We Have Too Much Money!

Last week, 2008 ended with a lot of people sighing in relief at the passing away of a year which caused much heartburn among everyone for whatever reasons. The dawn of 2009 began with fervent prayers across the globe for a year of peace and prosperity. As if to prove that 2008 would haunt us for still some time to come, the gunshots and the thud of missiles falling could still be heard reverberating even as people ushered in the New Year.  I discovered this song and I've been humming it ever since. The magic that A R Rahman spins is just unbelievable.

But what I really want to tell is how decadent our current generation has become. The youth of today think of all the good things in life but we should pause and quit complaining about the state of the economy, the inflation and the rise in the cost of living. I mean we are richer than we ever were at any point in history! And to think that people still aren't satisfied with what they have is a tad disappointing. Children have never been more obese, adults have never been morbidly unhealthy and people have never been more depressed with their lives today than anytime in the past. All this goes to show that there is a limit to what money can buy. Our pursuit of happiness is maybe leading us to the wrong direction. Maybe it isn't about money anymore, maybe it's about how much. I see my friends, family, colleagues at the workplace and practically every second guy I bump on to the street telling me the same thing: "Life's not as exciting and interesting as it used to be." Curiously, it is here that the nouveau-rich and the filthy poor come to an understanding of sorts. Life seems to be unfair to the both of them! What more proof is required that life is indeed fair?!

I definitely belong to that school of thought which lays emphasis on the value of giving, keeping just that much which is required for one's daily sustenance. Of course, it is easier said than done. To be lured into the seductive world of the latest gizmos, the latest communication devices and to be seen flashing the most trendy wear is seen as a "statement" that either makes or breaks your standing in the notoriously fickle world of social networking. But how far do we go before we realize the tide has turned too far? Personally speaking, I find it a virtue to live within my means. That, in no way, means I cannot have my share of fun too! All I believe is that maybe we are looking for happiness in the wrongest of all places - the shiny, glossy, sexy-as-a-siren shopping mall. Maybe the staid store at the back of your home has all that you need to stay content and spread happiness around you too.

No, I am not ranting against consumerism at all. But I definitely am ranting against mindless consumerism. To sport the latest in the world of tech and to engage in debate about who traveled to the most exotic destination in the garb of eco-tourism is to basically lose the plot. Much more harm has been done by eco-tourists probably than even the evil capitalist, well-intentioned though they might be! So folks, think about this for a moment. I am not really articulate enough to eloquently and forcefully drive my point but yes, I am passionate about what I feel and I believe we would all be a little happier and could maybe even smile at the rise of the sun daily if we started caring about the environment, our impact on Mother Nature and the kind of legacy we would be leaving behind. History is ours for the making - and losing.

New Year and All That Optimism

I like it when people tend to see or condition themselves into thinking that a mere succession of numbers could change or alter situations in a drastic manner. I do not see the optimism that is riding high at this moment although, to be fair, celebrations have been muted this year compared to the joy and glee that forms part of every New Year celebrations. If 2008 has proved anything, it is that mankind seriously needs to reevaluate its priorities and look inward first before attempting or even thinking to attempt to alter the course of Nature and all things natural. The year-end celebrations were very few in coming because of the Israel-Gaza hostilities which ensured that anyone with a keyboard and half-baked knowledge of the political landmine that is the Middle Eastern territory had to vent his/her opinion. As if it really counted in the scheme of things? But nevertheless, blogging and the collaborative power of the Internet has made it possible for anyone to reach out to an audience and let out their deepest and darkest thoughts to be viewed on a public platform.

Also, what has changed this year is that nothing has really changed to present a very optimistic picture of the planet. That being said, things are not too bad either that we hurry up to write obituaries mourning the demise of this once-beautiful planet. A remarkable shift happened in American politics though and this would hopefully reverberate down the decades and may be classified as the single biggest dynamic change that would influence world politics - for better or for the worse. Barack Hussein Obama - coming from a virtually unknown background leveraged the medium of the Internet to appeal to the young voter in a way that was unprecedented before. The Internet spawned a thousand Obama fan clubs and the storm that took root in a small office in the by lanes of Chicago enveloped and dispelled myth after myth and rival after rival to finally set up a climactic showdown with the GOP's candidate - a war veteran and a distinguished soldier - John McCain. November 4, 2008 saw the coming together of history and the future on a single stage and although this was purely a domestic event, the post-Bush administration holds out many a hope for the millions who watched the election drama and all the excitement through television networks and the mainstream press with tense anticipation. Obama won in a resounding fashion and this represented a decisive slap in the face of the White House policies of George Bush Jr. The world now looks to President-elect Obama with a mixture of hope and nervousness because the financial crisis that has so shaken America needs to be encountered head-on and no one knows the difficulty of the job other than Obama.

2008 also saw one of the worst economic crisis hit the U.S. markets - earning it the dubious distinction of being the worst ever since the Great Depression. Bush announced a3 trillion dollar bailout plan that seeks to inject the sick and dying housing and financial institutions with a cash flow that would help them stand on their feet and tide over the crisis. More and more industries are clamouring for the bailout and it is just not immediately obvious as to how how far has the ruin taken ground. Coupled with the war in Iraq and the civilian and economic casualties suffered by the U.S., and when you look at it also from the moral standing that the U.S. has seen eroded of itself in the international community, it is obvious to any fourth grader that America has its work cut out.

The biggest event to make news was of course the daring acts of terror in the financial heart of India - Mumbai. Once it became apparent that the attackers - 12 in all, were of Pakistani origin and received training and arms from the other side of the border, India launched a diplomatic and political offensive against the government of Pakistan that has seldom been matched in terms of intensity in the recent past - at least not to my knowledge. This time, the situation was different as many of the almost 200 slain were foreigners and most significantly, Israelis. After dithering, pathetically denying and ducking responsibility for its complicity, the Pakistani authorities finally admitted that the terrorists that set foot on that dreadful day could be of Pakistani origin. Now, that is quite a victory considering the ridiculous charade the government had opted to choose initially when confronted with the names, locations and eyewitness accounts of the identity of the terrorists. Hopefully, this attack would see the beginning of the end of successive Pakistan governments' practice of bleeding India in the vain hope of pursuing and internationalizing the Kashmir issue. But words should be measured by their actions and let us hope that Pakistan and all terrorist outfits operating within its soil are destroyed systematically. Else it would be another blinding piece of evidence that Pakistan is a failed state.

About the last few days leading up to 2009, the less said the better. Israel launched counter-strikes against the Hamas-ruled section of Gaza after the ceasefire expired. The Hamas was shelling the Israeli areas repeatedly and after a series of warnings, the Israeli air force initiateda a series of daring assaults against Hamas which resulted in 300 dead. Now I do not know too much about the geopolitical climate of the Middle East and hence refrain from offering up any insights. All I know is that this conflict is rooted in the deep historical divide over religion and gives us one more reason to dislike organized religion - especially the organized religions of the Abrahamic inclination. As long as Islam, Christianity and to a lesser extent, Judaism define the political and cultural ties between nations, we are pretty much doomed to hope in vain for peace.

So that was my recollection for the year. I have missed out deliberately on a lot of other issues that warranted mention but because of my impatience and the general apathy for talking about events like sports and entertainment when they do not do anything substantial for society's benefit, I consider it a waste of space to devote too much time to. Go find yourself another blog for that.

And oh, I wish everyone a Happy New Year.