[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Robert Amsterdam, Robert Amsterdam, Robert Amsterdam, UDDThailand, Omar Havana and others. Omar Havana said: RT @farangone: Royal Thai Army provoked the crowd to violence, says one witness. http://bit.ly/ewD8hB […]
I’m simply inexperienced in deciding which of the both should earn my vote. Running through the volleying comments, I made a few points here.
1. Largely, young voters forbid themselves from casting a divine vote for BN because they trusted their own eyes, their own ears. No one should deny the way BN runs this country, for me, I don’t really care who was on the throne, as long you did your job splendidly. And clean. You want to exploit the national wealth, sure you could, but at least make sure the policies are running based on consciousness and country’s benefits. It’s just never make any sense if any country could completely sweep corruption out of it.
2. Regarding which coaliation stands a more promising ruling syndicate, I say why not let us swap in between the 2 coliation? People who said PKR stands no chance against BN are definitely a complete denial asshole. And if you said BN achieved completely zero distance in all aspect in the past 50 years, you’re a loser yourself. Both has pros and cons. Both has their own agenda and platform to perform. I would like to see how PKR rules the nation, at least for once. Young people around me would tells me, how their family cast vote to BN just because the parents are civil servants, their business ties . Reality, competition favors a true mandate, and if one of them wants people’s vote, they should compete in a stand out showdown, clean and just.
3. I’m quite inept of these 1Malaysia and vision 2020 stuffs. Look closely if you could my fellow friends, does these apparently bringing any positive impacts? By telling the people we need to be strong is not through slogans and war cry. We united long ago, and we heart this country. 1Malaysia is like an insult to our succumbed loyalty and patriotism, because I don’t think the people need a campaign which apparently stems from political propaganda, to teach us how we should love each other. We know, and it is this government who stirring the ties between me and my other races fellows. So, one last word, stay out of my loyalty, my loyalty is to my nation and not BN. Neither any nation’s destroyer.
Thanks for this excellent article. Surprisingly, the study of ancient dead languages seems to provide constant fuel for controversy!
I was familiar with Tibetan interpretations of “(Co-)Dependent Origination / Arising” as a key Buddhist doctrine, through (e.g.) Tsongkhapa’s 14th-century poem. Therefore it’s fascinating to discover just how far those interpretations have strayed from the primary source text, and ultimately how little they are related to the actual words of the Buddha.
It seems there are a lot of misinterpretations of Buddhism (in the Tibetan / Mahayana context) as being somehow uninterested in whether there is a soul, whereas this article reveals that in fact the Buddha categorically asserts that there is no soul! And this makes sense in the broader context of caste relations, and the Buddha’s opposition to caste (since soul is intimately related to caste in ancient India).
I liked the fact that the author was very clear about his sources — a lot of religious / philosophical texts supposedly translating Buddhist materials are very vague, and seem to base their far-fetched interpretations in the “philosophy” they learned in their Santa Cruz yoga class… (Am I being too harsh?)
From the ongoing World Economic Forum, Davos Switzerland.
Listen to a special address by President Yudhoyono – don’t forget that seven or eight years ago Indonesia was classified by a number of institutions as failed state. >> The Big Shift and the Imperative of the 21st Century Globalism: Chair of ASEAN’s Address.
Friends from the industrialised nations may be interested in President Sarkozy’s address: Vision for the G20 (this one’s quite entertaining.)
“I am not linking Malaysia’s weakening economy to state failure.
I’m suggesting that the brain drain, the loss of investor confidence, the outflow of illicit funds suggests that stakeholders have decided that something is wrong in the House of Malaysia.”
Yes, I see. So you mean Malaysia: Epic Fail?, not ‘Malaysia a failed state’?
Could it not be that all of those reasons you’ve listed? Are you doing telle-polling?
I think you’re trying to equate the state with something that is moralistic. Since when has a state ever been a moral entity?
I am not linking Malaysia’s weakening economy to state failure.
I’m suggesting that the brain drain, the loss of investor confidence, the outflow of illicit funds suggests that stakeholders have decided that something is wrong in the House of Malaysia.
