The wizened old man, sat at a table aloneHe sat so still, could'a been carved in stoneThe distant horizon was the shimmering seaA walking stick leant against his kneeDull pebbles, his eyes, could they even see?The steam as it rose from his cup of teaHe sat, unmoving for quite a whileDid not even seem to notice a little child's smileShe walked in with her mother in towA cheery, bouncing, li'l rainbowShe waved and smiled at the old manHe was unmoved, so to him she ranShe stood beside him and stared at his faceCurious, unblinking, innocent and boldNow the attention of everyone at the placeFinger pointing at him, proclaimed, "YOU ARE OLD!"Her mother rushed to her, turning scarlet in shame"NO!! JULIE!" Now, all knew her name!"I am SO sorry, Sir!", she scooped Julie upAs the old man's attention returned to his cupHe blinked slowly and turned to the childWho was now struggling, like an animal wild"I will tell you how old, If you sit down"The mother's mouth changed to smile from a frownThe waitress rushed to help and seated the twoTook the mum's order and Julie's tooEveryone around, by this stageWas curious to know the old man's age!A pindrop silence, fell over the placeAs the old man spoke with a touching grace"Yesterday I turned Ninety nine" we heard him say"Today I am Ninety Nine and a day"Li'l  Julie was impressed, or so it seemedA radiant wide smile, on her face she beamedShe held up her fingers, and began to countAs interest in the scene started to mountA round of clapping and cheers broke out"Happy Birthday, Sir!" I heard many shout"Did you have a good one, SIr?"  Julie's mum saidAs the waitress set down a basket of breadA change came over the old man's faceA  chill seemed to settle over the place"Did friends and family wish you? Did you have fun?"He shook his head, smiled sadly, " There were none!"A heavy hush fell, everyone scared to speak"WHY NOBODY COME?"  said the little pipsqueak!"Because Julie, they have all gone ahead!"The man did not say "They are all dead!""Oh!!" said Julie sounding matter-of-factInnocence making up for a lack of tactThe old man smiled and joked with cheerHe even ordered a glass of beerA cake came with a candle, I heard the waitress say"Sir, None for Ninety nine, and One for the Day!"Julie, with her mum, left after their mealLeft smiles behind but hearts she did stealThen the young waitress, in a sight quite rareAt the old man's table, she pulled up a chairShe sat down, touched his arm, and the silence grew"Sir, Tell me what happened, to everyone you knew?"The old man scanned, her face for a whileHis voice cracked a little, but his face cracked a smileSomewhere in the past, his eyes seemed to see, Beyond the horizon, out in the sea"Everyone I loved, with whom I grew,Everyone who loved me, everyone I knew,Every brother and sister, every cousin, you see,Has long passed on, way before meEvery lover I had and every single friendEvery child and grandchild, I have outlived in the endEvery angel in my life, that God sent my way,Has now returned to God, or so they sayLast week, I said Goodbye, to my last friend - a bakerHe too has by now, surely met his maker.I can see them all, in my mind's eyeBeyond that horizon, where the sea meets the sky This world feels odd, I feel out of placeWith no hope of ever, seeing a familiar face Now, seeing Julie, was surely a treat, But I doubt that, ever again we shall meet And every new day, as I take every breath I wait for my turn, not afraid of deathNow, you are young, probably can't relate,But your kindness, I do appreciate"He pulled out a wallet from his hipAnd handed the waitress a generous tip!The waitress gently, put the money asideShe sat up straight, a picture of prideShe took both of his hands in hersAnd when she spoke, her tone was terseShe spoke softly, "Sir, I can relate.It is, by the hands of fateEveryone that I loved or who ever loved me Is now gone, from this world you see."The old man looked stunned, he started to shake Any sense of her claims, he could not quite make"But you are so young!! How can it be?I cannot quite understand, can you please tell me?"“Sir! I am originally, from a country very far,I came here as a refugee, a survivor of war.Everyone I ever knew, perished before me,They too are beyond, the horizon you see."Copyright (c) KIyer 2021All rights reserved

It was my early days in Australia. I was in the hospital emergency room with my kid in Melbourne. He had been attended to and then discharged. It had been a long night and we were relieved knowing we could go home now. Since I had arrived in the ambulance with him the previous night, we were taking a cab back home. There was a phone booth near the entrance of the emergency room that one could use to call a taxi. I used it and booked one. They said it would arrive in about 5 minutes. Rather than sit inside and wait, we decided to come out. It seemed like a good day. We were ready to go home and catch up on some sleep.Just outside the door was the taxi drop-off/pick-up spot and a covered bench. A scrawny, unkempt man of indeterminate age was sitting on it. He appeared to be one of the rare homeless people I have seen around Melbourne.Just as I and my son stepped out into the fresh morning air, I saw the homeless looking man stand up and look around. Seeing us, he started to make his way towards us. A gust of wind brought up a sudden strong whiff of alcohol and smoke from him towards us. His eyes looked rheumy, his face was grimy, unshaven and he looked