A Bird Country

There is a country somewhere which I wish to call Birds Country. Its called that because most of the people of that country mostly have birds brain, they cannot think, they always wait for others to think for them. And they mostly have no initiative, they tend to wait for their Government directives or Government subsidy in living their lives. And they do not think out of the box, they only have two boxes of thinking in their lives, US and THEM. They know no other box or boxes, and they do not now know how to create the other boxes.

Its a lovely country, in the tropic where the sun shines all the year round (except for a short monsoon season which may flood the towns and countryside) and the beaches are heavenly, fine sand, clear water and the water on the beach laps the beach like a dog lapping its drink, very carefully. And the swaying coconut palms on the beach and in the country side, and the arecca nut palms trees swaying in the wind, rivers used to have very water slowly flowing and in some parts meandering but now have mostly been polluted due the carelessness and greed of these bird brain people. Most do not know how to love their water system. Don’t talk about the water in the rivers and streams, even their piped water is dirty, (so water filters are selling like hot cake over the whole Bird Country). And the lushes rain forest, its an envy of those coming from countries of the coniferous forests.

The country has a glorious history, occupied originally by the original natives, migrants probably from the up-country countries in the north and probably some from the islands nearby. They lived and easy life, followed whatever beliefs (and religions) that flourished at that time. Soon a strong State came into being and the people converted into the religion of the leaders, (as usual), they being the followers. But news of their wealth reached the ears of some greedy monkeys from overseas, who were very greedy because they wanted more riches to enrich their kings and religious leaders. So they came from those distant land and conquered this Bird Country. And the people just ran off halter skelter into the jungle and soon they forms pockets of shanty towns and distant villages in other parts of the original Bird Country, out of reach of this new conquerors. And these new shanty towns and distant villages expanded, found new wealth, in the jungle and underground. And as usual they soon quarreled, and they went to war, tribes against tribes. Until a new force came into being.

This new force are also the same creed of greedy people who were in search of wealth. And in the process of searching for and getting the wealth they needed to control countries and people that had the wealth. So instead of going to war like the original new comers, they pretended to negotiate for peace of all the warring parties concerned. These bird brain people of the Bird Country not knowing the new arrival’s agenda soon were at the beckon and calls of the new arrivals. Advisors so they said. To the various States laws and spiritual leaders, who by now have become Warlords, Masters themselves to the subservient bird brain people. But the Advisors have bigger agenda up their sleeves. The new arrival leads a new life in the Bird Country and the bird brain people of the Bird Country also enjoyed their lives, either the old ways of life or the new ways of life as introduced by the new arrivals, at least some of them. But the bird brain people are the lazy type by the new arrival standard, so to get the riches of the land the new arrivals imported people who were very poor, to work for them, people from the populous countries in the west and north east of the Bird Country. They came by the hordes, they worked themselves to death and soon captured most of the wealth for the master and from their master, the new arrival force (now called colonialist). The natives of the Bird Country just looked on, not understanding what was happening and what had happened and those who understood had already been ‘paid’ by the colonialist or their agents. In fact until today the natives of the Bird Country can easily be bought over, with favours, gold, women, drinks and as cheap as ‘batik’ cloth.

Then things happened, when a hordes of strong group of people in the same continent drove the colonialist out and a new force ruled Bird Country for some years. Most people in Bird Country suffered but it was really depending on how you take suffering to mean. Food wise and treatment of the locals were different from the colonialist days, but the invasion brought in a new spirit of wanting to rid of the greedy colonialist. They asked questions on why should the old colonialist be allowed to return and rule Bird Country. But the colonialist soon returned, but some people still fought, not against the invaders who have now been defeated but the colonialist. And majority of the Bird Country people who fought the colonialist through clandestine mean were those whom the colonialist brought into Bird Country to work at getting and exploiting the Bird Country’s wealth. especially the older immigrants whom the colonialist brought in earlier. Why? They wanted the Bird Country to become their new Homeland or an extension of the old original Homeland. There are others who were also fighting the colonialist but by peaceful means, through peaceful political negotiations. Without doubts some original Bird Country natives also fought along the clandestine side.

A small hit and run war ensured, but the colonialist with the help of the original Bird Country natives and also the newer Bird Country immigrants soon defeated this now uprisings, (but it was after a couple of decades of tension on both sides and hundreds of deaths, maimed or killed and a lot of hardware expended). The colonialist being sharper in their wits then knew that they could stay in the Bird Country longer so gave away to the peaceful demands of the Bird Country people. Soon the colonialist went home, giving all the running of the country to the bird brain people. And the bird brain people rejoiced, in fact they celebrate the going of the colonialist every year now, with all sorts of empty slogans, just to make the people happy or ‘patriotic’ as they call it.

