Occupy Wall Street gaining momentum

The power of technology is sweeping through America in a most unexpected way. The home of high tech and innovation has been exploiting technology and developing technology in changing the way of life of human beans everywhere. In many ways, technology has improved the way information and communication has never been before. Lifestyle also changes with Ipad, Iphone technology, thanks to Steve Jobs.

While many improvements in the way of life have been taken for granted in the developed countries, technology saw its biggest impact in the bringing down of dictators in countries that have not really embraced technology in a big way. The falling of several kingpins in northern Africa, now famously known as the Arab Spring is a good example.

Now this Spring is arriving in the streets of America, in most of the major cities, where inequalities and injustice, greed and corruption are taken by horns when Congress refused to act or slept with the perpetrators of greed and corporate crimes. The American people have finally taken onto technology for the good of the ordinary Americans against the crooks in high places, especially Wall Street.

The greed in Wall Street knows no bound and are concealed or blatantly ignored by the congressmen and senators. Only the bringing down of Wall Street can the cancerous growth of greed in America and the financial world be arrested. Europeans and some American regulators are reported to be trying to clamp down on the new scourge in the stock markets, ie, computerized high speed trading. They have seen the ills, and some have been fined heavily. But they are very cautious as the literature and media are still promoting and praising the goodness of such tradings, ignoring or sweeping under the carpets the ills of high speed tradings. The benefits are superficial and actually non existence. The whole scheme is to clean up the market by the application of high technology against the innocent small traders without the advantage of sophisticated computers. The playing field is not level, which is criminal itself. But the big boys are ignoring the inequitable situation, to take advantage of the system against the ordinary guys.

Only when Wall Street is taken to task, taken down, can the stock markets of the world be returned to normalcy. And only the ordinary Americans can do it, with a little help from technology, the very technology that the crooks in Wall Street are using to rip them off. The American people need to bring the issue to their govt, who are just as guilty as the crooks in Wall Street. They are in cahoot, in a white collar crime that are hidden in the name of technology and expediency.

Deep down, everyone of the crooks know that they are cheating the people, the ordinary Americans in main street. They are laughing all the way to the banks, with the loot robbed from the ordinary guys. Bringing down Wall Street will set in motion a wave to bring down all the crooks in the international financial systems across the world.

Need to review reservist liabilities

There is a need to review the NS/reservist liabilities of NS men who did not enjoy the same privileges as other NS men or citizens. I am referring to those who are barred from applying for HDB flats for the reasons the HDB chose to bar them, singles, earning too much, above the ceiling imposed by HDB, unable to form a family unit to be eligible.

A roof is the basic necessity for anyone to stay in a place or country. And when owning a roof is so expensive, it is more essential to acquire that roof to live in peace. If the country thinks it can deprive any citizen from the right to own a public flat, should the citizen so deprived be spared the duties of reservist liabilities? After all, he is now a lesser citizen than other citizens. And he has no home to defend, They are homeless in their own country unless they cough out every single cent they have to buy expensive resale flats or private properties.

If the state thinks it is fair to treat its citizen unfairly, and still demands that the citizen be fully liable to defend the state, it will be better for such diminished citizens to pack up and emigrate. There is nothing to cherish and defend for when one is an unwanted child. Worst, when one has no roof over one’s head, and have to defend foreigners and citizens with a roof over their heads.

Why should they stay on, especially those that exceed the income ceiling? These are the young professionals who are highly qualified and would have no problem shifting out, and be wanted by other countries. The very basis of discriminating against such citizens from owning a public flat is simply silly. Just because they are earning more, they must pay more? They might as well move put, and no more reservist liabilities. Can come back as foreign talents some more.

Forcing the highly qualified and highly mobile professionals to think of leaving this country must be a very clever policy. They must really believe that this country is that fantastic that these young people would not risk going away. The truth is that these young people will exactly do what the govt thinks they would not do. But it is ok. They will be replaced by cheaper foreign talents, who will then be allowed to buy cheaper public flats which our own citizens are not allowed in the first place.

I am still unable to fathom the ingenuity of such a policy.

Catching the second wind

The sheer thought of the second wind is invigorating. Singaporeans are so lucky. This is a pleasure that only Singaporeans are blessed with. With life expectancy reaching 80 or 90, life begins again for Singaporeans at 60.

