A Capitalist Media Cannot be a Democratic Media

I find it infuriating that nobody in the media has taken the courage to critique the appointment of right wing capitalists to key positions in the government. In a country where 800 million people live on an income of below 1 dollar a day is it a crime to look for inclusive growth that does not put all power and wealth in the hands of limited few? Does talking about and discussing poverty mean being ostracized? The way the media talks about poverty (or rather does not talk about poverty) seems to prove something.

Iraq is the best example of the dangers of mixing right wing capitalism with governance. Here is a quick recap for our friends in this country who watch the English new channels and think they get the real picture. If you can not force a country to sell its resources, start a war in the name of democracy. Flatten the country with F-16 bombers, call it “shock and awe”, destroy it’s infrastructure and fire everybody in the public sector in the name of “cleansing”. Bring in Bechtel, the oil companies, Halliburton and every other multinational company that likes to make a quick billion in a calamity. Kill about 100,000 civilians and convince the world that the locals are barbarians. Then change the laws to allow only US companies to control wealth and resources. That is how the capitalist machinery works.

The media refers to “capitalism” as “democracy”. They seem to think that they are the one and the same thing. For example, the government in China has many capitalists, but it is a communist state.

The media confuses the two words because they (the media) themselves are critical cogs in the capitalist machinery. Imagine for a second, what would happen to Prannoy Roy, Arnab Goswami or Rajdeep Sardesai if they were to stand-up and criticize Essar for it’s dealings with tribals in Chattisgarh? To get the answer to this question you have to look at who their advertisers are. One channel, had it’s parent publication sell it’s soul (read masthead) to Reliance Communications. I guess this news channel would not mind if it’s anchors had “Reliance” tattooed on their foreheads (in color and not single tone of course).

Indra Nooyi who’s company consumes billions of litres of India’s water resources and denies farmers access to water is on Manmohan Singh’s “panel”. Lakshmi Mittal would give his right arms for a concession to the Iron Ore mines in India’s tribal districts. Both people exploit common property resource for the profits of their share holders who are not even Indian citizens. The media talks about these decisions as amazing sparks of brilliance. Hidden interests?

Why do we insist on packaged drinking water? Should the government not be supplying potable drinking water to every citizen out of the tap? If they did provide potable water – it would put Pepsi Co out of business in India and many farmers back into production. But then again, when the PM feels that he needs Indra’s advice I am sure she will be talking about getting bottled water to the homes of every citizen. The media will, at that juncture, stand on its hind legs, bark and extend a paw to the advertising division at Pepsi after which it will promptly play a game of “fetch”.

Mr Mittal will not hesitate to evict every tribal on land that he feels can get him billions in iron ore. He would readily object to any move to get locals to own the mines and sell the ore in the open market. Ownership by local communities would translate to better education, healthcare, and access to water through their own revenue streams. Overtime they would realize that the foreign direct investment would not have been an investment in their future but an investment for a short-term profit at their long-term expense.

The present government though like the BJP and the CPI (in West Bengal) will sell all our assets to large corporations. These corporations will complete the classic slam-bang-thank you maam routine (without protection) and look at their EPS or EBITDA figures.

The most profitable companies seek a tax waiver. The poorest people are expected to pay VAT on salt? Dandi march anyone? We have an opportunity to lift people out of poverty by nationalizing key sectors such as mining, we have instead been told that we need to “lease” it out. Theft of common property is theft of common property even if you call it a lease.

We need a red-light district dedicated to the media. Here they can walk naked along the streets, selling themselves at any price to any bidder from a PR company. They can be wined, dined, sweet-talked into airing any story. However, unfortunately for them and fortunately for us, most of India still has their head in a place where the sun shines.

The Hindu Business Line on Drugs, Water and Pepsi

Before you come to the conclusion that I am on Drugs or Pepsi please see THIS

Here is the summary – (i) Pepsi is going to fight anemia (!!?) and (ii) they are patenting a seeding technology for dry land paddy to help farmers who are affected by the water scarcity that invariably affects farmland in the vicinity of wherever they set up shop.

Let us look at the first absurd claim – They are going to launch a soft drink with medicinal properties that will treat Anemia. The clinical trials for this will begin in India.(ROFL)

There is a very fundamental and contradictory problem with that objective. Pepsi Co are a disease themselves. They first need to get their pipes out of India's vulnerable water resources before they start wearing a halo around their heads.

• In 2002, PepsiCo India used 6.21 liters of water per liter of beverage manufactured by it. YOU do the math!
• The volume of Blue Gold that they consumed can be best described as vulgar. This is happening when the country is struggling for water!
• More accurate reports estimate that Pepsi saved 8 billion litres of water last year by applying some "new" technology. Now, how much did they waste?
• Plachimada in Kerala is an excellent example of how ground water resources are over-exploited and locals are denied the right to an equal share of water by the beverage giants. Toxic chemicals are in abundance in wells 1km away from the beverage factory.
  
• Thanks to local voices and the Supreme Court the factory eventually lost its license.

This same factory (Coke) was getting environmental awards! An eerie reminder of the Satyam Fiasco and it’s Corporate Governance awards. Every time a company splashes a Press Release about an award, I promptly take a clip off the clothesline and take it to the bridge of my nose.

The HBL article in question refuses to address the intolerable levels of pollution created by beverage companies, their poaching and unbridled looting of water resources, and the cognizant exploitation of water resources that are essential to farmers.

We have a water crises on our hands and they have the gall to launch a product with medicinal value? Since senior citizens are likely to read this blog, I will desist from profanity.

Pepsi now says they will sell soft drinks that cure anemia. They conveniently ignore the fact that excessive groundwater extraction causes diseases far graver than Anemia. The idea itself is anemic and my face turned pale the first time I read the article.

You can not fool all the people all the time! Their publicity stunts are becoming intolerable. Their claim of "sustainability" needs to be proven!

What is alarming about the piece is the tag line - "India lead country in global project; clinical trials soon". It is well known that the pesticide levels in their drinks are not great. Now they want to run clinical trials? We are supposed to be guinea pigs for some grand CSR scheme that messes with our livers?

The second issue is typically American. The profiteering is transparent in this line - "Pepsi is in the process of patenting the seeder which seeds the soil directly"

First you take away their water. Then you invent technology that seeds without water. Then you patent the technology. This vicious cycle is getting absurd.

Navadarshanam, a Gandhian Ashram in the outskirts of Bangalore has been growing dry land paddy without fertilizer for several years. They brought in farmers from North Karnataka who were experts in this crop because of the perennial drought conditions in Northern Karnataka. If Pepsi thinks that dry land farming and related technology is their invention - they need to read up on the history of Agriculture. We do not need a bunch of R&D suits from the US telling us how to plough, till and harvest.

God forbid, if we ever need to kill a large number of innocent civilians in a third world country, we will call upon the expertise of the US corporate sector and their R&D wing.

The outstandingly brilliant journalists who wrote this piece must been on drugs themselves. It looks like they lapped up every piece of bovine manure that the Pepsico CEO regurgitated without questioning it one bit.