When you hear of a Aseem Trivedi, a cartoonist against corruption, being jailed for being unpatriotic, I cannot but wonder who are the authorities that approve this action? Who approves the arrest warrant? Don't they understand what 'freedom of speech' means?
Local goons who publicly molest a girl for walking outside a pub in a skirt and have been caught on camera walk scot free, but someone who has an opinion about something worthwhile is sent to jail.
Another example of such stupidity is the Governments' reaction to the Washington Post's article on Manmohan Singh...yes, it is insulting. But was any of it false? If the Prime Minister is an insult to the country, then the press (domestic or international) has a right to call a spade a spade!! Focus on the right things, oh mighty leaders!! Punish the corrupt, the liars, the murderers, the scamsters... leave the innocent to our speeches.
If we have chosen democracy, we need to enjoy the holistic advantages of such a government. Like Bill Clinton recently said, "Democracy doesn't have to be a blood sport. It can be an honorable enterprise that advances the public interest". A certain space-age invention called the Internet (yeah, this is a Step-Up 4 reference :D) has empowered us to be a part of the news. Now how about we be a part of the decision making? For the people, BY the people, right??!
Allow votes online to count for decisions made...Or if you argue that maybe the vast population might not have the technical knowledge and expertise to make decisions, at least let the people decide the priority of decisions being made...which bill to be passed first, which criminal case to be heard first. Votes, of course, can be manipulated because it is a numbers game, so have cyber petrol control points!! Things are possible if you want them to be...This is our country and I hate seeing the looting that goes on in guise of politics. I don't think I'd be this enraged if the looting was going on, but so was progress and justice. Two things our politicians opposee the most!
Clean it up, folks. Don't be immune to democracy.
Local goons who publicly molest a girl for walking outside a pub in a skirt and have been caught on camera walk scot free, but someone who has an opinion about something worthwhile is sent to jail.
Another example of such stupidity is the Governments' reaction to the Washington Post's article on Manmohan Singh...yes, it is insulting. But was any of it false? If the Prime Minister is an insult to the country, then the press (domestic or international) has a right to call a spade a spade!! Focus on the right things, oh mighty leaders!! Punish the corrupt, the liars, the murderers, the scamsters... leave the innocent to our speeches.
If we have chosen democracy, we need to enjoy the holistic advantages of such a government. Like Bill Clinton recently said, "Democracy doesn't have to be a blood sport. It can be an honorable enterprise that advances the public interest". A certain space-age invention called the Internet (yeah, this is a Step-Up 4 reference :D) has empowered us to be a part of the news. Now how about we be a part of the decision making? For the people, BY the people, right??!
Allow votes online to count for decisions made...Or if you argue that maybe the vast population might not have the technical knowledge and expertise to make decisions, at least let the people decide the priority of decisions being made...which bill to be passed first, which criminal case to be heard first. Votes, of course, can be manipulated because it is a numbers game, so have cyber petrol control points!! Things are possible if you want them to be...This is our country and I hate seeing the looting that goes on in guise of politics. I don't think I'd be this enraged if the looting was going on, but so was progress and justice. Two things our politicians opposee the most!
Clean it up, folks. Don't be immune to democracy.
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