and this battle between light and darkness
'tis an eternal one
fought on this earth over chessboard squares
of all shades of grey
we are all pawns
and pieces engaged in this battle
only sometimes waking up to find
we are on different sides of the line
some on the side of light
pose on the side of darkness
and some on the side of darkness
pose on the side of light
some unwittingly fight for the side they oppose
and provide darkness fortuitious advances
or light to gain the advantage
spirits when young yearn for the side of light
and fight for ideas which seem so right
but soon their victories ossify into institutions
only to create caverns for darkness to reside
spirits when tired and old try to preserve
a world full of chessboard squares of all manner of grey
or reason that there really is no final victory
and that reformers throughout history
all waste their time
but 'tis only an eternal battle on a universal scale
as momentarily
darkness envelopes light
and fleetingly
light stamps out the darkness
what of us pawns or pieces
actors on this greyish stage
what roles do we play
do you know
which side you fight on today ?
Paksanno
Thursday, January 01, 2004
before this insanity
before there was a zion
before there was a christianity
and before there was an islam
before there was a jihad
before there was even a crusade
when the world was "unsaved"
before this inhuman obsession
with absolute righteous religion
and zealous holy retribution
before man invented god in his own image
built temples, synagogues, churches and mosques
just so he could save his worthless world
before each of the testaments
before the writing of the holy books
and before the fanatics of the word
commanded their armies to win the world
crush their enemies for the sake of their own god
before this insanity
before this madness of egoistic individuality
did the true god of the universe
grant man unbridled powers
to judge condemn and kill his brothers
or subjugate all those who do not share his view of god
in a raging cycle of never-ending battle
sweeping across centuries
and spanning the world
there will always be an old score
of nothing else but whose god is stronger to settle
but was there not a God
who sent us his prophets
and even a son
to remind us of the family
we once were ?
Paksanno
before there was a christianity
and before there was an islam
before there was a jihad
before there was even a crusade
when the world was "unsaved"
before this inhuman obsession
with absolute righteous religion
and zealous holy retribution
before man invented god in his own image
built temples, synagogues, churches and mosques
just so he could save his worthless world
before each of the testaments
before the writing of the holy books
and before the fanatics of the word
commanded their armies to win the world
crush their enemies for the sake of their own god
before this insanity
before this madness of egoistic individuality
did the true god of the universe
grant man unbridled powers
to judge condemn and kill his brothers
or subjugate all those who do not share his view of god
in a raging cycle of never-ending battle
sweeping across centuries
and spanning the world
there will always be an old score
of nothing else but whose god is stronger to settle
but was there not a God
who sent us his prophets
and even a son
to remind us of the family
we once were ?
Paksanno
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
"Asian" Versus "Western" Values
The wholesale transplantation of Western logic, reasoning and values into the Asian intellectual environment particularly among the academic elite has meant that Asian logic, reasoning and values has receded into a forgotten background. It however remains in the religious and cultural backwater; unappreciated by those who parrot the Western view of the universe as the only valid one.
In the end, yes, there are no specifically Western or Asian values, logic nor reasoning processes; these slogans and labels expeditiously worn and used by those in power to rationalise their preservation and tenure in power. In this sense Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew among others have tried to argue that what is actually conservative. feudalistic, paternalistic and authoritian is actually Eastern or Asian. It is important not to fall into that trap.
What is fundamental in the end is one' perspective or one's worldview and it is fashionable these days to adopt the worldview that is more apparently successful; the Western one has now a hold over the world made increasing unipolar in technological, economic and cultural terms.
By a myriad of conformity inducing processes and the internet is also one of the tools -Western logic, reasoning and values is being forced and reinforced as the "proper" way of thinking on the world especially Asian cultures. Yet there is a depth and breadth of Asian originated reasoning and values that has not even be formally treated outside the Western paradigm and properly appreciated in Asia itself. Before Japan went into its ten year hiatus tottering on the precipice of depression, everyone wanted to know the secret to the Japanese and the larger extent Asian miracle. But as Japan's fall has shown even that bastion of Asian values is not immune to Western financial speculative seduction.
