Elderly Indian man wearing a red turban and white clothing, seated outdoors with arms resting on his knees

The Brightest Bulb in a Dim Chandelier

India remains the only BRICS nation still worth watching—but survival is not ascent. Demographics and geography offer inputs, not guarantees, and history is crowded with almost-powers that stalled below the summit. India’s promise is real, but so are its constraints. The question is not whether it can rise, but whether it can change fast enough to matter.
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High-contrast black-and-white close-up of a human face partially obscured by dark paint or cracks, one eye sharply visible, conveying damage, endurance, and introspection.
Becoming …
Loss ends stories without asking permission. Careers collapse, identities dissolve, and the future stops negotiating. What remains is not hope, but…
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Hyenas and vultures feeding on the carcass of a large animal, surrounded by dry, rocky terrain.
The Cult of the Manager
When Orwell warned us about totalitarian control, he imagined boots and banners. What he missed was the spreadsheet. The tyranny arrived…
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Dark, fog-covered forest at night, illuminated by faint blue light, evoking fear and isolation.
The Gospel of Fear
We haven’t outgrown witch hunts—we’ve digitized them. The bonfires are online, the sermons televised, the priests replaced by experts clutching data…
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The Hydrocarbon Heresy

Yes, of course the climate apostles would appear infinitely more credible if they chose to live like medieval peasants instead…

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