a bit spaced out. He was very gaunt, emaciated and very small in loose fitting clothes. He appeared very drunk and/or high on something as he staggered along a crooked line, mumbling to himself. My kid looked at him and asked me softly, "Is he ill?""Perhaps," I replied."Mate! Would you have a couple of dollars to spare? I have not had anything to eat," he spoke revealing that several of his teeth were missing and the remaining in disrepair.I fished in my coin pocket in my jeans and pulled out a couple of coins totaling less than a dollar. I gave it to the man."I am sorry, mate! I don't have anymore," I shook my head as I patted my pocket. I did not even have the money to pay the cab until I got home. "A smoke, do you have a cigarette?" he asked again."I am afraid, I don't have one. I don't smoke." I replied.My young son, as he stood next to me, looked at the man with an honest, open interest.Just then a taxi pulled up. That taxi was certainly not the one I had called in. Ours would still be a few minutes. The cab driver in the approaching taxi gave a glance at us and nodded. He seemed of Indian appearance and a Sikh, as is common of so many taxi drivers in Melbourne and other big cities in Australia.The homeless looking man made his way to the cab that had stopped. He banged on the passenger side window in the front. The cab driver opened it a little. I and my son had turned away and were looking around, when suddenly we heard loud swearing, shouting, cursing, all from the direction of the cab. The cab driver seemed to be saying something in a quiet, steady, calm. polite but firm manner. The homeless man was trying to reach in through the partly open passenger window, abusing and threatening the cab driver."Saab! Indian ho? [Sir, Are you Indian?]" suddenly, I heard the cab driver shout and realized he was addressing me."Haan bhai! Kya baath hai? [Yes Bro! What's the matter?]," I asked. My son realized there was some trouble around and he instinctively came close and slipped his hand in mine."Taxi ke liye wait kar rahe ho? [Are you waiting for a taxi]?" the taxi driver asked."Haan. [Yes"]," I replied as I moved closer to the taxi, pulling my son along.The aggressive homeless looking man was momentarily quiet, perhaps stunned by the strange language he was hearing. He was still partly with his hand and shoulder in through the half-opened passenger side front window, trying reach for the cabbie."Aayiye mein aapko chhod deta hun. [Come on, let me drop you off]," the cabbie yelled to me."Par meri taxi aa rahi hai! [But, my taxi is on its way]," I replied. "Koyi baat nahin Saab, Pehle Aap PLEASE andhar aake baithiye!! [Does not matter, Sir, First PLEASE, come inside and sit down]," the cab driver pleaded, desperation in his voice looking towards me. "Ek second [One second]," I replied.Suddenly, I realized that the cabbie was seeking help to avoid something he saw as big trouble. I wanted to help him. I looked towards my son, who was looking at the proceedings with concern, but seemed OK as he clung to me closer, I was shielding him from the angry man in front of us. I decided to help. I moved closer to the back door of the cab."Saab, Jaldi Please! [Sir, Quickly, Please!]," the cabbie yelled, dodging the aggressive man and I heard the doors of the cab unlock. The cabbie appeared to be truly frightened of this aggressor.I pulled open the door, pushed by son ahead of me into the back seat asked him to move over quickly to the other side. The open door was now between me and the homeless looking man. I too got in and shut the door quickly. The homeless man looked at the cabbie angrily, but he looked at us too, and the anger subsided a little."See! These are my passengers. They were waiting for me," said the cabbie to the man, in a soft, almost pleading voice.The angry man looked at us for a second and then decided to call it quits and backed away, pulled out his hand with one final torrent of abuse at the cabbie. The cabbie rolled up the window and inched the taxi forward slowly.I asked him to pull aside for a moment into a parking spot."Shukriya Sir! Aapne bacha liya [Thank you, Sir! You saved me]," said the cabbie, visibly relieved. The frightened expression left him."I have already booked a cab with a different company, it should be on its way," I told the cab driver."No problem, Sir, I will call my control room and let them know. They will talk to them. It will be OK. They will understand," said the cabbie. I gave him the details and he spoke over a walkie-talkie to his cab company's control room. He then started to drive us home. As we were headed home, we took stock of each other and started to chat. I asked him what was the matter with the homeless looking man at the hospital."He is a druggie, Sir. A junkie, I know he cannot pay the fare, but we cannot refuse to take him too. On top of it, he is very abusive Sir. You see how racist he was in abusing me. I told him, you were my passengers so he would not force his way in," the cabbie said with a sad and strangely frightened expression."Why, did you not have someone waiting for you?" I asked."No, Sir, but often we are nearby, we just stop by the hospital emergency department and usually there will be someone needing a cab. Sometimes control room will send us to pick up those who book, sometimes we just come by. I saw he was a trouble-maker from how he first started to abuse me. I told him I cannot take him because I have to pick someone else