Mentoring...

Developed nations must pay environmental tax... this was the topic in a recent debate.

Points put forward by the opposition.. Developed nations should not pay environmental tax because

1. the timing is not right (recession now, mah, so cannot pay tax.);
2. it's unfair (developing nations and all those other ignorant people in all the other countries must pay also, then only fair);
3. wrong conceptualization.

Our 16 and 17 year olds do not think of things like greenhouse gasses emission; or that much of the environmental degradation is due to the lifestyle of the rich, or channeling funds into research; or ideas on alternatives to environmental taxes... the more 'heady' stuff. Nope! Instead of inspiring our young to think big, we tell them they cannot handle those issues... aiyo! We teach them to argue from a more simplistic angle, 'small boys' way of arguing... kinda like our Parliament with the likes of Bung Mukthtar and Tajuddin Rahman. Are we caging their minds or is it because we teachers cannot inspire??

Teachers are supposed to act as mentors. They are supposed to inspire students to think big, traverse beyond our shores, reach out for the stars... fill in the rest of the dream yourself! But nah! Looks like, it's good enough to keep to our own shores.... kinda like the proverbial frog under the coconut. Instead of inculcating in our kids the value of being responsible global citizens, we teach them winning is the most important thing! Now developed nations can say, "Look, it's not fair cos the developing nations also pollute the environment." Never mind that majority of the top 25 countries in the list of top emitters of greenhouse gases are developed nations. You can really have your cake and eat it at the same time!!!

So is it no wonder then our 'small-minded' people when fully grown says things like this below...

.. UMNO should not ban money politics cos if they don't give out money to the delegates, they cannot attend the general meeting... or this.. only UMNO loyalists be appointed to senior positions in public universities... small mind, small world. So if we're going to have small minded people to run the country... oh boy! End of the world for the rest of the non UMNO members. You can read the rest of the 'small' stuff here...

My two sen...