The world has perhaps turned a bit uglier for President Obama. Short into his 1^st term, he has successfully lost the confidence of more than few key-economist, historian and public figures. Just less than two weeks ago did Obama’s plea for support troops in Afghanistan was rejected by the European Union (EU) members. The response though fortunately failed to tarnish his reputable image. The Obama fever hasn’t cooled down, the people are still addicted and Obama girl is still active.

Barack Obama is doing exactly what his campaign says, and the financial statements, the unemployment rates and much more are not exactly getting much better. He is not entirely wrong, for the past 4 months he has done few things past American presidents would not dare to do, pulling away troops from Iraq and announcing the closure of Guantanamo Bay. Though current polls shows that by last February his approval rating among Democrat has drop by 6 percent but is still remaining high of 92% and for the Republican of dropping by 19% down to 31%[1]. Though the middle class society and the rest of the world is totally in love with Obama, various economic critic and historians are starting to think otherwise. Only last month did Tim Ferguson mention that “attempts to rescue the economy by Washington and other political capitals have done little good and much harm”[2]. Numerous of them have proposed actions and ideas on which systems that need revamping but none seems to past his ears. And here we are counting our matchsticks paying the price of ignorance. It seems as if the meetings before his inauguration centering on the economic crisis was not constructive. Either this or Obama’s economic ‘teacher’ Larry Summers is a terrible one.

His more current move in nationalizing the financial institutions is a much opposed one. The government's decision to purchase minority stakes in financial institutions and further expand its deposit insurance programs will bolster its power over how financial institutions are managed and regulated going forward. But do the steps that the Treasury and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. plan to take amount to a partial nationalization of our financial system?[3] The idea of this gives the govt. more than just huge stake in decision making but relinquishes the idea of a free enterprise bringing government bureaucracy[4] into the picture. No longer are corporations free to make decisions without any government intervention. This gives the federal bank micro management of the financial institutions. It may be good in a way of decreasing the risk of non-performing loans. But then walks in the issue of how the govt. is going to implement the action as the buying out of the financial institutions shares would deliberately allow the equity holders to walk away freely without any consequence.

Another problem lies in the appointment of Obama’s Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner himself. Here is the man who has been in the crisis in the middle of summer 2007 and still failed the New York Reserve. Steve Forbes wrote “You would think he’d have been ready for decisive, bold actions as soon as Obama took the oath of office. Instead, he has discouraged markets with his vague generalities[5]”. An article in the New York Times mention that “As the day wore on, Mr. Geithner faced growing skepticism from Democratic and Republican lawmakers, many of them channeling deep voter disgust with the way the government has handled the bailout over the last nine months[6]”. The Senate Finance Committee cited his lack of details and information in his plans giving a lack of confidence in the Obama-lead administration. Even the House Financial Service Committee, Wall Street and various Economists are taking swipes on his costly blunder that’s taking up precious time waiting for more detailed plans[7]. They also took an offense towards the new Bank Bail-Out plan commenting that tax payers money are practically going to banks and financial institutions that directly helped the current crisis escalate. These banks are not investing or lending out paralyzing the credit flow without anyone gaining from it. And with the nationalization it’s going to be worse as the Chairman of the Federal Bank, Ben Bernanke who is weary and reluctant to invest. The whole purpose of having savings is to direct savings from one party to be invested with another party, as explained by Steve Forbes[8]. But what Bernanke is doing is following his predecessor Alan Greenspan is avoiding ‘excess savings’ which is practically preposterous, because there can never be an excess in savings!

President Obama should take a cue from his hero Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln did whatever that was necessary, firing incapable generals and taking up books on war when his advisors did not perform. Though Obama is still in his honeymoon with America, it is clear that with his declining confidence in the senate and Russia’s Putin’s new plan to reestablish itself as the major player gathering back the nations lost from the Soviet Union he may have to change his basic premises. In the coming months, he would face an even worse situation and escalating opposition. He cannot afford to have the slows as the financial crisis is said to only be brewing. The unemployment rates are still low, and the results are yet to show, and if this persist to happen he too like Herbert Hoover, shall be a one-termer.

haha today was sucky lol

The International Crime Court (ICC) has issued a warrant arrest to the Sudan Head of State Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir.

