Broadband as a Basic Human Right

As the month of November comes to a close, I'd like to review something that happened near the time November had just arrived. Towards the beginning of this month, the United Nations declared broadband to be a basic human right. That's right, broadband. Not just the slow old dial - up that many people are still used to, but the high - speed connections currently available only in first world countries. The muscle behind this decision was Dr. Hamadoun Touré, the head of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Dr. Touré compared the social media of today as the printing press of half a century ago. He underlined this statement by pointing out "Facebook" T-shirts being sold in the heart of Tahrir Square, Cairo. According to him, any place without broadband connections, is a place without ink or paper. To him, the freedom of speech should be bundled with the ability to broadcast it at high speed. Dr. Touré went on to say that broadband will keep unsavory regimes in check. When asked to explain how the so called unsavory regimes would be held back, he explained that twitter is not allowed in China. This is quite an odd thing to say considering that China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council which can only mean that according to him the United Nations indiscriminately allows oppressive regimes to be at the heart of their operations. Dr. Touré also said that “Communication is a very powerful tool in the hands of the people and when you take it out of their hands, it’s a bomb waiting to explode.” What he forgets is that communication is an even more powerful at the hands of the wrong people. The very concept that telecommunication companies don't check who they give broadband connections to as long as they pay their bills is alien to him.

Though the idealistic view adopted by Dr. Touré charming as it is holds some merit, I can't help but notice the childish thinking that has been put into his decision. When opposing ideas clash, they make an impact that affects everything around it. Add to that the power of broadband internet, you have the means to start wars from your very own keyboard. Instead of wasting time naively declaring broadband internet as a basic human need, the United Nations would be of much more use if it actually did it's own job. Increasingly it is seen that instead of "preserving the peace", United Nations so called peace - keeping troops are bombing nations all over the world. Maybe the only reason they are called peace - keeping troops is because they keep the peace all to themselves by ensuring that the rest of the world is constantly in conflict. You see, nations in conflict are weak enough not to be a threat to the nations who use the U.N as their puppet.

Another point that ought to be considered behind this decision to elevate the position of broadband to a basic human need is that it is backed by the current richest man on earth Carlos Slim Helu, a man who just happened to make his billions from telecommunications (yes, that includes broadband). The stench that you all smell is corruption, plain and simple.

The 14 Day Week

There was a time long ago when 5 day weeks were a reality. As ambitions soared, 7 day weeks started becoming increasingly common. Now we live in an age where change is the only constant and the world around us is constantly in motion. Like the second hand of a clock, we keep plodding down our path inexorably towards what we perceive as destinations but are only points of origin for the next journey. However, in  the middle of all this, multi - Tasking is the call of the hour. As each seconds of our lives are split between a large number of work to be addressed, the grim reality gripping this world is that we are all working 14 day weeks.

Tired eyes thinly veil the anger and resentment we hold within ourselves for being victims of circumstance. As frustration gives way to depression, disillusioned souls seek new outlets. However, even displays of pure emotion are frowned upon by the 'civilized' society where everyone is expected to conduct themselves in a fashion befitting the general concept of propriety held by the dominant generation.

And so, countless souls remain trapped in a rut, stuck in a pit of their own design. Everyone is ready to blame 'the system' for their own misery, but they forget that they are as much governors as they are the governed as far as deciding societal ethical codes are concerned. It is as much the individual as it is the masses that is responsible to decide the very definition of morality.

We forget that every time we try to push people away to make way for ourselves, we force others to push back with equal force if not more. The unnecessary aggression eating away at the narrow core of humanity left in this world is the cause and we are the creators. It is us who are the parents to the birth of the 14 day week.

However, let me be clear so as not to be misconstrued, my message is not to drive the general populace into a state of lassitude and lethargy, rather, it is the adoption of equity. I say, finish your own work and let others have theirs. Take time to enjoy the wonders you build and climb out of the pit you've dug ever so deep. It's never too late to try!

Dark Knights Rises !

The PDPU chess team (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Knights") has done it !
They are the returning conquerors after being crowned champions in DA-IICT's sports tournament where they dominated the chess event. Current and former members of the chess team hail this as a landmark achievement as after getting a flurry of silver medals, we have finally clinched the gold !

A big congrats to all who made PDPU chess what  it is today ! Let's hope this winning streak continues for  many tournaments to come.