History Repeats Itself?

World has changed a lot in the last few months. The Right wing has become mainstream while the mainstream parties have been pushed to the fringes.

The United States witnessed a kind of watershed moment when it elected Trump, a neo-conservative as a surprise Republican President over Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.

The German Parliament, Reichstag, now has the xenophobic AFD as the third largest party after the recent polls. The right wing has once again made a comeback across several countries such as Netherlands, France, Poland, Cezh republic, Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and not to forget, India.

So, why is the Right making a comeback? For one, the mass exodus of refugees from Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and some African countries have sent shivers down the spines of the Europeans. The Greeks, Italians, Germans who initially welcomed the refugees are now horrified at the prospect of handling millions of starving people at their doorstep.

The potential law and order problems from unemployed refugees has spawned a new sense of insecurity and fear in the minds of those residing in the hitherto safe havens of Europe.

News coverage of dead bodies of refugees attempting to reach Europe illegally in overcrowded boats often interspersed with news flashes about sexual assaults by some refugees on citizens of host nations have spawned the new-found hatred for refugees

However, one needs to view all this with a deep sense of irony, for the Libyan crisis was brought on by the overthrow of dictator Colonel Gaddafi and his clan with active assistance from the French and British secret services.

The removal of the brutal and sadistic dictator didn't end the trouble for the poverty-stricken troubled African country. Instead it resulted in a power vacuum that was filled by rebel warlords fighting for control of the country's oil reserves. Compounding the problem was the rise of ISIS, a brutal and puritanical terrorist horde that rose from the confusion in Syria-Iraq border after the capture and execution of another brutal dictator of Iraq, Saddam Hussein.

With eye on the oil pie, the Americans with active assistance from the French and British have destroyed country after country - Iraq, Syria, Libya, on the pretext of upholding democracy. Yet, it is Europe that has suffered majorly due to American interventions the world over.

The civil war in Syria almost mirrors certain events in history. Not many remember that Spain, once ruled by the Fascist General Franco, faced a similar war that was supported by two great powers on each side - Germany and her allies with Franco while Britain and the US on the side of the Republicans.

Today, the problems are the same but the participants and the countries have changed. Syria has become the new laboratory to test new weapons and war techniques. Germany has been replaced by Russia with allies like Turkey and Iran. The US and Britain continue to support so-called moderate insurgents with links to suspect Islamists.

Going down to the South East Asia, a new player has begun to flex his muscles - China - which has come a long way from the time of the debilitating Opium wars with Great Britain and the Communist takeover in 1949.

Still smarting from the humiliation owing to the Japanese invasion during the Second World War, the country under President Xi Jinping feels the time is to fulfill its global aspirations. The country has had steady set of disputes with almost all its neighbors - Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, India.

China has managed to convince some countries to back-off with combination of threats and dollars. The country's aspirations of domination in the East often reminds one of similar aspirations of the erstwhile Empire of Japan during the 1930's. Again, the situations seem to be similar though the countries seem to have changed.

In Europe, several ex-Soviet countries or those impacted by the former Communist countries have become Russo-phobic. Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, have joined the chorus in trying to find spies and propaganda in Russian-based media outlets like RT. Its not surprising that when one looks at history, it is easy to find that it was the mutual hatred for Communist Russia that brought together Nazi Germany and Britain in the 1930s before the two countries become sworn enemies.

In Iran, one find certain similarities with war-time Italy. Benito Mussolini rose to power and proclaimed himself as Il Duce , promising change and rapid industrialization to an impoverished country. Though he had aspirations of a global player, the country could ill-afford such dreams. It was of little surprise that Italy was the first among the three major Axis powers to catapult in the second world war.

However, the biggest threat comes not from any of the countries aforementioned but two countries that are presently governed by men with very little experience in public office. With bloated egos and scant regard for diplomacy, the President of the United States and the Chairman of the Worker's Party of Korea (North Korea) are on a collision course with the threat of using nuclear weapons being frequently rattled like cheap Chinese toys.

The US seems to have started the process of possible invasion of North Korea by setting into motion military exercises with nuclear submarines and warships. Night runs of long-distance B-52 bombers and exercises to track and destroy missile launches appear to be the precursor of the invasion.

The question we all need to ask is: Will history repeat itself or are we going to learn anything at all from history?

Perhaps by this December, we will know.

Friends That Drift Away

Have you observed how some friends slowly but surely wither away to oblivion..

