survivalism
January 15, 2008I really wonder about this guy and what he’s been saying so far.
I was listening to ChannelNewsAsia as I dressed for work yesterday morning. And what struck me was this portion (and believe me, he really said it):
“Yes, there was corruption. Yes, he gave favors to his family and his friends. But there was real growth and real progress,”
Errrrr. He basically admitted Suharto’s corrupt.
So basically corruption is OK as long as there’s progress? Another case of the ends justifying the means?
Nobody said running a government and a country is easy. Yes, with Suharto there was peace, stability and progress. Yes, with Saddam Hussein there was peace, stability and progress.
Easy enough to achieve peace and stability when you “remove” the protesters, quell the disagreeing parties and basically get rid of anyone who stands in your way. Easy enough to achieve peace and stability when you use the media to cover up any wrongdoing. Easy enough to achieve progress because people are terrified of being killed and focus on economy growth.
Easy is not always right.
Call me a liberal, someone who has her head in the clouds, someone who is ungrateful, someone who complains too much.
But having someone say what he just said live on TV (no rephrasing like in the papers) really makes you wonder. Is it a case of feeling scared that his time is running out, when he sees his former counterparts all being hospitalised or dead, and subtly wants to remind the people of all the good he has done?
He rarely says what he does not mean. It’s not an easy case of being “misquoted”.
It goes with my media theory of kick-him-when-he’s-down, say-nice-things-when-he’s-dying. Most people don’t have the balls to look at things honestly and do the opposite even when the facts say otherwise (But doesn’t apply to obviously extreme cases, of course.)
Errr, is that a general comment to something LKY said? Or something I said?
That’s a General-general comment
Any news from the job yet?
Nopeeee, but considering I just had it a few days ago, there’s still time to wait. And ponder. And stress. Hur. Any updates on your side?
You probably have millions agreeing with You!
I can think of a few way to describe the situation:
It’s ok to be corrupt as long as you balance it by doing ‘good’.
It’s ok it’s part of Asian culture and Asian values.
It’s ok to put your hand in the till as long as you don’t take all the dough.
It’s ok because everybody in the region is doing it.
He believes in grace,grace and grace.