Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen 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 soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt 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."
No more cherries on the cake for Najib By R Nadeswaran
Saturday, April 01, 2023
Malaysiakini : The evidence showed that the course of the exercise of this was
neither intricate nor perplexing. It was straightforward. Money meant
for a different purpose was diverted for personal use.
These
accusations were supported by credit card bills, telephone messages,
and the paperwork on the transmission of millions of ringgit on
instructions from a third party whose mysteriously and anonymous
identity was revealed to the court.
From the purchase
of diamonds to a million ringgit being spent on a hotel stay, the
details were peeled as the accused could only sit and hear, and on
occasion, use the mobile phone to check the state of his hair which also
showed a frail face.
But when this was questioned by
the judge and consequently reported by the media, they were told: āIf
they want to be the fourth or fifth estate, they shouldnāt act like estate people.ā
An act of anger for reporting the truth? It was debatable and I wrote a scathing retort.
Game, set, and match
But all this drama was before the conviction. What followed were extrajudicial issues that made the headlines.
Impropriety,
conflict of interests, and other unfounded claims were circulated and
the judge who convicted Najib became the target of a smear campaign.
The
accused had another bite at the cherry - this time at the Court of
Appeal - and the three judges affirmed the decision of the court below
without batting an eye. The trial judge had based his decision on the
facts before him, nothing more.
This was followed by more drama when the case came before the highest court in the land - the Federal Court.
A change of lawyers, a last-minute plea for an extension of time which was turned down, and the rest, as they say, is history.
On Friday, it was the finale. A review of that courtās decision and the verdict was 4-1 for the prosecution.
It was the last-chance saloon - game, set, and match.
Oh, not that fast. Because of one dissenting judgment, the door is open, says the lawyer.
Yes,
it is often said that two lawyers can give three different opinions.
But, as an American lawyer said in jest - legal opinions are like belly
buttons, everyone has one!
So, a review on a review is on the cards. What happens if it fails? Another review?
The court will have the opportunity to put an end to this charade which has already cost the state time, effort, and money.
The proverbial fat lady has sung.
And
for the lesser mortals - the ordinary folks whose hard-earned money was
stolen and misused, we can take cognition that justice has been done
and seen to be done.
