5/27/2006

two sides of the truth

The Straits Times devoted 8 or 9 pages of today's paper on a subject that was shunned during the election. It was taboo to talk about it then. During the election or prior to the election, all the news that the paper were pushing out were 'good news' or feel good news. The economy was doing well, all the data and indices were up, export up, GDP up, trade up, stock exchange doing roaring business, people doing very well, all prospering and happy. And billions of dollars will be given away. And the Straits Times was telling the truth. There is no doubt that all the reports in the traditional meda were all truth. But another side of the truth were kept in the dark, not to be spoken as it was the wrong time for them. So today we are reading the dark side, the other side of the truth. Every page is heart drenching, and tugging at the heart string. How could there be so much poverty and sadness in this land of opportunities? How could people be so happy and every thing so affordable, if not, even cheap like hell, when a section of the population is living in despair? This social disparity must be the fault of those people who cannot keep up with the changes in society. They are the ones to be blamed. If they are not able, or they must be lazy, then they deserved to be in the state they are in. This is the kind of thinking among the smart and able who pride themselves for being so clever, to helping themselves to every opportunities to make all the wealth, and to live in paradise on earth. Let's throw some crumbs at them shall we? It makes us feel so good, so magnanimous, so generous, to shed a few tears, to help the suffering poor. And don't worry if the prices of public transport are going up, or medical cost going up. They are all affordable....to who?

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