COCK FIGHT
In an agrarian community far away from city, the village people usually turn to the religion institution (mosque, temple,churches) to gain knowledge.
For instance, during the 70's, villages in Malaysia, , the people will go to the nearest "surau" (small mosque), to learn of knowledge outside their village as there were no TV, and radio were quite expensive back then.
In the city, knowledge is everywhere. Other than TV, the people usually learn knowledge from readings.
Now there's the Internet, but still I say that the knowledge learned is from reading. (reading wikipedia, blogs, etc.)
Smarter people, usually acquire knowledge through observation. Be it observing ladies psychology for courting, observing God's signs in nature, this knowledge is acquired through observation.
Smarter people than this, usually the academics, acquire knowledge thru research, which is basically combination of reading and observation.
Do you know how politicians gather knowledge?
This tactic is pure psychology. I call it 'the-cock-fight" tactic. It is the most efficient way of acquiring knowledge.
I observe this during Dr.M's government in Malaysia while I was growing up.
The politician will start instigating an issue.(which he have in doubt). Then the media will pick up the issue to the masses.
And everybody will talk of the issue.
Then, usually, the academics will join in the fray. And usually there are two sides of it. One is pro, one is contra.
As usual, somewhere along the line, there will be one who comes with a extreme view and upped the stakes.
Then the two sides of bad and good, spearheaded by the academics, will debate and debate, in the TV, radio, newspaper.
Usually the academic who reacted to this "issues" are those who have close inclinations towards politics and less about academic.
And the guys and girls debate and debate and debate, researching facts here and there.
You see, the politicians just sat there, watching the whole thing from their tall buildings. And the think tanks will pickup the best argument out there and implement it.
It is bloody efficient.
Once they acquired the knowledge, then you realised the issue suddenly disappear from the news.
Henceforth, why in the good old Dr.M's days, it is said that people's attention to issues lasted no more than two weeks.
I believe it is because it was made to be that way.
In the end, the overall scene is like a cock-fight.
People placed bets on the cock, then the cock will fight bloodily.
The cocks who won, survived with bloody scars.
The cock that lost, his neck will be chopped off, and that morning people will celebrate with chicken meat feast. (because cock fights usually held at night)
It's the fella who arranged the fight who won. No matter which side won, he still get a profit from bets, like the casino.
The End.
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Note :
I just registered Facebook early this June 2013, upon the insistence of ex-working colleague and also friends from my University Malaya days.
I saw many things in Facebook, which has inspired the short-story "Pork Farm" and this article today.
The inspiration comes from what happened today. Earlier, my friend,ex-classmate of mine, started posting that Adam Smith is head of evil as he started capitalism.
I wanted to join the comment section, yet somehow I didn't because I know his nature of "debating".
What happen was, two fellas join the comment section and started debating, first about capitalism, then going off discussing about Islamic banking (?), conventional banking, etc.
I observe it. During the discussion, my friend never uttered a single comment, the two fellas and then other fellas also join the fray.
At the end of it, my friend just uttered the comment "wow what a discussion".
He never needed to think much, read articles or whatsoever, just wait for others to give him the info.
To me, it is efficient.
Then I realised, Hishamuddin Rais and Anwar Ibrahim is from UM too. I guess that, even though UM students might not be so knowlegable of things, but due to political nature of our university, maybe that's why most of the UM output are very good at instigation. Hahaha.
No wonder so many of them joined politics in the end.