Rationale Behind Inequality

Statistics is a study of contrasts - concerned with measuring Inequality. Needless to say, it is held as one of the Greatest find of our times. But why are we so concerned about measuring something that apparently we all want to eradicate. Or do we really want to eradicate it? When the Professor asked "Why measures of Inequality?", an immediate thought flashed in my mind - Because Inequality makes us feel good. You might cry foul and you have reasons for that - after all, you constantly donate for a noble cause, but isnt that Donation meant to highlight that you are more equal than others. And this feel good factor is one of the reason http://www.globalrichlist.com/ became quite popular. Probably a World with No Equality is a mirage - or paradoxical. Because, noone will have any purpose of existence then. Hence Inequality exists. And everyone is fighting for its existence, no matter what facade they wear. Anyone here who feels that given a choice he would not play a game with Loaded Dice. In fact, the measures ostensibly targetted at removing inequality, are not actuually striving to eradicate it but reverse it so that people who have unfavorably Loaded Dices can get the favorable ones. Should we be actually striving to eradicate Inequality. Why not simply acknowledge it and let its Cognizance help us in day to day functioning of the World. Brings me to the Concept of Meritocracy or Talent Myth. If Mukesh Ambani is earning $10 billion an year, is he a million times more talented than an Average Joe earning $1000 an year. Probably not. But it is the fear of Inequalities and the false propagation of the Equality Propaganda that prevents this abnormal inequality to vanish. That leads me to some anachronistic conclusion - the Ancient Cast System in India was may be good, because it was in a way intended to make us cognizant of the existing Inequalities. And in fact, the Casts were not decided on the basis of Birth as is normally believed - the Guru used to decide who will belong to what Caste based on his obsrvation of his wards over a period of time. Over time the system got dilapidated.

A Tribute to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy

Russian Writers had a tendency to touch the whole new realms of storytelling. With a Complex intermingling of Character Development as well as an intricate plot, they can make you chew your nails unlike British, and French authors who specialize in writing specialized Genre Novel with simplistic themes. Except Flaubert, no other Western author could touch the brilliance of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, even in patches. Mind you, I have read most of the works of Dickens, Austen, and Shakespeare. And some of the current works appear so superficial when read in the backdrop of the Masterpieces like Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Brothers Karamazov, War and Peace, and Anna Karenina. Two of the Modern Authors, who have come remotely close to the Magicians Dostoevsky and Tolstoy in the richness of the Plot and the Characters are Salman Rushdie and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. But it is a sign of our times that Harry Potter, a seemingly ordinary novel has become a Mass Success.

Tara n Tino

As Tino bended to acquire his seat in the Business Class, the lady besides him screams: "Oh Tino! Its you. Good to see you." Tino: Good to see you too. May I have your introduction please. Tara: I am Tara. Tino: Oh Tara! My God!! What a coincidence. I was dying to meet you. Tara: Thanks. Me Too am your great fan - after all not everyone can churn out craps like you. Utter Crap. With Gory and Blood All Around and No Sense other than the senselessness itself. Tino: Ah! I am delighted at the praise of the highest order from the creator of five bundles of Hogwash and still having such mass following. Tara: You remind me of that Spanish moronic singer who is credited with Worst Album cover ever for his Album Por Primera Vez. Your movies are the height of baloney. Tino: The Writer of a Stylistically Ordinary work can never understand the intrinsic beauty of the depiction and the intellectual effort spent on the crafting of the dialogues as well as the non-chronological unfolding of the plot. Tara: Of Course, After all a Billion people on the planets are fools to read a stylistically ordinary work - just because some retards believe that the Glorified Violence and a despicable Plot is the synonym with Intelligent Movie Making, do not lull yourself into believing that your works bear even a remote resemblance to Beauty and Craft. Tino: I am stunned at your propensity to argue against something which is a fact. After all, Wizard Otter is indeed a stylistically ordinary work and a figment of a crooked imagination. Tara: So Mr. Tino decides what is Crooked Imagination and what is Beautiful Imagination. It was sheer beauty to watch a person maintaining his calm and composure even after having his palm chopped off and striving to detach the revolver from the seperated Palm. And did I hear you say something about Plot. You make two movies about killing a hill - Kill Hill I and II, and rave about your imagination. Killing a Hill is an act of a 1 page in my novels. Tino: Tara, Its better if we shut up. Its getting too much. I am a stylistic film-maker and cannot take the unsophisticated rants of a crap-churner. Disclaimer: I am a huge Tino fan as well as a Kill Hill fan. At the same time, I am a stauch Wizard Otter critic, but this peice is not representative of my views about Wizard Otter.

