In the recent National Day Rally by our Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong has put forth certain ideas and plans to further improve our sophisticated education system that is recognised worldwide.
In tune with his aims to ensure that every Singaporean child has the opportunity to receive top-rated education and develop their personal talents into useful aspects that are beneficial to Singapore's economy. He has worked out a the policy of 4 more 'mores':the freedom for principals and teachers to experiment with, resourcess for the schools to make use of, opporunities for needy students to get aid from the Opportunity Funds and last of all, the policy of less teaching and more learning, all with the main purpose of accomplising the aims set by the governmment. This has been proven to be success in some schools such as Mayflower Primary School and Jurong Secondary School where learning have taken on a very different route, an interactive one that engages most of the students in the class. I believe that this is realistic as it has already proven its validity and the only task left is to spread it to all schools nationwide as there may be certain ones that are unable to instill this type of teaching style in fullfledge yet. It is important to the fture of Singapore because in the present society, one must not only possess knowledge in a particular field but a large scope of other skills such as presentation skills and being IT literate are important ones that are able to unvealed through this type of learning methods.
In addition, a couple of language special programmes are proposed by the PM to promote the idea of a third language to be taken up by students. Although incentives such as additional bonus points may be given to get more support for the programmes, the motive is a good one. Learning an additonal language would mean a new door being opened to another culture of our diversed society. It will definitely aid the students in appreciating the cultures and beliefs of their friends and the racious harmony that we enjoy today. Although the process will be difficult, the results it reaps will benefit the country as a whole evntually.
Lastly, the decision by MOE to start a new university by the end of 2010 is to fulfill their last aim in terms of education policies, to get every student into post-secondary education and as many as possible into tertiary instituitions and eventually increasing the percentages of graduates from the present 23% to 30% per cohort into publicly funded universities by the year 2015 which is 8 years from now. This seems like a feasible plan to increase the number of graduates in the society which increases the competiveness of the workforce in this ever globalising world where you can only be the best if you are always n front of the rest. However, there are certain disadventages too. This may result in a large pool of graduates without the required quality and sufficient career opportunites, backfiring the fundamental aim to increase competiveness. But, as long as the quality is maintained at the required standard, there should not be any big problems. Then, the only concern will be with the graduates or other higher levels of education aboard.
In conclusion, all the plans put forward by Mr Lee are just as important as any other economic policies as it concerns the future generation of Singpore, the ones that will bring Singapore to greater heights and i believe that they were succeed under the close and precise planning of the present government.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Political and socio-economic impacts of the demograhpic changes
In the world today, we observe major demographic changes such as the ever-increasing world population and literacy rates of women, the decrease in the feritility rates and natural resources dramatically. And of course, these must have cerain degree of impacts on the dfferent aspects of the world, and most significantly on both the political and socio-economic aspects.
As the literacy rates of women increases over the centuries, so does their social status in the societies. They are also playing their role in sustaining and improving the economies of many countries, on the other hand, they are too upholding their most traditional role, as mothers and guardians of the home. However, those that are achieving the success of fulfilling both the criterias of both roles are decreasing. There are only a handful that are able to handle both in the balance. On the other hand, they are also focusing their energies solely on the careers of their interests and thus putting the idea of having babies and even marrying at the back of their minds. This trend shared between the women all over the world are indirectly causing fertility rates to decrase dramatically and the replacement rates to fall behind the expected figures.
Furthermore, the increasing technological advancement in both developing and developed countries are causing environmental problems throughout the world such global warming and the emission of greenhouse gases. This is resulting in many health problems and dramatic change in climate all over the world albeit it is churning huge amounts of returns which are improving the economies globally, raising the standards of living and reducing the percentages of people living in poverty and with less then US$1 a day.
Therefore, in conclusion, there are always drawbacks in certain decisions we make, and governments and the citizens and occupants of the world must thus make a decision between soaring economies, higher standards of living and everyone of us possessing equal rights with the condtions of our environment and aging populations that may result in our extinction centuries down the road.
As the literacy rates of women increases over the centuries, so does their social status in the societies. They are also playing their role in sustaining and improving the economies of many countries, on the other hand, they are too upholding their most traditional role, as mothers and guardians of the home. However, those that are achieving the success of fulfilling both the criterias of both roles are decreasing. There are only a handful that are able to handle both in the balance. On the other hand, they are also focusing their energies solely on the careers of their interests and thus putting the idea of having babies and even marrying at the back of their minds. This trend shared between the women all over the world are indirectly causing fertility rates to decrase dramatically and the replacement rates to fall behind the expected figures.
Furthermore, the increasing technological advancement in both developing and developed countries are causing environmental problems throughout the world such global warming and the emission of greenhouse gases. This is resulting in many health problems and dramatic change in climate all over the world albeit it is churning huge amounts of returns which are improving the economies globally, raising the standards of living and reducing the percentages of people living in poverty and with less then US$1 a day.
Therefore, in conclusion, there are always drawbacks in certain decisions we make, and governments and the citizens and occupants of the world must thus make a decision between soaring economies, higher standards of living and everyone of us possessing equal rights with the condtions of our environment and aging populations that may result in our extinction centuries down the road.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The hidden voices within Singaporeans
So much have happened in the past 42 years since Singapore's independence in 1965, many have gone through much, especially the older generations. They have seen the evolution of a 'kampong glam' into a vibrant city which is of world class standard. The success is great, and of course there will be stories leading up to them and the people that made it happen. Yet, only those with enough capital and influence were able to have their stories and experiences known and taken as educational purposes of the history of Singapore. What we are forgetting are the normal people that have lived through that period too. Their experience must not be left out too, theirs is as valuable as those in the memoirs of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
Take Mr Rudy Mosbergen, who was mentioned by the author for example, he was just another Singporean living in Sinapore who have gone through the evolution process too, yet the only way he could share his experiences with are the people that he come close with. He, unlike popular people who have their personal memoirs published, did not do anything so significant to aid in the economic progress of Singapore, but he contributed in another important aspect of the country too, the part of being there and participating in supporting the policies drafted out by the leaders.
