Countries can be classified broadly into two categories – Red light and Green light culture. Japan, South Korea, Israel, and the United States of America can be clubbed into Red light culture. India can be an example of Greenlight culture.
What is Red light or Green light culture? We can understand it with simple examples.
When we move on the road, we come across the signal on the road. Whenever there is Red light signal on the road, we stop and when the green light starts, we move on. This reflects the discipline of the people in the society when they follow it or not. When people follow the signal, we can say they belong to the Red light culture and when they ignore it, they belong to the Greenlight culture.
India is an example of Greenlight culture. That means we normally ignore discipline in most of the aspects of our life.
It is observed that red-light culture societies are more developed. One of the reasons for their development is their high level of discipline. It is observed that if there is a discipline in society, then everyone gets the opportunity to grow. This led to the overall development of the society and country.
On the other hand, in Greenlight culture, discipline is mostly ignored which results in nepotism and corruption. Many times talented and skilled people do not get the opportunity because of nepotism and corruption which hinder the growth of society.
pallav mishra
As a perspective on the aforesaid post, I’d like the readers to consider Green light culture from Rousseau’s ‘General Will Theory’ point of view. He said, “Man can be forced to be free”. Antithetical as it may sound, it makes sense when we see, being forced is actually key to be free.
Just as in the post, taking the example of Traffic Lights, while using roads, people have to stop at red light to ensure everyone’s safety. This includes their safety as well, which is the necessary condition of freedom. So, people are, as Rousseau said, forced to stop there against possible temptation of jumping red light, in interest of their Freedom, which is nothing but acting in the interest of General Will against our Actual will (of breaking the law), ergo, we are “forced to be free”.
In conclusion, Greenlight Culture are yet to attain the freedom as Rousseau proposed, because of their inability to act on General Will, whereas, Red light Culture are actually ‘Free’.