A sense of optimism is an absolutely essential necessity for any future success. That’s true not just at the individual level; collective optimism is as indispensable for national success. However, misplaced optimism grounded on delusions of grandeur can ensure failure through misalignment of priorities and mis-allocation of limited resources. So it is not out of plain crotchety contrariness but rather out of welfare concerns that one must take a dispassionate look at reality to base one’s expectations on, and to chart out a course of action. The balance sheet must include an accurate account of current assets and liabilities — not just future expected earnings grabbed out of the thin air of wishful thinking. I find that balance missing in many of the reports that are generally published by the main stream media and which land in my inbox enthusiastically forwarded by the “mera bharat mahan” brigade.
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Month: August 2010
The Judgement Seat of Vikramaditya
In The Pioneer of Aug 10th, A Surya Prakash asks “Where is the Prime Minister?” There’s nothing astonishing in Prakash’s litany of Mr Manmohan Singh’s mis-governance. No one even remotely interested in what’s going on in India can be unaware of the on-going disasters under Mr Singh’s watch. But Mr Singh is not responsible for this pathetic state of affairs.
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The Islamization of India
Kerala’s descend into radical Islam is eloquently described by Kanchan Gupta in Sunday’s Pioneer article, “Kerala’s slide into radical Islamism.” Here are a few excerpts:
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Is the Indian Government the Greatest Enemy of India’s Prosperity?
The Aug 6th edition of the online Wall Street Journal has an article, Asian Entrepreneurs Are Bullish on the Future (behind a subscription wall) which reports on a Legatum Institute study comparing the entrepreneurs in India and China. What it says about India should not come as a surprise to anyone who studies India. The article concludes with this.
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What’s the Matter Here
Twitter is not exactly evil but does have a passing resemblance to it. Its saving grace is that you get to know what’s been happening even if, like me, you don’t read daily newspapers or watch news shows.
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United Voters of India — Part 2
It is understandable that all human institutions have their flaws being as they are ultimately the creations of fallible creatures such as ourselves. The ideas that institutions are based upon in their ideal conception may be flawless but their implementation in the real world — what I characterize as a “second best”[1] world — cannot be perfect. The institution of democracy as actually implemented anywhere has imperfections, and in some cases where the necessary preconditions for its implementation are not met, it has serious implications.
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The Theater of the Absurd: The War Log Edition — Part 2
In the Google Age, it is hard not to take the easy way out and just google the answer to many a question which one could have otherwise enjoyed solving and learn a lot from the exercise. I hope that some gave at least a few brain cycles to figure out the puzzle mentioned in the post “The Theater of the Absurd: The War Log edition.” Here’s the follow up to that post.
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A Farce or a Tragedy?
Sometimes I wonder, in the context of global Islamic terrorism, whether Pakistan, the US, and the UK are players in a farce or in a tragedy. Of course the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the protagonist, whether it be a farce or a tragedy. Also it is amply clear that the US and UK are comfortable funding Islamic terrorism indirectly by financially and militarily supporting Pakistan. Their supporting role makes me conclude that the play is actually a farce, even though for the victims of the resulting Islamic terrorism (often idol-worshiping infidels of India) it is definitely a tragedy.
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United Voters of India — Part 1
Generally speaking, Indian democracy consistently fails to elect good political leaders at all levels of government. One of the many reasons for this could be that a certain segment of the voting population has been rendered powerless to affect the outcome of elections: it is the educated, middle and upper class, largely urban segment of the population. The illiterate and the poor constitute very large and powerful vote banks which are pandered to by unscrupulous political parties.
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The Theater of the Absurd: The War Log Edition
The latest blockbuster play released last week at the Theater of the Absurd — also known as the “War against terrorism” — is titled “Afghan War Diary.” Starring the usual American warmongers and its usual bunch of lackeys, the play is full of intrigue, stupidity, feigned outrage, in your face finger-shaking moralizing, and little side-plots that give the critics sufficient material for their column word-quotas. Absurdity does not come in more dramatic garb.
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Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 