On injustice, bureaucracy and Nuremberg

Most, if not all, of the injustice done in this world is done at the hand of administrators - the so called 'cogs in the wheel'. Human beings, on the larger part, have a natural tendency to avoid hurting another being just for the whim. If one's actions evince clear discomfort in somebody, we take steps to make amends. However, the sheer scale of injustice around us shows that despite our best intentions, we have not been able to stop injustice as a species. May be the reason lies with the fact that we rely on administration.
Firstly, administration has the effect of separating the decision making from the execution. In bureaucratic organizations,with multiple levels of hierarchy, a vast chasm often exists between the person who signs the paper and the person who takes the action. When coupled with the fact that the person receiving the orders has to obey them completely, on the pain of severe disciplinary action if not anything else, it creates some interesting situations. There may be some error of grammar, or meaning in the orders, leading to absurd actions being taken at the ground level. There may be conflicting orders within the same letter, or between two letters from the same office. This can happen when the person signing the first letter is different from the second, because of a transfer. It may often happen that some order, framed and signed on whim by someone higher up ( or transcribed wrongly by someone middle up), who has long since been transferred,( or has retired, or has been dead and buried), is still in force, and is making life hell for all at the receiving end, simply because there is no concept of feedback, and no one has asked for the repeal. This can give rise to 'quaint' traditions - 'quaint' for those who are not at the receiving end. The machine rolls on, creaking and chattering, but the operator is in the soundproof cab. Sample this joke:
A new monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to help the other monks in copying the old texts by hand. He notices, however, that they are copying copies, and not the original books.

So, the new monk goes to the head monk to ask him about this. He points out that if there was an error in the first copy, that error would be continued in all of the other copies. The head monk says, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son."

So, he goes down into the cellar with one of the copies to check it against the original. Hours later, nobody has seen him. So, one of the monks goes downstairs to look for him. He hears sobbing coming from the back of the cellar and finds the old monk leaning over one of the original books crying. He asks what's wrong.

"The word is 'celebrate', not 'celibate'," says the old monk with tears in his eyes.

Secondly, their is a tendency of obedience of orders in us humans. When we receive the orders of someone socially expected to order us, we tend to obey. Often there are rules and strictures to enforce obedience, but as the famous Milgram experiments showed, they are largely unnecessary. Ordinary people drafted into the experiment were willing to give 440 volts of electric shock to helpless 'subjects', simply because they were ordered to do so. In our daily lives, we see normal, caring human beings carrying out all manners of torture, simply empowered by a phone call or a scrap of paper.

In the Nuremberg war crimes trails, most German officials cited 'following the orders' as a reason behind their unspeakable deeds. That did not cut the ice with the jury, and all were punished. However, if all the injustice is done mechanically by us, is it right to punish someone for actions which were not done out of their free will?
In my most recent 'prisoners and guards' scenario, I have noticed one thing - whenever torture and injustice is being carried out by the administration, there are two almost distinct group of ground level perpetrators - those who are apologetic and restless, but are constrained to do so, and those, who are doing it with relish. Nail the latter; find out the one who is adding his own inventiveness to the mix, who is doing more than required. Just nail that vermin.

On Jholawallas (and similar creatures)

I might be repeating this point, and I am not sure about it, since I hardly read this blog myself. However, since we had another of those NGO types forced upon us this evening, I had to write this. I'll keep it short and simple. JKR, through her character Arthur Weasley, once said - "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain." Ostensibly, these jholawalla 'do gooders' are in it for 'the betterment of mankind'. All I can say, given the multitudes of these types in our times, is that either we are living in the most saintly of ages - where we can see all these angels walking the earth, or these people's real objectives are really unmentionable. At least the for profit firms are making an honest day's living. Just think.

On 'Being a Man'

This is a short and simple one. The society places a lot of value on facing your ordeal 'like a man.' We had that movie - where the protagonists were lauded as they went laughing to the gallows - one of the most memorable lines of the movie was - "Then I met the third kind..." At the time of writing, there are many luminaries who say that if you submit cheerfully to all the trails and tribulations, you become a 'master', and if you do it under duress, you are a slave. Well, I have a simple question - If someone is out there to rape you, and you submit to it without resistance, does it become consensual? Just think, when you laud the 'third kind' the next time.

