The earth is flat, not round!
Mike Hughes, a U.S. citizen who believes and advocates that the earth is flat, not round, was killed in a rocket accident near California on February 22.
Mike, who is also a skilled 'stuntman', had set a unique record in his life. That's why he was known as 'Mad' Mike Hughes.
The fact that the earth is round was estimated by the Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras about 2500 years ago. Shortly after that, the philosopher Aristotle proved it.
Without believing this fact, Mike was trying to prove that the earth was flat. For this, he used to run various campaigns. How many of them had planned to reach space by riding their own rocket.
Not only Mike, but many people in the world still believe that the earth is flat. This group lives in the American and British territories. They also have their own organization called 'Flat Earth Society' and have about 200,000 followers on its Facebook page.
Their argument is that in this world, wherever you walk, the earth looks flat and so does the experience. The ball is nowhere to be seen. So the earth is flat.
This group of people think that the sun and the moon are only about 3000 miles above the earth and their circumference is only about 32 miles. Similarly, the stars are thought to be about 3,100 miles high. Satellite imagery of the globe has been falsified by NASA and other government agencies.
They are very skeptical about this and say, 'The flat earth is round and the elite, especially the businessmen from the royal family like Rockefeller, are deceiving and ruling the people.'
They see it as 'conspiracy theory'.
Conspiracy Theory:
The fact that the earth is flat became an example of a 'conspiracy theory'. According to Eric Oliver and Tom Udka, professors of political science at the University of Chicago, about 50 percent of Americans believe in at least one conspiracy theory.
According to Professor Oliver, people who believe in conspiracy theories fear conspiracy according to their beliefs. Such people believe in occult powers, such as magic, ghosts, and phantoms.
We also have people who believe in 'conspiracy theory'. Exactly how many, but there are many. Durbar massacre, Madan-dependent scandal, Yeti Manav etc. They strongly believe in unproven arguments rather than in official matters.
There are many such doubts in the society and sometimes even the politics is being affected by such mentality. Lately, our MCC project has been suffering from this.
The difference between asking a question and suspecting a conspiracy:
In a democracy, the culture of questioning, monitoring and debating plays an important role in making society transparent and accountable. It is necessary to have questions and debates from the center to the local level on issues that are not understood and doubted.
But the culture of questioning has not developed well in our society. In our society, which is evolving from a gurukula education system and feudal culture, asking questions is not so positively accepted. Even the political leadership does not like to be questioned. Instead, they question the questioner.
Even if no one likes it, the society should continue to ask questions and the right to ask questions should be protected. If we want to make the society conscious, transparent and responsible, the culture of debate must be allowed to flourish.
There is a big difference between asking questions based on facts and just suspecting a conspiracy.
For example, it makes sense to question or supplement what facts make the earth round, knowledge grows.
But if he insists that the earth is flat and round, it is a conspiracy. This makes the debate meaningless.
Less questions but more apprehensions:
We also have structural problems in the culture of asking questions. For one thing, our education has never taught us to question. There is no think tank to analyze the facts and stir up the ideology of the society. That is why questions are more likely to be emotional than facts and evidence. Impulse helps to create suspicion.
Our universities are almost dormant in this regard. Even in that, they are overwhelmed by political maneuvers. There are no government 'think tanks', but they have become a place to appoint their own cadres.
In this case, the non-governmental sector can do something. But for a long time, the government did not help develop knowledge through the non-governmental sector. Even if someone tried, they were easily discouraged by saying 'dollar-oriented'.
Not only in the society, but also in our Parliament, it is not seen that necessary debates and useful ideas are included.
Let's look at the last example - this year's budget was presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister. There was a debate in the parliament but it was like tying a cat in mourning. It was passed without any amendment saying it was a practice from the Panchayat. Why debate if you don't want to modify and improve? MPs have no role in the budget? Even the lawmakers who passed did not understand their role.
MCC: The question is whether there is a suspicion of conspiracy
This is the culture of our debate and the questioning. Let's look at MCC in conjunction with this.
In the history of foreign aid of more than six decades, there has never been as much discussion in any project as there has been in MCC. Projects with bigger and more far-reaching effects have been implemented and are being implemented, but in general, more than one branch of the Ministry of Finance was not much interested in them.
But the long-running discussion and debate about MCC is a really good start.
Questions have been raised on social media, and discussions are taking place among experts. MPs and political parties are also holding discussions. As a result, much has been made public about the project. So maybe, the recently published 'Ad Transparency Index-2020' has been evaluated as a 'very good' project based on transparency.
Analyzing the information that has become public from the discussions, this project is an important contribution to our infrastructure development (especially transmission line and road improvement). Which our government has proposed after a long study and discussion.
But if you only suspect a conspiracy, there is no answer. For example, it was rumored that 'US troops will now come to Nepal from the door of MCC and build a military base'.
Looking at the discussions so far, the MCC is purely non-military assistance. Such apprehensions are not answered.
Let's look at the next part: "This is a US strategy to encircle China."
The correct answer is not found. There is only doubt. Suppose, and this is the American strategy. For this, the United States can use other projects. You don't have to fall into this trap.
For example, there are many foreign-assisted projects in Nepal that are bigger and more far-reaching than the MCC. East-West Highway Improvement is a World Bank project. The Muzaffarpur-Dhalkewar 400 KV transmission line has been constructed with the World Bank's money (मिल 99 million). There was no debate, no doubt.
If the United States wants, it can infiltrate its interests through the World Bank in Washington!
Geopolitical significance:
Since we are in a complex geography, we should not form a close relationship with anyone and a distant relationship with anyone. Both India and China are equally important and sensitive to us. At the same time, relations with the United States and Europe are equally important for a balanced international relationship.
So why the fierce opposition from the MCC?
In our society, as discussed at the outset, there is a large and powerful group of people who believe in conspiracy theories. Who is always skeptical and talks of alternative streams. I prefer to 'romance' in the discussion than to discuss for a solution. This group has been well used by the Maoists in the past. The same group is also active against the MCC.
There is another group of 'capitalist communists' - adopting the lifestyle of the middlemen-bourgeoisie but giving the classical discourse of the proletarian communist in politics. This group has long been led by the Communist Party. So whatever they may have in mind, they cannot say that they accept US aid in public.
There is also a third group - frustrated by prejudices such as having been denied a US visa at some point in the past, or not being selected for the project. This group is arguing that this is the opportunity.
The fourth group is the opposition within the government. Joe thinks that by raising the MCC agenda, Prime Minister KP Oli can be dissolved.
Joe, wherever, anyway, is trying to ‘confuse’ others by suspecting a conspiracy about MCC. They are also very active and creative on social media and YouTube.
Interesting thing about Mike Hughes saying 'Earth is flat':
After Mike's death, his public relations representative, Darren Sutter, told the LA Times:
Mike Hughes' rumor that the earth is flat was merely 'for publicity'. This issue helped bring Mike into the spotlight. But, as far as I know, Mike himself had no belief that the earth was flat. That was not an empty thing.
At first, everyone had some misgivings about MCC. When the debate took place, the project selection process, its management and the legal aspects of our treaty-act provisions are almost clear.
Even those who have long feared the MCC and wanted to come to the fore have no doubt that the project is important for the country's infrastructure development.
Donating 40,000 Corona Testing Kits is no small feat for us at 500 million. Moreover, it should not be lost when financial resources are shrinking. The problem is, skeptics, like Mike Hughes, are reluctant to acknowledge this fact in public because of their ego.
So, it would have been easier if the leadership of the government at this time had given our 'Mike Hughes' the opportunity to do 'face saving'!
