How did the British – a small island nation with a limited population – conquer half the world? This article will attempt to explain one of the psychological factors underlying their success. It is a continuation of my previous blog below: There were other factors of course. The scientific inventions in the west that gave […]
Category Archives: Politics
Downside of being United
I’ll start with a quote from Bertrand Russell: The power of the State may be brought to bear, as it often is in England, through public opinion rather than through the laws. By oratory and the influence of the Press, public opinion is largely created by the State, and a tyrannous public opinion is as […]
Risks of voting for a Strong Leader
One of my readers asked me why I have not written an article on PM Narendra Modi. That was before the general election this year. Now I am finally doing so and it may be similar to locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. But the reason why I was hesitant is itself […]
All Progress Depends On Them
I sometimes write blogs that my family and friends do not entirely approve of. There is some history behind the same. They want to make sure that I do not wash dirty linen in public and keep family secrets private. Can’t blame them I suppose. And all families have their secrets. I also have had […]
Suggestions for the Survival of Humanity
This is some advice I have for ensuring the survival of the human race. It is the second of two blogs on this subject. Link to my earlier blog is below: As I said in my first blog I am not an enlightened mystic and also I am not a spokesman for the Universe. My […]
For the Survival of Humanity
The human race and in fact life on this planet faces many threats. For example – climate change, global warming, the natural resources of the planet running out etc. In addition there is the threat of multiple nuclear holocausts. There are conflicts going on the Middle East and in Ukraine in which at least one […]
Hindu Version of Sharia
I remember some conversations that I had with some acquaintances whom I knew about 20 years or so ago. The gist of the conversations was that India needs an authoritarian approach in order to deal with the many challenges that it is facing. The Muslim culture – specifically Sharia – was praised. The question was […]
Arrogance in the Indian Context
I got into a lot of trouble when I was young because I was thought to be arrogant. And I was. And I was made to pay an exorbitant price for this. The punishment was out of all proportion to the crime. Why is arrogance thought to be such a cardinal sin in India. Much […]
The Mahatma’s legacy misunderstood
I want to make the point in this blog that Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy, teachings and example were misunderstood and misused by sentimental do gooders in India. Much of the time post independence has been wasted. The country has failed to develop and whole generations of Indians have wasted their lives because nobody did some clear […]
Can the Country Afford This
Due to certain experiences I developed an aversion to working at a job when I was in my 30s. I had made some money on the stock market and wanted to live the rest of my life with learned leisure. I decided not to marry at that time since I did not have good career […]