4/06/2014

Sermon of a dead fish




For those who have been to the market, a dead fish can be just as good looking as the one swimming in the ocean, with its scales and colour intact. The fishmonger will tell you it is fresh and will poke at it to show you how good it is. No matter how fresh and alive it appears, it is a dead fish. Its head is dead and the rotting process has started. It has no life and no feeling. It is only a matter of time before the smell and rot spread across the whole body. But this will take some time.

The fishmonger will offer the fish to you at the best price he could get from you, for a fresh but dead fish. You would have to cook and consume it while it is still fresh or it would lose its value fast. The process of rotting is silent and unseen. It is the work of the billions of bacteria and micro organisms in and outside the body of the fish. When the brain is dead, it no longer controls the defensive mechanism to protect the body from the attacks of these foreign organisms. And the organisms will have their meal of the whole body, and as they eat away, it will manifest itself first with the stench and then the rot. At its final stage, the maggots would wriggle out of the rotting flesh to make a point that it is all over.

A ‘bo cheng hu’ country is like a dead fish that is brain dead. A country without a head, or ‘bo cheng hu’ will run on its own for a while, but keeps drifting and spiralling down towards self destruction. In such a state, there will be things like autonomy or deregulation, where every sector, institution, ministry or department will be running on their own, serving their little narrow interests without a clear and defined common goal. And they could tear the whole country apart and still looking very good individually, like a gleaming dead fish. It is like a soulless nation, just a country existing without a purpose, without knowing that it has a people to look after.

Kopi level - Yellow

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

I always thot LHL looks like a fish out of water.
But I never thot of him as a dead fish.But a fresh perspective is always good.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Boh cheng hu is good lah. Look at Hong Kong. Even Beijing allows them more freedom than any so-called "western democracy".

People are motivated by their self interest. It is LOGICAL to allow them as much freedom as possible, only interdicting when there is CONFLICT due to PHYSICAL encroachments. Mental, emotional, theoretical, ideological, economic encroachments are all fair game as long as they don't involve direct PHYSICAL action.

So maybe not quite "boh cheng hu", but instead SMALL chengu. Singapore is a fucking island. You don't need a state nor a parliament. You can just have a management team requiring no more than 2 or 3 floors of an office building. Police, law courts and military can all be contracted out to private operators -- like INSURANCE companies.

The notion that "everything falls to shit if there's no government" is false. If you are a poor cuntree, then yes, you are going to get warlords. If you are one of the richest cuntrees in the entire human history -- like Singapore is -- having a much smaller government is going to make the place rock with awesomeness one can only imagine.

Small government? Bring it on.

Anonymous said...

Keep the dead fish in the freezer and it will forever be preserved and remain eatable.

Keep the strongest opposition not ready to be govt and the ruling party will forever be elected and remain as govt.

Anonymous said...

We are already falling apart. Can't you see it? With autonomy and deregulation, every CEO is running his organisation like a fiefdom to serve his personal interest instead of the interest of the country and people.

And you have twits who want to fill up all the positions in the universities with foreign professors and foreign students to become MIT and Harvard. We also have a more devastating case of Yale. This one really lock, stock and barrel from Yale and we are paying billions for it.

Who is benefitting from this autonomy?

Anonymous said...

Who is benefitting from this autonomy?
Anon 10:23 am

The country, of course. Due to the country having better or even the best quality of people.

Who is benefitting from males Sinkies serving NS?

The country, of course. The security of the country is preserved.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@1023:

>> Who is benefitting from this autonomy?

I am. Most definitely. But before you tekan me, I can tell you that I am only one small data point amongst hundres of thousands, possibly million of other locally born and bred , private not government-connected Singaporeans.

If you are not benefiting, then consider a self audit. In Singapore, there is no excuse to not play the game of "meritocracy".

Oh yah. It's just a game. You guys treat it so seriously you kill the spirit of fun.

Having fun yet?

Anonymous said...

Tiok.

But for daft Sinkies, the interest of the country may not be in their interest.

For smart Sinkies, they will make lots of money when the country GDP is high. Hence their interest is also in the country's interest of having high GDP.

Anonymous said...

/// Who is benefitting from males Sinkies serving NS?
The country, of course. The security of the country is preserved. ///
April 06, 2014 10:29 am

But who is the "country" ?
Whose bank account benefits ?

Do Singaporeans benefit?
Do PAPigs benefit?
Do Aliens benefit?

Whose bank account has grown the biggest because of the security provided by lowly paid NS boys?

PSS said...

@ 10.23 am // We are already falling apart. Can't you see it? With autonomy and deregulation, every CEO is running his organisation like a fiefdom to serve his personal interest instead of the interest of the country and people. //


Dead fish or not, there is such a thing as welfare dead weight loss.

Mathematically, it can be proven.

In such a model, it seems it is productively efficient but there is one big draw back.

