De-Mock-Crazy

The media space is flodded with news on "Reservation" and the furore it caused.

Student protests culminating in self immolation and starving unto death.

Fraternity divided into 'Majority' and 'Minority' - It is repeating all over again just as Santayana said "Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it!"

Found this interesting cartoon in "Outlook" magazine that tells volumes about the current predicament, so simple yet so deep in its metaphorical import.



Here we - 'we the people' sit in the corner and there they reach for the stars.

Am just reminded of 2 songs by Leonard Cohen. I have taken the liberty to mix them and rephrase (with due apologies to the Cohen Estate). The songs "Democracy" and "Who By fire" are infused with such deep passion for humanity as it is with delusion. It is much of a prayer and a rebellious scream as well.

The silence in between is the only time we have for contemplation and action.

So here is the mutated version with the title:

"Who by Democracy Fire"

It's coming through a hole in the air,
from those nights in Tiananmen Square.
It's coming from the feel
that this ain't exactly real,
or it's real, but it ain't exactly there.

From the wars against disorder,
from the sirens night and day,
from the fires of the homeless,

Is this Democracy on its way?

And who by fire,
who by water,
who in the sunshine,
who in the night time,
who by high ordeal,
who by common trial,
who in your merry merry month of may,
who by very slow decay
and who shall I say is calling?

It's coming through a crack in the wall;
on a visionary flood of alcohol;
from the staggering account
of the Sermons
which I don't pretend to understand at all.

It's coming from the silence
on the dock of the bay,
from the brave, the bold, the battered
heart of Chevrolet:

Is this Democracy on its way?

It's coming from the sorrow in the street,
the holy places where the races meet;
from the homicidal bitchin'
that goes down in every kitchen
to determine who will serve and who will eat.
From the wells of disappointment
where the women kneel to pray
for the grace of God in the desert here
and the desert far away:

Is this Democracy on its way?

And who in her lonely slip,
who by barbiturate,
who in these realms of love,
who by something blunt,
and who by avalanche,
who by powder,
who for his greed,
who for his hunger,
and who shall I say is calling?


Sail on, sail on
O mighty Ship of State!
To the Shores of Need
Past the Reefs of Greed
Through the Squalls of Hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on.

Is it coming around to the
cradles of the best and of the worst.
It's here they got the range
and the machinery for change
and it's here they got the spiritual thirst.
and it's here the lonely say
that the heart has got to open
in a fundamental way:

Is this Democracy on its way?


It's coming from the women and the men.
We'll be going down so deep
the river's going to weep,
and the mountain's going to shout "Come together"
It's coming like the tidal flood
beneath the lunar sway,
imperial, mysterious,
in amorous array:

Is this Democracy on its way?

Sail on, sail on ...

I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can't stand the scene.
And I'm neither left or right
I'm just staying home tonight,
getting lost in that hopeless little screen.
But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags
that Time cannot decay,
I'm junk but I'm still holding up
this little wild bouquet:

And who by brave assent,
who by accident,
who in solitude,
who in this mirror,
who by his lady's command,
who by his own hand,
who in mortal chains,
who in power,
and who shall I say is calling?