The current fixation on conspicuous consumption among rich in India is laughable, if not pitiable.
Rather than fixing the root cause of inequality, Manmohan Singh is deflecting responsibility by drawing attention to CEO salaries and conspicuous consumption.
First, there can never by equality in society. Equality in opportunity - maybe but equality in economic status - never! The latter runs against the principle of natural selection. The strong, the smart and the spirited will always win. The weak, the mediocre, the diffident will always be left behind.
Setting a goal of economic equality is a recipe for disaster as communists all over the world have realised (except in Kerala and W Bengal!)
What government should gun for is Equality in Opportunity. This means giving everyone access to 3 basic things -
Quality Education
Quality Healthcare
Quality Nutrition
After this, let the abilities and efforts of individual determine the distance they cover.
Politicians however, in their pursuit of short-term populism, have little time for what's right. They'll earn cheap applause by targeting the rich and deflecting attention from their own shortcomings. This is a recipe for social unrest that they could avoid if only they focused on the causes. That, I'm afraid, is too much to ask from 5 year term deposits.
Pls leave your thoughts on what are the best ways in making the 3 basic things mentioned above, available to people.......
Friday, June 15, 2007
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2 comments:
while i agree with ur take on the shortcomings of the govt, i cant help but disagree with u on the conspicuous consumption part - sure - it is a fundamental linkage to capitalism, but too much of a visible divide between the haves-and have nots can only be harmful.. I dont think it should be confused with anything to do with communism..
My problem is who decides how much divide is 'too much'. The moment we give someone a right to determine what's appropriate, we create distortions that assume a form of their own. Before you know, adhoc rules take over from common sense.
That's why my submission for focusing on the causes vs. pointing fingers at the symptoms
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