Pages

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Pop Culture

Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad is the politician to look out for. The Minister of Health & Family Welfare has been coming up with groundbreaking ideas for population control. They are wildly creative and usher in a new kind of governance.

Idea 1: Improve late night programming on television so that people end up watching tv and not having children.

Idea 2: People should marry after the age of 30 so that they have fewer children.

The great thing about these ideas is that they aim at the root cause of the population problem: Sex
Marry late = No sex = No children
Encourage TV viewing at night = No sex =No children
(This formula is also a derivation of the axiom: Night = When people have sex)

So I think, it is our duty as responsible citizens to come up with ingenious ideas to add to this list. But remember the ideas should not involve any effort for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

My Contribution:
Bathe once a week = Cultivate Body Odour = No sex = No children (Also saves water)

Start dangerous fist fights = Injure yourself badly or Die = No sex = No children

(I'll be adding to this list.. meanwhile contribute and have your name next to your idea.. don't be shy, let's not have sex)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The traffic made me philosophical

I think the most defining phenomenon of life is a traffic jam. Difficult to answer why it happens, how did it all start, where did it all start, when will it end.. and in the end it's all futile. Trajectory of traffic jams must have so many parallels with the way the universe functions.
And traffic signals are like man made gods that we have created to look up to for guidance and avoid killing each other as long as everybody abides.

When I'm stuck in a jam I look around and see so many different kinds of people. And I look at each one and make a story about why they would want to go in the direction I want to go.. .. I also feel like getting off and asking them. And talking them out of it. "Go back, your reasons for going are frivolous and you are blocking my way"

I also look at young turds who drive fast and recklessly and old bums who drive slow and carefully. And I think that logically, it should be the other way round. After all, old people don't have much time left, do they? They need to hurry. Also they've had full lives and can be reckless. Whereas youngsters should be slow and chilled. Drive at about 25 kms per hour. No 42. No 38. Let's take a vote on it.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Politically Correct and Correct Politics

I'm not really a serious follower/fan/critic of Obama policies. At best, I have a long-distance one-sided on again-off again love-hate relationship with them. And so, I'm writing this willing to be corrected in the process.

I never offered prayers for Obama's election (not that I offer prayers otherwise.. I don't have anybody to offer prayers to.. point is I didn't think of him much.) I only started following Obama's policies after he got elected. That too because his foreign policy seemed inclined towards more liberal and humanistic choices. In the very first week he announced that they would withdraw from Iraq, shutdown Guantanamo Bay prison, have environmental reforms, stop/reduce aid to Pakistan etc.

Very very interesting, I thought. Often political stories have the central character of a politician who starts with a lot of promise and noble intentions but the system gets to him in an anti-climatic way before he can do anything. Obama's swift actions made me think that perhaps disillusionment is overrated. Perhaps it is actually easy to do the right things.

But a few months down the line not much seems to have changed. He seems to be traveling all over the world with the same "soaring rhetoric" only this time around its directed towards long standing civilizations and the need for being friends. And his friend-requests have mostly been accepted, considering everything that he says is right, even safe. Always politically correct.

However, he seems to have the same solution to most problems: Giving money.

Example 1: His government sanctioned a lot of money as federal aid to banks and financial institutions on the verge of bankruptcy. These institutions in turn used the money in the manner of spoilt rich brats. Some bought luxury helicopters, others expensive rugs for their offices and yet others announced bonuses. Of course Obama and company were furious with this abuse of public money

Example 2: At this point most of America's foreign aid is going to Pakistan to fight the war on terrorism. Financing one side in a war (mostly started by themselves) has been a favorite idea with various American governments. Historically and from a longer perspective it only works against them because eventually they cannot control who they arm. Not very long ago they financed Afghanistan to fight Russia and now they are financing Pakistan to fight Afghanistan. This has brought Pakistan to a civil war-like situation where innumerable innocent victims get killed and which could further continue the cycle of anger and resentment.


A lot of governments have been harmful towards their own people or their neighbors. However, post colonialism, USA has probably been the most harmful country towards the world if one were to check its track record of starting wars, inciting violence, validating imperialism for its own economic ends, causing pollution etc in various parts of the world.
Therefore, US foreign policy has significant repercussions and any pro action starting in the US can have far reaching and desirable effects. With Obama .. this positive change is so close yet so far.. Most things that he's said maybe politically correct, but is that enough.


Disclaimer: This post is specifically in relation to the US foreign policy.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

How very taxing

My limited understanding of the budget makes me think of taxes and thinking of taxes makes me not want to pay them. Which is why a conversation that I had in Amsterdam has stayed with me for so long. Our host had said that she didn't mind paying taxes, and if I remember correctly, about 70% of her income at that. Of course, she spoke highly of the government sponsored benefits and welfare programmes in Netherlands, in keeping with the philosophy of solidarity or shared risk. She also said how she would never bribe any government official including the police.

At another time, I was arguing (naively in retrospect) with my friend Alankar, on how privatization is not the best economic policy. I was saying that prices were regulated in government controlled service enterprises as there was no profit motive. (Here I was thinking of the example of how the Maharashtra State Electricity Board profits were used to subsidize bus fares). He was against total government ownership of such services and preferred part public and part private ownership instead. And I said grandly, but look at how cheap the train tickets are. And he said (not grandly) they are not so cheap if you add up what you pay at the ticket window and what the government pays from your taxes every year. I don't know if this is an obvious point to people out there, but to me it came as an economic epiphany of sorts.

My hesitation in indirectly and involuntarily donating money to wealthy politicians, led to the idea of a documentary about following my tax money (yes I pay taxes). It would follow me on my quest and capture the successes, failures and obstacles in the process. Also examine corruption, government expenditure and right to information laws. For example, I read about the government sanctioning Rs 2000 crore for a website which would allow you to file FIRs online. I think its a bit too much. Also politicians starting NGOs as a front to siphon off welfare aid.
I imagine the documentary would begin with a survey conducted on people from different parts of the world, asking whether they mind paying taxes and collating the responses with the level of corruption and standard of living in those countries.
Then I might gatecrash into Michael Moore-like confrontational interviews catching people off guard. Then they might kill me or put me in jail. Or not. Let's see.

Anyway this is a new documentary on corruption in Brazil which I found called Manda Bala. Not the same as my idea but tackles a lot of similar themes. And very very promising. Check out the trailer and find me the film.
Update (09.07.09): Stop Search. Vinay Shuklaji has graciously sent me the film. and more films :)

Sunday, July 5, 2009

What What

This is my personal blog where I can write or not write about what pleases me or does not.

Which reminds me of one of my favorite short films directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie) called 'Foutaises' which translates as 'Things I like, Things I hate'
Here it is: