Age of Reason

I may disagree with what you say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it. *** Voltaire

Once I've decided to engage anyone in Conversation, I always follow the above dictum enunciated by one of my democratic teachers, French philosopher and author Francois-Marie Arouet VOLTAIRE (1694-1778). But with some people, you can't start a conversation, so you retreat, and let him speak to his own mirror, and enjoy the mirage of him dominating his audience.

But when such people were a nation's leaders, the people could not avoid listening to them mouth their daily vicedoms, for they dominate the airtime, playtime and new(s)time over every medium and their intrusion into your personal space became another BigBro smilingly poking his Face into thy restroom.

Talking about pollution -- it's such Pollution of the Mental Atmosphere that is the most fatalistic of damned all!

Witness today's news item, hidden as a brief on page 4 in today's daily -- but still a gem to my mine -- 'Don't use ACA to frighten people', and I quote in full courtesy of theSun, my 30sen copy (no, it's not taken from the 7eleven, 'cos I believe when somet'in' giv'n free, like the air we breathe, we don't fully mine it!

KUALA LUMPUR: Works Minister Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu criticised Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang yesterday for threatening to lodge a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) about the renovation cost of Parliament House.

"Don't frequently use ACA's name to frighten people. Don't mention ACA, ACA from morning till evening," Samy Vellu said when asked to comment on the total cost of renovating the 39-year-old building.

"If there is a problem or any wrongdoing, then lodge a complaint to the ACAand we are ready to answer."

He said that until now, the cost of renovating Parliament House had reached nearly RM99million.

Desiderata: guess if the RM99million came from the honourable minister's pocket, YB Lim should not threaten, cajole, or beg -- but representing the Rakyat in the august mansion which sprang a wet leak recently, Lim owes it to the tax-payers to ask for an accounting, doesn't he? Just as any minister owes it to the constituents for any woes in his constituency. or maybe, perhaps, mayhaps, nobody is answerable to the Rakyat anymore. Another act of God?