Battle Hymn of the Republic

A very old but meaningful song. :) It has an intriguing history behind it; and its scriptural depth within is simply amazing.

Here it goes:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
l can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnish`d rows of steel,
"As ye deal with my condemners, So with you my grace shall deal;"
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on.

He has sounded form the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

ln the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

Anarchy?

"Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." - Thomas Paine

Ever since mankind achieved the threshold known as “civilization”, among its distinguishing traits are a hierarchical society and stable governance. Traditionally, governments have been regarded as essential for a society to develop. Apparently, the need to appoint an authority over their heads proved to be that which “civilized” human beings which brought organization and structure to society as a whole. Hence, we find the various forms of governments in every history textbooks, from the god-kings pharaohs, monarchies and theocracies to democracies.

As I have been reading lately on the shortfalls of governments worldwide, this has led me to toying with an idea, why is a government necessary? Could we do without an authority dictating our lives? Before I proceed any further, it is important that I disclaim that I am not advocating anarchism, but I find it quite a novel concept to ponder on. Far from being the chaos and bedlam that anarchy conjures up in one’s mind, anarchism actually has its proponents globally since antiquity. No, these folks are not deranged or rebels and they wear their labels as “anarchists” proudly.

The word anarchy is derived from Greek, translated literally to be “no-rulers”. Anarchism is simply a society which does not have a formal governing institution. Ok, on the surface it may not seem so feasible, but let’s start from analyzing other forms of governments. In the modern perspective, monarchism is an antiquated concept that remains as a relic of the Middle Ages. Very few absolute monarchies remain, and of those which remain are under pressure to democratize. Additionally, the traditional notion of an “empire” is now regarded as oppressive and inhuman, and so vast empires which existed in history are now fragmented into many nation-states, such as in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Meanwhile, authoritarianism is viewed as a centralization of wealth and power within the hands of an upper echelon. This high concentration of power ultimately allows them to impoverish the common peasant and conscript them to wage their personal wars for glory, all in the name of patriotism. Hence, modern society seeks to distance itself from such ideology, with the prevailing philosophy of human rights and equality.

The rise of democracy and fall of authoritarianism and empires all point at one trend, the devolution of central authority. Contemporary philosophy of governance revolves around self-determination, that is letting the common folk decide on their own fate, which society believes is best found in democracy. The doctrine of self-determination is enshrined within the UN Charter, and it is on this principle that the UN supports nations breaking of the shackles of imperialism since the mid 20^th century till the present, as in the case of East Timor. So do you see the trend now? Decentralization and dilution of authority leads to ordinary citizens having a greater say over their own lives. Now, what if we were to stretch this concept to its extreme by giving each person absolute freedom by placing his own destiny on his palm? If less authority is regarded as better, then surely no authority must be the best.

One school of thought, known as anarcho-capitalism, views capitalism as a form of anarchism. Firstly, the essence of capitalism can be described as such: if every individual strives to guard and expand his own interests, then society will function optimally. This is expressed as individuals competing in the market to satisfy his needs. Once again, the opposing end of this economic spectrum is represented by communism, or a state-controlled economy. As history has shown, communism has proved to be a dismal failure with not even a token of success. The Communist bloc of the Cold War is virtually non-existent, and its remnants such as Cuba and North Korea currently suffer from extremely low standards of living. Capitalism has once more proved to be the most effective economic system in providing for society. Our current civilization, which prides itself to be the most technologically advanced and wealthiest in known history, was made only possible through capitalism.

If the free market were to operate without any government interference, all public goods would be privatized. This essentially means that education, security and other amenities will have to be purchased at market rates. Think of it as impossible? Look at Somalia. In the absence of a government over the past 16 years, it has thrived in comparison to other African States, many of which are either democratic or autocratic. Here are some statistics. Somalia is a perfect case study of how anarchy doesn’t necessarily boot a society back into the stone ages. As a matter of fact, it is interesting to note that Somalia has one of the best communications network in Africa due to intensive competition in the deregulated telecommunications market.

In short, Anarchism works on the principle that if every person fends for himself, then society will function optimally. This is because a human being will work hardest if it is to sustain and increase his own standing, and if everyone in society were to do that, the collective result will be maximized.

I am still of the opinion that anarchism is a little overly utopian, but nevertheless, it is a fascinating scenario to delve into. Anarchism is just another passing convoluted thought. I welcome comments and do point out if you note any inconsistencies or flaws in my arguments.

Quality Blogging

Blogging is a trend that has been around for several years. I have been blogging since 2004, although truth be told I did not begin to blog seriously since last year. Over the course of these few years, I have watched the blogosphere evolve and take on new forms, some more desirable, others less. As of late I have only been watching in muted horror as substandard blogs flood the blogosphere. I break this seal of silence today as I saw this new blog with a horribly messy template, overwhelming advertisements, blurred photos and extremely shallow content; this guy explicitly stated he was trying to project a mysterious aura. And for that, I give him an E for his pathetic attempt. This blog is typical of the sea of blogs which carry little, if any content; which serve little more than to lend some cheap glitter and glamour to their owners. While I deem myself unqualified to define the criteria one needs to meet before being worthy of the title "blogger", I personally feel that blogs should have an impact on their readers.

