Debating Mr. Mallot- 2

Like many others, I watched the news coverage on TV about the demonstrations in Egypt. One of the media coverage is by Bloomberg- Taking Stock. The anchorman appeared disappointed the disturbances in Cairo have nothing to do with USA despite excruciating imputations by several people interviewed, to suggest some links to Israel's interest. If there is a link to Israel, then America can validate a more substantial involvement.

Why would the measure of all things be USA? People are actually surprised that democracy can emerge without American involvement. Most of all Americans. Get real man.

But to everyone's (mostly Americans) surprise, there have been no directions leading to an anti-America movement or a mention about Israel. The only person taking pains to suggest some links with America and Israel is a former Ambassador to Egypt.

What is it about former ambassadors? They have a tour of duty in their respective countries, perhaps taken an affinity and emotional embrace of the countries they served and felt compelled at any time they fancy, to make a more than cursory mention or feel just nostalgic about the places they once played. They felt urged to get involved, perhaps try to impose their values.

How about our Malaysia? Ambassadors and expatriate workers like it here in Malaysia. Perhaps that is why they feel they must get involved. But if they do, then they would have to accept that their views are going to be treated on par with the views of the local. Their views do not necessarily contain undisputed truths. Because views by expatriates are by no means righteous nor are they gospel truths.

Where I once worked in a multinational, I enjoyed taking pot shots at expatriates on cross-postings here. Those coming from western countries get an allowance they euphemistically termed as culture shock allowance. Actually it's just an excuse to get paid and get laid.

Indeed, I relished telling my expatriate friends in that multinational company, they are enjoying the cultural benefits. They get to go to groceries past 6pm (in their countries most shops closed at 6pm), they get to enjoy all kind of delicious foods (have you seen the kwailos tuck into our foods? - it would seem they have never eaten for years); most of all they get to screw our women of various races. So as I often tell these people, you can shove that cultural shock allowance up your alley.

The point is, in general expatriates carry within themselves a condescending attitude- what they say are undisputed facts and truths. Their thinking must be demolished and they must be put in their places.

Here in this region, in particular where Malaysia is concerned, there is also a former ambassador, John Mallot. I wasn't planning to be drawn into a debate on the article written by John Mallot in the Wall Street Journal. It would be pointless to do a point by point rebuttal. That would make Mr Malllot's day. You can be sure; he can come out with extraordinary details to demolish your arguments.

He is at it again, nitpicking at us. Mr. Mallot is a former US ambassador to Malaysia. While Ambassador he saw it fit to engage in political debates with our own politicians. We remember his flare-outs and conflagrations with Dr Mahathir over a number of issues. Mr. Mallot has also been a crusader for what Anwar Ibrahim represents. We are not going to penalize Mr Mallot for making friends with whom he wishes. To each his own, my friend. And I wouldn't go as far as to suggest some sinister motives out of his friendship with Anwar as did our overstaying Goebbels- Rais Yatim.

Let us instead see Mr Mallot as a product of an Imperial America trying to operate in a world, where American influence is no longer of prime relevance. Where could we place Mr. Mallot?

I found an interesting observation in a passage written by Paul Starobin in his book Five Roads to the Future. Mr Starobin sat down with James Schlesinger who served as Director of CIA in the Nixon Administration. Schlesinger conceded that after WW2, we (USA) were the Fairy Godmother for a world on its knees. In a telling elaboration- Schlesinger intimated that this could never be a permanent situation, because the rest of the world, contrary to what many Americans think, does not want to be "like us" …and now the world is going to quite ostensibly pay less attention to what America thinks. Schlesinger is disturbed as what he sees as America's refusal to recognize how things have changed from the past. America is suffering from a form of mental illness.

Place John Mallot now as a person trapped in a make believe world who thinks we Malaysia want to be like America. In that world, America talks down on us- giving us unsolicited advice and pointers on how to run our business. We are actually part of the world that is going to quite ostensibly pay less attention to what America thinks.

That is because Mr. Mallot has offered us half an analysis as argued by Umar Mukhtar. Indeed if we looked at the mirror really hard as suggested by Mr. Mallot, the reflections from America's past, gives Mr Mallot and the US no moral grounds whatsoever to pontificate on such things like race relations, or on more practical things such as handling the economy.

Now Mr. Mallot pontificates about the race relations in Malaysia. He says race relations are worse during Najib's tenure as PM. This has been brought about because the current leadership countenances such divisiveness. The chiefly Malay government discriminates against the non-Malays. The media it controls mocks the non-Malays. Its ministers questioned the loyalty and patriotism of other races. It continues to paint a gloomy picture of Malays being subjugated by china or India. He cites cases of religious intolerance. He cites the case when crosses had to be removed and carols not sung when the PM went visiting churches. Malaysia has to carry out actual reforms says Mallot.

All these translate into economic costs says Mr. Mallot. Because of government's affirmative policies, the economic growth rate is held back whereas it can grow at 8%. Perhaps Mr Mallot would care to identify how many countries in the world grow at 8%. Maybe he can even explain, in countries that are supposedly free from religious and ethnic differences- if they fail to grow by 8% per year, to what is that sluggishness attributed to?

The source of growth namely human capital, which by definition of Mallot, is represented by the many non-Malays are leaving Malaysia because they couldn't see a future for themselves.

You could almost sense that Mr Mallot is disappointed that Malaysia in run by Malays.

How do you explain Mr Mallot?

The only way is to see Mr. Mallot as an unfortunate victim trapped in time within the Pax Americana or American century syndrome. That unfortunate mental incarceration places Mr. Mallot as a crusader proselytizing American values onto his external world. Our only line of defense is to affirm our refusal of becoming stooges of his pontifications. The same mental incarceration sees Mr. Mallot appointing himself judge jury and executor in so far as Malaysian politics is concerned.

Why does Mr Mallot continue running down Malaysia and its leaders? Probably because during his tenure as ambassador, he has found Malaysians not as stupid as he thought they were. Instead he has been made to look stupid so many times that he carries vengeful thoughts about Malaysia. He decries the fact that Malaysians are a patient lot so very unlike testosterone driven Americans. Why can't Malaysians be like "us"? Because, Mr. Mallot, you lived in a make believe still existing American century.

Miss Rosa Parks.

We didn't have a Miss Rosa Parks type of race relations. That makes Malaysia on a higher moral ground than Mallot's America. Not better, but never less morally. The way we handled our race relations may not have been exemplary. 1969 was indeed a black moment in our history. But we have not gone through a more damning period of race relations such as that exemplified by what Miss Rosa Parks had to endure in America's own experience in race relations.

We didn't go through conscious and deliberate racial segregation, we didn't go through a for whites only bus period, or seats for whites first on buses. We didn't have KKK phases. We certainly didn't go through the horrifying pogrom described by Dee Williams in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Can non Malays here in Malaysia point out these events occurring here in Malaysia?

For those not familiar with this name, Rosa Parks symbolized the defiance of African Americans in their struggle against the racism of white America. Regrettably Mr. Mallot appears to conveniently forget America's own history when he chooses to pontificate to us about American values. We know these values are often packaged as universal values, which whether we, the non-Americans like it or not, must be enforced on the uninitiated and unenlightened world.