Shashi Tharoor demands reparation payments from UK for colonial rule

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor made a passionate argument demanding reparation payments from the UK to India for 200 years of its colonial rule, prompting a vigorous debate online with his speech becoming a hit on social media like Facebook and YouTube. “India’s share of the world economy when Britain arrived on its shores was 23 per cent,” Tharoor said at a debate at the University of Oxford recently. “By the time the British left it was down to below 4 per cent. Why? Simply because India had been governed for the benefit of Britain. Britain’s rise for 200 years was financed by its depredations using social media for marketing in India,” he said, debating: ‘This house believes Britain owes reparations to her former colonies’. Viral Video: Shashi Tharoor’s candid speech about how Britishers owe India big time left them red-faced Throughout his 15-minute speech, the 59-year-old former UN diplomat spoke about the “moral debt” owed by Britain to India – and argued for economic compensation, BBC reported. Although he did not provide attribution for his statistics in the speech, some historical economic research backs up his account – although his opponents in the debate argued that India benefited overall from British rule. “The passionate speech touched off a huge social media marketing strategies debate online, with many young Indians commenting on the video, which has been viewed half a million times since being posted on YouTube last week,” it said. The comments on social media forums were dominated by young Indians, and Tharoor’s name was among the top trends on Facebook in India for several days. “A lot of truth has been exposed about colonialism,” one viewer said. “The Brits only looted and got kicked out when enough became enough,” another commented.

Boston Bomber Blames Venue, Social Media For Conviction

The extraordinary salience of the Marathon Bombing and their aftermath in the life of Boston and the surrounding communities, are the basis of the defendants’ motions for change of venue. According to the 22-year-old bomber's lawyers Judy Clarke, David Bruck and Miriam Conrad the 12 jurors who sentenced Tsarnaev to death were unfairly influenced by the media coverage following the 2013 attack that killed three people and injured more than 250 others. "A new trial in a different venue is required due to continuous and unrelenting publicity combined with pervasive connections between jurors and the events surrounding social media marketing manager the Boston Marathon bombing that precluded impartial adjudication in both appearance and fact," Tsarnaev's lawyers wrote in a 39-page document submitted to the U.S. District Court in Boston, reports People. While admitting that, "He did it," during the opening statement, the legal team argued that events memorializing the bombings that happened during Tsarnaev's trial were a reason for seeking a re-trial at a different venue. "The extraordinary salience marketing with social media of the Marathon Bombing and their aftermath in the life of Boston and the surrounding communities, the basis of the defendants' motions for change of venue before trial, continued unabated during the actual trial and sentencing," the filing states. "The totality of the circumstances demonstrates that it was error to deny a change of venue," reports Boston Herald.

Social media demands responsibility, accuracy

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools will feel the pinch of cuts to offset an estimated almost $6 million deficit this year. It's unpleasant for staff, students and the community. But any irresponsible use of social media to lobby for or against certain staff or budget reductions, or against district officials, only puts salt in a growing community wound. Unfortunately, a recent post on the Parent Discussion Group Facebook page put plenty of salt in many wounds by inadvertently publicizing sensitive information. It began when the 300-page draft budget document was posted on the school district website as part of the Board of Education agenda. District officials, however, did not review the document for sensitive information prior putting it on the website. That was compounded when the social media marketing software parent also neglected to review the 300 pages before posting on the Parent Discussion Group Facebook page. As fast as lightning, the information spread like wildfire. Social media in all their forms, including Facebook and Twitter, are powerful. Information is the life blood from which social media derives their strength and popularity. Social media effectively connect people, issues and information. But responsibility must be inherent in their use. There are plenty of well-publicized social media repercussions, from pure embarrassment to tragedy. Sure, people gossip, spread rumors and even incite ire in others. But social media have an exponential ability to spread hurt, tragedy and misinformation within seconds — for all to know. P-CCS budget deliberations have been tense as reductions must be made to fulfill a Board of Education mandate for a balanced budget. For the past month, the board room has been filled to capacity and then some, with program or staff advocates, urging cuts anywhere else but their favorites. As board President John Barrett has repeatedly said throughout the budget process, struggling how to use social media for marketing for funding, reducing staff and programs and even marketing a district for increased student enrollment is now the norm in public education. As the budget process for the Plymouth-Canton schools continues, sharing information and opinions is expected. And social media are effective tools for that purpose when used with responsibility, consideration, accuracy and with a clear understanding of the impact on others.