Like some opposition leaders, Lonestar is making demoralising 'predictions' under the pretext of hoping to strengthen the opposition in the letter Alternative priming for bigger loss by inaction.

A distinguishing common feature of these 'opposition leaders and supporters' who love to publicly make 'predictions' about the impending doom of the opposition is that they think they are very smart but nobody else understands them. The underlying assumption is that opposition leaders and members other than them are really silly clods.

They fail to realise that by repeatedly making demoralising 'predictions' about the opposition, they are actually contributing to the psychological warfare operations of the Barisan Nasional.

The 'predictions' would probably be self-fulfilling in the sense that feeble and weak-willed opposition supporters would think it is now futile to continue the struggle.

I really hope these opposition leaders and supporters who love to make 'predictions' are not consciously part of the secret psywar campaign of Umno and other anti-democratic forces.

How do people like Lonestar know other opposition leaders and supporters do not work and do not think? There is a difference between those who really work and think without making unnecessary noise, and those who make noise everyday but doing little on the ground to organise and empower the real human beings for change.

In a modern society where information flows speedily every minute and second, the need for any genuine opposition to build up solid institutions and organisations become more pressing and urgent than only issuing press statements or making publicity stunts.

Politics is not about making opinions alone, but also about improving the quality of opinions as well as building organisations to make people to feel strong. In a modern democracy, smart but lonely 'heroes' are liabilities, not assets, to the development of institutions and organisations for democratic participation.

There is no point in electing extremely smart but friendless oposition leaders because making friends, building organisations and constructing alliances are the essential qualities of any good and effective leaders. For those who really and sincerely think of the future of the opposition, the first thing for them to do is to stop being narcissistic.

Go to work quietly among the people if there are big issues or crises, build up organisations and institutions, and empower them by hope and solidarity, not cynicism or lonely despair.