World's Richest List

Time for an Analytical Post. With the possibility of an Election looming large - Indian stock markets took a tumble and so did the personal wealth of Ambanis, KP Singh, Mr. Sunil Mittal and Premji, who all hit circuit highs towards July end. So where do they stand now. 1. Mukesh Ambani - $37.9 billion (after touching a high of $ 40.5 billion) 2. Anil Ambani - $23.1 billion (after touching a high of $26.1 billion) 3. KP Singh - $21.7 billion (after touching $23.6 billion) 4. Sunil Mittal - $19.7 billion (after touching $21.8 billion) 5. Azim Premji - $13.8 billion (after touching $15 billion) All of them except Premji (who used to rule Richest Indians' list once upon a time) were at their career highs. According to their latest worths, the World's Richest list might look something like this: 1. CS Helu (Mexico) - $63 billion 2. Bill Gates (USA) - $59 billion 3. Warren Buffett (USA) - $52 billion 4. Mukesh Ambani (India) - $38 billion 5. Lakshmi Mittal (UK, India) - $34 billion 6. Ingvar Kamprad (Sweden) - $33 billion 7. Bernard Arnault (France) - $26 billion 8. Anil Ambani (India) - $23 billion 9. Li Ka-Shing (Hong-Kong) - $23 billion 10. KP Singh (India) - $22 billion 11. David Thomson (Canada) - $22 billion 12. Larry Ellison (USA) - $21 billion 13. Liliane Bettencourt (France) - $21 billion 14. Sunil Mittal (India) - $20 billion 15. Prince Alwaleed (Saudi) - $20 billion Sounds a little too strange. Is this India the most advanced country on the Planet? 3 of the top 10 richest person on the planet hail from India. 4th one is an NRI. A 5th one - Li-Ka Shing made most of his fortunes in India - by selling his initial investment of $1 billion for a whopping $15 billion. Leaving aside such subjective thoughts and coming back to Objective Analysis, it is clear that despite some short-term hiccups, India's billionaire brigade except for Premji is headed for Greater Riches. Consider this - Mukesh & Anil, KP Singh, Sunil Mittal all doubled their wealth in the last 1 year. If they continue marching at their pace, the Gateses and Helus will be ducking for cover. But let us have a conservative forecast for each one of them. 1. Mukesh Ambani: When Reliance Petroleum becomes functional, its net worth will go up and will lead to appreciation of about $4-5 billion in Mukesh's cap in 3 years time. Reliance Retail can probably go public in 3-4 years and will add $20 billion in Mukesh's worth, by conservative estimates. To add to that RIL is slated to double its stock price, leading to a further appreciation of $25 billion in Mukesh's worth. If his SEZ plans materialize, he can probably look at an additional $5-6 billion worth. That puts Mukesh's worth in mid-2010 in the $90-95 billion range. Phenomenal - Isnt it? He should be the richest person on the planet in 2010 unless someone else does something special. 2. Anil Ambani: The Indian CDMA Baron is all set to enter GSM Market too and with the COnvergence of services, is set to project Rel Infocom as the top Indian Telecom Company with a 150-200 % appreciation on cards in the stock price. That will propel Anil in the $60-$75 billion range assuming negligible appreciation in his other assets. 3. KP Singh: Though DLF is capitalizing on an irrational Real Estate Boom, I do not see the Boom getting punctured during at least the next 3 years. In fact, I expect the Boom to be at its peak during 2010 - around Commonwealth Games. That has the potential of propelling KP Singh's worth in the $50-60 billion range. 4. Sunil Mittal - The alliance with Walmart coupled with Airtel should propel this suave Businessman in the $50+ billion range. 5. Azim Premji - I do not expect Premji to gain much - he can expect to be in Richest 10 Indian list with net worth between $15-20 billion. Realistically speaking, I expect 2-3 Indians to surpass Premji in terms of Net Worth. So, how will the World's richest list look like 3 years down the line: Mukesh, Anil, Helu, Gates, Buffett, KP Singh, Sunil Mittal, Laxmi Mittal, and so on..

