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."
Encourage robust dialogues, not cage minds By Mariam Mokhtar
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Malaysiakini : If we want a more robust society, then our universities should be encouraged to invite more speakers with a wide range of views.
Exposure
to dissenting views will promote critical thinking and broaden our
outlook. This is part and parcel of a good education, but why was UM
quick to offer an apology?
Why
say sorry for trying to expand the minds of Malaysians? Our students
and academics should benefit from the exposure to people with differing
views.
Why ban
Gilley’s talks and programmes? The nation cannot develop and learn if
all we ever do is silence the people whose views we disagree with.
When
Gilley made his remarks on stage, did any student or academic, object?
Did they make their views known or counter his arguments?
Or did they dive into their Twitter (now X) and Instagram accounts so that they could chalk up thousands of “likes”?
Hypocrisy in M’sia
We
should not express surprise at our hypocrisy and the double standards
that we practise. Sadly, this is the new norm in Malaysia.
What is good for the goose, is good for the gander, but not in Malaysia, it appears.
When the controversial Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik
divided the nation, the authorities treated him like a celebrity; but
Gilley’s pro-Israel remarks resulted in him being given the boot.
The knee-jerk reaction against Gilley was predictable.
The
Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir cancelled all of Gilley’s
programmes. He also instructed UM to probe the matter and provide the
ministry with details.
What details does Zambry require? As an
academic, Gilley should be free to express his views and it is up to the
students, members of academia and the general public to consider his
opinions and shape their own.
Muda acting president Dimwit Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz
The
herd mentality is also strong in Malaysia and some of us were surprised
at the response by Muda acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz, who agreed with Zambry that academic institutions should be careful when inviting speakers and lecturers.
Amira
once said that she would like a complete overhaul of our education
system but cherry-picking who should be allowed to give talks is not the
way.
Some speakers will inspire, whilst others will be
controversial, but it is only through the exchange of ideas and debating
a wide range of topics and viewpoints, that we can improve.
If
our universities were to only invite speakers who did not challenge the
comfortable views of the over-indulged, or the pampered students and
members of the rakyat, then something is wrong with our education.
Zambry said that universities do not have absolute freedom and should consider local sensitivities.
Did he say anything about those who insult non-Muslim religions? Observing local sensitivities is not just a one-way street.
When
Zambry said the decision of universities had to agree with the
government’s stand and policies, then what he probably means is that
others must gel with the opinions of his boss, Anwar Ibrahim, whose pro-Hamas views run counter to Gilley’s pro-Israeli stance.
The Leftist Idiot Ong Kian Meng's Hero Maszlee Malik
Even former education minister Maszlee Malik wants the UM’s vice-chancellor to apologise and someone’s head to roll.
Not
every opinion is palatable, and some topics will be difficult, but it
is more important to argue the issue and articulate our own responses,
rather than silence the critics and punish the messenger just because we
do not agree with them.
