On this 79th Independence Day, I’ve been reflecting on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s "Grammar of Anarchy" speech. He asked us to abandon "unconstitutional methods," cautioned against the dangers of "hero-worship," and pointed out the profound "contradictions" of a nation with political equality but deep social inequality.
Disintermediated? Think Again. The Rise of the Digital Gatekeeper
Ever wonder why those unskippable ads on your streaming service are getting worse? Or how a market sprang up in a WWII POW camp? It all comes back to the middleman. I dive into why brokers are essential for markets to thrive, and how they've evolved from mere facilitators to powerful gatekeepers. Discover the surprising truth behind why markets need brokers, and when they become a problem you can't ignore.
Beyond Propaganda: Defending Art for Art’s Own Sake
I probe into the thin line that separates art from propaganda. Think about it: Why do some films from the past, like Salim-Javed's classics, still resonate while others, with their overt messages, fall flat? What made Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged feel like a lecture, while George Orwell's 1984 continues to expose truths across every political divide?
Baptists and Bootleggers
While baptists and bootleggers appear to be enemies, they are actually bedfellows in the regulatory ecosystem. Baptists fight for an alcohol ban on Sundays. But this only helps bootleggers who get the entire market for themselves on Sundays.
Of Unearned Wisdom
“Beware of unearned wisdom.” - Carl Jung
Don’t Fix What’s Not Broken
“Change” is a magic word, whether in organizations or societies. In 1792, the French Revolutionaries created a new calendar and decimal time system to mark the dawn of the new Republican era. In the 18th edition of the newsletter, I dig into why this ‘scientific’ system isn’t still around. It’s a story of how tradition quietly reclaimed the lost ground.
The Tyranny of the Minority
Majority triumphs, they say. We must resist the tyranny of the majority, we’re told. But what if it’s a determined minority that actually calls the shots? Nassim Nicholas Taleb posits that an intransigent minority can almost always prevail over a flexible majority. His reasoning, though counterintuitive, is simple: “Someone with a peanut allergy will not... Continue Reading →
How PV Narasimha Rao transformed India
I pay my tributes to the statesman par excellence who successfully pulled India back from the brink.
Musings by Madhav 