Nani Palkhiwala wrote on 16 January 1984.
“The picture that emerges is that of a great country in a state of moral decay. The immediate future seems to belong to the doomsayers rather than to cheer-mongers. We suffer from a fatty degeneration of conscience, and the malady seems to be not only persistent but prone to aggravation. The life style of too many politicians and businessmen bears eloquent testimony to the truth of dictum that the single minded pursuit of money impoverishes the mind, shrivels the imagination and desiccates the heart.
The tricolour fluttering all over the country is black, red and scarlet “black money, red tape and scarlet corruption.”
Our good friend Mayo sent this cartoon to me to see if I can do something with it in a blog and how can I not?
There is hardly any dividing line between crime and politics any more in India though in all fairness, many businesses can be exempted from the sobriquet of being criminal. Businesses however have to be very politically savvy to survive successfully in India.
Under the circumstances, what advise can one give as the father in the cartoon? Quite some famous politicians are cooling their heels in prisons just now! India however has a vast public sector which can easily accommodate the young lad. He can then combine his criminal tendencies, operate within the government and flourish.
Poor Nani must be wishing that he was alive to say “I told you so!”
You might also consider this blog post read today showing the disparity of income and its effect on the common people.
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/01/24/income-inequality-is-bad-for-society/
And the cartoon hurts because it is so true. Everywhere.
XO
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Rummuser Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 12:36
The authors sum it up pretty simply: : “Th[e] dissatisfaction [measured in this data is] a cost which the rich impose on the rest of society.”
And they have a clear policy proposal relevant to the current economic crisis.
[This is] a clear warning for those who might want to place low public expenditure and taxation at the top of their priorities. If you fail to avoid high inequality, you will need more prison and more police. You will have to deal with higher rates of mental illness, drug abuse and every other kind of problems. If keeping taxes and benefits down leads to wider income differences, the need to deal with ensuing social ills may force you to raise public expenditure to cope.
Thanks for the link WWW. It is staring at our face is it not? I did not know that there is such direct link to all the evils that we see everywhere. This link goes to all my contacts on my mailing list.
Hi Rummy,
LOL so, working for the government is like working for the organised crime, eh? LOL…this is funny. However, it is not an entirely fair criticism for it depends on which branch of government one works for.
I mean, a simple civil servant that attends tax payers in any institution can hardly think that he is working in organised crime; however, many other branches can be compared to such organisations, yes…
You paint a very stark reality of India: if I wanted to invest there, you would surely put me off lol. However, I like your advice “businesses have to be very politically savvy to survive successfully in India”…
Now, I agree with your underlying message: politicians should be held accountable for their political crimes (when their decisions bring a nation to ruin), they should be investigated and tried in a court of law when they steal and commit fraud against those who elected them and so forth.
You know what’s disgusting? Is when people commit crimes and then join politics to get immunity against their crimes. While in office they’ll influence the laws to prevent an indictement after they end their tenure *nodding*.
Excellent post, Rummy!
Cheers
Max Coutinho recently posted..The Paradox of Money Laundering
Rummuser Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 20:01
To live a happy life in India, the foremost requirement is a sense of humour Max. If you have that, you will survive successfully. Our local cartoonists too can come up with startling insights about our system and I shall share some in the future.
Max Coutinho Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 20:51
If sense is all that one needs then I am safe in India
.
Please, let me know when you share those cartoons, all right?
Cheers
Max Coutinho recently posted..The Paradox of Money Laundering
I was thinking myself about how commonplace corruption and fiddling are in British public life today. It seems that nowadays the majority of senior public figures are doing something they shouldn’t, and it’s now a minority who still behave with a sense of integrity and decency. This wholesale moral rot would have been unthinkable when I was growing up.
Nick recently posted..Under a cloud
Rummuser Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 20:03
I could not agree more. Times are very different now with completely different value systems operating. You just need to read about the differences between the father and the son in the case of one of the American Presidential hopefuls from the GOP!
not only do they not go to jail, they are given huge bonuses.
right on target rummy.
an excellent post!
cheers to your intellect and sense of humour and you being you. period.
love,
tammy j
Rummuser Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 20:04
Tammy, your being my cheer leader makes it all worthwhile!
“a fatty degeneration of conscience”
That is one of the most apt descriptive terms I’ve run across in awhile. I like to see the fire in people who are throw-backs to an earlier day when integrity ruled. Bravo!
The Old Fossil recently posted..Fossil Fitness!
Rummuser Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 20:05
Nani was devastating in his wit TOF. He was a hero to many of us in our youth.
This cartoon could probably be printed in any country, couldn’t it? It’s that power thing again, I think!
Life Student recently posted..Let Go…Let Go
Rummuser Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 19:46
Yes indeed it can. I am amazed at how things have changed everywhere!
Although my mission in life doesn’t include politics, I am always glad that there are people watching, commenting, pushing and prodding. Thanks.
Government. Tell him to join the Government, they have a Brown Envelope Policy!
Grannymar recently posted..Thursday Special ~ The Pharmacist
Rummuser Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 10:04
Agreed. He will be much obliged for that clarification.
Though the above cartoon is supposed to be humorous,it does convey a strong message of corruption in a government…But wonder what a father should actually reply to a question like that from his kid…
On another note – we can say that in last 25 years (one quarter of a century) the world has not changed… What say you?
KRD Pravin recently posted..Perhaps, eyes are forever!
Rummuser Reply:
February 1st, 2012 at 18:50
With the proviso, that there is more awareness due to the information/communication revolution.
World will remain imperfect… I wrote on that earlier – http://bit.ly/t9hOLi
Our discussion reminds me of my that post.