A minister said that whether Singapore will have a casino is a sign of its people's maturity. So if I disagree, he may say I am not mature enough. Does that mean I am really not mature?
But since really mature people don't really gamble (they have better things to do in life, no?), the minister probably imply that Singapore wants to take advantage of the less mature in Singapore and in the region (if not, then how to make money?).
Then imagine getting the majority (which should include the mature ones, by way of the minister's logic) to agree to take advantage of the less mature ones when they should be doing the exact opposite! What would that mean to mature me if I agree? What would that do to a country's soul if its mature people agree?
And if Singaporeans are mature enough to have a casino, wouldn't they be mature enough to manage the other more important aspects of their lives like their own wealth (and not be sucked up by high property prices & CPF) & sort out the liars from the not (without the tight control of the media & political arena)?
Perhaps people like me are not mature enough to figure out such contradictions. In that case, I am totally against anyone (mature or otherwise) agreeing to take advantage of people like me!
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
The Best and the Worst of China
Comment in response to article
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/comment/2005/January/comment_January19.xml§ion=comment
Hi,
I refer to the article "The best and the worst of China" by Mohammed A. R. Galadari published a day after the death of Zhao Ziyang, and the following passage:
“China lived as a totalitarian state under the iron grip of Mao Tse Tung and Deng Xiaoping for decades, to be followed by a period of feverish modernization and industrialization under Jiang Zemin, a process that is being carried forward by Hu Jintao today. Jiang Zemin not only opened up the economy but also introduced a certain amount of liberalism in the political functioning, raising hopes that China is changing for the better in terms of its human rights record.”
This passage implied that China's present day economic growth was started by Jiang Zemin which is totally inaccurate. Of all the key actors you noted above and Zhao Ziyang, present China owes Deng Xiaoping the most. Zhao Ziyang, Jiang Zemin & Hu Jin Tao are nothing but a legacy of Deng and is noted as such by most analysts. In fact, Deng hand picked these men himself.
Credit for China’s opening since the early 80s is commonly attibuted to Deng and this is plain to anyone with an understanding of the history of this man & his country. His faculties had clearly deteriorated by the time of Tiananmen, and he made a not so good decision which he might not have made if he was younger.
But we should also appreciate the considerations that Deng had & the context that he was in.
Noted for his practical skills and sharp mind, Deng went through one of the most challenging periods of his country's 6,000 year old history and was closely involved in it.
In that period of his country’s history, the most important events & decisions had implications of life and death for many hundreds of thousands of Chinese, and the welfare of the bigger group must be foremost on his mind.
Deng was a big picture man whose strategic objective was to develop the country he loved & for which he sacrificed almost his entire life & family (he joined politics when he was a teenager and many of his family members were killed by the Kuomintang).
To Deng, as long as his strategic objective was in line, other issues were subservient to it. To him 50 years is nothing.
To him China was ready to accept the humiliation of being poor and back ward but will strive for the day they made good on his hope.
To him, the fate of a billion fellow citizens was not to be decided by the demands of a few thousand young kids who had not yet done anything for their country.
To him bending to the demands of a few thousand people all the time (or interest groups in western democratic jargon), a country of a billion mouths to feed will not stand.
To him a few thousand sacrifices for the good of the other billion is a small price to pay.
Today, half a billion Chinese enjoy a standard of living none of their forefathers had seen for hundreds of years - something that "free-wheeling democratic" Russia or India are not able to do. It was largely due to Deng Xiaoping.
That was and will always be the context and scale of things that Deng and all Chinese leaders deal with.
That must also be the scale on which they should be judged.
xxx
The best and the worst of China
By Mohammed A. R. Galadari
19 January 2005
DEAR readers, China often evokes mixed feelings. On the positive side, its growth in the past few decades is amazing, while on the negative side, its human rights record is reckoned as being one of the worst. Can development be at the expense of people's rights, is a pertinent question.
That China has no serious intention to change its negative image in respect of freedom and rights is clear from the assertion by Beijing yesterday that it has no regrets over the 1989 crackdown at Tiananmen Square. It was widely seen as one of the worst uncivilized acts by a government in living memory, when hundreds, even thousands, of youths had been crushed to death by rolling tanks on that fateful night on June 3-4. That was the way the government responded to a peaceful campaign for democracy and freedom by students. Ousted party leader, Zaho Ziyang, who died a day ago, had put the blame for the crackdown squarely on Deng Xiaoping, the top leader of the time.
Beijing's position is that it would not change its stand that the 1989 crackdown was correct. "Over the past 15 years since the incident, China's development has proved that this final judgment is correct", is how it explains the logic behind its clearly dictatorial stand. The argument is also that China's focus is more on economic development, and less on political reforms.
I do not ignore the fact that, in recent times, there were some half-hearted attempts to build a new image for China. One was the release of a set of new edicts on religious affairs, saying it would help better protect religious freedom. It gave protection to religious freedom and stressed that no one should be discriminated against for his or her religious beliefs. But, those who looked closely at the new edicts didn't see any serious improvements on the existing regulations. Another move was to grant more freedom to the media, a small step forward from a somewhat non-existent state. It wants the media to open up; but open up to the extent that it exposed business corruption, not political corruption. Who doesn't know political corruption is at the root of all corruptions?
China lived as a totalitarian state under the iron grip of Mao Tse Tung and Deng Xiaoping for decades, to be followed by a period of feverish modernization and industrialization under Jiang Zemin, a process that is being carried forward by Hu Jintao today. Jiang Zemin not only opened up the economy but also introduced a certain amount of liberalism in the political functioning, raising hopes that China is changing for the better in terms of its human rights record. But, change in respect of human rights and freedom is painfully slow, as is evident from the government's ham-handed approach to the Falungong religious sect, or to the large number of cases of capital punishment that are meted out often on not-very-strong grounds.
In Hu's scheme of things, it is "people first". He has placed renewed emphasis on the uplift of rural population who number some 800 million. He has also pledged to rein in corruption, but insists that western-style democracy will be a "dead end" for his country. He is ready to allow elections, but within his own party, and does not envisage a multi-party system.
Dear readers, China is seen as a counter-weight to the United States, for the future. That is the way it is growing; that is the way it is building its economic clout, not to speak of its military muscle. But, it has reached a stage in development — some 300 million people, matching the size of the United States, are middle class there — in which it should sincerely and seriously uphold Hu's own slogan, "People first". It essentially means it must set aside its mechanisms that trample on human rights and individual freedom. China has a great civilizational past. It has to have a great future as well, especially in terms of human freedom and liberty, the ideals of the modern world.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/comment/2005/January/comment_January19.xml§ion=comment
Hi,
I refer to the article "The best and the worst of China" by Mohammed A. R. Galadari published a day after the death of Zhao Ziyang, and the following passage:
“China lived as a totalitarian state under the iron grip of Mao Tse Tung and Deng Xiaoping for decades, to be followed by a period of feverish modernization and industrialization under Jiang Zemin, a process that is being carried forward by Hu Jintao today. Jiang Zemin not only opened up the economy but also introduced a certain amount of liberalism in the political functioning, raising hopes that China is changing for the better in terms of its human rights record.”
This passage implied that China's present day economic growth was started by Jiang Zemin which is totally inaccurate. Of all the key actors you noted above and Zhao Ziyang, present China owes Deng Xiaoping the most. Zhao Ziyang, Jiang Zemin & Hu Jin Tao are nothing but a legacy of Deng and is noted as such by most analysts. In fact, Deng hand picked these men himself.
Credit for China’s opening since the early 80s is commonly attibuted to Deng and this is plain to anyone with an understanding of the history of this man & his country. His faculties had clearly deteriorated by the time of Tiananmen, and he made a not so good decision which he might not have made if he was younger.
But we should also appreciate the considerations that Deng had & the context that he was in.
Noted for his practical skills and sharp mind, Deng went through one of the most challenging periods of his country's 6,000 year old history and was closely involved in it.
In that period of his country’s history, the most important events & decisions had implications of life and death for many hundreds of thousands of Chinese, and the welfare of the bigger group must be foremost on his mind.
Deng was a big picture man whose strategic objective was to develop the country he loved & for which he sacrificed almost his entire life & family (he joined politics when he was a teenager and many of his family members were killed by the Kuomintang).
To Deng, as long as his strategic objective was in line, other issues were subservient to it. To him 50 years is nothing.
To him China was ready to accept the humiliation of being poor and back ward but will strive for the day they made good on his hope.
To him, the fate of a billion fellow citizens was not to be decided by the demands of a few thousand young kids who had not yet done anything for their country.
To him bending to the demands of a few thousand people all the time (or interest groups in western democratic jargon), a country of a billion mouths to feed will not stand.
To him a few thousand sacrifices for the good of the other billion is a small price to pay.
Today, half a billion Chinese enjoy a standard of living none of their forefathers had seen for hundreds of years - something that "free-wheeling democratic" Russia or India are not able to do. It was largely due to Deng Xiaoping.
That was and will always be the context and scale of things that Deng and all Chinese leaders deal with.
That must also be the scale on which they should be judged.
xxx
The best and the worst of China
By Mohammed A. R. Galadari
19 January 2005
DEAR readers, China often evokes mixed feelings. On the positive side, its growth in the past few decades is amazing, while on the negative side, its human rights record is reckoned as being one of the worst. Can development be at the expense of people's rights, is a pertinent question.
That China has no serious intention to change its negative image in respect of freedom and rights is clear from the assertion by Beijing yesterday that it has no regrets over the 1989 crackdown at Tiananmen Square. It was widely seen as one of the worst uncivilized acts by a government in living memory, when hundreds, even thousands, of youths had been crushed to death by rolling tanks on that fateful night on June 3-4. That was the way the government responded to a peaceful campaign for democracy and freedom by students. Ousted party leader, Zaho Ziyang, who died a day ago, had put the blame for the crackdown squarely on Deng Xiaoping, the top leader of the time.
Beijing's position is that it would not change its stand that the 1989 crackdown was correct. "Over the past 15 years since the incident, China's development has proved that this final judgment is correct", is how it explains the logic behind its clearly dictatorial stand. The argument is also that China's focus is more on economic development, and less on political reforms.
I do not ignore the fact that, in recent times, there were some half-hearted attempts to build a new image for China. One was the release of a set of new edicts on religious affairs, saying it would help better protect religious freedom. It gave protection to religious freedom and stressed that no one should be discriminated against for his or her religious beliefs. But, those who looked closely at the new edicts didn't see any serious improvements on the existing regulations. Another move was to grant more freedom to the media, a small step forward from a somewhat non-existent state. It wants the media to open up; but open up to the extent that it exposed business corruption, not political corruption. Who doesn't know political corruption is at the root of all corruptions?
