Saturday, January 4, 2014

Yet another Messiah!

There was nothing in the beginning. As humans started to appear among other animals; they acted alone. Individuals lived by a personal and primal code. They related to each other and even to other animals on a needs only basis. Most other times they preferred to interact with natural events; natural forces and with their physical environment. Life was simple, needs were basic and everything one needed to live was within the scope of one's own exertions. If one needed anything , one could go out and get it. If one needed to be saved from anything , one would go out and save oneself or perish in the attempt. Well; things did not remain so for very long.

Humans developed bigger brains, as well as their ability to speak and got an analytical system of processing information. Almost overnight they switched en mass into a different zone, leaving behind every other species that roamed the earth. Seeds of the trouble were sown at that moment. Humans were no longer just another animal!

Soon they learnt to live in groups; at times violently competing.They learnt to cultivate their food and build shelter for themselves. Things were still not that bad. Most everybody was his own farmer; his own hunter; his own baker; his own doctor and his own architect. This moment was the pinnacle of human progress . Everything since then has taken them south. So really what happened in the human history is that some people got good at one thing or the other and either decided to specialize or got forced by circumstances to specialize. I do not know what . But in the new order of things you were no longer your own farmer if you were the butcher. Or your own builder if you were the doctor.... and so on. So a power struggle ensued. Some groups had more power over others as they decided to use war or trade or even religion as a controlling tool. At times they controlled water sources or trade routes or even natural resources. Politics in its broader meanings had come to fore and these controlling acts  continues to this day.

Where a handful of simple red ochre  dust applied to oneself connected them with the "unknown" ; their ancestors and the nature and brought them solace and spiritual connections. Now It was no longer enough to do so. Faith got organized . Rites and rituals got codified and virtually written in stone. Unknown and the nature coalesced in the concept of "God". This became another potent tool to streamline and control societies. Humans lost individual control of their spiritual world as well.

All of these developments and the interplay of these new forces turned  humans into  dependent weaklings and gave rise to a new radical concept of "The Messiah". Someone that will come and deliver us from our wants and our shortcomings; since we can not do anything ourselves anymore! Every society and group has seen countless numbers of messiah's throughout history. Some declared themselves to be such; some were anointed such and some acted such. With so many of them batting for us ; why on earth have our problems multiplied ? The fact is that Messiah concept does not work and is not likely to work. No body and no one can get rid of your challenges until you act yourselves. Whenever someone promises to do so , be alert because you'll only get distracted;  further divided and end up deeply disappointed. Messiah's keep rising because we  keep looking for them. They will continue to exploit this longing in the human mind and humans will probably never stop hoping for miracles!

Even when all line losses; distribution snafus ; obsolete equipment ; graft and corruption are mitigated ,there is not enough power generated that'll allow for a lower tariff. Sufficient potable water is not available that could allow for  free distribution. If and when it is done  it can only be on a selective basis; with an eye on the potential vote bank and will create haves and have nots. Even this very minimum will have a staggering cost. Cost  which is coming right out of your pockets ;unless you make some other sacrifice where there is not much left to sacrifice . More importantly it does not even begin to address the fundamental challenge of generating stable and plentiful power for everyone or putting in place effective water resource management. If you do not solve the basic question with a strong resolve and long term view; these very issues will get bigger and bigger , as they have over the years. Even beyond the reach of such band aid solutions. Just forget about being delivered you are likely to sink deeper into the cesspool and soon.

Pied pipers always play a melodious tune however the results are  rather odious. Learn from history and beware of Messiah's . Especially when they wear a Gandhi cap!

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