Archive for May 2016
e-Volution: The WhatsApp Group and Human Interaction
There was a time when we used to hear how in future there will be robots to do everything. When Matrix movie was released, the hype went even further. How the virtual reality would be? Then we heard about robots might even replace the need for companionship.
WhatsApp has reached quite close. Before you get naughty thoughts, let me clarify. The need for a companion to share thought; talk to, has been addressed at some level. Consider this; I have a WhatsApp friend group, with people living in different time zones. At any given time at least one of them is active to have a chat.
Chatting on WhatsApp is non-intrusive too. You sit in the coziness of your house; safety and security. Chat, share jokes, share emotions. If you need any help someone is there. If you are in grief, people are there to cheer you up. Of course you need a real group of friends first. I have a friend circle which I made when I was in college.
With WhatsApp group, the connection has gone to a new level. Any new movie we see, first thing we share with the group. Promotion in job, rejection in love, from going to gym to stomach indigestion, we end up sharing. I feel there is always someone to listen.
I feel it takes away a lot of loneliness. It is like a personalized Siri; a group of friends which matches your thought process. However this might lead people to stop looking for interaction in real life. Since there is no loneliness, where is the need to find someone to kill it?
To predict future is too tricky. But one thing is sure; we already are living the future we used to read in sci-fi during childhood. We are not able to realize as it is happening run time. I call it e-Volution of humans.
Hillary vs Obama
Now that it is evident that Hillary and Trump will clash off this Nov to be the leader of the free world, the analysis have started. With #NeverTrump and #NeverHillary doing rounds and un-favorability ratings of both candidates huge, this is going to be an election beyond compare. Today I want to concentrate on Hillary. Let’s try and see how 2008 and 2016 are different for Democrats.
Just like 2016, 2008 too was an uprising against the status quo. Higher unemployment, never ending wars and crippled economy motivated voters to choose an outsider. While Obama was the disruptor, McCain represented the continuum.
Coming to the 2008 Democrat primaries, initially the super delegates were with the Hillary, just like this time. Obama channeled the young voters and forced the party to toe the line. Eventually his 4% margin in primaries forced super delegates to jump the ship.
This time round the youth is with Bernie. Hillary has benefitted with initial momentum and lack of early awareness about Bernie. As months have passed more and more people have come to know Bernie and things have changed for him. However Hillary has been supported by African Americans and Latinos big time. But the main problem is youth. They are not with Hillary.
This is what makes 2008 different from 2016. Last time young voters propelled Obama and party fell in line. This time party has propelled Hillary and it wants young voters to fall in line. I am not trying to take away anything from the lead Clinton has across other voter categories. It’s just that youth represent the future of any movement. Also youth are the ones which resulted in huge voter turnout in 2008. Going by Democrat primaries, there is a question mark over quantum of Democrat voter participation in Nov 2016.
While Trump is plagued with issues of his own making, Hillary is plagued with the magic of Bernie. How the General Election pans out is anybody’s guess. One thing is clear, Hillary is no Obama.
Sri Sri and the Herd that follows
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has said in an interview that he rejected Nobel Peace Price some time back. Also he said that Malala Yousafzai should not have been awarded the prize when asked specific question on Malala. I don’t contest Sri Sri’s views as it is his personal opinion and everyone is entitled to it.
What I laugh at is what’s going to happen next. The herd that worships him will go ballistic defaming Malala. For those who think I am being cynical, just wait a few days. I don’t feel either ways about Malala getting the award. Just want to put it on record, lest the herd call me biased.
The fun part is there will be a lot of Sri Sri’s followers who would have liked and supported Malala getting the award. The very same people will go ballistic against her, now that the God has spoken. This is the kind of cult mentality that obscures our independent thinking. The Gurus have to cultivate it to get the following.
I don’t question his comments or what he does. I do for sure mock the herd mentality of the followers. Hope I am proven wrong and we don’t see barrage of abuses hurled at Malala. But I am sure I won’t be.
Why media got Trump prediction wrong?
Since Trump started topping polls and started winning primaries, media pundits are having a hard time explaining why they got predictions so wrong. It’s not an easy thing to introspect about ones failures. Most in media are passing through the same phase. They are blaming Trump voters, calling them angry, bigots and every name under the sun. Few have admitted they were wrong in their analysis. Still they are not ready to admit as to why they went wrong. Let me do it for them.
They were wrong as they were not impartial. They were wrong as they analyzed from studios. They were wrong as they were disconnected from public. They were wrong as their fat paychecks plugged their ears from the pain of the common man. They were wrong as they had a secure job, nice house and were paid for by those in power. They were wrong as the media houses they worked for and swore allegiance to, are owned by same elites who own politicians via campaign funds. More importantly they were wrong as they reported what they wanted to be true, not what was indeed true.
When polls started coming late last year, many in media knew that Trump had a solid chance. But they wrote otherwise. They wrote what they wished to be true. They wished Trump was not the nominee. Had they done unbiased analysis, they would have known the Truth, which was so evident.
Most of the Pundits are paid for by big business houses. Anything coming out of their mouths is thus tainted. They never say what they feel, they say what pays. Hence the disconnect.
Whether Trump will be a good nominee or a bad nominee, only time will tell. But to have said that he had no chance just coz they wanted him not to be a nominee, is where media went wrong. It’s time for biasness in media to go away or else people will force the exiting media to go away.
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