China lived as a totalitarian state under the iron grip of Mao Tse Tung and Deng Xiaoping for decades, to be followed by a period of feverish modernization and industrialization under Jiang Zemin, a process that is being carried forward by Hu Jintao today. Jiang Zemin not only opened up the economy but also introduced a certain amount of liberalism in the political functioning, raising hopes that China is changing for the better in terms of its human rights record. But, change in respect of human rights and freedom is painfully slow, as is evident from the government's ham-handed approach to the Falungong religious sect, or to the large number of cases of capital punishment that are meted out often on not-very-strong grounds.
In Hu's scheme of things, it is "people first". He has placed renewed emphasis on the uplift of rural population who number some 800 million. He has also pledged to rein in corruption, but insists that western-style democracy will be a "dead end" for his country. He is ready to allow elections, but within his own party, and does not envisage a multi-party system.
Dear readers, China is seen as a counter-weight to the United States, for the future. That is the way it is growing; that is the way it is building its economic clout, not to speak of its military muscle. But, it has reached a stage in development — some 300 million people, matching the size of the United States, are middle class there — in which it should sincerely and seriously uphold Hu's own slogan, "People first". It essentially means it must set aside its mechanisms that trample on human rights and individual freedom. China has a great civilizational past. It has to have a great future as well, especially in terms of human freedom and liberty, the ideals of the modern world.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
The Wrath of the Idiots
Pls read report attached.
http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/sub/topstories/story/0,5562,294142,00.html?
According to some people 'Asia's earthquake, which hit the beaches of prostitution, tourism, immorality and nudity is a sign that God is warning mankind from persisting in injustice and immorality before he destroys the ground beneath them.' Whoever wrote that might have been thinking of places like Phuket. Clearly, the people that wrote such things are ignorant of the fact that the majority of the people that died in this disaster were poor and disadvantaged people living in villages in the poorest parts of Asia eeking out a living in the most honourable way I know of – hard work.
Further more, like our little critique in the Story of Nolah, a ‘Big Flood’ or in this case a ‘Big Wave’ is a rather crude and shot-gun approach to punish the immoral or the unjust given the limitless might often attached to the Gods by these idiots.
(Story of Nolah: http://cckplanetblog.blogspot.com/2004_01_01_cckplanetblog_archive.html)
Such theories are what I call Idiot’s Theories. It is also proof that idiots also think alike – not only do great minds. So how do we tell the 2 groups apart? We do know that one group tends to enlighten and enrich, while the other tends to shock & awe us by doing the exact opposite.
I also wonder how come these idiots who call themselves ‘believers’ did not get any special instruction from the Gods (like our fella Nolah) to go save the good ones before the disaster struck. The fact that they were not ‘chosen’ to do such feats gives us reason to believe that they are not really in the Gods’ ‘good books’. Or may be the Gods did send them messages. Just that these people were just too stupid to be able to interpret those holy messages.
Either way, you believe the things these idiots say?
xxx
The wrath of god?
CAIRO - THE view that man provoked the quake with wanton behaviour was the subject of Friday sermons in Saudi Arabia and other religious commentaries.
'Asia's earthquake, which hit the beaches of prostitution, tourism, immorality and nudity,' one commentator said on an Islamist Web site, 'is a sign that God is warning mankind from persisting in injustice and immorality before he destroys the ground beneath them.'
Mr Walid Tabtabai, a member of the Kuwaiti Parliament, said the earthquake was a message. 'We believe that what occurs in terms of disasters and afflictions is a test for believers and punishment for the unjust,' he wrote in a column in the newspaper Al Watan.
He was only one among clerics from all religions trying to make sense of Asia's tsunami disaster and its massive toll on humanity.
To many, the question uppermost on their minds was - How could God let this happen?
The earthquake and tsunami showed no favour. But whatever their religion, people throughout Asia's affected areas turned to their respective God to help them through the crisis. -- NEW YORK TIMES
http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/sub/topstories/story/0,5562,294142,00.html?
According to some people 'Asia's earthquake, which hit the beaches of prostitution, tourism, immorality and nudity is a sign that God is warning mankind from persisting in injustice and immorality before he destroys the ground beneath them.' Whoever wrote that might have been thinking of places like Phuket. Clearly, the people that wrote such things are ignorant of the fact that the majority of the people that died in this disaster were poor and disadvantaged people living in villages in the poorest parts of Asia eeking out a living in the most honourable way I know of – hard work.
Further more, like our little critique in the Story of Nolah, a ‘Big Flood’ or in this case a ‘Big Wave’ is a rather crude and shot-gun approach to punish the immoral or the unjust given the limitless might often attached to the Gods by these idiots.
(Story of Nolah: http://cckplanetblog.blogspot.com/2004_01_01_cckplanetblog_archive.html)
Such theories are what I call Idiot’s Theories. It is also proof that idiots also think alike – not only do great minds. So how do we tell the 2 groups apart? We do know that one group tends to enlighten and enrich, while the other tends to shock & awe us by doing the exact opposite.
I also wonder how come these idiots who call themselves ‘believers’ did not get any special instruction from the Gods (like our fella Nolah) to go save the good ones before the disaster struck. The fact that they were not ‘chosen’ to do such feats gives us reason to believe that they are not really in the Gods’ ‘good books’. Or may be the Gods did send them messages. Just that these people were just too stupid to be able to interpret those holy messages.
Either way, you believe the things these idiots say?
xxx
The wrath of god?
CAIRO - THE view that man provoked the quake with wanton behaviour was the subject of Friday sermons in Saudi Arabia and other religious commentaries.
'Asia's earthquake, which hit the beaches of prostitution, tourism, immorality and nudity,' one commentator said on an Islamist Web site, 'is a sign that God is warning mankind from persisting in injustice and immorality before he destroys the ground beneath them.'
Mr Walid Tabtabai, a member of the Kuwaiti Parliament, said the earthquake was a message. 'We believe that what occurs in terms of disasters and afflictions is a test for believers and punishment for the unjust,' he wrote in a column in the newspaper Al Watan.
He was only one among clerics from all religions trying to make sense of Asia's tsunami disaster and its massive toll on humanity.
To many, the question uppermost on their minds was - How could God let this happen?
The earthquake and tsunami showed no favour. But whatever their religion, people throughout Asia's affected areas turned to their respective God to help them through the crisis. -- NEW YORK TIMES
Monday, January 03, 2005
We See Them Everywhere .....
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-prisoners3jan03.story
A friend once told me that one key reason he adopted his 'new' religion was because people he knew who follow a particular book 'seem to turn out to be better'. I did not bother to say anything because of the following:
1. there were so many reported cases of paedophile by leaders of his religion. Apparently, 90% of places where such people 'practice' in the US is known to have such cases. Statistically, this cannot be considered normal or acceptable (for e.g. do you find 90% of homes in your neighbourhood where 'leaders' of the homes sexually abuse innocent kids under them?). It was obvious to me that my friend did not 'know' of such people.
2. People like me have met/heard of so much goodness around the world involving people of so many different followings that I see no statistical reason to believe that that particular book is any different from any other sources of human inspiration. The 'criminals' in the above report is one such inspiring example.....
xxx
A friend once told me that one key reason he adopted his 'new' religion was because people he knew who follow a particular book 'seem to turn out to be better'. I did not bother to say anything because of the following:
1. there were so many reported cases of paedophile by leaders of his religion. Apparently, 90% of places where such people 'practice' in the US is known to have such cases. Statistically, this cannot be considered normal or acceptable (for e.g. do you find 90% of homes in your neighbourhood where 'leaders' of the homes sexually abuse innocent kids under them?). It was obvious to me that my friend did not 'know' of such people.
2. People like me have met/heard of so much goodness around the world involving people of so many different followings that I see no statistical reason to believe that that particular book is any different from any other sources of human inspiration. The 'criminals' in the above report is one such inspiring example.....
xxx
Friday, December 31, 2004
Roll of the Asia Tsunami 2004
[People of Singapore]
(31 Dec) The Red Cross Society had received total donations of $4 million in cash and cheques.
The Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF), which successfully raised $2.2 million through its "Affairs of the Heart" charity show on Dec 26, now aims to raise more money for the tsunami victims with a repeat telecast of the show on Jan 1.
[Akira]
(31 Dec) Electronics and home appliance company, Akira, is donating about $300,000 worth of items, including 1,000 portable generators and 5,000 emergency lamps, to help rescue efforts in Sri Lanka.
[Eu Yan Sang]
(31 Dec) Chinese medicine company, Eu Yan Sang, is donating 24,000 large bottles of drinking water and 1,500 boxes of chicken essence to aid victims and rescuers through Mercy Relief
[StarHub]
(31 Dec) StarHub is donating $200,000 to help buy water purification tablets, surgical and sanitation supplies. Half of the money will be used to help Indonesian tsunami victims.
[Telcom United]
(31 Dec) Local telecommunications company Telcom United is providing $50,000 worth of IDD talk time for foreign workers to call home to Aceh, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.
[ComfortDelgro]
(31 Dec) Besides raising $50,000, taxi drivers and staff at ComfortDelGro Group yesterday helped deliver more than 300 boxes of food, clothing and medical supplies to various collection centres.
[US Government]
(31 Dec) US$35 million after UN officer Jan Egeland criticized western countries for being 'stingy'. The US quickly took that to mean them & promptly went into offensive by adding $20 mil to their original miserly US$15 million.
(1 Jan) When it was known that small Netherland (with 5% of US population) contributed $34 mil, the US increased theirs to $350 mil to avoid further embarassment. The Dutch was probably careful not to 'out-do' the US by crossing the $35 mil mark.
Contributions from round the world (as of 31 Dec):
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/124964/1/.html
Death toll (as of 31 Dec) :
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/124988/1/.html
Lie detector results:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami/story/0,15671,1382457,00.html
(one of the reasons why you have to be careful with what governments say)
(31 Dec) The Red Cross Society had received total donations of $4 million in cash and cheques.
The Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF), which successfully raised $2.2 million through its "Affairs of the Heart" charity show on Dec 26, now aims to raise more money for the tsunami victims with a repeat telecast of the show on Jan 1.
[Akira]
(31 Dec) Electronics and home appliance company, Akira, is donating about $300,000 worth of items, including 1,000 portable generators and 5,000 emergency lamps, to help rescue efforts in Sri Lanka.
[Eu Yan Sang]
(31 Dec) Chinese medicine company, Eu Yan Sang, is donating 24,000 large bottles of drinking water and 1,500 boxes of chicken essence to aid victims and rescuers through Mercy Relief
[StarHub]
(31 Dec) StarHub is donating $200,000 to help buy water purification tablets, surgical and sanitation supplies. Half of the money will be used to help Indonesian tsunami victims.
[Telcom United]
(31 Dec) Local telecommunications company Telcom United is providing $50,000 worth of IDD talk time for foreign workers to call home to Aceh, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.
