Disrespect - Thug Life

 

 I woke up to the ding of a WhatsApp message at around 3 AM, only to find a YouTube link sent by a friend in Russia—a former proponent of a laissez-faire economy, a citizen of another country, but now a fervent, born-again Putinist.
It was barely a couple of hours after the White House fiasco involving Trump and Zelensky when I discovered that all of Russia was in the throes of an orgiastic frenzy, rivaling porcine orgasms in duration.

I won’t delve into global politics or take sides here but will focus on two key elements: Zelensky’s two big mistakes and the keyword—“disrespect.”
It is apparent that the American side had set the stage earlier to create a media circus, though not at Zelensky’s expense. Possibly taking a cue from his Indian friend who blames Nehru for all the world’s ills, “Do-lund Trumph” and his team sought to use the opportunity for some crass Biden-bashing aimed at domestic audiences.

Here was Zelensky’s first mistake: he should have known better than to interfere when Trump and Pence were engaging in their thug talk on domestic politics. He should have simply stayed silent. But call it the stress of his job or the habit of lecturing the world for the past three years on how Ukraine wasn’t getting enough support—Zelensky seemed to have lost the ability to keep quiet.

His second mistake? In an attempt to appeal to the western masses and possibly endear himself to his sponsors, he spoke in English—a language in which he can barely structure a sentence correctly. As a result, he failed to understand when a conversation wasn’t meant for him to respond to and ended up getting bullied by two boorish individuals for whom English (or their version of it) is a first language. Incidentally a regular American trait, never saw or heard of a Britisher engaging in such behaviour.

Lastly, the word “disrespect”—a term that still triggers me, taking me back to my childhood and teenage years in Assam. There, getting picked on by elders—be it older teenagers, adults, or teachers—was a part of life. Any time you stood your ground against bullying or mistreatment, the statute of “disrespect” was invariably thrown at you. You were disrespectful to those older than you, and that was the final verdict—they were the judge, jury, and executioners. It’s plain thug talk, used whenever someone wants to pick a fight. Corporate managers use it for intimidation, street hoodlums use it, gang members use it, and prison inmates use it. A one-sided, irrefutable declaration—regardless of whether the accused actually did anything to warrant it or not.

J.D.Wance, the self-styled hillbilly thug, and Trump, the maverick, just put on a TV show at the White House—representing the U.S. exactly as most of the world sees them. Well, with the possible exception of legal and illegal Indian and Latin American migrants, along with those aspiring to join their ranks.

A New Year, but will it be Happy

The first day of the year brings symbolic "new beginnings," but in reality, it's just another date on the calendar. Unlike the winter solstice, January 1st lacks any astronomical or religious significance. Across major cultures, there are at least five different New Year dates. This one owes its existence to a Roman-era calendar, later corrected in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII after the Julian calendar had accumulated ten extra days.

Interestingly, the Orthodox New Year, celebrated by believers of the Orthodox Church in Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Balkans, and Ethiopia, is also known as the Old New Year. According to the Julian calendar, it falls on January 14 in the Gregorian calendar. This festival coincides with the Hindu Makar Sankranti festival in North India, Pongal in the South, and Bihu in Assam, in India's northeast.

Astrologically and astronomically, this is the day the Sun moves from Sagittarius to Capricorn, heralding midwinter and the approach of spring—essentially, a true New Year. The Romans celebrated it as the festival of Janus, the two-faced god, and Christians later adopted the same date as the start of the new year. So, Pope Gregory XIII was not only poor at math but also bereft of any astronomical knowledge.

For most startups, January 1st is business as usual—or rather, no business, as usual. Aggregators might see some revenue, but burn rates far exceed it. Brick-and-mortar businesses that call themselves startups fare slightly better, but tech developers have it the worst: no clients, no investors, and no income. Most founders spend their time scrounging for grants and attending training programs at various incubators, hoping for tips to break the stalemate and win clients—or an investor’s ear (with an elevator pitch first perfected in their local language).

Not surprisingly, in India—with its Gordian knot of red tape and bottomless pit of graft—the fiscal New Year aptly starts on April Fool’s Day.

The only people with relatively secure jobs seem to be incubator staff—organizing workshops, hand-holding startups, and recruiting "success stories" faster than a cult leader gains followers. While some programs offer value, many are repetitive or led by individuals with little entrepreneurial or sector-relevant experience. Real-life issues are rarely addressed, such as: how founders can cope with or assist aging and often sick parents in other towns, deal with pompous and ignorant jury members in pitching sessions, or handle potential investors who treat them like dirt. Then there are shameless friends and relatives asking for loans the moment a grant comes through, chartered accountants who bungle compliance and saddle you with hefty fines—or worse, demand higher fees than agreed upon and surprise you with extra bills the moment any funds trickle into your account. And let’s not even get started on predatory existing businesses eager to tear newcomers to shreds, or the outright antipathy of the government machinery.

For most startups, January 1st is just another day of struggle. The only difference? The hangover makes it worse.