Whip and Feed
12:16 PM
"Goodness, I'm stucked in this endless negotiation to improve safety. It seems that those people couldn't care less about the issue. I can see that they're more concern about their political mileage and uh... money..."
"Ahaha- I think you have a classic case of political negotiation syndrome. You need to learn how to tame a politician, laddie"
"Tame the politician? How do you actually tame a politician?"
"Just like you tame a lion"
"Friend, I'm an engineering graduate, not a circus hill-billy. I don't have any idea where to start. Oh heck, I don't know lion taming guidelines to begin with!"
"You engineers are all the same. Not everything must be done by book. Tell me, have you ever been to a circus?"
"Yes"
"What did the tamer use to instruct lions or any other animals there?"
"Whip and... umm... food?"
"Exactly! Now tell me, what happened when they got whipped or given food?"
"They follow instructions"
"That is correct. Alright, what were the things you said politicians are concerned about just now?"
"Political mileage and money"
"Right. Those can be your tools. Those are your whips and foods"
"Isn't that unethical?"
"Answer this: imagine you're on an island, stranded, and the life-boat can only fit only 1 more person. Who would you give the seat to; yourself or your wife?"
"Umm... I'll sacrifice myself for the life of my wife"
"Do you think your wife would want that?"
"Uhm.. uh..."
"I don't think so"
"Then whats the correct answer?"
"Theres no correct answer. It's just something to show where your values stand"
"Wait... then whats your point in relation to the politicians?"
"You were asking about ethics right? Well, who sets the ethics?"
"It's a common agreement - so I guess everyone in this world?"
"Hahaha. Man, where have you been? Since when do people actually sit down and discuss and agree about ethics?"
"What? No, I mean it's just something that we know from our parents and teachers"
"Alright, then where do our parents and teachers get the idea?"
"Their parents and teachers, and so on"
"Yes, on and on and on - until we reach the source. It could be thousands of years ago. Do you think they have good business and political ethics back then?"
"Err... no I guess"
"Correct! Laddie, you really need to open up your eyes. It's the mass media that dictates what is right, what is wrong, what is wrong, what is hot what is not"
"Wait... I'm still confused"
"Now get your tools to whip the lions. Just make sure that your safety thingy works, at the end of the day, the MEDIA will dictate whether it is ethical or not. If you whip and feed the 'lions' hard enough, they will bow down, follow instruction and the media will follow suit"
"But usually the media will try to look and find the negativity - including my unethical whip and feed technique... I'll be in trouble then..."
"Oh my god, you're such a baboon. The media is your WHIP! Control them!"
"Oh... I see"