[ComfortDelgro]
(31 Dec) Besides raising $50,000, taxi drivers and staff at ComfortDelGro Group yesterday helped deliver more than 300 boxes of food, clothing and medical supplies to various collection centres.
[US Government]
(31 Dec) US$35 million after UN officer Jan Egeland criticized western countries for being 'stingy'. The US quickly took that to mean them & promptly went into offensive by adding $20 mil to their original miserly US$15 million.
(1 Jan) When it was known that small Netherland (with 5% of US population) contributed $34 mil, the US increased theirs to $350 mil to avoid further embarassment. The Dutch was probably careful not to 'out-do' the US by crossing the $35 mil mark.
Contributions from round the world (as of 31 Dec):
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/124964/1/.html
Death toll (as of 31 Dec) :
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/124988/1/.html
Lie detector results:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami/story/0,15671,1382457,00.html
(one of the reasons why you have to be careful with what governments say)
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Help For Tsunami Victims
Hi all,
Here are the various pleas & efforts various people had forwarded to me the last hour. If you wish to help in collection or need us to collect from your place kindly include your contact details as comments to this blog, or contact me at 65-9731-6795.
1. Morgan FC member Stanley said:
Kavin & I will provide logistics to pick up as much as we can in our cars, you're invited to join us and help collect from those near your location, if you're free tonight.
2. E-mail from my ex-NUS mate Chi Keung:
Hi,
If you feel that you can do something to help the Tsunami victims, read on. If you are donating items required, I can help to transport the items to the collection point. I heard that Ananda Travel is one of the collection point, but I can't find any info on that.
Donations in Kind
They need:
1. Tents
2. Food (Pre-cooked or ready-to-eat meal packs)
3. Water Purification Tablets
4. Wheat Flour, rice, other staples
5. Drugs: Paracetamol, anti-biotics, wound dressing, suture material,disposable syringes, vitamins, and vaccinations for diarrhea, cholera andmalaria.
6. Intravenous infusions (saline and dextrose)
7. Portable generators
8. Clothes and blankets (sort into boxes or piles within box according toadult male, female, and children, infant). Please only include appropriateclothing. Nothing sleeveless, no impractical cast-offs as well (e.g.evening gowns, fur-lined jackets are not appropriate!)
What to do:
1. Pack the items into boxes clearly labeled FOOD, CLOTHES, BLANKETS,MEDICAL supplies etc.
2. Tell your friends to send items to COLLECTION POINTS (CP) listed below.
Sri Lanka High Commission
13th Floor Goldhill Plaza
Phone: 62544595 (Mr Ranjit)
***The items to be sent during 8.30am-7pm. They will open for at least ONEMONTH.
Sri Lanka Air
133 Cecil Street #13-02
Phone: 62236026 (Shyla from Sales Dept)
*** They are stopping collection by Thursday, and now only want FOOD &Medicine now.
Tisarana Buddhist Association
(has Welfare Service in Sri Lanka providingfree ambulance among other things, and a vocational center)
[Prefer clothes,blankets, tent, medicinal supplies].
90 Duku Road
Phone: 63456741 (Temple), 97884486 (Christopher Lim)
*** The items to be sent during 9.30am-6pm. Please send down within ONEWEEK, for they are sending out a container as soon as it fills.
Ananda Travel Agencies
Many locations, so more convenient. Also, since this is going to more than one country, may be better.
***Please do so by THIS SUNDAY.
Important! Pls CALL before going down to make sure they are open.
NTUC Fairprice
Supermarket retailer NTUC FairPrice invites all shoppers to chip in by buying S$10 food relief packagesto help tsunami victims in the region. These packages will be air flown by partner airline Cathay Pacific to Colombo later in the week. As of January 1, shoppers can also purchase food relief packages that will be sent to Aceh. Shoppers can also donate cash in donation tins placed at all NTUC outlets .
Donations in Cash
1. Customers of DBS Singapore can make their contribution via Internet Banking or DBS/POSB ATM
2. You can also write a cheque to Singapore Red Cross Society, 15 PenangLane, Singapore 2384863.
Please indicate 'Tidal Waves Asia' behind the cheque and include yourname, address and telephone number. The Singapore Red Cross Society will send you a receipt.
4. Donors can also go to the Singapore Red Cross Society to make adonation personally at the above address (from 9.30am to 5.45 pm onweekdays and 9.30 am to noon on Saturday)
More on http://www.channelnewsasia.com/killerwaves/donations.htm#sg
Pass the Message The POINT is to do something. Every little effort counts towards something. Start a positive chain of events, in addition to what the big govt organizations & NGOs are doing. The world is weeping, and we have the responsibility to lessen that suffering.
Here are the various pleas & efforts various people had forwarded to me the last hour. If you wish to help in collection or need us to collect from your place kindly include your contact details as comments to this blog, or contact me at 65-9731-6795.
1. Morgan FC member Stanley said:
Kavin & I will provide logistics to pick up as much as we can in our cars, you're invited to join us and help collect from those near your location, if you're free tonight.
2. E-mail from my ex-NUS mate Chi Keung:
Hi,
If you feel that you can do something to help the Tsunami victims, read on. If you are donating items required, I can help to transport the items to the collection point. I heard that Ananda Travel is one of the collection point, but I can't find any info on that.
Donations in Kind
They need:
1. Tents
2. Food (Pre-cooked or ready-to-eat meal packs)
3. Water Purification Tablets
4. Wheat Flour, rice, other staples
5. Drugs: Paracetamol, anti-biotics, wound dressing, suture material,disposable syringes, vitamins, and vaccinations for diarrhea, cholera andmalaria.
6. Intravenous infusions (saline and dextrose)
7. Portable generators
8. Clothes and blankets (sort into boxes or piles within box according toadult male, female, and children, infant). Please only include appropriateclothing. Nothing sleeveless, no impractical cast-offs as well (e.g.evening gowns, fur-lined jackets are not appropriate!)
What to do:
1. Pack the items into boxes clearly labeled FOOD, CLOTHES, BLANKETS,MEDICAL supplies etc.
2. Tell your friends to send items to COLLECTION POINTS (CP) listed below.
Sri Lanka High Commission
13th Floor Goldhill Plaza
Phone: 62544595 (Mr Ranjit)
***The items to be sent during 8.30am-7pm. They will open for at least ONEMONTH.
Sri Lanka Air
133 Cecil Street #13-02
Phone: 62236026 (Shyla from Sales Dept)
*** They are stopping collection by Thursday, and now only want FOOD &Medicine now.
Tisarana Buddhist Association
(has Welfare Service in Sri Lanka providingfree ambulance among other things, and a vocational center)
[Prefer clothes,blankets, tent, medicinal supplies].
90 Duku Road
Phone: 63456741 (Temple), 97884486 (Christopher Lim)
*** The items to be sent during 9.30am-6pm. Please send down within ONEWEEK, for they are sending out a container as soon as it fills.
Ananda Travel Agencies
Many locations, so more convenient. Also, since this is going to more than one country, may be better.
***Please do so by THIS SUNDAY.
Important! Pls CALL before going down to make sure they are open.
NTUC Fairprice
Supermarket retailer NTUC FairPrice invites all shoppers to chip in by buying S$10 food relief packagesto help tsunami victims in the region. These packages will be air flown by partner airline Cathay Pacific to Colombo later in the week. As of January 1, shoppers can also purchase food relief packages that will be sent to Aceh. Shoppers can also donate cash in donation tins placed at all NTUC outlets .
Donations in Cash
1. Customers of DBS Singapore can make their contribution via Internet Banking or DBS/POSB ATM
2. You can also write a cheque to Singapore Red Cross Society, 15 PenangLane, Singapore 2384863.
Please indicate 'Tidal Waves Asia' behind the cheque and include yourname, address and telephone number. The Singapore Red Cross Society will send you a receipt.
4. Donors can also go to the Singapore Red Cross Society to make adonation personally at the above address (from 9.30am to 5.45 pm onweekdays and 9.30 am to noon on Saturday)
More on http://www.channelnewsasia.com/killerwaves/donations.htm#sg
Pass the Message The POINT is to do something. Every little effort counts towards something. Start a positive chain of events, in addition to what the big govt organizations & NGOs are doing. The world is weeping, and we have the responsibility to lessen that suffering.
How I got Enblogged
This blog was created at the behest of my friend Christopher Lim without whose instigation I would not have bothered.
All postings before this are post-dated items from my writings before the start of this blog.
xxx
Chris said:
CCK, you can reach a wider audience by starting your own BLOG.
Go to this site to start your blog: http://www.blogger.com/start
Some examples of Malaysian blog can be found here:http://www.mycen.com.my/search/blog.html
All postings before this are post-dated items from my writings before the start of this blog.
xxx
Chris said:
CCK, you can reach a wider audience by starting your own BLOG.
Go to this site to start your blog: http://www.blogger.com/start
Some examples of Malaysian blog can be found here:http://www.mycen.com.my/search/blog.html
Reflections of Disaster
The happenings of the last few days are worth us spending some time to ponder and try to put things in perspective. If not anything else, some of us see them as lessons for and on humanity. A bit more comparison between the 2 phenomena in my previous mail below would hopefully be enlightening especially for those who a few years back thought that people warning them of the pending American, British and Australian designs to rob Iraq/Afghanistan were mere conspiracy theorists.
http://cckplanetblog.blogspot.com/2004/12/mobile-disaster-in-perspective.html
Like the African story on the ‘Hour of the Idiots’, it always come a time when idiots, no matter how much they try to avoid it, will have to face the truth. We should and must do that for we owe it not only to those before us who had helped build a better place for us but to those after us who can justifiably expect us to leave it no less than we found it. The 2 things we all should strive to leave behind in a state no worse off than we have are the environment and human ignorance. The latter is included only because of human’s capacity for supreme greed, arrogance and destruction that only awareness (the ‘other side’ of ignorance) can ameliorate. So here’s for the fools in us to think about.
Shock & Awe – Embedded Differently
When one event happened, early TV pictures showed the massive power of tidal waves sweeping everything aside or flinging people and things against anything firm enough to stand its ground. We watched in shock but strangely we felt no anger but renewed respect for the great powers of Nature. Later pictures of people crying and dead bodies strewn all over tugged on the sinews of our hearts and only the most insensitive ones can hold back those tears and shared sense of grieve for our fellow humans. In this event, there was nothing to hide, nothing can or need be hidden. As Nature made clear who is boss few dared to question.