PSS said...

Like a monopolist producer, the benefits or pricing of such production/ pricing/ model fails to include the social cost. This is the classic case of a market failure. Even the staunchest neo-classical economist would have to admit many instances of market failures.

If everything is managed in a society based on productive efficiency, who then is going to build the roads, maintain law and order ....... There would be anarchy because based on productive efficiency, the return or profit is non-existent for such services and products.

In short, many aspects/ activities in an economy can bring about productive efficiencies but the SOCIAL COSTS are UNACCOUNTED. When they are not matched by proportionate and timely intervention, disastrous consequences follow.

PSS said...

Good examples? Look at the last GFC. Arguably it was "created" by mathematics and physics "whiz kids" in "financial innovations" but ultimately it has to be cleaned up by trained economists in social sciences such as the former FED chairman Ben Bernanke ( but obviously the jury is still out whether the ills are all ridden or due to systemic rigidities, it is a case of the can being kicked further down the road ).

Inherently, what is wrong with pure "productive efficiency" in various economic activities and leadership by "mathematicians, physicists, engineers" and people trained in hard sciences?

Just look at the climatic issues facing the planet earth and the ongoing environmental destructions and pollutions and you are looking at the tip of iceberg what potential problems pure "productive efficient means” can exact on society and mankind when societies happen to be helmed at the same time by "engineers, mathematicians, nuclear physicists" etc .....

PSS said...

Even during school days, many hard sciences people arguably cannot cope with social sciences and humanities disciplines because they "could not deal with" the many grey areas issues existent in such subjects and confronting societies. Many would rather “bury” their head in absolute binary 0s and 1s pure black and white problems, issues and answers. For in hard sciences, there are certainties and pure right and wrong answers. Either it is black or white. But in real world, how many problems, issues are pure black and white, pure right and wrong?

You get hard sciences guys in charge of societies, multi-corporations etc and what would you likely get? What is the likely outcome?

When they were unable to cope during school time with social sciences, humanities subjects and grey areas issues and stay away FROM such subjects like plague, what makes societies think these VERY PEOPLE when they are adults could lead and deal with REAL WORLD problems and issues which predominantly if not 100%, are all grey areas concerns? How often and how much can an adult be changed after he/ she enters society after finishing his/ her studies?

PSS said...

Without former rigourous training in thinking about grey areas issues, analysing them in different angles, arguing about them, defending their positions, changing their positions in view of more logical facts/ rationales etc, how can individuals purely comfortable with hard sciences disciplines and pure binary black and white, right and wrong answers GRAPPLE with the MYRIAD GREY AREAS ISSUES, PROBLEMS confronting and plaguing societies when they are in PIVOTAL leadership positions?

Anonymous said...

'he tao nuar' in teochew or hokien dialect.

PSS said...

@ 11.40am

typo error

" former rigourous training "

should be
"formal rigorous training"

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@PSS:

Despite your misgivings about "uncaring nerds", the geeks are poised to rule the planet.

In the very near future, the lack of scientific training and math knowledge will seal your fate as a poverty-stricken irrelevant member of society. Social welfare and other free-money "social programs" are being wound back as cuntrees struggle to pay off their debts, nevermind the on-going and growing demand for "tax payer funding" for current govt. "services".

The Geeks Shall Rule The Earth. And there is nothing anyone can do to stop this trend which is gathering pace by the day.

Already in the financial sector it is "geek vs geek". If you have a lousy econs or B-school degree, you are out of the picture because you can't even keep up with the bear minimum of intellectual capacity of a physics, engineering or maths PhD.

Anonymous said...

Which is better?

Dead or alive but comatose?

No opposition or got opposition but not ready to be govt?

Blog to fight PAP or join opposition but 93% sure lose to PAP in election?

Anonymous said...

@ 12.16pm

// Already in the financial sector it is "geek vs geek". If you have a lousy econs or B-school degree, you are out of the picture because you can't even keep up with the bear minimum of intellectual capacity of a physics, engineering or maths PhD. //


Measuring against your own argument, are you in the picture?

Readers would be curious to know whether the "preacher" is delivering his "sermon" with a PhD in xxx or ....... ???

Often it is said those who can do, those who can't preach .....

You are ?

Hehehe

Anonymous said...

@ 12.16 pm // Social welfare and other free-money "social programs" are being wound back as cuntrees struggle to pay off their debts //


There goes to show your ignorance in what is "welfare dead weight loss".

It does NOT equate to "social welfare and other free-money "social programs""!

PSS does NOT sound like advocating welfare and social programs.

He is likely talking about differentiating between "productive efficiency", "allocative efficiency" and possibly "social efficiency" in economic activities. Not about "social programs" and "free money social welfare"!

"So much" for the "COMPREHENSION LEVEL" of your "FORMIDABLE" "intellectual capacity of a physics, engineering or maths PhD."

