Vanishing Book Shop, Closing Magazines and Disappearing Libraries

 

Buried somewhere in the hot news of financial meltdown and
ruthless war on terror, a single column, insignificant item was
declaration of Bankruptcy by Readers Digest. Given that it
represented Christianity, admitted that it published some
propaganda material of powers that be, it still was a family
magazine of yester years which will be fondly remembered by
its readers.

Having realized that it has to compete with Audio Visual Media,
its editors have struggled to include many interesting subjects
and made the magazine full of smiles by including regular items
like " Laughter is the Best Medicine ", " Life in these United
States" and " All in a days' work ". But the facility to jump from
one channel to other with the press of a button was too much
to give up for the idiot box viewers. Enthusiasts of TV dramas,
sport channels and  free movies could not give up the luxury for
the monotonic and similar style of the magazine, month after month.

 
Death of a magazine is in fact closure of in institution and elimination
of a habit that gave some touch of family life, certain religiosity even
though alien and a  vanishing value system.Unemployment for staff and
accompanying  horrors aside the closure creates a vacuum  in the already
gloomy atmosphere. The Godless educational system and secular
governance have resulted in almost total breakdown of law and order
system, from Israel to Europe to USA. Uncontrolled mobs of youth often
found indulged in  loot, rape, arson and murder. If there is no God, why
should one fear. There are 101 ways of committing a crime and get away
with it.  Hundreds of TV channels are running a hands on workshops how
to commit a spotless crime .

Even in countries like Pakistan, the evil effect of mass media have
resulted in closure of book shops and vanishing of libraries. The other
day I visited Ghalib library and was disappointed to see very few
readers. Even the staff does not come in time, although it is located
in a very populous area; Nazimabad namely.

Nobody has the time to think that those who are seeking pleasure
have numerous avenues, but those old and the elderly, sick and
disabled who can only kill time by reading a good book or magazine,
have been left with little option. Life is going to get tougher for them.
But who has time to think?