Social media versus commercial media

I would like to use the term professional media to describe the main media but that would have given them far too much credit than they deserved. The only thing professional is probably its recognition as a profession. Today, many professional journalists or even academics are far from neutral, objective, and many try to pursue their private agenda for personal or financial gains. This is particularly widespread among the much hyped and considered respectable big names in the western media. Many have proven to be writing fictions created to suit their personal motive.

Cherian George wrote a hefty piece of material in his article, ‘Press Controls and the Myth of Online Bypass’ in Journalism.sg. The title itself suggested where he is coming from and he did not hide much to be seen as being neutral. The main media or commercial media is the still the cornerstone in the collection and dissemination of news. This I cannot disagree as long as it keeps to these roles. Once it strays towards opinion and commentaries, to set an agenda, the horns are raised. The main media will play its part to serve its master’s interests and agenda. Period. How many professional journalists could touch their hearts and say, I am saying this, writing this, strictly from a neutral, professional and objective point of view? Not that bloggers and social media are clean and objective either. There is a contest, a war, by both sides trying to tell their truths or version of truths.

The intrinsic biases in Cherian George’s position to favour main media are understandable. This can be reflected in his comments here,

‘Professional journalism

There is, however, a third role that newspapers play that online media show no signs of taking on. As much as our blogs claim to be monitoring the powerful, the reality is that their capacity is extremely limited. One limitation is their lack of training and experience, in making ethical judgment calls and in separating reliable information from gossip. This gap may be overstated. Journalism is not rocket science and I think it is possible for bloggers to develop professional journalism skills.

However, there is a bigger – and so far unbridgeable – gap that we need to take far more seriously. This is the gap between what can be accomplished by large teams of professional, full-time journalists versus small collectives of part-time amateurs. No matter how intelligent, talented and sincere the latter are, there are simply practical limits to what they can accomplish without sufficient time and the organisational back-up.’

His assumption is that the main media and professionals would do the necessary, to accomplish that idealism, that aspirations, that the media as the Fourth Estate should do or expected to do. The expectation and hope by the public are very high, but often in vain when the professionals failed them. If bloggers are assumed to lack the skills and intellect to make ethical judgements, so professionals will have the skills and the will to do so? The assumption is too naïve and simplistic. How many professionals are strutting their stuff and bulldozing their ways under a power halo over their heads? And in so doing, totally ignore the ethical calling of their professions and their conscience?

Cherian assumed that by virtue of their training, their numbers and organization resources, the professionals will do good for the sake of good and ethics, to say the right stuff. Really?

How many would agree to this assertion?

USA,Japan, Vietnam & Philippines have divergent agenda and motive against China

USA, Japan, Vietnam and Philippines have divergent agenda and motive against China.



The Evil  Empire, USA, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines all have different agendas, interest and motive in pushing against China.  For some unsound moronic reasons US tries to stop China's peaceful development by various ways and means because it fears of losing its number one position to China. What better way to achieve its evil agenda then by pitting Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and India against China. America will be happy to see Asia in turmoil with Asians fighting Asians. In this way with China tie down in perennial wars with her neighbours the Evil Empire thinks it will thus be able to preserve its number one position forever.

Japan has a different agenda and motive in hoping to involve America in a war with China. Japan believes that when USA and China fight it will result in mutual nuclear destruction and thus serve her secret agenda and motive of proxy revenge against USA nuclear bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in the Second World War while at the same time prevent China from her peaceful development.

The Asian parasites of Vietnamese rats and Philippine vermins hope to nib at Chinese territorial lands and seas when China is busy fighting the Evil Empire, USA.

America will be smart enough not to involve in a long war with China especially both can annihilate each other with nuclear weapons. America's sinister agenda and motive is to stir shit and let Japan, India, Vietnam and the Pinoys fight its proxy wars against China. Hope these stupid Asian countries will see through the evil agenda and motive of the Satanic Empire, USA  and stop  being make use of as sacrificial pawns by that Evil Empire.

