Saint Barack lectures black men

[webfact]

TELL IT AS IT IS
When one feels inferior, one does things that keep one poor
Pornpimol Kanchanalak
Special to The Nation

BANGKOK: -- So said Sunil Mukhi, a theoretical physicist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research. He was making a case in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's grand design to make India the new superpower in physics.

As part of that mega-project, the Modi administration has just approved US$235 million (Bt7.6 billion) in funding to construct a giant underground observatory to study neutrinos, following in the footsteps of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). The Geneva-based facility is an international collaboration and the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Its mission is to find and study the so-called God Particle, or Higgs boson, which may lead us back to the origin of our universe - or, as Stephen Hawking has warned, its destruction. It is also the birthplace of the World Wide Web. India has been involved with CERN since 1992 and is now seeking associate membership in this prestigious physics club.

One obvious question springs up here. Why would a country where nearly one-third of the population live in poverty, and problems of sanitation, public health, infrastructure and public corruption are staggering, want to ponder the mysteries of theoretical physics?

The answer might be found, interestingly enough, in the vision president John F Kennedy laid down at a special session of Congress on May 25, 1961, when he said that his country would send a man to the moon and return him safely to earth before the end of that decade. The timing of Kennedy's bold and ambitious announcement was prompted by many political factors, including the Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union, which had stolen a march in the space race by successfully launching the first satellite, Sputnik I, into orbit in 1957. In his historic remarks to Congress, Kennedy stressed that such a lofty goal could only be met if it gained unwavering commitment from Washington, especially on massive long-term funding. But, as leader of the "free world" and pinnacle of democracy, the US had to pursue that goal, said Kennedy. Furthermore, only America possessed the technological and scientific expertise necessary to achieving it. The US, Kennedy declared, was the leader in space exploration.

It hardly mattered that the Soviets won another battle in the space race when they sent cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961. Kennedy's brainchild, Project Apollo, scooped the prize in 1969 following an enormous investment of human and material resources. Only two modern endeavours are thought to have been comparable in scope - the construction of the Panama Canal and the Manhattan Project that produced the atomic bomb.

When Neil Armstrong's boot touched down on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, US national pride soared to unprecedented levels. For Americans, the evidence was clear - no feat was impossible if they set their minds to it. Once an underdog in the space race, the US had caught up and overtaken the Soviet Union. There was no question that America was a nation that could turn vision into reality. And despite moments of self-doubt, the "Yes we can" mentality still resonates there today.

Many nations have forgotten that an intangible factor like national pride can be an immense power that pulls the entire population out of despair, even when nothing else is going their way.

There is no denying that millions in India are living in abject poverty. There is also no denying that India produces world-class mathematicians, engineers, economists, physicists and computer scientists. So if Prime Minister Modi harbours a vision of India as a world leader in theoretical physics, he is not out of his mind. Nor is he delusional in thinking that his nation can do what's necessary to achieve it. In his attempt to gear the country towards this grand goal, he is trying to change the mindset of a nation full of problems - a losers' mentality - into that of a nation richly endowed with real potential. There is no telling if he will succeed, or whether his government will be able to push through the spending plans necessary to fund this goal. It is also impossible to predict what material benefits this seemingly esoteric scientific knowledge might bring to wider society, or if it will bring an "Ah ha" moment in national thinking. But, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, by showing his people "the stars", Modi is pointing a way out of the gutter where they live. And what a gift he is giving them.

While Modi aims at turning India into a physics superpower, his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping is focusing on the "Chinese Dream" of envisioned national rejuvenation, prosperity and a strengthened military. China's youngsters must "dare to dream", and work hard to fulfil that dream for national prosperity.

It's fair to say that every person and every nation needs to have an inspiration, to possess a goal, and to have the belief and determination to pursue that goal in earnest. There exists a fine invisible line between defeat and victory, failure and success. It is a question of mind over matter. A life without inspiration, and a nation without pride or a higher vision or goal, where no pull factor is provided or found, is like a rudderless boat, driven by winds and waves, drifting steadily towards its doom.

The question for us all in Thailand is, do we really want to continue drifting?

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/When-one-feels-inferior-one-does-things-that-keep--30254382.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-20

[BSJ]

'China's youngsters must "dare to dream",' That could be dangerous in a communist country!

[NeverSure]

There have been some really good articles from The Nation recently. This one is right. People must have a reason to dream and the tools to achieve that dream. The attitude can lift a nation with it.

Spot on, The Nation.

[kaorop]

nice sentiments

still you gotta crawl out of the mud before you can shoot for the stars

[seajae]

to gain this the people must want to work together, this is sadly missing here as it seems to be everyone for themselves, they put themselves first and ignore all the others around them. To become a greater nation people would have to change their attitudes completely and I cannot see it happening. Not everyone is like this but a hell of a lot are and until they can actually start to consider others around them Thailand will not move forward very much at all, which is a real shame.

[Stradavarius37]

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to gain this the people must want to work together, this is sadly missing here as it seems to be everyone for themselves, they put themselves first and ignore all the others around them. To become a greater nation people would have to change their attitudes completely and I cannot see it happening. Not everyone is like this but a hell of a lot are and until they can actually start to consider others around them Thailand will not move forward very much at all, which is a real shame.

Well, Seajae has spoken - we are all screwed - pack it up and go home boys.

