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."
Zahid's MIC speech - frightening signals being sent By R Nadeswaran
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Malaysiakini : Zahid certainly did not say it in jest although those who were
identified were in chuckles. Meanwhile, the Umno president kept a
straight face and wore a serious look.
None in the crowd of about
3,000 MIC members stood up to defend those who were accused. Usually,
there will be the minions and the glory seekers who will speak up or
challenge such serious allegations on behalf of their leaders.
They too laughed – an acknowledgement that doing wrong is acceptable and is par for the course.
Elegant silence
After Malaysiakini published
reactions from two incumbent MPs – Lim Kit Siang and Charles Santiago -
one would have expected statements or retorts denying or even
condemning Zahid for his remarks.
Perhaps, they preferred elegant
silence in order to let the issue go away, or were they in agreement
with Zahid that the accusation can only be avoided if their party gets a
“dominant victory” at the polls?
Either way, it is a damning
impeachment of the state of affairs and the state of mind of leaders who
have and will continue to override requirements of the law and throw
the statutes out of the window and impose their own interpretations of
the law.
So, the thrust of the party’s just-announced manifesto should be surviving and avoiding punishment. The much-touted “stability and prosperity” are utter bunkum.
Is winning dominantly the way to the secret tunnel which will bring
some leaders out of the dark hole where they are now? Is this the route
not to be in the predicament of their previous leader now languishing in
prison?
Is there no room for morals in our leaders? Isn't there
respect for the law? How can they treat the various systems as their own
fiefdom? Are law and order being treated with odium and contempt? Are
they saying they will be able to manipulate and manoeuvre from the long
arm of the law?
Can Zahid’s utterances be treated as an
“extra-judicial statement” implying that they are admitting to
wrongdoings? We will let the legal eagles debate that but as laypersons,
we have been bestowed the right and liberty to read, understand and
digest the issue as we deem fit.
But there is a lingering yet
frightening thought. Are giving a licence in the form of this challenge
for a “dominant” victory to voters that with political power comes the
ability to free wrongdoers? Not a petty criminal who snatched a mobile
phone or a mother who stole milk to feed her children, but those who
have stolen from the people.
Would they occupy high offices and
continue to plunder the wealth of the nation and in the process,
law-abiding citizens are denied a better quality of life?
These
thoughts should enable you to make your decision before your mark “X”
against the candidate and party of your preference for the next five
years.
