. When I look at USA it seems as if people can question their elected representatives and have options to actively participate in community related affairs. Yet, American politics revolves around partisanship and identity politics.
While I had the oppurtunity to know more about the world around me when I was living in Europe, I didnt have options to actively participate in the local democracy. People voted in elections and were mostly worried about immigrants taking away jobs and islamic terrorism. Wish there were mechanisms which promoted dialogue between locals and immigrants. As an individual I can mingle with locals and explain my point of view and as individuals locals are friendly, but the collective fear doesnt just go away on its own. Laws are vital and can help control crimes and abuses. In some cases laws can be used to fill the prisons or charge and punish innocent people. Laws are essential but laws alone are not sufficient in any society. Laws cant interfere in personal choices made by people. Laws cant alleviate the fear of the “other”, or cant forge unity or provide economic security.
Abraham Lincoln’s quotes:
“Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties. And not to Democrats alone do I make this appeal, but to all who love these great and true principles.”
“The people — the people — are the rightful masters of both congresses, and courts — not to overthrow the constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it.”
“Of our political revolution of ’76, we all are justly proud. It has given us a degree of political freedom, far exceeding that of any other nation of the earth. In it the world has found a solution of the long mooted problem, as to the capability of man to govern himself. In it was the germ which has vegetated, and still is to grow and expand into the universal liberty of mankind.”
“The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves — in their separate, and individual capacities.”
“The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.”
Looking at the global reach of the social media where people from all over the world are connnected through digital devices, countries can no longer be content with their own safety nets. What is illegal in one country could be legal elsewhere and internet and space dont have any borders. Considering the future cyber warfare or space/AI warfare possibilities, may be it is necessary to come up with certain global treaties on future warfares and weapons. It is interesting to note that there are international laws and international court which are not able to globally uphold human rights or prevent war crimes.
To quote Abraham Lincoln: “When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and a true maxim, that a “drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.” “
“Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser — in fees, expenses, and waste of time. As a peacemaker the lawyer has a superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.”
I never got involved in politics, but I was inspired by President Barack Obama’s speeches and the townhall meetings he conducted with young people all over the world. I read his book “Dreams from my father” which helped me understand his background as a community organizer. He was trying to promote co-operation among nations and races and was against war and surveillance. There might be many other politicians who are addressing similar issues, but I dont know much about others. I was struggling to find my place in the globalized world and his books and speeches had answers for many of my questions.
August 27 2019:
Colonialism – My understanding is that it was a necessary evil unleashed for the sake of improving lives of everyone on this globe. The ones who had superior weapons were used to transfer wealth from the countries which were plagued by internal conflicts and wars. The wealth was used to fuel innovation and industrial revolution and the rest of the world is benefiting from those innovations. According to the master plan for human race – any race or any country could be used for the execution of such plan depending on the strengths and weaknesses (which are not necessarily static) at any particular time. I dont see any point in attaching superiority to those who conquered others – considering the fact that they could have ( unknowingly ) played the role as per the master plan. Humiliation attached to slavery may linger within every race on this earth. When Egypt was flourishing – coloured people were superior, and in the colonial era, whites were considered superior. There is no guarantee that the roles wont be reversed in the master-slave relationship – again according to the needs and constraints at any given time in the history of the human race. These statements are made neither to glorify conquerors & wars nor slavery, but to identify the purpose of such tools and decide if it is necessary to carry on certain practices. ( or to help shed the cocoon within which the human race was evolving and give wings to the collective human potential ).
Knowledge: All across the human race there are individuals who are in pursuit of knowledge. It is difficult to believe that only certain group of people can inherit intelligence by birth. If that is the case then some of the cave men should have lived differently. The fact that cave men and women evolved gradually and collectively proves that knowledge is acquired by trial and error efforts and that the veils of ignorance gets dropped iteratively in every age of civilization. When the living conditions were harsh it is possible that the ones who were in pursuit of knowledge ( full time) came up with protective measures – to guard themselves and transmit the knowledge to the future generations. Only in the digital age information spreads across the world rapidly but if we are to visualize the conditions before the invention of written language, it makes sense that only few could afford the time to learn to read and write and memorize treasure troves of knowledge. Noble minds in this group would have aimed at spreading knowledge across the globe. Even today everyone can’t grasp Einstein’s theories. But Knowledge which is beneficial for individuals and societies must be shared and not hoarded. Sharing the knowledge of agriculture has benefitted the whole world. If everyone were in pursuit of knowledge or were aiming to renounce the world and become monks like Buddha, the world would not have evolved as there was need for people to perform various essential tasks in the society.
So while appreciating the pioneers it is also essential to recognise the contribution of those who were shedding blood, sweat and tears and were holding the weight of the civilization on their shoulders. Hierarchy is also a necessary tool for humankind. If there was no hierarchy, tribal way of living could have continued and all the accomplishments of human race would not be possible. When two tribes were in conflict it is possible that the powerful one destroyed or enslaved the weaker one. This could be the origin of slavery. May be the distrust in the other captured group might have lead to segregation based on birth. May be professional strategies were passed orally to the descendants and hence the segregation based on professions. This could explain explicit caste system in India ( and implicit global class system ?). Hierarchy in any society is unavoidable just like the hierarchy in any bigger organization with numerous individuals playing various roles. But people dont inherit professions or knowledge by birth anymore and hence it is essential to shed the discrimination based on birth, and ensure upward mobility for everyone. For example, those who are in military and security forces would be kshatriyas and those who are in business are all vaishyas. Anyone who has the free time to read religious scriptures and has the perseverence to practice meditation, prayer etc will attain spritual enlightenment. Inheritance of caste by birth is an outdated notion.
