Let's see -- to me patriotism is the opposite of any act of betrayal to the country, which, of course, can mean a host of things.
I'd ask myself some questions although the answers are far from perfect. One question I could never really firmly answer is whether I would I die for my country, because it seems an unfair question.
Does it mean that I'd go to war for my country?
I don't know. I do know that I'd want to defend the sovereignty of my country. Very high-faluting but, oh, you know what I mean.
I know I'd not want terrible things to happen to my country. Can't quite specify what though.
I was thinking about patriotism because I read in Bernama that Youth and Sports Minister Ismail Sabri finds the patriotic spirit among Malaysian youth to be "not up to expectation".
Here's the rest of the story:
Ismail gave the index on patriotism among youths at only 68.2 per cent as many of them still questioned the social contract when the country achieved independence.
"As such, elements on civic consciousness will be included in all youth programmes," he said when opening the National Youth Consultative Council annual conference near here Saturday.
He said the approach on youth programmes should also be changed to suit current needs to instil self-identity, enhance creativity and understanding among youths.
There is also a need to evaluate the impact of youth programmes to avoid wastage, he added.
This guy must be Joker No.1, trying to tie the so called UMNO's "Social Contract" to patriotism. This is the type of UMNO buffons we have in the cabinet. Only GOD could save this country.
ReplyDeleteSo what has patriotism got to do with knowing or accepting the social contrat?
ReplyDeleteCan I be a patriot and at the same time say bull shit to the social contract?
Can I be a patriot and say to my leaders to go to hell?
Can I be a patriot and squeel on my leaders who pilfer and plunder?
Can I be a patriot and be in opposition?
When at the 50th Anniversary Merdeka parade the Prime Minister did not include on the stage members of the opposition it spoke a lot of what he and UMNO think of the citizens of the country. Indeed they are the ones who need to be driven off from this earth!
Kak
ReplyDeleteSomehow I get the feeling that the term "patriotic" is judged by the govt as how much these people support the govt of the day. THe more you support them, the more "patriotic" you are.
Like you, I find it difficult to pinpoint the clear definition of "patriotism". But surely being patriotic has nothing to do with the Social Contract?
Dear Nuraina, where is your loyalty? In America Mohammad Ali was jailed because he refused to be drafted into the army to go to war in Vietnam. Likewise in Malaysia the same principal applied. Otherwise it is an act of treason for refusing the order.
ReplyDeleteIs Chin Peng considered a patriot? He did clandestinely fight the British in defence of his country. But that's a different can of worm, it'd be argued.
ReplyDeletePatriotism apparently means just 4 words ... don't be anti-gov't! Why raise the concern anyway? There's no imminent 911 to worry about. Wonder where the 68.2% came from.
Look’s like Mahathir’s plan to play Pipe Piper to get Umno members to leave Umno en masse has backfired! This old fool should have realized that loyalty is not the middle name of Umno/ BN politicians. It is the culture of ‘ball carrying’ in this country that has put politicians in power for a very long time. Even Little Napoleons in the civil service derive their power from their ‘ball carrying’ subordinates. The reason for this ball carrying culture is very simple. You see, as long as you are in the good books of your boss, and as long as he is in power, you’ve got sunshine to make hay.
ReplyDeleteThe moment your Boss is not in power, your allegiance will be towards his or her successor. Why you think Samy Vellu, Ong Ka Ting, and Lim Keng Yaik held power for so long. They had a lot of ass kissers and ‘ball carriers’ kissing and carrying their balls all the time. Now you see why poor Mamak Mahathir is up the creek without a paddle. Even his slime ball son Mukhriz is not dancing to his tune. Just wait when Badawi steps down, people like Zahid Hamidi, Rafidah Aziz, Nazri Aziz, Zainuddin ‘Mamak’ Maidin, Mohideen Yassin, and Tajol Rosli etc. will be literally spitting on poor old Pak Why MeLah and blaming him for everything that has gone wrong with this country and Umno/BN.
Right now, everyone including his Cabinet, Umno/BN members, the MSM is singing praises to Badawi. That is why this idiot doesn’t seem to realize how things are screwed up now in this country. This poor excuse for a PM doesn’t even realize how he screwing up the country himself. With his SIL and 4th Floor boys pulling the strings, things can only get worse. Only when the floor gives way will this fool wake up from his slumber. By then, it will be too late.