up," he said.I noted that the cab driver was a powerfully built young man, likely in his late 20s or early 30s. He said his name was "* Singh", from Punjab. * Singh had come to Australia as a student, worked jobs and now had a gig driving a cab. It was apparently well paying even though it took long hours and hard work. His family had recently come over and this job was very important to him. It struck me the way this cabbie seemed scared of the homeless man who was puny and weak physically by comparison. I reckoned that just one blow from this cabbie would have knocked that homeless man out cold. But it clearly was not a physical issue. It was more a social and psychological one."Could you not refuse to take him and defend yourself or push him out when he tries to force himself into the cab or attacks you?" I asked."Oh No! Sir!! Very strict regulations. Cannot refuse service. Cannot touch customer. Cannot do anything if they refuse to pay. We can only report. If they report us, I can lose my license and even be arrested!! Even when we report to the police, they do not punish the offender. I just have to try and get away somehow, if I can without fuss," said * Singh.To lighten the mood, I made the observation to * Singh that the dynamic of the cab driver and passenger relationship was so different here in Australia from in India. In my southern state of Tamil Nadu or Kerala, a cab or the autorickshaw driver was feared - an often thuggish person who one would not dare to mess with. They were individually and collectively very aggressive, looked out for each other like gangs and were known to gouge and extort fees well over the meter readings. They had the local police and politicians backing them (or even vice versa). Long term efforts by different governments in India to 'regulate' them to become less feared has only achieved a little progress even now. This was true even in the north of India. Except in some strictly controlled places near airports with significant foreign travelers, usually the cab driver has a choice to refuse service to decide whether to take any passenger, take luggage or not, to negotiate a different fee from the official meter. Of course, things are changing a bit now with Uber, Ola and other Internet based services. But this was before the Internet era.* Singh suddenly became pensive, a sad expression came over him and he said something that struck him to the core and I could well understand it."Apne wahan Sher ki tarah rahte the Saab, yahan billi ban kar rahna padta hai [Used to live like a lion back home, Sir. Have to become a pussy cat here]," * Singh said with feeling.I observed but did not say anything to * Singh- that all over India, for many centuries, men who were obviously Sikh, were addressed as "Sardarji [Leader/Chief]" . They were known and seen as brave, courageous warriors who could be counted upon the step up anywhere that bravery, courage was needed on the side of the righteous, the law-abiding and to protect the weak even if they were not officially police. The honorific of "Sardarji" is still applied to everyone of the Sikh community. Their names had the default "Singh" which means "Lion". It was such a badge of honor that entire communities, even non-Sikhs, added "Singh" or the local version of it to their names. Such is found all over the North of India, from its Western border with Iran to the beyond Bengal in the East, from as far south as the middle of India to North in Nepal. Sometime it is plain "Singh" and sometimes it is a variation of the word "Singh" - "Sinha", "Sinh". It is seen in their family names. But the word "Sardar" - "The Leader/Chief", is reserved for the Sikhs. Even among the Lions, the leader of the pack was the Sikh - a cultural reputation and honour earned over a long time. Even now, in India, culturally there is a default respectful approach to a Sikh. No one would think of wantonly messing with one, provoking or baiting them as I had seen the homeless looking drug junkie I had seen do.To see a cab driver, that too a Sikh cab driver, on the defensive and seemingly even scared was a rare sight. I sympathized with * Singh on his individual situation with the likes of the homeless looking man. I also marveled at the effectiveness of the Australian system of regulations and culture that ensures that people from all over the world can come and work here fitting into the local system and culture. It would not work with everyone from different parts of the world bringing their old cultural dynamics to a taxi service, or any service, here. Here, there is a consistent, uniform service expectation, even in dealing with miscreants - physical confrontation to be avoided, things reported and dealt with afterwards in peace. This does not prevent some egregious acts and crimes, but it prevents most situations from escalating and keeps a service available to all that are willing to play by common law and rules. I felt less stressed traveling in a cab in Melbourne than in the old India - in Chennai or Delhi or many other cities.Copyright (c) KIyer 2020All rights reserved

