The Assault On Reason

The Assault On Reason

by Al Gore (Former US Vice President)

This book was published in the first quarter of 2007 while self and Annam were in the US. This was selected by Anil for my reading though at first I was sceptical about the seriousness of the writing by an ex administrative. From the pages I found that Al Gore is not just any politician he has to his credit near about a dozen books on politics and allied subjects. On first reading I found that Al Gore is well trained academic and intelligent political writer. He has grasp of the subject and control of language to present it. He has history at his side and masters evidence and arguments on the theme he presents.

This book is well considered exposition and critique of the Bush administration both in foreign and domestic spheres. Al Gore goes back to history to find flaws, transgressions and outright contradiction with the intentions of the founding fathers of the US. He traces as how the values and morals advocated and based by the former are being subverted by the present day administration. It is sad fact that the well-meaning populace of the states has given the consent to Bush to head for a second term.

In Al Gore’s view the Bush administration has all the while assaulted reason that should be countered by right thinking persons and brought before the electorate as one of the main responsibities in order to get out of the rut. In a lengthy and reasoned introduction Al Gore summarises the whole contents of his book. He makes out that the enlightenment brought from the European renaissance was essentially the results of the printed word. “More and more people gained an appetite for current information about contemporary events and confidence in their own ability to use their reasoning capacity to sort through the available evidence relevant to decisions that affected their lives.” (Page 12) Again “You could say that the age of print begat the Age of Reason which begat the age of Democracy.” (Page 12)

Al Gore goes on postulating the changes from the age of print to present age of TV visuals. What he calls market place of ideas where thoughts are not only expressed but debated had the decisive role in the working of democracy. Literacy aids the market of ideas to function unimpeded. People read and react in assenting or dissenting. Such discussions culminate in viable policy decisions on part of the rulers. Democracy of the people by the people and for the people. But during the historical period from the print media to TV discussions and debates lessened. The TV medium did not allow the people to interact as in the case of print media. “it is important to distinguish the quality of vividness experienced by television viewers from the “vividness” experienced by readers. I believe that the vividness experienced in reading words is automatically modulated by constant activation of the reading centres of the brain that are used in co creating of the representation of reality the author has intended. By contrast the visceral vividness portrayed on television has the capacity to trigger instinctual response similar to those triggered by reality itself-and without being modulated by logic, reason and reflective thought.” (Page 19)

Further on Al Gore states “Any new dominant communication medium leads to a new information ecology in society that inevitably changes the way ideas, feelings, wealth, power and influence are distributed and the way collective decisions are made.” (Page 20) He explores “the connection between withdrawal of reason from public sphere and the resulting vacuum that is filled by fear, superstition, ideology, deception, intolerance and obsessive secrecy as means of tightening control over the information that a free society needs to govern itself according to reason-based democracy.” (Page 21)

On chapter one Gore takes up the subject of politics of fear. He says “We often take snap judgements based principally on our emotional reactions rather than considering all options rationally and making choice carefully.” He goes thru history and finds occasions when emotions carried rather than reason. Gore ventures through the research on the brain and shows that the centres storing the emotions are too frequent in showing up. He gives an example of the communist witch hunt during McCarthy era and follows with the present Bin Laden, Al Qaida and Saddam Hussein. The Bush administration specifically manufactured a fear psychosis among the US citizens to garner support to the unjustified measures in domestic and foreign policy. Al Gore takes the media as well for surrendering their reason and independent thinking. “Terrorism relies on stimulation of fear for political ends. Indeed its specific goal is to distort reality of a nation by creating fear in the general population that is hugely disproportionate to the actual danger that the terrorists are capable of posing.” (Page 38-39)

In chapter two; Gore takes up the issue of blinding the faithful. Though the United States was not formed on the basis of religion they were confidant in the capacity of people reasoning to come to fair decisions. However, there was always the possibility of religious sects intervening in national politics. There were enough instances of such interfering to distort the reality and construct it to their favour. Al Gore says “I am convinced, however, that most of the president’s frequent departures from fact-based analysis have much more to do with his rightwing political and economic ideology than with the bible.”(Page 61) Again “Bush uses a religious blind faith to hide what is an extreme political philosophy with a disdain for social justice that is anything but pious by the standards of any respected faith”. He says that it a coalition of certain interested groups that have their basic credo “there is no such thing as “the public interest”; that phrase represents a dangerous fiction created as an excuse to impose unfair burdens on the wealthy and powerful.” (Page 63) Today there are powerful and wealthy groups that propagate that “government is very bad and should be done away with as much as possible—except the parts of it that redirect money through big contracts to industries that has won their way into the inner circle.” (Page 66)

The facts and evidences massed by the author goes to prove that Bush administration thru its deliberate moves has deviated from traditional democratic norms. It does seem that administration is bent upon and succeeding in establishing a caucus of right fundamentalist rule. There is no difference between a totalitarian dictatorship and Bush administrations in today’s America. Unlike the press where dialogue is possible the TV media is one sided with no interaction with the audience. It is a devastating indictment on administration, TV media, congress and senate for not keeping to the side of the constitution of America in words and spirit.

