We are here today proclaiming that we are in the first world of developed countries. We got here today, from the third world, by thinking first world. The basic thinking was that everything must work. There is no excuse for failure. And definitely no excuse for failures when the cause is known well in advanced. Claiming that because of such and such, failure is something to live by is third world thinking, unbefitting of first world, unless we want to progress back to the third world, when things are less demanding.
Just because we have brought in a few million people into this little piece of rock does not mean that the problems must be something to live with. The problems we are facing today, unfortunately, was due to incompetency, poor planning and coordination, hardly anything about thinking ahead of problems, pro active, nipping problems at the bud. Thinking ahead and preventing problems from cropping up are first world thinking, but it seems that we are losing it.
Today we live in denial, pretend there is no problem or insist that there is no problem, talk away the problem using the media, once in 50 years, cannot be solved, so be it.
So, the next best thing is to think like third world. We have to live with the problems we created and failed to anticipate. The worst that can be is to be fourth world if there is a fourth world, knowing the cause of the problem and stubbornly encouraging it, in this case over population and still asking for more.
How thick can that be? Fourth world thinking or delusionary thinking?
4/10/2012
A brutal admission of grave errors
Light is shining through the thick foliage of the old oak tree. For 46 years, never has an individual got the guts to speak out so violently against the ills of the system, against a cancerous growth that all pretends not to see while the beneficiaries are lapping them up as their ill gotten rights.
Professor Lim Chong Yah has made a strong recommendation for radical reforms in our wage structure. Among his recommendations is a 50% increase of wages for those earning $1,500 or less per month and the freezing of wages for those earning $15,000 per month for three years. Those in between will continue to enjoy moderate wage increases with the main purpose of closing the widening wage gap.
The recommendations come at a time that calls or demands for drastic change which would otherwise be mulled over with some cosmetic changes to placate the victims of the economic structure.
Immediately we are hearing growls of pain and suffering from the super talents. Foul, foul, they screamed. Why should they continue to work when there is no increment for three years? The world appreciates their talents and they will move to greener pastures. And there are those earning in the millions that will see their days darkened. How could they survive the three years of drought without any pay rise? It is frightening. This country’s progress today is the fruit and effort of the super talents. If we lose them, we will, yes, go back to the third world 60s.
I think we should take a gamble and let our super talents move to greener pastures if they are that good. Sure they will find better paying jobs in the world. The whole world is waiting for them with open arms and willing to pay them the obscene pay they are getting today. Oops, maybe got to rethink this statement again. If we have to continuously import foreign talents to fill up top jobs, I doubt we have many super talents to go around. And knowing how protective are other countries are of their top jobs, I bet not even a handful will be hired if they quit their jobs in this island.
My apologies to the top talents here who feel that they will be able to land better jobs across the world. Some will, definitely. But if we look at Lim Chong Yah’s recommendations from the super talents’ point of view I think it also makes sense. What if it is true, all our super talents are hired in Wall Street and Fleet Street, in Europe and Japan, our little economic miracles will vanish over night. This is equally frightening.
A safer bet, not to risk the great economic progress that we are enjoying, is to reverse the recommendations. For those who are earning $15,000 and more, their income shall be raised by 50% over the next three years. Those earning less than $1,500 pm shall have wage freeze for the next three years. The recommendation for the in between group can be as recommended. This approach would definitely energise our super talents to work much harder and propel our economic miracle to greater height. Isn’t that what we want? It is all about meritocracy and the meritorious should deserve all the merits. And those earning a million can expect another half a million increase over the three year period. Those earning $5m can expect $2.5m increase. That would be great and we will have more multi millionaires.
Now which way shall we go? Maybe we will need another GE to decide what is the better move.
Professor Lim Chong Yah has made a strong recommendation for radical reforms in our wage structure. Among his recommendations is a 50% increase of wages for those earning $1,500 or less per month and the freezing of wages for those earning $15,000 per month for three years. Those in between will continue to enjoy moderate wage increases with the main purpose of closing the widening wage gap.
The recommendations come at a time that calls or demands for drastic change which would otherwise be mulled over with some cosmetic changes to placate the victims of the economic structure.
Immediately we are hearing growls of pain and suffering from the super talents. Foul, foul, they screamed. Why should they continue to work when there is no increment for three years? The world appreciates their talents and they will move to greener pastures. And there are those earning in the millions that will see their days darkened. How could they survive the three years of drought without any pay rise? It is frightening. This country’s progress today is the fruit and effort of the super talents. If we lose them, we will, yes, go back to the third world 60s.
