In 58 posts with close to 100k words, we shared a lot in 2024! Explore 2024’s biggest geopolitical shifts, cultural battles, and bold insights with Drishtikone’s year in review. See you in 2025! Happy New Year! Be safe!
When you see Russia get into existential war over Ukraine, or Israel bomb Syria or India battle with Pakistan or Bangladesh, it is not because of some whim. It has a historical and geographical context. That is critical to understand for analyzing geopolitics.
Dive into the shadowy world of the Deep State—its hidden structures, powerful networks, and the far-reaching impact on global events and control.
The gods we create. Those, who we put on a mental pedestal and weave stories around them – usually “male” (what a dastardly conspiracy) are mere placebos that many cannot do without.
Maharishi Vasistha shared the wise words of the enlightened Prahalad with Shri Ram as he took the 16 year old Ayodhya prince through the spiritual path of enlightenment.
However, one who is not Vishnu does not derive any benefit by worshipping Vishnu. One should worship Vishnu by being Vishnu. Hence, I am Vishnu. He who is known as Prahalad is none other than Vishnu; there is no duality. (Vasistha’s Yoga – Page 236, Part V, “The Story of Prahalad”)
One should worship Vishnu by being Vishnu. That is the intent of the word Upasana. A word which is lazily translated as worship. It really means – “in place/position of“.
Vishnu is not a person. It is a dimension of consciousness. Just as Shiva is. It is ever present. Indestructible. And ever-achievable. For those who are willing to work on self. Self-Effort. Purusharth.
Maharishi Vasistha explains:
Surely, whatever Prahalad attained was through self-effort, O Ram, not otherwise. Vishnu is the self, and the self is Vishnu; the distinction is verbal. It was the self of Prahalad that generated in itself devotion to Vishnu.
So….
Be a Vishnu.
That was the message of Ram’s Guru to him. And that is what he attained to.
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent” ― Victor hugo
COVID cases are simply rising and rising. Perhaps due to increased testing. Global coronavirus infections passed 14 million on Friday. First time there has been a surge of 1 million cases in under 100 hours.
For first time, world records one million coronavirus cases in 100 hours: Reuters tally – Reuters
Global coronavirus infections passed 14 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking the first time there has been a surge of 1 million cases in under 100 hours.
For someone whose campaign team has been hijacked by Islamists and extreme leftists, it is quite spectacular for Democratic nominee for the 2020 Presidential elections to talk about Russian meddling.
Sure, the Russians may have meddled. But that is nowhere near the level at which the campaigns and party narratives have been hijacked. Including the media newsrooms.
In order to appease the Islamists and extreme leftists, Biden has tried to peddle the lies on CAA law passed by the Indian parliament.
This 2020 winter, unless something really crazy happens, we think it will be Donald Trump as the President yet again.
Almost everyone has been writing “Open Letters” to almost every celebrity and politician. The problem with open letters is that they don’t sound genuine or even understand the situation of the person they are written to. For example, anyone writing an open letter to Narendra Modi, the Indian PM may think s/he knows the challenges he is grappling. But does the writer have any insight into the security briefings and insights the PM is getting? The many complex intersections of geo-political challenges that are coming up every day and pointing to a future issue that is yet to arise?
Then, on what basis do we start writing these ubiquitous Open Letters without ever being in the shoes of the person we are writing to?
Here is a well-deserved take-down of these Open Letters.
Against Open Letters – The Atlantic — www.theatlantic.com
They’re badly written, open to doubt, and fundamentally unnecessary.
What do you think of the proliferation of the ‘Open Letters’?
EV Ramasamy, aka Periyar was one of the most vile Hindu hate monger in India. He led the charge against the Hindus to a level of persecution never seen anywhere in the world. Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi seems to think that this man was some kind of giant.
Rahul Gandhi defends anti-Hindu Periyar, who broke Lord Ganesha’s Murthis and slandered Shri Ram — www.opindia.com
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has heaped praises on renowned hatemonger EV Ramasamy, aka Periyar.
Over the past few years, Modi hatred has changed into India hatred and now into outright Hindu hatred. This had started right after the BJP victory in 2014. And, this was clearly visible even in the Delhi elections in 2015.
