The Demolition Man: Lessons for Malaysian Academia

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There was an article i read recently, complaining about the sorry state of UK universities where staff are depressed and thinking of leaving. (Click https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/may/21/cut-throat-half-academics-stressed-thinking-leaving)

So id like to propose the dismantling of the current academic authoritarian culture hankering after artificial ranking.

Then I imagine the backlash from hardcore executives " so what would you suggest? Let it be free and easy? Well go back to incompetent modes low grade univ we were before?" or to quote one actual response "All hell break lose". To answer this I would like to refer the ending scene of "The Demolition Man".

The film Demolition Man is about a state where crime was successfully curbed through technology that virtually it become a Utopian state, ideal, crime free, clean and seemingly happy citizen. But these come at a cost where dissenting voices and culture are curbed. Too much control lead people to hate the loss of freedom that some of them went underground to become rebels.

After the dictatorial Utopian regime was destroyed by Sylvester Stallone, the former state police chef ask him "so how will we live?"...

Chief George Earle (the former state police): What will we do? How will we live?
Edgar Friendly (The underground  rebel): I tell you what we're gonna' do... we're gonna' go out drinking, get shit-faced and paint the town literally; put up graffiti, slogans... it'll be a blast!
John Spartan (Demolition Man): Whoa! I'll tell you what you're gonna' do: [turns to Earle] Why don't you get a little dirty... [turns to Edgar] ...and you, a lot clean. And somewhere in the middle... I don't know, you'll figure it out.

The answer by John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) is brilliant. Hes handing over the decision to the group to find the right balance. Academia is in need of 1) dismantling an authoritarian regime, 2) inclusive dialogue to build the new paradigm.

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