On Revenge

I may have lied in one of my previous posts. I do not remember all the times I've been wronged simply to avoid wronging someone else in a similar manner. I've always dreamt that I would, someday, be in the position to, umm, payback, with interest. Now, sages have always told that no good comes out of revenge - nursing the thoughts of revenge has been compared to 'holding a glowing ember in one's hands, in order to throw it at someone else'. I disagree. It was during my schooldays that I, after much saving, was able to buy my copy of 'the Count of Monte Cristo'. It was not the full version - it was an abridged, children’s version, meant for being read over a day or two, at the pace expected of a child. I devoured the book in four hours. This was on a Diwali night (that's why we had a chance to go to the town), and I had foregone the sweets for the purchase, and I gave away my firecrackers, as I was too much engrossed in the book. It was one of the best Diwali's of my life. For here was a book that gave meaning to the life of some of the most downtrodden people on Earth - The OG 'chicks'. I can never put the book on the stock 'my favourites' lists, simply because I've not read the real book - I tried it recently, but the sheer volume of it deterred me. However, even the abridged version told us an inspiring story of an innocent man, with his innocent ways, made to suffer at the hands of few persons, each having his own reasons for doing so. Ultimately, the man in question gets rich and powerful, and has the three persons at his mercy, before having his revenge. The literary critics may differ, but I felt that the Count really enjoyed the whole process of exacting revenge, and the book celebrated the whole idea of it. No questions of keeping the wounds green or similar wishy washy stuff.

Revenge, in its purest form, is a thing to be enjoyed. As I see it, all the wrongs that you have endured are sort of credits you have on your 'deed account' - like any credit on your account, the creation had to be painful, or in other words, involving reduction in utility. However, the credits gained are not painful. To get the credit in bank account, you have to part with your cash. However, when you look at your bank statement, you see your bank balance, and do not mourn the loss of cash you had to endure to get that balance. Then why do we have to be so distrustful of nursing a revenge motive? Similar to the cash / bank example, when you are wronged, you earn this moral, mental right to exact revenge. This is a credit, and like all credits, it is an asset. To enjoy this asset, you need to savour revenge. It is not so weird an idea. If you have no liking or use for money, all the credit in your bank account is of no use. Similarly, if you do not like the exacting revenge, the credits in your deeds account are of no use to you. So, for an appreciable increase in your 'net worth', develop a taste of revenge, or at least, fantasizing about revenge. Go and get your copy of the abridged 'Count of Monte Cristo' now.

There is a thing about nursing the grievances. It is all right to have a 'deed account', you might say, but the problem is, we are mostly helpless in exacting revenge, as people more ‘powerful’ than us mostly wrong us. We are not in a position to spend the credits we earn when we are wronged - in accounting parlance, we have a surfeit of Non Performing Assets (NPAs) on our deed account. However, the financial world has shown us that with careful planning and lot of perseverance, most NPAs can become productive. Surely you might be too small, too insignificant, and too feeble right now - but then, there is a whole lot of possibility of future growth. The only thing true about the pinnacle is that there is only one way from there, downwards. That s.o.b. boss you hate would retire someday, while you would still be in prime of your working life. Again, there is also the scope for future growth. The schoolyard bullies will, in all probability (considering the general IQ of bullies and the bullied) be working at a much lower level of socio-economic pyramid. There is a probability that you would meet them someday. The only thing required of you is to be prepared to exact your revenge - be more powerful than them in this second coming. To realise your current NPAs, one has to remember to strive hard for excellence, to reach at some station while the boss you hate retires and the bully you hate turns to delivering pizza or vending shoes. Thus, the very act of keeping an eye on your earned deed credit and having a desire to realise it is a big motivator propelling you towards excellence. Remember, Edmond had to strive a lot even after he was given a map to the treasure on Monte Cristo. Had the desire for revenge not been there, he would not have become a Count, and would have remained a mere seafaring smuggler.

So, I hope this piece brings some joy into the life of the people whose life is being made miserable by some other person, wilfully. Always remember, a credit earned by you is a debit raised against the offender. Always remember to exact the revenge from this very debtor, and not from 'his kind'. Remember the way of the Count. Happy accounting.