Brexit-inspired thoughts on globalization

Brexit provoked a conversation on globalization, and my final position was as follows:


When it comes to globalization, I am uncharacteristically fatalistic! The power, volume, and flow of information can no longer be controlled or contained, and whether it is good or bad (it is I think both good and bad), globalization’s future is a relentless but stuttered course forward.

Self-interested systems that oppose it will lose their ability to oppose it and get weaker in the proc...ess. Do I think new self-interested systems will be more enlightened or more perfect? No, not at all. They too will be a mixture of good and bad, depending on context and perceived values. Why would we want the blandness of a perfect or moral system? For one, it cannot exist or survive and secondly, life is imperfect and amoral – let us live it to the full with all its mixture.

Fast-forward modern globalization is here with us in our next journey as Sapiens!! Where it will take us, I do not know nor want to know – but I am here to accept the reality and the challenges, opportunities, dreams, and excitement that go with it.

Venkat Narayan

5 hrs ·

True and sustainable change is counterintuitive, nonlinear, disorganized, and invisible. History is a mixture of visible, high-profile, short-term events that draw much attention and cause fear, and slow, relentless, long-term changes that go on regardless, often unnoticed but powerful and transformative, nevertheless.


While we panic and pay attention to the horrible terror attacks, which we should or to hate-mongerors and fear-stroking politicians, as we should, slowly unbe...nown to us but surely major positive changes accompanying globalization continue - people and cultures intermingle, positive innovations happen, capital and businesses move, information and ideas spread, transformative solutions of huge import happen. These are the forces that will ultimately shape destiny, not just the cycle of reaction and counter-reaction to hatred.

Much as we may perceive that the world has become unsafe and violent, and we have reason to think so, as we constantly hear of the terror attacks, the murders, and the hatred that spills around, we need to also ask an important question. Why don't we hear more about the positive stories of human nature, which are bountiful?


Indeed, when we examine the statistics, as Steven Pinker did in his book "Better Angels of our Nature", we reassuringly find that the world is actually a safer, better, less violent place than it ever has been in the vast span of human history.


If only our cognitive senses could be shaped to perceive the invisible, to gain perspective, and to imagine the postively unimaginable, we would hope more and fear less. True, hope may be a delusion, but isn't fear too? Better to live in hope than die in despair, as some fellow said.

Puruit of happiness

If you want to enjoy life, never worry about the mundane or waste time talking about trivia or obliging social conventions. Those are the traps to avoid.


Take care of the basics - healthy food, exercise, sleep, few strong friends, and beyond that live in the delusion of great dreams and ideas. Read incessantly, write and express, argue and debate. Never worry about realizing dreams and ideas. They are dreams and ideas, which are meant to inebriate you. If they lead to something, treat it as something you never planned and shy away from credit.


Last of all, thank people if they rob your ideas. Imagine, if they did not, you would have to work to implementing them. Seeking credit or recognition is the poison that ruins happiness. Just live, let live, renounce and rejoice.

Power of Positive Words

In his historic Cairo speech, Obama never used the word "terror" in his 55-min speech, but used the word "peace" so many times. That is how one reframes the issues toward reconciliation.

In contrast, I was listening to S.M. Krishna (India's new foreign minister) and to Advani (Leader of India's Opposition Party) an hour ago, and they were obsessed with "terrorism" and the release of Hafeez Saaed, supposedly the mastermind behind the Mumbai attack. This approach of focussing on the negative and using blame only makes the other side dig its heels in deeper. Of course, the Pakistani politicians do the same thing and are obsessed about "Kashmir", and bring it up all the time. The lay media on both sides also keeps the conflict swirling by taking nationalistic stances. Unless there is a real shift in tone and spirit, the pissing match (pardon my language) between the two countries will go on for ever.

Somebody on either side (it does not matter which side) needs to rise above all this meaningless pettiness, show courage and boldness, and start reframing the issues in a positive way......."Let us talk peace, let us develop friendship, let us solve common challenges, let us open trade, let us promote people to people exchange, let us develop our rich cultures and history together, let us meet our common destiny together, let us show global leadership together........."

When that happens, real progress toward peace will happen. The 1.2 billion people of India and 170 million people of Pakistan deserve the peace and friendship. Will the politicians on both sides rise to that challenge?

Tolerance

Tolerance of intolerance promotes intolerance of tolerance

Nothing before, nothing after

Nothing before, nothing after,
It is all in the here and now.
Yet, mysteries we invent,
Lest, it is meaningless, we lament.
Why not simply live and let live?

What is life?

Life is but an ephemeral journey of hope,
With fleeting moments of joy,
Peppered with moments of despair.
Some reality and much illusion,
It is simply what we make it to be.