There two catchphrases will be in everyone’s lips in private conversations for a while. Susan Lim, Singapore’ top notch surgeon, has been found guilty of violating this thing called ethical obligation. In simple terms, she cannot overcharge her patients even if her patient is willing to pay what she asked for and agreed in writings. In other words, a contract is tak pakai if someone in a committee said it breaches ethical obligation. In other words, the community of professionals would set an ethical limit as to how much is fair to charge a patient or can be charged to a patient.
Some professions are feeling uneasy with this ethical thing and are coming out to defend themselves, that they have their own guidelines or ethics not to breach this ethical limit. So they would be ethical enough not to be unethical in overcharging their customers or clients. Heheheh…. On the other hand, what these professionals think may be ethical, but to the party that is paying, it can be damn unethical from their pockets. No? Who is the right person to say something is ethical or unethical? Who is the best person to say the ethical limit has been raped?
Many people are looking at the minister’s pay and wondering, just wondering. If the people think that the minister’s pay is unethically high, does it matter at all? Or would the peers of the ministers, ie, ministers in the same profession across the world, think so, does it matter? Or because the ministers are the only people in the profession in the country, so there is no peer pressure to think otherwise, so no one is fit to talk about what is the ethical limit?
The ethical limit is violated beyond recognition in the US and Europe. The CEOs there are robbing the corporations and their shareholders in hundreds of millions or billions, and no one is asking whether it is ethical or unethical. Our local CEOs don’t do such things. They are all very ethical.
Is this ruling by the Court of Appeal enforceable or recognized in other judiciary systems? Or is this ruling applicable to all professions within the City, including political appointments?
I think many people will have a good time discussing these two catchphrases among themselves and going to be thoroughly enjoying every moment of it.
7/03/2013
The unquestioned American Myth
God is planning to destroy all human beans on earth. The world is coming to an end. We must be prepared for that day, to take on God, to defend ourselves so that we can survive his wrath. Anyone wants to challenge this myth?
You need to create an arch enemy, a devil who is bent on destroying everyone to build up a case for your right to pull them by the ears, to herd the world like sheep with no question ask. It used to be Communism, the evil of the world, and then the Soviet Union. Now the enemy of the world is China. China is a bully, is going to conquer the world by military force despite the overwhelming military arsenals of the Americans. If China makes a wrong move, it will be destroyed by the Americans. China’s military hardware is not even close to the Russians. And China is enemy Number One of the world, so say the Americans. And the countries of the world nod their heads, aye, aye.
Where are the Chinese soldiers? Are they in Africa, in the Middle East, in South East Asia, or are they in China? And where are the American soldiers, where are they fighting and conducting wars of aggression in the guise of war of peace. Human rights, or war against terrorism?
China is investing and trading with the countries of the world without sending a single soldier out of its country. China does not go around signing war pacts, called defence treaties, with countries around the world. China does not station its troops all over the world to enable it to strike at any country. China did not send its aircraft carriers to threaten any country. It only has one still on trial. China does not need a military pivot to project its military power. But it is branded as the aggressive nation.
On the contrary, the country that is signing military pacts all over, moving its military hardware and soldiers to all parts of the world to prepare for wars, is called a peace loving nation. And in the name of peace, it is instigating wars, conducting wars, and provoking wars. It is spying on every country, including its close allies, intercepting and attacking their communication systems.
And it is demanding that no country shall have nuclear weapons except itself. It amassed the biggest nuclear weapons that could destroy the world hundreds of times over. And it calls any country wanting to possess a nuclear weapon as dangerous. It calls for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Why not the denuclearization of the whole world? Why not forbid any country from having nuclear weapons, including the USA? Why should it possess all the weapons of mass destruction while others are not allowed to do so?
And its pivot to Asia is for peace. But it needs to move its military arsenal to enhance its presence and deceptive role in Asia. Why, because it has created an enemy for Asia in China. It is trying to force China’s hand, to react to its provocations. The most aggressive and belligerent country in the world is calling itself the most peace loving country and accusing a country that is engaging in trading and economic activities across the world, without any of its soldiers outside its country, without engaging in wars, as the most aggressive country.
And the silly countries of the world believe that without questions, just like they believe that God is the Number One enemy and going to destroy the world in an Armageddon.
Why are the Americans moving back to Asia? For peace, to maintain peace and stability, or for purely economic interests? I quote an AGENCIES report yesterday in the Today paper. ‘Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a stark statement of intent during an earlier ASEAN meeting in Vietnam, declaring that American was back in the region as a Pacific power.’ Yes, the Americans are back for one reason, as the Empire, to rule Asia and Asians. And to mask their intent, they invented a devil in China to rally the stupid Asians behind them. All the Americans need to do is to keep on shouting and instil more fear, violence or threats of war by China. And the rest of the believers will just say amen and throw more money into the hat for tithes.
