Nineteen Eighty-Four: George Orwell

Doublethink:
To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which canceled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the party was guardian of democracy, to forget, whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment it was needed, and then promptly forget it again, and above all to apply the same process to the process itself-that was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to include unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word "doublethink" involved the use of doublethink.
- George Orwell.

India Energy crisis and Global warming

In the recent days, I have been reading a lot about the electricity shortages in many Indian cities and villages. In the decade of “India shinning”, these news strike us as a dark contrast. The situation is getting worse every day, and we need to start planning for the future from right now.

Turning to the conventional energy sources to overcome the electricity shortage problem does not look like a wise option either. India is currently ranked fourth in the list of top CO2 emitting countries. The first 3 countries in this list are U.S., China and Russia. (Ref.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions)

The effects of the energy crisis, and the pollution are becoming evident in India. For last 3-4 years, we have been experiencing irregular monsoon. Remember the torrential rains in Mumbai and Maharashtra in July 2005? The shifting monsoon is especially bad for our farmers, who rely heavily on the rains for the crop yield. In one part of India people are fighting against the overflowing rivers, where as in another part, people are going miles for getting water. Recent flooding in Bihar due to the Kosi river overflow has been devastating. And as if this is not enough, there were delays in food distribution by the government authorities resulting in food riots. (Ref: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bihar_floods_Delay_in_relief_triggers_food_riots/articleshow/3431348.cms)

The nature’s warnings are not only limited to India. Similar warning signs are also evident on the other end of the globe, in U.S. Hurricane Gustav is on the verge of slamming into the U.S. coasts, heading for New Orleans again, which was the target of Katrina 3 years ago. Even the polar regions of the globe are showing bad signs. A report released by the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado has revealed that the Arctic ice is at its second-lowest level in history, and is melting because of the impact of global warming. (Ref: http://chattahbox.com/science/2008/09/01/arctic-ice-melts-away-due-to-impact-of-global-warming/)

Global warming is not a scientific term anymore, but it’s going to touch each and every one of us in some way of the other. It is time to wake up, and start fighting with this giant. We need to start saving energy, reducing the oil consumption. Most of these things are common sense things, but we need to start practicing these, and we need to start practicing it soon.

What's popular isn't always right, what's right isn't always popular

I got this interesting email today:


A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.

The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make........ .......



Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how far-sighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.

The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens.. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.

Irony

What's more important?
Food Riots

Smile

Earth, Thirld World Planet

The grass is greener on the other side..!