It is strange that there is such hostility towards a country that has provided and continues to provide plenty of ( increasingly, to now about 90%) of all the daily use products affordably to most of the world, by their people working hard, for low wages, for about the past 30 years! The hostility is due to this very reason that they do so!! What seems to be forgotten is that this dependence is one we have willingly cultivated, developed, engineered and participated in for over 30 years!!We have 'forgiven', 'moved-on', 'made peace' and are happy to work with countries that have enslaved, tortured, looted and exploited us for centuries and still provide hardly anything without charging a hefty price! I suspect the real reasons for hostility towards China are not noble enough to be made public and have to do with a very strong envy or jealousy. Such is human nature.Copyright (c) KIyer 2020All rights reserved

(The most Charitable way of looking at the Covid-19 Response in the USA)It has been in the news recently from the people at the very top of the USA administration that the Covid-19 virus was circulating for many months in China before it was reported - apparently too late for the rest of the world to save itself the huge losses we see now. This is supposedly the basis for all sorts of claims against China.If the virus was indeed circulation 'months' (how many months before?) in China before they reported it and its characteristics to the WHO, it brings up the following points and questions.1) there was no restriction in travel from anywhere in China to anywhere in the rest of the world during the initial months of its purported spread 2) there was no restriction in Chinese meeting and interacting with foreigners 3) there would have been a lot of cases of people who carried this virus to Europe, the USA and Australia or anywhere, including India, Iran *within a few days* of its spread in China (surely it was not spreading only among Chinese). 4) So there would have been a parallel spread and number of deaths in the USA, Europe and the rest of the world lagging behind China by just a few days, max 14 days, not by months as we observed, first in Europe, then in the USA?? 5) What does that say about the ability of the USA, Europe and other *advanced countries* in detecting and reporting such an unusual virus spreading among its population?? Apparently, any reasonably competent clinician in an advanced country can identify a new, previously unknown threat fairly quickly, in a matter of days and flag it.6) What does that say about the expectation of China's ability to report with certainty, about a new virus found in the country? 7) Why did President Trump downplay the seriousness of the virus in February, long after they already knew China had to lockdown Wuhan and because of a outbreak of an unknown virus? Did it not occur to the USA to test any of its returned visitors from China or Europe - Italy in particular ? 8) Could the USA or not detect or figure out the serious nature of the virus among anyone in its population who must have visited China and brought back the virus - many of them would have been older people with co-morbidities surely?? Even if the numbers were smaller than in China? Aren't these countries supposedly always alert and prepared for advanced biological warfare?? Would the USA not be prepared to identify, respond and prepare to deal with any such dangerous virus coming from anywhere in the world? Even more so from that region of Asia from where apparently so many virus have spread out in the past?Things don't seem to add up according to the premise suggested that the virus was spreading around only in China, among only Chinese for months before it spread to the rest of the world. The response of the USA in protecting its citizens from huge losses of life and economy seems to be worse than much poorer countries so far. This can be viewed as gross incompetence when viewed most charitably...Copyright (c) KIyer 2020All rights reserved

It is amusing to see Western political talking heads constantly telling us with certainty and confidence how Asians leaders want to 'save face' and move on to patronizingly supposedly make allowances for them. This is often a way for the clueless or cunning politician from the West to deflect attention and responsibility away from themselves and appear to be 'liberal' and worldly wise. This is on display today in the issue of trying to pin the blame for Covid-19 response disasters in the USA or Europe.. Even Australia is in the game. The supposedly two sides of the issue in the Western media are those that call for outright attack ('the nuke them') crowd versus the more 'peaceful reasonable approach' where supposedly the Chinese leaders are afraid to 'lose face' with their people by accepting responsibility for all the Covid-19 problems around the world and hence need to be scolded in private, delicately. Me thinks, it is more a case of the Western political leaders who have failed miserably and publicly and want to save their own a$$es and their 'face' with their electorates in future elections. It does not appear to me that the Chinese leaders need any 'face saving' with their people, who seem to have cooperated well with their government to control the spread. Quite a different situation in many Western countries!The whole situation reminded me of an old article I wrote on this subject of the supposed obsession of Western and Eastern cultures with two different ends of the body.https://blog.chinadaily.com.cn/blog-1175065-31057.htmlCopyright (c) KIyer 2020All rights reserved

Seems like the millennials and the next generations in the Western and other 'advanced' nations will (have to) become more of producers and manufacturers than consumers as I used to fear.. Boundless opportunities abound...