South China and East China Seas have become the newest and hottest flare points in the world. Why? Who is behind the rising tension? Who is provoking the countries to act and behave like crazy gun totting cowboys?
Would anyone be brave enough to question this American Myth of creating a devil for the believers to believe in? One monster, Myanmar, has survived and now being embraced warmly as a good boy. Funny, Russia is now a good boy too. Even China is a good boy once a while if not because it is growing too big for its own good. Would Iran and North Korea also have their turns as little angels? Actually it is easy, if they only know when to join the Dark Side and bow deeply.
Deep Art Valley quoted this from the Wikipedia and posted in TRE.
‘Proof by assertion, sometimes informally referred to as proof by repeated assertion, is an informal fallacy in which a proposition is repeatedly restated regardless of contradiction. Sometimes, this may be repeated until challenges dry up, at which point it is asserted as fact due to its not being contradicted (argumentum ad nauseam). In other cases, its repetition may be cited as evidence of its truth, in a variant of the appeal to authority or appeal to belief fallacies.
This fallacy is sometimes used as a form of rhetoric by politicians, or during a debate as a filibuster.’
This is exactly what the Americans and the West have been doing. Assertion and telling lies repeatedly and soon the lies become the truths. Every idiot will curse and swear at the North Koreans when they are mentioned because they have been programmed to think North Koreans are bad, just like communists are bad. Conversely, Americans are good, Americans are peace loving people, Americans are killers of Arabs and Middle Eastern people, etc etc.
You need to create an arch enemy, a devil who is bent on destroying everyone to build up a case for your right to pull them by the ears, to herd the world like sheep with no question ask. It used to be Communism, the evil of the world, and then the Soviet Union. Now the enemy of the world is China. China is a bully, is going to conquer the world by military force despite the overwhelming military arsenals of the Americans. If China makes a wrong move, it will be destroyed by the Americans. China’s military hardware is not even close to the Russians. And China is enemy Number One of the world, so say the Americans. And the countries of the world nod their heads, aye, aye.
Where are the Chinese soldiers? Are they in Africa, in the Middle East, in South East Asia, or are they in China? And where are the American soldiers, where are they fighting and conducting wars of aggression in the guise of war of peace. Human rights, or war against terrorism?
China is investing and trading with the countries of the world without sending a single soldier out of its country. China does not go around signing war pacts, called defence treaties, with countries around the world. China does not station its troops all over the world to enable it to strike at any country. China did not send its aircraft carriers to threaten any country. It only has one still on trial. China does not need a military pivot to project its military power. But it is branded as the aggressive nation.
On the contrary, the country that is signing military pacts all over, moving its military hardware and soldiers to all parts of the world to prepare for wars, is called a peace loving nation. And in the name of peace, it is instigating wars, conducting wars, and provoking wars. It is spying on every country, including its close allies, intercepting and attacking their communication systems.
And it is demanding that no country shall have nuclear weapons except itself. It amassed the biggest nuclear weapons that could destroy the world hundreds of times over. And it calls any country wanting to possess a nuclear weapon as dangerous. It calls for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Why not the denuclearization of the whole world? Why not forbid any country from having nuclear weapons, including the USA? Why should it possess all the weapons of mass destruction while others are not allowed to do so?
And its pivot to Asia is for peace. But it needs to move its military arsenal to enhance its presence and deceptive role in Asia. Why, because it has created an enemy for Asia in China. It is trying to force China’s hand, to react to its provocations. The most aggressive and belligerent country in the world is calling itself the most peace loving country and accusing a country that is engaging in trading and economic activities across the world, without any of its soldiers outside its country, without engaging in wars, as the most aggressive country.
And the silly countries of the world believe that without questions, just like they believe that God is the Number One enemy and going to destroy the world in an Armageddon.
Why are the Americans moving back to Asia? For peace, to maintain peace and stability, or for purely economic interests? I quote an AGENCIES report yesterday in the Today paper. ‘Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a stark statement of intent during an earlier ASEAN meeting in Vietnam, declaring that American was back in the region as a Pacific power.’ Yes, the Americans are back for one reason, as the Empire, to rule Asia and Asians. And to mask their intent, they invented a devil in China to rally the stupid Asians behind them. All the Americans need to do is to keep on shouting and instil more fear, violence or threats of war by China. And the rest of the believers will just say amen and throw more money into the hat for tithes.
South China and East China Seas have become the newest and hottest flare points in the world. Why? Who is behind the rising tension? Who is provoking the countries to act and behave like crazy gun totting cowboys?
Would anyone be brave enough to question this American Myth of creating a devil for the believers to believe in? One monster, Myanmar, has survived and now being embraced warmly as a good boy. Funny, Russia is now a good boy too. Even China is a good boy once a while if not because it is growing too big for its own good. Would Iran and North Korea also have their turns as little angels? Actually it is easy, if they only know when to join the Dark Side and bow deeply.
Deep Art Valley quoted this from the Wikipedia and posted in TRE.
