So, another workday goes by with no news at all from my apparent work. That is, of course, after a guy there couldn’t take his head out of a bottle and thinks of money solely in terms of alcohol. Well, it also benefited his boss. Once I am set with an organization, either a new one called KADAM (whose name I still like showing off – Knowledge about Democracy and Marginalization) or someone helps me out with an already established organization, there seems to be nothing much for me to do. Thank god I became aware of downloading magazines like The New Yorker. I basically read all the articles they have in every issue. I have to systematize my reading habits more. I forget if I have already read an article or not. Some articles I do remember because of the content. But it is a hit or miss situation. I take as many notes as possible, and sometimes refer to the articles on my blog too. But I have to design a better system of it. maybe have a text document where I note every article I read so I can look at it and find out if I have already read it. New Yorker articles are usually so well written – both in terms of language and the content – that it is never a waste of time. But it still sucks to have read an article twice, even though it is a fun and informative read.
(No excuse for me! Do not seem to have a job, and am not working on my book!)
And I haven’t really started reading the Charles Maan books (1491 and 1493) either. Or the Yuval Noah Hariri books (Sapiens and Homo Deus). And this is excluding all the fiction books that I have. Fairy tales, which I can actually put to use – by writing loose adaptations for my nephew (of course, to be read by my brother). I seriously need to make some rules about my Facebook use. If I had work, that problem would be resolved automatically. But a guy there seems to hate me, preferring to enslave me (and an unspeakable other horror). Once I get my organization registered, I swear I will flaunt every penny we make from the organization.
But the main task is to have someone to help me out in very minute details. Basically, run the organization with me. We can think of it as a two-person run organization. The unknown person and me. I have vague ideas about who some persons could be to help me out. And on top of that list is obviously the pretty girl from my previous work! Or my cousin who lives close by. She teaches at a neighborhood school, and while our projects (once we get them funded) will obviously pay her better than that, the job security will be missing. Though the idea I am currently toying with should provide funds for quite a while. Maybe even 10 years! Or 20! Basically lifelong.
(How serious is this whole thing about the American elections being hacked? Or heavily influence by Russia?)
I also have to read Prashant Jha’s book – “How the BJP Wins”. I am sure the electioneering methods in India is very similar to that of Nepal. And one thought I have been having recently is how the UML (or now just Nepal Communist Party after the unification) wins so often. I have leftist sympathies, and I actually used to support them back in the days when I remember stuff from (even though the Nepali Congress is also socialist in paper, but it is more or less the establishment in practice). It appears the Nepal Communist Party – NCP is the establishment party now. And in my very vague political sense, that they joined hands with the Maoists actually says quite a lot about the opportunism that is embodied in the party’s belief. Again, in dire need of extensive conversations!
And I came across this phrase sometime (a bit before today), I think in Romila Thapar’s book – oriental despotism: a system of government consisting of a despotic ruler with absolute power, said to be characteristic of Asian societies. I forgot the context, and I am sure she also has a larger sociological view on the whole phenomenon. And being familiar with Thapar’s worldview, I don’t think it would be something that can be put in the rubric of racism. She does say “said to be”, so I have to start reading the whole text again. I think it is a book that I have only started – “curiously, the contribution of colonialism to the emergence of capitalism in Europe was given no attention in this analysis”. Which I think nails a crucial point.
And here’s some English lesson for Herr Jones: The Top 7 Wonders Of The Contemporary Fascist World https://feminisminindia.com/2020/01/23/top-7-wonders-contemporary-fascist-world/
‘Soft’ and ‘Hard’ Hindutva: Where Has the Category ‘Communalism’ Gone? https://thewire.in/communalism/soft-hard-hindutva-communalism-bjp-aap
You’re Likely to Get the Coronavirus [Most cases are not life-threatening, which is also what makes the virus a historic challenge to contain.] https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/02/covid-vaccine/607000/
The Necessity for Delinking Democracy From Majoritarianism [When institutions weaken, so does the distinction between constitutional and representative democracy.] https://thewire.in/politics/democracy-majoritarianism-india
Words Dissemble, Words Be Quick 