Stakeholders may think that the state has failed them for the following reasons:
– it could be a corrupt government acting with impunity while cutting down subsidies,
– it could be the rise of ethnic tension driven by a corrupt government hell bent on protecting itself by driving a wedge among its citizens;
– it could be the rise of political Islam to counter a corrupt government;
– it could be the persecution of non-Muslims by a racist party fighting for its last breath;
– it could be killings of individuals by a police force gone wild;
But your right, that it all depends on who is viewing it.
p.s. When Hurricane Katrina happened, did anyone expect citizens of the richest and most powerful country in the world to behave in such a manner (looting, raping, etc).
It is amusing to see Kasit has fallen out with his former comrades the yellow shirts People’s Alliance against Democracy. Kasit once praised PAD rallies for the “good food and music” but now he forgets how and who made him sit in his soft seat in the foreign ministry.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ahyangyang, New Mandala. New Mandala said: Is inequality in Thailand getting worse?: Over the last year or so there has been a lot of discussion about the … http://bit.ly/h7KVKN […]
The Malaysian state is not simply the Malaysian government, but is made up of all Malaysian citizens. That many Malaysian citizens, even your disenfranchised self, are dissatisfied with the current setup to me more indicates that there’s an equal possibility for governance change, and for there to be a more positive national economic trajectory. Moreover what might happen to the Malaysian state economically does not equate to state failure. I feel that the tenuous links to state failure throughout the article does not justify the hyperbolic title.
I was under the impression that the gap between rich and poor had been widening over recent years in the West, the UK anyway. Is this correct? I would be surprised if countries like Thailand didn’t show the same as the policy of low tax – high growth would tend to help the richest segment.
@ Submarine, thanks for sharing the different views on failed states.
In the Malaysian case, Neptunian has provided a likely scenario on what could happen (read here).
My prediction is more dramatic.
In 1992, as a first year undergraduate, I attended a seminar at my university, where a middle-eastern visiting fellow predicted – based on the 1990 election – that Malaysia in the future would end up like Algeria i.e. Muslim majority countries where disenfranchised Muslims will fight the corrupt ruling elites – also Muslims if it did not resolve income inequality and rising Islamisation.
In 2004, just before the 2004 GE, none other than Abdullah Ahmad (Dollah Kok Lanas) predicted that in the future in Malaysia, Muslims would be fighting Muslims (UMNO against PAS). He put this down to the intensity of politicking among Muslims in UMNO and PAS.
This trajectory has been correct. Income inequality is worsening (read here) and Islamisation of Malaysia is now almost complete (Read here). Najib has taken politicking to unprecedented heights (read here).
Why Muslims against Muslims and not against non-Muslims.
You will notice that non-Muslims in Malaysia do not have any effective political rights but rely on the benevolence of the ruling Malay party (UMNO). Non-Muslims are unable to discuss issues in relation to the Malays, Muslims, Royal Institutions or any institutions that are run by Malays (which today encompasses everything).
Therefore, non-Muslims in Malaysia have been relegated to the sidelines and have unfortunately (rigtly or wrongly) taken the back seat. On the rare occasion that they have emerged e.g. in the likes of Lim Guan Eng, Teresa Kok, Teo Nie Ching, they have been hammered. Furthermore, after May 13, 1969 – the older generation of non-Muslims have accepted UMNO’s hegemon. (read here)
However, the same could not be done to Muslims from PAS and PKR. And therein lies the fight. Malays in PAS & PKR do not have the perceived illegitimacy to Tanah Melayu as non-Muslims.
The Malays could do a Thailand or we could do an Iran or in a remote chance, do a Tunisia. And I wonder whose side the non-Malays would take? PAS/PKR or stand idly by, remembering how they were brutally maimed and killed on May 13, 1969 (read here) and in Indonesia (read here).
To my limited knowledge, the interpretation of n─Бmar┼лpa as “one of the earliest stages of the conception and development of the embryo, and it is immediately subsequent to consciousness “entering into the mother’s womb” and might be influenced by the father may not be the true understanding of what the Buddhist teaching is. For Buddhist teaching although whatever effect that we experience must have a certain cause, Buddhist teaching never ackowledges any causes that is beyond human experience. Although in scientific term, one can explain some physical characteristic of a human through genetic, one is hardly predict his/her behavior. Therefore, nothing of specific consciousness can be pre-determined. Therefore, neitgher mother nor father (or even previous life if we believe in reincarnation) has a role in determining n─Бmar┼лpa. It is the environemnt where a human was born and live in that define what his or her consciousness is.
