My latest status message on gtalk reads "Wearing shoes is passe', the fad now is to aim and throw!". Very apt in the new development.
The trend setter of course was Muntazer who belted one out at Bush (Lets not get into the right and wrong of that), and that has been followed up by lots of people in India. Election time can be hard for both people and politicians. The Indian list seems to be growing by the day, first Chidambaram, Advani, even the great sardar, Manmohan Singh and very recently, Karnataka's very own Yeddy.
So what is with the shoe show? There are several theories. Let me put forward some of them.
The most obvious theory is one put forward by one of the "social scientists". First Muntazer throws a shoe at George Bush. That becomes a sign of revolt against oppression, and spreads like a good virus (just trying to be nice to the virus with that oxymoron, in the times of the swine!) across the globe creating more Muntazer's out of seeming normal and socially modest people. Well, this is the theory most would agree with.
Would our politicians like that? Are you kidding? Being painted with the same brush as George Bush, no ways!
The Indian Political Analyst and Politician theory would go like this. Each of the political parties would call it sabotage of image (Image, isnt that virtual?) by the opposing party. The only flaw in the "opposing party" theory is that no one really knows the meaning, not even the top brass politicians. Few decades ago there wasnt any opposition, few years ago it was only 2 main parties. But now its like a plethora of options for the Indian electorate. See the effect of capitalism, people have options like never before; the only problem being the options are like going to Big Bazaar during a "sale" - the only items on the sale are not worth it!
Anyway, getting back to the point, the trend of throwing shoes can be included under categories of political rhetoric such as - political vendetta, sabotage, bullshit and more bullshit.
The final theory on the trajectory of the shoe, is something I believe was created from the bowels of the Communist camp. Its simple economics - Supply meets demand. Sales and Marketing. Most people dont see the difference in the two. Marketing is the process of creating the demand and sales is to supply that demand. The communist theory is fairly simple. The whole affair of throwing shoes is actually a corrupt nexus between corporates and goons. They would say that historically corporates and goons are so associated and have got their noses up each others backsides that you dont know where one ends and the other begins! Whats the nexus doing now? In the age of recession, people are not buying shoes. So create a demand by setting up a market for throwing shoes. The next step is to supply that market. And voila, there is the profit. The CEO's of the leather industry are possibly being payed million dollar profits because of our beloved politicians.
After the last theory, I really want to find my old pair of sneakers.
The trend setter of course was Muntazer who belted one out at Bush (Lets not get into the right and wrong of that), and that has been followed up by lots of people in India. Election time can be hard for both people and politicians. The Indian list seems to be growing by the day, first Chidambaram, Advani, even the great sardar, Manmohan Singh and very recently, Karnataka's very own Yeddy.
So what is with the shoe show? There are several theories. Let me put forward some of them.
The most obvious theory is one put forward by one of the "social scientists". First Muntazer throws a shoe at George Bush. That becomes a sign of revolt against oppression, and spreads like a good virus (just trying to be nice to the virus with that oxymoron, in the times of the swine!) across the globe creating more Muntazer's out of seeming normal and socially modest people. Well, this is the theory most would agree with.
Would our politicians like that? Are you kidding? Being painted with the same brush as George Bush, no ways!
The Indian Political Analyst and Politician theory would go like this. Each of the political parties would call it sabotage of image (Image, isnt that virtual?) by the opposing party. The only flaw in the "opposing party" theory is that no one really knows the meaning, not even the top brass politicians. Few decades ago there wasnt any opposition, few years ago it was only 2 main parties. But now its like a plethora of options for the Indian electorate. See the effect of capitalism, people have options like never before; the only problem being the options are like going to Big Bazaar during a "sale" - the only items on the sale are not worth it!
Anyway, getting back to the point, the trend of throwing shoes can be included under categories of political rhetoric such as - political vendetta, sabotage, bullshit and more bullshit.
The final theory on the trajectory of the shoe, is something I believe was created from the bowels of the Communist camp. Its simple economics - Supply meets demand. Sales and Marketing. Most people dont see the difference in the two. Marketing is the process of creating the demand and sales is to supply that demand. The communist theory is fairly simple. The whole affair of throwing shoes is actually a corrupt nexus between corporates and goons. They would say that historically corporates and goons are so associated and have got their noses up each others backsides that you dont know where one ends and the other begins! Whats the nexus doing now? In the age of recession, people are not buying shoes. So create a demand by setting up a market for throwing shoes. The next step is to supply that market. And voila, there is the profit. The CEO's of the leather industry are possibly being payed million dollar profits because of our beloved politicians.
After the last theory, I really want to find my old pair of sneakers.