When the other event happened, we were fed pictures provided by so-called embedded reporters who showed us awesome American & British firepower in what they arrogantly named Operation Shock & Awe, but none of the actual destruction to properties and lives they can only be intended for. They made not attempt to hide the fact that non-embedded reporters like those from Al Jazeera are taken care of surgically. Thus many of the less foolish among us had to rely on our powers of imagination to visualise the destruction and sufferings surrounding the deaths of the hundred of thousands of Iraqis. But instead of the shock & awe those Bush-like idiots intended, we had only anger and disgust for these people. Now we are told that those that dare to stand their ground against these idiots are mere terrorists.
Intelligence of Men of Science versus Men of War/Deceit
When one event happened, programs were shown explaining the workings of Nature, the tectonic plates behind the quakes & waves, and how only in June 2004, seismologists were warning governments in the region of the impending calamities that only the last few hundred years or so of modern science and our recognition of the powers of the logical and rational mind could have produced. Despite the lack of action by the governments involved to the warnings from the scientists, we felt enlightened and grateful for the work and intelligence of such men, and saw a chance that humanity can perhaps better survive such future disasters through the help of technology.
In the other event, despite years of ‘preparing world opinion’ the reasons for war were so lame that the whole non-Anglo-Saxon and non-Christian world, and America’s own weapons inspectors went against them. But they went ahead anyway, and pictures of great fireworks and demonstration of American/British technology were explained with much fanfare (as if it was some game show) by men in fatigue whose profession revolved around the art of war. Many governments went along with it. Some did it so quietly it was like walking around with their own face covered in self-conscious shame. Others supported loudly and with enthusiasm - like the Australians, a living proof of the theories of genetic inheritance (from the loud mouth hooligans that their criminal forefathers were). Despite that, millions of informed people around the globe went up ‘in arms’ in our little way and through the Internet and other un-embeddable media made sure that these liars do not get off scot-free. When the force of scrutiny and the world’s conscience were brought to bear on the Bush-like idiots, the excuse to kill & rob so many fellow humans was embedded lamely on faulty intelligence of men whose profession is the art of deception and deceit.
Mother of It All
One event created tidal waves of such magnitude that people had never seen anything like it before. An Indian man quoted by Los Angeles Times described what he heard and saw before his eyes as ‘they came like possessed beasts’.
The other event had the Americans proudly deploying a new bomb they created for Afghanistan & called ‘the mother of all bombs’ and promptly showed us the beast that possessed them.
Taunts & Contributions All Round
For one event, no government in the world had qualms extending their aid & help to the affected countries. But we do not see at its forefront the ‘greatest’ nation in the world. Without prodding, people from all walks of life instinctively came together to contribute in whatever way they could thus making the work of local governments and people from aid organizations like the Red Cross/Crescent just a little bit easier. Enemies left their animosities aside to help those in need as did Pakistan and India, and the Indonesian military and Aceh rebels. Few men will walk out of this event as lesser beings.
In the other event, the Bush-like idiots proudly pronounced that the world needed leadership against global terror that only it can provide but had to cajole, bribe and threaten others into joining them. They even used taunts like ‘you are either with us or you are against us’ and ‘those not in belong to the old world’. To rally their fellow idiots they even revived the millennia old idea of a crusade so entrancing to such idiots. If they had the gall to ask common folks on the ground in many parts of the world for contributions, they will likely get an earful. Many walked into this event as men and will walk out unable to exorcise the devil that will forever haunt them.
http://cckplanetblog.blogspot.com/2004/12/mobile-disaster-in-perspective.html
Like the African story on the ‘Hour of the Idiots’, it always come a time when idiots, no matter how much they try to avoid it, will have to face the truth. We should and must do that for we owe it not only to those before us who had helped build a better place for us but to those after us who can justifiably expect us to leave it no less than we found it. The 2 things we all should strive to leave behind in a state no worse off than we have are the environment and human ignorance. The latter is included only because of human’s capacity for supreme greed, arrogance and destruction that only awareness (the ‘other side’ of ignorance) can ameliorate. So here’s for the fools in us to think about.
Shock & Awe – Embedded Differently
When one event happened, early TV pictures showed the massive power of tidal waves sweeping everything aside or flinging people and things against anything firm enough to stand its ground. We watched in shock but strangely we felt no anger but renewed respect for the great powers of Nature. Later pictures of people crying and dead bodies strewn all over tugged on the sinews of our hearts and only the most insensitive ones can hold back those tears and shared sense of grieve for our fellow humans. In this event, there was nothing to hide, nothing can or need be hidden. As Nature made clear who is boss few dared to question.
When the other event happened, we were fed pictures provided by so-called embedded reporters who showed us awesome American & British firepower in what they arrogantly named Operation Shock & Awe, but none of the actual destruction to properties and lives they can only be intended for. They made not attempt to hide the fact that non-embedded reporters like those from Al Jazeera are taken care of surgically. Thus many of the less foolish among us had to rely on our powers of imagination to visualise the destruction and sufferings surrounding the deaths of the hundred of thousands of Iraqis. But instead of the shock & awe those Bush-like idiots intended, we had only anger and disgust for these people. Now we are told that those that dare to stand their ground against these idiots are mere terrorists.
Intelligence of Men of Science versus Men of War/Deceit
When one event happened, programs were shown explaining the workings of Nature, the tectonic plates behind the quakes & waves, and how only in June 2004, seismologists were warning governments in the region of the impending calamities that only the last few hundred years or so of modern science and our recognition of the powers of the logical and rational mind could have produced. Despite the lack of action by the governments involved to the warnings from the scientists, we felt enlightened and grateful for the work and intelligence of such men, and saw a chance that humanity can perhaps better survive such future disasters through the help of technology.
In the other event, despite years of ‘preparing world opinion’ the reasons for war were so lame that the whole non-Anglo-Saxon and non-Christian world, and America’s own weapons inspectors went against them. But they went ahead anyway, and pictures of great fireworks and demonstration of American/British technology were explained with much fanfare (as if it was some game show) by men in fatigue whose profession revolved around the art of war. Many governments went along with it. Some did it so quietly it was like walking around with their own face covered in self-conscious shame. Others supported loudly and with enthusiasm - like the Australians, a living proof of the theories of genetic inheritance (from the loud mouth hooligans that their criminal forefathers were). Despite that, millions of informed people around the globe went up ‘in arms’ in our little way and through the Internet and other un-embeddable media made sure that these liars do not get off scot-free. When the force of scrutiny and the world’s conscience were brought to bear on the Bush-like idiots, the excuse to kill & rob so many fellow humans was embedded lamely on faulty intelligence of men whose profession is the art of deception and deceit.
Mother of It All
One event created tidal waves of such magnitude that people had never seen anything like it before. An Indian man quoted by Los Angeles Times described what he heard and saw before his eyes as ‘they came like possessed beasts’.
The other event had the Americans proudly deploying a new bomb they created for Afghanistan & called ‘the mother of all bombs’ and promptly showed us the beast that possessed them.
Taunts & Contributions All Round
For one event, no government in the world had qualms extending their aid & help to the affected countries. But we do not see at its forefront the ‘greatest’ nation in the world. Without prodding, people from all walks of life instinctively came together to contribute in whatever way they could thus making the work of local governments and people from aid organizations like the Red Cross/Crescent just a little bit easier. Enemies left their animosities aside to help those in need as did Pakistan and India, and the Indonesian military and Aceh rebels. Few men will walk out of this event as lesser beings.
In the other event, the Bush-like idiots proudly pronounced that the world needed leadership against global terror that only it can provide but had to cajole, bribe and threaten others into joining them. They even used taunts like ‘you are either with us or you are against us’ and ‘those not in belong to the old world’. To rally their fellow idiots they even revived the millennia old idea of a crusade so entrancing to such idiots. If they had the gall to ask common folks on the ground in many parts of the world for contributions, they will likely get an earful. Many walked into this event as men and will walk out unable to exorcise the devil that will forever haunt them.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Mobile Disaster in Perspective
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4126971.stm
25 December was supposedly the 'day of birth' of the Indo-Persian Sun-God Mithra (at least as celebrated in that area) for more than 1,000 years before it was ‘co-opted’ less than 2,000 years ago as Christmas day by the then 'new' Roman Church for their ‘new’ idol. Of course their current ‘fans’ are usually unaware of that and call Mithra’s worshippers derogatorily as ‘pagans’. In historic term, it was just a ‘new dog old trick’ thing.
This year, a few hours after that day, a massive quake the size of 9 on the Richter scale caused massive destruction & death around the Bay of Bengal.
US President George W Bush (my favorite 21st century idiot) offered aid to affected nations and expressed sorrow for the "terrible loss of life and suffering". To see if he is really sincere, I’ll like to see if Haliburton rushes to help ‘re-construct’ the affected places. If 10,000 dead is a ‘terrible loss of life & suffering’ to even a Bush-like idiot, we can imagine what they think of themselves once we make the following comparison:
Death toll from the biggest quake in the last 40 years: upwards of 10,000
Death toll in Iraq involving the most 'powerful' nation in the last 40 years: upwards of 200,000 (from the last 2 ‘outings’).
Any difficulty seeing why those Bush-like idiots are so arrogant? They think they can out-whack Nature and thus deserve a place almost on par with the Gods. Perhaps they accept to be a tad lower only because they compare their actions to that in the story of 'Nolah'.
http://cckplanetblog.blogspot.com/2004_01_01_cckplanetblog_archive.html
To me they are all disasters of Nature except that some of them walk on legs and are mobile disaster generating machines. What great 'creations' those Bush-like idiots!
25 December was supposedly the 'day of birth' of the Indo-Persian Sun-God Mithra (at least as celebrated in that area) for more than 1,000 years before it was ‘co-opted’ less than 2,000 years ago as Christmas day by the then 'new' Roman Church for their ‘new’ idol. Of course their current ‘fans’ are usually unaware of that and call Mithra’s worshippers derogatorily as ‘pagans’. In historic term, it was just a ‘new dog old trick’ thing.
This year, a few hours after that day, a massive quake the size of 9 on the Richter scale caused massive destruction & death around the Bay of Bengal.
US President George W Bush (my favorite 21st century idiot) offered aid to affected nations and expressed sorrow for the "terrible loss of life and suffering". To see if he is really sincere, I’ll like to see if Haliburton rushes to help ‘re-construct’ the affected places. If 10,000 dead is a ‘terrible loss of life & suffering’ to even a Bush-like idiot, we can imagine what they think of themselves once we make the following comparison:
Death toll from the biggest quake in the last 40 years: upwards of 10,000
Death toll in Iraq involving the most 'powerful' nation in the last 40 years: upwards of 200,000 (from the last 2 ‘outings’).
Any difficulty seeing why those Bush-like idiots are so arrogant? They think they can out-whack Nature and thus deserve a place almost on par with the Gods. Perhaps they accept to be a tad lower only because they compare their actions to that in the story of 'Nolah'.
http://cckplanetblog.blogspot.com/2004_01_01_cckplanetblog_archive.html
To me they are all disasters of Nature except that some of them walk on legs and are mobile disaster generating machines. What great 'creations' those Bush-like idiots!
