| Dancing with desire, voting for vultures |  |  |  |
| Posted by admin | |
| Sunday, 03 February 2008 10:19 | |
| A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/ "The self-controlled soul, who moves amongst sense objects, free from either attachment or repulsion, he wins eternal Peace." - Bhagavad Gita In the Golden Age, Rulers were unknown. In the following age Rulers were loved and praised. Next came the age when rulers were feared. Finally the age when rulers are hated. - Lao Tzu It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. ~Voltaire Wealth and power are temptations that erode our character. We should enslave these and put them to good use with the help of the inner self. Many will fail and suffer when wealth and power become master to one's destiny. The self will be destroyed, families will break down, communities will be in chaos, nations will become violent and turn against each other, countries will go to war and destroy countless millions. America is one nation that is being destroyed. It is trying to rebuild the institution of the family. Malaysia is will be following suit if we do not amputate our desire and stop dancing to its tune. Inner peace, as what Kung Fu'Tze, Lao Tze, the Buddha Siddharta Gautama, etc taught us begins with the inner self, inner conscience. In Islam it is called "fitrah" or the "the gift" that has to be known, named, taken care of, nurtured, developed, and fed with good and healthy food of the soul so that this inner self may become larger than the universe outside and will have the energy to conquer evil. This inner self will be the dictator to inner desire that wants to dominate, plunder, and possess others. The nurturance of desire The disease that is destroying us is the inability for the powerful to tame desire. If the plague is merely destroying the selfhood of the corrupt politicians, it is bearable - it is one's righteous self-destruction. But the problem is powerful and wealthy individuals, knowingly or otherwise design policies, strategies, and schemes to destroy the lives of many people who are helpless and who do not know what is happening to their world. All they know is that they are happy in this system of bread and circus, of instant gratification, of the here and now, and of shackled existentialism - a world that is constantly being spied upon those with advanced enabling technologies. Media, machinery, materialism, mind control – these are instruments of desire that intrude into the inner self, turning it into a temple of madness constructed out of flesh, blood, and bones. The soul is lost – forever sold into slavery into the media/machinery/material/mind matrix of power and wealth. The idea that one needs lots of money to be in power is the most dangerous idea in modern politics. It creates a new breed of politicians who will design long-term strategies to plunder the wealth of the nation in order to secure and maintain power. It requires billions of Ringgit to prop up the next Prime Minister. It makes politicians disposable objects and the rise and fall of each one an orchestration. We have perhaps learned a lot from the "creation and installation" of Saddam Hussein, Suharto, Shah of Iran, Noriega, Somoza, Marcos, or Idi Amin, who existence were iron-caged by international imperialists interested in maintaining hegemony that will profit corporations and the military. Billions of Ringgit are raised to put desire into power, through undesirable elected representatives. Billions are drawn out of the blood, sweat and tears of those whose lives are constantly being transformed by those who owns the means of transforming individuals and institutions. Behind these chosen ones lies powerful lobby groups giving soft and hard money that will ensure their dominance maintained and the politicians remain in their iron cages. In the process of maintaining such a power, the judiciary and the legislative and the executive may get bought over through secret deals. What will there be left for the rakyat except as silent reproduction of the Malaysian political economic system founded upon Machiavellian ethos. They are left with even higher prices of goods and increasing difficulties in lives that would propel them and their children into desperation and crimes -- if faith do not tell them to do do good in life even in face of abject poverty. But there is a limit to how religion can soothe the soul. The very basic rights of each and every human being remains-- those of food, shelter, and clothing. Religion, in fact must be made to become a liberatory force, as shown in the success of Liberation Theology in Latin America in the 1980s or in fact, closer to home, in the Phillippinnes during the era of Corazon Aquino's People Power. Each scriptural teaching, from whatever religion one subscribes to, must inspire one to transform one's life and the lives of others so that a society based on egalitarian principles can be created. The General Will must reign; the Will guided by the Spirit that Knows and not by the Flesh that Desires. What this means is dependent upon the interpretation of the learned and the wise. The curse of general elections Every four years there is a general election. Between one to another, time is spent to maintain power and hegemony through means that are desirable and undesirable. In Malaysia, even the date of the election is dependent upon one's desire to announce it. It is as if the nation is only interested in who is gearing up for elections and the rest of the time be made to bow down to the Neon Gods or the media that produced 24/7 entertainment, infotainment, or edutainment to forget the daily suffering as a consequence of "hypermodernity". At every elections come, the promise of a prosperous kingdom