Additional goals

[Sanjeev Sabhlok <sabhlok@almaak.usc.edu>]

Dear Sri,

You have rightly pointed out that we must incorporate a few basic goals
of a more 'humane' and non-competitive nature.

On Fri, 4 Dec 1998, Srikumar wrote:

> Nation before community and society above self
> Family as the basic unit of society
> Community support and respect for the individual
> Consensus, not conflict
> Racial and religious harmony

In the way the manifesto is currently structured, these go into the
Preamble. 

I do differ with a few of these, in the following way:

a) nation before community and society above self

	I think it that a nation is an artificial concept. We create it
	since we need some security, and a sense of shared values and
	identity. There was no nation in the sense that we know it
	today, about 300 years ago. And of course, before that
	there were more warring situations in the nature of 	
	competitive tribes

	For a nation to serve us, it must provide for the continuous
	security and enhancement of one's family.

	I would rather, as a citizen, demand the policies that
	enhance my family than try to put up my "nation" on a
	pedestal. The USSR was on a pedestal, and then the whole thing
	collapsed. If a nation does not SERVE me, then I withdraw the 
	underlying support toward that nation itself. In other words
	I advocate a strongly contractual approach toward a nation
	and the government. I do not provide not expect anyone else
	to provide subservience toward this abstract thing called
	nation.

	If a nation becomes rich and powerful, it will AUTOMATICALLY
	deserve my allegience. Nazi Germany was thrilled to glory
	when they walked into Poland. Conquest and victory and power
	sustain allegience. Weakness and poverty and corruption do not.

	Instead of this statement which tries to invert the relation
	ship between a citizen and the state, I would state as a goal:
	
	"Let us make a nation that we all wish to serve."

	Note the word "wish" - in other words, it is voluntary service
	that we seek to evoke; not some 'duty.'

	We will wish to serve our nation if we have incentives to serve
	it. Today, Prof. Guptara and many others have the incentive
	to LEAVE India and even change citizenship. I have NOT
	seen any incentive in other nations to try to become citizens
	of India. 

	If India continues the way it is doing, it can only be
	controlled by dictators and for a very short time. People
	DO NOT and have NEVER, in the history of the world, held
	to such ideas as service to a nation. The nation has to serve
	them else they leave, and create a better place for their 
	family.

> Family as the basic unit of society

	I could not agree more. This is the one solid unit which
	is biologically and economically sustainable. There are 
	tremendous economies to a society if a family is intact. 

> Community support and respect for the individual

	This is what the 'free citizen' piece is all about. We want
	to guarantee freedom of choice and human rights. No 
	vague words like 'respect.' We want to show that respect
	by encouraging people to make their choices, openly.

> Consensus, not conflict
	
	That is the best one. I suggest that we modify it as follows (in
	terms of a goal):

	"To work toward a society where the best policies are chosen
	through debate, and a consensus build around them."

	This also takes care of Shashi's point on bi-partisanship.
	Actually, a very interesting comment made on US politics
	showed the bi-partisanship operating here in many cases.

	It was suggested that people do not care to vote that much
	in USA since both parties advocate a similar agenda. That is 
	very true; and is known as the median voter theorem in the 
	literature: the tendency of polarities to shrink in a 2-party
	system. We are far from that polarization. First of all
	we need to distinguish ourselves on economic principles
	as being to the left or right. Then, once two parties are
	formed, you will find this 'centric' or bipartisan behavior,
	hopefully on the 'best' policies. 

	We cannot have privatization unless we all agree on it as 
	a nation. Else, one fine day, a party will privatize and the	
	next day, the opposing party will nationalize. And so on.

> Racial and religious harmony

	Included in the Preamble.

Shashi's 2 other points (checks and balances, and bottoms up democracy),
are already there inside the manifesto. However, he has a good point and
we can include it in the goals:

	"To provide a high quality governance and the best democratic
	practices."

In other words, I have proposed (based on 2 proposals submitted) that we
expand the existing 3 goals into 6. Please approve these and these will
go up on the web.

Thanks,

Sanjeev



	
	




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