Alienation of the oldies

Many of our parents and grandparents were ostracized or sidelined when dialect was banned from SBC, from radio or TV broadcast. Their world just closed down on them and they would have to go around finding people who could talk to them in dialects. The grandchildren would be distant aliens as they too did not speak dialects but English and Mandarin. The Malays, Indians and Eurasians faced smaller problems than the Chinese. With the stroke of a pen, a whole generation of oldies became foreigners in their own country and in their homes.
 
It was a ruthless policy that was not phased in over a period of time. It just cut into their lives overnight. They were not prepared for the change, they were not integrated into the community but simply ex communicado, as simple as that. Who cared how they would cope or able to cope with the change? Were they provided with any alternative sources of information and entertainments over the air?
 
Soon we are going to see another batch of oldies going ex communicado. The Mediacorp is terminating the teletext services. No more information on TV for stocks, for airport arrival and departure schedules and no more what not that the oldies have become dependent on. The oldies are old dogs that managed to learn the trick of operating the remote controller to view the teletext. This could be the last trick they are capable to learn without straining the grey matter as many are computer illiterate or have not access to a computer.
 
The rationale for the withdrawal of the teletext services is that the advancement of technology has made such information available in many places and from service providers. The teletext is obsolete and need not provide such a service anymore. Those who need to read the teletext should be able to get their information from other sources. This is the biggest assumption which may not be valid.
 
Many of the oldiest could not handle the computer or smartphones or ipad. So, how are they going to get their information? Are they obsolete too and their interests no longer important? I bet many of the oldies and aunties are punting the stock market and are relying heavily on the teletext for stock quotes. Sure, they can always call their brokers for quotes. Telephone calls are free right? Wrong?
 
The brokers should be happy to hear their phone ringing when these oldies have to start calling them again. Only slight problem, many would feel pai seh calling their brokers every now and then without making any trades. With the teletext they could flip to their hearts’ content without disturbing anyone.
 
Now, would these old dogs want and can learn any trick, like operating the computers? If not, another piece of their world will be cut off from them. Who cares.

The West headed by America exploit the religious divide of the Middle-East countries.

                                            The West headed by the Evil Empire exploit to the full endlessly the religious divide of the Middle -East countries.

Religion is only a belief and every individual should be free to believe in any religion he chooses and not be forced to believe in a religion dictated by the state or religious body. Religious leaders since time immemorial always make use of religion to

further their own end to grab political power and not because they sincerely and strongly believe in the God of their religion. With the people beguiled into a common faith or religion the evil political cum religious leaders  will then exploit to maximum

psychological effect that the people and the leaders share the same destiny in their common identity and fate. Having grabbed both political and religious leadership these evil leaders will proceed to grab economic and financial power. and once this is

achieved they will thus have complete total  authoritarian power and with that they can dictate or do any thing good or evil according to their whims and fancies.



Are the Middle-East countries cursed by their own Gods? It shouldn't be since they are bestowed by nature with abundant natural resources especially oil. Then why are they so divided and their history is one of tumultuous twist and turns especially

in this modern scientific era of great technological advances. It has got to do with their religious cum political leaders greed and creed. Aren't they all muslims following the teaching of the great founder. of their religion?  They may belong to different

sects of Islam but still they are muslims and that's the important point. Then why are they so divided.  It has got to do with what I have already pointed out . It is personal greed for power both religious, political cum economic and financial power. Thus

because of their own internal religious strive it lends itself to handy evil exploitation by the Western countries headed by the Evil Empire - USA. The West has been exploiting the Middle - East to the full for total control of its mineral resources

especially , oil. USA is able to do this because it sinisterly psycho one Middle-East country against another  and in the end all the Middle-East countries are on each other's throats. The greatest traitor to the Middle -East cause is the King cum religious

leader of Saudi Arabia. The king of Saudi Arabia is so beholden to USA that he has no qualms in destroying his other Islamic or brethern Arab countries under the aegis of the Evil Empire.I can never understand why Saudi Arabia allows itself to be used

by the Christian West headed by America to create choas, distability and wars of destruction among the Middle-East Islamic countries . Instead Saudi Arabia should work cohesively with Egypt, Iran, Syria, Turkey and other Middle East countries

against the Western countries and drive these westerners forever out of the Middle-East. Turkey a more pseudo European country than islamic should be destroyed too.

Southernglory1

How many casinos are there in Sin City?

Wrong, none of you would have guessed it. And I am discounting all the back lane and illegal gambling dens. Two is absolutely wrong. I heard this at a drinking hole and of course it is beer talk after some heavy drinking. But not to worry, all were drunk but not drunk to the extent of becoming incoherent. They were marbok but their mental faculties were still clear.

One shouted, three, the stock market is the third casino. Everyone is punting with no regards to the fundamentals of the stocks. And it is not only the aunties and uncles, but the remisiers, the house dealers and the big funds, all engaging in pure gambling, a game of chance. Roll the ball and see where it lands, something like the roulette.

Not three but four, said another. How so, and he explained. Go to HDB and ballot for a new flat. $20 or was it $10 for a bet. If lady luck smiles, you get your flat and you are richer by a couple of hundred bucks at least in five years time. Many new citizens are doing it and hitting it rich.

