Defunct

Hey guys, guess what. This blog's not in the loop any more (not implying it has ever been). So I guess you shouldn't bother check for updates, or anything for that matter. Just check on my Twitter to see me trying to be cool. Yeah. It's my initials btw. "K.L.".

Characteristics of a Democracy

A very dry essay pushed upon us in the guise of 'coursework'. For your information, I didn't bother passing it up. 400 words, no conclusion.

One of the main traits of the word "democracy" is that it is an ideology. That is to say, it is abstract; it is hard to define or set in stone. The greek word which democracy comes from can be literally translated as, "rule of the people". It is impossible to completely execute a pure democracy, but governments throughout planet Earth have come close to emulating democracy's key traits.

Before we look at the characteristics of a democracy we must note the general form of democratic governments. Firstly we must note that the most common interpretation of democracy is one that uses representatives, elected by the people; and those voted into power will then be involved in decision making and seek to best represent their electorate.

The cornerstone characteristic of democracy is the rule of the majority. The government must always seek to satisfy the needs of their people and protect their interests; listening to the people's woes and requests with due consideration. This can be accomplished in many ways, one example would be the upholding of the petrol subsidy in Malaysia to reduce inflation and cost of living. The democratic government must also uphold law and order in the country to protect its people's best interests.
 

We can examine the Malaysian political system as one that shows the characteristic of the rule of the majority. The Constitution of Malaysia requires a general election to be held at least once every five years. This is to give voters the opportunity to elect the 222 members of the Malaysian Parliament, 

While democracy means rule of the majority, the rule of the majority does not necessarily mean a democracy. An important part of the democratic rule of the majority is that the majority must not oppress the minority. Extensions to the law must be made to guarantee basic rights of minorities and treat them fairly. It is important for the government The rights of many types of minorities - race, religion, and language must be taken care of; in turn they will reciprocate with trust in the government. This will allow them to fully participate in the country's democratic institutions.

Another trait of the democratic system is pluralism. In a democracy, government is only a single thread in the social fabric of many kinds of public and private institutions, legal forums, political parties and associations.

No One

When I have no one to talk to, I sometimes talk.

To my blog.

In a language you probably wouldn't understand.

A Little Too Late?

It always seems like we only seem to appreciate things after they're gone, or after spending a ridiculous amount of time having it in our clutches. What a silly bear you are.

It always seems like we only seem to think about things that are pleasing to us, when all we need right now is to clear that glistening hurdle in front of us. What a funny boy you are.

It always seems like we only seem to get what was blindingly obvious, laying right in front of our eyes waiting to be discovered. What a damning piece to the puzzle you are.

It always seems so easy.

Maybe it is?

Memories

“Sometimes," he sighed, "I think the things I remember are more real than the things I see.”

- Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

There's Nothing On My Mind

It's another nondescript Wednesday morning. I wake up to the sound of my morning alarm, only to snooze to oblivion. Turning it off, I finally get out of bed an hour later after inadvertently going back to sleep. Then, my day begins. And then.

There's nothing on my mind. Nothing.

I mean, why is there nothing on my mind? No pertinent issues, no dates and deadlines creeping up on me, no drive to achieve. The problem is, there are pertinent issues, dates and deadlines creeping up on me, and I need a drive to clear all these things. So, why? Why am I so apathetic to my own situation? Seriously, why?

I need to find a way to understand, to comprehend my situation. A way to understand what surrounds me, and why I don't seem to bother about what surrounds me. Pen and paper would help, but isn't our generation getting worse at jotting notes down with physical ink?

I don't know, but maybe that's just what I want.

I know for certain, what I need right now is a place to rest my head.

A elaborate introspective.

Written to, figuratively, put pen to paper so that I can think.

Thanks Yap!

Thanks to Adrian Yap, I now have 3 hits from Laos in the past week! Given the technically-abandoned state of my blog, it's quite a big contribution to my hits, you know.

Here's some absolutely unnecessary stats :

I really don't know about the hits from Russia though :S. Anyone care to leave a comment to tell me who are you guys?