I support Eric Paulsen's view

that Peace Malaysia is not worth supporting because there are too many self-interested parties involved in it.

The truth is political ideals in this country have largely died. Ever since Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra 'retired', our founding ideals have been compromised further each year. Especially under Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who sees himself as a 'practical' leader in that anything is open for compromise - from goals of independence, to the judicial and even the constitution; nothing is sacred in this country.

Our real saving grace is economics. In this country, no o­ne can tolerate poor economic growth as not o­nly does it lead to no progress, but there will be regression in everything. Economics is what stops outright nationalisation in the past, and kept racial policies in check. It's what's keeping our trade and foreign policies within reason.

However, a country that bases its stability o­n economics will find that it can come back to haunt it. With justice, without due process, without a recognition that humans ultimately must believe in something and each other, it will find that it will be bankrupt first o­n ideals and eventually economically.

I see Malaysia and Barisan Nasional like Mexico's PDI party. For decades Mexico enjoyed prosperity especially during the oil boom years. The PDI party was like BN, a patronage party and year after year and it kept making political and legal compromises to keep itself in power. When the economy took a turn for the worse, the country found itself unable to deal with its problems because the ruling system was bankrupt.