The epidemic of "Therapeutic alienation" in India

Last weekend I watched a very interesting interview on PBS. John McWhorter, the author of "Winning the Race" talked about what is wrong with welfare and black empowerment. He described "the heroics of idle protest and theatrical rage" that characterize today's black leadership as "therapeutic alienation."

He says ..."therapeutic alienation: alienation unconnected to, or vastly disproportionate to, real-life stimulus, but maintained because it reinforces one's sense of psychological legitimacy, via defining oneself against an oppressor characterized as eternally depraved."

It was an ah-ha moment for me. I finally have a term for what desis from M.K. Gandhi to today's leaders indulge in. Ok, I am sure the reference to Gandhi will draw criticism from some quarters. But, think. Did Gandhi care more about winning independence or proving the British as morally inferior? And, today we have people of all kinds indulging in similar behavior (though their morals, inf any, are really low).

Now, there is a new report that was leaked in sync with the Uttar Pradesh elections that finds Indian muslims that worse off than other religious groups. It is a call for religion based reservations. This is when about 75% of indian muslims are covered by existing caste based reservations. So, on one hand we have this high sounding concepts like secularism, equality and equal opportunity while on the other hand we have government policies that promote division. How long before the shias, sunnis and other groups all ask for their own quotas?