Yesterday, I watched the 'V for Vendetta' movie, IMAX experience. I went to movie due to my respect for Natalie Portman, a fine, talented acttress. But the movie is good.
I resonated with the story, specifically the manipulation of media, oh man, a big thing in America today. I am as surprised to make me furious.
I remember, in Aurangabad, India, there were two news papers, Marthwada - BJP/Communist news paper and LokMat - Congress Newspaper and one would quickly realize that there is no truth in their news coverage. I remember a new party came to power when both these news papers were fighting with each other. But it was known that these newspapers are party newpapers.
But one does not expect that in USA, we are a free country, 1st amendment, independent journalism, private ownership. The situation is changing for worse, extremely polarized over last 2 years. Moreover, the newspapre dissent is totally absent on key issues. I believe newspapers are manipulated by govt, by corporations and there is understanding among journlist that they need to self-censor. They are partriots, if they are in agreement with government. The same theme in V for Vendetta.
V-for Vendetta brings up power of media and its effect on managing people's perception on the forefront. The V starts the fight with the help from media-TV and creates situation, events that forces government to get on-to spin control, further damaging credibility of government.
I do not necessarily agree with the violence shown, but I do agree that symbols play an important role and demolishing symbols can help in changing people's perception, like statues in Moscow or in Bagdad or burning flags.
I believe that V for vendetta is a political statement, construed in a way to make money for the studios, by attracting the crowd (ones who want to agree and the ones who want to disagree), so eventually we are getting manipulated by the business. :-(
More about studios and their appetite to make money off us soon,
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Saturday, March 11, 2006
My take on a original Leader - G.W. Carver
I have been writing many topics, but always liked Leadership as a topic.
Here is one essay from my archives, watch out, it is a big one.
Start where you are, with what you have, make something of it and never be satisfied –G.W. Carver
My first introduction to G.W. Carver was through a craze about G.W. Carver during my early undergraduate years. We read the biography book titled “Ek hota Carver” (There was a carver!) multiple times, at groups. Some of us had even written poems about him. We all, a group of 4 individuals, had a tremendous impact from the extraordinary story. I personally thank all the authors for introducing the bigger than life personality.
G.W. Carver was a Negro born in slavery. He was orphaned before he could walk. Prejudice, poverty, and ill health plagued him. He triumphed over bitter and frustrating obstacles to become a benefactor of all mankind. He was an extra ordinary soul who believed in god and believed in himself to lead the southern farmers to self-sufficiency.
I consider G.W. Carver as a leader because of the traits he has shown during his life. He had a vision for his life. During his search for his life goal, he chose a fork in the road, which took him to Tuskegee, to establish an Agriculture School. He had sacrificed a rare opportunity to become a scientist, a botanist for a greater good. The important point to note here is that he had already sacrificed his love for music and painting. All through his life, he had been fighting against odds to get an education. Now he wanted to help then free slave community. He wanted to help his community by performing agriculture research of use to the “man farthest down.”
G.W. Carver was an expert botanist by profession. He understood the problems of southern farmers in a greater context, as a social problem. He recognized early on that southern farmer must improve his net worth, not that of the state or industry. He developed ways to use farmer labor and retain its value on the farm and community, while also continuing to produce cash crops like cotton. He explored the ways farmers could grow more of their food and become self-sufficient. He taught them sustainable agriculture. He used his expert knowledge of botany and mycology to improve the situation of southern farmers.
He communicated his vision. He shared his knowledge. He realized that he needed to go to people. People will not come to him. He started church meetings. He prepared pamphlets and distributed them. He experimented on school land and invited everybody to see. He started a school on wheels. He changed people’s attitude towards soil and “cotton the king” through persuasion. He taught people one change at a time. He helped everybody who asked for help.
He even created a second layer of missionaries, “Carver Boys” to convey his message. He was aware of his strengths. He was aware what he could give his people best. He was creative and innovative. Later in his life, he became famous as a Peanut Man because of his efforts to save his farmers from extra peanuts. He invented 300 uses of Peanuts by using a simple laboratory at his school. He even fought for his people. The trade commission set to decide tax on peanut treated him racially; he continued his mission after forgiving all people around him.
The question comes to mind that what was the driving force behind this leader.
What helped in shaping this great personality?
G.W. Carver once told that “ … until he was 9 years old it was constant warfare between life and death to see who would gain mastery….” . I think this memory of struggle with life has made G.W. Carver a person who values importance of life on earth. He had inordinate desire for knowledge, particularly about flowers, painting, and music. His quest for knowledge made him travel through three states. This travelling and working on the way made him aware about situation of his people.
He was very independent and self-sufficient. Early years at Wild West frontier made him aware about importance of self-sufficiency. He once said “ I would never allow anyone to give me money no difference how badly I need it.” He always worked to earn money and then study. This difficulty to access knowledge kept his desire for knowledge alive.
