5/24/2012
The brave Hougang spirit
The brave Hougang spirit cannot be dampened by a little rain. There is a sense of pride, a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of hope in the faces of those in the Workers Party rally. This kind of spirit has not been seen for a very long time. They were the losers, the underdogs. They did not go there for freebies. They were not coaxed to be there. They were there, willingly, happily, to support their party and the candidate.
This is something the PAP would have to reckon with. They used to command this kind of crowd and support. They must now recognize that the people of Hougang are very different. Not only Hougang, there were many from other parts of the island joining the WP supporters, to stand under the rain, to brave the down pour, to be with their leaders on stage, who were equally drenched. But you could see them smiling and knowing that the people are truly behind them. There is a unity of heart and soul that money cannot buy.
The spectators could sense it, could feel it. Political leaders surely know that they have won the hearts of the people. I think they have won the election even before the campaign is over.
5/23/2012
Stop immigrants - Australia
In the ST today, 50% of Australians in a poll wanted to stop immigrants into Australia. They fear that more immigrants will cause stress to the country’s infrastructure as well as unemployment problems.
How could Australians be worried about over population? If they do not want the new immigrants, Singapore is waiting with open arms. Send them over, we can continue to grow our population to create more growth. Yes, more population means more growth. Can’t the Australians understand this simple economic principle? Australians stupid or what?
In another 20 years Singapore will have a bigger population than Australia and our economy would probably more than triple than what it is today and leave the Australians far far behind. And every Singaporean will be a millionaire.
The Hougang brawl slipping into the longkang
It started with a few swipes at each other. Now the swipes are turning a bit dirtier. Forget about a gentleman’s fight. It is looking to be another great crass act when all the knives will be out soon.
The Hougang leak is just the beginning. It is conceivable to see video clips to go viral in the follow up. Then there will be the iphone taps, the insinuations in cyberspace, and who knows, compromising photos may even appear.
Would the family lives of both candidates be aired as well, the who’s who being connected and the ugly episodes being staged one by one? The primordial instinct to want to win, come what may, is the dominant characteristic of how man will behave in a fight.
The people of Hougang and the rest of the citizens will be treated to an exciting free for all show down. Both candidates could crawl out of the ring covered in dirt and shit by the time the election is over. Great script and great directing and great supporting casts.
The Ferrari and Hougang by election
What has the Ferrari accident got to do with the Hougang by election? Someone emailed a story of a Hougang voter’s encounter with an old man. I am not sure if this is true or just a story. The gist of it is that the Ferrari was going too fast, just like the way the economy is being pushed to fly. And if the driver refused to put on the brakes, come what may, even when he saw the red light, the poor bugger that is going to be killed will be the innocent taxi drivers and passengers. The taxi driver was just going on his life, struggling to earn a living, even at 4am. How would he to know that there was a crazy driver that refused to stop even when the red light was on?
Now, who can stop such crazy drivers, or what can stop them? You need a good co driver beside him to tell him to stop when needed to. And to be effective, the brakes must be working as well to allow the co driver to pull the brakes. If not, if there is no brake or no co driver, the crazy driver will just go about driving crazily. And many taxi drivers/passengers could end up as collateral damages, not knowing what hit them.
The email story said Hougang is like the brakes. You need the brakes in an emergency. You also need the co driver or more co drivers. And remember, taxis got no airbags, no social security when a big bang happens. There is nothing to protect or act as cushion. And make sure the co driver is not a little girl that is infatuated by the Ferrari and the driver and enjoying the wild ride.
The story ended by asking the people if they want more brakes and co drivers or want to be another taxi driver that ended up as statistics. And the moral of the story is….Don’t drive too fast, slow down a bit, watch out for red lights. And stop when the red light is on!
Quite commonsensical really, unless one is high on drugs or drunk.
5/22/2012
Why bother with money laundering?
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012
Civil Society, Business Groups Call on Congress to Support Incorporation Transparency, Ban Anonymous U.S. Shell Companies
From the FACT coalition, Global Witness, and Global Financial Integrity.
Civil Society, Business Groups Call on Congress to Support Incorporation Transparency, Ban Anonymous U.S. Shell Companies
Legislation Enjoys Support of Law Enforcement, Obama Administration; Would Clean-Up American Financial System
May 16, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, 41 business and civil society groups sent a letter to every member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate urging them to co-sponsor the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act (S. 1483/ H.R. 3416). This bipartisan bill, which is endorsed by the Obama Administration, would require companies to disclose their ultimate owners at the time of incorporation, making it much harder for corrupt politicians, tax dodgers, terrorists and other criminals to form and hide behind anonymous U.S. shell companies.
The signatories1, who include, among others, American Sustainable Business Council, Calvert Investments, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Citizens for Tax Justice, Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition, CtW Investment Group, Domini Social Investments LLC, Friends of the Earth – US, Global Financial Integrity, Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, Jubilee USA Network, Main Street Alliance, Oxfam America, Project On Government Oversight, Revenue Watch Institute, Sunlight Foundation and U.S. Public Interest Research Group, are concerned that it is legal to form companies in the United States with hidden ownership.
