Skip to main content

Sign here, please: Politics meets the big stage (2)

(Topic: Politics)

Read (1)
Well, politics is everywhere. When it comes into its own arena, and deals with power and governance, it takes on a new level. Till then people are just doing it on the side for ego kicks and side benefits. Once crossed over to the big leagues, the only thing different is a much, much wider playing field with the same motivation to win The science remains as is. There are some stark differences though.

When otherwise practiced, there was never a referee, and there was no accountability. It is self-managed system. Sensible people rested their egos at a reasonable midpoint and accepted that there are going to be some crazy folk you can go ahead and ignore.

At the next level, there is self-regulation and accountability, with the same freedom to crazy folk. It takes shape in a growing, robust swirling core of ideas fed by citizens' voices, with everything they think about where the country should be and how to get there. This is the sacred space that keeps any society and country a democratic one, against all odds.

The core is everywhere this country is—offices, chai shops, traffic snarls, parliaments, school yards, college campuses... everywhere where there are one or more Indians. Everyone's allowed. You don't get shot, bit, hung, killed or slapped for getting your voice in. It's built to echo the nation in one true voice, which is heard unfiltered as it sounds it out. When we all keep the democratic peace, and get our voice in, the echo may be saying a lot of things at once (we're a big, diverse nation). It may not be very pretty to hear but they're being said loud and clear. That's how we know that our perceived reality is indeed one. We can correct our notions  of what India is and is not. This is our key to how we can all live together in peace and harmony. We all get to originally hear each other. You can speak with respect and be heard with respect.

But things can get bad, and then worse. Since the nation is diverse, the voices are different and everyone's allowed to have their full say, the core can get off balance in tone, where there isn't respect given all around. That's because there are two types of people who say things: the crazies and the sane. Being polar opposites, one obviously won't like what the other says and bam! Despite the everyone's allowed rule, the crazies come with attitudes that end up seeking to shut down, restrict and ban voices that can't make it all the way into their hearts.

The crazies ones come with an "I am right and you are wrong" approach. The sane have a "Let's break that down" approach that sometimes leads to an "oops-a-daisy" revelation, and an admission of wrong reasoning where found. The crazies cannot rationalise. The sane can, at least a bit more. The crazies have identity issues with what they hold true to. The sane are aware of and are willing to face realities as is. The crazies come in all colours, and so do the sane. So any group with ideology you don't like will have some people whom you will respect, and some you won't, both with more or less the same ideas. The crazies have blanketed perspectives and colour their thinking. This helps everything become easily identifiable to them, but doesn't necessarily represent the issue all round. The sane stay away from colours and blanket ideas. They listen and are not in a hurry to settle on a final conclusion until it presents itself clearly. The crazies are in a perpetual hurry to (usually pre-)conclude with a (pre-)favourable view. The crazies consider the very thought of certain things poisonous to society. The sane don't restrict idea thinking by principle.


Read (3)
Read (4)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Culture under threat, or imagination on fire?

 India is rife with cultural-socio-moral uncles and aunties who allege that Indian culture is being "threatened" with the cool crowd joining their gang lately. Their list of grievances ranges from Hindu temples being lost or neglected to the mass switch to choosing western food over Indian food. While they may have a case, let's take a deeper look at this threat that they perceive. It has four main stages: the emotional, the delusions, the justification, and the damage. The Emotional We know that sensitivity runs high in India. It's deep in our blood. We're, after all, an emotional bunch. What we're particularly sensitive about status quo. It defines who we are basis our relationship with somebody else. It's like always defining India via the idea of Pakistan, and not what India is inherently without Pakistan. It's our norm which becomes our comfort & soon enough our identity - and then all we know and love (however toxic the idea). The Delusions
Post a Comment
Read more

Sign here, please, before you run and politic (1)

(Topic: Politics) Society isn't free. There's always a catch. While you don't pay to get in, you pay as you indulge (cue most of social media). Your entry's marked with a baby fingerprint, and by that you've consented to all terms and conditions that came along with it. Every one. Now don't go asking where this record is, but it's somewhere. By the time you've figured this out, you're locked in and you can't get out, but it isn't as bad as it sounds. What we've consented to is far from the life were living today. That's because no one's read the terms and conditions, ever. We were thrust in clueless and we just made do. "Let's stop life till we understand it", said no human ever. All of the structures we function within were all made on the go. And when we figure that out, they've usually overstayed their usefulness. The only reason they're still here is because, for some reason, the older generation ma
Post a Comment
Read more

The Modern Indian Politician's rule book

Nowadays politics is a hard game but that doesn't mean everyone who gets in bypasses the merit test. When power's in play, the human is spurred to get their bite. And since it's full up and there's way more competition than just the top layer you see, there is an intermediate dynamic that has driven and taught people a few survival tactics. It's almost become like a call centre employee rule response guide that can sometimes be hilarious and true, at the same time. Note: we're saying nothing about how much sense they make or whether they should even be endorsed. Here are just some of the entries you'd find in there. Foot-in-mouth: This is suggested when you need to a big presence but you don't have one. Just go for it. The limelight is far more important. Your intelligence may see some sunlight but that's alright. Don't let that bother you. Just go straight back into your hole after. The thumb rule is to get all the attention you need from a pa
Post a Comment
Read more