Therefore, it would be good if more writers and directors will be more willing to go down to general masses level to get more insightful stories of the everyday lives of Singaporeans in the past and at present. I strongly believe that it will add more vibrancy to our lives and allow us to appreciate the things that are happening around us.
Take Mr Rudy Mosbergen, who was mentioned by the author for example, he was just another Singporean living in Sinapore who have gone through the evolution process too, yet the only way he could share his experiences with are the people that he come close with. He, unlike popular people who have their personal memoirs published, did not do anything so significant to aid in the economic progress of Singapore, but he contributed in another important aspect of the country too, the part of being there and participating in supporting the policies drafted out by the leaders.
Therefore, it would be good if more writers and directors will be more willing to go down to general masses level to get more insightful stories of the everyday lives of Singaporeans in the past and at present. I strongly believe that it will add more vibrancy to our lives and allow us to appreciate the things that are happening around us.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Career demands:are they destroying marriages? Commentary on winner's blog)
There were a few points brought up by the commentor, he believes that it is important for the government to impose laws, organise activities for the family as a whole to furhter improve the relations between the family members and for employers to allow flexible working hours for their employees so that they will be able to enjoy quality time with their family to increase the time spent with the family.
Although i agree with him that human is the only resource that Singapore has to rely on and its role in the country is significant in helping to maintain her competiviness in the global market such that our lives must be complete and not in a mess, ibeg to differ in his suggestions to solve these problems.
An occupation is a job that keeps the family in perfect conditions and the family intact. Time should be found to spend with the family outside working hours which may have better results than some who spents lots of time together quarreling. It doesn't help much in improving relationships either. Furthermore, some occuptaions such as white-collared and blue-collared just cannot have flexible working hours to compromise the employees or it would mean the standstill of Singapore's economy. The government can take the initiative to organise more events for the family but it is up to the family member to find time to spent with his/her family. He/she cannot rely solely on her/his employer to change the working hours just for her to spent time enjoying quality time with her family. It just sounds ridiculous.
There are many factors leading to the breakup of marriages and careers are just some excuses to cover the underlying meanings.
Blog:Aw Mun Khay (32/07)
Although i agree with him that human is the only resource that Singapore has to rely on and its role in the country is significant in helping to maintain her competiviness in the global market such that our lives must be complete and not in a mess, ibeg to differ in his suggestions to solve these problems.
An occupation is a job that keeps the family in perfect conditions and the family intact. Time should be found to spend with the family outside working hours which may have better results than some who spents lots of time together quarreling. It doesn't help much in improving relationships either. Furthermore, some occuptaions such as white-collared and blue-collared just cannot have flexible working hours to compromise the employees or it would mean the standstill of Singapore's economy. The government can take the initiative to organise more events for the family but it is up to the family member to find time to spent with his/her family. He/she cannot rely solely on her/his employer to change the working hours just for her to spent time enjoying quality time with her family. It just sounds ridiculous.
There are many factors leading to the breakup of marriages and careers are just some excuses to cover the underlying meanings.
Blog:Aw Mun Khay (32/07)
Capital Punishment: To abolish or keep it?
I am for the death penalty if it is applied to serious offenders like serial killers, which causes mayhem in the society and jeopardy in the lives of the people.
The most important purpose of the death penalty is to deter many criminals-to-be from committing murder, preventing recidivism and avoid the unnecessary use of the taxpayers’ money on cold-blooded murderers. Furthermore, the killing of a murderer may save at least one more live that is more worthy than the murderer as the quality of the life saved is often compared to be superior than that of the live being taken. During desperate situations like that, we will have to accept the fact that it is more beneficial to the larger community and we just have to overcome the sense of unpleasantness of taking the live of another.
However, what really justifies a death penalty? Evidences that the police finds at the crime scene? Sometimes, the accused may be so unfortunate that the evidences are also not helping him at all but instead convicting him of his crime. Furthermore, the death penalty is irreversible, a wrong execution carried out may mean an innocent live lost. On the other hand, increasing the degree of punishment may result in more resistance in the capturing process that may possibly be at the expense of more innocent lives.
In conclusion, although there is the death penalty to help in the deterring of crimes, the community must also fight for the prevention of crime and against torturing of the inmates to get information from them or even force them to “change over”. Therefore, as the police forces deters crimes by capital punishment, the masses should also play their part in reducing the percentages of crime rates in their respective states.
The most important purpose of the death penalty is to deter many criminals-to-be from committing murder, preventing recidivism and avoid the unnecessary use of the taxpayers’ money on cold-blooded murderers. Furthermore, the killing of a murderer may save at least one more live that is more worthy than the murderer as the quality of the life saved is often compared to be superior than that of the live being taken. During desperate situations like that, we will have to accept the fact that it is more beneficial to the larger community and we just have to overcome the sense of unpleasantness of taking the live of another.
However, what really justifies a death penalty? Evidences that the police finds at the crime scene? Sometimes, the accused may be so unfortunate that the evidences are also not helping him at all but instead convicting him of his crime. Furthermore, the death penalty is irreversible, a wrong execution carried out may mean an innocent live lost. On the other hand, increasing the degree of punishment may result in more resistance in the capturing process that may possibly be at the expense of more innocent lives.
In conclusion, although there is the death penalty to help in the deterring of crimes, the community must also fight for the prevention of crime and against torturing of the inmates to get information from them or even force them to “change over”. Therefore, as the police forces deters crimes by capital punishment, the masses should also play their part in reducing the percentages of crime rates in their respective states.
Investigating the causes of some international conflicts
Apart from living on the same planet, many of us have countless beliefs and perceptions that are different in a way or another from the people that are around us. Some of the differences as mentioned by the writer of the article are the cultural, religious and political differences. And for most of the times, these differences we have from each group of people may be the fundamentals for prolonged conflicts like those in the Middle East and some parts of Europe and it may even turn out to be amusing to the other parties that are exposed to the cultures and behaviors of a particular group of people.
On the other hand, international conflicts that occur between nations and groups of different civilizations leave us to ponder upon the factors leading to an outbreak of a full scale war. Furthermore, the widening of the income gap between the different levels of people in a society contributes to the tension of it too. As pointed out by the write, it is not only in Islam and Indonesia that internal conflict can be observed, it happens on a worldwide scale which consists of superpowers such as the U,S and Russia in the diverse aspects of a society such as economic, politics and industries.
