Save the political jargon: Facts please!

A recent online article in The Trumpet news magazine caught my irritated attention. The article titled President Obama's Disagreement with Winston Churchill 'claims', citing history and Winston Churchill's philosophy, that President Obama is making a huge mistake by underestimating Germany and not paying attention to what a powerful and influential Germany represents - as suggested by Churchill during World War II.
Every journalist or reporter that covers a story has a right to their opinion. Leaking it over into a story without stating all the facts is not only bad journalism, but it is also irresponsible. For most people, the 'mainstream media' is their only source for news. People don't have the time to dig up facts and old international affairs to crosscheck stories and facts claimed in the media bias. Which is why a good reporter will give sufficient background information and even share facts that might seem to hurt his or her own position on the issue at hand.
Winston Churchill has been raised on a pedestal in America. Agreed that he was a tremendous leader with a vast influential potential and stood for the premises of democracy, capitalism, and 'righteousness' as comprehended by most Americans. But he also had his share of questionable episodes that are often overlooked by the Western media.
During his time served in the British forces during India's independence period, Mr.Churchill had been less than supportive of India's independence movement. Not only did he openly state his discontentment with the idea of an independent India, he also conveyed his dismay with Gandhi's nonviolent movement. He went far enough to state that Gandhi's death was a necessity and that him going on a hunger strike and surviving triumphantly was a failure of Britain's national interest. There are historians that claim that Churchill's wartime government during the Bengal 1943 famine should bear significant blame for the mortality of 3 million people.
Leaders have to thrive midst controversies. Given. But to highlight the positives while ignoring questionable judgement and decisions is a disservice to the masses.
It is considered taboo for leaders of the West to sway against vetted leadership. It is time to take a detour from acceptable and expected leadership and pave way for one that is dynamic, fair and encompassing. Reporters have to promote the idea of global leadership and newfound principles that don't rely on stale, stereotypical schools of thought. Churchill with India, Nixon on Iran Contra Affairs, Roosevelt and his socialist policies, even Jefferson and slavery have all been branded as great leadership, yet share substantial controversial politics. Perhaps Obama's stance on strong German leadership has an agenda bigger than what was needed to be fetched 60 years ago. He doesn't have to equivocate with political jargon and blindly follow acceptable stances given today's world affairs. A good leader's decisions don't need unwarranted following. They can be backed up with unfaltering pragmatism and the truth.

Find the complete Trumpet article here: http://www.thetrumpet.com/?q=8378.7073.0.0

Education Revolution Is In Motion...

Babysitting has it's joys. I've been around my 5 and 7 year old niece and nephew lately. It's interesting to see how children learn how to socially interact and associate cultural inferences to what they learn in classrooms and from peers. The important topic of the 'kind of education' comes to mind when evaluating well-roundedness and social intelligence.
Being brought up in both India and the States has brought to my attention the significance of academic versus social intelligence. There is a thorough and distinct difference that exists in ways how children are exposed to new ideas and topics. Granted it is next to impossible to beat years of solid academic foundation, but it is also crucial to note that a well-rounded and multifaceted training technique has its perks and advantages than to just having a sound academic background.
Because the academic base in Western school systems is weak, there are plenty of third party services available to weaker students for help with basic schoolwork and comprehension (i.e. Kumon, Sylvan) . The American education system, however, does an excellent job in providing students the opportunity to excel at sports, music, school government, hobby and social clubs, etc. which in turn leads to creating more opportunities for pupils to grow socially and pursue passionate arenas for expertise.
The Indian school of thought is a little reverse in this aspect. No doubt that the Eastern culture focuses more on the mathematics and sciences, sometimes mixed with rote learning techniques, but in turn the overall populace is much more sound in solid academic principles. However, students lose out on social and passion driven activities that eventually lead to more rounded individuals overall.
With the reverse of the American case in play, third party institutions that provide such skills within the Indian education system are the pillars needed to fill this gap for young students. One such institution is Discover Life based in New Delhi. Working with private as well as public schools, they seek to provide the training and skill set that can be of great asset to youth in today's highly competitive and fast paced industries.
The answer to a perfect education is a complex one and requires restructuring and reprioritizing on several levels of the education sector, but perhaps the first step towards acheiving this ultimate goal is to address the weakest links of the system. A confident and goal-oriented group of young individuals have the power to focus their energy and interest given the right direction through an organized learning experience like Discover Life.
The extra effort that will be required to fulfill the program successfully will in turn be an asset to the participants involved and pave the path for a well prioritized and real world applicable education system in the future.
Having been lucky to experience both, I truly believe that these types of goal-driven and leadership programs are the answer to India's intelligent yet confused student base. Do you get it? A revolution is in motion.