"THE EARTH is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatred."
For several reasons, I always thought Sagan was sent to earth by some extra-terrestrial intelligence, or he himself was one of them, to give us a chance of redemption from our perpetual myopic nescience. He was here to remind us to put things in perspective, in a larger context. Throughout his life, Sagan kept telling us that everybody was connected on this "pale blue dot" called earth, which exists among billions upon billions of stars in the galaxy.
"Those worlds in space are as countless as all the grains of sand on all the beaches on earth. Each of those worlds is as real as ours and every one of them is a succession of incidents, events, occurrences which influence its future. Countless worlds, numberless moments, an immensity of space and time. And on our small planet at this moment we face a critical point in history. What we do with our world, right now, will propagate down through the centuries and powerfully affect the destiny of our descendants. It is well within our power to destroy our civilisation and perhaps species as well," wrote Sagan in one of his Cosmos series.
If the earth is just a pale blue dot, what is Thailand then? Something smaller than a pixel on that dot? And even in this tiny pixel, we have managed to mess it up so royally.
Everything around us seems out of order and out of control. We have forgotten that what we do today will have lasting ramifications in so many ways on our children and their lives, who together constitute the Thai nation of the future. What kind of legacy do we think we are leaving for our descendants? A broken system, rubbish values, high-tone denizen's greed, deceit, bribery, stealing, betrayal, contempt for the rule of law, capricious fights, rank capitalism, and sheer and monstrous self-interest and instant personal gratification. All of this over public concern, visionary planning and sustainable benefits for the country.
Collectively, we have reached a terminal stage of dementia and amnesia, which are contagiously self-destructive.
We have forgotten the sacrifices of our ancestors and forefathers that gave us the best chance to be. During the reign of King Rama I (1782-1809) alone, wars with a neighbouring country were fought seven times. The time, energy and resources needed to fight those wars and defend the country took a tremendous toll on the livelihood of the common people. So much so that if one reads a poem by Krom Prarajwongbowarn Mahasurasinhanart (younger brother of King Rama I) who was in charge of the Thai armed forces then, we can hear the heartbreak: "... there is no peace, only fighting, deserted homes and temples, wreckage in every district. …"
The dual tasks, during the early reigns, of strengthening the security of the country and rebuilding it, were daunting. But with the sacrifice in blood, sweat and tears that came naturally and voluntarily from the hearts and minds of the people then, we gained the solid foundation on which we stand today, on this tiny pixel.
If we care to look for and read the first remarks delivered at the coronation ceremonies of our kings from Rama I to V, we will grasp the selfless attitude of our monarchy. The remarks were singularly about granting the people their private property. It is all the more remarkable to remember that, at the time, Thailand was an absolute monarchy. Our forefathers cared, even if they were not required to do so to get popular votes in a power play.
If we look at the old streets and construction around Rattanakosin Island, we will see meticulous planning and mindful vision. Everything was in proportion and in balance. Look at the chaotic surroundings we inhabit these days, and we will realise that we have forgotten the term "city planning".
It is hard to pinpoint the reason(s) why we become so callous in shaping our future. It is harder to comprehend why we do not realise that our children are watching and learning from us, at every moment and every turn. Take a good look at ourselves, and can we say honestly and objectively that we are providing a good model for them?
We have successfully stolen and poisoned our future, and no one has come up with a way to keep our country together as a dignified and bountiful nation. We need a massive and effective antidote. As much as our ancestors spilled their blood for our modern foundation, we literally seem to be enjoying ripping it apart and throwing it down the cesspool.
Instead of staring down the truth and coming clean, we keep piling lies on top of lies to cover up the ugly facts, and by so doing we create more of a mess. We are in a maze so knotty we cannot find a way out. Map Ta Phut (industrial estate) and the insurgency in the South are two glaring examples. We will never be able to solve these issues unless and until we face up to our past mistakes of corruption, insane and senseless politics, exploitation and brutality.
There is no politic way to put it - our future will be the illustration of our sin, eventually collecting its wage.
The question is: Do we care enough about this tiny pixel on the pale blue dot to start making it right for our future?
All things considered, it is all we've got.
But read Carl Sagan again; it isn't so much of a choice, but our responsibility. Have we forgotten that word too?
