“Living In Uncertain Times”
Age of disruption –
Disruption is the dominant sentiment today. It is leading to major political upheavals. It has resulted in escalatinglevels of violence. Technology is the biggest disruptor of all. Many large firms are being challenged by start-ups. Artificial Intelligence is threatening everything that we are aware of. This breeds uncertainty, apart from confusion.
How else can anyone explain the extraordinary spectacle of a U.S. President effecting a meeting with a North Korean leader. Till very recently, North Korea was seen by the U.S., and much of the West, as the principal part of the “axis of evil”. Not only has this been exploded with the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea meeting in Singapore in June, but the U.S. has announced that North Korea no longer poses a nuclear threat, nor is it the “biggest and the most dangerous problem” for the U.S. No diplomatic rigmarole, no joint communiqué on the details and guarantees, just a simple endorsement that North Korea would eschew the use of nuclear weapons and dismantle its nuclear arsenal is considered enough.
The rest of the world, meantime, is in various stages of disarray. Russia’s Vladimir Putin is pitted against almost the entire Western world, and is being blamed for an array of human rights violations. Several regions of Asia are akinto powder kegs waiting to blow up. Afghanistan is rocked almost daily by terror attacks by the Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or the Islamic State. West Asia is embroiled in several wars. Syria is the worst-affected and has almost ceased to be a state. Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have intensified. Tensions between Israel and the Muslim world have peaked. The war launched by the Saudi Arabia-led alliance of Arab States against Yemen is turning into a war without end. In South Asia, even tiny countries like the Maldives are challenging bigger neighbours like India.
Europe may not be convulsed with the same degree of violence, but political uncertainty is the prevailing order. Germany, which appeared the most stable of European countries till recently, is in deep crisis politically and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government hangs by the proverbial thread. In France, despite President Emmanuel Macron’s reassuring presence, strong undercurrents of political disruption are evident. A fluid political situation prevails across much of southern Europe.
WORDS AND MEANINGS –
1.Upheavals
Meaning: A violent or sudden change or disruption to something.
Example: “Major upheavals in the financial markets”
Synonyms: Disruption, Trouble
Antonyms: Stability, Tranquillity
2.Escalating
Meaning: Increase rapidly.
Example: “The price of tickets escalated”
Synonyms: Mount, Surge
Antonyms: Plunge
3.Spectacle
Meaning: A visually striking performance or display.
Example: “The acrobatic feats make a good spectacle”
Synonyms: Show, Performance
4.Exploded
Meaning: (Of a person) suddenly give expression to violent emotion, especially anger.
Example: “He exploded with rage”
Synonyms: Range, Bluster
5.Rigmarole
Meaning: A long, rambling story or statement.
Example: “She went into a long rigmarole about the different jobs she’d had”
Synonyms: Burble, Yarn
4.Communiqué
Meaning: An official announcement or statement, especially one made to the media.
Example: “The country’s foreign ministry issued a communique”
Synonyms: Release, Announcement
5.Endorsement
Meaning: The action of endorsing someone or something.
Example: “The issue of full independence received overwhelming endorsement”
Synonyms: Support, Approval
Antonyms: Opposition
6.Eschew
Meaning: Deliberately avoid using; abstain from.
Example: “He appealed to the crowd to eschew violence”
Synonyms: Forgo, Shun
7.Dismantle
Meaning: Take (a machine or structure) to pieces.
Example: “The engines were dismantled and the bits piled into a heap”
Synonyms: Deconstruct, Disassemble
Antonyms: Assemble, Build
8.Arsenal
Meaning: A collection of weapons and military equipment.
Example: “Britain’s nuclear arsenal”
Synonyms: Weaponry, Arms
9.Akin
Meaning: Of similar character.
Example: “Something akin to gratitude overwhelmed her”
Synonyms: Similar, Related
Antonyms: Unlike
10.Powder kegs
Meaning: A situation or a place that could easily become extremely dangerous.
Example: “The new tax is a political powder keg which could result in widespread violence”
11.Blow up
Meaning: (Of a scandal or dispute) emerge or become public.
Example: “A crisis blew up between the two countries in 1967”
Synonyms: Arise, Emerge
12.Embroiled
Meaning: Involve (someone) deeply in an argument, conflict, or difficult situation.
Example: “The organization is currently embroiled in running battles with pressure groups”
Synonyms: Involve, Entangle
13.Intensified
Meaning: Become or make more intense.
Example: “The dispute began to intensify”
Synonyms: Escalate, Boost
Antonyms: Lessen, Abate
14.Convulsed
Meaning: (Of an emotion, laughter, or physical stimulus) cause (someone) to make sudden, violent, uncontrollable movements.
Example: “She rocked backwards and forwards, convulsed with helpless mirth”
15.Prevailing
Meaning: Existing at a particular time; current.
Example: “The unfavourable prevailing economic conditions”
16.Undercurrents
Meaning: An underlying feeling or influence, especially one that is contrary to the prevailing atmosphere and is not expressed openly.
Example: “Racial undercurrents”
Synonyms: Undertone, Suggestion
