Glancing at the TIME Top 100 people list.
Its a list of 100 people from so many fields of life - politics, sports, medicine, social service, entrepreneurs, artists etc. Some I have followed very closely in the past few years, some that I knew of, some I wasnt even aware of.
But then, if I have to find 100 people every year and only for good reasons, then I admit it is going to be not so easy. Still, i believe that a lot of the names here are purely due to the position they are occupying today -- and this applies mostly to the politicians (David Cameron, Angela Merkel, Michelle Obama, Paul Ryan, Michele Bachmann, Joe Biden, Gabrielle Giffords, John Boehner and a bunch of them others). Its an ode to the chair, not to the chairperson. Some of them are here due to their 1 year of fame -- Julian Assange, Wael Ghonim, Mark Zuckerberg, Colin Firth etc -- not due to consistent good work. The real hat tip goes to the selfless individuals whom I had heard very little (or almost nothing) who have been slogging real hard, anonymously, for a lot of years of humanitarian causes like water, education, human rights, democratic rights and often ended up on the wrong side of the lawmakers. No wonder there are so many of them in the list.
My winner from the list though is Takeshi Kanno. why? Read here.
Here are a few thoughts that sprung in my mind when i was scrolling through the list -- right at that instant --
1 - Wael Ghonim -- The google boy to caused the Egypt revolution. For me, he was the face of the revolution, not the brain. Every cause has a brain who masterminds it, has a martyr who is sacrificed for the cause, a beneficiary who gains due to the cause and a face who publicizes the cause. In Wael's case, he was just lucky to publicize the cause. I dont think that his contribution to the revolution in Egypt is bigger than any of the martyrs who lost their lives or who are permanently disabled / crippled. But he gets the publicity here because he was the face that everyone saw. He was the identity of the revolution.
2 - Julian Assange -- The Wikileaks guy. The only difference between him and Wael Ghonim is that while Wael was the face, Assange is both the face and the martyr in this whole Wikileaks episode. Not only has he lost his anonymity, funding and freedom, the only thing he has earned is a rape lawsuit.
3 - Dhoni -- someone who really is wearing a crown of thorns while sitting on the most revered throne in the country. The sole reason he deserves to be here is because he still has his feet on the ground.
4 - Mukesh Ambani, Azim Premji, VS Ramchandran, Aruna Roy -- Proud to be an Indian
5 - General David Petraeus -- The US Army General. Weird to read his name in this list, on the day he is removed from the post.
Those who, I feel, rightly deserve to be here --
1 - Reed Hastings -- CEO of Netflix, just for totally revolutionizing the movie rental business.
2 - Kim Clijsters -- It takes a lot of courage and character to leave a sport at the age of 23 when you are right at the top. And if thats hard enough, she became a mom, came back and won the US open twice in a row. Hats off.
3 - Aung San Suu Kyi -- Burma's democracy advocate. Takes guts to survive out there championing her cause. The fact that she is alive should get her to this list, every year.
4 - Fathi Terbil -- The lawyer in Libyan revolution. The martyr there. To take the Gaddafis, in Libya, via the legal route is not easy and he dared to do that.
5 - Maria Bashir -- Fighting for women's rights in Afghanistan. Try living in that country as a woman first, you should get your name on this list just for that.
Those who, I feel, did not deserve to be on this list --
1 - Mark Zuckerberg -- Just at the crest of the success wave of FB. Declined a big buyout offer from other companies, may have done a big mistake. With every Tom Dick and Harry jumping on the social media bandwagon, FB may not be a mighty force in a couple of years and he might be left ruing his decision. Just look at Orkut's fall from grace - nowadays, even the profile page does not load any more. Does anyone recall that scrapbook was the most craved communication medium a couple of years back?
2 - Colin Firth -- Does acting well in a good movie make you an influential person? Lucky to be at the right place at the right time.
3 - Joe Biden -- This is the first time I am hearing of him after he got elected.
4 - Ahmed Shuja Pasha -- Pakistan spy chief. The only thing mentioned abt him was that the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai happened within a week of him taking office and that he does not trust the US. How does that make him influential, important or famous?
5 - Gabrielle Giffords -- Only claim to fame is that she was shot and is now recovering in one of the best medical facilities in US, on taxpayers money.
6 - Michelle Obama -- If I have heard very little of Biden, I think MO doesnt deserve here because I have heard too much abt her.
7 - Michele Bachmann -- A politician who loves to shoot from the lip. The easiest thing to do, sit in the critics chair and point to the problem. No words abt the solution though.
6 - Justin Beiber -- Riding on the crest of momentary success.
7 - Oprah -- this one cant get enough of the publicity
8 - John Boehner, Paul Ryan -- Riding on the opportunistic budget crisis.
Not sure if you would agree with my opinion or not, but this list deserves a perusal. Go fetch!!!
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