The racial discrimination he faced at various places helped him to form his life’s mission.
He had to struggle for further studies because of his skin color. Highland college even refused him admission because of his race. However, the pivotal incidence was at Fort Black, Kansas; A crowd of 1000 whites burned a then free slave man alive. This incidence changed Carver’s outlook towards his life. He was never aware about his skin color so intensely before.
He was a Christian since he was nine. He believed in god. His belief in god and god given gifts made him focus on the greater good. His early introduction to Bible along with experiences at Diamond Grove, his birthplace in Missouri, made him believe that there is a reason that god kept him alive.
He got his creativity from Susan Carver, his owner and god given mother. She always loved him and cared for him because he was weak. He was always around her in the house. She taught him all the house skills like sewing, cooking, laundering, and needlework these skills helped George survive during his difficult years. Uncle Moses, his owner taught him independence and disgust about wastefulness. George was always self sufficient as any man on frontier. George always believed that nature does not create waste. Every thing created by nature has its own use.
Susan Carver and Moses Carver, both being on frontier and old enough to be George’s grand parents, gave George freedom to experiment. Both of them never treated him like a slave. These experiences of confidence by people whom George respected and their encouragement made George explore the new areas. Early study of Bible started his desire to understand everything on earth. In his childhood, George wanted to understand the secret of universe. His initial speaking trouble and age difference with his class fellows made him a quiet personality. He spent more time on thinking, adding to all his gifts.
Compared to the life of George Washington Carver, my leadership development has been in a very nice way. I have met people who have gone through exactly similar life as G.W. Carver but I am blessed enough.
I did struggle against odds until I reached this stage because I have grown up in a village. Early part of my life I have suffered enough to remember the caste discrimination. I am from a higher caste in Indian caste system and my family was a minority in the region where I grew up. Moreover, the education system and regulated job system favors less qualified people from lower castes. I am not advocating affirmative action but I just want to say that any kind of discrimination is bad. It follows you through out your life. The positive side of discrimination for me was that I worked hard to get the education, job. The discrimination forced me to be on my toes at all the times.
The early formative years really influence your development during your entire life. I could not make many friends because of weak physical ability. I have grown up reading books. Books have formed my value system, leading style. Books only introduced me G. W. Carver.
The story of G.W. Carver influenced my focus on what I want to do in my life. I had never thanked god about the life, the stability, the food, and the family before. I got a confidence about selflessness and changed my focus on helping people. I used to help people with certain expectations, now I do not.
I tend to lead by sharing what I know. I have found that if you help people without any expectation of return favor, you tend to earn respect. Your technical ability and tendency to struggle to acquire knowledge makes people respect you. They will come to you with problems and your help in solving their problems makes them follow you up. This is what I have seen in the life of G.W. Carver and I believe applicable universally.
I know that I am not gifted or talented. I also clearly understand limitations imposed on me because of English as second language. However, awareness about these weaknesses forces me to try harder than others do. Most of the times I am described as a resourceful person in a group because I tend to know more things than others are aware of. An awareness of one’s weaknesses and a positive effort to overcome those weaknesses makes impact on your life.
In summary, G.W. Carver was a leader who fought against all odds to lead the southern farmers to better life. His early formative years were pivotal in his development as leader as well as forming his life goal.
Here is one essay from my archives, watch out, it is a big one.
George Washington Carver
Start where you are, with what you have, make something of it and never be satisfied –G.W. Carver
My first introduction to G.W. Carver was through a craze about G.W. Carver during my early undergraduate years. We read the biography book titled “Ek hota Carver” (There was a carver!) multiple times, at groups. Some of us had even written poems about him. We all, a group of 4 individuals, had a tremendous impact from the extraordinary story. I personally thank all the authors for introducing the bigger than life personality.
G.W. Carver was a Negro born in slavery. He was orphaned before he could walk. Prejudice, poverty, and ill health plagued him. He triumphed over bitter and frustrating obstacles to become a benefactor of all mankind. He was an extra ordinary soul who believed in god and believed in himself to lead the southern farmers to self-sufficiency.
I consider G.W. Carver as a leader because of the traits he has shown during his life. He had a vision for his life. During his search for his life goal, he chose a fork in the road, which took him to Tuskegee, to establish an Agriculture School. He had sacrificed a rare opportunity to become a scientist, a botanist for a greater good. The important point to note here is that he had already sacrificed his love for music and painting. All through his life, he had been fighting against odds to get an education. Now he wanted to help then free slave community. He wanted to help his community by performing agriculture research of use to the “man farthest down.”
G.W. Carver was an expert botanist by profession. He understood the problems of southern farmers in a greater context, as a social problem. He recognized early on that southern farmer must improve his net worth, not that of the state or industry. He developed ways to use farmer labor and retain its value on the farm and community, while also continuing to produce cash crops like cotton. He explored the ways farmers could grow more of their food and become self-sufficient. He taught them sustainable agriculture. He used his expert knowledge of botany and mycology to improve the situation of southern farmers.
