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Politicos' Ad mania and democracy

The glitzy, saturation-level, personal advertising campaigns being conducted by some top politicos, underscores the cruciality of money-power in local electioneering. Money certainly speaks; more so when elections come around and candidates with the required financial clout fall over each other to catch the public eye and consequently their vote.

But, as the Freedom Polls Watch points out, there is a fundamental unfairness in this state of affairs. For, while some of those politicians of the ruling party seem to be possessing boundless wealth for self-advertising and consequently enjoy better prospects of being elected, some others seem to be lacking even the barest of means to publicize themselves and their causes. In other words the prospects of big money proving effective - regardless of how this money is earned - are great.

A point that needs pondering on in this connection is the disclosure by some knowledgeable UPFA sources that the UPFA advertising budget doesn't even approximate one tenth of the corresponding budget of a high-flying Minister of the present regime.

There are also posers here for the Inland Revenue authorities. How are the moneys being earned for these blockbuster advertising budgets? From where are the money bags coming?

One could even raise the more fundamental issue as to how democratic these elections are, if only some politicians could access the relevant media to "sell" themselves to the public. Whereas, theoretically, all running for election should campaign on an even playing field, some politicians seem to be better placed than others by virtue of the extent of their personal wealth.

Accordingly, the Elections Commissioner should exercise his diktat in the cause of justice and ensure that no microscopic minority of powerful politicians enjoys an unfair advantage over others in the area of self-publicity.

Certainly, a ruling by the Elections Commissioner to the effect that advertising budgets of all political parties should not exceed a stipulated minimum of expenditure, would prove a step in the right direction. Apparently the Commissioner enjoys the constitutional authority to do this.

Quick action would be needed by the Commissioner in this regard because the currently spiralling advertising costs of some election candidates could only aggravate the problem of corruption and lead to further social decay.

We also condemn as most unethical and unfair, a decision by a private radio station which is anti Freedom Alliance, that refused to accept an advertisement featuring the President. This is crass arrogance and a blatant violation of the election laws, which deserves the most severe condemnation and punishment by the Elections Commissioner..

Besides, the democratic foundations of the State would be weakened. For, what should be aimed at is a widely-representative democracy. How could this be achieved if only the rich and the powerful acquire the potential of influencing public opinion?

Future soldiers

Today's wars are not all about guns, tanks and planes. Weapons still play a primary role in any war, but the soldiers wielding them are backed by an array of high-tech devices and systems. The latest computer and communications technologies are extensively used in strategic planning and in actual combat.

The traditional combat soldier has nearly been forgotten amid the emphasis on technology-driven warfare. Yet, no conventional war could be complete without the infantrymen who risk their lives. Now, India and the United States are planning to work together to develop gadgets for "futuristic land warriors".

The new-style soldiers would be used in low-intensity conflicts and carry equipment such as compact radio transmitters, Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices, antennas and built-in heating/cooling systems, agency reports said.

Miniature batteries will also be developed to power these gadgets. India's Defence Research and Development Organisation and US laboratories will begin the development work in June. The two countries would also work on a project to develop vaccines to counter biological and chemical warfare.

The troops that we see in action today are light years ahead of their World War II counterparts. They have more firepower and instant access to battlefield information. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and satellite pictures give them detailed intelligence on enemy activity.

They can communicate far more easily with the next man as well as with planners thousands of kilometres away. The India-US project is an attempt to improve on these technologies.

Compact radio units would make battlefield communications easier. GPS units will enable soldiers to pinpoint their exact location and to manoeuvre guided weapons to their intended targets. Soldiers sometimes have to wear the same combat uniform for several days, enduring extremes of temperature and foul weather. Built in heating/cooling systems will help them withstand such variations. They will thus be ready for action in any condition.

Some decry the huge budgetary allocations for military technology development. Indeed, the world can do without some weapons systems with awesome destructive capability. But conventional military technology almost always has a civilian spin-off.

Many products that we take for granted have originally been manufactured for military use. For example, clothes that can resist temperature extremes will find many applications in the civilian world as well. Technology designed for war could also help us to live in peace.

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