shoulders of giants

For Better or for Worse, we are limited in our approach by our ideas, as a society. Communism is an absurd idea. It is only revolutionary in the sense that it includes the economy as being under absolute state control. The state is of course the state with powers above all. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and hence coopting the state to provide more and not less is designed to be sub optimal, maybe even grandly and now generally branded a failure. The sub optimal results suffice though if they can, or at least promise, to feed the starving masses. Nobody usually likes a revolution, except when the alternative is to eat the (in)famous french recipe cake. But communism was an idealistic, bold experimentation to the bourgeoise general apathy. It went beyond just economic equality by adding to the new French recipe of libertie, egalite, fraternite. Womens's equality and voting rights. Yes, what was so progressive seems regressive, just because the ideas of co...

Socialism/Communism made the mistake of evaluating people as potical animals, mostly they do not rank above social animal category. Even Gandhi when arranging the first democratic elections in India in a principality state, only allowed the educated to paricipate. With basic literacy rate approaching an average 30%, no wonder Indian elections have been following the principle of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) in computing science. People should have voting rights only if they can demonstrate that they have the capability to contribute to the political cause. So, maybe some basic literacy or higer education should be a bonus for their electoral contribution. A class 4 pass person should get one vote, exponentially increasing with theit kind and level of education(and or profession/job/role, so 8 pass should get 3 votes, finally a PhD should get 100 votes. The same scale can add the illiterate also at the bottom of the scale. Each one having one vote is basically allowing ele...

What purpose, other than betting, is the reason for such trades? Stick to the basics of what a Share constitutes. A share of company ownership/capital. A minimum lock in of 5 days should be enforced for all buyers. The method of enforcement can be a progressive taxation regime. 99% tax for intraday. So the taxation should be enforced based on the Exact duration of the ownership, computers can compute that very easily. Since shares reside only in dematerialized form and the depositories of shares are only two in India which are both government owned, data of such trades is easily computable and enforceable. The government makes money from betting may be a good excuse, just like lotteries, to continue with the charade. Market is always right, regulations should be lax and not too heavy, just right enough to protect the societal norms. In which case they should never be used as tools for progressive thought. Stock market is not for betting. It should be differentiated from do...

We have so much to thank modern management for. Penicillin, the A bomb, computers, internet, automobiles and air travel, high yield crops and electricity. Everything about human progress depends upon management contributions. That is the reason it is the greatest thing ever and most talked about and well paid profession, since it is so essential for progress. How could we ever do without it?

Happiness is an end unto itself. After it is what it is. Purpose of life is after all 64 (and happiness). A self fulfilling goal. No need to inquire about the purpose of our actions, what is right or wrong with a deeper understanding. Be happy, purposefully. Easy? Right? Perhaps a bit too easy or Simple but not easy?

What is the Army all about? Why does a person join it? What motivates them and to what purpose are their actions? Well, to a person who is of the eligibility age these questions might have various good and perfectly straight forward answers. But to a very young person, who has been (fortunate enough) to be immersed in Army life and is of the philosophical bent of mind these questions trigger very complex responses. The following is a record of those responses. The Brits call them "the Services", Indians copy that. In short, this is what it is all about. Allow some further explanation. Does a person join the Army because they are of a violent nature and like killing, fighting and destruction? Could be likely true for a good number of those actively joining and maybe rightly so, a job which fits their nature, a perfectly good match! Another easy answer would be it is just another job, also very likely but let us be more positive and say that there are Good motivations, i...