Beyond Buzz, Rhetoric and Symbolism

By Nita Chicooree

Let us face it. The internet, media outlets, and social networks bring a plethora of information to our doorstep. We just have to click a button and the world comes to us. Organizations and lobbies with an agenda make full use of modern communication technology to reach out to, influence, or manipulate the highest number of people to push forward their ideas.

Needless to say, during elections, whether in a superpower country or a small island state, such a flow of information pouring out from every corner, with numerous candidates vying for the presidency or prime ministership, the public may fall prey to hollow slogans, buzzwords, and endless rhetoric about the right economic measures. A big country like the U.S. may veer towards a U-turn in handling the economy and trigger a global recession, critics of Trump would insist. Conversely, in a small economy like Mauritius, there aren’t many new sectors to choose from, and we simply have to pick and choose after which an avenue of opportunity will open up.

Ahu Deryayi has become a symbol of courage for millions of freedom-loving people around the world. Pic – PBS a

We are no longer in the 1990s. Handing out freebies has its limits. Character assassination, likes and dislikes may be used to influence voting, leading the public to react impulsively and emotionally. An opinionated lot may stand firm in their political loyalties, come what may. However, the stark truth is that, at the end of the day, we have to distance ourselves from slogans, buzzwords, fiery speeches, and the symbolic value of prominent figures in political parties and start thinking for ourselves. Set aside prejudices, private interests, and think of the future of the country as a whole. Here is the rub: Do not let yourself be fooled by wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Push back emotions and use your brains for honest and proper discernment. Pragmatism is the best option. Quite challenging, though.

* * *

Life Without Social Networks

A tragic event that happened more than twenty years ago flashed back to mind recently. A young man became enraged and lost his mind when his parents refused to let him watch the channel of his choice on television. Instead, they continued watching their own shows. He went away and came back with a gun. He shot down both parents.
Such was the addiction to the box that deprivation led to insanity. Today, television is no longer a must. It has been replaced by the internet and social networks on our mobile phones, an outstanding Israeli invention. At the end of the day, however useful they may be, they are consumer products. Addiction to them leads people to throw tantrums in the streets if, for some reason, they are deprived of their favourite gadgets for a short time. Not everyone absolutely needs Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for online publicity and customers.

What they call freedom can also be seen as enslavement to modern gadgets. Shut them down, and watch people lose their minds and vent their anger in the streets. Never mind that the country has a high rate of diabetes and blocked arteries, despite successive governments’ steady efforts to create health awareness on the MBC daily for years. These are health issues that deprive families of their loved ones. In other words, people still do not know how to feed themselves properly or what to eat and drink. What drives them mad is the suspension of social networks, which in many cases are a public space for frustrated and ignorant folks to meet, pour out nonsense, and splash private lives and events. It is a multi-billion-dollar business, and it needs billions of addicts.
While some websites are genuinely informative and educational, it’s ironic that in an age of unparalleled communication, modern societies are still plagued by so much loneliness. 

What they call freedom can also be seen as enslavement to modern gadgets. Shut them down, and watch people lose their minds and vent their anger in the streets. Never mind that the country has a high rate of diabetes and blocked arteries, despite successive governments’ steady efforts to create health awareness on the MBC daily for years. These are health issues that deprive families of their loved ones. In other words, people still do not know how to feed themselves properly or what to eat and drink. What drives them mad is the suspension of social networks, which in many cases are a public space for frustrated and ignorant folks to meet, pour out nonsense, and splash private lives and events. It is a multi-billion-dollar business, and it needs billions of addicts.
While some websites are genuinely informative and educational, it’s ironic that in an age of unparalleled communication, modern societies are still plagued by so much loneliness.

* * *

Ahu Deryayi: Standing up for her rights in Iran

Ahu Deryayi has become a symbol of courage for millions of freedom-loving people around the world. The video of this brave young woman, a student of French literature, walking in her underwear on her university campus has gone viral.

Deryayi’s act of defiance came after she was reprimanded by the Morality Police for not properly wearing her headscarf. During her interrogation, she grew frustrated with the situation, removed her clothes, and threw them at the officer in protest. When the guard refused to return her clothes, she walked out of the room and onto the university grounds in her undergarments, defiantly asserting her right to freedom of expression and personal autonomy.

Unsurprisingly, Ahu Deryayi was arrested and held in police custody. As is often the case, the latest reports have focused on her mental health, with the authorities suggesting that she may be unstable. However, to any rational observer, it’s clear who truly needs psychiatric attention—and it is not Ahu. The real issue lies with the theocratic regime that continues to oppress its people.

Deryayi has been hailed as a freedom fighter, a lioness, a symbol of resistance standing tall against the iron-fisted government of Iran. The world watches with bated breath, fearing for her safety, and wondering what may happen next. One can only hope that the Iranian authorities, mindful of the growing unrest, will show restraint and avoid further violence.

In the face of such oppression, it’s easy to see the difference between those who fight for freedom and those who only express outrage online. Social media warriors and keyboard activists can shout about injustice from the safety of their screens, but none of them would dare to face the life-or-death consequences that someone like Ahu Deryayi endures. In the free world, people become outraged over every small erosion of their liberties—but how many are truly willing to risk everything, as she has, for the cause of freedom?

The answer, sadly, is all too clear.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 8 November 2024