Tag: United States

With Great Power Comes Greater Damning Responsibility!

Remember the famous line from Spider Man? If not Spider Man, I’m sure you must have heard this someplace else. Notice the word “Damning”? Because the weight of responsibility is that grave!

And it’s simple. Really! Let’s think about the why?

Power is not always tied to money – it can be completely unrelated. Money is something you earn, but power is something you are entrusted with. It doesn’t come from wealth; it’s bestowed by the people around you. Let’s understand this with a few examples:

  1. A politician: They hold power because you put your trust in them and elevate them to that position. Because you believe that this person can execute things for you. And not every politician is rich, at least you don’t vote for them because they’re rich.
  2. CEO / Billionaire: Not every CEO or billionaire have powers (I mean they’re tons who don’t hold any power or influence). Unless they don’t work for it or merely, they just don’t want it.
  3. A teacher or a parent: Both of these and many other positions that people hold have nothing to do with money. Their power works only and only if you trust them. If a kid doesn’t like their parents, then probably they won’t join them at the dinner table until the WIFI is turned off. That’s Power!

The point I’m making here is that money is something that you can proclaim. It could be earned or inherited. But Not Power – that can’t be inherited in the same way. Your parents may be rich and influential but doesn’t mean you inherit the influence and power with their money. I mean, take the POPE’s children for example, if there are any, won’t have his power! Would they?

I got this thought for the first time, when Elon Musk tweeted that he is taking Tesla private on Twitter now X. What did his tweet do? It inflated the price by 10% and then declined when investors realize that he didn’t really have plan to materialize it. He even had to step down as the CEO by the orders of SEC.

Since then, he was almost always able to get through the heads of people, be it DOGE Coin, or Tesla share prices, or his recent appointment in the Trump Administration. Not because he’s the CEO, but because he realized his influence over people.

Anyway, why does Musk have accountability? Because shareholders entrusted him with the power of being Chairman and CEO — and that comes with accountability. What he should have done? Discuss with his board, put out a press release, inform SEC, and use proper channels to avoid the volatility in the market. That one tweet halted the trading of Tesla’s stock for an hour. There are other incidents, when he tweeted that Tesla’s stock prices are too high, or he is taking Twitter private, or buy crypto. All his tweets make the stock market go crazy!

When someone puts you in position of power, you owe it to the people who got you there. Why? Because it is not your show only! You’re there for a reason. Your words influence people. I’m not against freedom of speech (that’s why I’m writing this article), but freedom of speech should not be exercised if it brings chaos in people’s lives.

And time and again people have misused their powers. Let’s look at a few instances:

  • Indira Gandhi: When she assumed “Indira is India”, she invoked the largest period of emergency in the history of Indian democracy. Arresting more than 1.1 million civilians, political opponents, and press workers and anyone who protested her. It took India more than 10 years to recover from the famine and debts.
  • Donald Trump: When in January 2020, he couldn’t accept his defeat and went on spreading hatred and inciting the attacks on the US Capitol.
  • Narendra Modi: Invoking demonetization overnight. Cancelled bills of 500 and 1000 in just one night. Although the idea was a masterstroke to control corruption, increase tax revenues, reduce terrorist activities funded by counterfeit currencies, and increase digitization. But it caused more pain than relief for everyday citizens. The plan was such a disaster that banks couldn’t keep up. Some people and businesses died because they couldn’t keep up. The expectation was big revelations and raids on black money, but I don’t think anyone of us remember a single name or amount that was recovered during demonetization.
  • L&T and Infosys Chiefs: When they spoke their minds of working 70-90 hours a week. Not forgetting to mention that a country like India where people are already working 60 hours a week because there’s no 40 hours work week policy or overtime payments, these statements just increase the anxiety in people that they’ll die working.
  • Manmohan Singh: A prime minister who was one of the best finance ministers in the world, remained silent when the country was driving down the paths of corruption, increasing bureaucracy, and bad governance.
  • Joe Biden: When Joe Biden just woke up one day and ended up Afghan war. Don’t get me wrong, the war should have ended years ago, and it was a great move, but you can’t just do it in a day. It requires planning and risk anticipation as the lives of American soldiers in Afghanistan and the lives of Afghanistan citizens were at stake.
  • Biden Administration: When Biden administration thought that they’re high and mighty to intensify Ukraine and Russia feud, just to make it worse. This made Ukraine indebted to US for ages with increase in deaths of civilians. And of course, not intervening to resolve Israel-Hamas war.
  • Great Britain: When they thought about colonizing the world, without thinking about the impact on people and nations that were thrown back centuries. Not forgetting to mention practices of slavery, sex trafficking, racism, and so much more.

The list is already so long, and this can on and on without coming to our conclusion.

When you are in the position of power, it is your job to work for the people. I understand freedom of speech is important, but they are justified only if they don’t impact the innocent people around you. You are accountable for your actions. You were put in that place to do better things. And NO! You’ll not be pardoned just because it was your only mistake or first mistake. Because – With Great Power Comes Greater Damning Responsibilities!

