Supply Side Constraint

(Alternatively titled Gap between theory and practice)

In theory India is a democracy, we have universal suffrage *, we also have an electoral system where anyone can stand for elections**. However in both the cases there are gaps.

In the first case the gaps are easy to spot, people may be unwilling to vote or they may be unable to vote or they may unable to vote according to their preference.

In the second case too the gaps are easy to spot, people have to fill their stomachs and some more. Politics as a profession demands too much of skills and effort, and reward (everywhere in world, but particularly India) is pittance and even that hardly guaranteed (losers get nothing)***, to make matters worse switching organization (political party) is not something clients (meaning voters) will approve of .

Which means that wage earners will not become part of political system, since middle class in India (or anywhere else in world) is overwhelmingly wage earner, it follows that participation of middle class in political process will be insignificant. More so in India where real power is concentrated in few hands.****

This means only people with accumulated wealth, which means either old money, industrialists or professionals with practice, established enough to guarantee steady and decent cash flow even in their absence, who are not dependant on wages can participate in a meaningful way.

Data, historical as well as contemporary will support my contention.

Hence to hope that wage earners can ever have significant political power is unachievable and wishful thinking. Instead it is more commonsensical to shift middle class from wage earners to second category and then pray hard that it will be interested in political positions.

As I said earlier figuring out this is not hard. The only reason that I think certain journalists don't get it is that they overlook the obvious while thinking thoroughly. This will also explain why this country is screwed.

*, ** not really, DIY/FOY

*** In fact I have come to realize now that we can not have money as an "incentive" in politics. The most that we can do is to prevent it from being a "disincentive".

**** Hence de-centralization.

Where I go Aym Gramd

To whomsoever it may concern,

Since Average age of Indians is 24.8 years [1], and more than 60% of population is below 30 years, conservatively speaking [2], I demand that maximum age for any legislative or executive post be lowered to 27 years.

Yours etc.

Aphorism: Another mistake that people often make...

Is to believe that merely witticism makes one a great politician. This is not true, witticism can only make someone a great conversationalist, someone who is guaranteed to be life of parties.
To become a great politician one must combine witticism with disdain, irony and mirth judiciously.

Aphorism: One mistake that people often make...

Is assuming that merely having anomalous genes is sufficient to make someone a philosopher, whereas one must also be in miserable marriage and have a horrible domestic life inflicted upon, to act as trigger for those genes.

Aphorism: You may be a philosopher.....

If paradoxes turn you on.

Discuss ...

Fascination with Ayn Rand and resulting Aym-Gramdism is in fact proxy for Oedipus complex

Aphorism: Problem of evil

Problem of evil is not that it exists, there being no absolute definition of evil, but that it is addictive and hence bound to lead to excess. Moderation is the highest virtue of life, and therefore should be practiced in moderation.

PS I hope this was helpful.