Monday, December 27, 2004
Jingle Bells
I received a mail from a site asking people to 'turn on their creative juices' and create/submit their own Christmas jingles. I did not submit the below to the site as it required another round of registration.
This is in Hanyu Pin Yin & to be sung to the tune of ‘Jingle Bells'.
Note: in Mandarin Christmas is known as 'Sheng Dan' which also sounds like 'laying eggs'.
(chorus)
Wo sheng dan, ni sheng dan
Wo men lai sheng dan
Ni yi li, wo yi li, da jia sheng ji li
Ren ni bu yao sheng, fan er yao sheng dan
Ni shuo hao xiao bu hao xiao?
Tong, tong yao sheng dan…
Hey! (chorus again)
This is in Hanyu Pin Yin & to be sung to the tune of ‘Jingle Bells'.
Note: in Mandarin Christmas is known as 'Sheng Dan' which also sounds like 'laying eggs'.
(chorus)
Wo sheng dan, ni sheng dan
Wo men lai sheng dan
Ni yi li, wo yi li, da jia sheng ji li
Ren ni bu yao sheng, fan er yao sheng dan
Ni shuo hao xiao bu hao xiao?
Tong, tong yao sheng dan…
Hey! (chorus again)
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Amazing!
Hi,
(The mail below is) Amazing! Before anyone thinks there's anything special with number 6, try the same with numbers 3, 8, or 9, or if with your left hand/leg. The morale of this is.... may be the below may help.
Happy Dong Zhi, Happy Diwali, Happy Saturnalia, Happy Novo Hel, Happy Yule, Happy Christmas. They all sound so different but you know what's common among them and which event is merely a 'hitch hiker'?
While you ponder, I will be short & simple: happy winter solstice to all.
As if it matters to people like me who stays near the Equator. But what the heck…
This is a series of quiz questions I gave my young nieces a week ago:
1. Why is polar bear white? I got the answer straight away.
2. Why is arctic fox white? Another fast reply
3. Why is Santa white? They kept quiet.
That’s the logical mind at work. Of course, that’s until some adult fools start mucking around with them in the name of ‘teachings’.
Rgds
CCK
xxx
Dear Friends
Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Seasons and Blessed Chistmas.
Right Brain vs. Left Brain
While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction and there's nothing you can do about it. This WILL drive you crazy. Enjoy!
Warmest regards,
Christopher Leong
(The mail below is) Amazing! Before anyone thinks there's anything special with number 6, try the same with numbers 3, 8, or 9, or if with your left hand/leg. The morale of this is.... may be the below may help.
Happy Dong Zhi, Happy Diwali, Happy Saturnalia, Happy Novo Hel, Happy Yule, Happy Christmas. They all sound so different but you know what's common among them and which event is merely a 'hitch hiker'?
While you ponder, I will be short & simple: happy winter solstice to all.
As if it matters to people like me who stays near the Equator. But what the heck…
This is a series of quiz questions I gave my young nieces a week ago:
1. Why is polar bear white? I got the answer straight away.
2. Why is arctic fox white? Another fast reply
3. Why is Santa white? They kept quiet.
That’s the logical mind at work. Of course, that’s until some adult fools start mucking around with them in the name of ‘teachings’.
Rgds
CCK
xxx
Dear Friends
Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Seasons and Blessed Chistmas.
Right Brain vs. Left Brain
While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction and there's nothing you can do about it. This WILL drive you crazy. Enjoy!
Warmest regards,
Christopher Leong
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Where Heroes Cometh...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4051755.stm
Forgotten hero of Bhopal's tragedy
By Faisal Mohammad Ali
BBC Hindi service, in Bhopal
Twenty years after the toxic gas leak at Bhopal in central India, BBC News reports on how casualties could have been much worse.
The daily express had been seen off from Bhopal and deputy station superintendent Ghulam Dastagir took charge of the night shift.
----
This 'forgotten hero' was created by the greed of an American company called Union Carbide. Of course, it was people and not a company that was involved but no one knows who/where the people that profited from the 'low cost' operation or caused the event are. That's the beauty of capitalism and the free market.
Heroes often rise out of great natural disasters or actions of supreme idiots (at the expense of many/other's innocent lives). And it seems a lot 'nicer' to talk about them than those sacrificed. Perhaps it is better to numb the fools among us than to enlighten them.
The same goes with the American 'heroes' fighting for Iraqi freedom you read about in some papers nowaday...
Forgotten hero of Bhopal's tragedy
By Faisal Mohammad Ali
BBC Hindi service, in Bhopal
Twenty years after the toxic gas leak at Bhopal in central India, BBC News reports on how casualties could have been much worse.
The daily express had been seen off from Bhopal and deputy station superintendent Ghulam Dastagir took charge of the night shift.
----
This 'forgotten hero' was created by the greed of an American company called Union Carbide. Of course, it was people and not a company that was involved but no one knows who/where the people that profited from the 'low cost' operation or caused the event are. That's the beauty of capitalism and the free market.
Heroes often rise out of great natural disasters or actions of supreme idiots (at the expense of many/other's innocent lives). And it seems a lot 'nicer' to talk about them than those sacrificed. Perhaps it is better to numb the fools among us than to enlighten them.
The same goes with the American 'heroes' fighting for Iraqi freedom you read about in some papers nowaday...
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
King Leopold's Soliloquoy
120 years ago, the Belgian King Leopold II wanted a share of the colonial feast happening across Africa.
At the Berlin Conference (colonial time’s equivalent of the G7 conference) where the Powers conducted ‘orderly’ distribution of rights to the various lands, the British (the superpower of that time) and Americans, against Germany’s protest, ‘gave’ Leopold the right to a piece of land 4 times the size of Germany around the Congo Basin.
The Germans and other European powers were obviously unhappy that their small time neighbour got more than them, to say the least. Leopold being a nephew of Victoria was an obvious consideration.
The British got around the German’s protest on the basis that the area previously occupied mainly by British colonists and under the dominion of an ‘association’ led by Leopold was a ‘de facto state under international law at that time’. Its formation therefore did not need recognition from other states.
The legal argument was for convenience of course. The others did not give in to that but Britain’s sheer power. Sounds like Iraq in the 21st century?
And to keep the French quiet, Leopold signed a treaty to give France ‘first right of preference’ to that property in event the ‘association alienated the natives’.
Leopold gave his ‘fiefdom’ a nice sounding name of Congo Free State, and publicly declared his mission was to free its people from slavery and promote free trade.
The reality as history recorded was of course somewhat different. There were riches to be extracted from Congo the same way it was from the other colonies, and the colonists were never accepted by the natives (otherwise known as insurgents and terrorists in the 21st century).
To ‘run’ the new state Leopold reportedly made use of British and African mercenaries (21st century Bushite term is 'security contractors') the most famous of which included one called Stanley (where Stanley Falls got its name) and another called Rhodes (where old Rhodesia, present day Zimbabwe, got its).
In the 25 years that ‘Congo Free State’ existed, 5 to 15 million out of the 11 to 30 million of the natives were killed – I guess the natives are not quite important enough for them to bother to account accurately (the population of present Belgium is 10 million).
Apparently (only if you believe this), this was not public knowledge for that long (by the way to present day fools, that period is 120 years) because the atrocities were not reported in the press because King Leopold reportedly ‘bought’ them off (i.e. paid them to keep quiet).
As the story went, the world only knew about Leopold’s big lie when a clerk working for a trading firm named Morel noticed that ship manifests from the ‘free state’ had goods going only one way i.e. goods like rubber, ivory and precious materials were shipped in large quantities to Europe but nothing flowed back (so much about free trade).
Some reports had it that Morel was backed by certain Liverpool traders that were left out of the lucrative trades and therefore wanted to spoil it. Hah, greed can save the world...
In his fight to gather public support for his mission to ‘expose’ Leopold’s lie, Morel asked Mark Twain for support resulting in the work known as King Leopold’s Soliloquy. Mark Twain was then already a renowned anti-imperialist fighting among others the US colonization of Philippines (only the first US colonial occupation outside the Americas).
For some reason, this work was refused publication by his publisher (you can try guessing why).
The beginning of Mark Twain’s work had Leopold holding to his Bible pronouncing his great holy endeavor of ‘saving’ the Congolese.
The inspiration for that was probably drawn from Leopold’s speech at the Berlin Conference where he said that the setup of the new state was “for the propagation of civilisation among the peoples of the Congo region by means of scientific exploration, legal trade and war against the 'Arabic' slave traders…To open to civilisation the only part of our globe which it has not yet penetrated, to pierce the darkness which hangs over entire peoples, is, I dare say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress."
So it seems that every century or so a new set of Leopold-like idiots would think they are the chosen ones out on a crusade. My 21st century name for them is Bush-like idiots - different name, same regenerate idiots.
Now, if we change a few names, actors and terms/notions here and there, the above story will be not unlike what is happening in places like Iraq today.
The powerful will occupy someone else’s land using notions like freedom, free trade and democracy, but in reality does it with the intent to extract its riches. Any opposition to that are labeled anything pest-like from insurgents to terrorists, and brushed aside by sheer force applied with the help of both mercenaries and colluding locals.
At the same time the seemingly noble notions that are their fronts are hyped up by so-called free press and publishers in the hope that they can convince enough foolhardy ones amongst and beyond them of the greatness of their endeavors for them to get away with it as long as they can.
In this way, an entire people or group of people and nations (like the present day Allies in Iraq) end up sharing the stolen riches brought home to a 'thieves paradise' they sometimes like to think is the result of the greatness of either their intellect, or system of government or belief.
The result of such a way of living is at best the hanging out of a few scapegoats as self-repentance once internal or external revulsion from the truth and sheer atrocity of their acts become all too obvious to hide. Llike poor Leopold who was blamed for the whole Congo Free State thing when in fact many like the British, French and of course Belgians were also key beneficiaries.
At worst, it results in disastrous wars with those powerful enough to fight them face to face for a share of the same riches as in the great wars of the last century – for many present day fools Germany not getting their ‘fair’ share in places like Congo is not a reason for those wars, it was merely evil Hitler-likes.
But, as always, it is the small guys that suffer most like the proverbial ants among fighting elephants.
It is they whose livelihood will be taken away and who will have to fight with whatever means at their disposal. To the ‘Powers’ they are like ants to the elephants – mere pests whose various other similar pest-like names (terrorists, insurgents etc.) are but convenient labels for the excuse to terminate them large scale without qualms, and whose deaths in the millions can be conveniently consigned to some corners of history where the fools of the world don’t venture.