He is suspected for war crimes and control of several branches to secure the implementation of the counter-insurgency campaign.

This is the first time such warrant has been issued.


Isn't it a wonder how this can happen suddenly?

Comparing the magnitude of his actions and the acts of Bush, Blair and Edud, The ICC is clearly being unjust.


In a world where even an intenational body for justice(as they claim) is such, how can we expect any justice from the westerners who slander, abuse, and twist and turn from it?

And this is another proof of democracy's weakness.

(The reason for the non-related picture[but actually is if you notice] and me writing like this is because last week was Kongs birthday! HAHA,

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY KONG!

FYI Kong writes like this so yeah.)

Omehgosh guys! Life update yea! I rarely do these kind of girly stuff so once in a while why not eih.

Okay, so tomorrow I'm going to apply for the Help University College Foundation in Arts. I went to the Facon EduFair today at KLCC with Ayah and we met this guy at Help's booth. Well he didn't actually introduce to me the arts foundation but what really interested me and Ayah was the University of London External System. But to get in he suggested foundations.

Ayah was like Hey! This is like so cool lets go to Help straight away! And so we did, met this nice guy form the UOL department and now I'm enrolling for foundation tomorrow! I guess my plans on Form 6 and A-levels tidak menjadi kerana saya merasakan ini adalah untuk terbaik. The guy did mention though that the UOL degree course is going to be very hard and that every intake normally theres only 25 people applying. Its much harder than the University of East London(UOEL) and more challenging. He also mentioned that this course are normally for ambitious ones (puji diri LOL!). But I guess no matter in what ever course its always hard, but i really intend to work hard from now. I feel really bad for only studying the last 2 months before SPM and now my results are terrible :(. My intake is on the 23rd of March! So near but now I finally have a purpose in life. Thats good if your wondering :P.

So yeah other than that I'm not sure what else to say, there was so many chicks at the Help's booth though, I mean the enquiring ones.
Really lah, don't come to help. OMYGOSH! HAVE I GONE GAY? NO LAH. Actually nanti terlalu banyak distraction. I mean you guys know kan how my head is like. Macam a chick alarm. Turns everywhere theres a hot chick. It's not my fault okay, its just that way. I don't know what you science people call it, hormon kan? ;P

Buuuttt then if you ladies want to I won't exactly mind HAHA.

Hence with my honest intention of wanting to be hardworking, I wish to inform that I shall not be too frequent with my blog now, I might post when I'm extremely free or post any of my assignments if its interesting.

And this below can only be understood by very few so beware!

Remember when I said that if it won't happen then I won't do it for the next few years, I guess life has its way of telling things which are just not meant and I was just being to small-boy-ish about it though I'm already 18 now. I guess I would just have to follow what I say now. I feel a bit weird though but it's fine. Normally I find Malay guys doing it very frequently after they're out of school but I'm the other way round. I don't mind being this way, I feel happy with the people I'm with now, they're nice people but I feel bad I act even around them. But thats another issue I'm still contemplating. I think I'll be very fine, one seems like an interesting figure.

And well just to end my post for tonight, heres a nice video for all of you! Its funny :).


BBYE

Any Malaysian born in Malaysia would know of the legend of Hang Tuah regardless of any race. The tale of his battle with Hang Jebat, his non-genetic brother has been retold in many ways but looking at its core, it is still the same. However what makes this story different to many Malaysians is how we depict and interpret the story.

The story of the battle was all caused by the unjustified way the Sultan Of Malacca sentenced him to death. He was framed with for having an illicit affair with one of the Sultan's concubines. However he was instead saved and hidden far away by the Bendahara(prime minister). After Jebats treachery, he was granted full amnesty and fought Jebat and finally killed Jebat.

