Obama and human rights violations

"ABC News: April 09, 2008 7:02 PM Obama Says Bush Should Boycott Olympics In his strongest language to date about the Olympics, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said that President Bush should boycott the opening ceremonies of if the Chinese do not take steps to stop the genocide in Darfur and respect the human rights of Tibetan people. "As I have communicated in public and to the President, it is past time for China to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people, to allow foreign journalists and diplomats access to the region, and to engage the Dalai Lama in meaningful talks about the future of Tibet," Obama said in a statement." When Obama speaks about human rights violation, the world must stand up to listen. He is a living tragedy of the worst human rights violations in human history. His forebears were hunted and caught, put under chains and sold in America as slaves. He knows what he is saying. It is written all over him.

More competition for Cashcards

It was reported in the ST that EZlink issued 8 mil cards while Nets issued 6 million cards. Both charged $5 per card while EZlink added a $3 deposit. So is EZlink card more expensive than Nets' Cashcard? The credit card issuers are planning to intrude into the cashcard biz. That may give consumers a wider option on whose card to use. Incidentally, credit card companies issued their cards free to their users. If they can do it, why can't the cashcard companies do likewise? Next time buy chicken rice, got to buy own plates and forks and spoons as well. But with 6/8 million cards each at $5 a piece that is $30 mil and $40 mil to each company. Too attractive to resist. Don't forget the $3 deposit or $24 mil collected and can be used for investment or collect more interest.

Greed as the driving force

This is an open secret. We have been moulding greed into a powerful weapon to drive the individuals and the economy. Or to put it in another way, Money as the driving force. This is a very practical and realist approach in getting people to work, to serve their own interest first and serving the general interest of society as an incidental consequence. Bring in the rich and let them make all the money they can. In so doing they also help to create jobs for the people in other services. The LKY School of Public Policies could sell this as a programme, teach the world how to harness the forces of greed and money and burn a glorious path to the first world. This is reality, not nice to have idealism. No beating around the bush. It is the Singapore model that works and works very well. People may counter argue that there are other models for development. But this is our model, Uniquely Singapore, and no other country has a system like ours. No one has anything close to ours. It is the one and only system that has worked and with a good track record to show.

Let's bury the story

The great escape from paradise. It is better to let it go as it is quite pointless talking about something that will eventually be the biggest mystery in paradise. And the tooth will never see the daylight. It would be better to look at the construction of a truly formidable Alcatraz of our own in one of the islands. We need one to make sure that flies can go in but can never fly out. Mount Pleasant is better torn down and forgotten. And in its place some huge private estates can be built for better monetary returns. As for Mas Selamat, if he is not caught within the first 2 hours, the reality is that he is not going to be caught. Save the breathe.

Another ugly case of monopoly

Nets charging $5 not refundable for a new card that has an expiry date. First, why must there be an expiry date if the card is in good condition? Many people bought more than one card, some kept as spares and hardly used. Secondly, is the $5 justified? Why allow only one organisation to monopolise the sale of such a card to the public when usage is almost unavoidable or near compulsory to some? Shouldn't there be some control or regulation over such a monopoly till alternative suppliers are in the market? It is like asking car owners to take MRT when there is only one MRT while better alternatives are not ready or available other than the snail buses.