I just saw the movie New York, a very well-made movie. It was about the illegal detainment and brutal torture of innocent Muslim immigrants by the FBI post 9/11. Any liberal ie. a person with a bit of humanity would be disturbed at what they saw. The same person would also question why there are so many supporters in civil society for these methods. The answer is simple - politics of fear and victimhood. The mantra that conservative politicians all over the world live by - instill fear, make ordinary citizens feel like victims of some evil conspiracy and finally instill hope in those people by assuring security so that they vote for you. It goes much further than that, once you have instilled fear in people, they will not question your methods, however brutal they are!
It also seems the FBI consists of frustrated officers who are just waiting for the government to sanction them the rights to sadistic torture. A right wing President and the draconian Patriot Act is all they need to do whatever they may please. For the uninitiated, the Patriot Act was passed just after 9/11 and it gives FBI the right to detain and question any terror suspect and not grant them a lawyer.
Conservative or right wing politics has many more evils than creating an orthodox, bigoted society. One of those evils is extreme nationalism and chauvinism which takes an ugly "us vs them" turn. The other evil is going to any extent to preserve your security. Conservative politicians prefer not to think, at least not in a human way, they just react to a crisis and their reaction causes the suffering and death of plenty of innocents who would have no relation to the crime in question. The people who vote for such politicians justify that by thinking - "At least I am safe!" Also, if you question their methods, your patriotism is questioned in return!
I see hope in USA now that the right wing Republicans are out and the left-liberal Democrats are in. I am annoyed though as Republicans favoured India more but I will reserve my annoyance for another blog.
Let us take the Indian context. I see so many freaking parallels between the conservative parties of the world's most powerful democracy (USA) and the world's largest democracy (India). No prizes for guessing the corresponding party in India. I know, I know, people who regularly read the blog must be thinking, "Oh no, not one more BJP bashing blog." I understand. Even I had promised myself that I won't indulge in BJP bashing for some blogs to come but then it is too tempting now that I've seen the movie.
Consider the Act BJP passed - POTA. Another draconian act which allows it the right to detain any terrorist suspect without any substantial evidence. No prizes also for guessing the community which the BJP intended to target! Let me clarify that I am not against punishment to terrorists, I believe they should be hanged in public view. I am only against harassment to innocents. Had the BJP been in power longer, it could have misused the POTA to target innocent Muslims, brand a large number of them as terrorists and show to us their progress based on the 'amount' of terrorists they have caught. This could have resulted in complete alienation of the community.
The BJP can even shame the Republicans on the amount of fear and victimhood it can inculcate in people. They hope to win elections mainly on that platform.
To conclude, all I'm against is the brutality against innocent people. Case in point - the shameful Godhra incident where a bogey containing kar sevaks was set ablaze by hoodlums who allegedly belong to a minority community. The BJP ruled state machinery then turned a blind eye to the repercussions as a lot of innocent Muslims were killed who had nothing to do with the tragedy. Narendra Modi, the chief minister at that time, is still hailed by many educated, sophisticated and civilized people I know to be India's next Prime Minister. The brainwashing victimization effect of such conservative politics is such that such 'civilized' people turn a blind eye to the fact that innocent people were burnt alive!
I am happy better sense has prevailed in the general elections of 2009 but unhappy that most people in my own Gujarati community still give the thumbs up to such an inhuman brand of politics.
It also seems the FBI consists of frustrated officers who are just waiting for the government to sanction them the rights to sadistic torture. A right wing President and the draconian Patriot Act is all they need to do whatever they may please. For the uninitiated, the Patriot Act was passed just after 9/11 and it gives FBI the right to detain and question any terror suspect and not grant them a lawyer.
Conservative or right wing politics has many more evils than creating an orthodox, bigoted society. One of those evils is extreme nationalism and chauvinism which takes an ugly "us vs them" turn. The other evil is going to any extent to preserve your security. Conservative politicians prefer not to think, at least not in a human way, they just react to a crisis and their reaction causes the suffering and death of plenty of innocents who would have no relation to the crime in question. The people who vote for such politicians justify that by thinking - "At least I am safe!" Also, if you question their methods, your patriotism is questioned in return!
I see hope in USA now that the right wing Republicans are out and the left-liberal Democrats are in. I am annoyed though as Republicans favoured India more but I will reserve my annoyance for another blog.
Let us take the Indian context. I see so many freaking parallels between the conservative parties of the world's most powerful democracy (USA) and the world's largest democracy (India). No prizes for guessing the corresponding party in India. I know, I know, people who regularly read the blog must be thinking, "Oh no, not one more BJP bashing blog." I understand. Even I had promised myself that I won't indulge in BJP bashing for some blogs to come but then it is too tempting now that I've seen the movie.
Consider the Act BJP passed - POTA. Another draconian act which allows it the right to detain any terrorist suspect without any substantial evidence. No prizes also for guessing the community which the BJP intended to target! Let me clarify that I am not against punishment to terrorists, I believe they should be hanged in public view. I am only against harassment to innocents. Had the BJP been in power longer, it could have misused the POTA to target innocent Muslims, brand a large number of them as terrorists and show to us their progress based on the 'amount' of terrorists they have caught. This could have resulted in complete alienation of the community.
The BJP can even shame the Republicans on the amount of fear and victimhood it can inculcate in people. They hope to win elections mainly on that platform.
To conclude, all I'm against is the brutality against innocent people. Case in point - the shameful Godhra incident where a bogey containing kar sevaks was set ablaze by hoodlums who allegedly belong to a minority community. The BJP ruled state machinery then turned a blind eye to the repercussions as a lot of innocent Muslims were killed who had nothing to do with the tragedy. Narendra Modi, the chief minister at that time, is still hailed by many educated, sophisticated and civilized people I know to be India's next Prime Minister. The brainwashing victimization effect of such conservative politics is such that such 'civilized' people turn a blind eye to the fact that innocent people were burnt alive!
I am happy better sense has prevailed in the general elections of 2009 but unhappy that most people in my own Gujarati community still give the thumbs up to such an inhuman brand of politics.
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