He communicated his vision. He shared his knowledge. He realized that he needed to go to people. People will not come to him. He started church meetings. He prepared pamphlets and distributed them. He experimented on school land and invited everybody to see. He started a school on wheels. He changed people’s attitude towards soil and “cotton the king” through persuasion. He taught people one change at a time. He helped everybody who asked for help.
He even created a second layer of missionaries, “Carver Boys” to convey his message. He was aware of his strengths. He was aware what he could give his people best. He was creative and innovative. Later in his life, he became famous as a Peanut Man because of his efforts to save his farmers from extra peanuts. He invented 300 uses of Peanuts by using a simple laboratory at his school. He even fought for his people. The trade commission set to decide tax on peanut treated him racially; he continued his mission after forgiving all people around him.
The question comes to mind that what was the driving force behind this leader.
What helped in shaping this great personality?
G.W. Carver once told that “ … until he was 9 years old it was constant warfare between life and death to see who would gain mastery….” . I think this memory of struggle with life has made G.W. Carver a person who values importance of life on earth. He had inordinate desire for knowledge, particularly about flowers, painting, and music. His quest for knowledge made him travel through three states. This travelling and working on the way made him aware about situation of his people.
He was very independent and self-sufficient. Early years at Wild West frontier made him aware about importance of self-sufficiency. He once said “ I would never allow anyone to give me money no difference how badly I need it.” He always worked to earn money and then study. This difficulty to access knowledge kept his desire for knowledge alive.
The racial discrimination he faced at various places helped him to form his life’s mission.
He had to struggle for further studies because of his skin color. Highland college even refused him admission because of his race. However, the pivotal incidence was at Fort Black, Kansas; A crowd of 1000 whites burned a then free slave man alive. This incidence changed Carver’s outlook towards his life. He was never aware about his skin color so intensely before.
He was a Christian since he was nine. He believed in god. His belief in god and god given gifts made him focus on the greater good. His early introduction to Bible along with experiences at Diamond Grove, his birthplace in Missouri, made him believe that there is a reason that god kept him alive.
He got his creativity from Susan Carver, his owner and god given mother. She always loved him and cared for him because he was weak. He was always around her in the house. She taught him all the house skills like sewing, cooking, laundering, and needlework these skills helped George survive during his difficult years. Uncle Moses, his owner taught him independence and disgust about wastefulness. George was always self sufficient as any man on frontier. George always believed that nature does not create waste. Every thing created by nature has its own use.
Susan Carver and Moses Carver, both being on frontier and old enough to be George’s grand parents, gave George freedom to experiment. Both of them never treated him like a slave. These experiences of confidence by people whom George respected and their encouragement made George explore the new areas. Early study of Bible started his desire to understand everything on earth. In his childhood, George wanted to understand the secret of universe. His initial speaking trouble and age difference with his class fellows made him a quiet personality. He spent more time on thinking, adding to all his gifts.
Compared to the life of George Washington Carver, my leadership development has been in a very nice way. I have met people who have gone through exactly similar life as G.W. Carver but I am blessed enough.
I did struggle against odds until I reached this stage because I have grown up in a village. Early part of my life I have suffered enough to remember the caste discrimination. I am from a higher caste in Indian caste system and my family was a minority in the region where I grew up. Moreover, the education system and regulated job system favors less qualified people from lower castes. I am not advocating affirmative action but I just want to say that any kind of discrimination is bad. It follows you through out your life. The positive side of discrimination for me was that I worked hard to get the education, job. The discrimination forced me to be on my toes at all the times.
The early formative years really influence your development during your entire life. I could not make many friends because of weak physical ability. I have grown up reading books. Books have formed my value system, leading style. Books only introduced me G. W. Carver.
The story of G.W. Carver influenced my focus on what I want to do in my life. I had never thanked god about the life, the stability, the food, and the family before. I got a confidence about selflessness and changed my focus on helping people. I used to help people with certain expectations, now I do not.
I tend to lead by sharing what I know. I have found that if you help people without any expectation of return favor, you tend to earn respect. Your technical ability and tendency to struggle to acquire knowledge makes people respect you. They will come to you with problems and your help in solving their problems makes them follow you up. This is what I have seen in the life of G.W. Carver and I believe applicable universally.
I know that I am not gifted or talented. I also clearly understand limitations imposed on me because of English as second language. However, awareness about these weaknesses forces me to try harder than others do. Most of the times I am described as a resourceful person in a group because I tend to know more things than others are aware of. An awareness of one’s weaknesses and a positive effort to overcome those weaknesses makes impact on your life.
In summary, G.W. Carver was a leader who fought against all odds to lead the southern farmers to better life. His early formative years were pivotal in his development as leader as well as forming his life goal.
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