it is saddening to see our country in this state and i believe the worst is yet to come…if our people are not educated enough to eventually do something about this, i fear to even think what will happen to us in the near future.

it is true that the rise is inevitable, the electricity rise is called for…but 12% is not a small matter and how abt the fuel hikes? we have yet to recover and stabilize our lives and make that adjustment. bsides how come fuel hikes around the world is not benefitting our country at the first place? are we not oil producing country as well? we should be happy that we are selling fuel at higher prices right? well apparently, our fuel has been sold forward and therefore we are not enjoying the fuel hike…who is to be blame? us? of course the government…for bad money management! if this rumour holds true that is…

The political left(left wing) generally refers to those with revolutionary tendencies, meaning they aspire to change an existing status quo system in the hope of creating something better. Marxist for example were left wing because they sought to bring down a capitalist system that( during the time Karl Marx was around anyway) was responsible for the squalid conditions of the urban worker. Like all things political there are no absolutes and the left wing ranges from radical to moderate, but it is often the case that those groups or individuals that aspire to challenge existing state systems with the hopes of establishing something entirely new are left wing. (With social democrats who attempt to change the state system through the state apparatus, parliament, judiciary etc, being a more peaceful(I would argue sedate) means of left wing expression)

So, I would say that it was unfair for anyone to simply declare that minishorts is completely ignorant with regards to politics and should stick to what she knows, without justifying the basis for their arguments. From what I have read the peaceful protest being prepared have their basis from a left wing point of view (i.e the people are being repressed, and i use that word in a mild sense, and are hoping to challenge the status quo for something better)

On the other hand I too would argue your(minishorts) claim that

‘it is awesomely disturbing to know that left-wingers like to opt for ‘peaceful’ demonstrations, and ‘pickets’ and ‘memorandums’ to the powers-that-be.Surely we don’t want to believe that the opposition parties are mere opportunists who’re always at the corners of their seats waiting for major national announcements that will allow them the time and place to ‘prove their mantle’, right? And if their mantle is merely the function to organize pickets and peaceful demonstrations to call upon governments in rule to retract a decision… I’m definitely not going to be convinced that this aspiring MP will be able to perform if he gets voted into office, you know?’

is indeed a reflection of left wing ideology.

To be honest, the ‘peaceful’ protest of malaysia’s dear little opposition is too timid by a longshot to ever be an effective rally point for left wing behaviour amongst the general masses,and so I personally view the peaceful protest which seems to be the hallmark of the opposition as futile. On the other hand I fear the day when those in the opposition actually decide to give up on such protest, futile as they might seem, for that would be the day when the flickering light of hope for malaysia to actually turn into a modern and just democracy vanishes completely.

And so I am actually going to agree with you on the principle that more creative ways need to be established in getting a point across in Malaysian politics. I also agree with you that the leadership of the opposition parties has been mostly successful lately only in showing their oppurtunistic traits, which is not something I completely blame them for, heck the whole point of their parties being around is to challenge a ruling body with far more resources available to it, and so tactics dictates you use whatever you can. Be that as it may, and although i sympathise with the amount of supression they endure, changes in their approach must be made.

For instance, instead of attempting to rally up popular support of the rakyat against a state ( that for all its MANY MANY flaws is still a bastion of democracy…yeaa I’m probably gonna get hazed quite a bit for that remark…. when compared to the rest of South East Asia, Singapore included.) and instead aim to capture the support of the bourgeoisie ( businessmen,entrepreneurs…people to whom a democratic state means good business, and on whom the government needs to keep happy so that they can gain that lovely tax revenue )

Now that was just one example of what the opposition could do…its not quite reflective of the values that i personally adhere to but just might be the most effective in checking the spread of a state that has been showing increasing levels of right wing behaviour…

Oh and just to keep things symmetrical, the political right (right wing) generally refers to those with reactionary tendencies. Like the left wingers the right wing also seeks to challenge an existing status quo, but for the sake of returning society to a pre-dating system perceived to be superior. Nazi’s and Islamist are right wing, Nazi’s for wanting to replace a capitalist democracy with a system where the primacy of the german race is ensured (the superior race thing is based roughly upon the concept of the german Volk, which dates from the 17th to 19th century or summat…) While Islamist perceive the world to have been in a state of decline ever since the death of the prophet and his comrades and so today are seeking to re-establish lost glories (my professor would kill me for saying such a thing without another 5,000 words of substantiation but I think ive bored you all enough here already…)

So yeah, opposition= good, weak opposition= waste of time, giving up on weak opposition=scary, people who are quick to insult the intelligence, character, whatever of another on a public forum in the hopes of attaining higher levels of mastubatory satisfaction without actually bothering to properly explain what THEIR argument is= Well be thankfull that there are some who understand that it is your right to do so, though bear in mind you arent really helping anyone’s perception to the degree of your evolutionary advancement…

P:S apologies for being pedantic and anally so at that

Then it will be fun to watch the sour grapes accuse others of ad hominem attacks.

(Not that I am specifically mentioning anyone)

well.

On creativity, if you have a much better idea on how to get the messege across to the goverment and the people, I ,and I’m sure many other people, would like to hear it.

Our right as Malaysians to peacefully gather is already deminished by abuse of power, please don’t be one to hlep further deminish this fundamental democratic right.

I leave you to ponder this poem:

“When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

- Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)

viceice: creativity, sometimes doesn’t need thousands, or even hundreds of ringgit. look, this is a fact all right? this ‘peaceful protest’ method is outused, and currently boring. are YOU going to go out and join in the gang, for that matter?

don’t bloody pull article 11 and the protest of the forum into the picture, this is a completely irrelevent issue, and i think i’ve made it VERY clear what my stand on comparative religion is. otherwise i think the past few posts about the bismika allahuma furor were just a waste of time.

thanks for the pointer. was i supposed to be ‘mature’ and ‘knowledgeable’? dang you guys flatter me.

If that IS the case, then how can we expect her to have a balanced/impartial opinion then ?

Very interesting revelation.

Minishorts works for TNB ? Or Minishorts work in a company that has interests in the welfare/image of TNB ?

Hmmmmm… That is really something new to us…..

If that’s true, you better not let us catch you being a TNB apologist….