Who is there to stop a rogue govt?

So much have been said about how vulnerable we are as a little island that we cannot afford any mistake. And the worst case scenario is a rogue govt that went about helping itself in state of helping the people. Without good men in leadership we are doomed. This scenario assumes that we have a dud administrative service and a submissive army and police that would allow a rogue govt to go on a rampage, unrestraint. It also assumes that the running of the country is only by the political leaders while the civil servants and uniformed groups will just simply take orders, unthinking and unminding. Would we reach a day when Ah Kow and his gang be elected as the next govt and went about paying themselves $5 mil or $10 mil per head and the civil servants and uniformed services just quietly stood by without lifting a finger? Or would the civil servants and the uniformed groups just join in the party and help themselves as well? Such a scenario is possible when the people are unthinking, or seasoned not to think and rather be sheep and hoping to be led, and hope against hope that good leaders would be picked and chosen. I find this position very dangerous. We need a thinking people in all walks of life to think that the future of the country is theirs to make. And that they must have a say in how the country is being run. And when they think the country is not properly run, they must stand up and step forward to help run the country. This can only come true if we have a system that will facilitate or be conducive for leaders to step forward themselves rather than be chosen. A leader is a leader in his own right, not waiting to be picked. A picked leader is anything but a leader. It is at best an employee, fit the bill of the selection board and put into his proper place. We need to question whether the present formula is the only formula for our continued well being or if there are better formula. One thing is for sure. If we think this is it, this is the only way, I think we are doomed. All empires thought that theirs was the only way. And all failed eventually. Our current system is too dependent on a few good men. And if the next few good men turned out to be rogues, we are in deep trouble when the system is not tuned to react and change for the better but only to take orders.6

Cursing and swearing are in us.

That is perhaps what Janadas Devan was trying to say about how our ancestors acquired this gift from nature. And he has the internet to support his case with plenty of lurid examples, some carved to such refinement that they should be collected in a book and would probably become a best seller. And for those who find it impossible to quit, like smoking, fear not. And also do not despair. Just blame it on nature.

Myth 133

'How Much?' No no, I am not talking about minister's pay again. Practically all the things that need to be said other than the obvious have been spoken. It is time to forget and move on. I am referring to the big bucks in sports. It was horrifying to know that our dream for the World Cup Final is tainted with game fixing. Is this the reason why we will never make it to the World Cup? But if money is an issue, then our World Cup dream can easily be realised. Money is what we have. In our squeaky clean environment, it is incomprehensible to think that bribery or game fixing happens in our super league. I can expect such things to happen in other big leagues, but definitely not here. After all we are all super clean and if not, we just pay them well and the problem will simply go away. We better set up a task force to study the pay of professional footballers. And if they are not competitive enough, surely they deserve a pay rise to keep them clean. But if the problem is small enough, and we have our fame anti corruption agencies to handle them, then perhaps, no payrise is necessary. Of course the football talents would disagree. If there is no huge payrise, then more such cases will appear in the papers.

Is it so difficult to run a command economy?

Yes, it is very difficult when there is no absolute power, when there are many powerful interest groups with strong support bases, when the rule of law and constitutions are supreme, like the USA. In the most recent case of the unmasking of a secret agent by a top govt official, only in the USA that the culprit can be brought to task. There is not only a separation of power, but the opposition is equally strong to prevent abuse by the top national executives. Then life is not so easy. George Bush is now facing opposition in his war in Iraq. He needs to convince the people's representatives that what he is doing is right and for the good of the nation. As long as others are not convince, he cannot do as he wishes. But when there is hardly any opposition, hardly any strong interest groups to challenge the govt, everything goes. And running a command economy is about the easiest thing to do. All essential services are a monopoly in every way. The supplier dictates the service, the quality of service, the price to be paid, without competition and opposition. How difficult is such a task? And to lose money in a monopoly is criminal. Yes there are airlines, steel mills, etc that gone bust despite being monopolies and with govt backings, all because of corruption and incompetence. In a functional govt when there is rule of law, when there is transparency, when there are watchdog agencies, incompetence and corruption will be nipped in the bud. Unless everyone is walking with eyes closed. Compare to the private sector that operates by demand, when the customer is king, life is not so easy. Any goods or service providers thinking of raising his price should be wary of losing his customers and market share. And they cannot dictate to the customer what is good for the customer. The customer decides what is good for him and what price he is willing to pay. There are alternatives and substitutions from competitive suppliers and service providers. So, which economy demands greater skills and greater talents? (Matilah, your favourite thesis)

revisiting means testing

Revisiting Means Testing Of the many reasons behind means testing is the assumption that family is the core and all family units are functional. In the Singapore of today, when many are trying to make ends meet, the family unit that is intact is probably the parent and small children. The parents will often sacrifice for their children, paying and giving without asking for anything in return. Unfortunately this only holds true when the family is young. When the children have grown, it becomes to each his own. An extended family or a bigger family may look good on paper, with household income of $5k a month, but 5 or more mouths to feed. And bet you, this is not a large sum and a lot of tightening is still required. And when it comes to a big lump sum to be paid, many do not have the spare capacity to do so. A $10k or $20k hospital bill is going to turn their lives upside down. The premise that children must pay for their parents, when children have children to pay for, is stretching the ability a little too far. But of course, when children are earning a million a year, filial piety is a given. For there are a lot of spare cash flowing around. Thinkings of people earning millions are definitely different from those earning a couple of thousands a month. Even husband and wife may not be on speaking terms or on the verge of a divorce. So would a cash rich husband or wife be forced to pay for a spouse that they would not want to see for the rest of their lives? We may have laws to enforce such payments. But if the paying party just refuse to oblige, the problem is still with the patient. What can the law do? Or can the hospital says, your husband or wife or children must pay. Otherwise the bill is still your problem? How I wish all the Singaporeans are all earning a million dollars and their family units are functional. The reality is far from it. And paying hospital bills can break up family ties and strain relations.