Chinatown hawker centre. Hawker Centres are a national heritage, selling a wide variety of food at very reasonable prices. They are spread across the whole island and is part of the Singapore way of life.
3/23/2010
Talking cock about China and Yuan revaluation
The Western media and the US Congress have been talking cock about the Yuan as the main cause of their economic misery. So China must revalue its Yuan to make its export more expensive and save the US economy and American jobs. China cannot keep on growing at the expense of America and Europe.
The assumption of these attacks is that China's economy will keep growing relentlessly, unstoppable. The Chinese will probably hope so.
Then we read another bunch of cock stories that the Chinese economy is a big bubble waiting to explode. The Chinese housing is a bubble, the car industry is a bubble, and what not is a bubble. The rich and poor gap is going to break China, the corruption is going to break China, the cities are over built and wealth inequalities will cause unrest in China. The minorities insurgency is going to cause upheavals. In other words, China is at the brink of a collapse of gigantic proportion. The biggest economic tragedy in history is about to happen to China.
With such a scenario, should the Chinese revalue its Yuan to invite an immediate collapse? Its economy and political system are so fragile and so unsound. How could the mean westerners demand that it revalues its Yuan knowing that it is going to collapse soon?
There is no need for China to revalue its Yuan. China will collapse in no time and it will turn into a house of cards. And all the problems of America and Europe will solve by itself.
How's that for talking cock? As good as Paul Krugman and all the professional western experts, journalists and reporters huh!
The American Israeli Wayang
While the Israelis continue their pounding of the Palestinians in Gaza, the US pretends to be pricked by conscience and is looking displeased. And that is the best they would do to show the Arabs that they are their friends. And they let the Israelies to continue to kill the pariahs of human civilisation as if it is a natural thing to do.
And when I flipped through the pages of the newspaper there was hardly a mention of the killing of the Arabs. Non event. There are more important news about how to bash China for causing the ills of the bankrupt America, and blaming China for it.
In the meantime, the Palestinians can only look to Allah for help while the US looks the other way.
Another shark in the pond
Goldman Sach is now a full clearing member of SGX. Is it good news or bad news for the small investors? We have seen how the stock markets have been transformed into a casino without the stringent rules governing casinos. We have seen how the odds have changed into a vicious cycle where the big hedge funds have huge unfair advantages over the small investors.
Now Goldman Sach is in our water. Would this shark gang up with all the other sharks to eat the small fishes or would it fight with the other sharks for a share of the pie? Would it make things worst for the small investors?
Motorists are also citizens
Motorists are also citizens and need protection from scams and robbery. Who is responsible to protect the interests of the motorists in the face of outrageous surge in motor insurance premiums at their detriment? No one is responsible? Or just because the silent motorists are not complaining so there is no issue and it is acceptable for the insurance companies to keep fleecing them?
The No Claim Bonus is meant to be a reward for clean driving records and not making any claims against the insurers. This must be translated into lower premium, not higher. How on earth can the increases be more than the NCB when the motorists are not making any claims? Why should the motorists be made to pay more?
Where is JUSTICE! Where can the little motorists find justice?
More motor accidents, more claims, higher claims! Whose fault and who should be accountable for the higher insurance payouts? The motorists that did not make any claims?
The sickening thing is that the insurers also knew that there is a big scam going on. And instead of tackling the problem at its source and make the culprits pay, the buck is passed to the motorists. And nobody cares, not anyone's business. Let the motorists continue to be fleeced. And if they are not complaining, it means that the premium is still affordable. And why not, the premium is determined by market forces, so must be right.
What kind of principle are we following? Cost overrun also no problem. Just make sure the people can pay. Medical cost goes up, make sure the people have more money in their Medisave. QED. Problem solved.
Are Singaporeans willing to live by such thinkings?
3/22/2010
Thong Chai Charity
This Charity has followed the showbiz road to raise fund to support its charity work. It has been in existence since 1867, providing free medical treatment to anyone who goes there for help. Free medical treatment! What, what, what's that? In Singapore still got free medical treatment when medical and office space costs are so high! Is someone pulling a joke? Should they be raising their fees to keep up with inflation and rising wage cost?
Indeed there are still a few of these dinosaurs that refused to keep up with time and still stupidly providing free medical treatment and medicine. They have taken the first step to the new world of commercialisation. I hope they don't go much further and start to privatise and become a profit making organisation.
For more than 140 years, Thong Chai Charity exists quietly and doing its honourable job of providing free medicine to everyone who cannot afford the great names in modern medicine. And they don't mean test anyone. Just get your treatment and medicine, no question asks.
Last night was the first time they came out to raise fund and many celebrities were moved to come forward for the cause. They included big names like Jackie Chan, Emil Chow, Mi Xue, Sky and many more from China, Taiwan, Hongkong and our local artistes. Prior to this event, the Charity survived on donations from many generous donors to keep it going. It is a worthy cause with noble and selfless doctors and staff doing their part to help the needies.
The fund raising was successful. My only concern is that they don't get carried away by the generosities of the donors and make it an annual affair to raise funds for more ambitious schemes. Just raise fund when needed and not raise fund for the sake of raising fund to build a reserve for the next 100 years.
The Charity has so far been doing a great and honorable job, and not distracted by the huge money that the medical profession can command. They have still not gotten to the idea of charging an arm or a leg to desperate people in need of help. We need such institutions to show what genuine compassion and charity mean.
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