Un Leang
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Conference of Birds , New Mandala. New Mandala said: Unpopular facts about one of Buddhist philosophy’s most popular doctrines: Discarding Dependent Origination, Ret… http://bit.ly/f18Rkf […]
“Despite Thailand had helped Cambodian refugees during the civil war in the neighbouring country.” One must know the PAD is talking to the wrong government, and they need to learn more history. Thailand let the resistant factors and the Khmer Rouge to stay in Thailand back then in hope to topple the new government led by Hun Sen. You may not want to remind Hun Sen that Thailand was helping China and the U.S to support Khmer Rouge to fight with Hun Sen in late 1970’s to early 1990’s. China and U.S sent weapons to Khmer Rouge through Thailand. Also if you talked to Khmer immigrants, you will know that Thai armies abused them, raped, and robbed these poor refugees. Thousand of Khmer refugees were also forced to walk back to Cambodia through land-mine-infested jungle at Dongrek mountain through gun point. If one knows history, one should also know that Thais once lived in China. I wonder where they got their current land from without the hospitality of then Khmer empire?
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Expert testimony alleges criminal acts by Thai army in April-May 2010
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Robert Amsterdam, Robert Amsterdam, Robert Amsterdam, UDDThailand, Omar Havana and others. Omar Havana said: RT @farangone: Royal Thai Army provoked the crowd to violence, says one witness. http://bit.ly/ewD8hB […]
Expert testimony alleges criminal acts by Thai army in April-May 2010
[…] Download a copy of the report over at New Mandala. […]
The 13th General Election in Malaysia
Helo everyone,
I’m simply inexperienced in deciding which of the both should earn my vote. Running through the volleying comments, I made a few points here.
1. Largely, young voters forbid themselves from casting a divine vote for BN because they trusted their own eyes, their own ears. No one should deny the way BN runs this country, for me, I don’t really care who was on the throne, as long you did your job splendidly. And clean. You want to exploit the national wealth, sure you could, but at least make sure the policies are running based on consciousness and country’s benefits. It’s just never make any sense if any country could completely sweep corruption out of it.
2. Regarding which coaliation stands a more promising ruling syndicate, I say why not let us swap in between the 2 coliation? People who said PKR stands no chance against BN are definitely a complete denial asshole. And if you said BN achieved completely zero distance in all aspect in the past 50 years, you’re a loser yourself. Both has pros and cons. Both has their own agenda and platform to perform. I would like to see how PKR rules the nation, at least for once. Young people around me would tells me, how their family cast vote to BN just because the parents are civil servants, their business ties . Reality, competition favors a true mandate, and if one of them wants people’s vote, they should compete in a stand out showdown, clean and just.
3. I’m quite inept of these 1Malaysia and vision 2020 stuffs. Look closely if you could my fellow friends, does these apparently bringing any positive impacts? By telling the people we need to be strong is not through slogans and war cry. We united long ago, and we heart this country. 1Malaysia is like an insult to our succumbed loyalty and patriotism, because I don’t think the people need a campaign which apparently stems from political propaganda, to teach us how we should love each other. We know, and it is this government who stirring the ties between me and my other races fellows. So, one last word, stay out of my loyalty, my loyalty is to my nation and not BN. Neither any nation’s destroyer.
My 2 cents, 5 cents and 1 ringgit. What ever la.
Unpopular facts about one of Buddhist philosophy’s most popular doctrines
Thanks for this excellent article. Surprisingly, the study of ancient dead languages seems to provide constant fuel for controversy!
I was familiar with Tibetan interpretations of “(Co-)Dependent Origination / Arising” as a key Buddhist doctrine, through (e.g.) Tsongkhapa’s 14th-century poem. Therefore it’s fascinating to discover just how far those interpretations have strayed from the primary source text, and ultimately how little they are related to the actual words of the Buddha.
It seems there are a lot of misinterpretations of Buddhism (in the Tibetan / Mahayana context) as being somehow uninterested in whether there is a soul, whereas this article reveals that in fact the Buddha categorically asserts that there is no soul! And this makes sense in the broader context of caste relations, and the Buddha’s opposition to caste (since soul is intimately related to caste in ancient India).
