7/14/2008

A few good men and a thinking citizenry

PN Balji wrote an interesting article about a world class nation needing a few good men and a thinking and questioning citizenry. In paradise, such a thought will be simply denounced as bull. We don't need a thinking citizenry. That is about what we have been brought up to believe in. Mind your own business, make your money and live your life quietly. Only a few good men are needed to carry this nation to a higher platform. We used to have a few good men with us for the first 20 years of our history in nation building. Good, decent and selfless men. Today's conventional wisdom is that these are foolish men who sacrificed for the nation at their own personal expense. So today we claim to have a few good men but of a different kind. A few good men that needs to be paid top dollars or else. Would this kind of good men really carry the nation forward? Self before nation or nation before self? The latter is naive idealism. Balji said this nation will be doomed if these few good men suddenly disappeared for there is really a dearth of good men available. This is a false assumption surely. We have many men that have been trained by the best universities. I believe there must be some good men among them, but because of the political system and culture, they rather stand aside. Anyway, if they stand up to say that they will run the country for half the pay they will be immediately denounced as only half as good. For if they could not command the top salary which top brains are associated with then they are no good. I believe some of the good men will know that they are being paid beyond their abilities and contributions. A good man will stand forward and say, look, you are overpaying me. I don't deserve so much. Balji also talked about a thinking and questioning citizenry to fill the second part of his equation of a great nation. We are not a nation but a hotel. Everyone who is able is hoarding as much wealth as he can to prepare to run. Only the less able and losers will stay behind when the dam breaks. In a nutshell, do we have a few good men and a thinking citizenry? Maybe not. But I am contradicting myself as I have said earlier that there must be many good men sitting on the sideline. Maybe we need a revamp of the system and the values for the really good men to come forward. Under the present system and values, it will invite a different kind of good men to rule the country. Is this system sustainable, able to last in this form into the future? I have my doubts. Our system started well. But when its continued existence or perpetuation of its existence is for the wrong reasons, it will end up in the dumps of history.

5 comments:

Mockingbird said...

Empires have risen and fallen all throughout history. This current LEEgime will be no exception. It will come to an end too. Someday.

Anonymous said...

We DO have the right people at the helm. Stop bitching please and be thankful you have a good govt. Just get on with your peaceful lives and stop making trouble.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

making trouble? you never read balji's article about thinking and questioning citizenry as the other half of a world class nation?

without an active and participating citizenry to question the truth, we will become a state of rulers and the ruled.

yes tuan, morning tuan. coffee or tea?

Anonymous said...

You may be able to stop us by some unconstitutional law, but can you stop us from thinking?

If the policies are sound, why are people complaining? Mind you, not a few, but all over the internet.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

the people must think and talk about things happening in our country and how they are affecting us. it is our country. if we don't bother about what is happening to our country, we will lose it by default.

a thinking citizenry is what it needs to keep this country going. we must not allow anyone to think that they are rulers and we are the ruled. no, we all have a stake in the well being of this rock. do not forsake or give up your right to this piece of rock.

no one will care for your interest except you. you must protect your own interests.