Of Politics, Nations and Choices

A nation, at times, is defined by its leaders. And at times, a nation’s leaders end up limiting its horizon. Leaders come in many sizes – not literally and figuratively – but in terms of their sizeable, cumulative ability to rule and govern a nation. Thus we see really minuscule national leaders, with no ounce of managerial skills but with good elves and imps to ascertain their authority and we also see people with an aptitude for skilful governance so large, that it alternatively awes and spellbinds people. 

Some rulers rule by force, palpably tangible and often demeaning to the nation’s citizens, while some do the enforcing far more subtly, like inserting a needle into a banana. There, however, is no actual deciphering meter where citizens can gauge and consequentially mark their national leaders. The whole deciphering and unearthing is like finding the proverbial pot of gold, under the rainbow. A hit or a miss – either the people strike value for their ballot or the chosen leaders just turn out to be volunteered incumbents, gnawing and grating at the peace of minds, till the next person can be customised for the job at hand. 

So how difficult is it to rule a nation? By the look of things happening around the globe, it seems pretty easy enough. Negligence, over-blown theatrics, rallies and debates, cat-calls and show-stopping of a different kind; there isn’t anything happening beyond these. Of course, in order to spike the adrenaline, a few rounds of guns and pistols, rifles and bazookas are more than welcome. 

Talks and associations, and committees and agencies, extrapolating and interpolating within each other, but not going beyond the required ex-officio bureaucracy levels; governing a nation is not more than emitting parrot cries – pardon the pun – and then, when the citizen parrots come closer, trapping them into a cage with no escape routes. In fact, the actual parrot catchers can even learn a thing or two on how to keep their winged prisoners in check. Instead of cutting the captives’ wings right at once, as they normally do, the parrot catchers can learn from national leaders to pluck at their prisoners’ wings as a form of torture, while all the time proclaiming safety and security to their so-called beloved captives. 

Threats and litigations, nothing is of import to leaders. This makes their job even easier. Yes, but if a threat occurs to their life, then the citizens have no choice but to bear the shenanigans of the leaders’ security personnel. An insult to a person’s character is treated as by-the-by, but when people express their freedom, it constitutes defamation. A perquisites’ galore, round-the-clock, the easiest job on the planet is that of a nation’s leader’s. 

Unemployed, employed, educated and not-so-educated, everyone’s welcome. Actual training from experts, makes choosing national leadership as the most viable and workable career position in any kind of economy. For there’s always options for growth, however regressive at times, they might be. The commonality can always go to hell and purgatory, but for a nation’s leadership elite, it’s always heaven and nirvana – on some post-dated, likely-to-bounce, edict.

Politicians, Leaders and the Societal Effect

Fuelled by power, to attain power; politics is all about power. Values and beliefs have no place in this ever-building need to conquer boundaries and create newer ones just as there’s no place for satisfaction. Politics doesn’t see religion nor caste or traditions, but it does create its own religious creed, depending on the requirement necessitated. In its own way, politics might indeed influence society, but politics by itself isn’t self-generated but a by-product of the societal beliefs in the first place. 

Society, at its basest, can be defined as a group of people coming together to sustain themselves not just individually but wholly as a group. But even within a group, it’s the inability of certain people to co-exist in harmony that necessitates the augmentation of politicising in the first place. Greed and avarice, desire to dominate and overhaul doctrines, only to replace them with different sets of dogmas are all manifestations of power, from the basest of societal levels to the most varied and the highest of hierarchies, which determine the core existence of politics and politicians. 

Democracy, autocracy, socialism and every other form of governmental organisation that exists doesn’t function without power and the ability of politicians to successfully wield it to their advantage. Socialism and communalism advocate the prioritisation of society over individualistic avarices, but in essence these two factions are not but ideologies put forth by a certain sect of society that believes its doctrines to be greater than the rest. Same goes for democracy and autocracy – the latter being almost to the point of despotic while the former only presents a titular demonstration of choices and options, more to keep the politicians at check rather than give the public any real chance of actually choosing the right candidate for the job. 

But right candidate or not, the statute of establishing governance requires that there be a leader at the forefront to manage affairs. Leader, or in plurality leaders, who would ideally lead the society to achieve its best. At times, even at its worst. The reality however is drastically different, especially if a society’s leaders pretend to try and lead, only to slacken leadership’s leash having once attained power. Many societies have fallen prey to this tried and tested bait and many more will soon follow considering that many youth aspire to get into this race to become the ultimate ‘leader.’

Which then brings me to my next point; leaders – potential ones included – also have their own version of the rat race. From the start to the finish, achievement after achievement, from the grass root till the uppermost berth, it’s about racing. Against peers, rivals and at times, even against one’s own self. And it’s perhaps in this unending rat race that the whole core of values and beliefs start to get eroded. The laws of the jungle start to apply, where the fittest wanting to survive do anything possible within their means – even beyond – to achieve that lofty leadership mantle. And them, who are deemed not fit, are discarded as though they were lesser mortals of an unmentionable ilk. 

