Hi everyone,
Let me say thanks to all those who have made their orders for the book, slightly more than 40 copies so far and a very long way to the 300 books target.
I hope everyone can help to spread the words. And it would be good if someone could sponsor the printing cost, or partially, $2,000 should be enough to get the project going.
In the meantime please keep the orders coming. Every book counts.
Thanks again.
Redbean
3/05/2015
SMRT breakdowns are becoming routine
5 breakdowns in 9 days! This is going to be better than in 3rd World countries man. And because of the regularity of train breakdowns, everyone is getting use to this new normal and life goes on. No one seems to be feeling the heat anymore. If this is going to be the trend, in 90 days there will be 50 breakdowns, in 365 days there will be 203 breakdowns. Of course this is only statistically speaking or straight line extrapolation. But it would be useful for people who like to use statistics to attack people, in this case SMRT.
It will not be the case. 5 breakdowns in 9 days is just one of those once in 50 year incident. The pain is that it must happen at a time when we are trying to celebrate our 50 years of Independence and being a world class city that prides itself that everything works here, with the flip of a switch. This train thing is going to be a little bit embarrassing, and the bad part, it cannot be swept under the carpet. Every time there is a breakdown thousands of commuters will be affected, businesses will be affected, the economy will be affected.
I think they are going to appoint a COI to investigate why breakdowns is a daily affair. Or would they be hunting for a foreign talents around the world to take over the train management? Our local talents are looking like not up to it. Maybe they should bring in a team from Mumbai. They have the experience to do the job. They also go MRT, I think.
What is the point of writing this? I think we should not blame the SMRT management. This is what you will get when the system is overloaded, over used. The important point which I think people must learn from these breakdowns is that it is a warning sign, it is telling us what to expect when the population hit 6.9m. This is only the tip of the problem. When the population is 6.9m, imagine what would happen to the train services, the public transport system and other supporting services? Can this island take the stress and strains and demands of a 6.9m population when we are starting to break down with 5.4m?
What, 10m also can? Everything will be fine with our superb planning skills and our super talents at work. I just have one comment. Please make sure the system will not fall apart like the SMRT now. If this is going to be the new normal, 6.9m would be a daily nightmare.
Believe me, trust me. Or you want to believe the super talents? The breakdowns are a peek into the future on how things would be. Be grateful for the early warning signs. Would the govt take heed.
Tharman’s budget – Handouts or welfarism
For once I share the pains of our Ministers and MPs in Parliament for speaking out against the angpow budget pushed out by Tharman. We have resisted 50 years not to turn our country, sorry, not sure if it is still a country, into a welfare state. We have carefully planted in the minds of our people that welfarism is bad. It would lead to a crutch mentality when the people become too dependent on the Govt for handouts and refuse to work, become lazy.
This Tharman budget is exactly that, a welfare budget, leaning to the left and like what NMP Chia Yong Yong said, would lead to nothing left in our reserves. How can we empty our reserves and turn this island into a welfare state? This is not sustainable. Where is the money going to come from? The recipients of welfare would lose the drive to work. This is very dangerous.
Look at our Ministers and MPs, no welfare or subsidies except their million dollar income and $16,000 allowance and they could live well and never bother to ask for welfare or subsidies. And they are still working so hard, never loosen their work ethics despite the big handouts, oops I mean pay and allowance. See the point?
It is not the subsidies or welfare. It is how much they are getting. The solution is simple. Give the people enough like the Ministers and MPs and they would scorn and talk cock about the danger of welfarism. They would go to the street to demonstrate against welfarism and handouts. They would throw out any govt that proposes the easy way of going left.
Maybe giving the people millions would not be sustainable. A few ministers getting millions is surely sustainable. How about $16,000 to the MPs or more political appointment holders, more mayors and ministers of states? Sustainable? Where is the money coming from? How come no MPs asking any questions whether these largesses are sustainable? Silver Support Scheme not unsustainable? Maybe $3,000, yes $3,000 is just right. I think if the Govt were to give the people $3,000 each, no need $16,000, they would be so happy and would tell the Govt to do away with all the subsidies and handouts. And they would surely work as hard as the Ministers and MPs. The more entitlements or handouts, the harder they will work. The Ministers and MPs are testimonies to this formula. See how hard they are working despite their high income, not handouts? See, no crutch mentality right?
