Does the fact that he was chosen by the majority make Mr Modi (G) any less of a moron, as someone who thinks that he can run a country through newspaper headlines and gimmickry? Does that change the fact that we live in a country where half the population or more do not have bank accounts (with an economy where cash transactions account for a major chunk - more than 80% - of consumer payments)? And if Mr Modi claims or tries to be smarter or wiser than others (or even "more patriotic" than others - whatever TF that means!) by making 500 and 1000 rupee notes redundant overnight (that BTW accounts for more than 85% of the total cash available in the country!), just that fact that he was chosen by a majority does not make him any less of a fool; nor does his being the Prime Minister of the country make it a wise decision in anyway. It only highlights his lack of political gravitas and his nearsightedness.
He thinks it is okay to put an entire country and its people through this nonsense just to gain points (brownie or moolah) in the run up to the assembly elections in one of the most politically important states in the country, Uttar Pradesh. And if the reports that are coming in are anything to go by, far from being the "top secret move" that it is claimed to be, many people seem to have been in the know of the imminent demonetization announcement, and the surge in bank deposits over the preceding month (or a couple of months) stand testimony to that argument. All the "steps-towards-curbing-black-money" talk is plain hogwash. If the intention was indeed to put a hold on the black money menace by abolishing larger currency denominations (as is being purported), what explains the introduction of 2000 rupee notes and the announcement by the finance minister the other day that 1000 rupee notes will be re-introduced, albeit in new clothing, within a month's time? Demonetization as a policy has a spectacular history of being a failure every time it has been introduced (not just in India, but across the world). The BJP themselves, through its national spokesman, Meenakshi Lekhi, called it a "gimmick" and a "strongly ant-poor measure" when the UPA government mulled over demonitizing notes printed before 2005. She went on to say, and I quote, "This policy of Mr. P Chidambaram is only meant for the blue blood and not for the sweating, red-blooded, toiling millions. It is not going to affect those who have numbered accounts in Swiss banks, but will hit those who do not have any bank account even in India!!” Please watch the attached video.
It just proves that this is, very simply put, a gimmick to divert attention from all the grave social and political failures of this government in the past two and a half years. Story telling (or to use their own jargon, Jumla) seems to be their SOP, or their bread and butter; first it was the "surgical strike" and now this! And, amidst all this, the funniest thing is the rapturous heights this utterly brainless announcement has taken the Modi-toadies (read bhakths) to, as is evident from their constant verbal diarrhea all across the social media! In fact I had the misfortune of having an argument (being buttonholed by would be a better expression) with a particularly officious member of their tribe - that lasted close to an hour and a half - where he had no answers to any of the questions I asked but kept on blabbering the usual "18-hour workday-two hours' sleep-best PM-UNESCO-muslim-terrorism-Nawaz Sharif peeing in his pants--Pakistan isolated-world leaders admiring our PM-and the rest of the blah blah". Just underscored something I had written about them earlier "Arguing with a bhakth is rather like trying to play chess with a pigeon; it knocks the pieces over, craps on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory!!"
He thinks it is okay to put an entire country and its people through this nonsense just to gain points (brownie or moolah) in the run up to the assembly elections in one of the most politically important states in the country, Uttar Pradesh. And if the reports that are coming in are anything to go by, far from being the "top secret move" that it is claimed to be, many people seem to have been in the know of the imminent demonetization announcement, and the surge in bank deposits over the preceding month (or a couple of months) stand testimony to that argument. All the "steps-towards-curbing-black-money" talk is plain hogwash. If the intention was indeed to put a hold on the black money menace by abolishing larger currency denominations (as is being purported), what explains the introduction of 2000 rupee notes and the announcement by the finance minister the other day that 1000 rupee notes will be re-introduced, albeit in new clothing, within a month's time? Demonetization as a policy has a spectacular history of being a failure every time it has been introduced (not just in India, but across the world). The BJP themselves, through its national spokesman, Meenakshi Lekhi, called it a "gimmick" and a "strongly ant-poor measure" when the UPA government mulled over demonitizing notes printed before 2005. She went on to say, and I quote, "This policy of Mr. P Chidambaram is only meant for the blue blood and not for the sweating, red-blooded, toiling millions. It is not going to affect those who have numbered accounts in Swiss banks, but will hit those who do not have any bank account even in India!!” Please watch the attached video.
It just proves that this is, very simply put, a gimmick to divert attention from all the grave social and political failures of this government in the past two and a half years. Story telling (or to use their own jargon, Jumla) seems to be their SOP, or their bread and butter; first it was the "surgical strike" and now this! And, amidst all this, the funniest thing is the rapturous heights this utterly brainless announcement has taken the Modi-toadies (read bhakths) to, as is evident from their constant verbal diarrhea all across the social media! In fact I had the misfortune of having an argument (being buttonholed by would be a better expression) with a particularly officious member of their tribe - that lasted close to an hour and a half - where he had no answers to any of the questions I asked but kept on blabbering the usual "18-hour workday-two hours' sleep-best PM-UNESCO-muslim-terrorism-Nawaz Sharif peeing in his pants--Pakistan isolated-world leaders admiring our PM-and the rest of the blah blah". Just underscored something I had written about them earlier "Arguing with a bhakth is rather like trying to play chess with a pigeon; it knocks the pieces over, craps on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory!!"