In conclusion, although there are many aspects pertaining to the cause of the conflicts, many of which boils down to differences, we have to learn to accept and compromise a belief or a culture that is totally different from ours to be able to stop all the conflicts and decrease the complexity of certain issues.
On the other hand, international conflicts that occur between nations and groups of different civilizations leave us to ponder upon the factors leading to an outbreak of a full scale war. Furthermore, the widening of the income gap between the different levels of people in a society contributes to the tension of it too. As pointed out by the write, it is not only in Islam and Indonesia that internal conflict can be observed, it happens on a worldwide scale which consists of superpowers such as the U,S and Russia in the diverse aspects of a society such as economic, politics and industries.
In conclusion, although there are many aspects pertaining to the cause of the conflicts, many of which boils down to differences, we have to learn to accept and compromise a belief or a culture that is totally different from ours to be able to stop all the conflicts and decrease the complexity of certain issues.
Visits to the Yasukuni war shrine- Respectful or a preview to chaos?
62 years after the second World War, grudges against the Japanese still lingers in the air, especially with their present Prime Minister still visiting the shrine as he had promised the members of the Association of War Bereaved Families to gather more supports for himself.
The shrine honors war criminals from the war, among which are 14 Class A War Criminals and is often seen as a symbol of the Japanese military aggression. However, it is made known to Japan that it is all right for Prime Minister Koizumi to visit the shrine but not his purpose in doing so by China and South Korea. Furthermore, his fellow countrymen are also not supporting him in this decision of his.
If this carries on and he holds on the post as Prime Minister for a second term in the upcoming elections to be held in September, Japan and the neighboring countries may run into some problems with regards to their economic and political relationships. Being one of the most developed countries in the world, Japan requires the backing of the other countries, especially those in Asia and vice versa for the region to prosper. With weak economic ties with China and political ties that are on the brink, his determination to fulfill his promise to continue his visits to the shrine may worsen the situation. Moreover, this may even lead to unnecessary a conflict that is disadvantageous to the world today with terrorism all around us. On top of that, he visits the shrine every 15 August, a sensitive date that the other Asian countries would not like to remember, the day the Japanese surrendered. It somehow implies his sadness in the fall of the country.
Therefore, the only way out is for PM Koizumi to stop his visits to the shrine or maybe change the date of his visits to a date which is less sensitive that would not enrage his neighboring countries, jeopardizing the economics that may have adverse effects.
The shrine honors war criminals from the war, among which are 14 Class A War Criminals and is often seen as a symbol of the Japanese military aggression. However, it is made known to Japan that it is all right for Prime Minister Koizumi to visit the shrine but not his purpose in doing so by China and South Korea. Furthermore, his fellow countrymen are also not supporting him in this decision of his.
If this carries on and he holds on the post as Prime Minister for a second term in the upcoming elections to be held in September, Japan and the neighboring countries may run into some problems with regards to their economic and political relationships. Being one of the most developed countries in the world, Japan requires the backing of the other countries, especially those in Asia and vice versa for the region to prosper. With weak economic ties with China and political ties that are on the brink, his determination to fulfill his promise to continue his visits to the shrine may worsen the situation. Moreover, this may even lead to unnecessary a conflict that is disadvantageous to the world today with terrorism all around us. On top of that, he visits the shrine every 15 August, a sensitive date that the other Asian countries would not like to remember, the day the Japanese surrendered. It somehow implies his sadness in the fall of the country.
Therefore, the only way out is for PM Koizumi to stop his visits to the shrine or maybe change the date of his visits to a date which is less sensitive that would not enrage his neighboring countries, jeopardizing the economics that may have adverse effects.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Eradication of poverty in the world totally
Poverty, a essential factor in the world that keeps everthing in the balance. As the saying goes, whenever there is richness, poverty will also exist concurrently too.
Athough poverty can never be totally eradicated from the surface of the world, it is possible for the people living in poverty to improve their lives slightly with the help of the more developed countries as mentioned by Jeffery Sachs who was interviewed by Singapore Press Holdings on his view of poverty in the world and he suggested that anyone can be involved in helping the poor by just learning exactly how we can help and overcome the physcological barrier of being not afraid of them.
Furthermore,the more developed countries can offer their helping hand by providing these poverty bound countries with resources such as food,clothing,housing,medicines and even volunteers which include doctors, nurses and humanitarians as there are usually lots of diseases spreading in these areas.
However, regardless of how willing the rest of the world wants to help,sometimes it is not possible and we can do really nothing about the situation such as the geography of the area. It is a vital factor that decides the prosperity of a nation as put forward by the author in his commentary,"Can a poor country become rich?". In it, he highlighted the significant role of geographical features can affect the economy. Some of the examples are the lack of natural resources that can improve the economy dramatically and the numerous natural features lke the mountains and the rivers. Moreover, the culture of the country is also important in shaping the success of the country's economy.Without any basic schools that provides it's citizens with the required amount of education that can help to operate the factories and technological sector of the nation,the economywould just remain stagnant.
Therefore, we must analyse and investigate the root problems that is causing poverty in these countries before we can start on our journey to eradicate poverty in the world totally.
Athough poverty can never be totally eradicated from the surface of the world, it is possible for the people living in poverty to improve their lives slightly with the help of the more developed countries as mentioned by Jeffery Sachs who was interviewed by Singapore Press Holdings on his view of poverty in the world and he suggested that anyone can be involved in helping the poor by just learning exactly how we can help and overcome the physcological barrier of being not afraid of them.
Furthermore,the more developed countries can offer their helping hand by providing these poverty bound countries with resources such as food,clothing,housing,medicines and even volunteers which include doctors, nurses and humanitarians as there are usually lots of diseases spreading in these areas.
