Each bird takes bites of the banana from the feeding bowl according to what it needs and moves out to let other birds feed fr0m the bowl. This is the normal bird behaviour, Anna and I notice each day in the feeding station in our garden.
One Barbet once showed a gregarious feeding behaviour. It picked up the only banana fruit that was left in the feeding bowl and flew away to be perched in a tree. It struggled for a while to swallow the fruit1
The above story returned to me today when I read in the Times of India, Ernakulum-Kochi edition of 17 January 2025, in page 9, a news item with the heading: 'In farewell speech, Biden warns of oligarchy taking over America'. Let me quote from what was stated in this article:
"Today an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy...Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power...The free press is crumbling, editors are disappearing. social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for pride."
The recent evidence of the damaging effect of oligarchy controlling politics was what we witnessed happening in Russia in the recent years. The wealthy elite gave the Russian president authority to exercise 'absolute power' which led to invasion of Ukraine.
The president elect of the USA is eyeing to destabilise Greenland and Canada. The technological companies who recently rallied around the president elect to sponsor the inauguration of the presidency with millions of dollars, is a small pointer to what is to come. Receiving favours and giving favours can become a norm !
The difference between the Bulbuls and the Barbet was in their behaviour. The Bulbuls were mindful of others. The Barbet was self indulgent.
I have noticed how in the recent ten years a few billionaires have emerged in India presumably because of favour received from the political dispensation of the ruling party. The unemployment and cost of living have escalated. The people in the bottom of the pyramid are stressed and exasperated.
America, a home of democracy with an altruistic polity is now taken over by the oligarchy!
Is it yet another alarm signal to the anticlimax to the virtue and practice of democracy!
A former democratic adviser, Dan Turrentine, referring to the remarks of the retiring president, Mr Joe Biden said: "I am stunned, I am no historian, but, I don't recall a more dark presidential farewell address" (quote form the TOI article).
Each day as we hear new claims and action plans from the president elect of the USA, it occurs to me that there is an axe to the root of democracy.
Promoting oligarchy is one of those anticlimaxes to the spirit and practice of democracy !
I wish we will see leaders of the world advocating a healthier approach to wealth and using resources to bring people, living in the margins to move towards the main stream!
M.C.Mathew( text and photo)
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