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Barbarians at the Gate

Those of us brought up in Mumbai are used to being rained upon, rioted (is that a word?), traffic jammed, etc. But now we also have to contend with being bombed at regular intervals. Mumbai has long been hailed as the coolest city, the best city, the most advanced city, the most spirited city and so on and so forth (mostly right about the time that we have to suffer some unfortunate hardship). So then, if we are the best, most civilised city in the country, why do we have to suffer so much? Why does every terrorist yahoo from Kashmir to Kabul want to blow shit up over here only?

The answer lies in the pages of history. These people have appeared before, under different disguises..but its the same guys. Just check this out:

"The word barbarian generally refers to an uncivilized, uncultured person, either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos perceived as having an inferior level of civilization, or in an individual reference to a brutal, cruel, insensitive person of behavior inacceptable in a civilized society...Barbarians are like children, unable to speak or reason properly, cowardly, effeminate, luxurious, cruel, unable to control their appetites and desires, politically unable to govern themselves." - Wikipedia

Every great civilisation throughout history has been plagued by barbarians. These guys have pillaged the Chinese, upset the English, and destroyed the Romans in times past. What attracts a barbarian or causes a man to become one?

The world is composed of opposites - light - dark, water - fire, etc. The barbarian is born out of the opposite of civilisation. The more civilised we try to become, the more barbarians we will face. Otherwise, how would any civilisation fall?

We give them a nice name nowadays - terrorists, freedom fighters, patriots etc. But the fact is, the purpose of the barbarian is to destroy the current system. Once his aim is accomplished, he joins the destroyed society once again and it begins the process of rebuilding. As we strive to reach the moon, develop faster computers, better refrigerators, and buy flat screen TVs, there is someone out there who will try to hold us back. For him, he holds our world in contempt. The soft, fragile existences we lead, the cocooned lives, the air conditioned cars, the soft couches, all these things and more he despises. For him, a life lived is one where the stronger enemy is defeated, through cunning means, his carefully laid defenses laid to waste and his soft underbelly exposed. Only then does the barbarian achieve his glory and can be called a man.

Appealing to him to stop, to spare our lives, to please not put our cities to the sword, are of no use. These only serve as his aphrodesiacs. The wailing of women and children, and the moans of dying men, these are what he enjoys.

Enjoy your civilised lives while you can.

The barbarian is knocking at the door, and he wants to throw your plasma TV out the window.