a more humane alternative to hanging drug traffickers

since the death penalty is so repulsive to the civilised nations, maybe we should consider not to apply it to international drug traffickers. but drug trafficking is still a serious crime and they cannot be let off without punishment. a more humane punishment will be for them to consume whatever drugs that they are caught with. and then they shall be handed over to their respective government to do as they please. is this worth considering?

execution of a drug trafficker

no one will have said with glee on the execution of a man, no matter what crime was committed. the execution of the vietnamese australian drug trafficker is no exception. the act, the law, the judgement and the coming execution are all impartial, transparent and well known. they are there exactly to serve such a purpose. otherwise there is no point having them. the mother's anguish, the australians are angry, the appeal lawyers are even more angry, and the australian prime minister is very disappointed. and hsien loong has to apologise for a diplomatic hitch. all because of a drug trafficker. will our relations with australia suffered because of a criminal? why is a crime taking centrestage in state to state relations? we are not disputing over our claim for christmas island nor are we disagreeing over national issues. and it even gives the impression that the australian is trying to bully us into accepting their positions because it is politically correct in their domestic politics to do so. whether it is morally right in this case is subjective really, but never wrong to plead for the life of a dying man.

sim wong hoo's miraculous achievement

sim wong hoo may seem to be losing to apple in the battle for mp3 players. but he is clinging in there, fighting for every inch of the mp3 pie. and his target is only apple. what happens to sony, panasonic, toshiba, jvc and other notable japanese world class players? the fact that all the japanese makers did not feature in the game plan of sim wong hoo tells an amazing story. hey, the singapore brand is now a head above all the japanese brands. the japanese brands are inconsequential in this battle. whether it is real or perceived, the fact still stands, that it is a battle between two giants, an american and a singaporean brand. move aside sony, panasonic, toshiba etc etc. it is creative versus apple. anybody ever thought that a singapore brand can elbow out the established japanese giants. the thought of it sounds crazy. but it is happening.

is japan a modern day colony of usa?

after the americans were forced to vacate clark air base and subic naval base by the filipinos, they held on tenaciously to the last two military bases in east asia, in korea and japan. the realignment of us-japan military alliance and the greater freedom for american troops to be stationed in japan, have given the impression that japan is becoming a forward base of the american empire. the japanese people have been reported to be angry with the new move. the proud and nationalistic japanese may find it hard to swallow, that a once empire maker, is now relegated to the status of a semi colony of the usa. and the american nuclear fleet will now be a common feature in the sea of japan and american soldiers' presence in ginza and shinjuku will also become a common sight. will there be more angry japanese protest to this alliance when japan allows itself to become an extension of another nation's military reach into east asia? long gone were the days when japan was fighting to be an empire. it is now a part of another empire.

recognising ns men

the life and time of ns men are in a way acquired by the state like the acquisition of land. during those ns days, including reservist training, the time and life of the ns men belonged to the state. and in turn they were given a miserable stipends. when the nation was less well off, everyone understood and would not dare to put too much demand on the state. today the state is rich, very rich. and rightly the state too thinks that it should show some real recognition and reward those who have given their time and life to the nation. for should there be a crisis, these young men will be the one to defend, fight and die for the nation. the current procedure of sending a letter to a nsman informing him of his completion of all his ns liabilities need to be done better to recognise the contributions of the nsmen. a proper certificate, a medal, and perhaps some monetary incentive will not be inappropriate to those who reach 45 or 50 and no longer need to serve the nation through ns. it is a big moment in the life of an nsmen who has served his country in the most honourable way that is expected of him. the occasion, the moment, must bear some significance to an equally important event. ritual is something that is lacking in our young nation. we need to create and develop more rituals to remember significant moments of our lives and history. and with all the pioneers and earlier batches still alive and kicking, their sacrifices must also be recognised and be rewarded accordingly.