Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Terror, Inc.
Terrorism has become quite ubiquitous that one can’t help but notice that it has also become dubious. Terror has undergone a few paradigm shifts through the decades. What hasn’t changed is the fact that it still is, as it has always been, a showcase of grand spectacle. With terrorism, the medium is necessarily the message. It isn’t terrorism if media hasn’t hyped it yet. Media coverage is precisely what terrorism needs. There are various things that terrorists want but media mileage is exactly what they need because they live (and die) for image and recall. Terrorism is a complete marketing package unto itself.
To this day, there is no internationally agreed definition of the word terrorism. This is mostly because there hasn’t been a motive trend that emerges apparent from the terror groups that history has produced. There have been patterns in behavior and attitude, but making a terrorist stereotype is an exercise in futility since terrorists come in all forms and style. Most importantly, they have existed for various motives. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) and all its subsequent remnants may have existed for a reason other than that of the Deccan Mujahideen that just recently blasted the famous landmarks of Mumbai. No one can truly ascertain what the real motives of terrorists are. They may have a common purpose, to sow terror for the sake of coercion while having total disregard for the safety of civilians, but objective does not necessarily mean motive.
Two elections, two worlds and hope of change
Kenya is rejoicing and backing US Presidential candidate Barrack Obama. This news of rejoice is being carried out by all media channels. It is historic moment indeed. The world is all set to have first African-American President of America. It has been a long march since Martin Luther King gave that historic speech. The change is here and now. Race and colour do not really matter. This long march of Barrack Obama which began in land of blacks in Kenya will end in White house. Yet Africa and America will remain two poles. We live in polarized and disjointed world with ironical connectedness.
Few months ago media was covering another historic election in another part of the world. There was much hope that Zimbabwe will get freedom from Robert Mugabe’s regime which has bled nation for nearly 30 years! But this hope of change was imprisoned, terrorized and forced to flee from that land. People in Zimbabwe now are starving, battling cholera and inflation. Mugabe has made a joke of democracy, elections, western world, equality, economy, development, hope and everything positive. Zimbabwe, Congo, Ethiopia and many other poor nations of Africa are reeling under extreme poverty, hunger, distress and are being raped for resources. But media and world has no time to stop. American financial crisis is the biggest news of all!
Borders, What a Curse!
Long ago, when we discussed how this blog must take shape, we knew that borders are written, rewritten and unwritten by humans and it shall continue to happen so. World peace can occur in a pastoral world where there are no boundaries. As that may never happen, we shall continue to see issues within and beyond borders. Visit us; share your opinions on this unique ability (curse?) of humans to draw borders. Of course, we don’t care about borders, so mustn’t you, for issues have no borders, and that is what we plan to discuss! Issues concerning the two-legged varieties beyond any borders that humans have ever written!
