Peace Not War

The first world war is what people terms as The End of War. Well, no one has then figured that it was actually the very beginning of a disaster.

What makes human think that they are superior? What has mankind do that they could be proud off?

Remember Hiroshima & Nagasaki – the mass massacre of more than 150’000 Japanese civilian and US prisoners of war, and injuring tens of thousand more? Imagine what the pilot must have felt the moment he agreed to take up the task of dropping Little Boy Bomb on the U.S. B-29 Enola Gay on August 6, 1945, which explodes with the force of 15kilotons of explosive AND three days later in Nagasaki, the Fatman bomb dropped by the U.S. B-29 Bock’s Car exploding with the force of 22 kilotons explosive. What then would be running through the pilot’s head when the nuclear weapon actually hit the ground?
You can see remain of dead bodies and shattered buildings within a mile. The survivors waited for death as emergency services were minimal. Cremation fires were burning day and night. This my friend, was THE merciless killings that had change the course of World War II.

At one time, Malaysia under the leadership of then Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reach-far in promoting peace and harmony.

Bosnia Herzegovina was a good example. The Muslims, Croats, and Serbs were racially indistinguishable, except perhaps for their religious belief. When Serbs and Croats partition the country among themselves through ruthless ethnic cleansing in particular the genocide of Muslims, it shattered the world.

Remember the Summer of 1994 in Srebrenica, a town in Western Bosnia Herzegovina where 8’000 Bosnian Muslim were murdered in a football field under the watchful eyes of the Peacekeepers (UNPROFOR)? After the United Nations peacekeepers withdrew their fleet, Malaysian troops (more than 10’000 in total) were the only one who has chosen to remain as garrison, and this are all done at our own expense. Tun Mahathir, enraged towards what was happening, went further than anyone in the matter. In the end, it just needed the push from the most powerful country in the world to put an end to it - when President Clinton finally made a stand and decided on taking some drastic measurement.

But the ‘powers that be’ may not be all that great. Iraq is a good example of how sometimes power and money can become the strongest motivating factor. After spending more than USD500 Bil (and USD3 Trillion long term) and losing more than 3,900 American coalition personnel, some say the US authorities are now moving in as parasites - reaping the oil benefit from the country. Iraqi civilians killed ranges from 81,532 to 1,120,000 where 70% do not have access to clean water, 80% without sanitation and 90% of Iraqi’s 180 hospital lacks the basic medical and surgical supplies. Whether the lives lost equate the Million of Barrels of oil gain, you be the judge of that. 79% of the Iraqi has already voted to oppose the presence of Coalition, and 64% American oppose the war in Iraq. But, did anyone cares to listen?

America has not been all that successful in winning their wars. Probably they still have not recovered from the deep cut of losing the Vietnam war.

Well, the deep cut of living years in oppression and detest towards the Western was the main reason that pushes Osama bin Laden to plan the perfect revenge on the America’s World Trade Centre Towers on September 11 killing 2,752 people. It may have well resulted in the invasion of Afghanistan, but it clearly shows that revenge will come your way at one point or another. And when it does, it is an option of whether you can fight back, or exemplify Japan during Hiroshima, where they picked up the pieces and recover. If the United States can plan the perfect war on Hiroshima & Nagasaki, why do they stumble when they are given back the taste of their own medicine? Isn’t there such belief as karma – what you give, you get back in return?

At this point in time, Malaysia is going to war amongst ourselves. Political drift have causes the people to forget the very reason that independence was achieved. Somehow, you’d see that sons and father argue about their belief, and husband and wife separated due to clashes in opinion.

We should consider ourselves fortunate that our democratic voices are being heard of, and that our kids ie Tan Hong Ming (from the PETRONAS TV commercial) do not know the meaning of races. Don’t let the fate of 13 May become another nightmare streak that may be repeated. Do not let this happen! Treat others the way we want to be treated. It is time to turn away from even the mini-war that we have amongst each other and unite towards making a better future.

So, turn to the person right next to you, and give a friendly shake. Be reminded to thank your friend and yourself for the wonderful country of Malaysia.

So, what happen in the past define us. We will not be able to go back in the hope of trying to change the past, but then rest assured that the course of the future is still something that we can steer. What happens now may be the present that we have chosen. But the future of tomorrow is still very uncertain. So, be cautious when making decision! Peace, and out.

Note: Again another Toastmaster Speech. Speech #7 from the Manual. Peace and out.