However, regardless of how willing the rest of the world wants to help,sometimes it is not possible and we can do really nothing about the situation such as the geography of the area. It is a vital factor that decides the prosperity of a nation as put forward by the author in his commentary,"Can a poor country become rich?". In it, he highlighted the significant role of geographical features can affect the economy. Some of the examples are the lack of natural resources that can improve the economy dramatically and the numerous natural features lke the mountains and the rivers. Moreover, the culture of the country is also important in shaping the success of the country's economy.Without any basic schools that provides it's citizens with the required amount of education that can help to operate the factories and technological sector of the nation,the economywould just remain stagnant.
Therefore, we must analyse and investigate the root problems that is causing poverty in these countries before we can start on our journey to eradicate poverty in the world totally.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Some of the underlying challenges of Singapore
In the recent years, as Singapore develops into an international stage for businesses to flourish and a role model in ensuring that peace is possible although there are so many different races living together in harmony. However, as the number of foreigners coming into Singapore increases significantly, it gets much more challenging to maintain this beautiful and safe country the way it is for more than 40 years. maintaining a multi-racial nation with 4 different races was already a huge challenge, what more with this increase in the variety of races raoming in to Singapore?
Some of them are due to the increasing tensions created by the terrorists in the international community wehich have made all of us jitty and always on the look out, thinking that the person thats beside you may blow himself up or do something 'crazy'. Everyboby now tends to be more suspicious about the people around them and are not trusting others as easy as before. This therefore tends to cause turmoil in the country when a spark is ignited.
Furthermore, although the skin colour of some foreigners are similar to the locals, its only a sperficial connection and does not really contribute much to ensuring that this pool of people wll definitely blend in with the locals with regards to their cultures, backgrounds and living lifestyles. This may in turn cause unnecessary quarrels and unwanted conflicts which may even lead to dire consequences, disrupting the peace and harmony in Singapore.
Some of them are due to the increasing tensions created by the terrorists in the international community wehich have made all of us jitty and always on the look out, thinking that the person thats beside you may blow himself up or do something 'crazy'. Everyboby now tends to be more suspicious about the people around them and are not trusting others as easy as before. This therefore tends to cause turmoil in the country when a spark is ignited.
Furthermore, although the skin colour of some foreigners are similar to the locals, its only a sperficial connection and does not really contribute much to ensuring that this pool of people wll definitely blend in with the locals with regards to their cultures, backgrounds and living lifestyles. This may in turn cause unnecessary quarrels and unwanted conflicts which may even lead to dire consequences, disrupting the peace and harmony in Singapore.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Backfire of peaceful intentions to boost tourism
In the recent decade,privacy have been an increasingly sensitive topic that has been continuously been debated on.With the dramatic advancement in the technology, it has made our lives easier but on the other hand,privacy issues have been of much concern to many people,especially those who has 'dark secrets ' and embarassed about people knowing things about them .
Google,a popular search engine which allows many to search for anything you want on the web has recenlty added a new function to their service-the ability for users to check out a neighbourhood or remotely visit a city that is far away. This made things alot easier for the residents and especially to the tourists that often met with much difficulty getting around the area, a visual aid will definitely make enjoying their stay in the country a more enjoyable one.
However,this has caused much of a commotion when the residents in the area are concerned about these google services infringing into their lives and intruding their privacy. Another group of people that will be affected by this service will be the mentally ill,the recovering drug addicts and te homeless. It shows the dark side of the country which will have a b=negative effect on the nation.
Therefore,in conclusion,like what the author suggested, it is only right for the management of Google to come out with solutions to these issues raised by the people in the region or make do without this service if necessary.
Google,a popular search engine which allows many to search for anything you want on the web has recenlty added a new function to their service-the ability for users to check out a neighbourhood or remotely visit a city that is far away. This made things alot easier for the residents and especially to the tourists that often met with much difficulty getting around the area, a visual aid will definitely make enjoying their stay in the country a more enjoyable one.
However,this has caused much of a commotion when the residents in the area are concerned about these google services infringing into their lives and intruding their privacy. Another group of people that will be affected by this service will be the mentally ill,the recovering drug addicts and te homeless. It shows the dark side of the country which will have a b=negative effect on the nation.
Therefore,in conclusion,like what the author suggested, it is only right for the management of Google to come out with solutions to these issues raised by the people in the region or make do without this service if necessary.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The hidden side of Human nature
In response to Melvrick's blog on "Where's the love?Economic Pragmatism overrides humanity" dated 20 May 2007, I totally agree with his view point about the great powers being overly concerned with the government system Iraq and invading in the nameof concern for the people there when they are living quite normally there while on the other side of the world,citizens of Somalia and South Africa are suffering,living off each day with less than a dollar or even not a single cent at all! Although the international and regional organisations know about these problems,it has always been left at the back of their minds and humanitarian and economic aid that are sent to these needy people are very minimal which is not really sufficient to even sustain them for more than a week.
With the recent outbreak of the Iraq War which I strongly believe that it has no real threat towrads the world or any other countries to the extent that troops need to be deployed to Iraq and cause an armed conflict in the region. I really do not see the purpose of the actions of great powers except that they are just doing it for the sake of doing and showing it to the rest of the world that they are still in power at this point of time. Even though it is stated in the charter of the UN that it is an international body where every single member country is represented in the General Assembly and are able to voice their problems to the rest and ask for aid and help,but the U.S and the other 4 Superpowers are the ones that have the final say in the decisions made in every resolution,who would really listen to the representatives of the poorer countries when they can give nothing in return to the superpowers? Human beings in nature are selfish ones, they would do everything in their stride to protect their own interests before they consider extending their help to these countrie s that are truly in "bad shape". It's always me or my own country before the others,there are hardly any governments that looks after the other poorer countries before their own as all governments are set up with the primary interests to protect their people and make sure their economies benefits from every decision they make. It's just the way things are,we may just have to accept it and carry on with life in this culture.
