Category Archives: Opinion

The Merchants of Death

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In a world stricken by a pandemic that has left millions sick, displaced and dead, life has become a conundrum. As the vacillation between life and death continues, the clock keeps ticking as the merchants of death fleece and exploit desperate families looking to save their loved ones.

It is ironic that life and death have always remained a tradeable commodity since the proliferation of healthcare services and hospitals. Due to this pandemic, the sham we have believed ourselves to be living in the guise of the citadel of faith is all illusionary. Deep within, despite all the faith and belief, we advocate, human avarice remains a distinct reality that we cannot avoid.

We always talk about optimism and hope, to remain positive and have faith in the divine but for what? As people struck by the virus end up hospitalized fighting with life and death, those at the forefront of this battle, doctors, nurses, ward boys and all other medical staff who are putting their lives in danger.

It is heart-wrenching to see the family of patients running from pillar to post to arrange life-saving medications and injections to save their lives. This is where the merchants of death masked as the saviours of humanity appear with a magic wand promising the availability of all those medications those families are seeking. They act angelic in the disguise of a devil hoping to deliver life in exchange for tons of cash to line their pockets.

Hoarding and black marketing have existed since aeons, there is no doubt about it. However, these merchants of death have no qualms in exploiting the desperation and misery of those families by which they would somehow be able to save the life of their loved ones.They wield influence and power and are the fortune holders who hold the elixir of life for those patients who need those life-saving medications or injections for their very survival.

Everything sells, the desperation of families compels them to go to any length to act and do anything they can. In such situations, morality or ethics get thrown out of the window, humanity in its very essence becomes folklore. We talk about deeds, goodness, kindness and empathy but amid this pandemic that has swept away everyone across the globe all these aforementioned things are just mere formalities. There is not an instant where humans will not resort to such practices and try to make the most out of such situations.

The sadistic tendencies of such souls are not surprising. They possess no fear of life or death, their greed fuels their desire and lust for money. Life is like a pendulum; it must stop swinging at some point in time. Life and death indeed are the domain of the divine and us mere mortals can just cease to exist at a snap. However, such things do not instil fear in the merchants of death, but such individuals are soulless and beyond reasoning. Even at the risk of being eternally damned, they would much akin to the Pharaohs of Egypt take their earthly belongings with them to the next world.

How ironic that these merchants of death are not only prosperous but are able to live and sleep peacefully in the wake of this exploitation. For them, life and death are like a roulette table where they keep gambling till they win or lose. But in existential circumstances, they are the ones who hold total command and control which allows them to execute their victory in whatever direction they deem feasible. Opportunities have arisen in the most unlikely of circumstances and the merchants of death have been activated to enrich themselves.

As convoluted, it may seem, but the only way to thrive in the real world, the world of sin is to be a ruthless sinner than your enemy. This is the mantra followed by the merchants of death, who defy all decencies to act in this in manner. They are no less than auctioneers who would sell anything to the highest bidder without having an inch of remorse or shame. Their actions as pretentious they seem are borne out of desperation to maximize exploitation and miseries of others.

As for those in agony and facing death at the hands of this pandemic, prayers are the only solace for families to hope God provides a miracle. As for the merchants of death, their business will thrive irrespective of the situation, their sins and road to perdition will be for God to decide.

Privilege is abusive

31 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by in Life, Opinion, Society

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Privilege tends to dent our psyche, gives us a notion of superiority and makes us a slave to its desires. However, there is a tendency to forget with it comes responsibility which isn’t mostly exercised, since it seeps into our minds and contributes to throwing our weight around. The drill of privilege becomes a daily ritual which can’t be shaken off because it empowers people and gives them unprecedented influence.

Interestingly, privilege in majority cases tends to be abused and misused to make a point, much like the aristocracy of the old days which gave them immunity to go unfettered and unchecked. It may buy you influence, sway, social standing and ability to throw tantrums, however, it doesn’t provide you respect if it isn’t responsibly exercised. It allows moronic tendencies to hold sway and allows such individuals to get away with a lot of crap without being held accountable.

Blighted by our proud sense of privilege, we tend to get blind-sighted by our actions and in the quest for power and influence let it drive us towards mistreating others who aren’t part of that fold. Ironically, that is how society has functioned since time immemorial, irrespective of the rise in awareness of equality there is a superiority complex that still allows it to thrive.

What does privilege provide? It grants us access to the echelons of society, shoves us into the mainstream and allows to intermingle at a level par of the status reserved only for the privileged. It is like the old order, who believed they were ordained by God to rule by birth and that is the mentality still afflicting our privileged class.

It is a worldwide phenomenon, but in third world countries the notion of privilege is beginning to be questioned and its nauseousness is irritating those who are rising through the ranks and challenging the status quo. For the status quo, amongst which the privileged class constitutes a majority feel threatened by those who they believe are inferior and are snatching to what they believe is rightfully theirs.

