Gaming the system

 

"When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure." Goodhart's Law

This is precisely what education is reduced to, it is no longer about knowledge or creating understanding through awareness instead passing exams. To be fair exams are an important evaluation mechanism to check the progress. But when passing the exam itself becomes raison d’etre of education then it has failed. So is the crave for certificates from ‘prestigious’ colleges and PhDs. If the reason is to gain validation through certificates and tags of prestige rather than the pursuit of knowledge or nurturing deeper insight then it is a sham. An insecure immature society creates such situations where people are desperate for upword mobility and seek validation by whatever means. Standards of evaluation get reduced to markers of status among shallow people. Money and power are also used to seek such status marker for ego satisfaction and social positioning. These mindset thrive in primitive insular societies. Lack of investment in research is reflection of collective consensus as is insane sum on crude crass low calibre entertainment.

When education is valued to pass ‘entrance exam’ it is beginning for worst possibilities wherein it was meant to be joyous search, excitement of connecting to others and wider world. I have come across many people with doctorates in crazy topics that is only meant to get the PhD -essentially gaming the system, there is no genuine interest and the topic of research is altogether forgotten once motive achieved. Imagine the amount of time and investment wasted. Years back I was taking a session at ‘prestigious’ Stella Maris college in Chennai, and was interacting with one of the teachers, who had a doctorate in a topic that was quite interesting with possibilities but really couldn’t pursue it further as a researcher. So, either you game the system or you get trapped in the system. Most of these tags are meant to jostle for higher position, as if having this tag indicates competence in the present occupation -that most likely they may not be and are inflating to posture, and on the contrary it should be a disqualification since it shows lack of sincerity, an opportunist mindset that demeans the idea of education and passion for pursuing knowledge. When you see young people deciding areas of interest for further studies based on prestige hence easy access to money and power then it is failure to understand education, it thrives on beggar minds that evaluate on worthiness based on narrow gain. They are not motivated to learn but to please. If the core of education is reduced to this misplaced crave then it is indication of deep rot in society. It nurtures superficial beings wandering for next opportunity, very soon they detach and money becomes the only motivator, this then leads to slipping into deeper ethical morass. It also reduces complexity that nurture best of minds instead increases possibilities of lazy unthinking binaries and polarizing fixes.

Learning thrives in open minds. Nothing is preconceived as worthless or quantified as waste. Mind expands when not confined and see interconnectedness instead of silos of subjects. Education gives deeper meaning to life. Education is important for human progress, and specialized training creates skills that equips to probe deeper into matter.

                  

Hear the lament

Clouds stomp in

Smear the day in shades of grey

Trembling trees in deafening wheeze of the possessed

See the arrival of tremendous will

Shifting shapes clanging the sky

As if this tilting landscape is new home

For brief lament for all vanishing lives

Pray. Pray.

Offensive cartoons!

 

The intention of political cartoon is to ridicule, insight as caricature, generally to lighten the situation but not reduce the gravity of the matter. They can be offensive, indeed in the context of things they are meant to be offensive, to eviscerate power and entrenched systems. It is freedom of expression that is lynchpin of democratic civilized society. It is expression of freedom and liberty. Vulgar and crude can also be expression, so is what is considered as blasphemous by few. Nothing can be banned. What restrains is collective awareness as also aesthetics. An evolved society will self-edit or else it is ignored by aware population and will not sync with collective sensibilities.