With the recent outbreak of the Iraq War which I strongly believe that it has no real threat towrads the world or any other countries to the extent that troops need to be deployed to Iraq and cause an armed conflict in the region. I really do not see the purpose of the actions of great powers except that they are just doing it for the sake of doing and showing it to the rest of the world that they are still in power at this point of time. Even though it is stated in the charter of the UN that it is an international body where every single member country is represented in the General Assembly and are able to voice their problems to the rest and ask for aid and help,but the U.S and the other 4 Superpowers are the ones that have the final say in the decisions made in every resolution,who would really listen to the representatives of the poorer countries when they can give nothing in return to the superpowers? Human beings in nature are selfish ones, they would do everything in their stride to protect their own interests before they consider extending their help to these countrie s that are truly in "bad shape". It's always me or my own country before the others,there are hardly any governments that looks after the other poorer countries before their own as all governments are set up with the primary interests to protect their people and make sure their economies benefits from every decision they make. It's just the way things are,we may just have to accept it and carry on with life in this culture.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The effectivenes of punishment to enforce law and order
Law and order, as the term explains, is to ensure the obedience of one and that nobody dose anything to harm another or even commit a crime that betrays one's conscience.
I do agree that punishment is required to a certain extent so as to enforce the firmness of the government to protect the safety of the people under their charge. However, i do not agree to it being used as the main form of rehabilation process of a person when he or she commits a crime. This is because, the people that commit crimes usually only does that when they are left with no choice due to some causes they do not wish to go through. Who would enjoy going against their conscience or commit a crime and be indifferent after that?
Therefore, i believe that the most effective method to change the thinking of a person or help them out of their crisis is to talk to them, understand them and from there work out a solution to help them get through. Yes, punishment is inevitable, but it is to be used to a small extent and not as a method to force them to change for the better as it may cause them to become worse in terms of their conduct and mentality.
And of course, i would also not agree that any form of punishment in terms of maintaining law and order must be justified as laws are also written and passed by fellow human beings and it may contain mistakes in these laws too. I strongly disagree to the one life for another law where a murder will also be killed as a punishment for taking the life of another. Why do the judges have the authority to take alife of another when it is stated in their book of laws that it is very wrong to kill someone? Furthermore, there are many othjer ways you can punish someone, regardless of whether it is mentally or physically but i think killing someone for the mistake he have made is a little too much.
In conclusion, i strongly believe that certain principles of the present society should be revised and look into yet again so as not to slap our own face with our hands.
I do agree that punishment is required to a certain extent so as to enforce the firmness of the government to protect the safety of the people under their charge. However, i do not agree to it being used as the main form of rehabilation process of a person when he or she commits a crime. This is because, the people that commit crimes usually only does that when they are left with no choice due to some causes they do not wish to go through. Who would enjoy going against their conscience or commit a crime and be indifferent after that?
Therefore, i believe that the most effective method to change the thinking of a person or help them out of their crisis is to talk to them, understand them and from there work out a solution to help them get through. Yes, punishment is inevitable, but it is to be used to a small extent and not as a method to force them to change for the better as it may cause them to become worse in terms of their conduct and mentality.
And of course, i would also not agree that any form of punishment in terms of maintaining law and order must be justified as laws are also written and passed by fellow human beings and it may contain mistakes in these laws too. I strongly disagree to the one life for another law where a murder will also be killed as a punishment for taking the life of another. Why do the judges have the authority to take alife of another when it is stated in their book of laws that it is very wrong to kill someone? Furthermore, there are many othjer ways you can punish someone, regardless of whether it is mentally or physically but i think killing someone for the mistake he have made is a little too much.
In conclusion, i strongly believe that certain principles of the present society should be revised and look into yet again so as not to slap our own face with our hands.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The acceptance of the two ideologies..
The first crossing between the penisular of Korea in 56 years since the Korean War in the mist of the Cold War between the US and the USSR left Korea separated up till date. Does it mean that the two ideologies that were previously unwilling to give in to the other are now able to tolerate the differences they have held strongly to decades ago?
I do not agree so,communst activities are not widely used and in states that adopt communist values of giving everything to the state and not leave any surplus to be sold for their own profit has not been enforced after the fall of USSR. Instead,ideas of capitalism have been inducted into the communist states that survived through the Cold War like Vietnam and North Korea. They are now mostly democratic so as to remain in the race of this ever-changing and continually globalising world that cannot wait for these states to catch up if they stick very closely to the basic principles of socialism.
However, the crossing of the trains from both states signifies an important event in history where it is the first time the two ideological blocs opened up to each other, especially in Korea. The conflict in Korea was so heated during the Cold War that it had evolved from a proxy war between the US and the USSR to one that involved the UN in sending in peackeeping forces that included soldiers from member countries and China, a Soviet ally. The tension arising from the tension has kept the two states strangers to each other made this train service quite unbelivable. It thus shows that nothing is really impossible and that the era of communist is fading into the shadows of capitalism.
I do not agree so,communst activities are not widely used and in states that adopt communist values of giving everything to the state and not leave any surplus to be sold for their own profit has not been enforced after the fall of USSR. Instead,ideas of capitalism have been inducted into the communist states that survived through the Cold War like Vietnam and North Korea. They are now mostly democratic so as to remain in the race of this ever-changing and continually globalising world that cannot wait for these states to catch up if they stick very closely to the basic principles of socialism.
However, the crossing of the trains from both states signifies an important event in history where it is the first time the two ideological blocs opened up to each other, especially in Korea. The conflict in Korea was so heated during the Cold War that it had evolved from a proxy war between the US and the USSR to one that involved the UN in sending in peackeeping forces that included soldiers from member countries and China, a Soviet ally. The tension arising from the tension has kept the two states strangers to each other made this train service quite unbelivable. It thus shows that nothing is really impossible and that the era of communist is fading into the shadows of capitalism.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
The 21st century 'weapon'
In the recent decade, technology has evolved so rapidly that our lives are evolviong around it. Although it was invented to improve the lives of the people, some have made used of it to climb up the ranks,bully and even get famous.All you need is a click of the mouse on the 'send' button on the screen.
Teens nowadays s within reach of publishing their thoughts even faster than an entire newsroom 10 years ago. Furthermore, there is no need to go through a series of editiors and executives to get the article publish,its all a one man show and they are responsible for what they have posted on the internet.However, only a handful are punished for the issues they published on the internet through their websites and blogs which leaves them feeling nothing for the things they type and ignorant about the feelings of the people they are referring to especially those that are humiliating their 'enemies' through the net.All these are due to the unnecessity to use our real identities in the world of cyberspace.
