A Man For All Seasons Quote

The following quote is for laws, same logic applies for traditions 

“William Roper: “So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!”

Sir Thomas More: “Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?”

William Roper: “Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!”

Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!”

Understanding Narendra Modi

(Related post Sangh and Ideology )

Way back in 2018 I started a series on Narendra Modi, which I left incomplete. I will summarise the articles and extend the arguments a little as follows.

1. Modi is a quintessential Swayamsevak of Sangh.
   
2. From Sangh he has imbibed hard work, perseverance, selfless dedication and nationalism
3. From Sangh, unfortunately, he has also inherited a complete disdain for intellectual pursuit and a complete lack of vision.
4. As a consequence of above, his outlook is marred by adhocism and transactionalism
5. He has internalized power as end goal in itself and not means. 
6. He remains indifferent about he civilizational, threats focusing instead completely on short term challenges
7. As his focus is on immediate and short term challenges, he has done nothing about institutional and cultural entrenchment of anti Hindu forces nor has he cultivated a intellectual and institutional Hindu ecosystem
8. Preoccupied with power, he has no loyalty for either party workers, or common Hindus
9. Since he (and Sangh) is devoid of any overarching vision, he chases any prevalent intellectual fad from Ambedkarism to western liberalism.
10. His neglect of civilizational threats, absence of larger vision, leaves Hindus uniquely vulnerable to dangers internal as well as external. 

Apologia For Brahmins

 Note I am not arguing that Brahmins have been perfect as a group, that is humanely impossible, or that the caste system is without imperfections. What I want, is to put role of Brahmins in context. 

Firstly scriptures enjoin Brahmins to take vow of poverty nd subsist on Dakshina. This should refute charges of Brahmins enriching themselves by exploiting others. 

Secondly scriptures do not vest Brahmins with any power to coerce others. 

Thirdly historically Brahmins (like other castes) were in a economic contract with other castes on basis of client-patron relationship and hardly in a position to coerce their patrons. 

Fourthly, (this is my speculation) Brahmins as a caste were chiefly not innovators but preserver of ancient customs hence caste system preceded them and scriptures such as Manusmriti merely encoded existing social customs. 

Fifthly, the Shudras had rights, could possess property, and earn wealth with crafts and business. In reality Shudras were often prosperous and even ruled Kingdoms. Hence irrespective of scriptures (written in earlier era), Shudras were not deprived socially or economically. 

Sixthly, The customs against "untouchables" regarding access to public space were indeed draconian, but those were due to concern for public hygiene. These customs have no place in modern world, but we are talking about a world without modern medicine, or amenities. Hence the concern is not out of place

Explaining Sepoy Syndrome

Why Sepoys hate Hindus

1. They retain Christian prejudice against Hindus and consider them to superstitious savages.

2. Hindus are successful in west, and exemplar of bourgeoisie sensibility

3. Furthermore victim-hood is alien to Hindu psyche.

4. Sepoys covet to become member of socially prestigious group and by confirming the group's prejudices and contempt against they hope to win the group's approval.

Aphorism : Cruelty

Man is never so cruel as when he is convinced of righteousness of his cause

How Woke Won The World

 Also read Fatal flaw of classical liberalism/libertarianism

By now it wont be amiss to anyone who has been paying attention how woke has captured most of the institutions from media to academia, and from popular entertainment to corporate. The result of this capture is monopoly of woke agenda. Question arises how it came to be.

There are multiple interrelated reasons, wokes are more passionate hence more activists than non-wokes. The reason behind this is while non-wokes were content with have procedural neutrality in form of institutional liberalism, they didnt have any substantive vision for the society.

In contrast wokes have a substantive vision for the society, now the vision is deeply flawed, yet it is enough of a motive for wokes to drive relentlessly and capture the institutions.

Ultimately man needs a purpose to provide meaning to his life and if he doesnt have a purpose towards moral and virtuous ends, he would be drawn towards immorality and degeneracy.he doesnt have a purpose towards moral and virtuous ends, he would be drawn towards immorality and degeneracy.

Fatal Flaw Of Classical Liberalism/Liberatianism

There are two primary concerns of philosophy, identification of goods to strive for, collectively and individually, and the means to achieve the goods. While there can be plurality on means, there should be a working consensus on enumeration of goods. Fatal flaw of classical liberalism is that it has extended plurality of means to plurality of goods.