The controversy regarding cartoon of Indian prime minister as snake charmer titled 'sneaky slightly annoying man' in mainstream Norwegian newspaper is interesting. I studied it quite closely. The stereotype of Indian snake charmer (or rope trick) is quite dated cliché, a 19^th century colonial british creation -though not out of context, when we were children, these were quite common in north India. It doesn’t exist now. It seems to continue to exist in western mind. Also, Mr. Modi’s skin is darkened to easily match the Indian stereotype in western mind. Offensive yes but necessarily an expression of political cartoon that should have its place. There though is the issue of asymmetry of power which is meant to belittle the other, mystify the other as exotic so that they are reduced to dehumanized stereotype. It is not meant to give insight or humor but belittle, a stereotype of condescending western gaze. Not that Indians are enlightened or carry heightened aesthetic sensibilities, indeed worse than these are normalized in this part of the world, most significantly in everyday cringe of mainstream entertainment. However western gaze, essentially white western stereotype of other, is embedded in feudal structures and neo-colonial systems that overwhelm and undermine democracy. Anachronistic reverence for feudal institutions nurture mindset of ascriptive delusions. It evaluates and infantilize the other as continuation of historical typecast (dark “sneaky”~“thug” – you see the pattern), incapacitated to have any agency or self awareness, and categorized as it suits and asserted with asymmetry of power. A society claiming to be civilized should’ve self-censored any hint of racism or worked something better but equally offensive! (I am for offensive…institutions of power should be ridiculed). Historical wrong cannot be evaluated from contemporary context, we don’t live in the same world. But if references seek to revive or replicate horrors of past then it must be objected. More than people it is feudal institutions and entrenched systems that need to be eviscerated. More entrenched the idea or institution more is the need for blasphemy. 

 

Reincarnation

And suddenly like a crack on furnace door

History flares out on to the street

From books and myths of religion

Faceless sneers in anonymous space

Crafted legacy in obscured heritage

Interminable tectonic of blessed land

Consciousness snuffed as herd

In their assigned role

Entitled role

The reincarnations

Clash to claim self

In every wound inflicted 

  

Withering moon

You don’t need to look to see

between the unlikely duet

of barbet and flameback in dimming light

a sigh

an intonation of incarnated voices

search evening mist

fireflies light tenebrous brook

stretch synapses in coherent syllables

trace the path of a billion stars

and withering moon

Transactive and Performative binary politics

 

While neoliberal capitalist value system has nurtured and fueled transactive politics the conscientious binary is consolidated as performative politics. The performative posturing that seeks to protect the marginalized as also idealized values that strive for equitable society. This binary is taken to extreme in countries like USA where transactive value finds opportunism in majoritarian backlash against performative posturing that is reduced to parody. Crave for power by elite section is the common factor. These extremes get into tight compartment offering no space for common people’s aspirations and long term consequences that matter while fractures widen. Mutative politics of Trump played the extreme, or else, devious play of politics shifts from transactive to performative as the opportunism presents. 

Check what is happening in Britain -erstwhile colonizer that had embryonic influence on democratic aspirations of many countries across the world, and continues to have significant influence due to its exaggerated post colonial influence and reach. The absolute contempt for common people (the latest being Starmer -Schrodinger's cabbage!) can be traced to feudal values and regressive institutions on which its so-called democracy is built. Performative and transactive politics work on this foundational framework. This unfortunately had debilitating impact on fledgling democracies across the world. Feudal values influence blatant nepotism and wanton corruption, and general disregard for democratic institutions further incapacitated by egalitarian norm’s incapability to percolate into primitive society. Democracy is reduced to performance suffused in predatory transactive values celebrated as success.

Transactive value system consolidate as market professionalism of ruthless objective deal, therefore competence, hence seen as engine of development and prosperity. The lack of complexity easily sides with majoritarianism as opportunism, finds fertile ground for consolidating success with majoritarian right and conservative concerns. Value system primed in market greed locates easiest available pattern for gain. It just has to trigger collective primal fears and grander claims and aspirations mostly based on fiction of religion and exceptionalism of mythical past -carefully constructed exaggerations from redacted history manipulated into contemporary context. Performative value system meanwhile exaggerates the identity of beleaguered to gain traction to represent as egalitarian idealized force -hence align strongly with left or secular socialist concerns. Instead for genuine involvement -that needs long term understanding, the posturing search for easy collective, the performance therefore becomes pernicious with lowest denominator to gain attention. Worst kind of people pose as minority to usurp benefits thus weakening institutions further, as also negating crucial issues like racism, gender and environment. While these historical injustices still embed institutions (as feudal institutions are normalized) and left to fester and used as showcase for empathy, the possibilities of democracy leading to better world is thwarted. With the rise of social media, and with it general superficiality, the binary gets consolidated into extreme, and therefore becomes easy for majoritarian values to consolidate and gain traction. This is happening in democratic societies all across the world. Meanwhile performative idealism is easy to expose, and are viciously reacted upon. The backlash creates worst situation for vulnerable and marginalized. So not only democracies are becoming less vibrant but also alarmingly withering from seams. Transactive values fueled development lack percolation of democracy leading to extreme gap in prosperity and poverty further accentuated by feudal values that nurture corruption, nepotism and exploitation. Performative politics is now a parody that has severely impacted democratic institutions, with it the possibilities for better future. The promise of liberty and freedom stands diminished in binary politics of posturing. Restricting feudal institutions, deconstructing regressive systems, its normalizing through transactive politics, while nurturing grassroot democracy and protecting individual liberty and freedom of expression. Transactive and performative values have short shelf life when reality strikes.