If this misuse of the luxury of freedom is to be carried into the next 2 decades, everyone will just be unfeeling beings, indifferent to the feelings of the people and soon the world will be filled with selfishness and hatred. Until then, we can still make changes to the lifestyle and the issues we discuss through the internet.It would be alright if we discuss and exchange ideas with people from around the world, as it is what the internet was invented for, but to use as a tool to hurt someone else or to climb the ladder of successes, it will be an insult to the personality of mankind.
Teens nowadays s within reach of publishing their thoughts even faster than an entire newsroom 10 years ago. Furthermore, there is no need to go through a series of editiors and executives to get the article publish,its all a one man show and they are responsible for what they have posted on the internet.However, only a handful are punished for the issues they published on the internet through their websites and blogs which leaves them feeling nothing for the things they type and ignorant about the feelings of the people they are referring to especially those that are humiliating their 'enemies' through the net.All these are due to the unnecessity to use our real identities in the world of cyberspace.
If this misuse of the luxury of freedom is to be carried into the next 2 decades, everyone will just be unfeeling beings, indifferent to the feelings of the people and soon the world will be filled with selfishness and hatred. Until then, we can still make changes to the lifestyle and the issues we discuss through the internet.It would be alright if we discuss and exchange ideas with people from around the world, as it is what the internet was invented for, but to use as a tool to hurt someone else or to climb the ladder of successes, it will be an insult to the personality of mankind.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Sex-the new mode of expressing freedom?
China becoming more democratic after the Mao generation is facing the epidemic of coping with the increasing numbers in people having sex freely.The Mao generation,taking after the Soviet Union when it was first formed,controlled almost every single aspect of people's lives.And 3 decades after the end of the Mao era,China took a more democratic model in order to keep up with the pace of the world and to ensure its survival.
The side effecs, the change in the lifestyles and attitude towards life of the Chinese has been bothering the government especially when these made drastic changes like woman trying to get free sex through blogging, a recent phenomenum that took the world by wave. The statistic showed the increase in percentages of Beijing residents having sexual relations even before marriage(Sex,Please-We're young and Chinese,Time,23 Jan 2006)Furthermore, the knowledge that the Chinese have about birth control is littleand thus explains the increament in the rate of single mothers and sexually transmitted diseases.
This is possibly due to the temptation of "trying" the new trend for many as expressed by Li,the blogger interviewed by Time that has performed sexual relations with more than 100 men, " Maybe in the past,everyone was obedient and listened to the old grannies who lectured on who you could have sex with and in what position.But now they are busy having sex and no time to listen."
But,is it really what's happening in China today?Only time will tell.
The side effecs, the change in the lifestyles and attitude towards life of the Chinese has been bothering the government especially when these made drastic changes like woman trying to get free sex through blogging, a recent phenomenum that took the world by wave. The statistic showed the increase in percentages of Beijing residents having sexual relations even before marriage(Sex,Please-We're young and Chinese,Time,23 Jan 2006)Furthermore, the knowledge that the Chinese have about birth control is littleand thus explains the increament in the rate of single mothers and sexually transmitted diseases.
This is possibly due to the temptation of "trying" the new trend for many as expressed by Li,the blogger interviewed by Time that has performed sexual relations with more than 100 men, " Maybe in the past,everyone was obedient and listened to the old grannies who lectured on who you could have sex with and in what position.But now they are busy having sex and no time to listen."
But,is it really what's happening in China today?Only time will tell.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Global Warming:The Upcoming threat
For thousands of years,people have been taking the resources provided by Mother Earth for granted,using them as though they had limitless supplies of it and not thinking of the consequences.Recently,awareness has been raised around the world in response to the significant rise in global temperatures and sea levels.Is it too late to only realise the effects now?Or is there a glimpse of hope in surviving with all that we have left,not knowing how long these will last...
Although governments of countries that are huge users of fossil fuels are trying their best to cut the country's reliance on these resources,they are still far from success.And two such countries will be the U.S. and China.China,being a rapidly developing country in the last decade is one of the main contributors to the great emitters of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and its citites is one of the most polluted around the world.
So,what are the governments doing?What are we doing?
Little,we can do very little as this problem was neglected for too long that it is now almost irrevisible.All that we can do is to reduce the rate we use and emit from this point in time,settle down, and adapt to the conditions we have 'deserved' from our carelessness.
However,there's always the group of people that would not give up till the last bit. Discussions and dabates are starting to try and solve this global problem.An example will be the U.S. who has recently acknowledged global warming after bing years behind all other countries for so long. Actions are also taken, take the Netherlands for exampl.they have the strongest flood defenses yet they are still making them stronger so as to better prevent their cities and homelands from being destroyed by the floods that may occur with the continuous rise in sea levels.Bangladash, being the most vulnerable low-lying country that faces the sea and drains 92%of the snowmelt from the vast Himalayan mountain range,farmers are switching land over to prawn farming which tolerates saltier waterto stay in the race for survival.
Above are only few of the many countries and groups of people that are adapting and changing their lifestyles to the effects of global warming.I believe that salvaging the whole situation is possible only if every single country,every single population,every single human being plays their respective part in saving Mother Earth, our home,regardless of how significant or how minor the contribution is because like the old saying goes,every single droplet of water makes the mighty ocean.
Although governments of countries that are huge users of fossil fuels are trying their best to cut the country's reliance on these resources,they are still far from success.And two such countries will be the U.S. and China.China,being a rapidly developing country in the last decade is one of the main contributors to the great emitters of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and its citites is one of the most polluted around the world.
So,what are the governments doing?What are we doing?
Little,we can do very little as this problem was neglected for too long that it is now almost irrevisible.All that we can do is to reduce the rate we use and emit from this point in time,settle down, and adapt to the conditions we have 'deserved' from our carelessness.