Who Are You??

Yes, I am asking you that question. Who are you?? Oh, Come On. Is it that difficult to answer? It probably is, going by the stunned faces of the students in a class, when the Professor suddenly coined that question. Is our age suffering with a severe Identity Crisis? All around us, we see plastic beings going through the routine of daily activities, trying to adapt their behaviors to what the professional Trainers teach them. Is the only way to be original is by being a Queer. Behavior Patterns are merging. Despite all the tall claims about diversity being valued - values across the Cultures are being forced to converge. With advances in Plastic Surgery - probably appearances too will merge. Voice will come next in the firing line. And there will be 6 billion beings - like in every respect except their real self buried in the darker recesses of mind; swarming Earth. Brings me back to the concept of religion - where I always used to argue Hinduism is not a religion after all, but Naturalism. The easiest way to understand it is to visualize a Child asking his father "Who am I?" just after being born. Jews might say "A Jew", Christians will say "a Christian", but a true follower of Naturalism will say "Son, you are you" Naturalism as a concept emphasizes the God within - rather than without. That brings us to the concept of an all powerful being. "Superman" a bastardized adaptation of this idea has many takers in the World, partly because people are still unaware of the Original Masterpieces - the Upanishads and seek solace in Fountainhead. BTW, let me answer the fundamental question, Who am I? I am me.

Some Perspectives

Nobel Prize-winning American economist Milton Friedman “What kind of society isn’t structured on greed? The problem of social organisation is how to set up an arrangement under which greed will do the least harm; capitalism is that kind of a system.” Is it So? Probably you are right, Mr. Milton but you are not convincing enough Friedman’s compatriot and fellow economist John Kenneth Galbraith “The greater the wealth, the thicker will be the dirt. This indubitably describes a tendency of our time.” What is the Dirt? Australian millionaire Laing Hancock “The best way to help the poor is not to become one of them.” What the Poor would have to say about this? I do not have anything to say

Who is Wiser? Socrates or Helu

An Excerpt from an interesting article I read: The question that concerns me here, however, is just how wise do you have to be in order to make money: as wise as Socrates or as wise as Carlos Slim? By all accounts, Socrates never made any money. Carlos Slim, on the other hand, is now the richest man in the world. Who, then, is the wiser man, Socrates or Slim? Students of philosophy would say it’s no contest and would argue overwhelmingly in favour of Socrates. We are in awe of Socrates. Yet Aristotle – no slouch in the wisdom department himself – frequently attacked Socrates along these lines: “We must not limit our enquiry to knowing what virtue is, but extend it to how it is to be produced. He accused Socrates of failing to distinguish between practical questions and theoretical ones: “He (Socrates) thought all the virtues to be kinds of knowledge, so that to know justice and to be just came simultaneously…Therefore he enquired what virtue is, not how or from what it arises. This approach is correct with regard to theoretical knowledge, for there is no other part of astronomy or physics or geometry except knowing and contemplating the nature of things which are the subject of those sciences…But the aim of the practical sciences is different…For we do not wish to know what bravery is but to be brave, not what justice is but to be just, just as we wish to be in health rather than to know what health is…” Extending this argument further, the Carlos Slim school of thought might argue that they do not wish to know what riches are but to be rich and might prove Helu to be more intelligent than Socrates. That reminds me of the story about a professor at the Harvard Business School who once told his class of freshman students, “I can’t teach you how to make money. If I knew how to make money, I’d be out there making it instead of teaching in this stupid school.” HBS - A Stupid School So, that leads us back to the original question - Who is More Intelligent? Socrates or Helu. Can we arrive at an objective Answer?

