I think the greatest failure of the prime minister is his overwhelming embrace of the 'blame mentality' - always demanding for a bogeyman and other 'favourite' paranoia. This is not unexpected since racist politics discourages any real dialogue and promotes stereotyping. In the process it also obscures the real cause and effect of things and events. It is against the truth and accountability. Hence the persistent need for heavy censorship and obscurantism.

There is no truth in saying that the Malays are culturally lazy anymore than there is in suggesting that others are all hard-working. Since Dr Mahathir Mohamad has committed himself towards an authoritarian state built also on class and such clout he has also unwittingly created an unbalanced society that no longer cares much for the individual rights and a sacred need to uphold them. In his mega vision of things, expediency has meant that the means justify the end; he cannot see the trees for the wood.

In fact, when it suits officialdom, it has selectively played up to the gallery such misconceptions among people. It must see everything from a racist perspective and pretend that it is always necessary whatever it does. It sees the dust in the individual's eye but not the log in its own. It is not principled nor consistent.

In this singularly uncompromising 'Umnoputra' vision there remains little room for alternative views. Anyone privately thinking differently has no venue for expression - such dissenting views have brusquely been assigned the 'anti-government' label without any pause to understanding how such a negative and arrogant official stance may have debilitating impact on the psyche of the whole nation which then must be solely be motivated by money.

It is such a monolithic intransigence together with excessive officially-promoted racism in daily living that erode the private dreams and visions of the ideals of the young and make them cynical. In some cases such cynicism readily turns to become a form of malaise affecting all and sundry. The lack of meaningfulness arising at the individual level which is more than what money may ever compensate for, brings about disillusionment, cynicism and apathy.

The Roman Empire fell not merely because of Barbarian invasions but because its people no longer believed in it. It lost its ideals first.