Comments on: Building a Freedom Team for India

By: NDS Kaushal

NDS Kaushal — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:48:08 +0000

How far we are from our goal of 1500 leaders that we want before we are ready to contest the election?

Regards,
NAV

By: Ashish Deodhar

Ashish Deodhar — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:34:10 +0000

@Shantanu – Madrasas symbolize systematic brainwash. They’ve been allowed to run for far too long under the name of religious freedom. They should be the first ones to go!

By: B Shantanu

B Shantanu — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:28:44 +0000

@Ashish: “I think the government could play an interventionist role if it sees that these children are being systematically brainwashed”

Would Madrasas fall in this category?

By: Ashish Deodhar

Ashish Deodhar — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 08:41:09 +0000

@Kaffir, by “impressionable minds”, I was simply referring to young children whose critical thinking faculties haven’t yet fully developed. So if you tell them that Santa Klaus exists, they’ll happily believe you!

Of course, the primary responsibility to protect them lies with their parents and teachers but I think the government could play an interventionist role if it sees that these children are being systematically brainwashed.

I guess by Rand you are referring to Ayn Rand. I don’t know how you’ve reached the conclusion that Ayn Rand has anything to do with my world view! But if you must know, yes I’ve read Ayn Rand and a few hundred other books in my life so far. I hope you don’t see glimpses of “Gone with the wind” in my writing too

Cheers!

By: Kaffir

Kaffir — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 03:30:31 +0000

=>
“I strongly believe that the government must protect, among other freedoms, the freedom of the most impressionable minds.”
=>

Ashish, and on what basis will you decide that a mind is “most impressionable”? Are there any tests out there, or quantifiable parameters? Will this test be given to all people in India? How about the bureaucracy that will entail? How will you trust the person or people who are given that responsibility to discern an “impressionable” mind from a “non-impressionable” mind? What if a mistake is made?

Look, hindsight is 20-20. We all are “impressionable” as we act based on what we currently know and believe, and based on self-reflection, we can take corrective measures or make adjustments as we go forward. But I doubt that we can reach a stage where we can say, “OK, I’m not impressionable at all.”

Aren’t you impressionable? After all, very likely, reading Rand left a strong impression on you and your words reflect that.