‘Image-mongering’ and the philosopher-rulers
Dr Azly Rahman
Mar 25, 05 2:04pm
I appreciate the insightful comment made by YSM in Separation of powers Utopian? with regards to Anwar Ibrahim and the American empire. I think the writer raised a very important concern with the way I presented my views as well as on the issue of Anwar's intention.
Let me clarify my stand.
I have a lot of respect for individuals who help enlighten others on the injustices done by human beings onto other human beings. Anwar is one such individual. I have all my respect for him if it is indeed true that injustices were designed for him to be incarcerated and brutally treated for what he believed in.
However, we will never know the truth, as the truth is as complex as trying to understand the ‘Butterfly effect’ of political intrigues themselves. My thoughts on Anwar and the American empire is a transcultural-philosophical analysis on what may happen in the future based on the events that have happened in the past, paradigms of thinking people are engaged in, communities people belong to, theories people subscribe to and the nature of ‘objectivity’ that is defended.
I analysed the visual of Anwar's meeting with Paul Wolfowitz not merely to make a statement that I am ‘smelling a rat’ or ‘suspecting an agenda in that meeting’. I drew a composite picture of the man and his circumstances, his environment, his ideology, his alliances, his agenda, and where he is bringing the nation to, as an advisor to the alternative coalition.
I came up with several statements and questions: 1) Before being jailed for charges of abuse of power, Anwar's political-image making lay in an area of alliance with amongst others, the Pentagon. See here. After being released from jail, he went back to the Pentagon.
How might you read the message of his visit?
2) Wolfowitz is a dominant figure in American politics. Not only that he was the loudest voice in the Bush administration who argued that not only Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, but believed that the United States should use its power to reform other countries, covertly or overtly. Wolfowitz is nominated to be the president of the World Bank, a subject of interest to poor countries as well as to the Europeans. What has the World Bank and the IMF done for the poor since its creation under the Bretton Woods agreement after World War II?
How have collaborations between the World Bank, the IMF, the multinational corporations, the State Department and the Pentagon helped create the American international social dominance? The US is the largest shareholder of the World Bank. Through trade monitoring and regulation of the IMF, the World Bank determines the nature of American foreign policy.
American foreign policy is geared towards making the world ‘safe for democracy’. This is the work of the Pentagon as well. So what further unfinished business has Anwar to do with the empire? One must understand the role of image-making in politics. Dr Mahathir Mohamad successfully used the media to project an image that was ‘bigger than life’ during his 22-year tenure. The fourth estate is a powerful tool to structure and alter realities. One needs to only have control of it. Or even better, one needs to control all of it.
I am not sure how members of his rainbow coalition are accepting Anwar's campaign for international presence. How might Syed Husin Ali, former president of Parti Rakyat Malaysia, accept Anwar's collaboration with a powerful figure at the Pentagon? Is it in line with the political philosophy of socialism that is staunchly anti-imperialism? How might PAS spiritual advisor Nik Aziz Nik Mat understand Anwar's well-publicised political friendship with those who actually agreed to bomb Iraq and to orchestrate a regime change in Iran? Is Anwar's ‘image-mongering’ in good taste with the Islamic party's stand on the war on terrorism?
All these need to be answered in detail if Anwar is not to be seen as a utilitarian; one who uses his supporters and members of his coalition to further his own agenda. These are confusing messages to the people who will vote in the next decisive election. Some of us think that we need to only fine-tune the existing political mechanism and gradually ‘reduce corruption’. Some of us think that an alternative government that will win power will do the job of solving the problem of corruption ‘once and for all’ and put the corrupt ones in jail.
It's an ‘either/or’ political philosophy at play. It is a politics of vengeance. When the new ruling party matures, it will most probably need money to support itself. Where will the financial support come from? Will the new winner use the people's resources, percentages from military procurement, revenue from oil and national cars, international funding and funds from native billionaires too? Will idealism be sacrificed and corruption rationalised too? Will there be separation of powers? Or will there be a newer form of oligopoly capitalism? Anwar lost a great deal in his political career.
He plans to gain all those back whatever image- making it will take, whatever rhetoric that needs to be crafted and broadcast. Philosophically, therefore, we only have this or that choice. Either/or. Is this healthy for the development of Malaysian political consciousness? The public is swayed from one style of hegemony to another. Why not have more choices that are creative and attractive to the changing times? That will be a better education in creativity and problem-solving for the nation. This kind of thinking, I believe, will pave the way for constant renewal of our democratic ideals.
Analysing the mission statements of many of the major political parties either in the ruling coalition or the opposition, I cannot help but conclude that they need to be revised to meet the changing needs of an increasingly complex and hyper-modern Malaysia.
Conceptions of social justice primarily, need to be re-articulated and better presented to the new generation of voters. Even the logos need to be improved. Many, I strongly believe, are still confused on how Malaysia can be called a sovereign nation when the signs, symbols and means of our existence are held down by the base and superstructure of a postmodern neo-colonialism.
We probably need a brand new political party that will be reconstructed from the ruins of yesteryears. But first, we need to groom philosopher-rulers - not more robber barons or ‘friends of the empire’.
I believe a Malaysian philosopher-ruler will one day emerge to install a new system.
NARRATIVES ON CULTURE, CYBERNETICS, AND COMPLEX SYSTEMS. PROSE, POETRY and MEMOIR PIECES.
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