CC Pung’s dose of philosophical musings.
( The writer is a Sabah Justice of Peace, Tokoh Wartawan Sabah and Labuan)
The word ‘hypocrisy’ is used widely and often. It simply means saying or doing something that one speaks out against or doesn’t believe in.
Hypocrisy is a moral wrong.
I remember the anti hypocrisy movement being extremely popular during the hippie anti-establishment and anti war era (1960s and early 70s) when young people (the so-called flower children) in much of the world called out their leaders and governments for stirring up or participating in wars while trumpeting peace in their public speeches.
Such protests in the United States played a role, I think, in America eventually withdrawing from Vietnam with, as some described it “with tail between its legs”, and ended the brutal purposeless Vietnam War.
Vietnam and the US are allies today.
Watching the war between Russia and Ukraine, Israeli vs Paleatians in Gaza, the Philippines’ shenanigans in the Sourh China Sea, I see one common perpetrator, ie the US of A. They are in Cuba, Taiwan and places far from American shores minding other people s business.
Until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, the US was happy just selling arms to fiel conflicts everywhere.
Two atomic bombs over Japan and a destructive WW2 later, the US is selling more arms while setting up its own military bases to back up its self proclaimed role as a global peace maker.
It really is a war monger.
Just look at who is stirring the war in Ukraine and how Europe continues to buy Russian oil and gas while outwardly, and hypocritically, sanctioning Russia
In Gaza, the US and Germany are among countries that support a two-state solution in the Palestine conflict.
But these two hypocrites are not-so-secretly selling and giving arms to Israel.
Unlike the hippie era, hypocrisy is presently desensitised to an extent that the label doesn’t stick any more.
It is no different in Malaysia where corruption has become so common that it’s no longer a stigma but a badge of honour.
If you are not corrupt, it’s probably because you are not clever or important enough to demand kick backs, nor rich enough to pay to gain favours.
While we worry that morality is being desensitised and trivialised, what’s more worrying is the desensitisation of stupidity especially in public office.
When elected officials get away with senseless stupid public statements, we send a message to aspiring politicians that bird brains are good enough.
The result is a cycle of mediocrity, which is confronting us today.
When Sabah voters booted out the autocratic Alliance Governmen under Tun Mustapha and than the draconian Berjaya govt under Tan Sri Harris Salleh commentators described Sabah voters as ‘brave’.
I don’t agree. Do you? I think we had brawn and little else. Because every govt in Sabah since then have been pathetic, or at best average.
You don’t agree? Well, we are one of the poorest states in the country.
During the Mustapha/Harris era, we were the richest.
We’re still struggling with third world-standard water and power supply. Our leaders and officers appear to think of remedying pot holes as rocket science.
Within our cess pool of incompetence and inadequacies, who cares about hypocrisy.
On a lighter note …..
A chicken has two drumsticks, and most consider them the choicest part of the bird.
There’s a Chinese idiom that saya “act dumb to enjoy the drumsticks”.
It basically suggests being clever is not the key to the loot.
The ‘key’ to laying hands on the goodies one does not deserve is to act stupid, act ignorant. Remember, cleverness and courage are not the keys forward, because we’re operating in an alternative reality.
Some consider this idiom as an earlier understanding of emotional intelligence.
Good luck, humanity.
Editor: The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of Talantang.
