Sunday, October 19, 2008

What Would Optimus Prime Do?

Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.

And yes, that includes Malays and Muslims.

A lot of people may often forget that Malays and Muslims also deserve freedom to practice their faith as well as their chosen lifestyle.

I am not a Muslim scholar, and I am not the truest definition of a Malay. I'm even genetically half-Chinese, though constitutionally Malay.

I subscribe to Westernized ideals, and one I truly believe in is that everyone should have the right to practice their own religion in any way they may so wish. As long as they don't shove it down people's throats. Respecting other people's freedoms as well.

I see that the country is becoming more and more racially-charged every day. It is also becoming more and more about religion.

Everyone is accusing everyone else for being racists, except for Malays who keep quiet, except at the most stupid of moments, with PR-bludgeoning statements and stupid moves.

That's fucked up.

Look, it takes two to tango. And if you want to protect freedom of religion, you have to also protect the freedom of those religions which you do not agree with.

Freedom of speech - you also have to protect the freedom to say things you do not agree with.

I'm all for the freedoms, but it has to cover everything and do not just serve the agenda of a select few. Otherwise, it will be a case of "four legs good, two legs better". Hypocrisy at its worst.

I do not agree with the lawsuit culture. Sure, justice can be sought, punishment should be meted out. But the whole deal smells like an opportunistic act of greed to me - lawsuits.

Would you like to live in a world where say, a passenger sues the LRT system for RM20 million because he or she got tired standing up and the coaches smelled bad? The next day, the LRT sues another passenger RM34 million for breaking wind inside the said coach.

Then, the passenger who farted went and sued Restoran Puteri for serving petai. Restoran Puteri sues the Penan for selling them petai.

This is all bullshit. If we go down this path, these are some of the things we might experience. In our lifetime. It is already happening in America. And we all know that it is NOT a perfect example of democracy nor the free market system.

In one episode of Boston Legal, it is postulated that the US ia a Christian country. Or at the very least a religious country. Even the President swears an oath and finishes it with, "so help me God."

God this, God that. What the fuck, man?

And don't get me started on the NEP. Some quarters say that the NEP favours the Malays so much that it impedes other people from getting rich. I get an e-mail now and then from racists who say this. Along with some name-calling and the usual hypocritical shit.

Well, simply look at the list for the top 10 richest Malaysians. The NEP sure as hell didn't stop those guys from getting rich.

I don't hear Robert Kuok complaining. Lim Goh Tong never did say that HE was a victim of the NEP.

They sure as hell made BILLIONS, with the NEP.

So what the fuck does anyone else has to say about this? Fuck you, you lazy-assed bastards.

Sure, the NEP could use some reforms, expanding it horizontally and cutting it off vertically (ie, only poor people should benefit, and not millionaires) but it is not the ultimate evil. The ultimate evil, ladies and gentlemen, is greed, laziness and hypocrisy.

If we can take care of that, there would not be a problem - real or perceived.