The first thing for those hitting the 6 big zeros, is to think about schooling, just like when they were 6. Go back to school to learn a skill, like the ITE. I am still wondering why old dogs need to learn new tricks. Nevermind, after a year or so, and armed with a new certificate, it is time to write the resume. The thought of going for the first job interview is exciting, adrenalin is gushing through my veins. Must get the white shirt nicely pressed.

In the meantime register to join a gym. Got to get the muscles toned and the skin taut. The face part is not a problem, just go for Botok. The eyes, ok, lasik surgery is so common now. In fact go for the full course, the hair, the denture, the manicure, it is a new life man.

Looking ahead, getting a new girl friend, courtship and perhaps marriage. And there could be little children running around too. And soon got to think of choosing the best primary school again for the little ones. May even have to do some voluntary work for a good primary school. These are the things that make one thinking, and feeling young once more.

With a fresh list of responsibilities and challenges, buying a flat, getting insurance and all those things, and preparing for retirement in another 20 years, things cannot be better. With the experience gained before, the second round can only be better.

I hope Boon Wan would let these first timers get their HDB flats. Yes first time seniors. Only after 60 can one qualify as a first timer once again.
Creak. What’s that noise? Uncle, you can have my seat. No thank you. I am 60 years young.

Ministerial jobs are too easy

This is the impression I had everytime I see more appointments being loaded onto the ministers. I thought being a minister, running a ministry, on top of all the MP and constituency matters would be enough to bog down a man for all his 24 hours. Apparently this is just a misperception from on ordinary bean. Either the jobs are simply too easy to handle, or the ministers have more than 24 hours a day and the biological constitutions to keep them going.

Chee Hean and Tharman have just been appointed as the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the National Research Foundation(NRF), a high level organisation that gives grants and directions to the R&D in Singapore. These appointments are not for people who simply sign off millions or billions of dollars without thinking. They are serious appointments.

Both Chee Hean and Tharman are deputy Prime Ministers, and Chee Hean is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs. Tharman is also Minister for Finance and Manpower. I think Tharman is also in GIC or Temasek. Both must have several other very important portfolios to watch over.

They would not have become such supermen if they were just CEOs of some private sector companies. Now their super talents are fully tested, to work super fast, to grasp complicated matters in diverse ministries and issues they have no inkling of what they are before, to work super long hours. Being a minister sure can turn ordinary man into superman.

I have no doubt that a minister’s job is a serious job and a complicated job with huge responsibilities. And equally, all the other appointments they are holding are just as demanding on their intellect and time. Really admirable people, at least for their staminas. Walking from one ministry to the next is already quite energy absorbing. It is simply amazing how they can coop with their jobs and without shortchanging the people in time and details.

Wonder if they still have a life other than official duties, like a little quality time for the family?

The big scheme of things

The happenings in the stock markets around the world are happening because of the big scheme of things. Everyone is thinking damn bloody big, the biggest stock market, the biggest capitalization, the biggest computers, the biggest funds and the biggest war chests to manipulate the markets. No need to bother with slow and troublesome organic growth. Just MA, buy, acquire and expand.

When the heads are swelling so big, they forget the small stuff. There will not be any negativity in being too big too quick, think only the good stuff. The winds do not blow like before. It is like climatic change, big typhoons and big hurricanes. They move in and out, drive stocks up and down, only to clean up everything. Acts of God, no one to be blamed.

The falls in the world stock market are not just due the financial crisis, but aided by the big scheme of things. The big money and big machines were allowed to utilize their full advantage of size and speed. On paper, the machines are there to help generate liquidity, to bring down the cost of trading, for a more efficient system. No flaws. The machines are brought in to do social and charitable services at no cost.

In reality, the liquidity and lower cost of trading are there to facilitate the machines in their mopping up operations, cleaning up the whole market. By the time it hits, it is too late to run. Greed? Yes, with greed, all safeguards were down. And when the Americans are doing it, it must be good, it must be the way to go. It is where all the money of small investors will go.

All the big long term investors, including sovereign funds, must be bleeding profusely in the last few days.

No one wants to know why, or that they have allowed the system to turn into a monster, a Frankenstein, wrecking havoc at will, sanctioned by the authorities. There is nothing illegal, all part and parcel of a big and brilliant system, part of the game, part of the big scheme of things.

Very big, very good.