Ok! Let's not pretend that the title of this blog is original. It's not. Because if you have read Paul Krugman's book - The Conscience of a Liberal, you would know it's from him, the one great Economist who first predicted the Asian Economic Crisis that took place in the 90's. Well I like him simply because "(he is) a lone voice, telling things as they are and debunking Washington policies that are neither compassionate nor conservative." This is what Paul Samuelson description of him.
For Krugman the aim is "to create institutions that will support and sustain a decent society." Yes, creating institutions that support and sustain a decent society. This is my quest. Even though I am lonely but have no fear, tell things as they are and debunking policies that are neither compassionate nor decent. The list goes on and on.
Unlike America, Malaysia does not have a great democratic tradition to start with. I don't feel particularly proud of my Father of Independent. I sometime wonder why our Malaysia soil does not give birth to someone great like Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Kennedy, Martin Luther King, etc. Our Malaysian history in particular the political one was all very racist and still is. Well you may say America was once supported slavery. But they were many who fought for emancipation of slavery. And above it all slavery was never written down in their Constitution. That is why many fought for freedom and won because the source of the nation's law is about freedom and respect for human rights. And above it all it's the nation's conscience that won the battle. That deep down in their heart they knew it was morally wrong to continue the rotten institution.
In short for me at least, American history is very inspirational. They have the first President who turned down a thrid term, and even an invitation to become America's emperor. They have presidents who talk about separation of power and about human rights. Well they are not perfect, but at least they recognise this fact and find ways to improve it.
But can we say our nation's history is inspirational? What I see is political propoganda. I studied UMNO, MCA, MIC in the first part of our nation's history, for me they are all racist parties who were and are not there to fight for independence but was given the right on the silver platter. And we have Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock and some other politicians. They were hardly inspirational. They merely inherited the right to govern Malaya from the British. They inherited also ISA, Emergency Ordinance, and their racist parties were allowed to flourish. Over the years, they have "improved" the oppressive laws, independent of judiciary in doubts, shunning human rights, racial discrimination flourishing and is allowed in the name of racial equality, we have the press who pretend that we have press freedom and engage in bias reporting on the daily basis, we have political party who rules perpetually as a result of all of these.
Well you could say that we cannot follow America's example because as a nation, Malaysia is still young. We need time, etc. This is bullshit. We have to start now if our conscience is clear that our nation has to become great not merely because of physical development. The physical development is merely play thing of modernity. I would say it's not suppose to be our soul, a nation's soul. Rule of law, respect for human rights, press freedom, independent of judiciary, equality should be our nation's soul. Let our conscience be clear on this.
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