Snapshots from Hell

"Life goes full circle, Buddy" When someone said this to me a while back, I was skeptical. The Realization is dawning now. For a typical Indian kid, life begins at X. For the first time, he gets a stage to perform where people can believe in his antics. There are Term I exams in Septeber, Term II in December, and then Finals in March interspersed with Assignments, Practicals, etc. After that comes the next stage, the XII, where the heightened independence is countered by Increased Complexity of Opportunities and Physical, Chemical, Mathematical, Biological, Artistic and Accounting Formulae depending on what stream you choose to be buried in. Then come a fully independent in name College Life, where the full Independence means Full Throttle. You are not old enough to be considered trustworthy, yet not young enough to be excused for trivial mistakes. Harassed and Intrigued by the Routine of 4 years, you join the Corporate World, only to realize that after all you are not all that worthless. Working for fewer hours with a lot more independence and authority, you start thinking of yourself as some superior being. You enjoy every bit of it. But from too much enjoyment comes despair. There has to be something better. Lo and Behold!! you land up at Hell. And it is the same routine again. September Term, December Term, and March Term interspersed with Assignment Submissions and Presentations. Life Goes Full Circle!! I get it, but how many rotations does it perform. I do not know the Answer.

Great Minds @ Work err.. IIM

"Nietzsche (pronounced as Neeche) believed in the Power while Rousseau (pronounced as Russo) was a believer in the supremacy of Nature. You have to take a stand whether you are a believer in Nietzsche's Philosophy or Rousseau's" Before the Professor has stopped blurting, several pens flicked in unison and within a few moments there were two columns on several pages "Niche and Russo" A Visibly Pleased Professor at the Intelligence of his students went all the way to the Podium and wrote down the spellings of the Names with a small announcement. Fast Forward --- 5 days later. Presenter: Sir, Fraudian Theories classified Man as ...... Professor: Its Freudian, not Fraudian. The whole Western World cannot believe a Fraud Thesis. Scene III: 11th Organizational Behavior (OB) Class of the 1st trimester during an MBA curriculum Professor(suddenly): You have to give the OB traits of the .. BTW what is OB?? Several Students (Chorus): Organizational Behavior Professor (smiles sarcastically): My God! You People have surpassed my expectations beyond my wildest dreams. I never expected you to know such a Complex term.

Heluco and Ambindia

I may have been a few days late, but better late than never. A few days ago, Mexican Telecom Baron - CS Helu - overtook Bill Gates as the richest Person on the Planet. Helu's worth is more than 5% of Mexico's GDP. Almost at the same time, the scorching Indian Stock Markets along with soaring Rupee made Mukesh Ambani a $40 billionaire, Anil Ambani a $30 billionaire and KP Singh a Rupee Trillionaire or $25 billionaire, besides rapidly rising Sunil Mittal sitting comfortable at $19 billion. The Combined Wealth of India's four richest individuals (who are sure to make an entry in top 10 when the next Forbes list comes out) is close to 12% of India's GDP and the percentage share is sure to increase in the coming years. Of Course, Indian Newspapers will be going berserk with crazy headlines like Ambani set to overtake Gates or Helu, 5 Indians in the Richest 10 Club, India Overtake US and so on conveniently forgetting the Digital Divide. After All, India is all about Ambanis and Mittals. Welcome to the Age of Heluco and Ambidia.

Communism Paradox

Every Paradox has a fallacy. The Fallacy is not an obvious one. Take the Classic Case of Rabbit-Tortoise Paradox. Suppose Rabbit starts from P and Tortoise from Q. P is behind Q. Now, by Deductive Reasoning I will come to the conclusion that Rabbit can never surpass Tortoise, no matter how fast it runs. By the time Rabbit reaches Q, Tortoise would have reached at some point R ahead of Q. When Rabbit reaches R, Tortoise reached S, ahead of R. And the process will go on. Hence Rabbit will always stay behind tortoise. When I asked one of my friends to find fallacy in my reasoning here, he concluded that due to the presence of Friction force, this reasoning does not apply. I could not help but laugh. The fallacy in this case is a Mathematical One - it has nothing to do with absence or presence of friction. Though the Number of such Loops are infinite, still since the distance between Rabbit and Tortoise is a reducing Geometric Progression, so the distance and the time before which Rabbit catches on with Tortoise will be finite. Anyway, the purpose of the whole discussion uptil now was to let the reader appreciate the Analogy with Communism. The failure of Communism is mainly because the Ideology itself is paradoxical. It argues for Classless society. But then asks for the Establishment of Rulers - and hence a Class of Administrators is born. The fallacy is apparent here but to say that the fallacy is that central tenets of Communism are bad - there should not be equitable Growth & Development - or that Central Tenets of Communism promotes inefficiency is akin to claiming that due to Friction, Rabbit will overtake Tortoise, or on a frictionless surface, Rabbit will never overcome tortoise because surface will be too slippery.