‘The World is Flat’

Chandramohan

In 1992, a novel entitled "Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit" written by Daniel Quinn got released. It tells that even a Guerilla can be your guide in the level field flat world.

The summary of "Ishmael" goes like this: One day an advertisement appears in the news papers. "Applications are invited from those who are interested to protect the earth". Someone has given this advertisement. Such advertisements are thrown on stage thousands per day. Peculiarity of this advertisement is persons are invited to protect the earth. An unemployed youth sees the advertisement and goes to the address. He is waiting for the one who sent this advertisement. He was shocked to see the person who gave the advertisement. It is a Guerilla Monkey. The monkey calls itself, Ishmael. It explains how it was captured from the third world especially from Africa, and how it was made imprisoned in the zoo. It converses with the young man. It tells that it has the capacity to converse with the human beings, because it has read many books, knows telepathy, and knew the nature of human beings.

Ishmael Guerilla divides the human history into two: Takers and Leavers. Takers are the upper class, corporate and rich. Leavers are Tribal, Indigenous Communities. Takers destroy earth, steal people, and steal resources; they change the world for their vested interest of dominance, power, and wealth. These are the ones who created farming; these are the ones who introduced technology. From there they went upwards as production, commerce, and profit. These are the ones who are glorifying themselves as gods; consider themselves equal to God appreciating their knowledge. But Leavers are those who share the produce of nature. They exist in harmony with nature. There is no greed in them. They are simple people. Guerilla also explains how Man because of his ego exploits and suppresses and enslaves him, and also others.

The Economic Times in association with Goldman Sachs, and McKinsey have produced two books for teachings and have awarded them for their contribution to the Economically Globalized World. In 2005, they awarded Thomas L Friedman's The World is Flat; in 2014 they have awarded Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty First World. The former tells the opportunity for the Corporate to compete and win economically in the world. The latter decries about the need for distribution of wealth among the world communities. But both look forward to good governance. If people are oriented to an economy of Takers, they will make the Governance to steal and exploit people and resources. But if people are oriented to an economy of Leavers, they will make the Governance to conserve and protect people and resources.

But Globalized Corporate has determined to be Takers. They did take Manmohan Singh. They used him and when he was not any more needed, they have taken now Modi. Corporate interest is not production, but financialization; investment in share market. Modi looks for local production to be 25% in the overall total national production. His slogans Indian products and Clean India! Do they have hope? They are only his aims. Global Corporate will not allow this.

Hence what is needed is Globalized initiatives for producing Leavers. It demands teaching. A teaching that aims appropriate economy that suits Leavers; teachings explain what life is. People need teaching about Power especially alternate Power. These days academic universities have forgotten to teach Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant, and Louis Althusser. They have forgotten Slavoj Zizek and Alain Badiou (Both tell that Communism will re-emerge). Departments in Indian Universities related to philosophies are not any more functioning, rather not welcomed. On the other hand academic universities have been orienting themselves to the globalized economy of education. Satan of Globalization orders them crouching on their backs. Jacob Belly once said looking at the famous school at Bangalore: "Behold, an Institution that produces slaves to the Market Economy and Corporate".

Here is a quote from a Tamil poem (from Tamil Magazine Theeranathi, Dec 2014) from Syed Rafeek: "Satan was crouching and slumbering on an arm chair. I saw his evils and unrighteousness staged on the dais of the world with no hindrance. I asked Satan: You are sleeping, then how come the world is full of evils? Is there no full stop for all your evils?' Satan replied: I was created before Adam. Do I not need rest? Earlier the world was not well known to each other. Now they are in a level field, in a small global village. I have therefore spread my 'One Net'. Within this one net, the world is now revolving..."

[source : People’s Reporter, Dec 25, 2014-Jan 10, 2015]

Frontier
Vol. 47, No. 30, Feb 1 - 7, 2015