People evolve and by way of that, so does society. But evolution in terms of the world’s – world, too is a society – leaders and politicos always doesn’t underscore positivity and optimism. At the same time, the evolution of the societal frontrunners also doesn’t entail perennial dissatisfaction and discontent. The whole ambience construes as more of an impasse, a vague kind of push-and-pull effect that mesmerises and frustrates us people in equal measure – a classic case of ‘can’t be with, but can’t be without either.’

In Memoriam: 9/11

As the day draws closer,

Memories loom

How it started,

Seemingly calm

Yet with a turbulent end...

Words can’t express the emotions,

Empathy can’t succour the wounds,

Time can’t influence the scars...

Pock-marked they are,

Imbued deeply into the souls

Lives lost, innocence lost...

Not ever to be found,

Ne’er to be returned

Bravery yet remains etched

Pervading through hearts and minds...

As the day draws closer,

Memories loom

Of sacrifices and fortitude

Of optimism and patriotism

Memories that sculpted the world

Not just on that day...

But for time immemorial...

Nole: Defending USO Titular Claims

Clinical – this is perhaps the best way to describe Nole’s game this far in the Open. Coming in as the defending champion, though with much less than what he had the season before, he has wasted no time on court in his first four rounds. He has been utterly ruthless and appears to be single-mindedly determined to re-conquer what is his – thus far. 

So does that mean he hasn’t displayed any weaknesses? Not really; for while he has indeed been strong from both his flanks, Nole has not come out of a match without miscuing or mistiming his shots. His serve has been erratic – with a yo-yo effect typical of him, often making him slog it out at crucial times. While against Benneteau he served a below-par first serve percentage of 59% and was able to win 82% of these first serves, the question does remain whether he will be able to do the same against Del Potro? 

Although the Serb leads in their overall head-to-head 5-2 and won their last hard court encounter in the Cincinnati Masters’ semi-finals, just the previous month this same year, the 23-year old routed him in straight sets in the deciding Olympic Bronze medal match. With a year-to-date statistic that’s evenly matched between these two, Nole’s focus and consistency throughout the course of the game along with his shot selection and execution will be the key for him to reach the semis. Any loose shot, Del Potro and Del Potro could very well swing the match to his advantage. Similarly capitalising and consolidating on Del Potro's vagaries during the match will be a determining factor during the match proceedings.

Removing the Argentine from his comfort zone on the court – just as probably Andy Roddick did till the second set tie-break while enforcing him to go for shots that don’t bring out his best tennis playing acumen, would be a vital and pivotal factor for Nole, however close the match might prove to be ultimately. 

Of Wants and Needs: Prioritising Roger Federer

Each year as the Grand Slams progress from Down Under to New York City, the element of expectancy increases palpably just like a musical orchestra reaching its crescendo. And this year has been no different; first with Nole breezing with a seemingly easy defence in Melbourne, then with Rafa battling it out for a septet on clay followed by a spirited encore of the same number by Roger on grass. But where the highs have been really high, the lows have been equally low. It’s in the wake of these lows – inconsistencies and injuries, drawn-out battles and emotional let-downs – that the US Open seems to have been ushered in to complement the heightened anticipatory factor. 

One look at the draw though, and all thoughts of anticipation splinters away. There’s so much going on – so many players – that the choices of heart and mind seem to be diametrically opposite. There are certain players who the mind wants to win, while the heart paints a needing-to-win scenario for its chosen choicest. But the coalescing of statistical tangibility and emotions happens such that want and need seem to mean differently at different times – though not essentially for different players. 

And with these conflicting feelings of want and need, I pick my favourite. For those who know me, this would come across as simple and obvious. There’s no player – in any sport – that I regard more than the Swiss. He exemplifies attributes of commitment and dedication to his chosen field, a quality that I want to and have been trying to adopt professionally. But even as I list out his qualities and perfections, it’s with an imperfect blend of mind and heart that I pick out Federer as my favourite for the US Open 2012. And there again, I am not prioritising Federer because I have to but because, even in spite of mind and heart conflicts, the wanting always swings with Federer. 

Ignoring subjective bias and looking objectively though, 2012 seems to be all about Federer – a consistent season factored with a grand slam. Not many players possess the ability to regain lost ground as successfully as Federer has managed to do in the past few months. And perhaps this is why the momentum seems to be going his way as he enters the US Open fray with a few Masters, a couple of assorted ATP titles, a few semi-finals and finals and unforgettably – a second Olympics medal. 

Micro-economics states, desire summed with purchasing power parity determines demand. While in sports, there’s no financial purchasing power parity, players’ game and their mental endurance definitely substitutes for the attribute. In Federer’s case – not to wax poetic – the combination of these factors works really well to make him the player that he is. And irrespective of passage of time and the daunting challenge of new-gen nemeses, this fervour of his makes him a worthy challenger in each and every tournament that he plays. 

Of course passion and fervency doesn’t translate to mean invincibility and perfection. The flaws and chinks in his game have become more evident and obvious in the past couple of years, than ever before. Miscued forehands and shanked backhands have started to plague his game, as has developed his occasional inability to capitalise on vital points at crucial times. But it’s these imperfections that emphasise the tangibility of his tennis playing acumen, a thought-provoking on-court shrewdness that helps him to fight it out till the very end – no matter, which way the final result might sway.