[WitawatWatawit]

There is nothing wrong with dreaming. But there is dreaming and there is dreaming. One is to imagine a goal and believe it can be achieved. The other involves drifting off into cloud cuckoo land and believing you are already great.

As has been said a squilion times, there is no one of real vision and the capability to achieve that vision in this country. The Thai elite may be accused, and quite rightly, of holding back this society for their own ends, but even so, a true visionary should still be able to emerge from this morass. So, where is he/she?

pS: Strange headline, by the way.

Edited February 20, 2015 by WitawatWatawit

[FangFerang]

He is describing a condition psychologists call "learned helplessness". It is right at the top of the agenda for every power mongering leader worldwide.........

[ratcatcher]

There is nothing wrong with dreaming. But there is dreaming and there is dreaming. One is to imagine a goal and believe it can be achieved. The other involves drifting off into cloud cuckoo land and believing you are already great.

As has been said a squilion times, there is no one of real vision and the capability to achieve that vision in this country. The Thai elite may be accused, and quite rightly, of holding back this society for their own ends, but even so, a true visionary should still be able to emerge from this morass. So, where is he/she?

pS: Strange headline, by the way.

".....a true visionary should still be able to emerge from this morass."

From what I have seen, nobody, on either 'side' of this divided society, has emerged as a potential new leader. Someone with some new ideas, fresh thinking, about how to solve this eternal struggle between the various factions. The old players are tainted by the color codes, Abhisit and the Democrats carrying the 'Yellow' flag and various puppets of Thaksin carrying the 'Red' flag.

What Thailand needs now is an intelligent new leader , free of these influences, that can take over when the men in green, hopefully return to their normal jobs. Sadly, this is unlikely to happen

[cup-O-coffee]

Megalomania?

Comparing the state of the USA, and the character of JFK in 1961 with present day Thailand!!!

Utterly unbelievable... the new lows they reach at any given headline and story.

[Jonmarleesco]

'Modi is pointing a way out of the gutter where they live. And what a gift he is giving them.' Yes. And one partly funded by the UK (no doubt among others) through ₤280M ($450M) of annual aid, courtesy of the British PM's largesse with the hard pressed British taxpayer's money.

Edited February 20, 2015 by Jonmarleesco

[SiSePuede419]

The Op has never been to Mexico.

Almost 100% of Mexicans feel superior to their Mexican-American cousins living up north of the border (because "pure Mexican"), yet most Mexicans are still poorer...

[seajae]

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to gain this the people must want to work together, this is sadly missing here as it seems to be everyone for themselves, they put themselves first and ignore all the others around them. To become a greater nation people would have to change their attitudes completely and I cannot see it happening. Not everyone is like this but a hell of a lot are and until they can actually start to consider others around them Thailand will not move forward very much at all, which is a real shame.

Well, Seajae has spoken - we are all screwed - pack it up and go home boys.

if you cant handle the truth and logic there is no one to blame but yourself, most people use their brain to think, you should try it sometime

[Mr Somtam]

There is nothing wrong with dreaming. But there is dreaming and there is dreaming. One is to imagine a goal and believe it can be achieved. The other involves drifting off into cloud cuckoo land and believing you are already great.

As has been said a squilion times, there is no one of real vision and the capability to achieve that vision in this country. The Thai elite may be accused, and quite rightly, of holding back this society for their own ends, but even so, a true visionary should still be able to emerge from this morass. So, where is he/she?

pS: Strange headline, by the way.

".....a true visionary should still be able to emerge from this morass."

From what I have seen, nobody, on either 'side' of this divided society, has emerged as a potential new leader. Someone with some new ideas, fresh thinking, about how to solve this eternal struggle between the various factions. The old players are tainted by the color codes, Abhisit and the Democrats carrying the 'Yellow' flag and various puppets of Thaksin carrying the 'Red' flag.

What Thailand needs now is an intelligent new leader , free of these influences, that can take over when the men in green, hopefully return to their normal jobs. Sadly, this is unlikely to happen

Very difficult if you can get jailed or killed for having intelligent ideas and vision. There must be lots of people with ideas but they just keep their mouth shut, affraid of the consequences of speaking out. Can't blaim them, Thai jail is not fun...

Edited February 20, 2015 by Mr Somtam

[trainman34014]

It's hard to soar like Eagles when you're led by Turkeys !

[Robby nz]

Megalomania?

Comparing the state of the USA, and the character of JFK in 1961 with present day Thailand!!!

Utterly unbelievable... the new lows they reach at any given headline and story.

Perhaps that should be :

Comparing the state of the USA, and the character of JFK in 1961 with present day Thailand USA.

[Thai at Heart]

to gain this the people must want to work together, this is sadly missing here as it seems to be everyone for themselves, they put themselves first and ignore all the others around them. To become a greater nation people would have to change their attitudes completely and I cannot see it happening. Not everyone is like this but a hell of a lot are and until they can actually start to consider others around them Thailand will not move forward very much at all, which is a real shame.

That and the idea that the national good is served by closing oneself off from the world, is a very dangerous idea.

How often are foreign ideas portrayed as dangerous or not appropriate in the media in Thailand? Continuously.

[Mr Somtam]

Khrap!

[givenall]

Is this what's called Thainess. You are the best don't have worry about getting better

[tominbkk]

“A vision without a plan is just a dream. A plan without a vision is just drudgery. But a vision with a plan can

change the world.”