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."
Harapan should welcome GE15 By Commander S THAYAPARAN (Retired) Royal Malaysian Navy
Thursday, October 06, 2022
Malaysiakini : Yes, Umno is hoping that holding elections now would enable them to
win even a simple majority, to redefine the judicial and political
landscape that in turn would see the rise of a theocratic/kleptocratic
class of political operatives who would need even less of the
multicultural fig leaf that defines the current political landscape.
What
we are dealing with when it comes to Umno, PAS, Bersatu, Pejuang and
its assortments of proxies and allies which include the “non-bumiputera”
component of the fictitious social contract is a cosa nostra (our thing) like organisation whose sole aim is to maintain the status quo in this country.
Mind you, if you think that there is nothing wrong with the status quo then this is not an issue.
Furthermore,
the dead-end politics of demonisation has resulted in a form of racial
tribalism, which makes it very difficult for Malay Harapan political
operatives to further progressive agendas without coming off as
subordinate to the non-Malay Harapan political elites.
However
it is incumbent on Harapan as the oppositional bloc in this country, to
rally the base and confront the hegemonic forces arrayed against it.
It
is incumbent on Harapan to offer an alternative vision of this country
that would enable people, however difficult it is, to cast their ballot
in this monsoon season.
It is incumbent on Harapan to persuade
fence sitters and swing voters that the current regime is unsuitable for
the modern fast-changing world and that its economic and social
policies have damaged the livelihoods of a majority of the voting public
and voting is the only option.
What it should not be doing, is
contributing to the narratives of traitors, religious extremists and
race hustlers who believe their survival depends on forestalling
elections for as long as possible, because it strengthens their foothold
in the corridors of power.
Playing the race card
The reason why PAS,
Bersatu and PN (whatever that is) do not want elections, is because they
want to undemocratically maintain power.
They do not want to test
their strength at the ballot box. They do not want to answer the voting
public. They do not want voters to determine if they politically live
or die.
What they want is access to the federal machinery and
manipulate the system – like what Umno is doing now – so when the time
comes to hold elections, they would have either come to some sort of
arrangement amongst themselves or have compromised the system so badly
that elections are merely a fait accompli to the already determined fascist groups in power.
The
people who do not want elections are using the monsoon seasons and the
“rakyat” as a fig leaf for their political machinations to not only
remain in power but also to further weaken the already weakened
democratic institutions of this country.
This is why DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke playing the race card is the height of stupidity. Disrespecting non-Malays if you hold elections now? Really Loke?
So
if Agong “consents” to an election then he is disrespecting the
non-Malays? Is that the narrative the DAP wants to hand over to Umno?
And these are the same doofuses that want their directives to be followed or you are ejected from the fold. Think before you play the race card, Loke.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke
The
hypocrisy of wanting the Agong to forestall the election on the grounds
of public safety is pathetic. The feudal mentality when convenient is
exactly what is wrong with this country and the politics of
partisanship.
What we should be demanding is more democracy at the
hands of the people and not diktats from the establishment when it
seems convenient or politically expeditious.
Furthermore, when it
comes to optics, it makes Harapan look weak. If Harapan had embraced
this idea of an election and fought for the right of the people to
decide, then it would make all their talk of traitors and kleptocrats
more convincing.
Instead, the rakyat or maybe just the segment who
vote are sick and tired of political operatives using them and the
floods to further undemocratic agendas.
This could result in the apathy that Umno so desperately wants.
