We live in a meritocratic world
:: A reply to a post by WhoMan!
I want to congratulate WhoMan for great dissertations and reflections posted on his website.*
In my opinion, we can explain quite a lot on the situation of a state or a government of a country by looking at its political, religious or social past. What I have encountered through my travels and business around the World is that: "le gouvernement est l'image du peuple".
In other words, it is not so much fatalism, but more merit. The situation in Colombia, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, the USA or China is really a consequence of a people's past experiences and influence.
Frankly, if the collectivity could do better, or in my opinion "deserved" better, than they would be living it.
Argentina: I remember during my brief stay in Buenos Aires in October 1997, we were invited to a very unnecessarily outrageously expensive evening organized by the BA Andersen office.
In a very elegant Argentine Stakehouse (churrascaria), I asked one of my Argentine colleagues how come the Argentine wine is so good and can not be found easily in North America. His answer with all his staffers nodding and smiling in agreement was: "Our wine is so good we don't want to share it!"
During the same night, an Argentine-American who was on the trip with me told me that the most beautiful moon is the Argentine moon reflecting on the Rio in front of the Costanera. I laughed and reflected that he is obviously kidding since we all share the same moon.
Well, the same attitude of thinking BA's women are the most beautiful and that their wine, moon and waterfront are always better and bigger than the rest of the World, led to the Argentine complex of making the Peso be worth as much as the greenback. Presient Menem's bright idea led to the devastation of the Argentine Economy.
Cuba: Another social experiment that has been going on for 40 years is Cuba?s Green Revolution. If you want to observe a pathetic version of George Orwell's Animal Farm applied to a Carribbean Island, try carrying business with the Cuban State for several years and it will shock you how the system really works "well" for those who live and work in Cuba.
Why has the Cuban system "worked" so well, for so long? Because unlike the popular misconception, everybody is free to leave. The brightest and most entrepreneurial have left, so have the hustlers and thugs on the streets looking for greener pastures in Miami and NJ or for the tourism originating points of Canada, Spain, France, Italy and Germany.
Those who remain in Castro's Animal Farm, are those who are making the state system function. They are the believers: either by choice, by conformism or by apathy.
Iran: I was reading a review for an Iranian restaurant in Montreal and the french critique said: "en sortant du restaurant, vous comprendrez le d?sordre en Iran".
In my opinion, Dave G. is totally accurate in his understanding of shi'ism and Iranian fatalism.
We have a bunch of nostalgics in California wishing for an anachronistic government in "Persia" while the masses in Iran's urban centers are so busy devouring garbage pumped in from satellites that they forget that they outnumber and outweigh all the fanatics in the crumbling corrupt state.
Reformists' peaceful approach is obviously failing. Those who relegate their future to fate are perhaps desperate and understandably discouraged after 25 years of misery and oppression. But belief in fate is the summum of passive surrender and a clear lack of drive and willingness to make your own life better.
Perhaps, "sedam az jay-eh garm dar myad", but in my point of view, we clearly live in a meritocratic world and what you see, if the best that you could get.
* reply to WhoMan's blog
:: A reply to a post by WhoMan!
I want to congratulate WhoMan for great dissertations and reflections posted on his website.*
In my opinion, we can explain quite a lot on the situation of a state or a government of a country by looking at its political, religious or social past. What I have encountered through my travels and business around the World is that: "le gouvernement est l'image du peuple".
In other words, it is not so much fatalism, but more merit. The situation in Colombia, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, the USA or China is really a consequence of a people's past experiences and influence.
Frankly, if the collectivity could do better, or in my opinion "deserved" better, than they would be living it.
Argentina: I remember during my brief stay in Buenos Aires in October 1997, we were invited to a very unnecessarily outrageously expensive evening organized by the BA Andersen office.
In a very elegant Argentine Stakehouse (churrascaria), I asked one of my Argentine colleagues how come the Argentine wine is so good and can not be found easily in North America. His answer with all his staffers nodding and smiling in agreement was: "Our wine is so good we don't want to share it!"
During the same night, an Argentine-American who was on the trip with me told me that the most beautiful moon is the Argentine moon reflecting on the Rio in front of the Costanera. I laughed and reflected that he is obviously kidding since we all share the same moon.
Well, the same attitude of thinking BA's women are the most beautiful and that their wine, moon and waterfront are always better and bigger than the rest of the World, led to the Argentine complex of making the Peso be worth as much as the greenback. Presient Menem's bright idea led to the devastation of the Argentine Economy.
Cuba: Another social experiment that has been going on for 40 years is Cuba?s Green Revolution. If you want to observe a pathetic version of George Orwell's Animal Farm applied to a Carribbean Island, try carrying business with the Cuban State for several years and it will shock you how the system really works "well" for those who live and work in Cuba.
Why has the Cuban system "worked" so well, for so long? Because unlike the popular misconception, everybody is free to leave. The brightest and most entrepreneurial have left, so have the hustlers and thugs on the streets looking for greener pastures in Miami and NJ or for the tourism originating points of Canada, Spain, France, Italy and Germany.
Those who remain in Castro's Animal Farm, are those who are making the state system function. They are the believers: either by choice, by conformism or by apathy.
Iran: I was reading a review for an Iranian restaurant in Montreal and the french critique said: "en sortant du restaurant, vous comprendrez le d?sordre en Iran".
In my opinion, Dave G. is totally accurate in his understanding of shi'ism and Iranian fatalism.
We have a bunch of nostalgics in California wishing for an anachronistic government in "Persia" while the masses in Iran's urban centers are so busy devouring garbage pumped in from satellites that they forget that they outnumber and outweigh all the fanatics in the crumbling corrupt state.
Reformists' peaceful approach is obviously failing. Those who relegate their future to fate are perhaps desperate and understandably discouraged after 25 years of misery and oppression. But belief in fate is the summum of passive surrender and a clear lack of drive and willingness to make your own life better.
Perhaps, "sedam az jay-eh garm dar myad", but in my point of view, we clearly live in a meritocratic world and what you see, if the best that you could get.
* reply to WhoMan's blog
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