Thoughts to you from yours truly - ( 46 ) - November 19, 2010

Thoughts to You from Yours Truly - ( TYYT ) - ( 46 ) - The Basis of Democracy ( 民主制度的根基 ) - Nov., 19, 2010

The most reliable basis of democracy is an unfaltering, ethical and compassionate intelligentsia. The ultimate weapon to fight for a better world is a righteous and empathetic mind in a duty bound citizen. All else is a waste of time and energy. Violence begets violence. That is the invariant law of cause and effect ( which I discussed early in my blog here :- http://jkhcforum.blogspot.com/2010_11_16_archive.html ). Build ourselves such an invincible force and we can forget about wars, social injustice and even the much dreaded financial tsunami. How ? By means of a better and fairer education system ( for which I am indebted for life hence here I am ). But that is not so easy. Right you are, again ! Every tortuous and great journey starts with the first step as our great and eternal teacher Confucius had most profoundly observed. Don't start due to fear of obstacles and you will be nowhere. Am I just a talker ? You can bet your bottom dollar that I am anything other than that. If a preacher starts by personal example the gospel he or she preaches is half way to heaven already. To be more specific, I have made an intellectual journey through the universe of 13.7 billion light years across and back again using 5 years from the start of my retirement in 2005 ( please click on this link if you are interested : https://sites.google.com/site/jkhcastronomy/Home/the-universe---a-personal-view-my-book-in-pdf ). Why fight for democracy ? It is because as E.M. Forster the famous English author ( 1879-1970 ) had proclaimed : - " Two cheers for democracy ! " Why only two cheers and not three ? The answer is simple. Democracy is the second best political system and way of life in any civilized society. Which is the number one system then ? Unfortunately, it has not yet been discovered ! I suspect it will never be given human nature being what it is.

民主制度的最可靠根基，就是一個不退縮，有道德操守和充滿憐憫心的智識份子階層。為一 個更好的世界而作戰的終極武器，就是一個有正義感，慈悲為懷和具有責任感的公民。其他一切技倆都是白費功夫，費時失事的。暴力只會引起更多連續不斷, 連綿不 盡的暴力。這是恆久不變的歷史因果定律（ 我曾經在這裡討論過 這問題 : http://jkhcforum.blogspot.com/2010_11_16_archive.html )。 假若我們能成功地建立起這樣的一些不敗之師，我們便可以永遠忘記戰爭，社會中的不公義，甚至我們極度恐懼的金融海嘯了。那麼如何去付諸實行呢？愚見認為是要通過一 個更好和更公平的教育制度才成（ 我也是這樣的一個教育制度下的受益者，我終生感激不盡，因此引致我做現在進行中的事 ) 。但你們會說這不是容易完成的工作呀！這說法絕對是正確的。每一 段痛苦和艱辛的旅程，都要從第一步開始。這是我們萬分敬佩的萬世師表，孔夫子的偉大觀察。因為害怕障礙和困難而卻步不前，我們便永遠停滯在原地不變了。我 是否只是一個空談者 ？我可以肯定地說，除了空談者以外，我什麼都可以做。一位傳道者，如想他人信服他傳播的福音，首先便是能以身作則。那樣，他所說的教便已成功了一半。說實 在一點，我曾經用了五年時間，從2005 年至今，作了一個知識上的魂遊太虛，對這個橫越13.7億光年的宇宙，昨了個普通的理論探討 （ 我的結論已在我的這本書描述， 請參現: http://sites.google.com/site/jkhcastronomy/Home/the-universe---a-personal-view-my-book-in-pdf ）在下以此證明，我並不是個空談者。那麼為什麼要為達到一個真正民主制度而奮鬥呢？這都是因為有如聞名的英國作家 霍士特（ E.M. Forster ) ( 1879-1970 ) 所說:「為民主作兩次歡呼吧！」那又為什麼只歡呼兩次而不是三次呢？這問題的答案十分簡單, 就是因為民主制度, 只是第二佳的政治制度, 以及在一個文明的社會中為第二佳的生活方式。那麼最佳的政治和社會制度又在那裡？答案是，正在尋找中。非常不幸地，基於人類的劣根性，我十分懷疑，最佳的制度，就算找到了，也是沒法實施的。

JKHC.