The Egyptian Story unfolds

Dictator or no dictator, as long as he can hold the country together will do. The Emperor does not care about democracy or human rights as long as the dictator does what the Emperor wants, behave as a good boy and bow to the Emperor, everything will be fine. The moment the dictator loses his power base or support of the people, he must go. Obama spoke from his White House on the day of the major people uprising, telling the dictator to get things back in order. A week has passed and the anger of the people is increasing, and the demand for the dictator to get out grows. The Emperor knew that time is up for a change and told the dictator to get moving. As all dictators are the same, after enjoying years of power, wealth and control, giving up is not an easy thing to do. He let loose his security forces to do his dirty work, to quell the people’s uprising, threaten and putting people behind jails may work, to extend his dictatorial reign. The Emperor thinks otherwise, and is planning for the exit of the dictator from the White House. Like it or not, Egypt belongs to the Empire and any regime change must be authorised by the Emperor. Another dictator will be installed, with some trappings of democracy like in Iraq and Afghanistan. But dictators they will be, and the Emperor will be their boss. Will the will of the people decide who should lead them? Egypt has been faced with many years of big time corruption, wide income gap between the rich and poor, unemployment of graduates, high inflation, and a people getting increasingly unhappy with the regime. There is a ground swell for a change in govt. Who shall prevail, the Emperor, the dictator or the will of the people?

Make more babies!

For what? Why is there a need to make more babies? To generate economic growth, to make the statistics of growth look better? Why would people want to have babies if the babies are meant to be another digit in the economy? Aren’t babies the fruit of love, of people who love to have them, to enjoy them, to share their love with them? Babies that are brought into this world for any selfish reason other than to love them, and to cherish this gift of life, should not be born at all. Why is the state so adamant and steadfast in urging the people to produce babies? It must be for the good of the people, I think. If that be the case, what is the state doing to make sure that the babies are given a life worth living for instead of being born into a pressure cooker, a system that is hardly conducive to bringing up children unless the parents are financially able? The cost of bringing up children today is frightening. And the cost of failure when a child is unable to cope or compete in a highly strung society is not amusing. The parents too will fail if they do not have the financial means to give the child what is now regarded as basics in a sophisticated modern style of living. Today’s child will be deprived if they are going to live the life of poverty, living off the land, and making little toys for their own amusement from throw ways or discarded rubbish. It can be painful for children who cannot have the little things that other children are having, or the little comfort of a home. Make more babies? So easy? No need to think about money, about affordability? No need to think about the child’s own good? Multiply recklessly is not the way. It is simply irresponsible. How many new lives will be brought into this world to suffer the consequences of a system that only the very best will survive and the rest be made to struggle for a life time making ends meet? Is our social economic system conducive to bringing up children? What have the govt done towards building a more equitable society where the majority could live a better life instead of working like beast of burden just to make ends meet? Throwing some money good enough?

Hard Truth and Affordability

The most controversial word in the vocabulary of politicians is affordability. Everyone seems to utter this word as the biggest escape clause in any bad situation. It is affordable, we will make sure that it is affordable. And no matter how stupid the populace is, everyone knows what this dirty word means to different people. The truth is that the meaning of affordability is as flexible as a rubber band. It can be stretch which ever way the speaker wants it to be, as long as it is kept from snapping. Within the limits of its elasticity, anything goes and everything is affordable. This word should be banned and anyone using it should be make to feel ashame. The nonsensical use of the word affordability cannot go on and on. Closely link to this affordability word is the hard truth on the cost of HDB flats. Why is this truth so evasive and difficult to face the people? My new year wish is for someone to reveal this hard truth in his book and let some light into this darkness. If this is not possible, I hope that there will be a Wikileak on this piece of hard truth. We need to progress and move forward. What is unspoken, cannot be spoken, must be spoken. Nothing can be kept under wrap forever. Please let the truth be out and start the new year on a clean slate. The revelation may make a mockery of the word affordable, and will also make its use history. Until then, this will remain as the hardest truth to be spoken, and the affordable word will continue to flow with ease out of the smooth politician’s mouth.

Happy Lunar New Year to all

I have posted some photos of Chinatown taken this afternoon. Please click on the photo on the right below the red koi to view the them. Cheers.

Harvesting the people’s savings

What are you saving for? Or who are you saving for? Yourself of course : ). I am asking stupid questions again. But I have been thinking lately. I have come to the conclusion that the saver is actually a proxy. Though it looks like he is saving for himself, actually there are 3 real beneficiaries to his life long savings. They are the ones who will harvest the savings of the people. We have been told that we will live till 80 or 90 years. Think about it, by the time a person passes 60, the chances of admission to a hospital grows everyday. By the time he crosses 80 or 90, the probably could be as high as 80% to spend time in our world class hospitals. They are beckoning, come, we will take very good care of you, at a very affordable fee of course. Can’t expect world class facilities, services and professionals to provide free or cheap services right? Just be prepared for a $200k or $300k bill. This is likely to be the average and right size bills in times to come. So, with a few hundred thousands in savings, be very afraid that it can be wiped out in one admission. I can see fear and cold sweat running down the cheeks. Just one admission can bankrupt any average Singaporean. Fear not, for I am your savior. I know you by name and you shall be in good hands. In comes the other big beneficiary of your savings, the insurance man. He will offer you all his best schemes to help you pay for your stay in the world class hospitals. In fact he has been working very hard, thinking of all kinds of schemes, to help you. Very nice and caring people, next to those in the world class hospitals. With the two, you can rest in peace. I bet the hospitals will be most happy knowing the insurance man is going to help their future patients. They probably thank the insurance man for making hospital bills more affordable. And with the payment reduces to maybe $8, the hospitals will be encouraged to make their bills more affordable. Can’t blame them. Training a world class profession is very expensive. And world class facilities won’t come cheap. But they will promise you that their service will get better and betterer. You will be in good hands. Should the hospital raise their fees, the insurance man will coming running to you and happily chanting, fear not, fear not. My Maserati is on the way, just order another one. He will swear that he will not tire to work out the best schemes for you to make sure that your hospital bills will be affordable again. The people are so lucky. Would I need the services of these kind souls? Actually I will be a disappointment to them. After crossing the golden 60, every day is a bonus. Enjoy and make the best out of it. This piece of flesh is going to get more crappy everyday, no matter what one does. It is dust and must return to dust. And when he calls for you to go home, just go lah. He has many palaces waiting for you. Don’t be an asshole and keep him waiting. Don’t throw away your good money to be hooked up in wires and tubes and think that he can’t get you. He does not want your wasting body. He only asks for your spirit. No need to pay a ransom to keep a piece of rotting meat warm. Put it in the freezer will be cheaper. Burn it and throw it into the sea is as good as free. I think I have better use of my money than for it to benefit the two big jaws. The palaces in some remote places are more interesting and worthy to do some charity, and to share and bless the less well off folks. PS. According to a reply by Karen Tan from MOH, the average C Class ward bill is $1,600 and the majority of the patients did not have to pay anything out of pocket. A $100k bill is rare. She emphasized that C Class bill is very affordable. So there is no need to worry about the above scenario. It is probably a fictional situation in the future.