The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. -Shakespeare

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. -Shakespeare

And where does the devil lead us? To progress as contemporary ideology of moving forward stands for, to the hyped development- of which a fool makes nothing more than concrete, glass and weak steel structures and so do the wise know. The devil promises more and does give more than just roads and shelter.  Napoleon- the pig at the Manor farm did too (Animal farm). But he spent more on his wine than all the rest of animals had for food- Kleptocratic ornamentation. Indoctrination of even the most vague and deplorable an idea diminishes the scope of understanding freedom and equality. Such is the system of education that we are fed with. To serve the system that serves those in power. Current prejudice feeds on Capitalistic ideology that supports the liberal democratic governments, where capitalists and leaders have all liberties to themselves. Rest can vote. A vote a person- equality. As Howard Zinn put it- ‘You cannot be stable on a moving train’. So cowardice in humans bleats ‘nothing is wrong, there is no train doomed to hell’. And takes in its diminishing share of fodder.

 Weaponry is the highest paying craft. And one with no end as Bertrand Russell notes it that a wwar economy is the best way to keep a country busy, increase manufacturing and GDP. Students please note everytime you break a bench or a lamp in school  you are increasing demand for newer ones and henceforth the GDP. The total world expenditure is less than the defence expenditure of America, Russia, China, France, UK,Germany, Sweden and Ukraine which was $1.3 trillion in 2012, sharing the number with the fiscal deficit of US alone $1,300,000,000,000. But they can print it eventually taking the inflation rate to a few percent up but the income of common people would remain the same with a million or more losing their jobs. Statistics vary in number though from one modern economy to another. The magnitude does, but the direction-same – that of deficits. But you cant take the credit of printing currency away from your governments. They do make it ‘look’ fine. I somehow get a flashback from a movie- Taxi Driver (1976), the infamous make up cuddle.

Now, modern economy is all about buying packaged food & branded clothes by trying to earn as much (and in the ways politicians through enacted laws allow). And only after you pay your taxes and interest. And that only when we spare the growing gap between income and inflation due to government deficits. And ofcourse forgive these blunders to be called a good citizen. Although you still might not get a pair of jeans and bread if the inevitable recession strikes.

Now coming to the financial wave function, it is as it looks like on the graph – rightly suspicious. It prefers probability to concrete facts everyday and tags values on mere speculation. And then the sub-prime mortgage crisis. While Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley went unaccountable with peoples lost money, ‘We the people’ have turned against each other to work for such Kleptocratic institutions. Even the American Federal Reserve is one such intelligent private entity (Please note the sarcasm). No,not that it is not private but it is headed by the dumbest intellectuals ever. Investment banks have bet over loses of their own securities and it is all legal and named- in this case as ‘derivatives’ showing off with logical absurdity. But the people who buy these Sub-prime securitires have no portion in derivative contracts, this is not insurance,they are sold a ‘Standards & Poors high rating’ for the same securities and assets.  And with weather derivatives you would need more than a holy scripture, forget laws and rationality doing it for you.

 

So what is a fine Economic system? So far, none has ever worked.  For now, my advice would be to refrain from such as Financial pseudo-knowledge careers  until men stronger, more able and inspired than us create a good economic system to be followed. Keynes’ ‘the pump and float the weak boat’ Economics has failed. We need a new titanic and I hope to see a great Economic titan rise from my Kashmir. But what least is required for now is to understand how our sweat is devalued everyday.Technology has amazed us to a degree where faculty of understanding and justice has bled cheaply, and we do not feel it anymore. Legislators unfortunately are neither aware nor capable of  getting rid of the dogmatic sytem of bashed truth, they being products and victims of indoctrination themselves. 

On Education

We can ask ourselves what the purpose of an educational system is and there are sharp differences on the matter. 

In the middle ages education meant the education of the priest. From the renaissance until recent times it meant the education of a gentleman. Under the influence of snobbish democracy it has come to mean an education which makes a man seem like a gentleman.                                                                                  

 -Bertrand Russell

The conventional interpretation that comes from the enlightenment era holds that the highest goal in life is to enquire ,create, search riches of the past and try internalizing the significant parts of it for understanding further, with an independent approach. The purpose of education from this point of view is to help people determine how to learn on their own. The student should be free and independent as an individual and regarding the choice between the various existing fields of academics .