I think we should take a gamble and let our super talents move to greener pastures if they are that good. Sure they will find better paying jobs in the world. The whole world is waiting for them with open arms and willing to pay them the obscene pay they are getting today. Oops, maybe got to rethink this statement again. If we have to continuously import foreign talents to fill up top jobs, I doubt we have many super talents to go around. And knowing how protective are other countries are of their top jobs, I bet not even a handful will be hired if they quit their jobs in this island.
My apologies to the top talents here who feel that they will be able to land better jobs across the world. Some will, definitely. But if we look at Lim Chong Yah’s recommendations from the super talents’ point of view I think it also makes sense. What if it is true, all our super talents are hired in Wall Street and Fleet Street, in Europe and Japan, our little economic miracles will vanish over night. This is equally frightening.
A safer bet, not to risk the great economic progress that we are enjoying, is to reverse the recommendations. For those who are earning $15,000 and more, their income shall be raised by 50% over the next three years. Those earning less than $1,500 pm shall have wage freeze for the next three years. The recommendation for the in between group can be as recommended. This approach would definitely energise our super talents to work much harder and propel our economic miracle to greater height. Isn’t that what we want? It is all about meritocracy and the meritorious should deserve all the merits. And those earning a million can expect another half a million increase over the three year period. Those earning $5m can expect $2.5m increase. That would be great and we will have more multi millionaires.
Now which way shall we go? Maybe we will need another GE to decide what is the better move.
4/09/2012
Third World War coming!
Japan has moved its Patriot missile system to protect Tokyo. Its military forces are in full alert. Its air defense forces have been given the order to shoot. The whole country is in a state of fear and hysteria.
The South Koreans too are in full alert. War is going to break out soon. They are all ready to shoot anything crossing their sky. The Americans 7th Fleet is in full battle order. All the men are in battle stations. It is red alert. At any moment war is to be declared. Obama is not having any sleep.
The western media are working 24 hours printing reports of how dangerous the situation is now. The whole world and world institutions are worried. Correction, the whole world is defined as the US and its semi colonies, and the world institutions are American and western institutions.
Even Asean is afraid, very afraid. But many countries are going about their lives as if nothing is happening. China, Russia, Taiwan, Hongkong, Malaysia, India, the whole of Africa and South America, and many other countries do not know that the third world war is about to happen.
Why? What is causing this epic event to happen? Oh, the North Koreans are sending its satellite to space. And it is like the end of the world, and all those hysterical countries believe or wanting the whole world to believe that they will be attacked by the North Koreans soon. The North Koreans are going to attack the US, Japan, South Korea and silly countries like the Philippines and you know who. How dangerous.
The people of the world, quickly hide inside your bomb shelters. The third world war is going to happen, all because the North Koreans are going to send a satellite to space. Isn’t this what many countries are doing and nothing happens? What is real and what is to believe?
The South Koreans too are in full alert. War is going to break out soon. They are all ready to shoot anything crossing their sky. The Americans 7th Fleet is in full battle order. All the men are in battle stations. It is red alert. At any moment war is to be declared. Obama is not having any sleep.
The western media are working 24 hours printing reports of how dangerous the situation is now. The whole world and world institutions are worried. Correction, the whole world is defined as the US and its semi colonies, and the world institutions are American and western institutions.
Even Asean is afraid, very afraid. But many countries are going about their lives as if nothing is happening. China, Russia, Taiwan, Hongkong, Malaysia, India, the whole of Africa and South America, and many other countries do not know that the third world war is about to happen.
Why? What is causing this epic event to happen? Oh, the North Koreans are sending its satellite to space. And it is like the end of the world, and all those hysterical countries believe or wanting the whole world to believe that they will be attacked by the North Koreans soon. The North Koreans are going to attack the US, Japan, South Korea and silly countries like the Philippines and you know who. How dangerous.
The people of the world, quickly hide inside your bomb shelters. The third world war is going to happen, all because the North Koreans are going to send a satellite to space. Isn’t this what many countries are doing and nothing happens? What is real and what is to believe?
Doctors crying foul
Inspection and certification of medical instruments are going to cost a bomb. And the doctors are unhappy and rightly so as the cost of medical services is already high and now adding more cost. This is the syndrome of creating jobs and income for doing more and more. Aren’t these equipment manufacturers subject to many international regulations and standards to ensure that their equipment is safe for use?
We will be seeing more revenue created from unproductive administrative processes like more checks, more certifications and examination fees, more licences etc etc. The annual checks for cars, especially weekend cars, is another big concern. The cars today are very well made, and in our case many are very new, weekend car owners hardly used their cars, but subject to annual inspections at a hefty fee.