And the country a few years later expanded to take in the neighbouring States, they combining reluctantly of course, I mean those neighboring States, with all sorts of conditions put in. And this new combination did not please other neighbouring States, and a small ‘war’ soon developed. But the former colonialist came to the rescue; why not they have left a lot of their wealth in Bird Country, in trust to be taken care of by the new bird brain leaders. And soon the ‘war’ ended with a peace agreement. The excuse? We are brothers. But trouble still brewed, until the thorn in the flesh was thrown out.

The new Bird Country leaders originally were very liberal, everything ‘can do’. But soon this ‘can do’ attitude was taken advantage of, and a new uprising occurred which resulted in the ‘can do’ changed into ‘I will give you subsidy’. It was that originally and later it became ‘I give you subsidy if you support me’. Anyway that was later. Meanwhile the uprising was a crushed, and a new person took the helm. With the subsidy mentality widely and quickly spreading throughout the Bird Country, the whole country side was turned into economic machines, starting with agriculture and soon small industries, and Corporations, followed by Boards, and many Companies were formed to be managed by the bird brain people. Some soon failed and others survived until today, mostly barely surviving, with many bird brain people sucking the milk of these so called ‘cashed cows' - the newly formed Corporations, Boards and Companies. These became basically the bird droppings, formed by bird brains and financed by the Government, not the private sector. And many have been taken advantage of by the newcomers taken in by the colonialist, but not taken over as there are provisions in the Laws that these Companies and Corporations are ‘protected’. And the bird people remain to manage these Companies and Corporations, some enriching themselves and their families. So life goes on.

When this new dynamic leader mysteriously passed away overseas, and his body brought back to ceremoniously buried, a relative of his took over and the country was run as an ‘also run’ country. Nothing really improved, just carry on as usual. Then he died and new punky leader took over. He is not really of a bird brain origin but he claimed to be, he is originally (but nobody dared to say that) from the same tribe that was brought in by the colonialist, but probably not in different boat, probably the original family came voluntarily because others came so they came. To cut the story short he soon established himself, took control and ruled the bird brain people into ‘his way’ of thinking. Even the traditional and spiritual leaders of the bird brains people were in his grasps. The bird brain people was just waiting for some one with bigger bird brain to guide them. And he got his way in everything and anything (almost absolute power) and the country progressed to the likings of the then so called ‘westernised’ people, though this new bigger bird brain is always making dry remarks about the West. He started to sort of revolution into progressing the country, spent what ever the country had to fit his schemes, no limit, no question and ‘do as I say’. Of course he is very diplomatic about it, but with like "Do as I say or else.........." This was when I suspect where corruption began to rise, to get things done many had to be paid, from top to bottom, from the moral guardians to the countrys custodians, and many of the new leaders family members , and colleagues, and hordes of team members, jumped into the band wagon to reap the benefit of his presence and get what ever benefits that can be gotten, legally or illegally. And many also were pulled in by the new leader into the economic stream, many benefited but also many failed and a lot of the country's wealth had been wasted or squandered, unaccounted for but nobody asked. Nobody dared to ask or else........................,everything and everybody knew what would pounce on them if too many questions are asked. And you cannot ask too many questions as well for everything now made Government Secret. That was the best protection they put in so that nobody asked. Everyone stood in line or else............

After more than 2 decades he decided to leave. But not before he insulated himself. And done very well as well, now he is untouchables, deeds and all. He now shines in the eyes of his followers, and even not his followers see him as shining, or else............................

The new man at the helm now had promised to do everything, to right all wrongs, that was what he said at the start. But its easier said than done. The effect of the 2 decade of near full power rule is too ingrained in the society, its not easily erasable, its like permanent ink. You wash it, you create a smear. To rid of the ingrain (it has ingrown as well, taken roots, a culture) is like getting rid of culture, and you cannot get rid of a culture overnight unless you introduce another acceptable culture, which is mean task. Some took a century, and Prophet Mohammed took 23 years to unite the Arabs in the Arabian Peninsular. Even then until today the external forces are so strong that whatever Prophet Mohammed did 1400 years go is now being gnawed to crumble the foundation. With Allah's help I pray that it will not crumble.

Now the new Bird Country leader as I said has a mean task ahead. And added to that I think he has a shaky team, (in my opinion), that Bird Country may face a difficult days ahead. Unless the bird brain people change, but not taking in elephant brain as an elephant is big but only sees theworld as very small. The bird brain people have to turn into the ‘sang kancil’ , a legendary clever figure of certain people of this world.