I liked the fact that the author was very clear about his sources — a lot of religious / philosophical texts supposedly translating Buddhist materials are very vague, and seem to base their far-fetched interpretations in the “philosophy” they learned in their Santa Cruz yoga class… (Am I being too harsh?)
I would love to see more from the same author!
Malaysia a failed state – The writings are on the wall?
From the ongoing World Economic Forum, Davos Switzerland.
Listen to a special address by President Yudhoyono – don’t forget that seven or eight years ago Indonesia was classified by a number of institutions as failed state. >> The Big Shift and the Imperative of the 21st Century Globalism: Chair of ASEAN’s Address.
Friends from the industrialised nations may be interested in President Sarkozy’s address: Vision for the G20 (this one’s quite entertaining.)
All VDOs are up on http://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2011
Malaysia a failed state – The writings are on the wall?
Greg,
You write:
“I am not linking Malaysia’s weakening economy to state failure.
I’m suggesting that the brain drain, the loss of investor confidence, the outflow of illicit funds suggests that stakeholders have decided that something is wrong in the House of Malaysia.”
Yes, I see. So you mean Malaysia: Epic Fail?, not ‘Malaysia a failed state’?
Could it not be that all of those reasons you’ve listed? Are you doing telle-polling?
I think you’re trying to equate the state with something that is moralistic. Since when has a state ever been a moral entity?
Slow down Gandhi!
Polis, Raja Di Malaysia [Police, Kings in Malaysia]
The cop who was charged with “grievously hurting” Kugan is set free. (Read here, here and here are the pictures when the family found him)
Malaysia’s First Lady
Malaysia’s First Lady (no, not the Queen) now has her own unit in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Read here, here and here.
Malaysia a failed state – The writings are on the wall?
Thanks Martino.
I am not linking Malaysia’s weakening economy to state failure.
I’m suggesting that the brain drain, the loss of investor confidence, the outflow of illicit funds suggests that stakeholders have decided that something is wrong in the House of Malaysia.
Stakeholders may think that the state has failed them for the following reasons:
– it could be a corrupt government acting with impunity while cutting down subsidies,
– it could be the rise of ethnic tension driven by a corrupt government hell bent on protecting itself by driving a wedge among its citizens;
– it could be the rise of political Islam to counter a corrupt government;
– it could be the persecution of non-Muslims by a racist party fighting for its last breath;
– it could be killings of individuals by a police force gone wild;
But your right, that it all depends on who is viewing it.
p.s. When Hurricane Katrina happened, did anyone expect citizens of the richest and most powerful country in the world to behave in such a manner (looting, raping, etc).
Doing their best to discredit the nation
It is amusing to see Kasit has fallen out with his former comrades the yellow shirts People’s Alliance against Democracy. Kasit once praised PAD rallies for the “good food and music” but now he forgets how and who made him sit in his soft seat in the foreign ministry.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/218587/pad-severs-ties-with-fake-kasit
However, this is not surprising because robbers/thieves always fight each other when they cannot agree on the loots.
Is inequality in Thailand getting worse?
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ahyangyang, New Mandala. New Mandala said: Is inequality in Thailand getting worse?: Over the last year or so there has been a lot of discussion about the … http://bit.ly/h7KVKN […]
Malaysia a failed state – The writings are on the wall?
The Malaysian state is not simply the Malaysian government, but is made up of all Malaysian citizens. That many Malaysian citizens, even your disenfranchised self, are dissatisfied with the current setup to me more indicates that there’s an equal possibility for governance change, and for there to be a more positive national economic trajectory. Moreover what might happen to the Malaysian state economically does not equate to state failure. I feel that the tenuous links to state failure throughout the article does not justify the hyperbolic title.
Is inequality in Thailand getting worse?
I was under the impression that the gap between rich and poor had been widening over recent years in the West, the UK anyway. Is this correct? I would be surprised if countries like Thailand didn’t show the same as the policy of low tax – high growth would tend to help the richest segment.
Seeing like a state
Legoland
The Devil’s Discus – in Thai
yo Frank G Anderson
I heard that you are a victim of lese majeste charges! Is this true? Where can we get details?
Malaysia a failed state – The writings are on the wall?
@ Submarine, thanks for sharing the different views on failed states.
