Muzzle Control • Lahad Datu

War is "the locomotive of history." When imposed by another, people coalesce and change attitudes towards their government. It reverses opposition and tempers gung-ho politics. 

The people preserve and protect a government that fights a war against a foreign enemy. Conversely, any party that undermines its government amid war is castigated by the people. Personalities who command weapons are riled and ridiculed during peacetime but are heralded and revered during the war.  

As fear limits options, people willingly give up rights and tolerate a high degree of civil disruption simply because they desire peace. The degree to which a government restores normalcy is the degree to which people and soldiers are willing to sacrifice.

With compassion in the public domain, the government is absolved of blame and preserved by the people during the war. The height of a government's popularity with the people is achieved during the war, while opposition to it is muted and even demonized.

Objectivity ends when it is suggested that foreign players in our midst owe a debt to the ruling government for their recently gained autonomy. When impartiality subsides, it becomes banal to indicate that the government has asked them to return a favour to ensure its 'preservation.'

It is a sheer coincidence that a century-old claim serviced on the diplomatic sidebar is brought to the table by force on the eve of the national elections, where the opposition was on the cusp of unseating the ruling government and an incredible happenstance for a professional maritime defence at the dog's mouth to fail at the crucial hour that enabled foreign players to conduct a breach with mere outboards.

While it is fair to suggest that debating the merits and demerits of servant-leaders are irrelevant to absolute power because they have none; and that the political dynamic in Malaysia resembles the political dynamic of any progressive-capitalist nation, it is ludicrous to hold that servant-leaders in Malaysia are but servants of Big Business and when interests of Big Business are threatened by a possible change of servant leaders, it ensures that the contract of the incumbent is renewed by any means, fear and war-mongering inclusive.

While it is reasonable to imply that a government that promotes war guarantees the hearts and minds of the people into its fold, it is a stretch of the imagination to suggest that the twins of humanity are available for manipulation to ensure that the interests of Big Business, instead of the promotion of its servant leaders, is the end game.

Words - Tommy Peters