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."
Will Anwar listen to vox populi of PKR? - Commander S THAYAPARAN (Retired) Royal Malaysian Navy
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Malaysiakini : Rafizi Ramli’s convincing win
of the deputy president post presents a challenge for not only Rafizi
but also the movement within PKR that views coupling with the Malay uber
alles political establishment as the only route to federal power.
Rafizi
has made many bold statements as to how PKR should reform and how
winning federal power should take a back seat, to PKR establishing
itself as a genuine alternative to the Umno/BN formula.
It remains to be seen if his commitment to his rhetoric translates to action that would shake the foundations of PKR.
The reality is that there is a strong whiff of personality politics when it comes to Rafizi.
This
would not be such a bad thing if the majority polity considered him
such but like most Malay political personalities embraced by the
non-Malay polity, Rafizi has to balance the expectations of the Malay
polity with that of the non-Malay voting base.
Not only has Rafizi
had to be a supportive lieutenant to Anwar, but the PKR president also
has to concede that the elevation of Rafizi as his deputy is a
repudiation of his failed stratagems and those of his supporters.
Rafizi Ramli, unofficial winner of the PKR deputy president post
If
Anwar and Rafizi are to lead the charge for Harapan in the upcoming
general election, they would both need to articulate a people-centric
political narrative that eschews the Harapan talking points of Najib
Abdul Razak and “corruption” but instead relies on genuine utilitarian
reforms.
This would mean not engaging in a culture war that
Umno/BN/PN wants but which unfortunately gains traction because the
non-Malays in Harapan are always targeted to expose the supposed lack of
racial and religious bona fides of PKR.
Keep in mind that the Malay uber alles political establishment wants to alienate PKR.
It
wants a multi-racial political organisation to fail because this would
confirm that the only avenue for federal political power in this country
is through race-based political parties.
Rally around Anwar and Rafizi
Harapan needs to take a hard look at itself and admit to mistakes and propaganda that did nothing to reform the system.
In fact, it caused more problems.
With this win, does PKR have a younger leadership that does not buy into this bangsa
kool-aid nonsense but understands that racial and religious politics
should be dealt with realistically and strategically, instead of
attempting to gaslight Harapan supporters?
These young leaders should not be proxies for the old guard.
And these young leaders need to have an agenda that the leadership in Harapan subscribes to.
So right now, everyone in PKR is talking about reaching out and working together, which sounds nice but is pointless.
What
everyone in PKR should be doing is rallying around Anwar and Rafizi and
pushing both to come up with a political narrative that is not only
different from Umno/BN but also demonstrates that Anwar, as the leader
of Harapan, is open to reform.
And this is the key. Is Anwar open to reforms?
Obviously, PKR members understand that something is rotten in the state of Denmark when it comes to the party.
They understand that playing the same game as Umno/BN is not going to get them anywhere.
Rafizi resonates with them because he is articulating a strategic decision but so far has not articulated an ideological one.
How
is Rafizi, especially in a position of influence, going to counter the
religiosity and racism of the Malay establishment under the guise of
Malay rights?
How would he balance needed reforms and the corruption of entitlement programmes while adhering to an egalitarian framework?
This
is important because if he destabilises PKR, it would just further
erode the political party as a viable option for the Malay polity.
Two
big questions. Is Anwar open to reforms that his party wants and what
are those reforms that Rafizi thinks will save this country?
The answers would tell us if Harapan has a chance in the upcoming general election.
