THIS is an age of confused thoughts. Morality, logic, principles and order – due to political confusion, material lure and money temptation – have become increasingly distorted.
It is the same with patriotism. People can interpret and show it in different forms, based on their own ideology.
When personal interests are in conflict with moral judgement, upright ethical values and principles can be arbitrarily changed. When reputation and status are on the line, logical thinking and strategies can alter. And patently, such is the game plan of especially political and self-interested groups in achieving their own ends.
When suspicions creep in, those in power can wriggle their way out regardless of moral values and standings. At the same time, answers can also be found within the civilian population where some can ignore justice and fairness to advance their agenda.
Am I not correct?
Some in politics can repeatedly eat their own words for the sake of power or profit. They think they can escape the public eye and evade detection all the time. It’s the same with people playing money games and offering exaggerated results to accumulate affluence.
In summation, times have changed and people, for their own personal interests, are willing to forsake their principles. Values of morality have become something that does not hurt not having. In fact, they are being unscrupulously exploited – on demand at that!
Of course, the concept of patriotism can differ from person to person. If not, why would some mouse potatoes cast aspersion on the efforts of our national athletes in the SEA Games by portraying them as pawns in a political chess game?
Isn’t it bizarre that regardless of their performances, our athletes will still be ridiculed on social platforms?
It seems there are some people who simply have an axe to grind. They are not happy with the results our athletes have achieved even if the results are plainly outstanding. And from their peculiar behaviour, one could justly conclude they would only be happy if our athletes turned in poor results. Weird!
When these cyber attackers are given the stick for their incessant mocking, they often use the phrase ‘being patriotic’ to justify their cynicism, apparently thinking they could muddle through with self-exoneration and fool everyone.
A piece of advice to these ‘cyber attackers’ is to stop causing unnecessary confusion by mixing sports with politics or making unsubstantiated remarks against the country such as during the MH370 and MH17 incidents or even over the Sulu army issue.
Perhaps, in the mentality of these people, ridiculing the country on social media is an act of patriotism although the credibility of such an act warrants an unfeigned second or even third opinion. At best, it borders on a Freudian slip.
Patriotic behaviour does not require a political stance. As long as the heart is sincere, it is enough.
Perhaps we should do like the Japanese. Even if they do not like a political leader, they would still continue to uphold their country’s image – their political differences notwithstanding. It’s just that simple.