Nothing comes from doing nothing.
– Shakespeare’s King Lear
There is no greater mortal sin than that of doing nothing to oppose, and depose, oppression that manifests as government policies under the ‘rule of law.’ Doing nothing has become a dangerous cult. Law and order, as fear mongering devices, offer one palpable illustration of doing nothing.
Law and order orbit in a strange trajectory maiming Malaysian leaders to do nothing to improve their lot by fueling issues of race, religion and region, the so-called 3-R cult. If a million people believe, say, follow and do a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. The law-and-order cult of doing nothing is nothing but a social identity curse.
Wise leadership can transform the 3-R cult into themes and schemes of nationality and patriotism that makes for a heterogenous nation. Race, religion and region are the only available component parts of the socio-economic pie that cries out for equity and equality. Present leadership simply doesn’t understand the dynamics. Solution: do nothing.
The existing education system has spawned a cult of numbed minds with brainwashing and indoctrination, not liberation, as the ultimate goal. Change for the better is the prerogative of the governing forces that do nothing, yet qualify to govern our lives for the next few decades. This dangerous cult must be starved to death.
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing,” observed George Bernard Shaw. Most human societies succumb to this dangerous cult that feeds on false premises and fraudulent promises.
Victims of the do-nothing cult get informed by controlled subservient media operators. Government-regulated propaganda forms the bulk of all the news fit to be printed. The obvious is faithfully regurgitated. Solutions are repressed as anti-government protests.
Edmund Burke warned that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. These ‘good men’ who will not rock the boat believe they are true patriots, nationalists and obedient citizens awaiting the next elections.
Robin Sharma explained that “making no decision is a decision; and doing nothing always brings you to nowhere”. Strangely, people are lulled into this sense of comfort pretending they are calming their minds when it’s not agitated in the first place.
Oscar Wilde ruefully stated that “it is awfully hard work doing nothing”. Many don’t react to this subtle reference to inaction with an active mind. Yet they feed the need to acquire uncertainty and confusion.
Economists, politicians, lawyers and judges make the citizens think they bear huge and heavy responsibilities. Their contributions are the most dangerous of all cults. They are mistaken, misled and misdirected by doing nothing to realise that they have been traditionally wrong no thanks to neurological numbing.
Professional bias and viewpoint discrimination define their unhealthy and dangerous premises. Even race, religion and region cannot save them from themselves. Rudderless and clueless, they press on.
Aristotle noted that “criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing”. Many miss the insinuation and nuance of ‘being nothing’ – a government mandate that criticising government is a dangerous cult that Malaysians endured for 22 years under an unrepentant racist megalomaniac. Malaysians almost became nothing.
“Government is not about fire-fighting or crisis management, but finding the root cause of the problems afflicting a nation,” declared Narendra Modi, determined to destroy dangerous cults that believe in doing nothing. Malaysia must get encouraged to get to the root cause of the terminal cancer that’s eating at its core.
An experienced leader will do the right thing that may fortuitously yield popular results so that everyone wins, not just a majority. National contentment is not about keeping a majority, but all Malaysians happy and contented. That cannot be naivete when it’s able to remove the self-inflicted wrinkles of the 3-R fabric.
Another major dangerous cult is that which allows for the pseudo-ethic that the majority is always right. Arthur Schopenhauer postulated that ‘the wise have always said the same things, and fools, who are the majority have always done just the opposite.’
Malaysian leaders must grapple with this majority mishap to liberate the nation. Samuel Adams pointed out that “it does not take a majority to prevail . . . but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men”.
We must become a nation of cult crushers. We have a great calling as Malaysians. We are blessed with abundant God-given natural resources. Our human capital is strong and formidable. There are many cerebral heavyweights who remain un-consulted or quoted. Instead, cronyism — another dangerous cult — thrives.
The cult of back-stabbing, empty-talk, envy, jealousy, and hostility — a Malaysian social club cancer — must be excised and exorcised. Malaysians must embark on a pilgrimage to find ways and means of removing dangerous cults that hinder peace, partnership, progress and prosperity.
Wise leaders know the difference between destiny and destination upon exploring the core of their beings. The longest journey begins from within.
PMX must hire experienced meritocrats, and jettison timocrats, theocrats, kleptocrats and kakistocrats from his Cabinet. Steer the vessel, don’t let it steer you. Uncharted waters await you despite faulty navigation charts and maps destined for perdition.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