However,there's always the group of people that would not give up till the last bit. Discussions and dabates are starting to try and solve this global problem.An example will be the U.S. who has recently acknowledged global warming after bing years behind all other countries for so long. Actions are also taken, take the Netherlands for exampl.they have the strongest flood defenses yet they are still making them stronger so as to better prevent their cities and homelands from being destroyed by the floods that may occur with the continuous rise in sea levels.Bangladash, being the most vulnerable low-lying country that faces the sea and drains 92%of the snowmelt from the vast Himalayan mountain range,farmers are switching land over to prawn farming which tolerates saltier waterto stay in the race for survival.
Above are only few of the many countries and groups of people that are adapting and changing their lifestyles to the effects of global warming.I believe that salvaging the whole situation is possible only if every single country,every single population,every single human being plays their respective part in saving Mother Earth, our home,regardless of how significant or how minor the contribution is because like the old saying goes,every single droplet of water makes the mighty ocean.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Torturing: Is it the only way?
Al-Qaeda memebers that have been arrested by the U.S government were mostly tortured so as to gather information about their organisation and furture attacks. These has gave rise to the people debating on whether it is the right way that a liberal and civilised conutry to be carrying out these investigation techniques just to get information as there may be many other ways to do too.
Torutring,might be one of the worst methods of gathering information as the gathered data from these terrorists are not worth the high price of going against the jailers' self-conscience of doing harm to another fellow human being which I believe is also mentally torturing to them too listening to the detainees' screams of pain,whimpers and voices of defiance to them. The results produced by the FBI who does not adopt methods of torturing but interrogated the al-Qaeda members with a tough yet very human face has confused them totally as they have expected theinterrogators to dismember them were much more useful than what the CIA can produce in their haste to force the terrorists to speak up.Furthermore,most of the data gathered were common knowledge and were not of much help in capturing any truly significant players in this game of terrorising. [The unofficial story of the al-Qaeda 14, Sep 10,2006]
However,there are also the few that opposes these ideas and are for torturing as an acceptable investigative technique so long as the jailers are sure that the detainee possesses the valuable information the agency required to save the life of another or many others, such application of pain is reasonable and justified.
In my opinion on the issue,I believe that torturing is still quite unacceptable who is there to acknowledge how much pain applied to the suspect is 'reasonable'? I torturing does not work,what can the jailer do?find the detainee's child and wife and do harm to them in front of him? as claimed by Mr Paris Aristotle in his response to Mr Faris. Furthermore,after torture is applied and the result turns out to be negative, we will never get it, so why go through so much trouble when we can get more reults through the use of other methods that more civilised and morally right?
Torutring,might be one of the worst methods of gathering information as the gathered data from these terrorists are not worth the high price of going against the jailers' self-conscience of doing harm to another fellow human being which I believe is also mentally torturing to them too listening to the detainees' screams of pain,whimpers and voices of defiance to them. The results produced by the FBI who does not adopt methods of torturing but interrogated the al-Qaeda members with a tough yet very human face has confused them totally as they have expected theinterrogators to dismember them were much more useful than what the CIA can produce in their haste to force the terrorists to speak up.Furthermore,most of the data gathered were common knowledge and were not of much help in capturing any truly significant players in this game of terrorising. [The unofficial story of the al-Qaeda 14, Sep 10,2006]
However,there are also the few that opposes these ideas and are for torturing as an acceptable investigative technique so long as the jailers are sure that the detainee possesses the valuable information the agency required to save the life of another or many others, such application of pain is reasonable and justified.
In my opinion on the issue,I believe that torturing is still quite unacceptable who is there to acknowledge how much pain applied to the suspect is 'reasonable'? I torturing does not work,what can the jailer do?find the detainee's child and wife and do harm to them in front of him? as claimed by Mr Paris Aristotle in his response to Mr Faris. Furthermore,after torture is applied and the result turns out to be negative, we will never get it, so why go through so much trouble when we can get more reults through the use of other methods that more civilised and morally right?
Saturday, April 14, 2007
The Media-A blessing or a curse
The 21st century,which belongs to the world of advanced technology that requires only few seconds and you are able to communicate to someone at the other end of the world.That's the power of the computers and telecommunication with the help of the satellites that transfers these messages. So, how is this powerful instrumnts doing harm to the majority of mankind when they are unvented with the primarily purpose of making our lives more convenient?
From the article taken from Worldpress.org dated 6 June 2006, blog, a phenomenon that caught the world by surprise , is now the choice for many to air their views on issues that are happening around them through portals such as "MSN Spaces", Microsoft's free blogging platforms. It has been observed that more than 75 000 new blogs are created everyday.
Blogs, gave people the opportunities to develop media careers and even allowed some to compete with professionals in their respective fields of work from around the world and shapes the global media agenda in the recent years as seen from the U.S led invasion of Iraq and the Asian tsunami that contributed to the stories with the help of home video footages that showed the first hand footages of the people present at the scene at that point of time when it happened.Furthermore, sometimes they are even faster than the press as the reporters required time to arrive at the place to collect information which help in the speed of aid dispatched to the affected area in times of trouble such as natural disasters or man-made accidents.
However,there are also the people that abuses the use of this international communication portal to spread terror . One good example will be the terrorists that plan and design atention-grabbing atacks through the use of all means of communications to intimidate the people and impose fear into them.They also play pranks to confuse teh governments with the actual attacks with the help of video clips and warning messages posted on the internet or sent to the news stations to keep the security communities on high alert or even confusion among the people and the restlessness and tension in the society.
Therefore,to prevent these doings of the terrorists,governments of certain countries are closing down websites,especially blogs that contain opinions that are against them and jailing the people that expressed them.In turn of that,it has caused quite a uproar in opposition to their actions where about 20 000 people supported The Observer and Amnesty International campaign to end repression on the Internet. (adopted from The Observer,June 4) Censoring freedom of speech on the internet will mean a lost channel for the government to know the opinions of the poeple and whether the policies they have implemented are working effectively for the people in the good way in this era as claimed by Hossein Derakhshan, an Iranian now living in Canada, whose blog Hoder.com has been censored in Iran.
After much opposition,the censorship of the internet has been liften by a little as some countries are beginning to allow certain grace towards blogging and one such country will be Pakistan.
In conclusion,the media is a good place for sharing informations and airing of personal opinions which are rarely possible with the never-ending tension of terrorist attacks still lingering around. I believe that so long as the bloggers respect this medium of communication and uses it effectively in the correct way,the governments will understand and may even join in the blogging world.
