APEC 2024 Peru. Biden shafted to a corner in the back row. Xi in front row next to Peru's President
12/16/2005
li ka shing may sell his shares in suntec
what strikes me this morning is the headline that li ka shing may sell his shares in suntec city on grounds of principles. li ka shing will not be involved in any gambling business. his hotels in bahamas have also been approached to include casinoes but he declined them. no gambling business in his empire.
many rich and famous people shun unethical businesses. many will live within their own principles of goodness or morally right way of doing things. it is easier, and desirable to be so. when one is hungry, there is a tendency to fight the world, fight the system, fight all moral values, to earn that dirty dollar.
i am not saying that all the rich and famous gone through this route. for those who have made the dollar and are very comfortable, it is surprising that many are still sticking to their old self, the immoral self, the unethical self, to continue to earn that extra dollar that did not mean anything more to them anymore except to add on to their fat savings accounts. many have gone pass the stage where they need to earn money. many have so much money to last for generations. but still just as unethical and immoral. they did not see the need to cleanse their unsavoury past. they did not see the need to be decent or to start to lead a more decent way of life, doing a decent business. they will still sell a basket of rotten apples with only the top layer covered by good apples.
this may be the reason why the creature called human beings will live to destroy itself eventually. not monetarily, but morally. so much money and wealth, so little goodness.
Hi Redbean, Good morning to you. I too have read the morning papers and must agree with you that there are still some very morally correct people around but on the other hand there are those who have lost their conscience way back and are out to squeeze as much as possible out of society using some rather unsavoury methods. Take the case of the fake milk powder, do you not think that case was human greed at its lowest?
ReplyDeleteI am a visitor to your country and I have been told by my good wife not to voice my opinion too often. There have been many instances during my stay here where I have noticed that greed, especially for money, is very prominent in your Singapore society. I have been short changed many times, even been given the total change in Malaysian riggits as change for Singapore dollars. I have been to the wet market where a kilogram of prawns only weighs 3/4 kg when I get home. I am not saying that this is widespread, but a few rotten apples usually give a bad impression on the whole.
It is sad to see that people these days are so selfish. Monetary gain has become the prime objective in life. I can even see this culture very close to me, amongst my nearest and dearest. People are always chasing the next dollar, and the next, and the next, never ending, never enough. They are forever suspicious that someone out there will take it away from them. Kindness is usually viewed with suspicion - "why are they kind to me? what do they want from me?". So sad that they have lost the gentler side of feeling for another human being. Beggars and the needy are viewed as spongers. General comment - "If I work hard for my dollar, why can't they?". I have even been told not to give to that cripple at the JB causeway, as I might be targetted by the few more beggars further along for more handouts. God!! I am sure I can spare a few ringgit every fortnight when I have to go to JB for visa extension.
Where are we heading? Where will it all end? Are we condemned to go down this slippery slope that will end in the survival of only the fittest?
Sorry Redbean, I get carried away. This topic is very passionate to me and I tend to be very outspoken when I get into it. Sorry.
good morning speed,
ReplyDeletelife is full of contradictions. wonder if i have several millions in my bank account will i be bothered with such issues. there are people with many choices. some with limited choices.
for those at the lower rung of society, sometimes i tend to look at them and say, what the heck, the whole world is stacked against them. what else to lose except to fight their way out of poverty and a very bad hand. when all the odds are against you, some many throw all morals away. morals cannot fill an empty stomach.
on the other hand there are many who no longer need to stoop so low to stack up more bad karma on themselves. when they have the means to buy more credits they abandoned the chance to do so. maybe they do not see the need. who knows or cares if karma is true when heaven in on earth?
the want to give to the needy is an emotional and personal thing. when you have a few extra dollars, give when you feel like giving. no harm being cheated as long as your conscience is clear. better than cheating when you have no need to.
there are still many people who are very generous and want to help the needy. these are people who understand the pains and sufferings of the unfortunate. the amount of money being poured into charities is a case in point. there is always a whole range of goodness to badness. a big patch of grey in between.
Wah, you all have this spiritual arrogance man...
ReplyDeleteI loath gambling myself - but I wouldn't judge those who like it, or make money from it.
"Judge ye not..."
ok, i think i have qualified myself. if i am filthy rich, i might or might not waste time talking nonsense. i will probably spend my time at the durian sipping wine and pretend to be culture. and look very knowledgeable and respectable, know which grape is good to drink in which year.
ReplyDeletemy time will be more well spent reading about table manners, how to gossip intelligent things, and appear aloof gentlemanly.
wow, won't that be nice?
But.. my dear redbean, the whole idea is to talk nonsense, and sip wine and enjoy one's life.
ReplyDeleteUnless of course one is a Christian or some other accolyte who stinks of spiritual pride, and makes an issue out of "suffering", and lives in denial of the fact that all things judged as "sinful" actually have a positive benefit.
After all, there is no duality between good and evil right? ;-)
God made everything, didn't he?
Hahaha.. enjoy lah, and let others enjoy too - even though their choices might "sabotage" their lives.
if you give up drinking then what else is there in life for you man?between hard liquor, beer and wine, wine is still the most enjoyable.
ReplyDeletei agree that life is just a cycle of build and destroy. god has created it perfectly. everything is meant to be destroyed. life will be so tedious with the element of badness. can't imagine if life can go on without good and bad existing side by side and complimenting each other.
There is more to life than getting high on drugs - alcohol or whatnot ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've come to a stage where I prefer a clear head - to I can experience reality full on - all the good, and all the bad.
Call me spiritually arrogant if you must... ;-)
i try both, a little alcohol, a little high. but no drugs. but go back to meditation whenever i can.
ReplyDeletethe middle path, remember. no forcing. just live. and feel what may, get frustrated, get sad, shed a few tears...