Wednesday 20 July 2016

TEMPORARY TURBULENCE OR A TUMOROUS TRANSITION?


It is more than mere coincidence that all parts of the world are witnessing some sort of regressive events. Characteristics of mid 20th century era have recently manifested themselves in a series of incidents today.

  • A racial and anti-foreigner sentiment has encompassed a majority of the Great Britain, resulting in the much dreaded Brexit. 
  • Developed economies of Spain and Portugal fail to abide by the norms of the EU. 
  • Increasing intolerance even in a 21st century-super power like the USA is evident from the horrendous and unfortunate events at Orlando and Dallas, among many others. No wonder why a significant section of people are in support of an irrational Trump, who practically advocates such sentiment. 
  • Ethnic disputes are on the rise once again in many parts of Africa, especially in South Sudan. 
  • A dominating and brazen China comes out openly in defiance to the ruling of the Arbitration Court in the Hague, endangering regional unity of South-East Asia.
  • While the African nations struggle to stabilize democracy, a well established democracy, Turkey, faces a military coup. 
  • Islamic fundamentalism is spreading like a tumour through terrorist outfits who are insanely butchering individuals, killing thousands of innocent masses, plundering cities, destroying heritage and ironically attacking people of their own community too! It is so difficult to fathom how a violent and fanatic group could target the people, following the very religion they seek to establish in the world, that too in their most revered and sacred month! The aims and objectives of these terrorist organisations remain unclear. 

It is not possible for so many events, similar in nature, to happen at the same time due to independent causes. Quite plausibly, there is a latent connection between all of them.


A very important factor here is the growing dependence on internet for both information and entertainment. It is frequently discussed but the impact is under estimated. Children and the youth have access to all kind of information at a very early age and they rely completely on internet for homework and projects. They have stopped having real human interaction and spend hours and hours indoors. Internet can offer only information, not wisdom to use that information fruitfully. A cumulative effect results into lesser usage of brain, inability to differentiate between right and wrong, lesser emotions and a tendency to get easily irritated. They are exposed to so many things at once that they lose interest in small pleasures of life. They then seek to do something new.

Also, a decisive role in human behaviour is played by the online content they are exposed to. Most people are into violent games or TV Series which are instrumental in developing a sadistic attitude in them. They seem to derive pleasure out of violence and killing. For them, killing is not taking lives of innocent people but is a mission in a game to be completed.

Another factor could be the wave of racial extremism. With the spread of globalization, people of many third world countries moved out to the western nations for jobs. Gradually they started eating up the jobs of the natives. This possibly generated a wave of anti-foreigner sentiment . Politicians like Trump and Boris Johnson, probably having no other major agenda to show off on the manifesto, started counting on this sentiment to satiate political interests. The unfortunate outcomes are for everyone to see.


Terrorism, discrimination and violence were prevalent a century back. It is dismaying to witness a reverse motion of development in spite of enhanced technology. When we should expect more tolerance, more harmony and more peace, we are pulling ourselves back into troubled times. Some say, with extremist groups going bankrupt now, we will soon witness some improvement in the situation. The hostile sentiment may not continue for long. But it is for time to tell whether this is just a passing phase or has Pandora's Box just opened?

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