comes. Goodies were given. I recall the words from the character Don Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando) in the movie The Godfather Part I, to mirror the promise made when election comes: "I'll make you an offer you can't refuse". Pay raise comes even to the ones undeserving, so that they will continue to pledge allegiance to systems of thought control that shuts both eyes to the practice of massive graft, political-criminal protective system, the closing of the Malaysian mind, and a range of other designs of human behavior that cage the soul; a soul that is "born good and born free", as Jean Jacques Rousseau might say. What is happening in the mind of the "bribe taker" and in those that do not have commitment to higher goals and inner ideals? What is happening in the mind of those tempted to leave the ideals and join a system that will turn them into pleasure-seeking, ego-building, power-abusing individuals who will continue to want more and more money to buy more and more power? Bribery and corruption comes not only in material form but in the way our minds are swayed by the benefits of subscribing to the concept of "ketuanan/superiority/dominance/dictatorship" of this or that ethnic group. These are difficult questions for the self. These require us to go back to the drawing board of everything - self, family, schools, communities, formal and informal institutions, the media, etc. - to ask ourselves how we got into this abyss-- this political mess? The technologies of dominance Major projects - from the transformation of society through the Felda scheme, modernisation of the public sector, technologisation of services, multimedia-isation of Malaysia's super corridors, bio-technologisation of this country, and a range of items in developmentalist agenda - all these have been allowed to come to pass unchecked, unmediated, unexamined. All these have taken their toll on the lives of the individuals and of the different ethnic groups. With these successive mode of production of the different stages of capitalist expansion as it collaborates with the international imperialist agenda comes newer form of addictive suffering and newer form of grand scale psychosomatic illness that impact different ethnic groups in different ways. These have created alienation of the man/woman and labour. Unlike the padi cultivator whose life traditionally revolves around producing based on the "moral economy of the peasant society" and one in which the human being is close to nature, knows nature well, understands the signs of nature, communicates with it, respects it, and in turn nature does not easily get angry at him/her - the modern Malaysian man in the Age of Biotech Malaysia is alienated by the technologies and "expert knowledge" that alienates him/her in more sophisticated ways. But all is lost for the farmer and for those close to nature. Man's "natural self" too is lost in the process, eroded and corroded by the systems of alienation forced onto us by other men who own specialised knowledge and shrewd political means. Words we create have become institutions that either include or exclude us as participants in the development process. Words, as a literary theorist Raymond Williams might say, must also be contextualized within the economic condition they emerge in. Karl Marx's famous phrase that human beings' existence is defined by the economic condition they are in and that this condition is already predetermined. All is now decided for the farmer, for the teacher, for the fishermen, and even for the academician who is supposed to possess the spirit of free inquiry and a mind imbued with critical sensibility. All these have been decided for those who once have ownership of their lives. In a country in which fear has become institutionalised in almost all spheres of life and pleasure-seeking and the distaste for critical sensibility are now the pillars of economic development, the natural self has become the fragmented self. We have become sick to the soul. Lao Tzu was right when he said that we " should not have carved the stone...for the act of carving it spells the beginning of destruction." The act of creating has in it the act of destroying. It is akin to the Shiva-Vishnu dance in the court of Brahma. Let us have a hand in orchestrating the dance. For, we must dissolve the line that separates the dancer and the dance. Man/Woman must become the choreographer of the dance of life. He/she must vote for virtue, not vultures. Comments (14)  ... written by Rozlan, February 03, 2008 18:47:41 people wont get their just and fair leaders if they themselves didnt want or more accurately didnt bother to change them..This is what happened to pharaoh's people during the time of Prophet Moses time..They support everything Pharaoh did in oppressing the jews whom at that time are true Believers of Allah SWT..At the end they faced destructions with Pharaoh.. So people must have guts to make a change.. report abuse disagree 0 agree 3 ... written by educationist, February 03, 2008 21:34:18 " He/she must vote for virtue, not vultures." Oh, what a beautiful summary! If all Malaysian voters will only take this statement to heart, the BN will lose that 2/3 majority. report abuse disagree 0 agree 6 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, February 04, 2008 09:36:57 Folks, How old must one be to mature enough to rule a country? How long must a prime minister be allowed to stay in power? Why are people afraid of changes when corporations and even the government in Malaysia have for decades been talking about "change management", "paradigm shift", and "megatrends"? Must change be a painful process? How do we explain the "vision of change" to "kampongfolks"? report abuse disagree 0 agree 2 ... written by cruzeiro, February 04, 2008 13:36:38 Understanding the "Oily Man" Syndrome. http://cruzinthots.blogspot.co...drome.html report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by sampalee, February 05, 2008 11:17:15 Without followers,where can there be leaders.Read RPK column on Relativity. report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by LC Teh, February 05, 2008 21:40:39 Alas, even the learned have difficulty telling the difference when the vultures come dressed in virtue, what chance have the ordinary people to know whom to choose? report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by MsLim, February 06, 2008 13:52:15 But Dr. Azly, how to win? BN have always been cheating at the polls. Gerrymendering, using media, funds (money) very much available from plundering, giving out goodies, saying positive "bullshit" to the simple kampong folks. Opposition what can they do? Number one, media is bias. Their funds is limited. Haven't we read that someone is jumping ship and swim to Canada. Tough, but they will swim to freedom. report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, February 07, 2008 05:57:54 The evolution towards a good two party system might take some time. The consciousness of the 'critical masses" need to be prepared. One can begin with the universities. Radicalize the campuses first with diversity of viewpoints. The Vice Chancellors must encourage and promote free speech and allow speakers with diverse viewpoints to go into the campuses and help the students acquire alternative ideas of anything. Break down the racial barriers in all universities. Deconstruct our learning environments/institutions. We will gain a lot from this. report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by educationist, February 10, 2008 19:25:29 And the predictions are being fulfilled -the mainstream media are full with coverage of the goodies being dished out. I can only hope those recipients and other readers have good enough memories to remember the neglect before now- the abuse of power , cronyism and corruption as well when they step into the polling booths. report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by Eskay Lim, February 16, 2008 14:55:53 The General Elections date has been set for March 8. The PM had completed opening the economic-zones here, there & everywhere. The ministers are working overtime visiting towns and rural villages handing out hundreds of millions of ringgit f goodies in the form of land-grants & TOLs, giving out keys to low-cost apartments, attending ground-breaking ceremonies for the building of Chinese & Tamil schools and other big small projects. P report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by Eskay Lim, February 16, 2008 15:04:43 Continued:- Political wannabes are shaking the dirty & smelly hands of farmers, hawkers and fish-mongers, giving free-makans at the meet-the-people-sessions, making empty promises that the people-on-the-street want to hear but that seldom get to materialise..... all these to get an extra vote in the hope to be a YB and a dream to untold riches & power People, you are forgiven to accept all those gifts. But please vote wisely with your heart come GE day. Don't ever compromise for a CORRUPT-FREE, TRANSPARENT & a JUST government. report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by Peter Drucker, February 19, 2008 08:21:20 Dear Dr. Azly, I couldn't agree more with what you have written. Malaysia should have more people who can think independently and responsibly. What we have to do is to unite these people to form a force that is strong enough to send the message to the ruling party/coalition that we (people) are the boss of this beautiful country and the ruling party/coalition is only the "management team" appointed by us (people). If the "management team" is not willing to change their "management practises" then we (people) shall change the "management team". report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by panca, February 28, 2008 18:22:51 Any system that is abused is always bad because with system people abides, make or break, however it involves an 'individuality' in a person to maintain a certain state of mind that keep him aware of doing the good and right things, not falling into tendency of swaying and if it does for some reasons, its best defence is clarity in the matter. Leaders need that 'clarity' very much in them even if they are aware most of the time. That clarity must be attained to enable the spirit of accomplishing the national agendas of good, brilliant governance. Now country(ies) of communism even decided to open their doors(then was like, one person has a problem imagine 1.2 billion comes up with one, there would be 1.2 billion problems so communism serves them just) but now the episodes of a badly governed, badly-managed country to change, even communism change and it is the era of great visionaries for the globalised world. Malaysia is one that seriously need lots of cleaning up in the way policies are formulated, how politicians live by the rules and how the country are being run. There is no way but CHANGE. No more tyrants, dogs, cheats and thieves. No more pak lah talk. It's the process that the PEOPLE OF MALAYSIA NEEDS TO CHANGE. NEW MANDATE FOR NEW GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE AND COUNTRY. VOTE FOR CHANGE, WE NEED CHANGE, NOTHING BUT CHANGE! report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 Write comment This content has been locked. 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DOCTORS PRESCRIPTION
YOU CAN'T BE "CANCER FREE" BY THINKING OMIT EATING THE HEAD, WHILST THE BODY IS STILL ALRIGHT.
STOP TAKING THE WHOLE FISH ALL TOGETHER ....TO STOP ONCE AND FOR ALL THE DISEASE.