The ones who bear the brunt are those who are at the bottom rungs of the society – who do those jobs that are hard / disgusting for others. Everyone goes through their own share of trials and tribulations but the socially shunned groups suffer psychologically as well. Does this make the rest of the society lazy and cruel? – yes – if apathy and superiority complex numbs the fact that the privileged position is relative and is sustained at the expense of the ignorant or helpless group of people. May be members of any section of the society should be ready to undertake all sorts of jobs and upward social mobility must be ensured along with appropriate social recognition. Given the inertia in human nature and the inequality that prevails all over the world, it is not possible to switch to socialism as that of the Western European countries – where workers are ensured decent wages and standard of living, and education and healthcare is of good quality for everyone in the country. But can the wealthier European nations sustain such a system on their own without depending on USA (ie capitalism) for business and the third world countries for resources and cheap labour? – May be some global upgrade, maintenance and repair work is needed periodically in our societies along with launching of satellites and dreams of space tourism and colonizing Mars. Resentments accumulated in the name of wars and colonialism and slavery need to be addressed along with the fear and disgust for the “other”. It is necessary to forgive and stop the vicious cycle of violence and abuse.
August 25 2019: I am not sure if my digital activities are linked to nationalism in India in the past few days. (I am sure higher authorities in India know what they are doing, but I wonder how come big decisions are made in this manner.) Nationalism around the time of independence struggle is different from the one that is promoted by some fringe groups these days. It is true that I moved out of Europe and wanted to do something meaningful in India. It was a time marked by economic difficulties in Europe along with the xenophobia triggered by terrorism. But I had learnt much more in the past few years after returning to India – which includes the idea behind global progress and welfare, and idea of America which is land of immigrants and the benefits of capitalism. I am understanding why outsourcing is done – may be to help the third world countries or right wrong done in the name of colonialism- and in this process there is certain amount of suffering borne by some Western countries. I understand the effort that is being made by some western and eastern countries to promote peace . But I feel that the third world countries need fair oppurtunities to grow and prosper so that poverty, exploitation , malnutrition etc can be eradicated. I am not sure what prevented such equality among nations – could be the fear of lack of natural resources or fear of domination by coloured people or belief in any outdated rigid social hierarchies. Either we – nations on this tiny earth, succeed together or fail together.
Perspectives February 2012: Citizenship in a Globalized world – YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aF7_GK-5VRw
Drafted around mid 2016 and is incomplete ….in progress ….
How come India is functioning as one democratic nation with so much diversity? I used to think India is somewhat similar to EU. In India we have states and in EU there are nations. Why is there so much chaos in Europe now?
In India too, some states are prosperous than others. Hindus are approx. 70% and the rest includes other religions including Islam, Christianity and Sikhism. If political parties do not create dramas, people forget the religious divisions and co-exist in peace, more Tamil people might have learnt hindi.
This is a land of contrasts. Ambani builds costliest home in the world in the same city where there is a slum with pathetic living conditions. Baby girls were/ are killed while there are women who had served as Prime minister, President, Chief ministers. I remember muslims sharing Biryani with us, while christians share cake during christmas. Inter-caste and inter-religious marriages are accepted, while honour killings are taking place. Women have equal right in properties, but patriarchy is the norm. While women are progressing, there are gang rapes in news frequently. Corruption is there, yet the country is progressing. Saibaba is a muslim saint worshipped by Hindus. How to view this country?
I am Tamilian, yet I am Indian. I do not feel threatened when I watch movies in Hindi, English, Malayalam or even Danish videos. (Am I ignorant / naive?) I am not going to forget my mother tongue, but I gained more by learning other languages. There are so many English medium schools, yet all regional languages are surviving. It is true that the new language open windows to a new culture and thereby indirectly influence the lifestyle. When I saw the serial ‘Friends’ long long ago when I was young, I felt the local culture is suffocating. It is another story that my views took a u-turn after few years. It is true that after opening doors to star network and HBO, young were/are influenced by western culture. After watching lot of videos on ‘equality’, I refuse to accept ill treatment. But isn’t it true that people try to imitate the culture of those who are perceived to be superior. How come vikings ceased to be vikings? Shouldn’t they wear those viking hats and build viking ships and invade neighboring nations? Idli is a form of Indonesian food that was introduced in Tamilnadu long time ago. Now most of the people wont know the history. Even one or two generations back, rice was not everyday food. When it comes to dress, salwar kameez is nothing dravidian. If we have to live a life holding on to our traditions without learning anything new, without the flexibility to adapt something new which might be beneficial, there wont be any civilizations, but small groups of hunters and gatherers scattered across the globe like small group of gorillas and chimpanzees.
Even in companies, people resist change. But, change invades us every now and then. How did all of the countries in Europe convert to Christianity? What convinced them to abandon their traditional worship? According to history, the countries who invaded / conquered others, destroyed the local culture and imposed foreign language, religion, and may be lifestyles? Even in the last century, there were cases where the army men were impregnating captured women. India, Persia & Turkey are what I remember as the cases where invasions had destroyed local culture and thereby self-confidence and respect for their own culture.
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It is amazing to see how a policy can reach grass root level – unfortunately a controversial one. It is surprising to know that people can find out who is slaughtering cow and who is storing beef in refrigerator, and that they can kill . Hindus had gratitude towards cows because they were providing them milk and were helping farmers in sustaining their livelihood. Where are the noble values promoted in Hinduism? Leo Tolstoy who lived somewhere in another country and was born in an aristocratic family had better understanding of the principles of Hinduism or those noble values that originated from India. No one seems to bother about the corruption which is pulling the country down. It is a pity to see how power and human resources at grass-root level are misused and wasted.
Lush green Deep blue 