With Small Doses Of Capitalism Cuba Can Achieve Its Socialist Idealism

Sculptor in the sugar factory of machete man to recognize the tough job of harvesting the sugarcane fields manually. Photo and Caption by Rita Puri

Part 1: Life In Cuba

Rather than the politics of communism or socialism, the face of Cuba is much reflected by its vibrant culture. In their healthy and shining look, most Cubans seem to be hardworking and contended folks who, more than anything else, enjoy their music, dance, and simple food loaded with organic fruits and vegetables.
The cultural and social aspects of Cuban lifestyle has an aristocracy and sophistication which has a class of its own in this classless society. The three most important ingredients of its cultural pride are coffee, rum, and cigar. And in that order, the popular Cuban custom is the after-dinner ritual of having coffee followed by sipping espresso or regular coffee and finally enjoying the smoke from their rooted obsession, the cigars.
Cubans, perhaps don’t care in which brand of political isms they are being ruled but they do love their customs and traditions doused with music, dance, coffee, rum, and cigar. And that could be the reason for their blissful life along with the year-round balmy weather.
Part 2
With Small Doses Of Capitalism Cuba Can Achieve It Socialist Idealism
Cigar, rum, and coffee beside being Cuba’s cultural identities also have therapeutic value in relieving the psychological hardships being faced by Cubans under decades of its “revolutionary” regime.
The 1959 Fidel Castro’s armed political revolt had a utopian communist promise of prosperity for Cubans. With massive Russian aid, the country survived in meeting the basic needs of its people, and that included Cuba’s pride declaration of free education and the “best” medical system in the world.
The dictatorial regime of 60 years of Castro did not turn the political revolt into an economic revolution. Moreover, typical of authoritarian and Communist regimes freedom of speech and expression have been almost curtailed. Since the early 60s, a generation has been fed on leftist ideologies. A mindset attitude has been created with the egoistic att
itude that its political ideology is better than capitalism.
Besides food, shelter, and healthcare, there are other earnest urges basic to the human nature. As the world has become much smaller thru Internet, these urges seek same opportunities as naturally available to free societies. The urge to express, explore, google, communicate, travel, educate, learn and earn is the aspirations which are denied, limited or switched on or off in the restricted political societies.
In Cuba, with the explosion of information thru social media and Internet, the country’s leadership has realized the prosperity of its people depends more than just earning few export dollars from rum, coffee or cigars.
While still under the shadow of Communism, Cuba is undergoing an economic revolution with capitalism making inroads mainly thru its emerging tourist industry. Capital is also flowing from thousands of professional Cubans residing abroad, mostly in Central and South American countries, who are regularly repatriating huge amount of funds which boost the nation’s economy.
With idealism of socialist goals along with a controlled allowance of capitalism, Cuba seems to be carving a right path towards social and economic achievements for the ultimate prosperity of its people while protecting its natural environment.
-by Promod Puri
(This article was written recently while on a two-week vacation in a Cuban resort hotel)

SAT-CHIT-ANANDA: The Ultimate Bliss

Question: Do you have an explanation of “Sat- chit- ananda?”

Answer: “Sat-chit-ananda” is a three-word moral thesis or maxim which has several philosophical explanations based on Hindu spiritual understanding. In all these interpretations its cardinal message promises divine contentment and bliss.

Peace, pleasure, and fulfillment in every aspect of life are the objectives one seeks. The maxim “sat-chit-ananda” is the awareness and consequence of those pursuits.

The quest begins with ‘sat,’ the first directive of the sutra. It means truth or reality. In our thoughts and actions or karmas, an analytic assessment is a requisite to realize and retrieve truth.

Seeking truth is an exercise which is influenced by mindset attitudes towards different issues or situations.

In that maze of mindset prejudiced sentiments, ‘chit,’ meaning mind, plays the guiding role to establish truth or reality.

‘Chit’ connects with consciousness. The latter is an inward awareness of an external object or fact, and these could include perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. Consciousness also relates to activities of mind and senses.

In our simple understanding, consciousness or ‘chit’ delivers guileless notice reacting to a situation or an event going to happen or being witnessed or experienced.

In Hindu rationalistic contemplation “sat’ and ‘chit’ together coordinate to produce the harvest of Ananda or bliss.

 

 In short Sat + Chit = Ananda.

Question: Would you say “sat-chit-ananda” is a Key Concept in Vedanta? 

Answer: The Vedanta school of thought in Hinduism is a comprehensive study with philosophies from the Upanishads which are part of the Vedas, the ancient Hindu texts. 

