by Martin Jalleh
Brilliant quotes related to the biggest and boldest march in Bolehland:
* “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin, one of Founding Fathers of the USA.(To those who are afraid, we understand, but please give a thought to the wisdom above!)
* “I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.” –Will Rogers, an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor and one of the best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s.(The above comment is specially dedicated to the One Malaysia Government that has become One Big Joke.)
* “When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President (Prime Minister). Now I’m beginning to believe it.” – Clarence S. Darrow (1857-1938) American lawyer (This is especially true in the land where all things, including the most ridiculous, are possible!)
* “It’s not the voting that’s democracy; it’s the counting.” ~Tom Stoppard, Jumpers(Will the Election Commission of Malaysia be able to comprehend such a gem?)
* “Democracy is a government where you can say what you think even if you don’t think.” ~Author Unknown (The above through-provoking comment is specially dedicated to the Deputy PM of Malaysia and his cohorts in Government.)
* “Governments never learn. Only people learn.” – Milton Friedman, a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. The Economist described him as “the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century…possibly of all of it.”.
* “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.” –Milton Friedman (Was Milton then thinking of the Government of Malaysia?)
*“Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have…The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.” – Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the USA.
(Of course, Malaysia follows such a “course of history”!)
* “Government is not reason and it is not eloquence. It is force! Like fire it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.” — George Washington, 1st President of the USA
(Surely the Government of Malaysia has a lot of “irresponsible action” to boast of in the past few days?)
A government that threatens to bring in the armed forces, police and FRU to intimidate and derail a proposed peaceful march by civil society: NGOs, Lawyers for Liberty and common people of all walks of life – mothers, children, students, wheelchair-bound invalids, old men with canes and men and women on crutches et. al – must be very, very, very afraid that the people’s voice is going to be heard and the clamour for free and fair elections is irrepressible. Even communist China allowed demonstrations by the masses in Hong Kong.
Malaysia Boleh? Free and Fair elections -lah; who is asking for a fight, Khairy? Ibrahim Ali? IGP? PM? DPM?
Some of my favourites. Franklin, Jefferson, Stoppard, Milton. When a PR’s Minister of Education, I insist they include Toqueville as required reading. Its simply seminal and relevant to our students and our national conditions.
Truth be told, the American experience has so much lessons for us because we are beneficiaries of their great productivity and capital which IS our development stories. We could have been a developed country by now if we have learned from their politics and social experiments but Mahathir chose to fight them because of his own personal demons and failings.
NR, HH, MMK, MY no heard of
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” Evelyn Beatrice Hall
BN talks like a government, acts like a government but it is not. It is a bully and all bullies must be put down. March on BERSIH, march on.
You quote all these to Najib…he will get you arrested.
Fortunately…his is powerless now.
And Will Rogers said…he admire Vet Docs most for they can treat their patients without the patients uttering one word.. what’s wrong with them.
As for what’s wrong with the government….nothing wrong. All are trying hard not to go to jail.
As for BERSIH…nothing wrong….made to be KOTOR by possible jailbirds…to treat Malaysians like idiots…to believe what they say.
To Ambiga….hip hip hoorah…you won!!