Contrarily the current system is of indoctrination where the people, from their childhood, have been placed in a framework where they follow orders, accept the existing framework and cannot challenge it. We are all in the process of being indoctrinated. We have not yet devised a system of education which is not a system of indoctrination. What we are being taught here is an amalgam of current prejudice and the choices of this particular capitalistic ideology. History shows us how impermanent this is. We are being taught by people who have accommodated themselves to a regime of thought laid down by their predecessors. It is a self perpetuating system. Those of us who are characteristically for independence of thought are motivated to leave and find ways of educating ourselves, but the ones following the system are being moulded to fit into the narrow and specific needs of this system.

“This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his future career.”

 -Albert Einstein      

Nietzsche holds the view that education is often corrupted by educators – that we should seek the sources of great knowledge, not the corrupted interpretations of it from lesser minds.

The purpose of education is to produce a good man and develop his intellectual capacities to the fullest extent. Education is therefore a practical means to the end of achieving the acme of human virtue and an ideal society. 

(An adaptation)

On our free fall

On our free fall

‘It is reasonable that we should make a great difference between defects due to our weakness and those due to our wickedness. In the latter we deliberately brace ourselves against reason’s rules, which are imprinted on us by Nature; in the former it seems we can call Nature herself as a defense-witness for having left us so weak and imperfect.’  –  Montaigne

By the shores of the Roman empire naval spectacles on ships marred sensibilities. Such an act, ‘naumachia’, a mock sea battle provided entertainment and imbimbed a cuture of courage through exposure to brutuality from early age. There is no Roman empire today. Braving death can prove a weakness, they kindled only fire when they should have cultivated knowledge and perseverance in the hearts of men.

My nation- people and a patriotic urge for cultural and moral preservation turns into such a play every year in reaction of oppression. As much as this campaign is inspired and real, it is dull and buys only cheap receipts for struggle. Action as first principle inspires a revolution and moulds substance into potential, not reactions by ineffective and effete self proclaimed leaders. From mainstream to seperatists, no jockey has a horse, they ride on us- the people when we are most vulnerable- when we are angry. As ineffective as media is about checking the state, punishment is to checking crime, so are reactions to oppression. While we hear no follow ups of ‘Breaking news’ to their desired ends between hours and it just breaks and escapes, and  no crime ever done is unrepeated but over a higher frequency, there is no land that ever for any time was free but by perseverance and sincerity to cause. Though still unripe to be a secure state because of weaknesess intrinsic and external, for freedom it is always already too late.

Do we have a single idea to which our sweat must cater? Do we approve the way we have been led over decades? Over time our frustations have vented out in directions that point to our foundations making the kinetics of the system even weaker. Our claims of superiority of culture,morals and wit though always unproven lay by our sticks beating out. Our cultural and religious charisma acquired from foreign lands and saints who found none here to carry on their legacy and teachings. Our craft and art- imported, language-debased, morals into free fall, society-communal. Am I a kashmiri at fault for realising that we are lacking integrity as a nation, intellect as a system and ethics as people. We are no great nation but weak and deteriorating by the day. We face racists to whom we answer  in same filth and partially side by a python biting on it’s other end. Politically, historically and culturally we are neither green nor blue. No sedimental trajectory or  graffiti can speak that for us, sing it to your hearts each dawn. ‘Hope is the second soul of the troubled’, said Goethe but we need know what we can and cannot hope and henceforth achieve by work.

We are the people of our home which screams for caressing. Swept assumed is never nihil. Lets rebuild a state of freedom in spirit and vision, knowledge and true belief of subjects that do not bend to temporal causality of agreements of ownership of people and lands by devils that surround. Whether UN- the pup or it’s puppets, high tides shall sweep soon. The weak can never rule over the strong. But we have yet to be strong. The greatest man gave us wisdom in Hijra. Be one.