Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Newton's Laws of Corruption...

It’s been a strange week so far: we celebrated Independence Day on Monday and the very next day it was pointed out that like most things, freedom too is relative. We are free only till we exercise it according to the boundaries defined by our ‘leaders’, we are free only till we toe the line of the government and we are free only till it’s convenient.

Now ‘convenience’, ‘compromise’ and ‘collective good’ are words that I would never understand. I still believe in black and white. You are either right or you are wrong, you either love someone or you don’t, you are either corrupt or you are not. It’s like math: there is no such thing as ‘it depends’.

So we have all seen/read about the circus yesterday when Anna Hazare was jailed in what could only be described as an ‘undemocratic move’ and he in turn, refused to come out of the Tihar jail despite being offered a release. Anyway, I am just a soon-to-be-fired analyst and not a journalist/celebrity/social activist, so I shall refrain from voicing MY OPINION (partly because NONE OF MY FIVE READERS CARE WHAT I THINK). Instead, like the five-year-old that I am, I am going to make it very very simple: as simple as Newton’s Laws of Motion (which, for the record, I never understood).

1st Law: If a system is at rest it remains at rest until it is acted on by a resultant Anna Hazare
There is something so comforting and convenient (there, the C-words again) about status quo that we cling on to it, despite knowing in the heart of our hearts, that it’s no longer working. Like our legal system for example. We all know what happens if we go to court: years of long-winded struggle, expense and SLOW DEATH. It’s just easier to give in and compromise, because the law doesn’t protect us.

2nd Law: Force equals mass times acceleration
This one is self-explanatory. If everyone is doing it, it must be right. And the more people do it, the more accepted it becomes, so it becomes a vicious cycle. The parallel channel is more efficient simply because more people are queuing up for it. It’s simple demand and supply.

3rd Law: For every action of corruption, there is an equal and opposite criticism
We blame politicians, bureaucrats, cops for taking bribes. But what about us, the common people, WHO ARE ACTUALLY GIVING THOSE BRIBES? Yes, it’s convenient, it’s quick and it’s tempting. Sometimes, it’s about “our future”. So, next time we hand in that stash of cash for that coveted engineering seat or the twenty bucks to the cops for a quick fix to a speeding ticket, may be we can take a time out before we lay down our lives for ‘Anna’s cause.”

Some of us are born without values, some of us lose them on our way and some of us fall prey to the 3 Cs…

11 comments:

Neil D'souza said...

To truly understand why life never is about black and white but different shades of grey, you need to watch all 7 seasons of S.H.I.E.L.D. Best. Show. Ever.

Point 3 isnt seems to be under-thought. There are far more cases of corruption than there are of criticism. We all know that.

Nefertiti said...

i hate people who say life is different shades of grey. that's like a security blanket which allows "minor" indiscretions, even when you know you r doing the wrong thing.

and point 3 is just illustrative. of course corruption is more rampant, but at least, in some cases, we can curb it at our end. It's about controlling a habit b4 it becomes a compulsion.

Neil D'souza said...

As much as I love using a dual toned palette for painting the world out there, it is an unfortunate fact that the world prefers mixing the two. As long as you dont allow yourself to fall victim to that line of thinking, its all good. Unless you already have. Gasp!

Nefertiti said...

@neil
i wont even dignify that statement with a denial...
n i dont have values or principles: i just love a good night's sleep and anything that interferes with it makes me uncomfortable.

R said...

absolutely loved the last line in italics.... well written piece!

ssoggo said...

Aah... I wish I'd thought to write this. Awesomely written, and great thought process!
Loved the way you've framed Rule 1 - Unfortunate, but true!

Nefertiti said...

@ram pyaari: thanks

@ssoggo: thank u... n rule no. 1 applies everywhere, not just for laws of motion or legal system. these r just examples. we just hate the idea of change

Dahlia said...

Loved this one.. Awesome linking of Newton's laws to our social situation! .. And you were the one who said you hated physics!! :O

Nefertiti said...

@dahlia
thanks! n of course I hated Physics... u of all people should know this! Remember the infamous 9out of 100 in Class XI and m copiously copying ur notes bcz I could NVR follow PPR. And dont even get m started on AKD. Shudder!

Dahlia said...

LOL! (I am serious, I Laughed Out Loud in the office which is where I read your blog :P) I had totally forgotten about PPR and AKD, thanks for bringing back those (dreadful but hilarious) memories! Remember how AKD made us copy these horrible diagrams of bunsen burners from the textbook as 'class assignment' for the next day.. and menacingly walked around the class checking our notebooks while we stood there in silence with heads bowed. It was like a group of prisoners waiting to see who would be hanged! But then.. we would be done at 11:30 am, with the rest of the day free.. those were the days! :) :)

Nefertiti said...

@Dahlia

Ahhh... indeed... those were the days...