Society must be willing to forgo some liberty for security. For order must prevail otherwise chaos assails.

I have always admired two great American heroes – Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin. Both had the ability to express themselves to effectively convey their messages in simple terms by what historian David McCullough would describe as ‘painting with words.’

In retrospect, I have heard many a good speaker in my time, whether they are political or religious. It is the simplicity of words that best convey the message, and messages are ever remembered if they are well ‘painted with words.’ President John Kennedy is well remembered for ‘Ask not what the country can do for you but you for the country.’

Drawing from my own personal experience in my university days, two outstanding speakers are Lee Kuan Yew and Professor Wang Gungwu, then the chair of history at the University of Malaya in 1960s. ‘Harry’ Lee’s choice of words is simple as compared with the academically bombastic words of Professor Wang. Listening with ease rather than with full concentration beats the mood of communication anytime.

In a country as huge and diversified as China, it’s no easy task to run and maintain peace and harmony. It took great communication skills and personal human relationship on the part of Mao Zedong to marshal the full support of the whole nation. His little Red Book was likened to the Bible then.

Great leaders arise often in times of crisis. Heroes are but ordinary human beings who would undertake the extraordinary. They would have the guts and tenacity, faith and responsibility, to dare and to lead with the vision and mission to accomplish and maintain a strong nation. We are beginning to see the emergence of such heroes in the persons of President Hu Jintao and his Premier Wen Jiabao of China.

Resilient and self-reliant as China has been throughout the ages, even to the extent of isolation from the West, the Chinese have demonstrated time and again their survival against all odds without outside help or assistance. The great annual floods of the Huangho (Yellow River), famines, the Japanese War and atrocities are some such examples.

Now when it seems like smooth sailing with years of double-digit economic growth and the country in a quantum leap of development, China is being plagued with one disaster after another. First it was the devastation of the winter storms and havoc, and now another natural calamity has struck with the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan. In between, the West is stirring up more political trouble for China with the Tibetan issue and the Olympics.

Out of all these, the Chinese leaders have demonstrated their fortitude to brave the storms and perils. In times of crisis, the nationals have stood solidly behind their leaders. Outstandingly, overseas Chinese have all shown and demonstrated their support. This is evidently a show of faith and courage.

Watching the continuous news broadcasts on CCTV, including the TV channels of Sichuan and Shanxi, I am particularly impressed with the leadership of Premier Wen Jiabao. Who would have seen or heard or even thought of any country’s premier personally directing the rescue operations right on the scene? Wen Jiabao was right there on the spot with instructions and direction, sympathy and compassion, help and encouragement. He exhibits the sterner stuff that heroes are made of.

Sad and distressful as it is, picture in your mind hundreds and thousands of soldiers deployed in the rescue operations, communities volunteering, leaders leading and encouraging. Added to paint a more touching aspect, you have thousands of people in lengthy queues digging into their pockets to make their financial contributions.

China has always prove it is unassailable. Whatever the Western powers preach about the merits of democracy, the Katrina catastrophe, however, paints a much different picture. Benjamin Franklin would say this: ‘He does not possess wealth; it possesses him.’ People can be so materialistic and self-centered that the community spirit becomes lacking.

They say power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Money and greed can be counted like tokens. Likewise with liberty. Too much of anything leads to nowhere except to chaos. Without order, chaos reigns.

Thus I say, society must be willing to forgo some liberty for security. For order must prevail otherwise chaos assails.