http://www.indianexpress.com/news/naxal-backed-tribals-kidnap-rajdhani-drivers-near-lalgarh/533971/
This news is the strangest thing I have read in a while. I used to want to read the newspaper as a child but news like these made it very confusing for my mind to process a contradictory item like this one.
Basic question: Why would a "People's" Committee Against Police Atrocities abduct 2 "people"? Isn't that a bit out of line? Doesn't anyone in the committee think of a simple like this? Aren't they committing atrocities themselves?
Simply bewildering.
This blog has been inspired by the word uttered by Woody Allen in the movie Annie Hall. It refers to pretentiousness, I think. And we encounter it everyday... The "Heaviosity" that is. I thought that the name was perfect for media items that pretend to be one thing but really mean something else. I also tend to include certain items to simply voice my opinion about them. © Copyright. Swapnali T.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Capitalism/Socialism/Greed - A lay man's conundrum.
Recently watched the Michael Moore's - Capitalism - a love story.
All I have to say about this one is that it says what the American common people need to hear at this point in time. A classic example of juxta positioning various images to create a new meaning. It may be a whole bunch of stock images from Getty or a youtube video bought out at a measly cost.
I was shocked at the poor quality of some of the footage. Despite the quality of the documentary, was the message delivered? Was the point made?
Hmm... don't think so.
There were however some good questions raised: A question whether there is a third option to the two "isms". Or the point about why should tax payers money be used to bail out the auto/finance industry?
There was another interesting option presented about running a company like democracy. Vote on every issue. Majority wins.
I don't believe running a company like a democracy works unless everyone's skill level and competency is exactly the same. For example it might work in a setting where village women getogether to start a cottage industry - sowing or producing home made goodies.
However, to what extent can a democratic set up work in a field like IT where the competancy and varies from person to person. Why would a programmer who writes a particular program 1minute receive the same compensation as someone who takes 2 hours to write it?
Sounds unfair.
How do you then ensure fair wages? In capitalism there might be favouritism and some might receive unfair amounts of compensation which is kept confidential. In socialism the laziest of workers receives the same wage.
Profit sharing? this might work if the management is honest.. but how can one guarantee honesty? I have worked in 2 companies that had profit sharing and I didn't find enough fairness or transparency in "sharing" of the profit.
My husband and I were discussing the topic after the movie and we came to a conclusion that the movie was all about greed.
The greed for more money of the lay person to re-mortgage their homes using instruments that they couldn't understand. Why would you invest in something you don't understand? One reason: Greed.
The greed of the creators of the instruments who banked on the "illiteracy" of the public. The greed of the auto industry to use tax payer's money in the name of "general good".
This reminds me of another documentary I watched a few weeks ago : It was about the growing suburbs and a foreseen end to these. I was shocked to hear that the automobile industry lobbied against railway track and tram track (in North American cities) construction in the past. They had their "jacks" in the govt. and stopped govt. investment in public transport.
Think about how much we would have saved if there had been an infrastructure of trams and railways...
1. Save gas
2. Save traffic jams
3. Save time
4. Save parking spaces
5. Save highway maintenance costs
Again selfishness and greed. There has to be a better way. Can someone crack the code? Solve the puzzle?
All I have to say about this one is that it says what the American common people need to hear at this point in time. A classic example of juxta positioning various images to create a new meaning. It may be a whole bunch of stock images from Getty or a youtube video bought out at a measly cost.
I was shocked at the poor quality of some of the footage. Despite the quality of the documentary, was the message delivered? Was the point made?
Hmm... don't think so.
There were however some good questions raised: A question whether there is a third option to the two "isms". Or the point about why should tax payers money be used to bail out the auto/finance industry?
There was another interesting option presented about running a company like democracy. Vote on every issue. Majority wins.
I don't believe running a company like a democracy works unless everyone's skill level and competency is exactly the same. For example it might work in a setting where village women getogether to start a cottage industry - sowing or producing home made goodies.
However, to what extent can a democratic set up work in a field like IT where the competancy and varies from person to person. Why would a programmer who writes a particular program 1minute receive the same compensation as someone who takes 2 hours to write it?
Sounds unfair.
How do you then ensure fair wages? In capitalism there might be favouritism and some might receive unfair amounts of compensation which is kept confidential. In socialism the laziest of workers receives the same wage.
Profit sharing? this might work if the management is honest.. but how can one guarantee honesty? I have worked in 2 companies that had profit sharing and I didn't find enough fairness or transparency in "sharing" of the profit.
My husband and I were discussing the topic after the movie and we came to a conclusion that the movie was all about greed.
The greed for more money of the lay person to re-mortgage their homes using instruments that they couldn't understand. Why would you invest in something you don't understand? One reason: Greed.
The greed of the creators of the instruments who banked on the "illiteracy" of the public. The greed of the auto industry to use tax payer's money in the name of "general good".
This reminds me of another documentary I watched a few weeks ago : It was about the growing suburbs and a foreseen end to these. I was shocked to hear that the automobile industry lobbied against railway track and tram track (in North American cities) construction in the past. They had their "jacks" in the govt. and stopped govt. investment in public transport.
Think about how much we would have saved if there had been an infrastructure of trams and railways...
1. Save gas
2. Save traffic jams
3. Save time
4. Save parking spaces
5. Save highway maintenance costs
Again selfishness and greed. There has to be a better way. Can someone crack the code? Solve the puzzle?
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