Some friends move to new shores, where new life and friends and their jazzy lifestyle become more appealing than the old world ways of their old pals. Akin to some of us who throw away old cups and saucers for shiny set of kitchenware, old relationships are discarded for new thrilling ones. One can't completely blame these new age travelers, for physical distances in some people can sometimes create distances in the heart as well.

But what hurts the most is when those once considered to be very close, the types you once provided all the time and support when they were in emotional mess, begin to move away without a rhyme or reason. These are people who have lived in the same city with each being the part of other person's life: in joy, pain and while crossing personal milestones.

Yet, with the passage of time and the storm in their personal lives moving away, the need for the old pal too diminishes greatly. The friend who once functioned as a listening post is soon destined to become a nonfunctional lamppost. The friend has probably served the purpose.

Today, talking to this old pal is tedious. Forgotten are the jokes and gossips that once regaled conversations. The perspectives that were once sought today look silly; debates on life, matters, marriage, jobs, insecurity etc. that once appeared interesting, now appear stale. The friendship that bound us together like glue despite some stormy moments, has now worn away with age and indifference.

Even meeting that were once looked forward to, now is considered a waste of valuable time by the other. Birthday greetings over phones too have become perfunctory. The once free-flowing conversations between two good friends has becomes forced, stilted and subdued.

That's when it beings to dawn that people have moved on in life. Its probably one's shortcoming that too much importance was attached friendships and friends who cared little in return.

It's a curse for those who believe in the old adage "A friend in need is a friend indeed". Friendships are been built on mutual trust and respect. But with the passage of time washing away trust, you realize its time to let go.

Go on then, be at peace with your books and apricots... I shall disturb you no more. I have experienced enough in a lifetime to know that there comes a time, when there will be a need for a friend, someone who will listen, someone who will give sane advice when the entire world looks mad. But to enjoy the fruits of companionship, you need to nurture the sapling of friendship.

A great book can never ever replace a good friend. For remember, a book will give you the knowledge to deal with a crisis, but a friend will give you the courage to overcome it. One needs to make a clear distinction on what is more relevant as we age.

Good luck, my dear pal.

Sure signs of aging

Forget the wrinkles, the graying hair or the fading memory. As you near your 40's, you suddenly look up from your mundane life only to realize, that life and the small pleasures you once took for granted aren't the same anymore.

People whom you could turn to for advise are no available most of the time. Slowly but surely the thought sinks into you that you have grown old and the set of friends that were once around have moved on, while you continue to cling onto them. Once among a bevy of friends, now there are none when you need advice on a decision or have an overflowing cup of sorrow to share.

Those pals that still exist are too busy with their lives, with their children, and most importantly very busy in working towards ensuring their family's financial security. They have no time even Saturdays and Sundays to even attend phone calls leave alone meeting old pals. Those that remain are strictly the 9-am-to-5-pm-type pals. These are types one would never dare to call after office hours even if one is lying on the death bed.

Well, dear blog considering that I have realized that none of the friends have the time or patience, I will frequent you more often. Hopefully we will have a more endearing relationship unlike the ones I presently share with some humans. :)

Lessons well learnt

Dear blog,

Its been a very very long time since I wrote something on my wall. Trials and tribulations; tears and fears that's what sums up my experience in the last few years.

The 15+ years of work experience has taught me the two biggest lessons that I shan't forget in a hurry.

Lesson 1: Never stick your head out for a team that doesn't want to stick theirs.

Here I was a project lead in this Indian manufacturing major. I was pained by the wrongs on my team, I battled with the management against all odds, only later to discover one of them was taking me for a ride, while another used my shoulder to put across her point.

The result was that I ended up antagonizing the hierarchy while getting nothing in return. Lost travel opportunities, billing issues, backbiting were some of the consequences of standing up for my team with nothing in return from them.


Lesson 2: Never work hard in a place where there is no recognition for talent

I left the job to join a Singapore-based startup. I had 10-12 member team reporting to me. I worked assiduously, with little care for the long hours that I put in. Keeping my family and friends away even on weekends to work on proposals, RFPs, and even proof of concepts. Process documentation, SME interaction, scripting the content - yes - I did it all.
But it was soon clear that the family-friends-run business needed a sycophant not a leader. They didn't need a person with vision but an individual who would rat on the team.

They wanted a person who would act as 'The Eyes and Ears' (read spy) for the Management, a view which I didn't subscribe to. The 8 months there was hell made worse by an incompetent management with no professional values. My key takeaway - recognise the place and work accordingly.


Bye for now.

More later perhaps