 

  

El nino is shifting for worse

 

Brace up people climate is shifting for worse. Strongest El Nino on record is brewing on the horizon. Human caused climate change is turbocharging it. This looks like shift is cascading in real time. Erratic and extreme weather pattern is set to become a norm. Indian subcontinent is set to face extreme temperature and drought as monsoon weakens- though with increased moisture western coastal region will see increased cumulonimbus formations that cause heavy windy rain in short period. Fragile region of western ghats impacted by deforestation and mining will increase probability of flash floods and landslides as also increased intensity of cyclones along eastern coast. Nature nurtures life but is neutral to human concerns. “If there is mother nature it’s b*tch of a mother!” that’s inimitable Slavoj Zizek -quite popular contemporary philosopher.

Evolving words: choice of words evolves with increasing awareness. Earlier I used to use words like truth now I prefer understanding (hence little change in earlier blog). Another word I stopped preferring is 'hope'. Hope is an irrational emotion associated with irrationality but it goes very well with context of the last poem on pi instead of 'thought'.   

Pi of the matter

Prodding and prodding a plodding eternity*

Pi loops in to anchor

Einstein’s birth, Hawking’s death

To hold heaven and earth

And measure the distance hope can take

Arrange and rearrange the matter

In poached eggs and salted pepper

In time’s eternal presence

Past, Present, Future

And set the sun and rise

* from Szymborska's poem Pi 

100 well lived years!

"We are at a unique stage in our history. Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about that... The future of humanity and indeed all life on earth, now depends on us.”

-David Attenborough 

Iterating…

 

These days after I write something I iterate it with chatbots for insights and corrections. Only when I am convinced, I post it. It is kind of self-editing without really changing the core or the emotions connected to it. Even after I have posted I read it again and again, also iterating with different chatbots for varying insights. I gather I was not entirely right on Amartya Sen while referring to Idea of Justice -a book I read long back, and I vaguely recall not being satisfied with the intellectual play. The reference of caste was sideshow (or probably not even mentioned, chatbot says it was mentioned…I have well passed likes of Sen to go back and re-read, there is nothing there of interest in the rear mirror), and is a serious lapse, indeed mischief, when discussing idea of justice while grandly hinging ancient India as source. His reputation becomes pliable instrument for sinister forces. To consolidate narration of exceptionalism, and ground work for nationalism. Right from Ayodhya to sabarimala you see the footprints of castetva degradation that is now passed on to hindutva. This depraved section created the ecosystem to nurture and feed dubious people as intellectuals and narration controllers, who took pole positions as writers, artists, columnists, journalists etc. The depravity is deep rooted and elois in the West are thoroughly taken in by balderdash of spirituality, diversity, cosmos level conjurers of peace. As anti-science deceit gets hardened among western herds the writers and artists are expected to be perceptive to understand the seriousness of slipping contemporary context. India seriously lacks tradition and culture of critical thinking. It is held by low caliber blessed seeking desperately to justify their entitlement. They have the capacity to do anything but are limited by their own woeful limitations.  

This obfuscation of religion driven balderdash into science to claim exceptionalism is a project of all religions, and you will see herd litters spread across social media in this wasted occupation. Or else, the Hegelian anti thesis binary of better native understanding than 'western' science. Critical thinking is important so is empathy (I use this to include subjective frame, words like spiritualism are too misused, indeed degraded). So, I have corrected my earlier post. Iterating with chatbot is quite interesting and the sub reference and questions can fractal and loop into something entirely unexpected. Not that I take all the suggestions by chatbots, but yes give serious consideration.  

