We dont hug the courier guy do we?

Recently I sent some important documents through FEDX.  After 15 days I realise that the parcel hadnt reached the recipient.  All hell broke loose. The loss of documents in turn would mean loss of money.  I tracked the document online and got a fantastic report. I sent the report across and in the next few hours the document surfaced.  This is the report I got from the FEDX website

The tracker actually gave a clearn picture of where the document was when.  So detailed it was.  I was amazed that for Rs. 50 I could get so much of value.

But then its the job of FEDX to deliver the document that they had commited to deliver. Its the purpose of their existance, and obviously they make their money doing it.

So when we get the document we open the envelope and read the contents right?  We dont go bonkers over the courier guy and hug him.  At most we say a hearty Thank You, and get on with our job.

Why is it that we make heros out of spiritual gurus.  They are just couriers who bring the word of God to people.  We end up hugging them so hard that we throw the message. Arnt we funny ???

 

Corruption issue – tackled imaginatively

How did Anna’s fight against corruption become a voice loud enough to be heard?  Think !!!!! Few smart people around (no not Kiran Bedi)  added the sex appeal to it .. simple as that. My friend Satyaki Roy would say Kareena Kapoor the sheek kabab was one of the reasons.   So a whole lot of people who actually did not care a hoot about this got seduced by the sex appeal.  End of the Day it really does not matter as long as the people’s voice was heard – democrazy for you.

What actually made me think on the creative handling of corruption was when I tweeted last weekend, here is the tweet:

If only the Govt can arrange a huge LCD screen and show Nigella cooking they can break the Anna Fast.

Its a pity that no movers and shakers in the high places have access to my tweets.  Not my problem actually.

I have thought of a creative way to fight corruption.  Creative solutions have this ability to cut through the labyrinth of rational and irrational crap and take flight of its own and help you reach the destination in one single breath.

Lets take Tom Sawyer’s example.. here is a summary of the story if you have forgotten :

Tom begins the dreaded task of whitewashing, he sees Ben Rogers approaching. Ben Rogers – the one boy, of all boys, who would most enjoy making fun of Tom. When Ben teases Tom about not being able to go swimming and being forced to work, Tom points out that it is not exactly work if he is enjoying himself, and he makes a great show of applying whitewash and then stepping back to admire his own effects. When Ben wants to try his hand at whitewashing, Tom pretends to be reluctant until Ben offers him first the core of the apple and then the entire apple. Other boys show up boys who came to jeer, but remain to whitewash and by the middle of the afternoon, the fence is whitewashed by the other boys, and Tom finds himself a rich man, having collected marbles, the kite, the rat, a piece of blue glass to look through, a key that wouldn’t unlock anything, a toy soldier, four pieces of orange peel, two small fish in a can, part of a knife, a little black cat, a box of wooden matches, and the bottom half of an old window as payment from the boys doing the work. (courtesy  _ monimo89)

Let me tell you something – those who want to lead an exciting life are crazy about the excitement bit,  crazier than even money and wealth.  So if people are taking bribes it is NOT the bribe per se that thrills them but its the risk involved which fires them up.  If they were mountaineers they would have  taken the more riskier route to Mt Everest than the normal one.  It’s the thrill that keeps their adrenalin pumping and gives the dopamine surges.

An unimaginative, creative stomping society such as ours  squashes creative minds right from the  primary school level.  When such rigidly unimaginative blokes grow up to occupy high places they feed their need for thrill with actions that tear apart the fabric of society.

If we just celebrate those who are creative and give them huge doses of sex appeal and elevate them to high places, forcefully pin stars on their chest only then corruption will lose its sheen.  Only then will we all view the corrupt as losers.  If not deep down within our hearts we will envy, respect and fear the guys zipping around town on the LCVs with thick golden chains and bracelets.

Lok Pal is Bill and its boring. Even if Effect Works were to make a sexy PPT out of it I will still yawn .

Future of Governance

I wanted to keep away from blogging  for a while and I was determined to keep away from the Lok Pal Bill circus. As they say nothing is more emphatic as the one you are trying to forget, so it is in my case.  This need to withdraw and shrink back has actually propelled me forward. Its like this – you are on right on top a high rised building and you fear to look down and so you are trying to step back but the depth and fear actually seem to draw you towards it.  I feel like I have lost the battel to stay away and Iam falling shrieking all the way as I  write this blog.  Such is power of entertainment and circus.  Once on the ground I may be seriously injured or dead, but atleast I would have not let the parade go by in peace.

Take a small break and come close to Chennai.  The DMK goverment took upon themselves to build an assembly on modern lines.  Designed by an architect of high standing the contractors and workers got into toil in a hurry mode and, I guess, completed the project on time.  The day I went past the complex I knew there was something amiss.  This huge brick and mortar stucture to make our representatives congregate and discuss?  Dint Dayanidhi Maran and Raja – who were Telecom Ministers voice their opinion that the brick and mortar days are over and the virtual world has been inagurated.

Structures and Institutions need to shrink and become minimalistic.  There will be a time soon when the caucus’, referendums  will happen over a mobile phone or a atm machine. Elections may not fade away but collective decision making will become possible.

Singapore has a 5.2 million population that is equivalent to the the combined twitter followers of two famous people –  Al Gore and Lindsay Lohan. We will have someone representing us in future and that someone will be accessible and know to us.  We are becoming more and more networked.  Small multiple communities and tribes will emerge but the piss and protect system will not be there.  There will be a overlapping layers and hence there will be more cooperation and unity.

We do see that happening in our social network platforms, the groups and circles .

When power gets transferred into many hands and in the absence of absolute power then corruption is just not possible.  Its very difficult to comprehend how responsible leaders are unable to have a vision of the future and instead of striving to accelerate towards the future they are running against the wind towards the past.  People like Anna must be weaned out of a diet of  bull manure and force fed with redbull.

Lets have a glimpse of how future is going to be.  We are just stepping in into the Q1 of the Biotech era or rather we are in the intersection of the Info Tech and the Bio Tech era.  Human resouce came into the center in the Info tech era (replacing machines)  the Bio Tech era will have LIFE at the centre.  An organization will not be able to exist and survive if they dont honor or respect life.

Survellance systems will be in place due to better transparency in governance.  Any organization going against the law of the land and if they indulge in wrong practices will be red flagged instantly and the the consumer will be alerted.  Mass movements driven by tools like Twitter or Facebook will mobilize support to boycott the errant organization.  Civil socieity and the consumers will be empowered to take action against rule breakers.  Where does LOK PAL fit into the future?

The supporters of this Bill are the same ones who are busy showing their support to various issues by pressing the LIKE button, just that this time since IPL is far away they have come to the arena to have some fun.