Taslima & CPM

TASLEEMA &CPI(M)

It is unfortunate that Ms. Taslima Nasreen has to run around this secular country for protection against the threat of Muslim fundamentalists who in fact form a miniscule body of the community. What is more shameful is the attitude and acts of the CPI(M) and its govt. in West Bengal. Instead of standing up to the threat of the fundamentalists both buckled and allowed the writer to seek, fresh abode in other parts of India. Once in the past the Rajiv Gandhi Govt succumbed to fanatical fringe of the same groups and amended the constitution in order to deny maintenance to divorced Muslim women as ordered by our Supreme Court. The result of such abject surrender to Muslim fanatics pawed the way for the Hindu groups headed by BJP to come to power. Similarly, the CPI (M) has given up the secular space to communalists. Even if liberal minded Hindus come to the conclusion that secularism is sham idea one may not be surprised. The so-called pillars of secularism crumbled at the first test against real communalism. It seems that Islamic fundamentalists became bold to act in West Bengal because of the misguided stand of the left supporting the Islamic regime in Iran in the name of anti-imperialism. The left Govt. in West Bengal banned Tasleema’s book Dvikhandito at the behest of the same forces. Then judiciary stood up to secure secularism and ordered the ban to be withdrawn. When in last year the Muslim fringe protested and threatened death to creators of the Prophet Cartoons communists were prominent in the crowd at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. While our own nuclear projects suffer from lack of technology and material the left constructed hurdles in the way of the Nuclear Agreement 123 again in the name of fighting American Imperialism but firm in supporting the Iranian efforts at becoming a nuclear power. The leaders of CPI (M) like Biswas and Yechuri were bending backwards to wriggle out of a situation that is unconvincing. They acted to mollify the anger of communalists at the cost of secular values. The results could be predicted in advance. As in the aftermath of Sha Banu case, the Hindu fundamentalists headed by their political outfit BJP will be the party to benefit from the left betrayal. No excuse and or correction could make amends to the situation. A final question. If communists could not stand up for secularism who else will?

However, Tasleema is in good company with Rushdie, Hussain, and Ayan Hishie Ali. As in, the case of the last who was given space by a far right think tank in US Tasleema is backed by the BJP spokespersons. They in fact demanded giving citizenship to her. Does this mean that only antagonists will protect the dissidents in other’s camp? The religious fundamentalist believe that those who were born in their faith have no choice but remain in it and not speak against it. At the same time they want to convert people from other faiths i.e. speak and act against other faiths. What a monstrous perversion!!

Kunti Earth Godess

KUNTI THE EARTH GODESS

On 6.12.2007 the TOI carried an article titled Kunti Personifies Mother Earth by S.M.Bhaskar in Speaking Tree column. It is a fashion of our learned to find heroes, heroines and episodes from epics and impart new meanings according to the inclination of the writer. They might be moralists, mystics, spiritualists and else. The Sanskrit language used in our epics is so flexible that each word could have many meanings and sometimes contradictory. In Sanskrit words, have roots and syllables denoting different meanings. It facilitates the scholar to go beyond the felt ones. It is a game that is going on for centuries. The exemplary examples are the commentaries to ancient works like Brahma sutra and Bhagavat Gita by adherents of advaita, visishtadvaita and dvaita. In fact Bhagavat Gita has more contradictory commentaries from ancient times and additionally expanded by modern scholars.

So I was not surprised to find one like Bhasker interpreting the Mahabharata character Kunti mother of Pandava trio. By depicting Kunti as the mother earth the writer admits that the story of Mahabharata is just story teaching some mystical truths or so. Be it so. But…

Take the birth of Karna. The writer gives a meaning that the birth of Karna signifies the seed and growth of trees with their barks and fruits. Could we accept the story even if it has other meanings hidden? Kunti was a virgin and not married. She gave birth to Karna and abandoned him to float on the river. At a very late stage of the story she tried to claim him as her eldest son. Could we not conclude that virginity in girls is not as understood today at those ancient times?

Bhaskar takes up explanations for the birth of five Pandavas. Yes, the elder three were from Dharma, Vayu and Indra. But the two younger ones were born of Madri and not Kunti. If Kumti is the Mother earth then there is no need for Madri in the story. Why hide Madri so as to interpret Kunti as earth?

Next the author introduces a twist in his interpretation. The sequence of the five or is four births are first brain next mind third energy fourth twin legs. What a wonderful way of interpreting epic episodes? We all should appreciate Bhaskar for enlighten us and be thankful for it.