Categories
Humor Politics & government

[1562] Of Pak la la la la

During the US Presidential Election in 2004, JibJab produced the most memorable song ever.

In Malaysia, we have this:

[youtube]DS3FMemnA-s[/youtube]

And thanks to the video, now I know that we will be celebrating Samy Vellu’s birthday on March 8! People! Let us give him a retirement party on that day!

Categories
Economics Politics & government

[1561] Of deficit reduction through increased spending!

BN’s manifesto says that it promises to reduce fiscal deficit:

In its election manifesto, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s coalition also pledged to create two million new jobs, encourage one million new businesses and rein in the fiscal deficit over the next five years. [Malaysia PM woos non-Malays in election manifesto. Reuters. February 25 2008]

I wonder, I wo-wo-wo-wo-wonder, how is he going to do that with his planned increase in public spending for IDR, NCER, ECER, SCORE, SDC, OMG, WTF, LOL, ROTF, ZZZ, etc, etc…

Will it be through private finance initiative? Or based on hope that the economy will improve tremendously? Or through multiplier effect brought upon by projects implemented? Or taxation? Or what?

Categories
Politics & government

[1560] Of Nader yet again

Persistence…

When Ralph Nader ran as a third-party candidate in 2000 and drew 96,837 votes in Florida, he was widely derided by Democrats, who saw him as a spoiler who siphoned crucial votes from Al Gore and tipped the election to George W. Bush. When he ran again in 2004, Democrats in many states tried to keep him off their ballots.

On Sunday, Mr. Nader officially announced that he would seek the presidency as a third-party candidate one more time — driven in part by his frustration over the efforts to thwart his last run. [Nader to Run, Citing Events of 2004 Race. New York Times. February 25 2008]

…is probably a virtue.

Categories
Earthly Strip Politics & government

[1559] Of Earthly Strip: Undilah untuk Malaysia

Some right reserved.

Kita hanya ada dua pilihan: Barisan Nasional atau Malaysia. Tidak perlu was-was lagi. Undi untuk Malaysia dan bukan Barisan Nasional!

Sebarkan!

Categories
Activism Politics & government

[1558] Of putting bloggers into public office

Are you tired of politicians bad-mouthing us bloggers? Are you tired of our Information Minister calling us bloggers with unfaltering names? Or the son-in-law of an ineffective Prime Minister calling us monkeys?

I am. I have enough of that. Too long have I been patient, enduring insults from these politicians. I am angry and I want to get back at them.

The election is just around the corner and we bloggers have a rare opportunity to flex our muscle and show those folks that we are serious about in getting back at them. No, I am not talking about we — as they say — bashing these folks on our blogs. No. Instead, I am talking about bashing these folks in the Parliament as well as in various state assemblies.

Imagine, bloggers in the Parliament! These folks panic whenever we talk about them. I bet they will piss in their pants if bloggers challenge them in live debates! Enough of proxy wars. It is time to get out of the trenches, overcome the standoff and take the war to them. We are coming for them!

Remembers, these folks want to curtail our freedom of expression. They want to impose licenses on us, they have voiced suggestion to force us to register before we could blog. They want to control us!

The crucial battle for our freedom will be in the legislature. With bloggers in these halls, we could kill any ominous intention to rob us of our liberty before it could even gain momentum.

But first, we need to elect bloggers into the legislative halls. There are several bloggers running for office and they need our help. They need us to spread words of their candidacy. For our own sake, we must help them out and this is the game plan.

In the next few days, emails and messages will fly across the blogosphere, urging bloggers to blog about a blogger candidate on a particular day. With enough participants, we will create enough buzz for the candidate and with effort and a little bit of luck, see the effect spills into the real world. One candidate in one day.

These message could be anything, be it a one liner like “Vote Blogger X” or an endless epic essay on Blogger X. In the end, what we want is an endorsement of blogger candidates from as many bloggers as possible. Remember also to link to the Blogger X.

Here are the blogger candidates that I have identified for this initiative. Date of action is listed in the corresponding parenthesis.

  1. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Friday, February 29)
  2. Tony Pua (Saturday, March 1)
  3. Elizabeth Wong (Sunday, March 2)
  4. Jeff Ooi (Monday, March 3)
  5. che’GuBard (Tuesday, March 4)

Is there any other blogger candidate? Do propose but remember, we are highlighting bloggers whom are running for offices, bloggers that identify with the blogosphere, not candidates with blogs set up just for the election. Bloggers whom are bloggers before they’ are politicians!

So, are you in or are you out? Netroot arise !