ONCE UPON A TIME

A Prakash Rao

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2 min read

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Jan 19, 2024

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There was a time when most of us believed that the food we ate or consumed was basically wholesome, nutritious, and free from dangerous chemicals.

There was a time when advertisement of brand products was genuine & believable, and that product labels on the said edible items truly described the contents and qualities of what we consumed.

There was a time when most of the developed nations in the world believed in the integrity of our heads of state, lawmakers, political leaders, and high-ranking government officials.

There was a time when we were convinced that our children were getting a solid & sound education in elite public schools and institutions, thereby reassuring ourselves that they did not require second attention from us. As a result, we ignored them and slept peacefully.

There was a time when many of us believed that atomic energy had "peaceful & productive uses" which were perfectly safe and compatible with a happy, prosperous and healthy society.

But in recent times, all our beliefs and illusions have been shattered. The "bubble" of misplaced optimism has burst on our faces. We were for once exposed to the stark & bitter reality of the present world of deception and uncertainty.

Repeated scams and exposes of widespread consumer frauds, grand political scandals, nepotism & forgery in public sector units, rampant corruption in corridors of education & learning, have all destroyed our earlier innocence and misplaced euphoria & optimism.

We also realise now that a veil of fantasy and deception can be created with unprecedented expertise through the mass media or digital media, thereby making it impossible to distinguish between substance & simulation, fact & fiction, and reality & illusion. Fake news is now accepted as gospel truth.

Strangely and ironically, advanced technology seems to be unwittingly compromising with ethics, transparency, originality, quality, and consistency over corporate rivalry, fierce market competition, and short term monetary gains.

It is simply a classic example of "arrogant minority" controlling or manipulating the "ignorant or gullible majority". It is also a case of extreme capitalism controlling and manipulating the world.

Sadly both arrogance and ignorance are evils which can only lead the mankind to the path of chaos, anarchy and destruction !