Five, said another. Getting a COE is also like gambling. Sometimes you pay more, sometimes you pay even more. And sometimes, pay very little. Just hope for the best.

Six, I say six. This guy seemed to have just awakened from his drowsiness. Going to see a doctor is like playing monopoly. You pay and pay along the way. Sometimes pay more, sometimes pay even more. Sometimes pay when really no need to pay. Sometimes you pay to check if you are sick when you are not sick and you feel better after losing your money.

Then this motherly auntie raised her hand, seven, she said. The seventh casino is getting a place for your child in a top school. The chances are so small and sometimes people played dirty, or tilt the table in their favour.

It just seems like everything is gambling in this City. Ahem, one more, the General Election. After voting for your favourite party, you are not sure if you have placed the winning bet or the losing bet. You thought you have won when your favourite party won without knowing that you may lose your pants, or your money in your CPF.

Looks like every Sinkie is a gambler of no choice, from the children to the grandmother. And there is no need for exclusion orders. There is no escape. Wait till Medishield Life comes about. All losers.

Defamation defined - Law Minister Shanmugam

In his dialogue with Law Faculty students this was what Shanmugam said of defamation law.
 
‘Defamation laws, he said, are not there to stop people from criticising the Government, but exist to protect personal reputations.
 
"If you make a personal allegation of fact, if you say I took money, I am corrupt, I will then sue you and ask you to prove it. But if you say I am a stupid fool who doesn't know what I'm talking about, and the Government comprises ministers who don't know what they're talking about and you criticise every policy of the Government, no one can sue you," he said.
 
By all means challenge my competence, by all means challenge my policies, by all means put forward alternate policies. By all means argue it, no problem. That’s not defamation.’ ST 3 Sep 13
 
This is about the clearest definition on the govt’s stand on defamation laws here. This is also the opening up of a govt that used to be suffering from a hang up that no one should criticize the govt, no big no small, no respect for authority.
 
I fully agree with Shanmugam’s position on defamation and personal attacks on ministers or anyone. It is fair criticism on govt policies. I would not go so far as to call a minister a stupid fool. A little decorum will go a long way.
 
And as citizens, it is of utmost importance that they should be interested in the affairs of the state and should air their views on policies or decisions that they are not happy or disagree with. We need participatory citizenry for the good of the country. We can’t have a nations of droids, with no views or do not care a hoot what is going on in the country and to the people. The outcry against the influx of immigrants is a good sign that the citizens are taking ownership of their country and would not be push overs.
This explanation by Shanmugam is a welcome move, to clarify an invisible and moving OB lines. The people and those responsible for enforcing defamation laws would now be in a better position to know what is fair comment or what is defamatory, and to stay away from the law. The eyes will still be watching and defamation or no defamation critics should be careful for you do not know what could hit you next.
 
There is no need to get too personal for all parties when having a discourse on the affairs of the state. Isn’t this what the Govt has been clamouring for, wanting the people to stand for, to come forward to take a more active role in the affairs of the country?

Easy money for Medishield Life?

What is easy money? This is money made easily, with little effort. And the saying goes, easy come easy go. Our govt’s revenue comes from many sources, and some can be easily classified as easy money. Let’s not breathe a word about the CPF. This is the people’s blood and sweat money that they made working for it.
 
Easy money are those like COE premiums, gambling taxes from the casinos and the Tote Board, ERPs, and to a certain extent, profits from sales of HDB flats. The value of these easy monies is quite substantial, in the billions or more annually. Can some of these monies be put to good use like looking after the healthcare of the senior citizens? No I am not asking for the whole chicken, may just a drumstick.
 
How much will it cost to provide some basic coverage in healthcare for the senior citizens? This can be defined, without being extravagant. Minimum basic healthcare/hospitalization need not be too costly. As it is a welfare scheme provided by public fund, no one is going to complain about no airconditioning, no pretty nurses at their becks and calls, no top notch doctors or surgeons to treat their half a million dollar condition. Just provide the basic medical care for those seniors that needed healthcare or have to be hospitalized, to let them recuperate in the hospital beds with some peace of mind, they will be treated with some dignity and will not empty all their savings or forcing their dependents to empty their savings.
 
This is a social obligation that the govt could and should provide to the senior citizens that have in one way or another contributed to the growth and prosperity of the nations. It is mean and heartless to expect the oldies to pay for their health insurance when they are out of work and living on whatever that is left of their savings. We can’t be thinking of robbing the oldies of their savings can we? How creepy can people be to think that the helpless and needy oldies are easy target for the taking? Do not touch their savings in their Medisave.
 
By providing basic healthcare/hospitalization to the oldies using easy money, the scheme can be self insured by the govt without resorting to any insurance scheme. The cost with limited coverage cannot be so prohibitive when carefully defined, and without being misery.
 
Where is the heart? Easy money, easy come easy go. Where have these easy monies gone to? Using easy money for this noble and important service will be well appreciated and a worthy cause to put them into good use. Stop having more designs on the oldies and their monies in their Medisave, or expecting their children to foot the bills. Not many are ministers and earning million dollar salaries and can keep on paying and paying.