Sample Count in GE - What is the real purpose of this seemingly unnecessary process all for nothing?

 The sample counting of votes is a novelty introduced into the GE process of Singapore. I have not heard of any other country having such an additional process to have a preview of what the final outcome of an election would be. What is this sample counting? It is an additional step that allows a small sample of the voting slips to be counted and to announce what is the percentage of votes for the parties involved at the start of the counting of the votes. One thing for sure, it is just a preview but would not be the result as the final answer must be when all the votes are counted.

The question is why have this additional process when it really does not do anything and cannot be the real result of an election?  It cannot change anything. It can also be very misleading as a sample done in this way can be horribly wrong and different from the final result, though so far it seemed to be quite representative of the final counts. A coincidence or what? Is this not surprising that all the sample counts reflected very closely to the final results? Under the rule of randomness, this cannot be and unlikely to be. A sample is just a sample and cannot represent the whole and can be wrong.

So, why is there a need for this unnecessary step that would add in more work to the whole election process, may cost more time to do this extra bit? At best, a sample count would give the spectators and supporters a feel that the vote may be in favour or against a candidate. So what? It can go the other way too. Does this mean that the spectators and supporters can start to prepare for a big celebration or to go home as their candidate appears to be losing?

Come, come, why is this necessary at all? Unless something can be done to change the result of the final count, ... a sample count is totally a waste of time. And in a transparent and clean electoral process like the Singapore GE, everything is so well controlled, no one can ever think of doing something to the results once the voting is closed. Everything is accounted for, every item is controlled, even ballot boxes are controlled item and cannot be miscounted or misplaced.

So, hypothetically, say in a third world corrupt country when election processes can be manipulated, rigged, votes can be added etc etc,  a sample counting would be very useful to the power that wants to cheat and has the power to cheat. In such a situation, when the sample count says the party in power is losing, the party in power could then do something to load in more votes in its favour, to stuff more votes into the boxes, to add in a few more boxes of votes.  Or, if the party in power had stuffed in too many votes and the result would look ridiculous, they could temper it by removing some votes to avoid winning by a too big margin. But such crooked process can only happen in backward third world countries, not in modern cosmopolitan city state, a small state when practically everything is being watched.

So, why is this process so necessary, so important, that it is a must have process? Singapore, being well known for efficiency, should not indulge in doing the unnecessary that has no benefit and a waste of time and resources. I have been thinking and thinking, why perform an unnecessary, good to have task, when there is no benefit to gain from it? I am lost for trying to think of a good reason to have this sample count. So much work, coordinating, planning, time and resources but with no real benefits.

What do you think? Why is this sample counting necessary or should it be done away with? At best people would say the sample count is quite accurate. At worse, if it is the other way, it is frivolous. Having or not having the sample count would not affect the final result in anyway.

Flash mob - A people looking happy, contented and proud of their homeland

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K7de-24Z4M

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoWJBTwgi1k

 

Flash mob in Gulangyu Island, Xiamen. The short clip is a good description of what life is like in new China and a new generation of Chinese people, prosperous and happy and confident of the future, and their pride in China and in being Chinese. This is something that the Chinese of earlier generations could never dream of and the new generations are very grateful for what they have today, a happy and peaceful life that can been seen in the Chinese people on the streets of Xiamen and every where in China. You can see and feel that they are really happy and comfortable with themselves and their homeland.

 

We don't see Singaporeans smiling and expressing happiness in their faces on the streets of Singapore. The only people that could be found smiling and looking contented and grateful in the streets of Singapore are the foreigners here.

Rude, abusive and cocky Social Distancing Red Guards

Corrupt Social Distancing Officer Threatens Shop With Bad Report If They Deny Him Free Services

Submitted by farhan on Fri, 21/08/2020 - 11:12am

Corrupt, bossy and nosey social distancing officer goes to Century Square shop every other day to disturb the staffs, terrorizing to take photos and write reports if they breach any measures. He claimed that the staffs must stand 1-metre apart when serving customers.

When staff requested him to scan SafeEntry before entering store, he always simply replied he’s not required becos he’s Social distancing officer..

In this video, the staff is under duress to polish his “Tiffany Platinum” for him.. didn’t even bother to ask properly.

On another occasion, the staffs shared that he even asks the staff if he could get his ears pierced for free and he will close one eye if he sees something amiss.

Hope relevant authorities can look into the conduct of such officer to prevent further abuse of authority.

