Rowley, Cooper, and Watkins
I just revisited the December 30, 2002 - January 6, 2003 issue of TIME Magazine featuring Persons of the Year 2002. Why did I read the old news? I just needed to reassure myself that at least somewhere in the world when the RIGHT thing was done, the WRONG was caught and rectified, and the wrongdoers were punished.
Cynthia Cooper, Colleen Rowley, and Sherron Watkins
The cover story detailed how three ordinary employees stood up for what was right. These ladies, Colleen Rowley of the FBI, Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom, and Sherron Watkins of Enron, "exposed" the wrongdoing in their respective organizations. I am sure those who live in the US were more aware of the sagas played on national TV than the rest of the world. Internet searches under their names or organizations will fill you in if you had no idea about these stories.
I won't talk about their heroic endeavors, hardships, or triumph. All three dismissed their gender's role in their decisions and subsequent actions. None of them sought the media limelight, nor did they take pleasure in the devastating consequences that shook or brought down their beloved workplaces. They even hated the idea of being labeled "whistle-blowers" for its negative connotation. I just want to applaud their stances, bravery, and tenacity. They are definitely my heroines.
What I want to comment here is something else. It's the "poll," conducted by Harris Interactive for TIME/CNN on 1,006 Americans on Dec 17-17, 2002. The "view" of some people was appalling. The statistics, with 3.1% margin of error, are on Page 43. The answers to two questions in particular are disturbing.
Question 1: In general, do you think whistle-blowers are heroes who help uncover crimes or traitors who betray their company or government department?
Heroes - 59%
Traitors - 18%
Neither - 9%
Not sure - 14%
Question 2: If you observed serious criminal wrongdoing at work, do you think you would become a whistle-blower?
Yes - 73%
No - 18%
The number 18% on both questions bothers me. TRAITORS?? NO, I won't report criminal wrongdoing?? The answers say a lot about these people's conscience, moral values, ethics, and sense of decency. Naturally, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, and I won't question their upbringing and religious beliefs. All I want to say is it saddens me to see what the world has become.
I am just looking back at myself and the society in which I live. The number would definitely be greater than 18%. There's a moral breakdown and meltdown in Thailand. Law is not abided by. Rules are not obeyed. Regulations are not kept. Law enforcement officers--policemen and armed force personnel--are themselves criminals, thieves, thugs, smugglers, drug dealers, blackmailers, hired hitmen, pimps, casino bosses, extorters, money launderers, etc. You name it; they'll cater to your needs and specifics. And the great thing is if their pay is high enough, nothing will be traced back to you. You can go on living as well respected member of the society.
You don't have to have carry any weapons. Your position, affiliation, and authority are just about as powerful. Your signatures, stamps, or seals have their own financial values. That is why all the Cabinet position holders and their aides, politicians, and many civil servants are corrupt and bribe-taking.
Great majority of businesspeople and lawyers score no better. People in academia are not far behind. Even Buddhist clergymen are no exception. It's quite accurate to say we are corrupt from bottom up and to the core.
My American friend who spent many years here finally uprooted and moved back. I was told, "I've just had it with the Thais." My response: "So have I."
The even sadder reality is that the Thais all take this lying down. They accept it as a way of life. No one bothers to stand up for what is right. Even if he/she could, it might not be wise. Doing the right thing here brings one scolds, ridicules, lawsuits, or even danger to one's own life and family. Who would want to risk everything for the sake of "doing the right thing"? After all, the disheartening fact is there is definitely NO reward for such bravery, but there are surely severe repercussions. Here, everything is cheap: the price of a bullet, the cost of a hitman, the pay to the police and judges, etc.
It's not surprising that the three brave ladies survived their ordeals and live to tell their stories. Only in America can you do that and live. In Thailand, it is unimaginable that one small David can bring down Goliath. There is no way a huge conglomerate can ever be pulled down to its knee by an ordinary empty-handed employee. Had these scenarios occurred in Thailand, these women would have vanished without trace long before they could have their day in court. In fact, there would never be their day in court. There's no protection from anyone. There's no witness protection program. Moles and informants working for the bad guys are everywhere. The dark force would have got to them even before they could plan a thing. They would never have their teams or allies. Their stuff would have been confiscated and destroyed. They would have been lucky to survive. Don't even bother to ask if the giant Thai companies would ever "come clean" with their books like in the WorldCom and Enron cases. Our tax lawyers and finance consultants could give you better advice than any Arthur Andersen's.
The good guys in Thailand must either quit or learn to play dumb, blind, and mute if they want to survive. It is safer to turn blind eyes and deaf ears on anything wrong.
Why does a society become callous to wrongdoing? How can people accept and tolerate unacceptable actions? What has changed people's perception of evil? I have no answers. Despite my wanting to know, I have no interest in trying to find out. I figure there's no way to go against the tide. Why would I want to toil myself for nothing? After all, I am no longer in the position to guide or advise. I gave up and walked away from that after many years of failed attempts. I have no stakes in the future of Thailand, for I have no descendants that I need to worry about. People who do should rigorously take up the fight. I, on the other hand, am old and tired and am going to sit back and watch the pathetic situation unfold. The Beatles' "words of wisdom" echo in my heart, "there will be an answer, let it be, let it be."
The quote on Enron's notepads to its employees was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Somehow it puzzled Ms. Watkins why so many others in her company chose to stay silent.
