March on! Fellow Robots and Cyborgs!

Re: Godot

I don`t think poetry/philosophy is about concrete evidence but about concrete perception. Science is about evidence. To still defend why I think modern man is a coward is a reference to A.Huxley`s book, Brave New World (which I perceived the poet to be referring to also). TO wax a bit more, the word `brave` denotes that in the New World humans would have defeated their old fears i.e, poverty, hunger, death etc. The Brave world would have made people freer than before. That did not happen in the book, because another kind of fear replaced the old fears. The lack of power supposedly necessary for peace destroyed the creative spirit of the common people, and replaced another form of dogma in place of religion.

In my humble opionion:), the promise of the industrial age and I believe there was a lot expected from this century (for evidence, one may read anything printed in the 1940`s, 1950`s,1960`s), that because of industrialization everyone`s quality of life will improve. The LDC`s also rode on the bandwagon of science and technology. However, s and t are meaningless tools without cultural and political `development`.

Apart from the above, I do also think (contentiously) that S &T have become or are becoming an end in themselves a little like dogmatic religion. Why should we not question the life-style or the political equations that the industrial age has brought?

Why are we in the scientific community quick to take offense at a perceived attack on science. Do I sense a strong irrational attachment to science just like any other dogma or dare I say religion?

The way I read the poem, it seems to attack the the `cold & impersonal` aspects of technolgy and how we use it as opposed to `all` of science as a body of knowledge. We sure can argue with that proposition, but we definitely can all relate to the fact that science cannot be the ONLY thing central to our modern life. Though the author`s refrain is nothing new, I believe in the ultimate humanness of humanity as others have suggested below.

Why is it so fashionable to lash out at science

nowadays? Is it because it is the most noticeable

and easily blameable victim for all of man`s

evils? Sure, blame it all on the bogeyman and

everything will be much better.

Quite apart from that, I think the author is

better off writing prose. With all due

apologies, bad ideas and bad poetry are too much

to handle together.

Re: The Author

Please don`t blame science and technology for the lack of spiritualism. You cannot shove spiritualism down everybody`s throats. It is something very personal. People are either spiritual or they are not. Technology has nothing to do with it.

Re: Rishi, Reply 6

Well said. The author completely overlooks the enormous benefits technology has brought to the general populace. Pooh-poohing the tool by using the tool! As Wasiq said (Reply 3), the author is confused as to what makes human a human (or he perhaps knows it, except that the poem has no reason for being if he admits that).

Re: Saima Shah, Reply 5

Based on your interpretation of what the author says, what is so original about political power being in the hands of a chosen few? This has been going on from time immemorial. I do not see how technology is responsible for it. Technology has produced different power-brokers. So what! Furthermore, what makes you think that people in this ``Brave new world`` are ``cowards`` who are ``afraid of being human.`` Any concrete evidence?

Re: Shahbaz, Reply 2

What the hell are you talking about.

``An India aspiring to a developed status must have a technology vision.  ...We have to recognize that technology is the tool that brings faster economic growth and needed inputs for national security. ...Therefore, the need of the hour is `arm India with technology`.`` -Abdul Kalam ``

and without this technology, Udayakumar would be hard pressed to express his views through the internet. how bloody hypocritical and convenient ?

Re W:

With due respect to your questions regarding humanity, I think what the writer wants to say is that the power equation has remained the same as in the time aristocracies i.e., heavily tilted towards a few. Except that political power is now with technocrats. Industrialization was supposed to bring more equality and a more humanitarian vision but really the political power game remained the same. I took it to mean a slant on our value systems and political systems; not just on our life style.

Re W:

With due respect to your questions regarding humanity, I think what the writer wants to say is that the power equation has remained the same as in the time aristocracies i.e., heavily tilted towards a few. Except that political power is now with technocrats. Industrialization was supposed to bring more equality and a more humanitarian vision but really the political power game remained the same. I took it to mean a slant on our value systems and political systems; not just on our life style.

Nice poem, but I disagree with the content completely. Falls into the popular, and wrong stereotype that knowledge and technology is always at the expense of ``humanity``. That need not be so, and definitely is not so, as even a cursory reflection on modern history will reveal. Humans will always be human, whether they are in the caves, in ancient mesopotamia, in the roman times, in medieval baghdad, in ming china, in renaissance italy, in industrial england, in communist russia, in nazi germany, in booming america, in today`s world of computer and genetic technology and in tomorrow`s world, whatever it may be. humans will be humans, and the very presence of these verses is another proof of that.

plus, everyone assumes this, but no one really knows what they are talking about: what does it mean to be human? is being human an absolute quality set in stone that one must conform to? or is being human exactly what we have seen in the world for thousands of years, yearning, development, conflict, introspection ... ??

Well said. Let`s Indeed march on. The Brave new world is made-up of a bunch of cowards who are very afraid of being human. This programmed life is so pervasive. From one robot to another; let`s be virtual!`.