Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
"NEP vs VISION 2020: WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE?" - DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng 26.9.2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Currently this is a hot issue, as there is no response from the EPU, read it all plus the EPU's myth busted by LKS - Edit
Let me first address the question that perhaps persuaded some of you to come here tonight,
'WHERE HAS ALL OUR MONEY GONE?"
Remember the phrase, "gaya mesti ada, mati tidak apa"
The Malaysian government is proud that there will be a Malaysian astronaut next year in conjunction with our country's 50th Merdeka celebrations. For this trip Malaysian taxpayers are paying RM 95 million. Pretty expensive to have the 'gaya' to try some teh tarik or roti canai in space. I am sure some of you are saying let's have teh tarik here and use the RM 95 million to solve our perennial flood problems.
Do Malaysians get any technological transfer or benefits except for PR and publicity and feel good factor for BN? Even PR is limited as going to space is not that unique anymore and does not attract that much international attention as there are even millionaires who can become space tourists.
But the real cost may be higher as this was supposed to be sweetener to get Malaysia to purchase 18 Russian-made Sukhoi SU-30 MKM fighter jets in May 2003 for US$ 900 million(RM 3.42 billion then). Is US $ 50 million for an untested fighter jet too high? That is why Malaysian Air Force is unique in that pilots must understand English and Russian with two types of planes in service - American and Russian. The logistics and incompatibility has only added on to our maintenance costs.
So throw in the astronaut for RM 95 million which works out a total cost of RM 3.5 billion - that's where our money has gone. For wasteful white elephants projects and corruption that makes many of us worse off and some people very rich - the money it's all gone.
We still have some left because we have been blessed with oil. But even that would not last long as oil resources will be depleted in 19 years. But the oil crunch will come earlier in 2011 when Malaysia becomes a net importer and not a net exporter of oil. Will wiping out corruption and waste the solution. That is only part of the solution. The real problem is getting rid of New Economic Policy (NEP), the father of all waste, corruption, inefficiencies and mediocrity. Continued here.....