‘Proof by assertion, sometimes informally referred to as proof by repeated assertion, is an informal fallacy in which a proposition is repeatedly restated regardless of contradiction. Sometimes, this may be repeated until challenges dry up, at which point it is asserted as fact due to its not being contradicted (argumentum ad nauseam). In other cases, its repetition may be cited as evidence of its truth, in a variant of the appeal to authority or appeal to belief fallacies.
This fallacy is sometimes used as a form of rhetoric by politicians, or during a debate as a filibuster.’
This is exactly what the Americans and the West have been doing. Assertion and telling lies repeatedly and soon the lies become the truths. Every idiot will curse and swear at the North Koreans when they are mentioned because they have been programmed to think North Koreans are bad, just like communists are bad. Conversely, Americans are good, Americans are peace loving people, Americans are killers of Arabs and Middle Eastern people, etc etc.
HongKong - 430,000 protest for one man one vote
The Hongkies were fighting for their rights for one man one vote on the streets. They took this fight very seriously to prevent the gradual erosion of democracy over time by inaction. And this fight is going to be a tough one as the right of one man one vote is a western version of democracy that does not match up well with parent China’s communist system of one man one vote.
Can we learn any lesson from the Hongkies in fighting for our rights? About 5,000 Sinkies turned up at HongLim to stage a protest against the 6.9m population that is seen as suffocating and pressurizing on the limitations of land in the island. The 5,000 was not even a quarter of the 21,000 turnouts for a Gay Party in the same venue.
Mind you, Hong Lim is a safe place designated for such peaceful protest. No one will turn out if it is a street protest like in HongKong. I am quite sure about that. This is best seen by every organizer of events in Hong Lim assuring the people to come as the protest was legal, ie, they would not be arrested. A street protest is illegal, you know what that means.
I think another reason why the number of Sinkies turning up at Hong Lim was so small must be the fact that there are really very few Sinkies left in the island. That must also be the reason why in govt statistics, Sinkies are always lumped together with PRs as locals. I think to really separate the two numbers will scare the wits out of the remaining Sinkies here. How many Sinkies are really left in the island and how many by 2030?
There will be no protest of the size like in HongKong to ever happen here unless it is organized by the Govt of the day, with all the approvals and support, including free meals and free transportation. Maybe there is really no reason important enough for the Sinkies to want to protest as everyone is so happy. Life is only difficult and troublesome when they cannot buy their Hello Kitty toys.
Maybe missing out on Kitty toys could be more nightmarish and a good reason for a big turnout in a street protest. Nothing else could command that kind of emotions and affection.
PS. 17 million Egyptians marched in the streets to demand the resignation of President Morsi. And the march was quite peaceful without rioting. And so was the HongKong protest march, with children and old folks tagging alone.
7/02/2013
What is wrong with the $24m Susan Lim charged?
The Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Singapore Medical Council for convicting Susan Lim on professional misconduct, ie over charging her client. Her bill was $24m for half a year’s special care and attention for her royalty client.
Now for the reasons why the three Judges decided that they should go along with the SMC. I quote, ‘the court opined that a doctor has an ethical obligation not to take advantage of his or her patient, whether monetarily or otherwise…In the circumstances, excessive overcharging would be a breach of this ethical obligation,…A doctor’s ethical obligation to charge a fair and reasonable fee for services rendered is not superceded by a valid agreement between the doctor and his or her patient…in the context of disciplinary proceedings against a medical practititioner, ethical obligations are not only procedural but also substantive in nature.’
The whole basis of the Judges’ argument is based on two words, ‘ethical obligation’. Is there any other profession where ethical obligation is just as important and immoral for the profession to violate? I think in sports, the sportsperson can actually demand any amount he wants as long as there are willing buyers to pay for it. Ethical obligation is not an issue like in football, golf or boxing. The sportsman can make tens or hundreds of millions over an hour or a few hours of play time.
I can’t think of any other fields where ethical obligation should be an important consideration and will be upheld by the courts of law. Otherwise many who are pocketing millions should be in court and be put behind bars. But no actually. I don’t think anyone will be put behind bars for just a breach of ethical obligation. Maybe suspended from the profession like suspending a driver from driving, or a fine could be added in.
Striking rich for selling a HDB coffee shop
There is another good piece of news that someone out there has made a fortune through HDB’s generosity. A coffee shop in Hougang is sold for $23.88m! Wow, so easy to make a fortune. Buy a shop from HDB, sit it out and when the time is ripe, sell it and retire rich and happy.
For every one to make it rich this way, someone else must pay for it right? The buyer of the coffee shop, the Broadway Group, is not going to throw the $24m away for nothing. How is the group going to recover the money back and with profits of course?
Your guess is as good as mine. Someone, or many people, will have to pay for the windfall. It has to be. The stall holders are worried that their rent will shoot through the roof through. I say, no worry lah, just past the cost to the consumers mah, easy what.
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