the failure of democracy

call it globalisation or hyper-capitalism or even a condition of our times. ever since world war 2, the world has changed in every major field- be it the sciences, economics, geographies, cultures, psychologies and social/power structures.

note that when i say power structures, i don't mean political systems. surprisingly, democracy as a political system hasn't changed with the times. and it is this failure of an archaic democracy (among other problems) that is causing issues all over the world.

much as i'd like to take each issue apart and analyse it- at this point in time, in the face of the 2008 terror attacks in mumbai with elections a few short breaths away, i think we need to seriously pull up our socks and consider our democratic system.

many people consider democracy in india a marvel, considering the inherently pluralistic nature of this country. they are in awe of the multi-party system and (wrongly) assume that people across different factions of society have a say.

the fact remains that indirect democracy does nothing for the people of a country. it gives people what marx calls a 'false consciousness'- the feeling that as individuals, they are making a mark and ushering in change when they vote for one political party or the other. the sad truth is that this system does not view people as anything beyond a mass, a collective, a vote bank. there is no place for individualism and human dignity.

it is a farce.

in terms of what this means for mumbai as a city, i think the time has come for mumbai to kiss india goodbye and stand on its feet. this is the second time in two years that this country is failing the city which has contributed so much to it, not just in economic terms but in intangible cultural terms as well.

consider this- mumbai as a city state, much like singapore. only, unlike singapore, there'll be a different political system- perhaps, direct democracy or even anarchy.

maybe it's just crazy talk from the shock but then, it's the crazy talk that changed the world and the inconceivable that becomes reality.

redefining 'epic'

generally, the term 'epic' refers to a grand work, mostly in terms of size. in literature, 'epic' would be milton's "paradise lost"/"paradise regained" or valmiki's "ramayana". in music, 'epic' would mean tracks running into 15+ minutes (think g!ybe). however, i have my reservations on using the term 'epic' for just the duration of the track.

here's a new definition of epic- the flaming lips' "approaching pavonis mons by balloon". yes, these are the guys who did the hopelessly pop "do you realise". it is even from the same album "yoshimi battles the pink robots".

however, pavonis mons is a crazy trip through a completely different landscape- red dust clouds, volcanoes as old as the universe and not a soul except you in your technicolour balloon. this is a track that doesn't waste too much time in build-up and hits its breath-taking crescendo in under two minutes. you are floating in space, playing hide and seek with the martian sun and never landing.

it's all of three minutes and ten seconds long. and as gorgeous as the first hit of hash from a pipe.

now, that's epic.

slut pigeon!