The letter states:
Increased corporate transparency would curb corruption and tax evasion, promote an equitable market economy, reduce the opacity of corporate campaign contributions, help ensure a fair and level playing field for small- and medium-sized businesses, foster global development and enhance national security…
Investigations continue to reveal that American and foreign terrorists, narco-traffickers, arms dealers, corrupt foreign officials, tax evaders, individuals targeted for financial sanctions and other criminals easily and regularly set up U.S. shell companies, without providing any information about who owns or controls such companies...This enables criminals to disguise their identities behind the anonymity provided to U.S. corporations and launder dirty money through the U.S. financial system.
The full letter can be read here.
Corporate secrecy fundamentally undermines U.S. laws to combat money laundering and tax evasion, as well as U.S. efforts to tackle global corruption. A recent World Bank report found that the U.S. was a favorite destination of corrupt politicians trying to set up shell companies to access the financial system. Once corrupt and other illicit funds have been moved through an anonymous corporate vehicle into the financial system, it is much harder to track them down. Shining a light on the ultimate owners of companies, would make it easier for law enforcement to do its job. To date, eight law enforcement organizations, including the Fraternal Order of Police and Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, have endorsed the legislation.
The above passage is part of an article posted in the site Tax Justice Network, an international NGO that is concerned with tax evasion, money laundering and the damages these caused to the ordinary citizens. It seems that the US is a favourite playground for money laundering while the US Govt is making a show of it by making fools of other nations, pressuring them to enforce strict regulations against money laundering. This is exactly the same modus operandi it adopts in calling their enemy nations as aggressors or warmongers when the US itself is the most aggressive warmongers today, creating tensions, starting wars and fighting wars. It screams danger when smaller countries try to acquire arms or nuclear weapons for their national defence while it is the biggest exporter of arms to the world and holds the largest collection of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.
The treachery and hypocrisy of the Americans are beyond reproach. Only dumb countries will believe the biggest international gangster and do its bidding, to waste valuable manpower and resources to police money laundering in their little countries when all the major money laundering activities are being conducted in the US.
Civil Society, Business Groups Call on Congress to Support Incorporation Transparency, Ban Anonymous U.S. Shell Companies
From the FACT coalition, Global Witness, and Global Financial Integrity.
Civil Society, Business Groups Call on Congress to Support Incorporation Transparency, Ban Anonymous U.S. Shell Companies
Legislation Enjoys Support of Law Enforcement, Obama Administration; Would Clean-Up American Financial System
May 16, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, 41 business and civil society groups sent a letter to every member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate urging them to co-sponsor the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act (S. 1483/ H.R. 3416). This bipartisan bill, which is endorsed by the Obama Administration, would require companies to disclose their ultimate owners at the time of incorporation, making it much harder for corrupt politicians, tax dodgers, terrorists and other criminals to form and hide behind anonymous U.S. shell companies.
The signatories1, who include, among others, American Sustainable Business Council, Calvert Investments, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Citizens for Tax Justice, Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition, CtW Investment Group, Domini Social Investments LLC, Friends of the Earth – US, Global Financial Integrity, Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, Jubilee USA Network, Main Street Alliance, Oxfam America, Project On Government Oversight, Revenue Watch Institute, Sunlight Foundation and U.S. Public Interest Research Group, are concerned that it is legal to form companies in the United States with hidden ownership.
The letter states:
Increased corporate transparency would curb corruption and tax evasion, promote an equitable market economy, reduce the opacity of corporate campaign contributions, help ensure a fair and level playing field for small- and medium-sized businesses, foster global development and enhance national security…
Investigations continue to reveal that American and foreign terrorists, narco-traffickers, arms dealers, corrupt foreign officials, tax evaders, individuals targeted for financial sanctions and other criminals easily and regularly set up U.S. shell companies, without providing any information about who owns or controls such companies...This enables criminals to disguise their identities behind the anonymity provided to U.S. corporations and launder dirty money through the U.S. financial system.
The full letter can be read here.
Corporate secrecy fundamentally undermines U.S. laws to combat money laundering and tax evasion, as well as U.S. efforts to tackle global corruption. A recent World Bank report found that the U.S. was a favorite destination of corrupt politicians trying to set up shell companies to access the financial system. Once corrupt and other illicit funds have been moved through an anonymous corporate vehicle into the financial system, it is much harder to track them down. Shining a light on the ultimate owners of companies, would make it easier for law enforcement to do its job. To date, eight law enforcement organizations, including the Fraternal Order of Police and Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, have endorsed the legislation.
The above passage is part of an article posted in the site Tax Justice Network, an international NGO that is concerned with tax evasion, money laundering and the damages these caused to the ordinary citizens. It seems that the US is a favourite playground for money laundering while the US Govt is making a show of it by making fools of other nations, pressuring them to enforce strict regulations against money laundering. This is exactly the same modus operandi it adopts in calling their enemy nations as aggressors or warmongers when the US itself is the most aggressive warmongers today, creating tensions, starting wars and fighting wars. It screams danger when smaller countries try to acquire arms or nuclear weapons for their national defence while it is the biggest exporter of arms to the world and holds the largest collection of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.
The treachery and hypocrisy of the Americans are beyond reproach. Only dumb countries will believe the biggest international gangster and do its bidding, to waste valuable manpower and resources to police money laundering in their little countries when all the major money laundering activities are being conducted in the US.
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