Even in the corporate world, when a manager doesn’t mentor their team well, just because they don’t like them, or they didn’t learn the skill of people management. When you are in the position of power, it isn’t about you, it’s about the people. YOUR PEOPLE! Russia shouldn’t have inflicted war on Ukraine just because Putin was pissed by America’s proposal to Ukraine to join NATO.

Your ego and your personal ideas don’t matter. The reason people put you in that place was because they didn’t want to think about one more thing in their lives but that doesn’t give you or anyone the right to mess with their lives because you personally don’t align with an idea or situation. IT IS NOT YOUR BEDROOM!

Someone, somewhere, you, and I, we all are in position of power in our worlds, but it is our job to perform our duties and think about the greater good. Not about ourselves!

It is difficult to earn the trust, but it takes less than a minute to break it. Governments fall within days because they didn’t win the trust vote. That’s why it is called a TRUST VOTE!

Think before you do and think twice if your decision will impact others. Doing the right thing is difficult — that’s exactly why it’s important to remember why you were put in that position in the first place.

And if you are too shy or scared to act, then just be Shameless! It’s not a bad word!

Fearlessly,

The Shameless Indian

Posted on by Rakshit Goyal 0

Dear China

Dear China,

First, we would like to thank you for making India realize that we have been a too good neighboring friend for you. Well, you clearly don’t deserve that friendship after all!

Now looks like you are no different than your other neighboring “BFF”, Pakistan as you too have been creating a lot of ruckus on our border even when we are one of your biggest trade allies. But it is all our fault, you know why? Because we kept supporting you when the entire world was blaming you for the Coronavirus, we respected your stand for Hong Kong, Tibet, and Pakistan, but now you are being a prick by pestering on our land again.

Looks like it is out of your habit that you invade the privacy of people like you do to your citizens and invade the lands of countries like you did to Hong Kong, Tibet, Bhutan, and now India. Your recent manipulations with our neighboring friend Nepal have led to new border issues with India and in just a moment Nepal forgot about the support India gave them during the devastating earthquake. But thank you for defacing the truth for us, China!

Out of curiosity, how much more space do you need, and why? And how different are you from the United States who have always interfered in the peaceful lives of the Islamic and South American countries?

We were stupid that we ignored all your mischief since forever, but if you think that we will fall short in giving you a tough battle then you must understand that this is 2020 and India is stronger than you are and on a spree to be a better nation than you are, both economically and on humanitarian grounds.

The barbaric act of killing our soldiers with iron rods will be dealt in the same way when Pakistani troops beheaded Indian soldiers. So, you please don’t even dare to take us lightly!

Now, the entire world has turned their backs away from you, but India has all the support from your biggest rivals like the United States, Hong Kong, Tibet, Taiwan, or Israel. Don’t forget the UNSC membership as your petty Veto couldn’t stop that either.

The controversial Chinese media has always belittled India and they assumed that we don’t have befitting replies, but we don’t believe in cheap pranks. We lost to you only once in 1962, but this is 2020, and if you didn’t realize then India has been USING you as cheap labor for years now to build the biggest economy of the world, but you were quite busy in claiming our land.

And if you doubt our capability, then you may want to ask your dear friend Pakistan about the time we cleaned our borders overnight with 2 surgical strikes in retaliation to their attacks on our unarmed soldiers. (Obviously, as they are your friends, they never accepted the facts!)

So, think what we will do with you, now!

We were friends and we will be friendly, but don’t assume that we don’t have the balls to chop yours because we are no more “HINDI CHINI BHAI BHAI!“

You were and will always be indebted to India! When you didn’t have a culture, we gave you Buddhism, we made you rich by letting you build our Statue of Unity, and we can continue to use you as and when we want. And please do not forget that one step from India towards the trade ban can make you lose billions and as India is becoming the hub of manufacturing, we will replace you in less than a decade.

It is for your good to clear our lands or even if you want to fight then fight like soldiers and not like your dear friend Pakistan (Umm… invasion and terrorism!). So, keep up and stay away because we don’t want you to blame us later that we didn’t warn you.

Always caring for you,

The Shameless Indian (On behalf of India)

Posted on by Rakshit Goyal 3

Is the brain a part of our body?

THIS ONE’S FOR YOU SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT!

It is common to get ill, not feel well, or feel feverish, right? Often, we can catch a cold and cough, or suffer from a headache, body ache, and whatnot. We solve all these problems with medication, therapies, and treatments. Some people suffer from cancer, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and heart problems too, which are dealt with either a proper diet, heavy medication, love, support, or guidance.  All these diseases and illnesses are caused due to some dysfunctional organs of our body and this is pretty normal, isn’t it?

I am not sure about you, but I have plenty of problems, blood pressure be the first and anxiety be the other one. We know how to deal with high blood pressure, but do we know what organ is related to anxiety? THE BRAIN, the most important yet most ignored organ of our body! We can replace our hearts with pacemakers, but we need a brain to replace a brain, which I doubt if it is economical or practical. However, we still don’t take care of our brains and neglect the treatment they deserve.

