Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Be yourself tomorrow - just flinch and baulk R Nadeswaran
Monday, August 30, 2021
Malaysiakini : COMMENT | Tomorrow is a
public holiday. It is a day to mark the 64th year of independence.
Period. The day is to get your car washed; buy groceries or go to the
market; watch special programmes on TV. Nothing more.
The
sloganeering, the rhetoric, the patriotism, unity and togetherness are
secondary. This annual observation (read: holiday) is a front for
pretenders, hypocrites and those apple-polishing politicians who believe
what they say will end years of “my race is mightier than yours” and
“my religion rules supreme over all others”.
It is not something new.
They
talk about religious tolerance but not acceptance; they talk of a
nation for all but not a nation of all. They talk about unity in one
breath and scream ketuanan in another.
Bangsa Malaysia remains a pipedream and anyone promoting it should be asked: “What have you been smoking?”
The
divide is so deep-rooted and even without the cajoling by self-serving
politicians, it continues to go grow deeper, diving into an already a
divided nation.
1Malaysia (1MDB will be easier to recall!) coined by the convicted felon has metamorphosised into Keluarga Malaysia with the interceding Abah and MakcikKiah still in the pupa.
So, will raising the flag once a year immediately instil a new form of patriotism, just like instant noodles?
Yes,
radio and television stations - both public and private - are pounding
the messages. Yes, many are listening or watching, perhaps because they
are interspersed with their favourite Tamil or Korean serial or at
halftime of live football matches or news bulletins. But are the
messages absorbed? What do they signify?
Is raising the flag at
the gate of your house or office is the only way to show patriotism?
What purpose does it serve when the next moment you go into an
expletive-laden racist attack on your neighbour because he has parked
his car in front of your entrance?
Do all these messages mean
anything to hundreds of cyber troopers on the payroll of politicians who
stir hatred and contempt with their own provocative and divisive
messages? Or do they mean anything to the paymasters themselves? For
many of them, the end justifies the means.
A week ago, there was
some hope. A new prime minister, we had hoped, would introduce fresh
faces who will bring in fresh ideas. But last Friday, our hopes landed
with a thud and melted in the air. A recycled cabinet devoid of any
concepts or notions is what we got.
Have we scrapped the bottom of
the barrel? Is this all the talent we have? Or has political expediency
superseded all other considerations?
The rent-seekers and cronies
will continue to flourish, expecting handouts from new sources because
any cut to money means having to change lifestyles. No more RM600
cigars; no more designer T-shirts or even taking a new wife.
The theme (whatever that means) for tomorrow’s holiday is Malaysia Prihatin.
We seem to be fixated by the word “prihatin”, which means concerned or
cares. But does the government or anyone in government actually care?
Some are busy making videos promoting themselves instead of the cause. Kerepek and curry mee have got celebrity endorsements but is this what we expect of our leaders?
Some
demean the learning of English and yet are comfortable falling on their
feet by sending out their messages in well-designed posters but blinded
by improper use of the language. Are these the people who are going to
lead us?
A thousand deaths over three days last week are grim
reminders of how the government handled the Covid-19 pandemic. Friday
marked the 10th day out of the previous 14 where there were more than
20,000 new cases. Doesn’t this say something?
The warm water cure
and the Spanish fly lecture may be behind us, but let these be a
constant reminder of the quality of the leaders.
There is a
glimmer of hope, though. The new health minister’s hands-on approach in
testing and vaccination brought some tangible results. The stance that
“the government knows best” has ended.
The consultation process
with all stakeholders is expected to be the frontrunner in the fight to
return the country to normalcy but lurking in the shadows will be hidden
hands for contracts and supplies.
Walking through the quagmire as
a principled and no-sense man is not going to be an easy task. The
minister must be aware of the dangers within, some sharpening their
knives (or keris) to thrust if they do not get their shares of the spoils.
We
have had so many religious and cultural festivals which were public
holidays. The only option was to stay at home, say your prayers and hope
for the best.
Is there any reason to rejoice,
celebrate or revel tomorrow? If we do, the leaders who fought for
self-rule more than six decades ago will cringe, grovel and turn in
their graves.