- More at AllSingaporeStuff.com https://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/corrupt-social-distancing-officer-threatens-shop-bad-report-if-they-deny-him-free-services
FB: http://fb.com/allsgstuff

The above is from AllSingaporeStuff. My experience with these Social Distancing Officers in Choa Chu Kang Stadium is the same, not surprising at all.  They seemed to be acting as if they have all been taught that they could bully the public, with the backing of someone very powerful. It reminds me of the Cultural Revolution and the Red Guards going into the villages to threaten the people, bully them and even persecuted them like they were the law, undisputed law, unquestionable authority. They would not tell you to put on your mask nicely but acting like NCOs in an army camp and would threaten not to let you in if you do not put on your mask.

They did not bother to know why you were not wearing your mask. I cycled to the stadium and the police officers on spot checks would wave me on without my mask. But the moment I stepped down from my bicycle, these Social Distancing Red Guards, oops, Officers, mostly part time youth, would insist that you put on your mask immediately when I was still breathing heavily. Even after I did my 100m sprint, one such Officer also demanded that I put on my mask. I told him off, that I just ran and still panting he wanted me to put on the mask immediately.

I have complained to ActiveSg about these rude and cocky Social Distancing Officers several times but nothing seemed to change.  Very similar to complaints against Red Guards, you would get punished even worse if you dare to.  You must know who were behind the Red Guards. They were released to terrorise the people. It is like people complaining about the flood of foreigners to steal the jobs of our PMETs. They simply continue to do what they were doing. The most was to put on a show that they were doing something. They must have been told to act and behave that way, a lot of power to bully the public. Imagine giving so much power to young boys and girls, like the Red Guards?

What do all these say about what is happening? The ASS article was hoping that the authorities would look into the conduct of such officers to prevent further abuse of authority. Fat hope. Who are behind them and giving them so much power? That could be the reason why they acted so cocky and abusively.

Random Thoughts Of The Day

 Random Thoughts Of The Day

Sights of injustice in our midst, getting from bad to worse, have led me to the following random thoughts:


Question:
What is the difference between nepotism and cronyism?

Answer: Nepotism refers to partiality to family whereas cronyism refers to partiality to an associate or friend.

Question: What is favoritism?

Answer: Favoritism, the broadest of the terms, refers to partiality based upon being part of a favored group, rather than job performance. Meritocracy based on favoritism is not meritocracy but corrupted thoughts and despicable deeds of the highest order.

Question: Are double-standards, ill-will, subtle coercion and indirect corruption rampant in our society, any society?

Answer: As long as there are scoundrous men and women existing to take advantage of and exploit others for own selfish interests, double-standards, ill-will, coercion, corruption and intimidation will exist anywhere, without exception.

Question: Are manipulation and propaganda, both aimed at altering the mind of others, derived from a corrupted mind?

Answer: Manipulation is direct intervention of others' mind, while propaganda is indirect and subtle interference of others' thinking.

Question: Is skewed interpretation of the laws, in favour of one party against another, a kind of corrupt behaviour?

Answer: Yes, it is not only corrupted behaviour but also corrupted mind.

Question: Why is there a need for more and more new laws, rules and regulations?

Answer: The more the authorities create new laws to protect themselves, instead of safeguarding and protecting thethe people's rights, the more the system is corrupted. Competent and honest authorities do not need more new laws and regulations and rules to tie down the masses' freedom in any form.

Question: What type of leaders have the tendency to create and issue more and more new laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations?

Answer: New laws, decrees, rules and regulations are usually issued by fearful, incompetent and inefficient leaders with a serious lack of self-confidence and self-respect.

Owing to the serious lack of self-respect, leaders' speech and action usually display a blatant lack of respect for others, especially to the commoners. This situation can be easily seen in the way society is divided into elites vs commoners, powerful vs powerless, filthy rich vs exploited poor, arrogant and haughty wives of high ranking leaders vs meek housewives of the commoners.

A society devoid of wisdom and compassion is a society condemned. Such a society breeds high horses and black mares, many of whom do not really deserve their position but were propped up by unfair means and dishonesty disguised as fair and honest.

Wool cannot cover the eyes and block the vision for long. Wool has perforations that allow the eyes to peek through its entangled mesh. Pulling wool over the eyes of the masses is the most short-sighted stupidity.

Those skilled in deception deceive without deceiving. That is the ultimate art of the crooked human mind that has been regularly grind and polished to shine and outshine.


SSO - August 21, 2020 10:27 pm

PS.  Posted on behalf of SSO

5G - A world divided between 5G and 4G nations

As Britain was banning the use of Huawei in its next-generation networks last month, the Chinese telecom equipment vendor was being used to power South Africa's commercial 5G services.

South Africa's data-only mobile network, rain, introduced its first commercial stand-alone 5G network, which teamed with the Chinese company. Huawei has also joined with local telecoms firm MTN Group to launch 5G in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth.

