When we strip ourselves of emotion, thought, technology, language, culture; everything that separates us from even our most intelligent primate cousins, we are left with a shared primitive intuition; the survival instinct. Ultimately, everyone must fight for survival in different ways, and seek social status due to the social Darwinism inherent in society. It’s aContinue reading “The Ventilator Crisis: Survival Through Lottery?”
Category Archives: Politics
What is the Monetary Value of Life?: The Cost-Benefit Analysis Conundrum in Coronavirus Lockdowns
In recent months as governments have responded to COVID-19 in different ways, and especially as the toll of global lockdown on the world economy and on India is slowly being felt, some questions arise. Millions have lost their jobs, millions others have been reduced to poverty, unable to meet even their basic necessities, raising theContinue reading “What is the Monetary Value of Life?: The Cost-Benefit Analysis Conundrum in Coronavirus Lockdowns”
Russell Conjugation and Political Polarisation: The (Emotional) Elephant and it’s (Rational) Rider
The Elephant and The Rider The psychologist Jonathan Haidt uses a helpful analogy for thinking about the relationship between reason and emotion in human behavior, arguing that we have two sides: an emotional side (the Elephant), and an analytical, rational side (its Rider). Haidt’s analogy has it that the Rider is rational and can, therefore,Continue reading “Russell Conjugation and Political Polarisation: The (Emotional) Elephant and it’s (Rational) Rider”
Political Correctness and Free Expression in the Realm of Comedy
A recently resurfaced video of an Indian stand-up comedian had many people out for blood, both online and offline. In the clip, comic Agrima Joshua joked about the upcoming Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue that is to be made in the Arabian Sea. She described some of the comments she had read online that spoke aboutContinue reading “Political Correctness and Free Expression in the Realm of Comedy”
Game Theory in Modern Warfare: Sino-Indian Galwan Standoff
On Monday night, Chinese soldiers killed at least 20 Indian soldiers, including the Commanding Officer of a battalion at Galwan valley in the ongoing violent standoff between Indian and Chinese forces at the Galwan river valley. The question that South Block has been, and will be agonising over is, how to effectively respond to continuedContinue reading “Game Theory in Modern Warfare: Sino-Indian Galwan Standoff”
The Candid Contrarian 