Is Western Civilization imploding under its own weight?

Last week, there was a demonstration in from of Oxford University. The site for the new animal laboratory where, if all goes fine, there will be a laboratory for testing new drugs on animals. The demonstration was by the Animal Lovers who dont want the tests to happen.

United States survey findings suggest that more than 50% of the people in the US don't believe in the Darwin's theory of Evolution.

George Bush, under the pressure from the leading right conservatives, has stopped funding projects doing research on Stem Cell cultivation which hold the big promises not only for cloning but also to cure to many diseases like Diabetes, kidney failure etc.

The British public has been taking a lot of pride in believing that they are the  most righteous among the human race. But now that conscience is getting in the way of scientific enquiry. The only way they have to keep their domination is this highly competitive world is to keep their lead in technological advancement.

The American public is on the opposite track. They oppose the Stem Cell research as they think that humans would not take over the God's job. And stem cell research is not the only thing. Many of the US citizens are losing interest in science and technology in general. The US scientific research is now more and more dependent on the foreign scientists. Mainly from Asian countries like China and India. However, with the resurgent Asia, this will be helping India and china more than US as the scientist bring back the technical know-how.

And the socialist Europe is more interested in making their lives easy with big pensions and less work. Last year the french workers were on strike to reduce their weekly working hours from 38 hours to 36.

With the native citizens losing interest, how long can Western Countries sustain the lead they have taken over the rest of the world in past 300 years is anybodies guess. Hope they will lose it soon.

Farmer Suicides: Another Perspective

Village Money Lender: A Well known villain since the days of Normans in England. It culminated in the form of Holocaust in World War 2. Centuries of pented up anger was used during those 10 years trying to exterminate the European version of the local "Sahukar". But are they really that bad? After all they are also in the business to make a living..and for that matter make a living as comfortable as possible.

Any news story in India regarding a suicide must and should mention the high interest rates being charged by the loan sharks. Obviously bigger institutions don't do that. That's why the village money lender should be a villain. But there are number of differences the way the Village money lender and the Banks/Financial institutions operate.

1. Money Lender faces a greater risk of total loss of money in the case of the failure of the crops. The farmer with no "Immediate Value" Security cannot but keep only the land in lieu for the money. If the crop fails, the farm is not salable as the legal process  takes far too long.

2. If the crop fails, mostly it will fail in all the nearby areas. The money lender with limited spread of money is faced with total loss of existence.  This is not the case with bigger institutions.

With the above mentioned causes, it is but inevitable for the money lender to charge higher interest rates as long as he can recover it. This makes proper business sense as he is taking far greater risk.

Instead of blaming the lender for being too harsh, it will be better if government can provide some insurance to the money lender on the money lent. This will lead to reduced interest rates ask the risk is mitigated. Instead of providing Minimum Support Price which is often politically motivated and reaching the undeserving Rich Farmers, this will help the genuine small farmers.

Instead of blaming the money lender, bring him into the folds of accountability. This will be more beneficial to the really deserving farmer population.

What Public Wants.

Given a choice between a toilet facility and a TV (assuming both are inaccessible presently), what will be the natural choice of Layman?

Of course a TV. That is more important. " Kyunki saas bhi..." has to be watched. Even at the cost of suffering agony and embarrassment daily morning.

And whichever government is elected in Tamil Nadu, free TV is what people are going to get. Even though 60% of homes in Tamil Nadu do not have access toilets. Even though 55% people do not have access to bathrooms.

People prefer TV stars to personal Safety.

Howe true, "Television is the opium of the Masses".

[The author is so impressed by the Business Line article, that he has imbibed some of the ideas into himself and into this article. Please Please.. dont cancel my contracts..Hahahaha]

On Reservations!!!

Whenever there arises a conflict between masses and law, it the law which always has to make way.

When there are reservations in other academic institutions, why not in IIMs and IITs? It was a foregone conclussion that someday the mass demand for such a reservation had to be heard.

Why should there not be reservation for the people who are socially backward? There is always an argument that the higher caste poor should not be differentiated from the socially backward. But, arent the higher caste poor better off than there lower caste bretherens?

For example, a bramhin from a poor section of society is sure to have some or other relative who is educated. Somebody who can give proper advice, who can sponsor the studies, somebody to look at as an ideal. How many OBCs will have the luxury of an educated relative? How many of the OBCs know the value of education? How many can get a good advice on career decissions? (I know somebody who chose mechanical over computer science just because he was adviced to. Will this ever happen to a Bramhin for example?).

After thousands of years of deprivation, this is the minimum we can make.

Another argument is why reservation is higher education when the basic schooling is not proper. If the government is not ready for a straight forward development, then let the upside down happen. Something is better than nothing.

Does he deserves reservation?

He is son of an Professor in a premier institute of India. (Those of you who know my educational background will know which institute as well).

He has got the best primary and secondary education.

He has got the best career guidance anybody can get as all his fathers friends are Doctorates.

He has been brought up in an academic environment where almost everybody is a doctorate or a aspiring doctorate students.

Yet he fails to perform well in the exams. Is it because of his caste?

Does he deserve the reservation?