Understanding the Empire

I was going through the Arundhati Roy perspective about the road to empire for an ordinary man. The way she treats the path of our Uncle Sam with suspicion, anger and pity is quite a treat to read. Her wanting of an utopia where human feelings are the base stands out. If we look at a bigger picture the world is a battle place between the heart and head. The scope is not only microscopic but macroscopic.

I generally feel for the millions that have been bombed, raped and tortured for the last 100 years by the so called powerful. Churchill calls it the battle for the better race. For me the battle is painful to watch when millions fall on either side. Left with a conscience I can weep in the loneliness of heart but my head is always for evolution and betterment of my people around.

I know the question posed to poor people is simple. Either you become rich or become extinct. In effect they have no other option but to snatch whatever they come across. Lawlessness is a result of the same. They cannot go on hunger strike or lead a Gandhian protest that is peaceful. Their wants are immediate and they are impatient. Most of them are worried about the one meal and it is hard for them to grab hold of any values or principle.

The urbanization in effect is creating more manufacturing jobs at the cost of one important thing that is the root of the civilization. “Agriculture”. I can see the anger in all those construction workers when I come out of my apartment. They are forced to migrate to the urban jungle where they are fighting it out for that single meal. They may be having the hope. In fact they still feel they can pull this one. If not for today tomorrow their kids will have a future.
I
feel that simple one thing with me is hope. Things will change and so will be the life of the millions. I am choosing the side of the hope and the optimistic. I know I need to take care of my pessimist friends also and better I do that.