Olympic: One Million Ringgit for One Gold Medal.

"Is it worth it? (Until then, don't) let me work it"

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/84985

Before implementing the ‘one million ringgit for one gold medal’ plan in this coming Olympic, the government should really have another look at the premises of those dissatisfied.

As David Miller put it in his book ‘Political Philosophy’; the obedience of the people in a democratic nation is what the government get in return for their promise of equal distribution of state benefits to the people, in a collectivistic manner.

The logic behind this argument is that the whole idea of governing is grouping individuals who want to govern and be governed under one flag, one system of independent foreign policies and with all the rights to name enemies and allies, the best of interests and the worse of interests, or in other words; a government by the people, for the people. Other than this, we name oppression or contra- rule of law.
Later on, David Miller provides an example of how this state benefits are to be fair and square:

“Looks can be deceptive, however. There are at least two difficulties
that have to be overcome if the fair play argument is going to justify
political obligation. The first is that we have to show that the
benefits the state provides really are benefits for everyone. What if
the laws protect property, but only some people are property
owners, for example? Or what if taxes are being used to fund art
galleries and many people care nothing for art? The argument can
work, however, so long as the whole package of benefits provided by
the state makes everyone better off, and so long as the benefits are
shared reasonably fairly among all the citizens whose compliance
makes the system of authority possible.”

1-The state’s benefit of 1 million ringgit for a gold medal is an offer only to the athletes.

2-This ‘package’ would not make everyone better off. It would likely cause an imbalance in social costs-benefits distribution, taking the recent oil price hike and the sky-rocketing inflation rate (5%) into consideration.

3-The athletes are one very small part of compliance to authority. These are the other major half in action:

1> Electricity tariff hike by TNB.
2> Speculation of price hike of natural gas.
3> Speculation of inflation increment to 5% by early next year.
4> Speculation of bus fare hike.
5> ‘Persatuan Pengusaha Lori’ decided to increase their standard charge to survive.
6> Speculation of another oil price hike in this coming august.
7> Fishermen having great difficulties.
8> Post office havoc across the country.
9> Bangi bank robbery.
10> 10 to 50% increase of paper price.
11> Pizza Hut (Taman Tun Dr. Ismail) robbery.
12> Seng Heng Selayang robbery.
13> Smuggling attempt of RM 356, 00.00 worth of diesel in Sabah.
14> …

We should now demand reasonable conscience from the government.

My two cents worth a little bit more.