This is after all part and parcel of UMNO/BN culture, The conclusion I can come to is that, every single Umno/BN member is nothing more than a leech, parasite and scum that has not got an ounce dignity to their name. All they are interested in is to get favors, get scholarships for their children and get their bank accounts fatter
Ask the person who said it what is the real meaning of
ReplyDelete'patrioticism' ?
Patriotism I believe is the love and our willingness to uphold our country's independence against any form of aggression, whether it is visible or not and whether such aggression is domestic or from abroad. The keyword here is "COUNTRY". Not to any individual, any particular race, government, organisation and not to any political party. In short, it should not be politically motivated. It is our love for the land in which we call as HOME.
ReplyDeletepatriotism is a word that has been used in the Umno and Barisan context to intimidate, opress, shackle, deceive and demean the rakyat into submission.
ReplyDeletenevertheless, as much as the word has been abused and used as an intrument of political and ideological propaganda, its meaning is not a complex one.
love for one's country, meaning the people that inhabit it and one's sense of identity linked to it must not be confused with those who selectively interpret it to mean "love for nation, king and leadership".
the latter interpretation is a defective one as one can choose not to love the political party or leadership in control and yet be intrinsically patriotic. often racist dogma of the "ketuanan Melayu" kind has infiltrated into the debate of who or what is patriotic.
flag-waving or in some (Umno-led) case flag-burning is one of the lowest forms of patriotism. such "bravado" forms of patriotism stem from the dark chauvinistic side of the lunatic matrix.
often in our nations' history there have been cultural zealots that have questioned the loyalty and patriotism level of Malaysian born Chines and Indians. the criteria employed is their religous and cultural worldview.
if Malaysian history is to be interpreted critically, independece of Malaysia would never have become a reality without their blood, sweat and tears. in the chauvinistic-driven realm such realities are selectively abbrogated and revised.
PATRIOTISM is the song "Here in My Heart" by Malaysian Artists for Unity.
ReplyDeleteGoogle it!
If they'd make THAT song compulsory in all the political blogs in Malaysia, what a difference it will make. It's time to counter the hatred and grudges we have withy a little bit of positivism. :)
Patriotism is when our FIFA rankings drops to an all time low of 183, the same HRH's, Tan Sri's and coaches who have been leading our FA for the last 30 years say that it is all the players fault and it doesn't matter becoz 'it is based on the number of games you play' (huh? **##??!!).
ReplyDeleteAt Chelsea, Spurs, Tottenham, Liverpool et al, if you lose 5 (not 50) games, the Manager will be the 1st to go.
But being a diehard who once played football with Mokhtar Dahari, you still trudge to the stadium to watch the Tigers play and lose to Laos!! That's patriotism!!
Churchill also said 'Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel!'
ReplyDeletePatriotism means loyalty to UMNO and Barisan Nasional, especially to whoever is in power at the moment. Patriotism means never to question anything that the government of the day does. Patriotism means to vote for BN come every elections. Patriotism means never to raise anything about NEP and stay at home quietly when others demonstrate on the streets for whatever reason.
ReplyDeleteKak,
ReplyDeleteI love my country and its people and its landscape and its cultures with all my heart, Kak.
But I don't give a damn about social kontrek ka, Ketuanan Melayu ka, Ketuanan Cina ka.
Does this make me any less Malaysian, Kak?
Ismail Sabri is talking a lot of cock.
ReplyDeleteWhen people question social contract, that is probably due to its inherent injustice.
Those who brave arrests to light a candle for a cause, they are patriots.
The one who speaks up with conviction against corruption even if he is the lone voice; he is a patriot.
The one who braves heckles in Parliament so that he can raise his constituents' issues; he is a patriot.
The journo who braved police intimidation but still won't betray his source, he is patriot.
The one who bravely championed the rights of the downtrodden immigrants and illegals? A fine example of humanity and in my book, a patriot.
Lofty ideals are something that gets us branded as stupid romantics, Nuraina.
But without these ideals and dreams of a more just world, we as a society will not mature, but will wither instead.
If patriotism just means being an unquestioning Pak Turut with implicit faith in the govt, as Ismail Sabri and the BTN band of merry men seem to advocate, then God help us.
This guy just do not know when to shut up does he? It's unfortunate that we should have an imbecile to lead the youth. Even the youth can think better than this guy.
ReplyDelete