It is obvious the world has changed. It is not just the Coronavirus that has us worried for our immediate survival. We are seriously worried for the times to come, post COVID-19, well after the novel Coronavirus has washed over us all, retreated or we achieve a sort of equilibrium with it, just like with so many other diseases and viruses.What seems to be fueling a lot of the worry, the anger, angst and venting in many 'advanced' countries, my own Australia included, seems to be rooted in a very powerful realization - the powerlessness, the feeling of helplessness, frustration and vulnerability when it comes to our critical dependence on other countries for about 90% of the things we use in our daily life, things we took for granted, things we got at ridiculously cheap prices for about a generation now, that we no longer have the factories, the skills or the scale of economy to produce for ourselves. While the immediate availability of some critical medicines, medical equipment, masks, personal protective equipment, ventilators, toilet paper, paper towel, hand sanitizers etc get all the immediate attention, almost everyone realizes that we cannot produce most of the other things that are less critical but just as important in our daily lives - toothbrushes, mobile phones, pens, drinking straws, plates, cups, small appliances, lighters, cling wrap, saucepans, the list is endless. We realize that if our easy supply to these at very low prices is cut-off, we cannot easily make any of them in a hurry or in a crunch. It will take years to set up factories, skilled people and supply chains of all raw and processed materials to churn out a toothbrush here in Australia that will cost $20 perhaps. It cannot compete with what is available for less a dollar on the shelves, even today. A lot of us cannot afford the more expensive options for these, even if they were available!I am constantly amazed at the value I get buying something in a $2 shop - a set of nail-clippers for 2 dollars or a pair of scissors, very good quality steel and finish, in sealed package and sold for a profit here in Australia or any advanced country. It boggles the mind for how much less the original manufacturer makes it and sells it for a profit to the middlemen along the way who export it, import it and then retail it and sell it to me, the consumer, for $2!! Twenty years ago, the quality of these simple products was not very good, but they keep getting better and better. The price has changed very little in twenty years.Now, we ask ourselves the critical the question - Can we produce something like this nail-clipper or toothbrush in Australia for $2? Can we do it soon after this Coronovirus crisis passes? Can we do it ever? Can we produce it for say $5? How much are we willing to pay for it? How soon can we do it? How exactly do we do it? Should we attempt to do so? We need to answer these questions, however uncomfortable they may make us.Well, on each and every one of the about a hundred products around the house that we use regularly, critical sometimes, bought cheaply and in plentiful supply from around the world today, we will need to make a considered decision - should we attempt to make it ourselves? How critical is it? If we want to establish a manufacturing base in our 'advanced' country now, should we only make some products and not others? Does it not make sense to make many products so that the scale of economy of large numbers benefits us using the common raw materials for many products? Now, every developed and developing country in the world today should and will ask these questions of themselves.So, what is the way forward to overcome our present situation of over-dependence on others and the scar it has created on our psyche?I would contend that one of the critical changes we will need to make in our 'advanced' societies is - as a permanent feature, we need a large section of our society to be motivated to manufacture the little, unglamourous products we use everyday. We will need to value a life lived in 'giving to one's country' by running profitable, capitalistic, viable, useful businesses. The countries we import a lot of stuff from have managed to do this to a great degree. The skills, expertise, knowledge of STEM and other subjects in a sound manufacturing base is one of a nation's treasures.We will need to encourage and empower enough people to be everything from entrepreneurs to workers in highly productive factories, to do so earning modest wages and profits, to do so with a vision of larger time frame than their own working lives - taking into account the future and lives of their children, grandchildren and future generations. These producers will need to keep their expectations and greed within reasonable limits - the fear of joblessness on one hand and the motivation to do something for the future generations on the other hand can together help to achieve this end. We will need to motivate others to support these efficient producers of goods and services - policy makers to reduce the burden of regulation and taxes, the consumers to commit some loyalty to local manufacturing, the culture and arts to value and encourage an active capitalistic culture of local businesses. We will need to generate respect for a spirit of 'giving of oneself' to build a better society for our future generations that live within our country. "Sacrifice", except in military seems to have become a term with negative connotations. Sacrificing the desire for greater profit and settling for a smaller profit is considered unusual in our present culture.We will need to change the mindset of our banking systems, our political