Southernglory1

Tuesday, 4th September, 2012.

Homes-for-Hongkongers plan will extend to their resale

Homes-for-Hongkongers plan will extend to their resale

“Policy to help local homebuyers by barring non-residents from buying some flats will also extend to their resale, housing minister says

Tuesday, 04 September, 2012, 12:00am

Joyce Ng

A much-awaited scheme to restrict sales of some new homes to Hong Kong buyers will be extended to the resale of those flats, the housing minister said yesterday.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Secretary for Transport and Housing Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said the sales ban would be extended to safeguard the policy dubbed "Hong Kong property for Hong Kong residents". Otherwise buyers could quickly defeat its purpose by immediately reselling the flats to mainlanders.

Cheung was elaborating on Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's announcement last week of 10 measures to cool the property market. Leung said the sales ban would be launched after legal drafting was completed and the new restrictions were added to land leases of new sites for sale to private developers.

"The purpose is to cater to Hong Kong residents' aspirations for home ownership," Cheung said….”

At the rate property prices are spiralling out of control with a shrinking world and money being printed like toilet papers, the whole paradigm of home ownership for citizens would need to be seriously looked at, especially in little countries or cities like Hongkong and Sinkieland. They just have not enough for sale, and there are just too much money looking for a good buy. And where else to put money into properties than in land scarce little cities? The only risk is for the little cities to sink due to the weight and overbuilding. Other than this, the prices of properties can only go one way, up and up. And anyone who sold will only see the prices going higher and higher, like the Tower of Babel.

Given the new set of parameters, what should the govt of a people do to protect the interest of its citizens? Selling out is a very attractive option and everyone hanging to a piece of property would only wait for his turn to cash out to the next richer buyer. It is a nice monopoly game to play and to exit very rich as long as one does not bother about remaining in an ever pricier little city.

The Hongkie govt has realised that the property game cannot be played under the same old rules or Hongkong will be sold to the highest buyers in no time. The curbs will come down real hard, and the game will be changed. Properties will no longer be traded freely, or some at least, and be determined by market forces alone. Govt intervention is a must to keep the ship from hitting an iceberg of Titanic proportion.

Maybe the Hongkie govt are just plain silly. It would be better to sell everything on a willing buyer willing seller basis, and everyone will be smiling to the banks. Why is Hongkong losing touch with its free spirit and free enterprise philosophy?

No more cheap shots, Hillary!

In his article in mypaper today, titled No China ‘cheap shots’ please, Clinton, Meidyatama Suryodiningrat is perhaps the first Asian journalist reporting from The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network, to call a spade a spade. The hypocrisy of the Americans is so thick and slimy that their hosts from Mongolia down to Southeast Asia and to the Pacific Islands were too polite to wipe it off Hillary’s face. This farcical face of the Americans were lifted again in the front page of the ST by Zakir Hussein, another Indonesian correspondent who quoted what this woman said, ‘The United States does not take a position on competing territorial claims over land features but we believe the nations of the region should work collaboratively together to resolve disputes without coercion, without intimidation, without threats and certainly without the use of force.’

Now, which country has been drumming up territorial claims overtly and supporting them covertly to raise tension in Southeast Asia? Which country has been applying coercion, sanctions, intimidations and threats of war or use of force against smaller and weaker nations across the globe? This woman thinks that the Southeast Asians and the rest of the world are daft. Her arrogance to preach peace while conducting wars openly and subversively trying to start wars must be the height of vanity and stupidity.

Well she thought she is the Emperess of the Empire or the plenipotentiary of the Emperor and could fire cheap shots at anyone she pleases without batting an eyelid. The tensions in western Pacific and around the world are solely the works of the Americans.

