myth 16

'What is right is right' This is a very simple myth that we have grown up with and increasingly glaring with events unfolding. The sneaky humankind have been doing this for centuries, distorting truth and right without blinking and eyelid. We are seeing many court judgements in our northern neigbour on Anwar being overturned by the court itself. Back home we have seen many things and reasonings which no one can agree upon as rational, reasonable or correct but still insisted and pushed to the people as right and good. Maybe we should add in a subclause to say right according to who.

new kid on the block

The latest revelation of who are in the party in Shanghai, attending the SCO conference is a startling development as far as the Americans are concerned. It is a diplomatic coup of sort by the Russians and the Chinese to win over the support of the East Asian and Middle eastern countries, including India. Several Middle eastern countries with Iran standing out prominently, is going to raise hell in Washington. The outsiders, the outcasts, the push arounds, have found a platform and supporters to bolster their cases against the domineering Americans. They are now not alone. A small insignificant grouping, starting with the Shanghai 6, it has morphed into a giant, as big as NATO, to be a counter weight against the pushy Americans. Its rapid growth in stature and influence in international politics are more a result of the push factor from the US. The SCO got the Americans to thank for their rising influence and importance in world politics. A new world order is shaping up.

a familiar problem

'(the people) now make a living selling houses to each other, financing the deals with mortgages. The XXX scandal that recently shook the financial community is a clear symbol of the greed that has become an insidious problem even for large, publicly owned corporations. While companies shared increasing profits with their employees previously, those have become a burden and more and more jobs are moved outside the country to lower costs. Income inequality is on the rise, boosted by incessant tax cuts for the rich. the por are staying poor and the present administration makes few efforts to take care of the weaker deciles of the population as govt inaction before.....' The description above is very familiar. It is actually written by Emanuel Shahaf and is in the Today paper. He was actually describing the American and their economies and the Enron scandal. By removing the specifics, it is applicable to many countries. It is a problem started and created by the Americans and eagerly copied by young blue eye boys around the world.

myth 15

'Greed can be satisfied.' I am raising this myth after discussing with some bloggers on whether it is acceptable to tax the poor. One thought so and considered it low to tax an income of $12k per annum at 5.8% or $700. But when I posed to him the question of who is in a tighter spot, someone who earns a million and pays $200k in tax or this poor chap who could not make ends meet with his $12k income and still have to pay $700 in tax, he backed off his position. Can greed be satisfied by keeping on paying more to the greedy? A technician who missed his $80 annual increment for losing a test meter could have his world shattered. He may need the extra $80 for his school going children's pocket money. On the other hand, a person who is doing sweet nothing and getting paid $1 million may still expect his 10% increment every year, with no caps, as if it is his birth right. And this is the trend, for the big earners to keep lining up their pockets in the millions and never say enough. Greed can never be satisified. The more one gets, the bigger the appetite and the bigger the delusion of grandeur and one's talent and ability.

myth 14

'Singaporean pays the lowest tax' This is the myth that Singaporeans are believing. Yes, in income tax alone, we may have one of the lowest rate in the world. But in real terms, the amount of tax a Singaporean is paying is very high especially at the bottom rung of society. The poorest segment of our society, the people that need help, pay the full GST. Everyone, from the baby to the retired and jobless old man/woman, pays tax in the form of GST. In many countries, there is no income tax on the poor. And also no GST. We are perhaps one of a kind in this world to tax our poor.