Thursday, September 25, 2008

Major Arcana: The Fool

A few weeks ago, the Americans went to the Press Club.

They had a media specialist with them, a journalist for 25? 35? years who seemed to WANT to believe that everything is okay in Malaysia. Especially in regards to the media and whatever.

And there were enough people to tell them that everything IS okay. And that the problem is not with the system, but as always, with the people.

Well, a couple of weeks back, this country was teetering on social breakdown. Cooler heads prevailed and we did not see history repeating itself. But for a moment, there was a rumbling that could have sent the nation into chaos.

Not anarchy, which does not mean 'without order'. Just chaos. Blood on the streets chaos.

Thank God that didn't happen.

But for it to ALMOST happen, in whatever degree, for us to hear echoes from the past, for even the idea to be considered, it is stupid.

As always, it's just down to idiots doing stupid things.

Which is true. All the problems in the world were, are and will always be caused by idiots.

Idiots are a force of nature. They are a constant. Like gravity.

We can't change idiots. Education is NOT the answer. I have met PhD holders who are utterly and completely stupid. Masters degree holders in some fancy schmancy college who are total idiots.

Nope.

And whenever a system is more important than the product, than the people, than addressing the idiots; then we have a problem.

We see this in companies. When beureaucracy and red-tape becomes an end. When upholding the system is more important than churning out a good quality can of soup, when forms are more important than output, then we do have a poblem.

What works in the States might not work here. What works in Indonesia might not work here.

We have different idiots. They come in all flavours.

And yet...what IS there to be done, than put a plastic face to the Americans or whoever else, and say, "Hey, man. There's nothing wrong here. Nope. Zip-a-dee-doo-daa!"

As Neil Gaiman wrote:

A fool may very well point to the emperor and say that he has no clothes on. But the emperor remains an emperor, and the fool remains a fool.

EDIT:Gua edit pakai blackberry