At the Berlin Conference (colonial time’s equivalent of the G7 conference) where the Powers conducted ‘orderly’ distribution of rights to the various lands, the British (the superpower of that time) and Americans, against Germany’s protest, ‘gave’ Leopold the right to a piece of land 4 times the size of Germany around the Congo Basin.
The Germans and other European powers were obviously unhappy that their small time neighbour got more than them, to say the least. Leopold being a nephew of Victoria was an obvious consideration.
The British got around the German’s protest on the basis that the area previously occupied mainly by British colonists and under the dominion of an ‘association’ led by Leopold was a ‘de facto state under international law at that time’. Its formation therefore did not need recognition from other states.
The legal argument was for convenience of course. The others did not give in to that but Britain’s sheer power. Sounds like Iraq in the 21st century?
And to keep the French quiet, Leopold signed a treaty to give France ‘first right of preference’ to that property in event the ‘association alienated the natives’.
Leopold gave his ‘fiefdom’ a nice sounding name of Congo Free State, and publicly declared his mission was to free its people from slavery and promote free trade.
The reality as history recorded was of course somewhat different. There were riches to be extracted from Congo the same way it was from the other colonies, and the colonists were never accepted by the natives (otherwise known as insurgents and terrorists in the 21st century).
To ‘run’ the new state Leopold reportedly made use of British and African mercenaries (21st century Bushite term is 'security contractors') the most famous of which included one called Stanley (where Stanley Falls got its name) and another called Rhodes (where old Rhodesia, present day Zimbabwe, got its).
In the 25 years that ‘Congo Free State’ existed, 5 to 15 million out of the 11 to 30 million of the natives were killed – I guess the natives are not quite important enough for them to bother to account accurately (the population of present Belgium is 10 million).
Apparently (only if you believe this), this was not public knowledge for that long (by the way to present day fools, that period is 120 years) because the atrocities were not reported in the press because King Leopold reportedly ‘bought’ them off (i.e. paid them to keep quiet).
As the story went, the world only knew about Leopold’s big lie when a clerk working for a trading firm named Morel noticed that ship manifests from the ‘free state’ had goods going only one way i.e. goods like rubber, ivory and precious materials were shipped in large quantities to Europe but nothing flowed back (so much about free trade).
Some reports had it that Morel was backed by certain Liverpool traders that were left out of the lucrative trades and therefore wanted to spoil it. Hah, greed can save the world...
In his fight to gather public support for his mission to ‘expose’ Leopold’s lie, Morel asked Mark Twain for support resulting in the work known as King Leopold’s Soliloquy. Mark Twain was then already a renowned anti-imperialist fighting among others the US colonization of Philippines (only the first US colonial occupation outside the Americas).
For some reason, this work was refused publication by his publisher (you can try guessing why).
The beginning of Mark Twain’s work had Leopold holding to his Bible pronouncing his great holy endeavor of ‘saving’ the Congolese.
The inspiration for that was probably drawn from Leopold’s speech at the Berlin Conference where he said that the setup of the new state was “for the propagation of civilisation among the peoples of the Congo region by means of scientific exploration, legal trade and war against the 'Arabic' slave traders…To open to civilisation the only part of our globe which it has not yet penetrated, to pierce the darkness which hangs over entire peoples, is, I dare say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress."
So it seems that every century or so a new set of Leopold-like idiots would think they are the chosen ones out on a crusade. My 21st century name for them is Bush-like idiots - different name, same regenerate idiots.
Now, if we change a few names, actors and terms/notions here and there, the above story will be not unlike what is happening in places like Iraq today.
The powerful will occupy someone else’s land using notions like freedom, free trade and democracy, but in reality does it with the intent to extract its riches. Any opposition to that are labeled anything pest-like from insurgents to terrorists, and brushed aside by sheer force applied with the help of both mercenaries and colluding locals.
At the same time the seemingly noble notions that are their fronts are hyped up by so-called free press and publishers in the hope that they can convince enough foolhardy ones amongst and beyond them of the greatness of their endeavors for them to get away with it as long as they can.
In this way, an entire people or group of people and nations (like the present day Allies in Iraq) end up sharing the stolen riches brought home to a 'thieves paradise' they sometimes like to think is the result of the greatness of either their intellect, or system of government or belief.
The result of such a way of living is at best the hanging out of a few scapegoats as self-repentance once internal or external revulsion from the truth and sheer atrocity of their acts become all too obvious to hide. Llike poor Leopold who was blamed for the whole Congo Free State thing when in fact many like the British, French and of course Belgians were also key beneficiaries.
At worst, it results in disastrous wars with those powerful enough to fight them face to face for a share of the same riches as in the great wars of the last century – for many present day fools Germany not getting their ‘fair’ share in places like Congo is not a reason for those wars, it was merely evil Hitler-likes.
But, as always, it is the small guys that suffer most like the proverbial ants among fighting elephants.
It is they whose livelihood will be taken away and who will have to fight with whatever means at their disposal. To the ‘Powers’ they are like ants to the elephants – mere pests whose various other similar pest-like names (terrorists, insurgents etc.) are but convenient labels for the excuse to terminate them large scale without qualms, and whose deaths in the millions can be conveniently consigned to some corners of history where the fools of the world don’t venture.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Phantom Fury
The Americans call their latest effort at eliminating opposition in Fallujah to their occupation of Iraq operation 'Phantom Fury'. These may be reasons for that name:
1. This is another round of destruction based on the fictitious excuse of eliminating terrorists
2. the Bush-like idiots are genuinely furious at being opposed and they wanted a phantom excuse to kill some one
3. they hope that any anger they generate from this will disappear into thin air and they can get away with it another time
4. they genuinely think that the opposition is a bunch of misled idiots whose fury towards them are unjustified.
Phantomise it any which way you like, but may be these idiots really think the world is as simple as their religion teaches: they are good and all that's against them or react to what they do are evil, and they can do anything they like as theirs is a forgiving God and all they have to do is ask for forgiveness. Supreme idiots of a phantom world indeed.
Oh the phantom of Osama, may thee appear again for such idiots only understand your kind....
1. This is another round of destruction based on the fictitious excuse of eliminating terrorists
2. the Bush-like idiots are genuinely furious at being opposed and they wanted a phantom excuse to kill some one
3. they hope that any anger they generate from this will disappear into thin air and they can get away with it another time
4. they genuinely think that the opposition is a bunch of misled idiots whose fury towards them are unjustified.
Phantomise it any which way you like, but may be these idiots really think the world is as simple as their religion teaches: they are good and all that's against them or react to what they do are evil, and they can do anything they like as theirs is a forgiving God and all they have to do is ask for forgiveness. Supreme idiots of a phantom world indeed.
Oh the phantom of Osama, may thee appear again for such idiots only understand your kind....
Thursday, November 04, 2004
The History & Dynamics of Oil
http://www.geology.ucdavis.edu/~cowen/~GEL115/115CH13oil.html
Very good article about oil and hints on what happened around the world the last century like
- why Russia wants control of Chechya and Central Asia
- why Iraq whacked Kuwait
- why Libya is made an 'outcast'
- why China, Vietnam etc. wants the Spratlys
- why Venezuela claims America has a hand in its political turmoil
- why Bush whacks Iraq and Afghanistan
- why he wants to whack Iran
- why Australia 'saved' Timor
- how 'shares' of profits can be re-distributed by the powerful once they install rulers of their choice
The powerful manipulates everything/anything they can to their benefit. The world is a free market only to fools who know nothing of history and how things really work.
Very good article about oil and hints on what happened around the world the last century like
- why Russia wants control of Chechya and Central Asia
- why Iraq whacked Kuwait
- why Libya is made an 'outcast'
- why China, Vietnam etc. wants the Spratlys
- why Venezuela claims America has a hand in its political turmoil
- why Bush whacks Iraq and Afghanistan
- why he wants to whack Iran
- why Australia 'saved' Timor
- how 'shares' of profits can be re-distributed by the powerful once they install rulers of their choice
The powerful manipulates everything/anything they can to their benefit. The world is a free market only to fools who know nothing of history and how things really work.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Defining Moments
American Presidential Result due Tonight...
Apparently, idiot Bush entered politics after he was ‘saved’ from all his failures by a certain evangelist who made millions giving cheap surmons on TV. Since then he reportedly believed that he was chosen by God to do great things not just for America but the world. That is nothing new as we hear of such idiots every once a while all round the world after they have read a certain chapter in a certain book about ‘chosen people’. But what is different about idiot Bush is he soon got to lay his hands on many of the huge firepower that science had created, and that is worth someone doing something about it.
One of the biggest state where large numbers of Bush-like idiots are found is Texas which was where Bush began fulfilling his ‘calling’ by winning the governorship. He then went on to ‘define’ what Michael Moore called (roughly) a fictitious time where fictitious election results elect a fictitious president who starts fictitious wars using fictitious reasons.
Of course, Michael Moore cannot be fully correct. Yes, those Bush-like idiots cheated in Florida big time. But he also won in many other states like Texas which means that significant numbers of Americans wanted him to be there along with all the ‘fictions’.
But that is not new. Ever since the ‘great wars’ of the last century where making and selling war materiel is big business, that country had been hijacked by what Eisenhower famously called the ‘military industrial complex’ to wage war around the world based on a mix of fictitious concepts ranging from ‘free market’ to ‘freedom’ to ‘yellow threat’ in China, Korea and Vietnam to ‘evil empires’ from Central America to Africa to Middle East.
In the meantime, they do not just ignore but arrogantly refuse to work with the rest of the world on real challenges like global pollution, stability of the global financial system, poverty and hunger.
On top of that, every day we hear them brag about how great the American system and dream is and why everyone around the world should follow them.
In their fictional democracy where their choice of presidents can only come from two organizations, they claim that only their system can produce what people want & deserve.
Indeed the world should take them seriously and hence must make them accountable for everything they choose including their presidents and the ‘fictions’ they use to perpetuate the very real disasters we witness.
That is why today is such a defining moment for the world. You see, great idiots hijacking great inventions of science and reason like Bush can also produce defining moments of history.
And why I have 2 very different hopes depending on the outcome of today’s election.
One is the hope that Kerry will win simply because he has yet to proof as idiotic as Bush, and reason, humility and moderation (less greed) may have a chance to prevail.
The other is a much more sinister hope that if idiot Bush wins someone somewhere in the world will not adopt the Vietnamese’s Buddhist outlook where wallops are taken quietly at home and the plight accepted as fate.
There are many things the world can do if we think about it but one is and has to be to give to them what they do unto others.
The 100,000 families in Iraq which had lost someone they love in one year (that must surely beat Saddam Hussein's records), and the countless others in Afghanistan and elsewhere do not subscribe to the 6,000,000 dead Vietnamese’s concept of fate. Their belief is equally powerful and arrogant as that of idiot Bush which explains why they had been going at each other since about 500 years after an idiot by the name of Paul hijacked the Roman empire for purposes not unlike what idiot Bush and his TV evangelist is doing to America today.
