Lead if you can - otherwise make way............

I hope that atlest from now onwards, our parliament will lead the nation
rather than being led by the people & nation. Frankly its pretty sad that
parliament has to be told very forcefully by outsiders what law people need
which they have to enact. By this very fact, the assigned law makers have forfeited
their right to be law makers.
The way most of the ministers, MPs MLAs zip past the people on our roads
clearly shows the reality and disconnect with the people whom they are elected to
represent.
They need to realize that if they keep shooting the messenger for too long,
the message itself will shoot them, as has been happening in the Arab world.
I dread to think that our democracy has become so dysfunctional and aloof from
the people.

There is time for Tactical withdrawal even in a war and is now for Team Anna.

Anna and Team Anna has been able to bring the issue of corruption to the nations center stage and that itself is unprecedented
and great service to the nation. Now that they have done it, and the elected govt, however bad it may be, has promised to act on it.
Therefore, its time for Team Anna to withdraw - its a tactical withdrawal which can help the govt and others in charge
to think and act. Making anybody , let alone the govt, to act at 'gun point' and threat of anarchy is no Gandhian way.
Any further push can lead to 'the other side' taking up issues in similar fashion and that will surely lead to more
problems for the nation. The notion that if one is not supporting Anna , he is for corruption is shear non sense.
Corruption from bottom to top is a major issue for the nation and the ones at the bottom affects the common man mostly.
Therefore, I just wish that Team Anna moves to the RTO, Police, Revenue offices across the country.
They probably can help stop the corruption there and that in my mind will be a practical and useful method
to help the common man.

London Riots

The soft underbelly of the ' Developed nations' are getting exposed.
We can possibly brush of the latest events in and around London as criminal acts of small groups.
But the leaders do not seems to understand that it has a pattern and its taking routes - we had Paris a few months back.
Unemployment, under employment and the simmering financial troubles faced are all contributing factors.
As of now , the rising 'smoke' is mostly black and coloured. If the 'white smoke ' starts erupting as happened in
Oslo, we are in for bigger trouble.
The unhindered run of Capitalism has made the gulf between the rich and poor ever more wider.
Many a policy makers are getting more influenced by the 'rich and famous' who are close to them
at the cost of general public and share the spoils. This is a malice which is not restricted to developed world. Almost all
our scams have its origin here.
The west has been advocating regime changes in Arab world and hailed the Arab Spring.
Now what do they wish to label the happening in West ?
Thanks
Tony Augustine