Is Self Righteous Anti-Hindu Bigotry the new normal for Indian Secularism? — drishtikone.com
How Hindu hatred bigotry has become the new normal.
Some of the news items can leave you feeling empty inside you. In any competitive society, where one side posits everyone as an enemy and with the sanction of one’s god itself, in a way that the only punishment is death – then one needs to be careful.
Salman Used To Play Cricket With Rahul’s Brother. In Delhi Riots, He Was Part Of The Group That Killed Rahul — swarajyamag.com
Air bubble: India has announced the creation of travel bubbles with the US, Germany, and France. Airlines from these countries can bring passengers of certain categories of passengers and fly them out. Air India announced flights till August end to US, Paris and Frankfurt. Also, Air India will lower its fares as well. The air bubble is an interim arrangement to ensure continuity of travel by people allowed by governments of both departing and arriving countries till resumption of regular schedule flights. (Source)
Chinese city in Wartime mode: Urumqi, the capital of China’s far western region of Xinjiang, has gone into “wartime mode” and launched an emergency response plan after the city reported 16 new coronavirus cases on Friday. State broadcaster CCTV cited unnamed officials as telling a press conference on Saturday that the city had suspended gatherings and ordered communities to restrict visits to other households. (Source)
Robot massage: You can now get a massage without having to rely on another human being or leave your home, thanks to newly developed robot masseurs. French company Capsix Robotics and researchers at the University of Plymouth in the UK have both created robots that can give personalized massages. The Capsix model has a robotic arm with sensors and a camera that allow it to adapt to the individual user’s body shape. It has been programmed with a range of massage protocols developed by physiotherapists. (Source)
Notice to Twitter: The Indian government has sent a notice to social media company Twitter inquiring about the accounts in India caught up in the global hack that happened last week, the sources stated on Saturday. The government sought answers about how many Indian Twitter accounts were breached. The government also wanted to know that if the Indians were informed about the hack. The notice was issued by India’s cybersecurity nodal agency CERT in Twitter asking for information on the number of Indian users affected, as well as the impact on data. (Source)
Some get their panties all twisted up when one calls Congress and the Indian opposition politicians as “anti-nationals” today. But they aren’t anti-national because they are anti-Modi. That is their right.
Their anti-national credentials are hard-earned. They have worked hard for it.
Otherwise, for example, how does one explain Congress IT cell using Pakistan’s ISI propaganda agency – ISPR’s fake photoshopped material to discredit someone like Major Gaurav Arya? Pakistanis are rattled because he is in the business of rattling them. Which is a good thing. Never before has any Indian stood up brought forth truth of Pakistani establishment in front of common Pakistanis in a language they can understand. This is countering the ISPR’s work. It was long over-due. It is good for India that someone like Major Gaurav Arya is doing it.
But why is Congress rattled? Why would Congress want to simply copy-paste articles from ISPR and use them as credible material to discredit an Indian veteran? That is an important question. We have explored this question earlier in a different context.
How the Congress Party Leadership Joined Forces with LeT and ISI to Betray India — drishtikone.com
From handing over the telecom networks to Dawood Ibrahim and the Chinese in 2G scam to creating Saffron Terror Narrative to Sanitizing LeT – Congress has betrayed India’s National Security.
The context may have changed – but the equation between Congress and ISI has not changed. One is the Pakistani intelligence motivated to destroy India and the other is it’s Indian extension agency. Above article and Major’s incident, which he discusses here, will bear that out. Modi or no Modi, this kind of equation with an enemy intelligence agency cannot be easily created. It takes years, bribes, and hard espionage. Let us give credit where it is due.
New configuration and dynamics is brewing up in North and South Korea that may have larger ramifications.
Rare Earth Elements (REE) will change and rule the world as oil did in the last century. China dominates that industry like no other. And it uses that monopoly to beat down on its adversaries.
The Great Depression of the 1930s led to World War 2 in a significant manner. Current economic crises and geopolitical battles are converging. What will the coming wars be like? We look at the scenario deeply.
Attack by Hamas took a lot to accomplish. The sudden Chinese bonhomie with Syria and the bringing together of Arab - Sunni and Shia countries and actors by Xi Jinping's regime raises some questions .
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