Consequently, it leads to insecurities, egotistical behaviour and thrusting of one’s influence to subjugate those who are victims of the abuse of privilege to forward their agenda’s. It is to show them their place and make them realize that they don’t belong amongst those privileged classes. The efforts to enter the privileged class circle by those not born into it leads to resistance and quashing their attempts for gaining access to it.

To hinder the progress of those trying to rise to the ranks of the privileged are demonized, discriminated and mistreated for who they are. Privilege is symbolic, it provides patronage and unlocks the door to unprecedented power and influence. This imbalance permits those privileged enough to knock out those aspirants and show them who is the boss. In every realm of life, we let this superiority complex clout our actions and thoughts which contributes to incessant hatred for the downtrodden and those below us.

Privilege is like a concoction, an addiction that has ensnared the elite, the powerful and their counterparts to exercise undue power and influence. This addiction in its very notion is toxic, distasteful as it sounds but this is a reality which cannot be ignored. It continues to thrive despite the rising awareness amongst those who are fighting to gain their rightful share in society.

The communion of those privileged and those below them is practically impossible. The interests and values clash, but those willing to bend and act like them tend to somehow gain access but they are never recognized as one of them. Those granted entries remain outcasts and tend to be disowned in many cases. In medieval times, it was common for those rising through the ranks to somehow arrange marriage in the nobility to gain legitimacy and recognition.

Earning a legitimacy license in the ranks of the privileged is a hard task so to speak, considering their biases. It is futile and any attempts to dissuade the privileged from throwing their weight around has been an abysmal failure. Clinging onto the hope that equality will thrive in this divided world is an exercise for the foolhardy and good luck to them!

 

 

 

 

A Sword of Damocles is hanging over journalists in Pakistan

21 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Business, Media, Opinion

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The crisis that has mothballed into a dynamite for the print and broadcast media is nonetheless a lesson in hindsight for an industry that has surpassed its heydays. It seems to have been living on oxygen support from government advertisements which has allowed these entities to breathe and hold sway in light of the shifting paradigms that have engulfed media across the globe.

The changing tide has been evident for several years and the writing has been on the wall but pivoting towards changing the model and dependency hasn’t taken place. Honestly, the media industry is a doghouse with employees being underpaid and overworked, scrambling to earn a livelihood and barely making ends meet.

The sudden onset of these layoffs in the journalistic industry in both broadcast and print aren’t shocking, to say the least, but the question arises the government pulling the plug on its advertisements has plunged all these entities into the red.

In the name of cost-cutting, the employees are being kicked out or shown the door due to the worsening circumstances, which has seen them begging the government to save newspapers from death and ultimate bankruptcy.

A golden rule of any viable business is if it generates a profit, it should be kept operating and if it is bleeding or suffering from recurring losses, the best option is to shelve it.

There are several publications that have failed to pay their employees or owe them months of salaries including those who were inadvertently fired. Considering, legal recourse isn’t an option for those who have been shown the door and are already up to their necks in debt, they wouldn’t dare to sue their ex-employers.

Besides the headaches that such people would have to endure while transitioning through the courts and suing their swindling bosses would only land threats and downright stress which many are aware isn’t worth the hassle or risk their safety.

As exacerbating this crisis may be, it’s just the beginning of many painful transitions and bleedings that these broadcast and print organisations have to go through.

It is easy to lay off people in a swoop, entire bureaus end shutting close in a matter of minutes and seasoned journalists and their subordinates left jobless.

In a recently reported case, the owner of a newspaper was alleged to have sold off the press and laid off all the employees who were working besides being owed months of dues.

Those working in the printing press don’t draw fat salaries and don’t have a luxurious lifestyle like the media barons tend to maintain.

Ironically, those working in the printing press salaries must be equivalent to a daily meal expenditure for a media baron and not paying their dues is downright criminal.

Obviously, we are living in times of belt-tightening and to cut down on costs, we can drive inhumane wedges and deprive those poor people of their salaries.

Life can be brutally savage and what is unfolding is indeed very disturbing. The helplessness can add to our guilt conscience, but then we realize we ourselves aren’t superhero material to stave off such a crisis.

Many of these media organizations are being run by big shots and hold sway across the board and of course, they can’t be held accountable for their deeds.

The writing was always on the wall, recently I came across an article in the New York Times in which I was reading about the plans of Buzzfeed and how it stumbled and is trying to steer the ship in partnership with other media companies out of the crisis it is encumbered in.

We have several examples of how the print industry was disrupted by the internet and digital news platforms in the last two decades and they adapted to the change and made required adjustments to stay relevant and viable amidst stiff competition.

Of course, the adaptability and painful adjustments that owners of such entities may be required to undertake will hurt their wallets and, in all likelihood, put a limit to their extravagances.

However, as least bothered they would be in undertaking such sacrifices would be tantamount to suicide for them.

It’s all about protecting personal interests, as far the big titans remain unscathed from this so-called crisis, the culling of employees will continue unabated till the conclusion of cost-saving measures ends up being fully implemented.

 

NOTE: This doesn’t reflect the opinion of my employer and this blog is purely my take on the circumstances affecting the print and broadcast media.