The axiom “Sat-chit-ananda” is one of the key divine approaches in the Upanishadic collection. 

However, the message of “sat-chit-ananda” finds more rational residency in the Mimamsa school of Hinduism. A forerunner to Vedanta, Mimamsa school is a pioneer of Hindu thought of realism. 

The concept is based on karma or action to achieve ‘ananda” or bliss. When consciousness and realism (truth) work together, the realization of God begins.

Please note, the God here is not a personified figurehead. It is blissful, ‘Ananda,’ feeling created by righteous actions.

-By Promod Puri

progressivehindudialogue.com  

NATIVE MAYOR OF VANCOUVER MORE THAN SYMBOLIC

By Promod Puri

It is about time Vancouver should be ruled by an Indigenous Canadian.

The announcement by 45-year-old Squamish Nation Hereditary Chief Ian Campbell to seek the Vancouver mayoral job is a progressive initiative of Indigenous leadership in the City’s affairs.

The political evolution also reaffirms the multicultural character of Vancouver which has roots in its Native heritage.

The electorate decision to have a First Nation Canadian to head the city council in the upcoming civic election is not only historical and symbolic, but it helps in creating better and more humane understanding of social issues from the Indigenous and grassroots perspectives especially to the needs of the poor, homeless and destitute citizens.

The growth and value of Vancouver need not be judged by the rising value of its real estate or as a popular tourist attraction. But how well it handles the social issues confronting its citizens. The City is plagued by mental and drug overdose epidemic, acute shortage of affordable housing, and the bureaucratic nightmares often being faced by Vancouverites when dealing with the City Hall.

With improved services and balance growth, both economically and socially, Vancouver expects efficient handling of its business.

And at the same time, the Vision Vancouver candidate amidst his Indigenous backdrop can offer a new and colorful image of the City with the flair and spirit of the First Nation cultural heritage.

(Promod Puri is a retired journalist, writer, and author. He was the editor of now-defunct Winnipeg-based Native and Metis newspaper, The New Nation. Website: promodpuri.com)

Political Evolution Through Science, And Religion

By Promod Puri
Evolution of any political ideology, and that should be imperative, involves almost all the natural and social sciences, philosophies, metaphysics, as well as the wisdom manifested in spiritual orders.

It is in this integrated approach that the political spectrum of Marxism and Leninism, conservatism, and liberalism; capitalism and socialism, or any of their simulated entities can be more acceptable to the contemporary society than their present consent.

Till now all these political stripes are meaningless notably for that section of the humanity which is still toiling in poverty, hunger, and disease; discriminated, exploited, and victimized in the politically patronized class and caste-ridden order.

The promises of these political isms, which have more of academic showcasing than their pragmatism, have not produced a peaceful and hunger-free world, while the environments are seriously damaged as well.

Autocrats, dictators, and tyrants; narcissists, illiterates, and idiots have elected and re-elected themselves under the democratic, socialist, and communist regimes. The vulnerability of the political systems has been exposed. The reason being there is no mix or an insignificant mix of scientific rationales, philosophical foresight, and spiritual sanity in their foundations.

Evolution in political ideologies is a hypothesis where the political science can expand its studies to determine as well as encourage the involvement of basic and laboratory-based sciences, philosophical, critical, and intellectual disciplines, and religious fundamentals in the political systems.

Inspired by the fact that sciences and institutional faculties offer systematic and observable physical evidence and logical argumentation, the premise can build more feasible and pertinent political pathways leading to better management of the civil society.

Political science besides being in its observatory and analyzing tasks of dealing with governing systems, political thoughts, and studying political activities, must seek a plurality of social and scientific disciplines which offer creditable connect with human behavior and environmental concerns.

Moreover, political science can be an active participant in the development and implementation of political ideology. It can review whether a political gospel needs some updating or renounced altogether.

The laws of physics, the formulas, and equations in chemistry and mathematics, or the biological and physiological phenomenon may or may not directly generate political thought, but their mechanisms guide its plausible acceptance.

However, human psychology is one science which has a direct impact in inducing political thinking, its acceptance or rejection, and its implementation. Without going into detailed explanations, it is the study of emotional and behavioral sentiments of individuals, and of the community of people related to natural, or human-made situations.

Psychology gives an assessed value of a political ideology.

The psychology of human nature or behavior impacts the practicality of any political order and its idealism of achieving economic development, social and religious equality of people.

