Talking football in Sin

The aspiration to be in the 2010 World Cup withered away in a limp. An embarrassing suggestion that was best described as a naïve dream of school boys. I think by now no one who wants to be taken seriously will ever talk about the World Cup dream. Singapore’s football is not only third class, but fourth or fifth class today. The pathetic condition of this game is really amazing given the amount of financial and govt support for the game, and the infusion of foreign talents. Football in general is no longer the football of the past. It has been privatized into a business making concern. Its main interest is making money. The players are international, can be bought and sold, with no attachment or loyalty to any team. Even the whole team can change name if the price is right. The manager of a national team can also be a foreign talent. What is bad about football is that it is a game of kelong and match fixing with no qualms about morality. Anything goes as long as it makes money. The goal keeper can score its own goals when he is paid right by another team. So can the other team players, or even the captain. And sometimes, in order to lose a game, all the good players will get themselves a red card or fall sick, not attend training. Then the reserves or newbies will be field to throw away a game. Football is not the same as before. Who wants to be associated with football, be called a goal keeper or a sweeper, or the last man, in a game of kelong and game fixing?

What’s happening?

Chok Tong made an announcement that in future ministers can only serve two terms to make way for new talents. The only exception is that PMs may be allowed to stay longer. To me this is funny indeed. Many countries would want to limit the Number One executive’s term to two terms for obvious reasons. Here, uniquely Singapore, the Number One executive can go on and on while the minister’s terms are limited. This funny thing does not stop here. When asked about Chok Tong’s remark, Kan Seng said, ‘That’s his opinion and we’ll leave it at that.’ You see how funny this latter remark is? Was Chok Tong giving a hint of the party’s position on self renewal or was he making a personal remark that has not been approved by the party? What was Kan Seng trying to say, or what was Chok Tong trying to say?

Are we ready to move from third world to first world?

No, I did not make a false statement. In politics we are still in the third world, with third word antics and third world mentality. A one party dominant political system cannot be first world. Ya? so what should a first world political system be, bi party or multi party? Believers of a one party dominant state will definitely disagree with my statement. The one party system, a dictatorship of a party, is good, effective and has served us well. No need to change when it is not broken, just carry on. What about the drawbacks and the danger when it turns bad? I say when and not if. It is the nature of things that all things will turn bad. Sometimes it could already be bad but because of incremental decay, it may not be apparent. A manufacturer of nuclear plants, or an advocate of nuclear plants, will swear that nuclear energy is safe and the way to go. They know the danger and what will be the consequence of a mishap. Their only solution is that they will do everything possible to prevent it but knowing deep down that a mishap can and will happen. This same argument is applicable to those who flaunt the virtues of a one party system and not telling how bad it could be when the time comes. And they will assure you that they will do all they can to prevent it from happening. Can the words of man be trusted? Just wait till their vital interests are at risk, and the bestest of man will turn to a mean beast. There is no need for a mature polity to be controlled by an absolute majority with few or no alternate voices. A 60% or 70% majority is more than sufficient for a ruling govt to run its agenda and policies smoothly. This is the same as a $1m or $2m salary is more than enough to live very comfortably. What is important, in the long run, is the nurturing of an alternative party to be there, speaking for the people and to moderate the extreme policies of the ruling party. Not everything the ruling party did is right or good for the people. It will be good at times and for some people at times. Some people will be adversely affected by any policy. In the absence of an alternative voice for the people, things can be slippery. NCMP, NMP or alternative voice in the ruling party? Stop dreaming.

Kathakali Cultural Dance

A Kathakali dancer with a woman devotee kneeling in front of him and making an offering.

A sad accident

Foreign student fainted and fell into the MRT tracks and both her legs were run over by the train. She has been here only a few weeks and wanted to learn English. Now she is going to live her life without her legs. Some are angry why there are no dividing screens to prevent people falling into the tracks. I ask, why can’t the trains slow down as they approach the station to a more reasonable speed to allow the driver to slam on his brakes in an emergency? Why didn’t the driver stop in time? I have seen many crazy drivers coming to a screeching halt at traffic junctions even when they knew that the lights are red from a distance. Is it such a big hustle to slow down the trains? If they can go down to a speed enough for emergency brakes, you don’t even need the expensive dividing screens. Oh ya, the whole system will slow down and people will kpkb. As I have suggested, the trains can go on a higher speed in between stations to catch up for lost time. Ok, I am ignorant of how the train operates. Maybe it cannot be done and need a $6 billion system to improve it. It may be difficult to stop in time when someone intends on suicide and time it at such that the train is near enough before taking the plunge. In normal accidents, there could be some time interval to see the impending accident. Anyway, the best solution is to stop operating the trains. _________________