There is a time and tide for civilisations as well as the oceans. Much of Asia's economic and social problems, Malaysia's included come from adopting Western thinking, reasoning and values too easily and quickly. Asia's financial crisis of 1997 has more to do globalisation and liberalisation in the Western mould than with Asia's values and culture.
As we speak now, the long anticipated recession and depression of the Western world is now imminent and knocking on the doors of stock markets and economies all around the world. It should go to prove that our values and our culture is not the failing of Asian economies and societies; it is that we have let too much of "this technological epistemology" frame our way of thinking and approaches towards economic management and development.
Some have written about an Asian Renaissance; but unfortunately, the decadence of Asian civilisations which preceded and enabled Western civilisation to flourish remains entrenched to this day. The Western approach was seen as the answer and is still seen as an answer to solving all our problems. If anything, the last four centuries must surely be historically seen as the Dark Ages for Asian Civilisation; with no chance of revival presented except, on global read western terms. Again, it is also important not to fall into this trap.
The decadence of Asian civilisations, born out of prosperity, affluence and arrogance resisted Western approaches until it was too late; progressively weakned until now when the Western domination of the Asian mind is complete. It is sad to see that some of Asia's best minds make the best proponents and arguments for Western values and reasoning without so much as understanding as how one relates to another. As long as this remains the case; those who argue for a consideration of the Asian perspective is repeatedly and regularly sidelined and marginalised.
As a final point, there is always the tendency to caricature Eastern values and ideas as dogmatic, rigid and unbending when ironically, dogma is a Western invention.
Paksanno.
In the end, yes, there are no specifically Western or Asian values, logic nor reasoning processes; these slogans and labels expeditiously worn and used by those in power to rationalise their preservation and tenure in power. In this sense Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew among others have tried to argue that what is actually conservative. feudalistic, paternalistic and authoritian is actually Eastern or Asian. It is important not to fall into that trap.
What is fundamental in the end is one' perspective or one's worldview and it is fashionable these days to adopt the worldview that is more apparently successful; the Western one has now a hold over the world made increasing unipolar in technological, economic and cultural terms.
By a myriad of conformity inducing processes and the internet is also one of the tools -Western logic, reasoning and values is being forced and reinforced as the "proper" way of thinking on the world especially Asian cultures. Yet there is a depth and breadth of Asian originated reasoning and values that has not even be formally treated outside the Western paradigm and properly appreciated in Asia itself. Before Japan went into its ten year hiatus tottering on the precipice of depression, everyone wanted to know the secret to the Japanese and the larger extent Asian miracle. But as Japan's fall has shown even that bastion of Asian values is not immune to Western financial speculative seduction.
There is a time and tide for civilisations as well as the oceans. Much of Asia's economic and social problems, Malaysia's included come from adopting Western thinking, reasoning and values too easily and quickly. Asia's financial crisis of 1997 has more to do globalisation and liberalisation in the Western mould than with Asia's values and culture.
As we speak now, the long anticipated recession and depression of the Western world is now imminent and knocking on the doors of stock markets and economies all around the world. It should go to prove that our values and our culture is not the failing of Asian economies and societies; it is that we have let too much of "this technological epistemology" frame our way of thinking and approaches towards economic management and development.
Some have written about an Asian Renaissance; but unfortunately, the decadence of Asian civilisations which preceded and enabled Western civilisation to flourish remains entrenched to this day. The Western approach was seen as the answer and is still seen as an answer to solving all our problems. If anything, the last four centuries must surely be historically seen as the Dark Ages for Asian Civilisation; with no chance of revival presented except, on global read western terms. Again, it is also important not to fall into this trap.
The decadence of Asian civilisations, born out of prosperity, affluence and arrogance resisted Western approaches until it was too late; progressively weakned until now when the Western domination of the Asian mind is complete. It is sad to see that some of Asia's best minds make the best proponents and arguments for Western values and reasoning without so much as understanding as how one relates to another. As long as this remains the case; those who argue for a consideration of the Asian perspective is repeatedly and regularly sidelined and marginalised.
As a final point, there is always the tendency to caricature Eastern values and ideas as dogmatic, rigid and unbending when ironically, dogma is a Western invention.
Paksanno.
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