Kenya is expected to follow suit this year after the country's largest telco, Safaricom, conducted pilot tests for Huawei's new mobile internet technology

Several other countries - including Lesotho, Egypt, Nigeria, Uganda, Senegal, Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon - have conducted tests and are at various stages of roll-out of 5G, which promises much faster download and upload times....

Derrick Chikanga, IT services analyst at the consulting company Africa Analysis, said that given the strong ties between China and most African nations, it was unlikely most countries would cut their business links with Huawei.  

"As long as the relationships make business sense then most countries will likely continue subscribing to Huawei's technologies," said Chikanga. "This will be important as we move into the 5G era. Hence, the company could remain key in enabling 5G connectivity to Africa countries, making it relevant to the needs of the African market." SCMP

 As America under the leadership of clown Trump looks inward, abandoning the path to modern technology, preferred to stick to 4G or fake 5G, it forces its allies with the with us or against us to embrace 4G like the Americans, other parts of the world continue to march ahead with 5G as their main technology of the future.

Africa, the forgotten countries after the rape and plunder by the European powers and abandoned to do or die on its own, have found a new knight in China. China is investing heavily in Africa, bringing it into the fold of BRI to link Africa with the massive and comprehensive rail and road network in Asia and Africa for trade and economic development. Africa is finding a new life,, a new vitality in the brave new world of 5G. What Africa has been lacking and fallen behind the developed nations, this is a golden opportunity for Africa to leap frog the decadent West in decline led by a witless Trump. 

With 5G technology, Africa suddenly found itself ahead in the field of telecommunication, with the most advanced technology on earth in its backyard while the West stubbornly clang on to the aged and fast obsolete 4G technology. The rise of Africa as a new continent embracing the latest technology is a modern day miracle that was unthinkable but now made possible.

Who would know or could visualise an Africa that is ahead of the fading western nations? This can only happen when the West, blinded by its pride, voluntarily chose to give up the race and withdrew into their own cocoon to remain stagnant and to remain where they are. Africa is accepting Huawei's 5G technology like a god sent gift to kick start its march into the 21st Century. Huawei's technology is not only superior but also cheaper than those from the West, even cheaper than Samsung. And joining Africa in the march towards the future would be the rest of the world that would not be bullied or arm twisted by the backward looking Americans, to cut one's nose to spike one's face. 

While the Americans are running out of ideas, running out of talent with most of its IT companies taken over and run by real Indians, the rest of the world would fly ahead in light speed with the latest technology available from a new China led Huawei and a host of Chinese IT companies like Alibaba, Tencent, Wechat, TikTok, Beidou, Ant Financing etc etc and with rich Chinese banks to bankroll them in the pursuit of economic growth and science and technology.

The new world will be divided between the backward looking 4G nations led by an obsolescent American Empire on one side and the progressive 5G nations led by a rising power in China on the other. While the Americans are all about wars and selling of weapons of destruction,  China is all about economic growth and development, infrastructure building, trade etc for the co prosperity of the nations on earth.

A world divide will see the end of the American Empire and would bury the West for good with the rise of Asia and Africa and the rest of the world. Covid19 is the god sent invisible army that would devour the West and turn them to dust.

The divide will not just be on technology alone. The decoupling of the China America economies has just begun. Trump has started an economic war with China and twisting the arms of its allies to take its side. Be with us or against us. American companies would not be allowed to trade with Chinese tech companies. American companies would have to pull back their factories to the USA and only allowed to produce in China for goods meant for China. This one way calculation is unbelieveable. China would simply shut down all American factories in China and not allowed them to produce for the Chinese market and consumers.

It would be a war to see who has the bigger consumer market and who is able to produce goods cheaper and better. The 5 eyes countries and some European countries would have to live with more expensive American goods and a smaller American consumer market with the rising Chinese market. The poor Americans and some Europeans are going to be hit hard when they cannot buy cheap and good Chinese goods. Without the Chinese market, Britain is going to be a poor country with only the US to export its products and services. The other 5 eyes countries did not have big enough market for British products. Can poorer third world countries like India and some in Africa and Latin America afford to buy American goods and services?

Trump is only thinking short term, till November after which he would be booted out of the White House. Countries that made the choice to be with the Americans and go against China would have to live with the consequences of their decision without a mad and lying Trumps to create more havoc in the world.

On the China side would be countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, Central and South East Asia where goods are cheaper from China, access to the biggest consumer market in the world and the latest technology including 5G. On the American side would be the 5 eyes countries, Japan and India, all having to buy expensive American goods and a shrinking American market and living on 4G technology faking as 5G technology and exchanging useless American dollars.

PS.
TikTok said the US action “risks undermining global businesses’ trust in the United States’ commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth.”