In the Malaysian case, Neptunian has provided a likely scenario on what could happen (read here).
My prediction is more dramatic.
In 1992, as a first year undergraduate, I attended a seminar at my university, where a middle-eastern visiting fellow predicted – based on the 1990 election – that Malaysia in the future would end up like Algeria i.e. Muslim majority countries where disenfranchised Muslims will fight the corrupt ruling elites – also Muslims if it did not resolve income inequality and rising Islamisation.
In 2004, just before the 2004 GE, none other than Abdullah Ahmad (Dollah Kok Lanas) predicted that in the future in Malaysia, Muslims would be fighting Muslims (UMNO against PAS). He put this down to the intensity of politicking among Muslims in UMNO and PAS.
This trajectory has been correct. Income inequality is worsening (read here) and Islamisation of Malaysia is now almost complete (Read here). Najib has taken politicking to unprecedented heights (read here).
Why Muslims against Muslims and not against non-Muslims.
You will notice that non-Muslims in Malaysia do not have any effective political rights but rely on the benevolence of the ruling Malay party (UMNO). Non-Muslims are unable to discuss issues in relation to the Malays, Muslims, Royal Institutions or any institutions that are run by Malays (which today encompasses everything).
Therefore, non-Muslims in Malaysia have been relegated to the sidelines and have unfortunately (rigtly or wrongly) taken the back seat. On the rare occasion that they have emerged e.g. in the likes of Lim Guan Eng, Teresa Kok, Teo Nie Ching, they have been hammered. Furthermore, after May 13, 1969 – the older generation of non-Muslims have accepted UMNO’s hegemon. (read here)
However, the same could not be done to Muslims from PAS and PKR. And therein lies the fight. Malays in PAS & PKR do not have the perceived illegitimacy to Tanah Melayu as non-Muslims.
The Malays could do a Thailand or we could do an Iran or in a remote chance, do a Tunisia. And I wonder whose side the non-Malays would take? PAS/PKR or stand idly by, remembering how they were brutally maimed and killed on May 13, 1969 (read here) and in Indonesia (read here).
Watch this space – more action to come.
Unpopular facts about one of Buddhist philosophy’s most popular doctrines
To my limited knowledge, the interpretation of n─Бmar┼лpa as “one of the earliest stages of the conception and development of the embryo, and it is immediately subsequent to consciousness “entering into the mother’s womb” and might be influenced by the father may not be the true understanding of what the Buddhist teaching is. For Buddhist teaching although whatever effect that we experience must have a certain cause, Buddhist teaching never ackowledges any causes that is beyond human experience. Although in scientific term, one can explain some physical characteristic of a human through genetic, one is hardly predict his/her behavior. Therefore, nothing of specific consciousness can be pre-determined. Therefore, neitgher mother nor father (or even previous life if we believe in reincarnation) has a role in determining n─Бmar┼лpa. It is the environemnt where a human was born and live in that define what his or her consciousness is.
Un Leang
Unpopular facts about one of Buddhist philosophy’s most popular doctrines
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Conference of Birds , New Mandala. New Mandala said: Unpopular facts about one of Buddhist philosophy’s most popular doctrines: Discarding Dependent Origination, Ret… http://bit.ly/f18Rkf […]
Doing their best to discredit the nation
“Despite Thailand had helped Cambodian refugees during the civil war in the neighbouring country.” One must know the PAD is talking to the wrong government, and they need to learn more history. Thailand let the resistant factors and the Khmer Rouge to stay in Thailand back then in hope to topple the new government led by Hun Sen. You may not want to remind Hun Sen that Thailand was helping China and the U.S to support Khmer Rouge to fight with Hun Sen in late 1970’s to early 1990’s. China and U.S sent weapons to Khmer Rouge through Thailand. Also if you talked to Khmer immigrants, you will know that Thai armies abused them, raped, and robbed these poor refugees. Thousand of Khmer refugees were also forced to walk back to Cambodia through land-mine-infested jungle at Dongrek mountain through gun point. If one knows history, one should also know that Thais once lived in China. I wonder where they got their current land from without the hospitality of then Khmer empire?
New Mandala readership to boom!
I have been waiting for 3G for 3 years already, can we at least get that before 2012??? I mean everyone else is moving to 4G….