| Excerpt from my essay "Overlooked Underdog: How the East India Company Overcame the Odds" |
| On more than one occasion, the British have amazed historians with their ability to defy the odds. The English East India Company is one such example. Since its inception in 1600, the East India Company faced hostile Indian rulers, interlopers, and European rivals. Against such insurmountable odds, the infant East India Company had little chance of surviving beyond the first few years, yet it somehow managed to surpass expectations and establish the future hub of the British Empire. There were several primary factors which led to the Company's success in India: The ability to identify and exploit weakness, a strong economic and military base in Bengal, skilled diplomats, strong leadership, and the autonomy to make decisions without parliamentary approval. From its humble beginnings, this small band of merchants seeking trade would become the rulers of a land larger than their distant home in the North Sea. |
| My thoughts on conflict and violence |
| During times of conflict, much emphasis has been placed on patriotism and the willingness "to die for one's country." To a certain extent, these motives may be admirable in their intention. War is an unpleasant experience for both sides, neither side arguably "wins" more than it loses. Instead of dying for our country, perhaps we should be trying more to live for it. Soldiers during World War II have recounted the impersonal nature of mechanized warfare, fellow soldiers mowed down by complete strangers with whom they had no personal quarrel and perhaps even the potential for friendship. How else could we explain thousands of men traveling to distant shores to kill complete strangers? What is the sense in that? Did the men charging onto the beaches ask themselves that? Instead of firing our guns at each other, perhaps the will to live isn't one of cowardice but also more than just pacifism. If the two opposing strangers were to stay at home, who's to say they couldn't make a more positive contribution to society? They could be helping neighbours, running businesses, teaching children, developing infrastructure or inventing a longer lasting lightbulb. It's a question of using our energies effectively for some constructive purpose, easing the suffering instead of contributing to it. Many astute observers point out that the greatest technological innovations came from war. The modern day cell phone can trace some of its roots to the World War II radio. Notwithstanding these claims, these creative juices can be squeezed under a different competitive pressure. The Cold War was a compromise of a prestige race between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Space Race to land on the moon demonstrated the motivation of one-upmanship between the two great powers. Today, the emergence of multinational corporations distills some of that intensity between innovation and patriotism. We can be creative without war and at a much lesser cost. We must not unite in hate, we must help our fellow man. |