From the article taken from Worldpress.org dated 6 June 2006, blog, a phenomenon that caught the world by surprise , is now the choice for many to air their views on issues that are happening around them through portals such as "MSN Spaces", Microsoft's free blogging platforms. It has been observed that more than 75 000 new blogs are created everyday.
Blogs, gave people the opportunities to develop media careers and even allowed some to compete with professionals in their respective fields of work from around the world and shapes the global media agenda in the recent years as seen from the U.S led invasion of Iraq and the Asian tsunami that contributed to the stories with the help of home video footages that showed the first hand footages of the people present at the scene at that point of time when it happened.Furthermore, sometimes they are even faster than the press as the reporters required time to arrive at the place to collect information which help in the speed of aid dispatched to the affected area in times of trouble such as natural disasters or man-made accidents.
However,there are also the people that abuses the use of this international communication portal to spread terror . One good example will be the terrorists that plan and design atention-grabbing atacks through the use of all means of communications to intimidate the people and impose fear into them.They also play pranks to confuse teh governments with the actual attacks with the help of video clips and warning messages posted on the internet or sent to the news stations to keep the security communities on high alert or even confusion among the people and the restlessness and tension in the society.
Therefore,to prevent these doings of the terrorists,governments of certain countries are closing down websites,especially blogs that contain opinions that are against them and jailing the people that expressed them.In turn of that,it has caused quite a uproar in opposition to their actions where about 20 000 people supported The Observer and Amnesty International campaign to end repression on the Internet. (adopted from The Observer,June 4) Censoring freedom of speech on the internet will mean a lost channel for the government to know the opinions of the poeple and whether the policies they have implemented are working effectively for the people in the good way in this era as claimed by Hossein Derakhshan, an Iranian now living in Canada, whose blog Hoder.com has been censored in Iran.
After much opposition,the censorship of the internet has been liften by a little as some countries are beginning to allow certain grace towards blogging and one such country will be Pakistan.
In conclusion,the media is a good place for sharing informations and airing of personal opinions which are rarely possible with the never-ending tension of terrorist attacks still lingering around. I believe that so long as the bloggers respect this medium of communication and uses it effectively in the correct way,the governments will understand and may even join in the blogging world.
Friday, April 6, 2007
The reliability of the media
The reliability of the media has been doubted in the recent months since the outbreak of the Iraq War where the US tried portraying it as a meaningful war that has benefited the bulk of the population and playing the role of a "big brother" trying to protect the rest of the countries from danger by covering up the number of US marines that were sacrificed because of this war. It has led to many debates and discussions everywhere and the big question to the whole issue is:Can the media ever be relied on to convey the truth to the public?
The media,being the portal where messages and events,both at home and around the world are conveyed to the general public.Thus,it is trusted by many to be updated and well informed about wht's going on around them. "Of course it will reliable!"Some would say,as claimed by the US government that the 'Congress shall make no law...abridgingfreedom of the press'(Great Lies of the American Free Press;Worldpress.org,23rd May 2005)
However,the media are also companys that are concerned about the ratings and most importantly,profits.With this main purpose at the back of their mind,they would of course do anything just to remain in business and the only way is to follow as the governemnt says so,even if it means to accept briberies.
Therefore in conclusion,regardless of whether the piece of news is true or false, the media is still the only way for political leaders to convey their thinkings and policies and for the general public to be informed of happenings around the world.It's a fact that can't be changed and we have no choice but to live with it. For the issue about the reliability of the media, I strongly believe that we will not only rely on one source of the media for information but a couple of them to see the different perspectives of a particular piece of news.
The media,being the portal where messages and events,both at home and around the world are conveyed to the general public.Thus,it is trusted by many to be updated and well informed about wht's going on around them. "Of course it will reliable!"Some would say,as claimed by the US government that the 'Congress shall make no law...abridgingfreedom of the press'(Great Lies of the American Free Press;Worldpress.org,23rd May 2005)
However,the media are also companys that are concerned about the ratings and most importantly,profits.With this main purpose at the back of their mind,they would of course do anything just to remain in business and the only way is to follow as the governemnt says so,even if it means to accept briberies.
Therefore in conclusion,regardless of whether the piece of news is true or false, the media is still the only way for political leaders to convey their thinkings and policies and for the general public to be informed of happenings around the world.It's a fact that can't be changed and we have no choice but to live with it. For the issue about the reliability of the media, I strongly believe that we will not only rely on one source of the media for information but a couple of them to see the different perspectives of a particular piece of news.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
The lady with the warm smile
"Let us make one point,that we meet each other with a smile,when it is difficult to smile.Smile at each other,make time for each other in your family." - Mother Teresa in her nobel lecture
Above is just one of the many quotes that Mother Teresa have expressed to the people that she have met.Her smile, that warmed thousands of people is still bringing hope for the people that are despaired about their lives.
Throughout her life,she has went around the world comforting the poor,the dying and the unwanted,trying her best to help them as much as she could.Her missionaries of charity grew from 12 to thousands over her long years of community service. She do not serve the poor,but the poorest of the poor in the 450 centers around the world.
10 years since she passed away,people are still taking her as a role model to educate the younger generations on how fortunate they are in their own way compared to the others in the undeveloped countries,which in turn brings the message across to them to appreciate the things around them.There are also the few that carry on with herlifelong mission: To make the world a better place for everybody.
Above is just one of the many quotes that Mother Teresa have expressed to the people that she have met.Her smile, that warmed thousands of people is still bringing hope for the people that are despaired about their lives.
Throughout her life,she has went around the world comforting the poor,the dying and the unwanted,trying her best to help them as much as she could.Her missionaries of charity grew from 12 to thousands over her long years of community service. She do not serve the poor,but the poorest of the poor in the 450 centers around the world.
10 years since she passed away,people are still taking her as a role model to educate the younger generations on how fortunate they are in their own way compared to the others in the undeveloped countries,which in turn brings the message across to them to appreciate the things around them.There are also the few that carry on with herlifelong mission: To make the world a better place for everybody.
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