Last few days the Australians were wallowing in self pity when a few Aussie soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. Why did the Ausssie soldiers get killed in that country? What have the Afghans done to the Aussies for the latter to send their soldiers to kill them and in turn be killed? The Afghans have no quarrels with the Aussies and have nothing to do with the Aussies. What is the link for Aussie soldiers to kill Afghans and for Afghans to kill them?

It all boils down to a country that needs to have enemies at all times and to have to fight wars at all times to keep its war industries in the pink of health. Yes, the USA is a warmongering country, a country that wants wars and will keep the flames of war burning bright for its own economic and political interests. They still think they are the cowboys and need Red Indians to satisfy their thirst for blood and killings.

And Hillary Clinton is telling everyone that she is the angel of peace. That she is the saviour of the poor and unthinking Asians and the Pacific Islanders. She came for peace, to broker for peace, but with all the soldiers behind her. Did someone shout her down for firing cheap shots?

PS. The stability and economic progress under the Susilo Yudhoyono presidency have seen Indonesia rising in confidence and stature as the de facto and dejure leader of Asean, and as a growing regional power. The Indonesians too are striking out to put their own marks and views on regional issues independently and standing clear of the shadows of big power hegemony. Indonesians will see things in their own perspective and in their own interests, and in a wider context in the interests of Asean and the region.

A matter of extreme prejudice

‘PARTY AGAINST PEOPLE:

September 3, 2012 at 12:11 am (Quote)

It is rumored that the actions of law society has the implicit approval of the PAP government. Ravi is the only lawyer among the 3000 lawyers who dare represent the downtrodden and opposition clients against the government. The rest of the lawyers, as we the public view them, are in the profession for LOVE of the money and sucking up to PAP. I wonder with the many Senior Counsels in Singapore, who among them will dare represent Ravi, probono, of course. Any lawyer willing to step up?’



Why is it that the finger will be pointed at the PAP? The above is a comment posted in TRE on the persecution of M Ravi. It claimed that it is rumoured, nonetheless, why should it be a rumour against the ruling party? Practically every comment in the thread and other blogs would also look at this witch hunt in the same manner, and guessing who is behind it. Are the rumours/assumptions right that the party is behind it is the party behind it? Or are the assumptions wrong, and the perceived party to be behind it is not the party behind it? No one is wiser though everyone knows who is wiser. All the circumstantial evidence and logic only point to one direction. But since these are all conjectures and not facts, and no one is brave enough to stand up to make the claim, it is at most rumour mongering. And PAP, or any organization, would not respond to rumours. It would take someone to call a spade a spade and be ready to meet in the court of law to prove his case.

For the time being, it is just the Law Society versus M Ravi. The fact is, it has nothing to do with the govt or the PAP. While many would put one and one together, sounds so logical and real, but could be unreal and not the truth. In the same manner, any blogger that is being spammed or attacked will also think the same. It is like whatever is wrong or bad, it must be the work of the devil. The poor devil becomes the fall guy for whatever is sinister, and people use this to capitalize on the suspicion.

In international relations, the false flag formula always works as it is difficult to prove, and the real culprit will take a very simple step to cover his track. In local politics, is the covering of one’s track that simple? I doubt so as it is so easy to trace back to the very culprit if one has the resources. The PAP could easily take the rumour mongers to task and sue them for libel or intentional harassment. The inconvenient truth could easily be put right and should be put right for the good of the PAP. It should be in its interest to right the wrong, clear the wrong perception, and clear its name.

It must have its own reasons not to do so, not to want to do so and keeps everyone guessing. Or is there a need to guess? Is it wrong for the public to have such negative perception of the PAP? Is it fair for the public to regard the PAP as the devil to take all the blame? Whatever, the PAP has a perception problem and saboteurs could use this credibility gap to fly false flags with PAP ending up carrying it. The more bloggers are attacked, the more damage control needs to be done even if PAP is totally innocent. Cyber insurgency is proving to be a double edged sword and can cut either way.

What do you think?