Fall of a writer

 

More than a writer it’s a fall of conscience. A possibility for a better self. If a human being has aesthetic capacity to celebrate liberty and give context and meaning for humanity to expand its existential bearings then it becomes a responsibility. A writer has responsibility not as a moralizer or preacher but a cataloger of the times we live in an utter sincerity of comprehensive and lack. Not a mere cataloger but a conjurer of an alternate world or thought with his or her creative sensibilities, to create aesthetics of expanding freedom and liberty that makes life meaningful, each life a burgeoning possibility of deeper understanding or a satisfying presence for progressive collective. Good literature may not save humanity but it certainly can save a person and with that the humanity, by expanding reader’s sensibilities and his or her capacity to experience freedom and understand value of liberty. This then leads to fulfilling path of exacting estimation of contemporary reality and possibilities. Not of certainties but clarities of nuance in ever-changing complexities of an uncertain world. It expands mind for chaos and stillness of life, and accept vaster realities. A good writer liberates the reader. Words can shape like birds and come alive. It makes life urgent, curious and delight the path of understanding.

The recent book by Amitav Ghosh is a failure of a writer but more of a human. This failure is not accidental but systemic. He was considered a foremost fiction writer and a conscientious human. This book Ghost Eye (not read, nor will I read…the same reason I don’t have to read holy books to reject it with the awareness of juvenile premise as also how much damage it has done to humanity over centuries) gives credence to the worst. Indian english writing suffers from crave for validation from West hence the performance. Ghosh is few rare authors who not only resisted this with his fiction but also his stand against degrading conceptions like commonwealth. What though is clear is that he is no longer the same, and is quite clearly co-opted by the system of benefit which ofcourse he was always receptive to. This book is a nauseating demonstration of someone seeking validation from West by presenting the exotic cliched other. What is obnoxious in this attempt is normalizing of horrors of primitives in India. The charlatans, the pseudoscience, superstitions and juvenile rituals of sleaze that wrench soul of India in every street corner. With monster mullah hugged by vacant elois in West caste cannibals have tiptoed from the woodwork with renewed vigor displaying their cosmic level muck. This book is that confidence. While conscientious Indian reviewers are dismayed -aware of the pernicious civilizational lapse, they call out the fake. The western reviewers meanwhile are understandably circumspect, not because they aren’t aware of exotic garbed breach but because of their self-flagellating narration that compromise them into apology (islamophilic left leaning british The Guardian egged by caste cannibals -as representing India -so much so that their persistent anti-india slant should be seen as racism, is “let down by the prose” in the book! An example of compromised reviewer incapacitated by relativism). 

India suffers lack of basic critical thinking, education system is largely compromised to negotiate desperate upper mobility, while politicians, media, religion, are here to churn herd and make them feel special. Ghosh is in a position which very few Indians can ever be. He had the opportunity to nurture his skills from early on and the wherewithal as well as talent to materialize it into some fantastic writing over the decades. He had to evolve but he couldn’t. There is a reason why I stopped following Indian writers (except exceptional rare few) they will take you down, beyond a point they lack the complexity of craft or sincerity of awareness. It is not only confined to writing. The intellectual section is severely compromised, and they are quite aware of it hence this fervency to cover the track and control narration specifically for western consumption. Lacking much grip on contemporary their attention is always on history, to construct a rosy picture to not only place their entitlements but also to evaluate the present in this rarefied fiction. Amartya Sen, with his obsessive regurgitation, moonwalked as historian while at other times as benign local guardian, consolidated this narration for worst of people to munch on (indeed he wrote a tome on ancient Indian justice system without mention of caste in its foundational context, and extends this superficiality into contemporary without serious concern for environment!). History is the hunting ground of charlatan class to not only control narration but to cleverly thrive it to opportunistic path of self-aggrandizing redemption. It is literally history making in all its metaphoric alluding! To understand these people who work in rarefied field of reading and writing -that some are especially entitled (indeed crave) to be classified as wise, one must read theories that they use as intellectual ruse. Hegelian conservatism is a compelling standpoint of intellectual class to hitch their wagon. Create an extreme binary of uncouth politicians or mainstream culture, or whatever heuristic opportunistic deal of the day, this anti-thesis is their calling. Whether it is obfuscating truth is not a concern as long as it fits the binary narration. Many thriving careers are built on mock fight of binary taken to extremes. In Indian context it becomes a rant that many times turn absurd. This book is in that tradition. To not only position as anti-thesis to supposedly western lack of spiritual bearing (which india is overflowing with we are told, bleary eyed westerners do drop in for the search while Indians gawk at them!) but to stake exalted exceptional civilizational awareness in no uncertain terms. Ghosh’s fiction is extending Sen’s nonfictional fiction. It is how civilization is built for common people to study and wonder. It is realization of reason through mythical history, to claim past society in perfect state. This gossipy nether is a hollow substitute for genuine engagement. It is a framework on which balderdash of native intelligence work into common psyche that keep them stupefied when faced with utter stupidity in the name of tradition and faith.   

