Love as an aid to self-destruction

I just saw The Believer. It got me thinking a bit more. Last night as I sat typing questions and formulating explanatory answers late into this morning I also kept shuffling the various news channels that had repeat telecasts of 9PM news at 2:30 AM. After a point I felt that they did not really care about what they had to communicate.

The purpose was to fill the air time. There were no debates. Everyone knew what the other party would say and since we have so many experienced politicians who never to seem to let go we have been hearing the same speech almost verbatim for the past many years. The Congress perhaps helped us poor citizens a bit by allowing Jyotiraditya and Sachin Pilot to speak. That they entrusted youngsters to damage control what another "youngster" Rahul Gandhi had wrought was ironical. Of course, they could always backtrack from any political goof-ups by stating novices do not know what the experienced and the 'truly' powerful leaders in the Congress are about etc. etc. Master move, I think.

I also think that the media is a bit more in love with Rahul Gandhi as they have been gagged a bit themselves by the Election Office and can question the politicians on the various hints that "the young Rahul" has shared with them. Is he being "naive" or "shrewd"? The focus is firmly on the Congress as a result. Whatever the various parties may be thinking of Congress is never far from their minds.

The BJP seems to have it down to a pat. As Sachin Pilot pointed out, they will tell what is wrong with the Congress, what the Congress wants, what the Congress should do, what the other parties allied with the Congress or formerly allied with them want or should do, how hypocritical the Congress is, how opputunistic it is and so on and so forth without once focusing on "what is right with the BJP" and what are their strategies etc. With Rudy only confirming everything that Sachin had stated in his answers to Barkha Dutt, one feels that be the Congress in power or not, they are the ones establishing the government. They will be the ones to help form the government by adhering to their principled stand (Manmohanji is our PM) or by merrily eschewing this for higher "moral" grounds of keeping the BJP out of power which could well be about the only thing they learnt from the Left in their long association.

I wonder what will happen. But as my brother says, whatever be the outcome is it going to truly affect the mass in any positive manner? For that I suggest we re-read Freakonomics to know how a single event can shape the trends of the coming generations.

As for the reason I began by saying that I saw The Believer, there is a reason for that. I had had similar thoughts last night (I will share below) that the anti-hero expressed even better in this complexly wonderful film. He says something to the effect that the only way to destroy the Jews is to "love them. Sincerely." They only answer they cannot take is a 'yes'. If Hitler had not happened they would have invented him!!!!!! I thought these lines were wonderful.

India has long been looked down upon, we struggled then to build our nation, but any time we seem to go through times of peace and prosperity, we sure seem to go all out to destroy ourselves. We do not need foreign leaders to ruin us, we have proven that we do not even need Indian leaders to ruin us, the urban middle class that has risen through the cracks of prosperity will ensure that these cracks remain and in fact become larger. They will not go and vote and the politicians who feared these members coming out in full strength happily excuse them with reasons like long weekends and hot weather. I fully endorse the lines in The Believer if applied to the Indian context. Love us to help us destroy ourselves :)

Well my piece composed at 3:30 AM reads:

I wonder what the state of Congress will be
As it desperately fights the effects of incumbency?
Mamata vs. Brinda, Mulayam or Maya
Who will help form the government - DMK or Jaya?

Will swords be sheathed temporarily
Only to be weilded at times of power sharing calamity?
Will enemies be allies and vice versa
Will we see the results of a new political diaspora?

Will Rahul Gandhi's speech come to haunt him
Or will it be remarked upon later for its political wisdom?
For now, the Congress is in the limelight
Other parties are media-hounded to rethink their strategies in this fight.

Will we ever have parties truly secular
Or will we forever adhere to notions that are currently popular?
Independents are the flavour of the season
What matters if their win or loss does not truly serve the nation?

We need a party that will be strong
To take the right decisions in face of all wrongs.
Such courage works best when supported
But alas! our young citizens have not adequately voted.

Come Terrorism, Come recession,
Come corruption, Come pollution
Come crime, Come evil,
Our protests are short lived and very feeble.

We will accept any government - The shakier, the better
Just give us reason to crib louder and longer.
Maoist, Democratic, Republican or even Talibani
Do not bother us about politics, we are only 'aam aadmi'.

We will suffer poverty and lack of liberty
We shine becuase of these you see.
Afterall, it's Slumdog and the NASA Swades
That truly represents our Indian race.

Personal triumphs guided by luck is better
Than working hard as a community to prosper.
Worthy of your salutations, WE ARE INDIANS,
We have no enemies, who can better our self-destructive millions?

-Written on 8 May 2009.