I find myself jumping around from blog to blog, feeling despaired by the shallowness. Many blogs simply scream "Look at me! Please say I'm cool, dude!". Messy templates and teeming advertising do little to mediate the situation. In fact, I'm linking this trend of substandard blogs with the recent fad of monetizing one's blog. I strongly suspect that it is the sole reason for the recent influx of blogs within this world. Capitalism, the bane that sucks human souls dry. It draws in people whom in real life would struggle to write a coherent sentence. Blogs nowadays truly lack the most important ingredient; it should reflect the soul of the blogger.

Fine, if some of these bloggers keep blogs as personal diaries or limited to within their private social circle, then I will refrain from judging those blogs. I have no rights to criticise another person if his blog was not intended for public viewing. You can't blast a person for decorating their private home according to their tastes right? However, with regards to the crappy blog I mentioned above, its owner was clearly seeking profit with no regards to his blog quality. He was trawling around forums and other such sites promoting his blog. That guy's actions are far from unique as so many people are out there trying to advertise their lousy blogs. People whom in real life would not have the guts to write a sentence for public viewing. And for that, I feel that he has granted the public a license to scrutinize his blog, and tear it apart, if they will.

Bloggers, don't just post "I went to *insert place* today... I had this for lunch with so-and-so. These are a few 'LaLa' photos of us". Rather, post your thoughts and insights on your life around you. "A picture is worth a thousand words". That cliche is a blatant lie. A photo provides nothing more than a superficial image of the person in question. A thousand words, on the other hand, colour his character, paints his personality, and breathes life into that person. When you get to know a person, you are not dissecting a skin bag of tissue and bones. You are connecting with the soul within, and you learn more about the complex engine of character and morality driving the person.

I've never discriminated blogs, but I feel that these recent events have forced me to reconsider my neutrality. Henceforth, I will be imposing higher quality control standards on this blog. My short fling with capitalism ends here. I will retain advertisements on my blog, but I will downgrade their commercial prominence. I declare myself an ardent blog critic from this point onwards. My blog hereby undergoes the following reforms:

1. No more photoblogging - Except photos of sufficient significance.
2. No more doing tags - Sorry guys, but I feel that its shallow. We have friendster and other such social networking sites for such banter.
3. Strict vetting of link-exchange
4. More intellectual and thought provoking posts

As some of you guys know, I have been hard at work in creating a new blog. I don't know if its possible, but I will strive to keep it a "quality blog". The Seven Seals will cease to be in the coming months.

I will not end this post by apologizing to anyone whom I have offended. Instead I will issue out a challenge to all bloggers who have read this post to give blogs back their rightful souls. That is if you are interested in reclaiming your blog back from that huge garbage heap out there.

Covert Storms

Well, life goes on once more. The pace of life since the start of this semester several weeks ago has been accelerating rapidly. The gradual swirling of life into a vortex portends the birth of another months-long hurricane. Somehow, I sense that this gathering storm is unlike that which I've faced in the past. The waters reflect a subtle malevolence, foreboding a prolonged night of nightmares. Nevertheless as I survived the last storm relatively unscathed, so I pray for a similar outcome this season.

A Random Picture

A pic I snapped in my hostel Kolej Cemara :)

Cute eh?? The mother was kinda protective though. :)

A Tribute

Let this day not go unmarked. 9 years ago on this precise moment, those tears were shed with an intensity that I have never known before, and since then. 9 long years have come and gone just like that since that night but the memories still remain cemented in. I suppose that from wherever you are looking down now, you wouldn’t want to see anymore tears shed for you. And so I have moved on, but not without a sense of loss and occasional mourning. Perhaps your coming and leaving had its purpose; to teach those around you the meaning of love and patience. If that was your designated purpose by Him, then know that it was well accomplished.

I’m sure where ever you are now, it must be a better place, free from suffering. I may have known little more of you than your laughter and groaning, but since when were ties ever formed on the sole basis of words? I may never have had the chance to say goodbye; perhaps it is because your departure was never final. Nevertheless, you will still be missed, my brother. We shall meet again someday, somewhere better.

A tribute

Mid Valley Megamall

Another trip this weekend, but this time to Mid Valley Megamall. It has been a very long and busy weekend but a good one nevertheless. I watched Transformers for the second time this weekend, not out of love for the movie but because my friends wanted to watch it. The things I do for the sake of friends. :) Anyway, I'll not post a second review on Transformers for two reasons. One, my opinion on the simple and kiddish plot still stands. Two, I actually fell asleep somewhere past the midpoint, only to be woken up when the credits started to roll. Oh ya guys, remember to stay back after the credits; the extra footage is split over 3 parts. So stay back 'til all the credits are over.

Anyway, the outing was to serve as Nigel's farewell before he leaves for Auckland, New Zealand next week. It's down to 3 of us this time... Where's Keane??? In Perth hor... Alas, the fellowship has been broken. Our gang, formed since form 4 (2004) is slowly dispersing, and I shall be the last of us to leave Malaysian shores next year. I shall always remember all the stupid and wacky crap we did and said back then. The paddyfield "scandal", the grandma issue, the Miss MPS's stories, my "idiots" list and many others.

We had dinner in our our traditional restaurant, Nandos! We have been eating Nandos in every outing since dunno when. I'll miss it when it comes to an end eventually.

Sanjit, me and Nigel (L>R)

The empty place next to Sanjit reserved for Keane *sob sob* :)

Nigel's crash diet plan to impress the NZ chicks ;) Nah, he's just vegetarian.