Rock, Reaction and Revolution

Capitalism, as the dominant economic system of our time, shapes not just how we work and consume but also how we perceive happiness, success, and the meaning of life. It is a kind of system where happiness is equated with wealth, where happiness is something to be purchased rather than experienced. The system thrives by making us believe that financial success and constant work are the only paths to fulfilment, leaving us with little time and energy to truly live. In this article, I would try to explore how capitalism distorts our perception of life, why materialistic needs overshadow true happiness, and how we can reclaim the time and true priorities. Wealth over well-being. —  Under capitalism, happiness is commodified. Advertisements, social media, and corporate culture sell us the idea that happiness comes from the next purchase—a new phone, a luxury car, branded clothes. This traps us in a cycle of discontentment. When we acquire something, the system immediately presents us with ...

Lt. Lyudmila Pavlichenko We recently celebrated International Women’s Day on 8th March. The theme of 2025 was "Accelerate Action" , emphasising the urgency of advancing gender equality. It is being predicted that at the current pace, achieving full gender parity could extend to the year 2158.  The year was 1941. Lyudmila Pavlichenko was 25 years old and studying history at Kiev University when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa and the Wehrmacht began its invasion of the Soviet Union. Instead of hiding or fleeing, she volunteered for the Red Army, not as a nurse (which was how the other countries were recruiting women), but as a sniper. She became one of 2000 female snipers in the Red Army. Here, let me remind you, the Soviet Union was the only country during World War II to recruit women in the army. During training, she outshot every man in her unit. The army soon realised that they weren’t dealing with an ordinary recruit.  Career at the Red Army— Pa...