L'adieu à l'espoir

Contrary to what you may think or may have heard, I have never been one who supports the concept of resolving issues through violence or aggression in all its forms and varieties.

In fact, I've been supportive of civilised, diplomatic yet speedy solutions to "situations"; which would explain my admiration for the Japanese businessman.

For those of you who may have spotted the subtle contradiction in the above statement....my clarification follows....

Japanese culture and customs, have been shaped by and find their roots in Edo-era Japan when Bushido was much more than a code. It was a way of life.

The Japanese approach to business has been moulded from this very code, bringing together contradicting elements such as brute aggression and civil honour.

Hence, although the Japanese may be legendary in terms of their swift and ruthless business tactics; you would rarely read of a Japanese CEO resolving his problems with a katana.

But to get to the point (which by now, I'm sure, is more of a microscopic speck to you) is that in my humble, personal, layman's opinion, violence is never the answer to a problem.

But that was me a few weeks back.

Till a few weeks back, the world, society as a whole was just the right balance of good and evil (although lately, the term "balance" is defined as being more in evils favour, but not so much that you'll feel as if toothpicks are slowly...very slowly being pushed under your nails).

Every single act or event was laden with the cliched pros and cons, the typical contradictions and the innumerable tragedies and triumphs that seem to be the mainstay of Earth, 21st Century A.D.

Closer to home, the balance was even more visible. It finally appeared that the tremendous cost borne by a community of farmers and landowners would be paid off by a simple contraption of plastic.

But there had been hope. Too much hope for peace and a future that seemed to hold promises and present opportunities across all levels of societies.

And there had been too much noise. Noise that set off alarms in the mind of a mentally imbalanced, paranoid, self-centred, irrational and moronic individual. Alarms that brought about such a rush of madness that finally broke down a threshold that had already been pushed and shoved to the point of cracking. Patience.

Patience of not only the ones in the factory, but of those in the villages surrounding it and in the towns near them and even in the ivory towers of the cities and even beyond.

No more of this nuisance, some said. No more before it's too late, said others.

Maybe it already is too late.

What began as an irritation, slowly developed into an itch, growing into a rash which has now poised itself as a tumour. A malignant cyst with the sole objective of petrifying all around it.

Modern society has often proposed a simple solution to such a problem.

Elimination. Swift, surgical elimination.

But at what cost? Thousands, Millions? Something that cannot even be quantified?

For those of you who find themselves asking these questions, know this. Nothing comes without its costs. If you believe otherwise, my sincere and heartfelt condolences to you.

Regard these lines of text as a wake up call, a call to arms, an incessant rambling, or utter nonsense.

It's not that I care. I've stopped caring about a lot of things in the recent past.

But I do admit thatI had never thought I'd ever stop caring about my beliefs and change them so drastically. And I guess I have to thank one individual for that.

My closing message to the subject of this post.

I hope, for your pathetic sake, that you realise the outcome of your acts before others do.