The way people has symbolized both Tuah and Jebat has both been one-sided. I find that we have perhaps misunderstood it in many ways, ranging from why Tuah actually forgo with killing Jebat and to what Jebats idea actually meant.

Lets forget Tuah's quotation 'Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia' because I personally think its irrelevant in this matter.
However lets insert Jebats quotation 'Raja adil raja disembah, raja zalim raja disanggah' because its plays a huge clue to what was the idea he brought.

I'll put it in numberings to make my arguments easier.

1. Was Tuah too loyal in a non-sensible way

Now some people argue that his loyalty was too strong and that he did not see the logic in Jebats eyes. However as a Muslim, perhaps he knew that as Rasulullah is the perfect example, to forgive someone before the person asks for forgiveness instead of his extremely strong loyalty.

Because if he was loyal then why did he go againts the orders of the Sultan?

An extension of this tale was that After the fight, The Sultan ordered his men to tear down, burn and throw the ashes of the house into the sea. Two months later, when a lady of the Bendahara retinue gave birth to Jebat's son, the sultan ordered Hang Tuah to throw the baby into the sea as well. Instead, he entrusted the child, Hang Kadim, to the Bendahara.

This tale however contradicts the prospect looked upon.

And if he was that loyal, then wouldn't he have killed himself when the Sultan sentenced him to death instead of hide?

I feel that perhaps it wasn't his loyalty but justice that drove him to kill Jebat. Perhaps he knew that after Jebats act of killing so many palace maids his cause has wavered. And to this, justice needed to be brought upon him as well.

2.Jebat, The Father of Malaysian Democracy?

Okayy, going back to his quote, Raja adil raja disembah, raja zalim raja disanggah, did he really fought for democracy? Was it the idea of democracy that he brought? or Was it the idea of justice towards all? and What he fought for was actually simple justice?

Being a Muslim, I felt that democracy was not what he meant when he uttered those words.That sentence could have been simply applied towards any form of governence in the world. Democracy has not been the strongest system created, or the most justified.

What is the actual proof that he meant democracy? He never mentioned in any way for people to vote for him to replace the Sultan. And he never mentioned in anyway of their rights towards determining the rulers.

What he mentioned was that we should follow a just ruler and not follow(or mengenepikan) and unjust ruler. It was that simple. I find no reason what so ever for democracy to butt in.
It wasn't democracy that he fought for, it was justice for all, even rulers. It was simple justice.

3.Was the killing of Jebat Justified?

This is simple, YES.
You see, though Jebat has the correct idea, his methods were wrong. As a Muslim, he shouldve know that himself than to kill the palace maids and divulge himself in merrymaking instead of preaching and continuing his idealism of justice!

And yes he had a choice. Every one has a choice. Even when you are againts the self-proclaimed human god you still have a choice.
Nowadays, it takes a dead reporter for us to realize and fight for the freedom of press.
Nowadays, it takes a dead little girl for us to realise and fight for peace.
If he believed that justice was on his side, he himself would not commit such foul acts of murder.
Its a simple question of willing to stick the objectives that you put forth, not treachery or loyalty.

Conclusion
I just think we think too complex in an inappopriate manner. That we divulge ourselves in the ideas that we like, we fail to see the gyst of ones actions and words. We seem to apply what our beliefs are in storys where it doesn't relate. There are many things in life which are complex, but this is not one of them. This was simple, justice gone wrong, a man who knew what had to be done, and he though loyal, knew his limits. We see things that we want to see and when we don't, we push for those things to appear when at the same time, we fail to realize the negative implications of it. For me, Tuah did the right thing, and Jebat was wrong, not in his idea, but in his reactiosn and for it, he had to face the consequence. His killings does not justify Tuah's alleged murder.

But again, thats my idea je kan?


But remember that let it be Jebat or Tuah, they were both heroes who should be sought for inspiration, patriotism and idealism.

They were both men who were loyal and loving towards each other, brothers but alass as one is clouded in his actions, the other did what was only justified.

Remember that Jebat asked for forgiveness when he died. That he was redeemed. And that Justice, is for all.