HA HA HA ..... "GEEK"? "TRULY"!

Anonymous said...

The Great Singapore Mystery
----------------------------

Bo cheng hu means no government.
No government means government not working.

So if PAP government is not working, then why are we paying them million dollar salaries?

Anonymous said...

'Already in the financial sector it is "geek vs geek". If you have a lousy econs or B-school degree, you are out of the picture because you can't even keep up with the bear minimum of intellectual capacity of a physics, engineering or maths PhD.'

This is not only a naive statement but full of stupidity. Today, with the right connection, a degree bought on the street of Mumbai or Manila will be better than NUS or NTU. Those stupid Sinkies would not know the difference.

b said...

Sometimes, people must learn to flee. If the rulers have no people to fix, they will only have to fix themselves.

Anonymous said...

Alll these wankers postulating here no wonder the low fertility rate.

Anonymous said...

Hi RB, Singapore has one of the cleanest and efficient government in the world, very far sighted and caring. Your Boh cheng hu can only happen in a third world country, never in Singapore. Just listen to all the praise from around the world. You are damn lucky to have a government from the PAP. be thankful and stop stirring up muddy water.

Anonymous said...

“Rise and rise again until lambs become lions.”
– Robin Hood the Movie, 2010

It means never give up for the cause of liberty, never, ever give up. Rise, and rise again, until the docile lambs become conquering lions.

We made some progress in GE 2011.
Onward to GE 2016.

Anonymous said...

Sinkieland is run like 'bo cheng hu' now. Everything gets more expensive by the day. Honestly, this seems to be happening, especially with food, whether at wet markets or cooked, at hawker centres.

Each time they renovate a hawker centre, which I think the hawkers are very supportive, rentals go up, but prices go up twice as much. In fact, I think the hawkers are hoping and praying that 'the powers that be' do upgrading of hawker centres every six months so that they can increase prices several times a year.

I know, by saying this, the PAP will advise me not to patronise those hawkers that increase prices or look for $1.80 chicken rice or $2.50 nasi padang.

It is truly a country that now seems to be run like one with a 'cheng hu' that is brain dead and in a coma over the last decade or so.

Anonymous said...

Sin has all along being run by businessmen and women. 'Cheng Hu' is the Biggest Enterprise in Sin.
A nation rule by folks in sciences does not last nor fit for humans.
A good society that will become a strong and well run nation has to be govern by folks with good understandings of philosophy and humanity.

Those shenanigans in sciences and religions are almost all frauds.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@all the anon fuck-heads:

It seems that I've touched on a few sensitive points. Anyway, make of my opinion what you will. I really don't give a flying fuck :-P

I like "boh cheng hu" because I enjoy more freedom.

We are born and exist in an indifferent universe, with our fragile lives and limited life-span. "Freedom" -- at least from the effects of nature -- is not the "default" condition. Freedom is a value which has to be earned, and does not come without directing resources and mind toward building/ creating certain things which support life, and increase the probability of staying alive -- at last long enough to reproduce and send genes into the next generations.

The Freedom of association principle means that individuals are free to associate or dissociate from each other by pure VOLUNTARY action, so that they may conduct various enterprises voluntarily.

All govt programs -- whether they are "efficiency" programs or "enhancement" programs are WELFARE -- because it takes or interdicts one group to benefit another group by FORCE of law. In other words, you are forcing people to associate or dissociate with each other.

For e.g. If I were single and childless, if I am forced to pay tax to fund another couple's childrens' education, then the govt in fact is FORCING me to associate with groups of people I may or may not wish to associate with under my own AUTONOMY.

If govt is taxing my smoking, drinking and gambling -- activities which I conduct autonomously and peacefully, then it simply becomes legalised theft justified by a ridiculous argument: "Oh it is immoral therefore it is moral to tax it" Best part: most people, I mean SHEEPLE agree with this kind of "logic".

Now the govt becomes the sole judge and jury of what is "moral" and what is not, when every reasonable adult who is not only biologically mature, but also intellectually mature will agree with the statement that as long as you are not stealing, murdering and destroying other people and their stuff, whatever the fuck you do with your life is no one else's business.

But oh no, not in Singapore. Singapore has a cadre of kay poh kias who wish to regulate and "optimise" everything through government FIAT.

To tell these people to fuck off and die, and take their devil spawn with them, I feel, is far too polite and kind :-)

Anonymous said...

Some do live with others in their own world.
And they do believe in themselves capable of surviving on their own till the day they need to be fed, wheeled around and be cleaned up by others. The day will come for these folks to realize that money does not equal to joy and happiness.

Let the folks enjoy their egoes while it lasts.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:25 said, 'be thankful and stop stirring up muddy water.'

RB is just telling the unpleasant truth that you refused to know. You prefer the truth of Matilah Singapura, get screwed and chased out by foreigners and accept that as good and your fault because you are not good enough.