Internet, second best leveller?

When I was a kid of around 12 years of age, there was a competition in Economic Times, where they asked quiz about Switzerland. We did not win the competition, but it was great fun answering the questions. And the biggest aid we had was the Encyclopedia gifted by my uncle. Well, I can be considered to be lucky the treasure trove at my disposal. Considering the state of libraries and other resources available at the time in the small scale city in which I grew up, it was gold mine.

But not many were lucky like me. Even I remember struggling to complete the different projects given to me in school just due to lack information and means to access the information.

As I grew to went to college, the main difference I found between the students from Bigger cities and other places was the exposure they had to information at very young age. It caused the difference between an outgoing smart students good at oratory etc and an introvert, shy student who is equally intelligent but with small city background.

But not anymore. At least the middle class families even in villages afford the luxury of a computer and a net connection of decent speed. With tools like wikipedia, google search etc, there is not much advantage that a big city student has over the smaller city cousin. Well, the children will need the attention to check the journey down the wrong path, made easier with the advent of Internet. Every invention is a double edged sword and it is upto us to be careful.

Hence the title. Internet the second best leveller (next only to death :) )

Canadian Experience

Big buildings, fast cars, nice people (the best among the Caucasians I have ever met ), and lot of money.

This is the experience I had in the first 2 days of Montreal, Canada. Second largest city in Canada after toronto, this is a beautiful place with old buildings and skyscrapers residing harmoniously. All was idyllic in this place except for the weather (its damp and cold right now). Or so I thought.

On the third day as I walked out of the hotel for a quick lunch, a lady approached me and my collegue and started speaking in french. When she realised that we dint know french, she swicthed into english effortlessly.  She wanted some money as she had lost her job and dint have enough to eat. She was crying.

In this "developed" country, a lady was begging on the road. She had lost her job may be at no fault of hers. No social security net to rescue her. No food to eat. And had to beg on the road to unknown strangers in that damp and cold day. I am not even sure she had someplace to sleep warm.

Money doesnt buy everything. But at the very least it should give enough heart in people to provide certain level of security.  Here, almost everybody has more than enough to spare for every poor person in the country if not the world a decent shelter. Then why is that not being provided? Capatilist nature of society? Or just plain natural greed?

Pathetic.