Adam Sambrani
Comments
But offcourse Tamil pride must have something to do with Tamil Nadu Police... I am sure you're aware they are second best in the world, next to none other than Scotland yard.
Never knew one can deal with insecurities by resorting to jeering caricature and juvenile mockery. Thank goodness for democracy, you live and learn every day.
Your commentaries and positions are kind of all over the place. There are way too many claims you are making and I don’t think I can start dealing with all of them even though I consider most of them to be too simplistic and one sided. I just want to share my take on a couple of points you are making.
{Foment and strife are primarily instigated by lack of economic resources. Extremism does not exist where there is no economic crisis and you go on to quote that Saudi Arabia as your example}
That is a pretty misguided argument. Suicide bombers in the recent London subway bombings grew up in comfortable middle class family. Even the 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh grew up with all the comforts and privileges of suburbia. And Islam is the fastest growing religion in US, a country within top 5 of world GDP. And all this is a result of Globalization that you so easily dismiss off. Even in a world saturated with consumerism ideologies and beliefs does have an impact.
Saudi Arabia is not as peacececeful and content as you claim. The sheikhs may take a dump on gold plated bathroom fixtures, and yet its one of them who quit his life of luxury and masterminded the collapse of twin towers and is still a symbol of resistance against the west, for millions of Muslims around the world. It’s the heavy handedness of a totalitarian state that is maintaining the illusion of peace in Saudi Arabia and it’s not merely because of its economic prosperity.
Not all arguments on the present day world affairs can be based on nationalism and nation states. Boundaries change over period of time and so does definitions of nationalistic identities. . The fact that nations fight over resources is as old as the history of nation states itself. Yet we are now in one of the more peaceful periods of world history. One of the main reasons of this is because we are living in a Global world with a proliferation of Global trade at levels even 'kanikar' has no clue about. Most of the political discourses of the past were based on ton ton the overwhelming power of state, but we now live in a world where the power of trade inherently influences and often overrides the powers of state. The success of one country often times depends on the well being of its trading partners. Contrary to your claim, I don’t think commentaries on global world, and global national identities like "global Indians' claim that the entire world is becoming a unified whole. They are nuanced observations that deal with changes in societal structures in a globalized world. The results of globalization are so complex, paradoxical and varied, it can be looked at from a million different perspectives and it’s not just about sharing a slice of turkey with the white neighbor next door and making claims about a unified global family.
{talking against the American policies, its president and the war has become "fashionable" }
You have to realize on average one of every two american voters in last two elections did not vote for Bush. I would think it is also a reasoeasonablnable assumption that most of those who do not support Bush do not support america's belligerent foreign policy and the war on Iraq. So dissent against the war is not just a passing opinion of the few but of a huge block of world population. And vocal public dissent does matter. It’s the people of US who finally made the country withdraw from Vietnam. I can go on with this, but I am sure you get the idea…
I think it’s a novel idea what you are attempting at. Interspersing political commentaries with a narrative of an epic. It’s definitely entertaining at times, but the lack of depth and nuance in many of your observations and reasoning, takes the energy away from what could be an engaging re-telling of the epic by Cho.
{Foment and strife are primarily instigated by lack of economic resources. Extremism does not exist where there is no economic crisis and you go on to quote that Saudi Arabia as your example}
That is a pretty misguided argument. Suicide bombers in the recent London subway bombings grew up in comfortable middle class family. Even the 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh grew up with all the comforts and privileges of suburbia. And Islam is the fastest growing religion in US, a country within top 5 of world GDP. And all this is a result of Globalization that you so easily dismiss off. Even in a world saturated with consumerism ideologies and beliefs does have an impact.
Saudi Arabia is not as peacececeful and content as you claim. The sheikhs may take a dump on gold plated bathroom fixtures, and yet its one of them who quit his life of luxury and masterminded the collapse of twin towers and is still a symbol of resistance against the west, for millions of Muslims around the world. It’s the heavy handedness of a totalitarian state that is maintaining the illusion of peace in Saudi Arabia and it’s not merely because of its economic prosperity.
Not all arguments on the present day world affairs can be based on nationalism and nation states. Boundaries change over period of time and so does definitions of nationalistic identities. . The fact that nations fight over resources is as old as the history of nation states itself. Yet we are now in one of the more peaceful periods of world history. One of the main reasons of this is because we are living in a Global world with a proliferation of Global trade at levels even 'kanikar' has no clue about. Most of the political discourses of the past were based on ton ton the overwhelming power of state, but we now live in a world where the power of trade inherently influences and often overrides the powers of state. The success of one country often times depends on the well being of its trading partners. Contrary to your claim, I don’t think commentaries on global world, and global national identities like "global Indians' claim that the entire world is becoming a unified whole. They are nuanced observations that deal with changes in societal structures in a globalized world. The results of globalization are so complex, paradoxical and varied, it can be looked at from a million different perspectives and it’s not just about sharing a slice of turkey with the white neighbor next door and making claims about a unified global family.
{talking against the American policies, its president and the war has become "fashionable" }
You have to realize on average one of every two american voters in last two elections did not vote for Bush. I would think it is also a reasoeasonablnable assumption that most of those who do not support Bush do not support america's belligerent foreign policy and the war on Iraq. So dissent against the war is not just a passing opinion of the few but of a huge block of world population. And vocal public dissent does matter. It’s the people of US who finally made the country withdraw from Vietnam. I can go on with this, but I am sure you get the idea…
I think it’s a novel idea what you are attempting at. Interspersing political commentaries with a narrative of an epic. It’s definitely entertaining at times, but the lack of depth and nuance in many of your observations and reasoning, takes the energy away from what could be an engaging re-telling of the epic by Cho.