The bastard form of mass culture is humiliated repetition: content, ideological schema, the blurring of contradictions—these are repeated, but the superficial forms are varied: always new books, new programs, new films, news items, but always the same meaning.
― Roland Barthes, “Modern,” in The Pleasure of the Text
I am working in the lower house of Indian Parliament. With a background in academic philosophy and an opportunity to watch ‘democracy at work’ in the legislature of world’s largest electorate, my ‘philosopher’s conscience’ is often pulled apart by my academic/ theoretical training and the complexities of governance. But thankfully there are good libraries around, where I can escape into the pleasure of reading and furtively look for the answers .
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