I was reading “Don’t think of an Elephant” by George Lakoff a Professor of Linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley and a Senior Fellow of the Rockridge Institute. It was an all American debate about The Conservative right and the Progressive left and thier values in an all American context.

The book is a great eye opener in terms of cognitive science, politics and how you can literally manipulate thinking by using appropriate use of words, using positive frames even to convey a negative idea. Its all about how effectively you frame your idea or in other words draw people into your world view. The ideas are primary and the language carries those ideas, evokes those ideas.

Then as I was reading further through it I found this interesting detail about a strict father family and idea.

The world is a dangerous place, and it always will be, because there is evil out there in the world. The world is also difficult because it is competitive. There will always be winners and losers. There is an absolute right and an absolute wrong. Children are born bad, in the sense that they just want to do what feels good, not what is right. Therefore, they have to be made good…… When children do something wrong, if they are physically disciplined they learn not to do it again. That means that they will develop internal discipline to keep themselves from doing wrong, so that in the future they will be obedient and act morally. That is, if people are disciplined and pursue their self-interest in this land of opportunity, they will become prosperous and self-reliant. Thus, the strict father model links morality with prosperity. The same discipline you need to be moral is what allows you to prosper. The link is the pursuit of self-interest.

The above reminded me of family system in India. Which is nothing but strict father idealogy. Then I wondered what defines a conservative and progressive in India. Everything in India is very conservative and progressive thinking is still unknown. In a globalized world India is being watched closely, everyone across the world is watching us and our ideas. Because they want to know about the people they have to do business with. India is a diverse, vibrant, chaotic yet structured and a free Country. If somebody want to see structure in chaos India would be the place. But what I hate about it is pertinent hypocracy and injustice, inequality and bias at every level in the society. phew….

I’m often viewed as optimistic, nonconformist, outspoken and irreverent. But I’m pro-choice, pro-democracy and law abiding. The very idea is if something taboo is shown in the movies, people start talking about values and morals. But How many of you started smoking because your favourite actor puffed away on screen? or became depraved after watching an item number on screen? Instead of impinging on freedom of speech and expression why not focus on banning the sale of the killer cigarette itself? Why should you stop others from leading their lives and doing their jobs when they are clearly not violating the law? Every one is a moral police In India. Everyone tends to teach you right and wrong, see that is why I say strict father model makes more sense with India in context. India needs a rethinking of its point of view, liberalism which is an ideology, philosophy, and political tradition that holds liberty as the primary political value is essential. India is a great country. A country which was the birth place of many free thinkers and philosophes. India is a young country and there is a great hope of converting it, into an ideal democracy where freedom rules.

Being open to inquiry and continuous questioning of existing assumptions is a core principle of a liberal. Let’s work at a progressive and liberal India. Let’s not constantly cower down and “fit in” because it’s easy, or because despair is familiar. Let’s start living life on our own terms, democratically, freely, lawfully and far removed (whether an atheist, widow, divorcee, housewife, metrosexual man, a couple in love, or HIV+), from fear, prejudice, regression and stigma.

A grown-up person is capable and therefore free to make choices either for good or evil. A grown-up person should be able to assess alternative choices and be fully responsible for the decisions taken. In a democracy, if we can trust of voter to take important decisions relating to governance, and the person is able to run a household and perform other significant duties, it is then an insult to that person’s independence for someone else to dictate and curtail his or her choice. Attempts to curtail choice usually end up curtailing initiative, creativity, and progress. The freedom to choose is therefore the most fundamental freedom of all, to be restrained only under the most special circumstances.

Despite globalisation, nations continue to exist independently as different competing corporates. The opprobrium of being an “Indian” sticks to all Indians everywhere. They are treated as second-class citizens, coming from the ‘Third World’. Their efforts or ability are discounted, often for, but not merely, racial reasons. America, Europe, Japan, Australia and other developed nations spend lavish care on their alleged poor while the hopeless poor of India are neglected. All nations operate a foreign policy exclusively in their national interest and no one will ever come to India’s help unless it suits them in a self interested way. Therefore nationalism is even more important today than it was a hundred years ago. The Indian liberal is an Indian first and liberal second. India’s national self-interest is the primary concern of the Indian liberal, and his or her focus is to achieve a status where self - respect is easier to obtain than it is today in this world. However, each of us cares for India and Indians for reasons that maybe different, and in our own unique way, and to that extent nationalism represents a deliberate choice to the liberal.

P.S. The above is composed from ideas from several bloggers on this planet.