If tonight is a defining moment in history, it can be one where hope, reason and decency prevails or one where the most sinister of actions will be taken to put all of God’s idiotic creations in their rightful place.
Many of us can only hope for the less stupid outcome. But even in the fictitious stories contained in the fictitious book of the Bush-like idiots, even the Gods can be crazily vengeful. They have no qualms about wiping out their entire creation by flood just to proof a point.
See The Story of Nolah http://cckplanetblog.blogspot.com/2004_01_01_cckplanetblog_archive.html
So, what is the big deal with Osama blowing away a few buildings? At least, this guy has the decency to be honest with why he did it. No high-horse cowboy bullshit about the likes of 'freeing' others by killing their loved ones.
Apparently, idiot Bush entered politics after he was ‘saved’ from all his failures by a certain evangelist who made millions giving cheap surmons on TV. Since then he reportedly believed that he was chosen by God to do great things not just for America but the world. That is nothing new as we hear of such idiots every once a while all round the world after they have read a certain chapter in a certain book about ‘chosen people’. But what is different about idiot Bush is he soon got to lay his hands on many of the huge firepower that science had created, and that is worth someone doing something about it.
One of the biggest state where large numbers of Bush-like idiots are found is Texas which was where Bush began fulfilling his ‘calling’ by winning the governorship. He then went on to ‘define’ what Michael Moore called (roughly) a fictitious time where fictitious election results elect a fictitious president who starts fictitious wars using fictitious reasons.
Of course, Michael Moore cannot be fully correct. Yes, those Bush-like idiots cheated in Florida big time. But he also won in many other states like Texas which means that significant numbers of Americans wanted him to be there along with all the ‘fictions’.
But that is not new. Ever since the ‘great wars’ of the last century where making and selling war materiel is big business, that country had been hijacked by what Eisenhower famously called the ‘military industrial complex’ to wage war around the world based on a mix of fictitious concepts ranging from ‘free market’ to ‘freedom’ to ‘yellow threat’ in China, Korea and Vietnam to ‘evil empires’ from Central America to Africa to Middle East.
In the meantime, they do not just ignore but arrogantly refuse to work with the rest of the world on real challenges like global pollution, stability of the global financial system, poverty and hunger.
On top of that, every day we hear them brag about how great the American system and dream is and why everyone around the world should follow them.
In their fictional democracy where their choice of presidents can only come from two organizations, they claim that only their system can produce what people want & deserve.
Indeed the world should take them seriously and hence must make them accountable for everything they choose including their presidents and the ‘fictions’ they use to perpetuate the very real disasters we witness.
That is why today is such a defining moment for the world. You see, great idiots hijacking great inventions of science and reason like Bush can also produce defining moments of history.
And why I have 2 very different hopes depending on the outcome of today’s election.
One is the hope that Kerry will win simply because he has yet to proof as idiotic as Bush, and reason, humility and moderation (less greed) may have a chance to prevail.
The other is a much more sinister hope that if idiot Bush wins someone somewhere in the world will not adopt the Vietnamese’s Buddhist outlook where wallops are taken quietly at home and the plight accepted as fate.
There are many things the world can do if we think about it but one is and has to be to give to them what they do unto others.
The 100,000 families in Iraq which had lost someone they love in one year (that must surely beat Saddam Hussein's records), and the countless others in Afghanistan and elsewhere do not subscribe to the 6,000,000 dead Vietnamese’s concept of fate. Their belief is equally powerful and arrogant as that of idiot Bush which explains why they had been going at each other since about 500 years after an idiot by the name of Paul hijacked the Roman empire for purposes not unlike what idiot Bush and his TV evangelist is doing to America today.
If tonight is a defining moment in history, it can be one where hope, reason and decency prevails or one where the most sinister of actions will be taken to put all of God’s idiotic creations in their rightful place.
Many of us can only hope for the less stupid outcome. But even in the fictitious stories contained in the fictitious book of the Bush-like idiots, even the Gods can be crazily vengeful. They have no qualms about wiping out their entire creation by flood just to proof a point.
See The Story of Nolah http://cckplanetblog.blogspot.com/2004_01_01_cckplanetblog_archive.html
So, what is the big deal with Osama blowing away a few buildings? At least, this guy has the decency to be honest with why he did it. No high-horse cowboy bullshit about the likes of 'freeing' others by killing their loved ones.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
The Advantage of Power
When all other countries get into financial/economic difficulties, the IMF goes in to help by telling them to 'put their own house in order'. But for the Americans it is different. When they run out of money or their currency run the risk of being overtaken by others as global base, they go whack/rob others like Iraq. If that still does not work, the IMF goes round the world to blame anyone they can for their problems. What a great country! They print money for nothing, whack others who do not want to use it to keep it artificially high, give some to some cheap Asian economist to work in the IMF, and this idiot says what their paymaster wants.
A few years ago when I told a man in a petrol kiosk that the USD will fall with the advent of the Euro, he told me not to worry as the USD will always 'retain its value' because it is backed by gold. I told him that he is more than 30 years behind time – Nixon dumped Bretton Woods in the early 70s.
I wonder how many other fools there are out there living with false notions like that....
xxx
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)
The International Monetary Fund has warned China that the cost of maintaining its fixed currency regime was mounting and argued for a widening of the trading band on the yuan by 10 percent to 15 percent to stave off pressures on its giant economy.
"I think the cost of maintaining the exchange rate regime is going to be large and will grow over time -- which is why I think there is an argument for a quick move," IMF's China division chief Eswar Prasad said.
The Chinese yuan, which is fixed to the US dollar, is currently considered grossly undervalued and the United States, Japan, and the European Union have been groaning under the weight of cheap Chinese exports. The IMF has been prodding China for sometime to swiftly adopt a flexible currency regime – like widening the band in which it allows the currency to trade against the dollar -- but Beijing says the time is not ripe yet.
Prasad, answering questions from experts at a conference in Washington on East Asian exchange rate issues, said it was more feasible for China to adopt flexibility in managing the yuan than launching a radical revaluation of the currency.
The yuan, also known as the renminbi and now pegged at 8.27 to the US dollar, is currently anchored in a narrow band to the dollar enforced by the Peoples Bank of China. This range is considered too weak by many financial observers. But Prasad indicated that China had to literally pay the price for not heeding IMF advice to it about a year and half ago to widen the band by some three to five percent. "I think under present circumstances that could be disastrous because the market might see that as clearly inappropriate and just as a first step. But I think the price of having waited this long – the initial move is going to have to be much larger," he said. Now, because of greater pressures to its economy, if China wanted to widen the band, it should do so by, say, 10 to 15 percent, he said.
US President George W. Bush has been talking up the currency issue ahead of the November 2 election, charging that the yuan rate had kept China's exports artificially cheap, undermining US exports and stealing American jobs. Bush telephoned Chinese President Hu Jintao this month to underline his concerns and Hu vowed to "move forward firmly and steadily to a market-based, flexible exchange rate," according to the White House.
China's top finance and central bank officials were invited for the first time to attend this month's meeting of finance chiefs from the Group of Seven industrial powers at the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank annual meeting in Washington. G7 members again pressed for a freer yuan regime but the Chinese officials again offered no timetable, saying they would act "when conditions permit."
A free-floating Chinese yuan, according to some analysts, could boost US exports and thereby help reduce the massive US current account deficit, which has contributed to imbalances in the global economy. Ernest Preeg of US policy research group Manufacturers Alliance said 19 bills expressing concern over "currency manipulation" by China and other East Asian economies were before Congress, warning that they could be integrated into single legislative action.
Some experts at the conference suggested that the yuan be first revalued upwards by 25 percent and then be traded on a wider band. But Prasad said it might not be appropriate. He argued that just a 10 percent to 15 percent widening of the trading band would not lead to excessive market pressure on the currency. "As far as possible, the market will think that once this amount of widening is permitted, that there really is going to be nothing more," he said. "After all, if the Chinese can hold the exchange rate where it is right now when the presumption that it is undervalued by 25 percent or 40 percent or more, they can very easily hold it at 15 percent," he said.
A few years ago when I told a man in a petrol kiosk that the USD will fall with the advent of the Euro, he told me not to worry as the USD will always 'retain its value' because it is backed by gold. I told him that he is more than 30 years behind time – Nixon dumped Bretton Woods in the early 70s.
I wonder how many other fools there are out there living with false notions like that....
xxx
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)
The International Monetary Fund has warned China that the cost of maintaining its fixed currency regime was mounting and argued for a widening of the trading band on the yuan by 10 percent to 15 percent to stave off pressures on its giant economy.
"I think the cost of maintaining the exchange rate regime is going to be large and will grow over time -- which is why I think there is an argument for a quick move," IMF's China division chief Eswar Prasad said.
The Chinese yuan, which is fixed to the US dollar, is currently considered grossly undervalued and the United States, Japan, and the European Union have been groaning under the weight of cheap Chinese exports. The IMF has been prodding China for sometime to swiftly adopt a flexible currency regime – like widening the band in which it allows the currency to trade against the dollar -- but Beijing says the time is not ripe yet.
Prasad, answering questions from experts at a conference in Washington on East Asian exchange rate issues, said it was more feasible for China to adopt flexibility in managing the yuan than launching a radical revaluation of the currency.
The yuan, also known as the renminbi and now pegged at 8.27 to the US dollar, is currently anchored in a narrow band to the dollar enforced by the Peoples Bank of China. This range is considered too weak by many financial observers. But Prasad indicated that China had to literally pay the price for not heeding IMF advice to it about a year and half ago to widen the band by some three to five percent. "I think under present circumstances that could be disastrous because the market might see that as clearly inappropriate and just as a first step. But I think the price of having waited this long – the initial move is going to have to be much larger," he said. Now, because of greater pressures to its economy, if China wanted to widen the band, it should do so by, say, 10 to 15 percent, he said.
US President George W. Bush has been talking up the currency issue ahead of the November 2 election, charging that the yuan rate had kept China's exports artificially cheap, undermining US exports and stealing American jobs. Bush telephoned Chinese President Hu Jintao this month to underline his concerns and Hu vowed to "move forward firmly and steadily to a market-based, flexible exchange rate," according to the White House.
China's top finance and central bank officials were invited for the first time to attend this month's meeting of finance chiefs from the Group of Seven industrial powers at the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank annual meeting in Washington. G7 members again pressed for a freer yuan regime but the Chinese officials again offered no timetable, saying they would act "when conditions permit."
A free-floating Chinese yuan, according to some analysts, could boost US exports and thereby help reduce the massive US current account deficit, which has contributed to imbalances in the global economy. Ernest Preeg of US policy research group Manufacturers Alliance said 19 bills expressing concern over "currency manipulation" by China and other East Asian economies were before Congress, warning that they could be integrated into single legislative action.