Reincarnation is absolute nonsense; it can be compelling theme for cheap fiction or horror or whatever that can rivet the herd but for a serious writer to show ambiguity on these matters is a grievous untenable breach. A good fiction writer keeps it open for the reader, and surely not reveal unless he or she is moralizing. I recall a short story by Mark Tully (or was it Kushwant Singh?) that I read many decades back wherein childless couple do penance while she ‘visit’ the sadhu. The child born as ‘miracle’ is kept open to conjecture. This is very much the Indian reality. Or in my earlier blog I quoted Siebo There Below (Laszlo Krasznahorakai). Now read these lines again “…so that unfortunately the pair of eyes glancing over there by accident sees nothing, just a motionless bird leaning forward, doing nothing: such a person, with his brain in the trough of observation, would have been the only among us -and perhaps he will never see anything else ever again and will remain that way for his entire life, and what could have given his life meaning is passed over, and because of that his life will be sad, impoverished, worn, dreary with bitterness: a life without hope, risk, or greatness, without the sense of any higher order…”. The emphasized words are where the author enters to avoid pontifying. If these words weren’t there the writing will shrink as it looks down on the reader, indeed all existence. This remarkable attribute to be aware, as a writer as well as a reader as also overall context of life. I don’t claim to be a writer but when I used to write fiction, I am deeply aware of this. This ofcourse doesn’t exist when writing nonfiction as I go for jugular to make it clear and urgent. If herd is the word that fulfills the definition, then go for it. There is no dilution whatsoever. This society doesn’t really deserve mild handling.

Wittgenstein oft quoted, mostly misquoted, “even if all possible scientific questions are answered, the problems of life still have not been touched at all” is fallaciously predictive making it irrational. The premise is dubious. The process of understanding world is channelized systematized inquisitiveness as scientific method. Problems of science is problem of humanity. Doing science is doing life. Every part of life is doing science. There is no distinction. They are embedded. These don’t pose different types of questions nor are they different type of language. So, by its very nature it is irrational to claim that “all possible scientific questions are answered”. Obviously, the intention is to question the methodology and its incompatibility to answer spiritual existential questions, or shall we say, matter related to consciousness (religion needn’t be mistaken into this, a premise understood and easily dismissed as it stands on juvenile claims). This distinction is fallacious. World has more understanding of reality than what was possible hundred years back. What was considered unanswered, or indeed unanswerable, is now answered or we have more insight. What was miraculous is now inane. Understanding is a process and science is consolidation of consciousness for better understanding. It is too specious to claim that “…problems of life still have not been touched at all…”. We have no way to know, and we don’t know, and best of humans will carry this humility. It goes without saying that the best of human will necessarily carry mindset of the best of scientist. And surely best of scientists will need to carry comprehensive understanding to be best of a human. With this in mind there is no distinction in human pursuit. Existential is awareness, and awareness is existential. Wittgenstein contention therefore is fallacious, doesn’t stand the scrutiny. It is product of wishful philosophy. It is incapacitated to bind mind and matter. It lacks awareness that a wave is also a particle and a particle is also a wave. As we open our understanding to quantum world our awareness will go deeper. Ofcourse there will still be questions unanswered which necessarily means that there is more of research needed and still these may remain unanswered…. It doesn’t however mean that it cannot be answered (nor it means a definite answer). That is not how life evolved. If there is no answer there is silence. Silence is also an answer. Silence is also what is said. Silence is also not forever. The fact that we are aware of what is still unanswered, and what is it that we are not able to find answer is a big step, and is indeed beginning of the answer.