To those who are talking against the handouts or welfare state mentality, I think they are wrong. People work harder with bigger handouts and welfarism. When they are earning millions, working is for fun and they are enjoying every moment of their life, working or talking cock doesn’t matter. The trick therefore is to make the people rich and fat and they would all be happy working and enjoying life. No more needs for subsidies and welfarism.
Tiok boh?
3/04/2015
Degree course for politician wannabes – Lesson 3
The politician wannabes must be clear of their roles as politicians when they are elected to become lawmakers. They have a very heavy duty and responsibility to sit in Parliament when the Parliament is in session, which happens quite rarely in their terms of office. Unless they are seriously ill, there is no excuse not to be present in Parliament.
The meaning of part time MP does not mean they can attend Parliament part time or anytime their want. The part time concept means they could still be working full time but when comes to Parliamentary duties, it must be full time. That is the most important function of an MP other than help the residents with their problems and how to cope with govt policies.
The MPs may go around hunting for soiled panties, taking care of stray dogs, kissing babies, taking selfies, etc etc but these are not their primary duties. Get the respective departments and officers to go chasing dogs and hunting soiled panties. Law making, making sure that relevant and effective laws are passed in Parliament, asking relevant questions, not about $20 or $200 issues and neglecting the $2m, $200m or $20b dollar problems. There are many very important matters to be discussed in Parliament that rat catching may be not so so important to the hard working MPs.
The simple lesson, get your priorities right. Do the important and the necessary. And know how to pass the buck, point the arrow and let the various departments and agencies do the running and get their jobs done. Part time MPs where got so much time catching rats and chasing soiled panties?
And it is not about running Town Councils. Leave that to the professionals, the civil servants who know what they are doing and would do it regardless of political parties in power. The interests of the residents must not be compromised by a system of musical chairs when the team going to run it could have very little professional knowledge or have to start to learn the ropes all over again after every GE. This is simply unsound and not good for the residents.
Get the point?
PS. Apologies for repeating an earlier post on lesson 2.Deleted.
The Brits are losing it
The recent announcement by our Govt to delist some well known British universities from the list of recognised universities for law degree and allowed to practise here must come as a shock, a thunderbolt from nowhere. How can this little ex colony have the gumption to not recognise top notch universities with long academic traditions and anytime better than the local universities here? The Brits forgot that our local universities are higher ranked that many British universities. It is like the student has surpassed the master. Wait a minute, I thought the higher ranking of local universities here are due to two major factors, foreign lecturers and foreign students. And foreign lecturers, especially the English speaking type are mainly from UK/US. And British universities must have a lot of foreign students as well. What is wrong with British tertiary education when they are ranked lower than our state universities? Don’t ask me. Maybe these universities did not know how to game the ranking system.
Now some of these reputable British universities are standing up in protest. How can this ex colony think British universities are not good enough? They are going to make representations and appeals to be reinstated into the list of approved universities.
All I can say is silly Brits. An easier and more comprehensive solution would be to sign a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, CECA, and all their problems will be solved. CECA could also mean Comprehensive Exemption for Cheats Agreement when the quality and authenticity of the qualifications are questionable. If the Brits did not what this is all about, send a team of representatives to New Delhi to learn from their ex colony on how to con Singapore into singing a CECA. This ex colony has also outsmarted their colonial master and a smaller ex colony to sign this great agreement.
With a CECA, the British could even take over this ex colony and rule it for perpetuity if they so wish. There will be no more need to recognise any universities from UK, the Universities of Soho or Haymarket would do. They can just hop over to work here. Some natives here have gone bonkers and would love to welcome the British back to rule them. They have run out of ideas and would need just an excuse to bring back the Union Jack like some Hongkies are doing, protesting in the streets begging for the Brits to be back to rule them.
And the CECA with the British is just the right instrument to do it. Every single university in UK would be recognised by default of the agreement. No need to appeal to the ex colony. Come on Brits, used your head. It’s elementary, Watson.
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