The always tirelessly working brain

The real question being, “Should people even take problems of the brain seriously?” I feel the answer is yes, and why not? Issues like anxiety can be treated, yet more than 60 percent of the suffering population in the United States remain untreated. In the United States, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness, affecting 40 million adults who are 18 and older, or 18.1 percent of the population every year. The World Health Organization says that almost 75 percent of people with mental disorders remain untreated in developing countries, with almost 1 million people committing suicides each year. The same study said that one in 13 people globally suffers from anxiety.

It was during my first winter breaks of December 2017, when I suffering from my low academic grades all alone in my apartment in the no man’s land, called the United States. I didn’t go for any vacation, as I had many important things to do — “Writing new blogs, updating my resume, applying for internships, and exploring Dallas”. Plot twist: I am lying! The reasons I didn’t enjoy my vacations were that I didn’t have anyone to accompany me and I was too scared to spend a few hundred dollars in a country where the currency is 70 times more valuable than mine. I couldn’t even write, as I was craving to be around people, I didn’t feel like updating my resume and applying for internships as I assumed it was futile. Things didn’t end here, I had cut my finger while chopping potatoes, I couldn’t sleep for 36 hours straight, and I couldn’t cry! I didn’t know how to deal with it. I tried talking to a few friends, which was fruitless — until I talked to a friend whom I didn’t know well, fortunately, she happened to be a psychologist.

I was flirting with her out of habit and then I came to know about her profession. I started thinking if I told her what was going on with me, would she judge me? Or stop talking to me? Although I was skeptical about the thought of opening up to her, I still confronted her with my thoughts about my depression. She asked me about my history and life, and after writing a huge rhetorical email, she diagnosed me as a patient with anxiety. She said that it would take a small amount of therapy and I would eventually be fine. I thought that I was sick and ill; I told her how weak I felt for needing a counselor. She laughed and said, “It is okay! Everyone in this world is crazy about something, everyone is anxious about something and all you need to do is talk it out and meditate. And the reason for your anxiety is your career and life, which is quite legit. So, there is absolutely nothing to worry, and you are absolutely normal.”

After talking to her for a few days, I talked to a friend and got to know about the Counseling Center in my university, The University of Texas at Dallas. Like others, I was also embarrassed and ashamed about visiting a counselor at first, but when I found one, I realized how important counseling is. I signed up for personal counseling sessions and all I had to do was to walk in and talk! I let out all my thoughts about my career, interest in writing, cooking, grades, friends, family, and parents and the counselor listened to me with patience.

It took me just three sessions (one every week) to improve. I felt better or maybe even my best, and when I talked to my counselor friend, she told me “You were always the best!”

My counselor knew that anxiety is just overwhelming thoughts in our mind which needs guidance. The counselor worked in an effortless and slick manner, as they let me do the talking and gave me feedback on my thoughts, guided, and appreciated them.

At that moment, it got me thinking, “What is so bad with visiting a doctor for your brain?” It is funny to know that any illness is an abnormality in our body, but we consider only illness caused by the brain as abnormality! We differentiate the brain from the rest of the body and keep it away as if it is not even a part of our body. Talking, counseling, reading self-help books, meditating, or taking a treatment can save lives — ours and someone else’s too. We assume talking about our brain is even a bigger taboo than our mother’s periods. Don’t you think that since the brain bears so much pressure every day, we should pay more heed to it, more than our whole body? Shouldn’t we see a brain’s doctor more often, just like other doctors? But we never listen.. or do we?

Our brain is the only organ in our body that works at the same pace all the time, so we need a counselor who calms our mind and solves our puzzles. Sometimes, if it can’t be solved with therapies, a psychiatrist can come into the picture who treats you medically — as healthy as antibiotics which we take under any bacterial infection. Anyone can listen — your friends, family, parents, teachers — anyone, and if they are not able to make you feel better, then knock at the doors of the counselors and psychiatrists. They have better scientific and friendly methods. And when there is an easy way out to make us feel better, then why not try it? Believe me, counselors are worth more than our time and money.

We often separate ourselves from the people and surrounding as we think that if we tell them about our problems then it will make us look weak and mad. But in the time when we need help, why not just ask for it? Asking for help does not harm. And if you can ask out someone on Tinder for a date or hookup, then asking for an appointment with a counselor is way easier!

All you got to do is ask for help, talk and let go!

Always asking for help,

The Shameless Indian

P.S. HERE ARE SOME REMEDIES TO TREAT YOURSELF WELL. I HAVE PERSONALLY TRIED AND TESTED THESE AND THEY WORK!

  1. Read – Breaking up with Stress by Parushi Kalra: This is an amazing book to make you understand what stress and anxiety are and help you cope up them. The book doesn’t rant for hundreds of pages and has summed up everything graciously in just 66 pages. The kindle version of the book is available on the link above.
  2. To calm your mind, try Headspace app: This app has been a constant friend. The best thing about this is that it has guided meditation and the soothing voice will make you feel so relaxed.
  3. For counselors, you don’t always have to visit them as they are now available on call, chat, video conferencing, and letters.
Posted on by Rakshit Goyal 8