12/23/2011

The bottomless monetary contribution of Singaporeans

Singaporeans are continuously supporting the country with their monetary contributions but no one seems to appreciate this great sacrifice. The amount that each Singaporean is supporting the country is $148k cash, money on the table. This is the sacrifice that Singaporeans are making, many have more or less given up on this sum of money while they suffered in silence, forfeiting the holiday, no nice food on the table, scrimping to get by. How’s that for some real contribution by Singaporeans other than NS? Or have people taken this for granted, that Singaporeans could not do anything and anyone in power can simply legislate them away?

Please do not be ungrateful for the money Singaporeans have to set aside, like nationalization, to enable the country to have such a big sum of money to play with. $148k times 2m CPF contributors, that is a cool $296 billion when fully paid up. How much is our national reserves?

The amount is derived from the two minimum sums, $112k and $32k in Ordinary Account and Medisave account. Singaporeans deserve to be treated better, and get more in return for this monetary sacrifice. How much do the foreigners, PRs and non citizens contribute to the country money wise? And what are Singaporeans getting in return for these long term loans?

And $148k is to many Singaporeans, all the savings they have and given to the state to decide what to do with them, any time, any place, at your own time, use it at the state’s convenience. Please remember and be grateful to the daft Singaporeans and their money that is used to prop up this country and ….

The lynching of Pte Daniel Chen

Pte Daniel Chen, a 19 year old Chinese American, joined the US Army to defend his country. He was sent to Afghanistan and was lynched, oops, they have sophisticated weapons today, they shot him in the head. No, no, not the Afghans. He was shot by his own comrades in arms, the Americans. His sin was that he was an Asian, a Chinese.

Poor Danny thought racism is passé in modern America. He lived and died just to find out that racism is deep in the blood of the Americans. They put on a façade of modernity, denounced others for abused of human rights regardless of colour or race, but they remained the same as their forefathers, racist of the first order.

Danny was abused, insulted with racist slurs, and beaten up, stoned by his white fellow soldiers, and shot by them in the head. The reports did not say that he was killed. It even implied that he shot himself, committed suicide. But eight soldiers including his platoon commander, have been charged for manslaughter and homicide.

And the Army spokesman proudly pronounced that those who killed their buddy soldiers would be charged and dealt with by the law. Sure, they would be found guilty and sentenced to two months jail before they become free men again. And with parole and whatever mitigating factors, they may not even spend a day behind bars. Because the victim was Asian, and worst, Chinese.

The myth that the Americans have become a new and better beast is still a myth. The racist beast is still hidden beneath the white skin and waiting to surface at the earliest opportunity. If they could do that to their own comrades in arms, dragging him along the floors and shooting him dead, what do you think they would do the Arabs and Afghans in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.

Yes, they never leave their soldiers behind. They will bring back Danny Chen to his parents in a black plastic bag, after killing him. I am jumping the gun to pronounce them guilty. They could get off, acquitted for any flimsy reasons, maybe a full stop missing in the charges. There are too many of them to pay for the death of a Chinese American. Don’t worry, they will now find all ways to help the lynch mob, to free them. Every loophole in the law will be exploited.

Mark my words. The whole wayang will go through its motion and none will be punished, at worst a slap on the risk. The case will be different if it was a white boy shot by black American soldiers.

Child labour is cruelty….

Child labour is cruelty, another kind of child abused. We frown and condemn child labour for obvious reasons. The child should be in school. The child is too young, needs protection and loving tender care. They should not be made to toil at such a young age. How sad, how pitiful to have to work when they should be enjoying their childhood. Punish the employers.

Exceptions may be granted to poverty stricken countries when they don’t even have enough to eat, no schools for them to go to, and nothing to amuse themselves. A little bean counting activity that does not text or pressure them may be a form of education for them, and helping out with the family’s financial needs. I say this is an exception, an undesirable condition, and better not to have. No sweat shops.

The young and feeble that need love and tender care should be looked after and should not be working. Making them work is cruelty and unacceptable.
What about another kind of weak and feeble? I mean the oldies in their 60s and 70s or older, who should be resting at home, to be looked after?

Should they be made to work to earn a living? No, it is a way of passing time, a way to be financially independent, a way to gain some self respect and dignity. Let them work if they can. They are all very happy working.
What are these thoughts about cruelty and abuses to the old that have to work? It is for their own good and welfare. Some will even enjoy working. They should work till they die or else they will be sitting in the void deck wasting their time watching the world goes by. Who says the old and feeble cannot work?

Do I make sense? Maybe one day I may end up cleaning tables at a food court. And when the politicians come along with his entourage, he will explain to them how independent I am, dignified and proud to earn a decent living. I hope he does not venture to ask me if I am happy to be working at 70, cleaning tables.

Then if Matilah were to see me, he would tell his friends, look at that asshole, he has messed up his life that’s why he has to clean tables at 70. Well that’s the truth. I must be an asshole to be cleaning tables at 70. No need to put on the fake reasonings that it is for financial independence and dignity. There is no dignity when one still has to struggle to be alive at 70. Dignity only comes with a million dollar pension and a few chairmanships and doing sweet nothing.

12/22/2011

Seng Han Thong in the lime light again

He was invited to the Blog TV programme to discuss the current SMRT fiasco. He quoted a post by a PR about SMRT staff that were Malays and Indians and could not speak good English and probably resulted in the problems last week. His insensitivity to quote the message verbatim was not taken kindly by the bloggers. Even Halimah Yaacob was offended and has to air her unhappiness.

Seng Han Thong has since apologized for his insensitivity which is really uncalled for as he is a politician and cannot forget how such remarks could be taken differently. It is going to do him no good.

Well, it happened. Just too bad.

To be happy or to be more frighten?

Read a summary of the Blog TV programme on the recent SMRT breakdown. Did they miss an A in SMRT? What I read is that SMRT is ready to handle a terrorist attack but not a normal breakdown. And the problem is really communication. If they could communicate well, the problem will be solved.

Did they say 21 claws fell off? Could communication prevent the claws falling off? Could good communication prevent the UPS from cutting off and allow ventilation to go on without suffocating the passengers?

Scary isn’t it?