Perspective

Despite the fact that I'm not the kind of person who has a strong (or otherwise) political opinion I'm writing this post. Despite the fact that the title of this blog means something pseudo-comical to me and a few friends, it is the title for this post. Because despite the fact that we are all individuals capable of rational thought, the world is a sorry place.
This post is an excerpt of a non-fiction work I received in a mail (courtesy: Delanceyplace)

An excerpt from a 1999 Zimbabwean high school textbook which presumably captures that government's propaganda on the UnitedStates--and supports the storyline that Mugabe stands up for African independence in the face of U.S. and British neo-colonialism.
The excerpt is a discussion of the international pressure on South Africa to end the practice of apartheid: "South Africa responded to international pressure and to the crisis at home by tightening the screws and by exporting terror and genocide to neighboring African countries. At home, the press was gagged. African activists were incarcerated or murdered and new laws to deprive the masses of any form of freedom ofexpression were promulgated. Reactionary groupswere sponsored by the regime to fight wars of destabilization in Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe,Botswana, Lesotho and periodically Jonas Savimbi's UNITA in Angola and Alfonso Dhlakama's bandits in Mozambique wreaked havoc in those countries. In this, South Africa was supported by the USA administration which had publicly admitted giving aid to Jonas Savimbi."The unholy alliance between South Africa and Reaganism in America gained strength during the early 1980s when the Reagan era began. The Black American Republican, Jeane Kirk Patrick [sic],believed that rightest authoritarian regimes, no matter how oppressive, were natural allies of the USA as they were useful in combating the spread of communism. ..."

Ronald Reagan once asked of South Africa: 'Can we abandon a country that has stood by us in every war we have ever fought, a country that is essentially strategic to the free world?' One might ask, 'how free a world was that of the South African blacks?' The point being made was clear. Thereafter, the USA vetoed every resolution that was intended to bring down apartheid at the UN."

[Note: Jeanne Kirkpatrick served as U.S. Ambassadorto the U.N. under President Reagan from 1981 to1985. She was part of a Republican administration, but not black.]
M. Sibanda and H. Moyana, The Africa Heritage:History for O level Secondary students, Book 3

It might be that there might a shred of truth in the theories promulgated by Mugabe and his regime. It might be that the perceived threat of British-American Neo-colonialism might turn out to be real. It might be that Democracies soon give way to dictatorial regimes - masked or bare; as "vox populi" fades probably because of hunger and death (uncared, unnoticed). Equally probable might be that what is perceived as truth many a times is brewed concoction.
It sounds strange that we call the worlds created by G K Chesterton ( The Napoleon of Notting Hill) or Joseph Heller (Catch-22) or even Douglas Adams - fictional; while reality sneers at our "Intelligence".

I guess my cocoon is again ready with the pore that let in some voices, sealed. I'll take care to put it in a labyrinth of sopranos, tenors and falsettos of case and counterarguments.
As George Carlin put it (When will Jesus bring the Pork Chops?):

I'm an outsider by choice, but not truly. It's the unpleasantness of the
system that keeps me out. I'd rather be in, in a good system. That's where my discontent comes from: being forced to choose to stay outside.

And finally, every argument starts and ends with: Perspective.

Update:
Since, I wrote this piece a few other jolts have shook the Cocoon : the serial blasts of Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Surat, the fiasco of "trust-vote" at our parliament (please note the missing definitive article and non-capitalised word - I guess it's best this when there are more heady issues), parties vying for political one-upmanship at this hour of grave security concerns and introspection, and finally an inane media that has orgasmed a decadent collective psyche; to such a scale that makes even the plot of a novel on dark humor pallid by comparision.