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."
Anwar's 'crazy era' can end with strict, equal enforcement of law By R Nadeswaran
Friday, November 29, 2024
Malaysiakini : Just before the 15th general election, the prime minister of the day,
Ismail Sabri Yaakob, ordered the declassification of a report detailing
Putrajaya’s investigation into the former attorney-general’s book so it
could be used as political “bullets” to attack Pakatan Harapan.
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
At an election rally in Bagan Datuk, he declared:
“I have given you bullets. In the Thomas case, we exposed (the report)
by the special task force. I have given lots of bullets here.”
Just shoot
Over
the past months, these words of entitlement (and much more serious
ones), which in Malaysian politics translate as acts of bravado, have
continued to be heard - albeit on a higher pitch.
There had been no necessity to verify its accuracy or truthfulness, and in colloquial language, just “tembak” (shoot).
The
makers, having enjoyed immunity, have upped the ante so much that they
now have photographs of people posing with samurai swords to reinforce
the message and instil fear.
Except for a couple in the doghouse, many are now part of the Madani government
and continue to take potshots and make embarrassing statements, which
does not reflect the government of the day. This includes members of the
cabinet.
Former attorney-general Tommy Thomas
So,
when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he was astonished that his
disclosure of the travels was blasted, saying the reaction reflected a
“crazy era” where wrongdoers are glorified. At the same time, clean and
transparent initiatives are condemned.
“In this country, if we
keep entertaining those who steal, plunder, and rob, they are glorified,
but when we try to run programmes cleanly and properly, we are
criticised.
“This is what’s called jaman edan or half-crazed,” he told a town hall session on Saturday during the second anniversary of the Madani government.
Runaway train
How and why did this come about?
For
political expediency or “solidarity and stability”, as politicians call
it, the Madani government never acted or acted selectively against such
claims, some of which have breached various law provisions.
Reluctantly,
I must agree that we are in that crazy era of putting up or even
believing that there are semblances of truth in them.
We have
allowed the politics of hatred and smear to simmer with those within
stirring the pot. There are no indications they are abating.
We
never attempted to nip the problem in the bud, fearing, maybe, loss of
political support or fear of offending specific communities or groups.
It’s a recipe for disaster and mayhem, but no one wants to stop those empty vessels as if they were on a runaway train.
Zahid the choirmaster
Why
is Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi allowed to lead the choir
in singing “Justice for Najib” in unison? Isn’t that undermining the
judiciary? Why is it being allowed to continue?
Have they
developed such short memories that they are willing to ignore the
multi-billion-ringgit hole we continually try to fill?
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
They
have become brazen, even venturing into a forbidden area - touching on
royalty - but while Joe Public is pulled up for even the smallest of
breaches, politicians remain untouched when they make.
Some
believe that the fallacy of only confrontation with hurtful words can
galvanise support and remain in the forefront. They continue to think
politeness and civility have no place in the dog-eat-dog world - even if
they are dragged to the gutter.
Like Anwar, I believe the
government can better implement reform over time, but I disagree that
his Madani administration is still new.
Two
years have been enough to show that you have the political will and
determination to make the changes, but there are few signs of your
intentions.
For
a start, how about ensuring that the laws are applied and enforced
without fear or favour? Impart confidence in the people that the
government means business and that no one will be treated unfairly or
differently.
Just do not act against critics of the government but
those who make what you have described as “crazy”. Spare no one - even
if he heads a group that props up your government.
If you don’t start now, you will run out of time by the time your term ends in 2027, by then, it will be yet another crazy era.