leaders and policies in government in significant ways. Our current culture unrealistically sends the message that only the 'biggest' dreams, highest technology, the most glamorous professions or products or loftiest goals are worth pursuing, encouraging most to aim for those and sending a lot of our kids ill-prepared into real life. Our current culture encourages too much selfishness and a sense of entitlement in all of us. While our present levels of wealth-plus-debt has made life easily sustainable and comfortable (relative to many countries from where we import so much stuff), the current Corona crisis and its aftermath will, without our extra effort, provide the real fear and possibility of much lower quality of life and hard struggle. That is one of the main sources of 'motivation' for a lot of people to work hard and to succeed in making something or making something of themselves. I grew up in somewhat similar circumstances in my youth in India.Here in Australia, we have raised a generation or two that is used to getting things instantly, cheaply, taking things for granted, encouraged to pursue their most attractive dreams at the 'higher' levels of a fanciful pecking order and taking most of the 'lower tech', mundane products and services for granted - to be provided by others in other countries, for the cheapest prices, readily available. Now that we have been bitten by that flawed notion, it is time to make a change. It is time to learn from countries that have developed the capacity to produce the most mundane and unglamorous products we need to use everyday or those that are critical for some life-and-death situations!!Until we reach a level of maturity of a functioning manufacturing base in Australia, we might have to accept and see some not so high quality products, that are not as cheap as we are used to, but we must persist and help improve over time, not just criticize and desert them. Loyalty and commitment to a nation in this area of self-reliance in manufacturing of crucial items should be applauded not condemned as 'narrow thinking'. This new moment in history provides some incredible opportunities if one looks at it from this angle.Copyright (c) KIyer 2020All rights reserved

The weakness of the existing system is usually exposed quickly when it comes under severe, sudden stress. This is what is happening to the world at large now. What seemed like it was all good, strong and thriving suddenly seems very vulnerable and collapsing. It is not that we did not know about the details, we just did not pay sufficient attention. It has been hubris.Now, we are all forced to look at our flaws and flawed systems honestly and address it. Those that do so and survive this crisis, will build more stable, stronger foundations for the world at large. Humans are capable of major changes when they have to overcome major challenges.It is a case of Murphy's law - what can go wrong (however unlikely it may seem) will go wrong.Good luck and best wishes to all.

This coronavirus will change so much about our way of life, so fundamentally. In the future, human history will be recorded as BC (Before Corona) and AC (After Corona). Stay strong and as safe as possible, friends. We live in interesting times. Love, -KIyer

*Was discussing with my uncle from the USA today.*The adults in developed Western countries have mostly long invested in creating a system of honesty, meritocracy, organization, basic necessities of water, food, shelter, rule of law and individual freedom and choice, in which their children and future generations can get fairness, opportunities to rise economically almost without limits and a good life doing something that they are passionate about. They often used to 'push' their children out of their homes around 18 to given them a chance to develop independence and resilience, not because they loved them any less or did not care. They had such faith in the system that it could both take care of their children and grand children even if estranged and treat them fairly. This is true long-term vision. It is this system which is the magnet for the millions who migrate or want to migrate to from other lesser developed countries. This is in typical contrast to Indian parents and adults who have traditionally looked after and support their own children and family directly and invested less in developing a viable system like the West. I note that the Western system has been developed over about a 2-3 centuries, firstly for their native people and opened up progressively to immigrants from '3rd world' countries over the past 50 years or so.We are among the those who have made our homes here now. We need to contribute to building up and keeping the system for the future even if we did not contribute to building it before we were here. I note sadly that this system too has been corrupted, even while it is being constantly added to. There are large sections of people who are the victims of this corruption - in debt, in cycles of generational welfare, bringing in the wrong kind of people who exploit, corrupt and destroy the system and make it more like the places they left behind. The Millennial generation is definitely the one to experience the cumulative effects of the corruption and decay of a beautiful meritocracy that encouraged hard, honest work and rewarded it.I fear for the system. I welcome efforts such as President Trump's to look out for the best interests of his country and try to reverse some of the trends and reverse corruption. I think it is crucial that such succeed around the world, in each country doing its part within itself.Copyright (c) KIyer 2020All rights reserved