Besides psychology, political science can also review the disdained relationship between politics and religion as the two do not sit well in the progressive political impression.

The fact is that the laws of the land with their universal application have been constituted from religious teachings to institute political ideologies.

Modern political pundits and their students or observers have not gone beyond religious customs and beliefs. They have seldom explored the intelligence and enlightenment generated over the centuries in discernable interpretations which touch every aspect of human endeavors including politics.

Philosopher T. S. Eliot “believed that democratic societies rejected the influence of an established church at their peril, for in doing so they cut themselves off from the kind of ethical wisdom that can come only from participation in a tradition. Thus, he argued, such a society would degenerate into tyranny and social and cultural fragmentation”.
(source: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Chapter: Religion and Politics).

As we are seeking a coordinated proposition to creating better workable political models in the changing times, the reality is that fitness and pragmatism of existing political doctrines are not of much help or have failed badly in their utopian vision.

The viability and development of a political ideology must go through intelligent observation in line with human psychology, nourished and assessed by social and natural sciences, and enriched by the philosophies and universal truths revealed in most world religions.

A related article by Promod Puri: Religion Has Guiding Role In Politics.

(Promod Puri is a Canada-based writer, journalist, and author of “Hinduism Beyond Rituals, Customs, And Traditions”).
Websites: promodpuri.com, progressivehindudialogue.com, and Simple Thinking – Simple Living.

UTOPIA INVITES TROUBLES

“Utopias are idealized visions of a perfect society. Utopianisms are those ideas put into practice.This is where the trouble begins.” This is called dystopia. Writes Michael Shermer Publisher, Skeptic magazine. 

“Dystopias are failed social experiments, repressive political regimes, and overbearing economic systems that result from utopian dreams put into practce.”https://qz.com/1243042/utopia-is-a-dangerous-ideal-we-should-aim-for-protopia

Redesigning A New Political & Economic Systems

Redesigning of our political and economic systems based on changing social needs as well as our ethical and environmental commitments will be more viable, responsive and revered than the outdated and impractical Socialist idealism, and greedy Capitalism. 

The contemporary world society seeks that the idiosyncrasy of the present sociopolitical Left and the Right cultures should be replaced by a new political and economic ideology. 

-Promod Puri
https://promodpuri.com/…/redesigning-a-new-political-econo…/

BETWEEN THE POLITICS OF LEFT AND RIGHT THERE IS ALTERNATIVE

by Promod Puri

From Mohammad to Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr. to Nelson Mandela and Dr. Ambedkar all had religious commitments grounded in humanism, love, compassion, and kindness to wage their political and social campaigns against slavery, apartheid, discrimination, inequality, and un-touchability based on color, class, and caste.

Gandhi’s crusade against evils in the society and his political discourse were derived from the Hindu scriptures of Upanishads advocating the concepts of non-violence, truthfulness, self-discipline, compassion, and virtuousness.

Obama, who believes in the power of faith, has sought a “serious debate about how to reconcile faith with our modern, pluralistic democracy”.

He argues, “more fundamentally the discomfort of some progressives with any hint of religion has often prevented us from effectively addressing issues in moral terms”. In a public address, he said: “secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square”. (“Obama’s 2006 Speech on Faith and Politics”, The New York Times, June 28,2006 edition).

“Before entering the public square”, what Obama is demanding instead is the infusion of true religion, without its symbolism, in the political environment to establish moral guidelines in its ideologies.

In a world, which is politically divided into two castes of Leftists and Rightists with sub-castes of Extreme Left and Extreme Right, ideological fanaticism runs high along with elements of power, ego, and greed, which are opportunistically embraced by all political establishments. In this “dirty game”, socialist idealism becomes just sloganeering.

The idiosyncrasy of the present sociopolitical left and the right mental constitution is that the leftists have a revulsion for religion. And the rightists are religious fanatics. The former ridicules and rejects religion and the latter is narcissustic illiterate about it.

And this is where the science of politics must step in to explore the true spirit of religion based on its universal teachings to find permanent residency in political leadership.

Deepak Chopra says: “Enlightened leadership is spiritual if we understand spirituality not as some kind of religious dogma or ideology but as the domain of awareness where we experience values like truth, goodness, beauty, love, and compassion, also intuition, creativity, insight, and focused attention”.

Paved with these divine and acknowledged values religion offers an ever-guiding relationship with politics in the service of humanity and its environment.

(Promod Puri resides in Vancouver, Canada. He is a journalist and author of Hinduism Beyond Rituals, Customs, and Traditions).

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