Something inside of me is slowly drying and dying. Yes, I, too, am puzzled by the silence of the Thais. Maybe they think: silence is golden.
And in many cases, it really IS golden...
Cynthia Cooper, Colleen Rowley, and Sherron Watkins
The cover story detailed how three ordinary employees stood up for what was right. These ladies, Colleen Rowley of the FBI, Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom, and Sherron Watkins of Enron, "exposed" the wrongdoing in their respective organizations. I am sure those who live in the US were more aware of the sagas played on national TV than the rest of the world. Internet searches under their names or organizations will fill you in if you had no idea about these stories.
I won't talk about their heroic endeavors, hardships, or triumph. All three dismissed their gender's role in their decisions and subsequent actions. None of them sought the media limelight, nor did they take pleasure in the devastating consequences that shook or brought down their beloved workplaces. They even hated the idea of being labeled "whistle-blowers" for its negative connotation. I just want to applaud their stances, bravery, and tenacity. They are definitely my heroines.
What I want to comment here is something else. It's the "poll," conducted by Harris Interactive for TIME/CNN on 1,006 Americans on Dec 17-17, 2002. The "view" of some people was appalling. The statistics, with 3.1% margin of error, are on Page 43. The answers to two questions in particular are disturbing.
Question 1: In general, do you think whistle-blowers are heroes who help uncover crimes or traitors who betray their company or government department?
Heroes - 59%
Traitors - 18%
Neither - 9%
Not sure - 14%
Question 2: If you observed serious criminal wrongdoing at work, do you think you would become a whistle-blower?
Yes - 73%
No - 18%
The number 18% on both questions bothers me. TRAITORS?? NO, I won't report criminal wrongdoing?? The answers say a lot about these people's conscience, moral values, ethics, and sense of decency. Naturally, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, and I won't question their upbringing and religious beliefs. All I want to say is it saddens me to see what the world has become.
I am just looking back at myself and the society in which I live. The number would definitely be greater than 18%. There's a moral breakdown and meltdown in Thailand. Law is not abided by. Rules are not obeyed. Regulations are not kept. Law enforcement officers--policemen and armed force personnel--are themselves criminals, thieves, thugs, smugglers, drug dealers, blackmailers, hired hitmen, pimps, casino bosses, extorters, money launderers, etc. You name it; they'll cater to your needs and specifics. And the great thing is if their pay is high enough, nothing will be traced back to you. You can go on living as well respected member of the society.
You don't have to have carry any weapons. Your position, affiliation, and authority are just about as powerful. Your signatures, stamps, or seals have their own financial values. That is why all the Cabinet position holders and their aides, politicians, and many civil servants are corrupt and bribe-taking.
Great majority of businesspeople and lawyers score no better. People in academia are not far behind. Even Buddhist clergymen are no exception. It's quite accurate to say we are corrupt from bottom up and to the core.
My American friend who spent many years here finally uprooted and moved back. I was told, "I've just had it with the Thais." My response: "So have I."
The even sadder reality is that the Thais all take this lying down. They accept it as a way of life. No one bothers to stand up for what is right. Even if he/she could, it might not be wise. Doing the right thing here brings one scolds, ridicules, lawsuits, or even danger to one's own life and family. Who would want to risk everything for the sake of "doing the right thing"? After all, the disheartening fact is there is definitely NO reward for such bravery, but there are surely severe repercussions. Here, everything is cheap: the price of a bullet, the cost of a hitman, the pay to the police and judges, etc.
It's not surprising that the three brave ladies survived their ordeals and live to tell their stories. Only in America can you do that and live. In Thailand, it is unimaginable that one small David can bring down Goliath. There is no way a huge conglomerate can ever be pulled down to its knee by an ordinary empty-handed employee. Had these scenarios occurred in Thailand, these women would have vanished without trace long before they could have their day in court. In fact, there would never be their day in court. There's no protection from anyone. There's no witness protection program. Moles and informants working for the bad guys are everywhere. The dark force would have got to them even before they could plan a thing. They would never have their teams or allies. Their stuff would have been confiscated and destroyed. They would have been lucky to survive. Don't even bother to ask if the giant Thai companies would ever "come clean" with their books like in the WorldCom and Enron cases. Our tax lawyers and finance consultants could give you better advice than any Arthur Andersen's.
The good guys in Thailand must either quit or learn to play dumb, blind, and mute if they want to survive. It is safer to turn blind eyes and deaf ears on anything wrong.
Why does a society become callous to wrongdoing? How can people accept and tolerate unacceptable actions? What has changed people's perception of evil? I have no answers. Despite my wanting to know, I have no interest in trying to find out. I figure there's no way to go against the tide. Why would I want to toil myself for nothing? After all, I am no longer in the position to guide or advise. I gave up and walked away from that after many years of failed attempts. I have no stakes in the future of Thailand, for I have no descendants that I need to worry about. People who do should rigorously take up the fight. I, on the other hand, am old and tired and am going to sit back and watch the pathetic situation unfold. The Beatles' "words of wisdom" echo in my heart, "there will be an answer, let it be, let it be."
The quote on Enron's notepads to its employees was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Somehow it puzzled Ms. Watkins why so many others in her company chose to stay silent.
Something inside of me is slowly drying and dying. Yes, I, too, am puzzled by the silence of the Thais. Maybe they think: silence is golden.
And in many cases, it really IS golden...
posted by A Desperate Seeker at 10:52 PM