It is so easy to make money when you have the authority to do so. Just create some excuses for more training, more examinations, more checks, more certifications, and money will just flow in. No need to work the guts out in the field, in the factory, in the service outlets producing real goods and services. Better, wait for someone to complain and turn it around to impose more fees to look like trying to solve the problem.
The financial industry just print paper money, create complex notes and sell them to the ignorant. All part of the new industry of creating revenue out of nothing. Is it really that clever to do such things? What shall such things be called? Abuse of power, authority, robbery, trickery, selling snake oil? You don’t need any talent to do such things. The MLM, the holiday share schemes, ponzi schemes, charities and donation schemes , etc etc even the school dropouts, the laymen or conmen can do it. In fact they are more creative and effective than the super talents in such designs. Cheating is the easiest thing to do, and no thinking required if the power is behind cheats.
We will be seeing more revenue created from unproductive administrative processes like more checks, more certifications and examination fees, more licences etc etc. The annual checks for cars, especially weekend cars, is another big concern. The cars today are very well made, and in our case many are very new, weekend car owners hardly used their cars, but subject to annual inspections at a hefty fee.
It is so easy to make money when you have the authority to do so. Just create some excuses for more training, more examinations, more checks, more certifications, and money will just flow in. No need to work the guts out in the field, in the factory, in the service outlets producing real goods and services. Better, wait for someone to complain and turn it around to impose more fees to look like trying to solve the problem.
The financial industry just print paper money, create complex notes and sell them to the ignorant. All part of the new industry of creating revenue out of nothing. Is it really that clever to do such things? What shall such things be called? Abuse of power, authority, robbery, trickery, selling snake oil? You don’t need any talent to do such things. The MLM, the holiday share schemes, ponzi schemes, charities and donation schemes , etc etc even the school dropouts, the laymen or conmen can do it. In fact they are more creative and effective than the super talents in such designs. Cheating is the easiest thing to do, and no thinking required if the power is behind cheats.
4/08/2012
My nightmare turning into an inspiration
Since independence we have called ourselves citizens of this country, and we dutifully went to the voting stations to cast our votes to elect our representatives to Parliament, to represent us, to speak for us, to look after our interests. It was quite shocking to learn that a general election is meant to elect a party to rule the country and has very little to do with the elected representatives. Got or no elected MP no big deal. And that is the reason or the reason behind the law for an election.
I have been living with this nightmare for quite some time since the new awakening, to find a new meaning in the law or a new reason for the law. Now that the dust has settled, time to relook at this new interpretation of the law for election. I said new because it is new to me. It may be an old meaning that I do not know and I could have been an ignoramus all this while, oblivious of the true meaning of the law. Silly me.
Okay, now that some brilliant legal mind has shone a torch on this law and enlightened the electorate on the reasons behind the law, let’s make it clear and proper. A general election shall now be an election for a political to rule the country. Let’s be transparent about this and tell the people what it really is. Just go to the polling and tick against the party. It is much simpler and easy to administer.
The elected party shall form the govt and fill the seats with their MPs in parliament. A little tweaking needs to be done to the Constitution on how many MPs each party is entitled according to the percentage of votes received. The parties can sort out who they want to be in parliament as it is not really important to have a chosen MP by the people.
And there are many advantages to such a system and very cost effective. One thing that can be saved is a by election. Since the people are electing parties, a vacated seat can simply be filled by the party concerned. Save time and resources and the people can have a new replacement almost immediately. Very convenient too.
This nightmare, if interpreted in a positive way, can be an inspiration for a new electoral system.
I have been living with this nightmare for quite some time since the new awakening, to find a new meaning in the law or a new reason for the law. Now that the dust has settled, time to relook at this new interpretation of the law for election. I said new because it is new to me. It may be an old meaning that I do not know and I could have been an ignoramus all this while, oblivious of the true meaning of the law. Silly me.
Okay, now that some brilliant legal mind has shone a torch on this law and enlightened the electorate on the reasons behind the law, let’s make it clear and proper. A general election shall now be an election for a political to rule the country. Let’s be transparent about this and tell the people what it really is. Just go to the polling and tick against the party. It is much simpler and easy to administer.
The elected party shall form the govt and fill the seats with their MPs in parliament. A little tweaking needs to be done to the Constitution on how many MPs each party is entitled according to the percentage of votes received. The parties can sort out who they want to be in parliament as it is not really important to have a chosen MP by the people.
And there are many advantages to such a system and very cost effective. One thing that can be saved is a by election. Since the people are electing parties, a vacated seat can simply be filled by the party concerned. Save time and resources and the people can have a new replacement almost immediately. Very convenient too.
This nightmare, if interpreted in a positive way, can be an inspiration for a new electoral system.
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