Some experts at the conference suggested that the yuan be first revalued upwards by 25 percent and then be traded on a wider band. But Prasad said it might not be appropriate. He argued that just a 10 percent to 15 percent widening of the trading band would not lead to excessive market pressure on the currency. "As far as possible, the market will think that once this amount of widening is permitted, that there really is going to be nothing more," he said. "After all, if the Chinese can hold the exchange rate where it is right now when the presumption that it is undervalued by 25 percent or 40 percent or more, they can very easily hold it at 15 percent," he said.
Monday, October 11, 2004
Monkey
This joke highlights the dangers when one follows what others say without thinking & verifying for oneself before believing/acting (some also call that faith for convenience).
Another example of this is a real life story. A couple of months back, I was having breakfast at a coffee shop. It consisted of a cup of tea, 2 slices of bread and 2 half boiled eggs. I got a seat opposite to an elderly Malay man who was probably close to 80. The sight of me relishing the half boiled eggs, triggered his appetite and probably some long gone memories, and he said to me "I'll go get some eggs too".
After he came back with his eggs he told me that he was afraid of taking eggs because of all the talk about high cholesterol.
To which I gave him my usual views about how many people take things out of context esp. the unthinking ones.
I told him that many foods have high cholesterol if you take them out of proportion e.g. beef that the Westerners eat by pounds per day! Their doctors' recommendation not to take more than a few eggs a day was meant for these people who are already eating too much. But which Asian that does not ape these people does eat meat by a quarter of pound per meal?
On top of that, as far as I can recall, eggs had been a traditionally recognised nutritious staple for Asians, and parents used to make sure their young ones have them daily. And what other natural food has the ability to sustain a young life all on its own? Eggs got to be rich in nutrients to be able to do that.
The old man agreed by saying "ya ah, my father used to have eggs every morning without fail and he lived to 110 years!"
I said "there, that's proof that all the fears you had are unfounded".
The 2 of us laughed as we enjoyed those eggs and wondered aloud how many of us will get to live to the ripe old age of that pak cik's father.
And I wondered how many fools there are out there who will say that they won't touch eggs but will gobble down a bottle of coke without question (like the stupid Americans who drink them by litres everyday).
And that thing does not even carry an expiry date! For such fools, that probably means it is proof of a great product!
One day I will tell you another story of a stupid American woman who sends a chain mail complaining about soya beans and her cancer....
xxx
From: Dion Wan
Re: Monkey
There was once a hat-seller who passed by a forest on his way back. The weather was very hot and he decided to take a nap under one of the trees, so he left his whole basket of hats by the side. A few hours later, he woke up by some sounds. The next thing he realized was that all his hats was gone.
Then he heard some monkeys on top of the tree and he looked up. To his surprise, the tree was full of monkeys. They have taken all his hats!
The hat-seller sits down and tries to think of how he can get the hats down. He started to think and scratched his head. The next moment, he realised that the monkeys were doing the same action. Next, he took his own hat and fan himself. The monkeys did exactly the same!
An idea strikes him - he took his hat and threw it on the floor. And, the monkeys did the same too. Alas, he managed to get all his hats back.
Fifty years later, his grandson also became a hat-seller and had heard this monkey story from his grandfather. One day, just like his grandfather, he passed by the same forest. Feeling very hot, he took a nap under the same tree and left the hats on the floor. Again, when he woke up, he realised that all the hats were gone. He looked up and found that the monkeys had taken all his hats. Remembering what his grandfather had told him, he started scratching his head and the monkeys followed. He took down his hat and fanned himself and again the monkeys followed.
Now, very convinced of his grandfather's idea, he threw his hat on the floor ... but to his surprise, the monkeys still held on to all the hats!
Then one monkey climbed down the tree, grabbed the hat on the floor, gave him a slap and said "You think only you have grandfather meh........???!!!"
Another example of this is a real life story. A couple of months back, I was having breakfast at a coffee shop. It consisted of a cup of tea, 2 slices of bread and 2 half boiled eggs. I got a seat opposite to an elderly Malay man who was probably close to 80. The sight of me relishing the half boiled eggs, triggered his appetite and probably some long gone memories, and he said to me "I'll go get some eggs too".
After he came back with his eggs he told me that he was afraid of taking eggs because of all the talk about high cholesterol.
To which I gave him my usual views about how many people take things out of context esp. the unthinking ones.
I told him that many foods have high cholesterol if you take them out of proportion e.g. beef that the Westerners eat by pounds per day! Their doctors' recommendation not to take more than a few eggs a day was meant for these people who are already eating too much. But which Asian that does not ape these people does eat meat by a quarter of pound per meal?
On top of that, as far as I can recall, eggs had been a traditionally recognised nutritious staple for Asians, and parents used to make sure their young ones have them daily. And what other natural food has the ability to sustain a young life all on its own? Eggs got to be rich in nutrients to be able to do that.
The old man agreed by saying "ya ah, my father used to have eggs every morning without fail and he lived to 110 years!"
I said "there, that's proof that all the fears you had are unfounded".
The 2 of us laughed as we enjoyed those eggs and wondered aloud how many of us will get to live to the ripe old age of that pak cik's father.
And I wondered how many fools there are out there who will say that they won't touch eggs but will gobble down a bottle of coke without question (like the stupid Americans who drink them by litres everyday).
And that thing does not even carry an expiry date! For such fools, that probably means it is proof of a great product!
One day I will tell you another story of a stupid American woman who sends a chain mail complaining about soya beans and her cancer....
xxx
From: Dion Wan
Re: Monkey
There was once a hat-seller who passed by a forest on his way back. The weather was very hot and he decided to take a nap under one of the trees, so he left his whole basket of hats by the side. A few hours later, he woke up by some sounds. The next thing he realized was that all his hats was gone.
Then he heard some monkeys on top of the tree and he looked up. To his surprise, the tree was full of monkeys. They have taken all his hats!
The hat-seller sits down and tries to think of how he can get the hats down. He started to think and scratched his head. The next moment, he realised that the monkeys were doing the same action. Next, he took his own hat and fan himself. The monkeys did exactly the same!
An idea strikes him - he took his hat and threw it on the floor. And, the monkeys did the same too. Alas, he managed to get all his hats back.
Fifty years later, his grandson also became a hat-seller and had heard this monkey story from his grandfather. One day, just like his grandfather, he passed by the same forest. Feeling very hot, he took a nap under the same tree and left the hats on the floor. Again, when he woke up, he realised that all the hats were gone. He looked up and found that the monkeys had taken all his hats. Remembering what his grandfather had told him, he started scratching his head and the monkeys followed. He took down his hat and fanned himself and again the monkeys followed.
Now, very convinced of his grandfather's idea, he threw his hat on the floor ... but to his surprise, the monkeys still held on to all the hats!
Then one monkey climbed down the tree, grabbed the hat on the floor, gave him a slap and said "You think only you have grandfather meh........???!!!"
Friday, October 08, 2004
Another Hour of the.....
This is what happens when 1 set of idiots think that they are special children of God and has a God given right to forcibly take others' land by any means possible, meets another set of idiots that think that they are serving God's purposes regardless of the means they employ to get back at the 1st set of idiots. And nature is such that when 2 sets of idiots are involved nothing gets resolved for as long as they exist.
I was once told that the books that these idiots follow seem to have a 'good' effect on their believers. Clearly that goodness has yet to take effect despite the passage of a couple of thousand years.
I guess that's OK as a century is only a short time as far as their Gods are concerned....
xxx
TABA, Egypt (AFP)
At least 26 people were killed and scores injured when car bombs exploded at resorts packed with Israeli holidaymakers on the Red Sea coast of Egypt's Sinai desert in attacks Israel blamed on Al-Qaeda.
The most powerful of the explosions late Thursday left a trail of carnage and destruction at the 10-storey Hilton hotel in Taba, a town just across the Israeli border, that hosted Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in 2001.
"According to our first information, it appears to be an international terror attack with the hallmarks of Al-Qaeda," said Israel's deputy defence minister, Zeev Boim. The explosions occurred as Israelis were celebrating the end of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, and followed official warnings that Israelis should keep out of the Sinai because of possible attacks.
I was once told that the books that these idiots follow seem to have a 'good' effect on their believers. Clearly that goodness has yet to take effect despite the passage of a couple of thousand years.
I guess that's OK as a century is only a short time as far as their Gods are concerned....
xxx
TABA, Egypt (AFP)
At least 26 people were killed and scores injured when car bombs exploded at resorts packed with Israeli holidaymakers on the Red Sea coast of Egypt's Sinai desert in attacks Israel blamed on Al-Qaeda.
The most powerful of the explosions late Thursday left a trail of carnage and destruction at the 10-storey Hilton hotel in Taba, a town just across the Israeli border, that hosted Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in 2001.
"According to our first information, it appears to be an international terror attack with the hallmarks of Al-Qaeda," said Israel's deputy defence minister, Zeev Boim. The explosions occurred as Israelis were celebrating the end of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, and followed official warnings that Israelis should keep out of the Sinai because of possible attacks.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Immaterial
Interesting article which reminds me of one thing.
According to the writer, people's top wish just before they die always relate to topic of play or regrets of not enough of that on earth. But they did not mention/notice that people of certain religion(s) wish they could die faster (or has such regret) even though by their faiths they are quite sure they will soon be spending time with God which I suppose is a privilege.
I am talking about those whose faith gives them the gall to proclaim quite unbrazenly in obituaries that they have been 'called back to be with the Lord' when they die.
If one is so cock sure that God wants him/her to be on Him, I would think that one will be most eager to go and be with such exalted company without regrets!
After all, their relatives will be joining them there in a matter of time anyway. And like their faiths say, they shall have a great time together throughout eternity in the company of the Big Boss!
xxx
Re: Immaterial?
From: Chung Meng
When it's your time to go, what will you be taking with you ... really?
According to the writer, people's top wish just before they die always relate to topic of play or regrets of not enough of that on earth. But they did not mention/notice that people of certain religion(s) wish they could die faster (or has such regret) even though by their faiths they are quite sure they will soon be spending time with God which I suppose is a privilege.
I am talking about those whose faith gives them the gall to proclaim quite unbrazenly in obituaries that they have been 'called back to be with the Lord' when they die.
If one is so cock sure that God wants him/her to be on Him, I would think that one will be most eager to go and be with such exalted company without regrets!
After all, their relatives will be joining them there in a matter of time anyway. And like their faiths say, they shall have a great time together throughout eternity in the company of the Big Boss!
xxx
Re: Immaterial?
From: Chung Meng
When it's your time to go, what will you be taking with you ... really?
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