TOC Update: The National Petition for Fairer Transportation Fares for Polytechnic / Tertiary Students will be making an appearance on Channel News Asia’s I, Journalist programme on Monday, 9th February 2009. You can view the flyer here.
By Gilbert Goh / Writer
AS I read through the Parliamentary debate on the newspaper and saw how our political leaders battled it out on the budget, I realised that not one politician smiled. Most wore a strained countenance and each said their piece as if their whole life depended on it.
I realised that this is indeed a very serious situation that our young nation is coming up against. Fresh ideas need to be thrown up and out-of-the-box thinking must be harnessed as top civil servants brainstorm their way out of this crisis.
The much-maligned Job Credit scheme (JCS) was hammered by some MPs whereas others supported it with their whole heart. The spirited debate in Parliament was a joy to watch and for once I found that our MPs meant what they said. There was no time for politicking in this period of crisis.
Mr Low Thia Khiang cut a lonely figure as an opposition MP who battled away in Parliament against the JCS. HE needed some assistance from his opposition counterpart Mr Chain See Tong but he was nowhere to be found.Singaporeans need to unite together as we grapple with a very serious recession. Many will lose their jobs and some may even find the journey rough and give up halfway through the battle.
My counsellor friends are already telling me that they are seeing more cases of the unemployed seeking their services. Some lost their jobs recently and many also lost their ego. This is especially true for the men. Depression often is a companion of the retrenched and it is something difficult to dislodge.
Children will also suffer as they see their parents argue over finances. Saving accounts are slowly dwindling. With no safety net in place, the jobless will continue to face enormous pressures and they might end up seeking work in all the wrong places. Employers will not hire except for low-level labourious work. The white-collared unemployed will stay without work for at least six to nine months.
It is hoped that Singaporeans will continue to support one another and lend their shoulders for each other to cry on in this dark period. Our burden will be easier to bear when we uphold one another. Only then can we emerge out of this storm more resilient and also more caring as a population.
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Low was not really against the JCS,he was just questioning it. Altough I may not know who is Chain,but maybe it will be better if there are more of them.
JCS doesn’t save jobs. It is a wage subsidy for employers. It relieves them 9% of their total CPF contribution to their employees.
If a company can’t afford to fork out $300/mth for its employee, the company is in hot water already whether JCS is in place or not. JCS only benefits businesses that are still commercially viable by slightly increasing their profit margin.
In short, JCS boosts job security for employees who are least likely to loose their job while neglecting the vulnerable employees and the jobless.
Great propaganda piece! Err….but what does it really produce in the way of solutions to improve our lot in such tirring times? Something to consider when you next decide to write rubbish like this again Gilbert.
TOC next time, it may be a good idea to have a caption or tag besides every essay published here: eg politics, social, youths, lifestyle and of course as in the case of this article propaganda.
Pls try to take this constructively. I mean well.
SD (Internet Liaison officer of the brotherhood)
Quote ‘There was no time for politicking in this period of crisis’ – those MPs in chorus against whatever points LTK was trying to say – is this not politicking to score points? Shame!
Quote “Mr Low Thia Khiang cut a lonely figure as an opposition MP who battled away in Parliament against the JCS. HE needed some assistance from his opposition counterpart Mr Chain See Tong but he was nowhere to be found”
- driving a wedge in opposition and the `lonely figure’ connotes that he is the only one out of pappies line?
Quote “Singaporeans need to unite together as we grapple with a very serious recession” – Obama caps remuneration to $500,000. Are we ready to do the same? The divide is too wide and gulf of understanding between the haves and have nots are too wide e.g. cordon bleu saga, lesser mortals, in your elite face, too much of such talk. subconsciously the people are beginning to feel from labour MPs in their eagerness to rebut LTK are looking less and less pro-worker rather than pro-employer.
correction `looking less and less pro-worker and more and more pro-employer.’
the national malaise of being obsessed with self-help bullS*. If we have to constantly rely on being told how-to then singapore can forget about first-world innovative *** .
Singaporedaddy:
I find accusations of this article as propaganda absurd. To brand something as being propaganda would imply it has a political objective, which in this case I find there is none.
By propaganda, you imply also that a political agent is involved here. Once again, there is none. Perhaps one can ridicule the article for its emotive nature, or its perceived lack of solutions. But what is wrong with an ordinary citizen calling for unity?
And please, keep your criticism to this article. Keep your “personal vendetta” against him out of the way.
The biggest propaganda in the article is the echoing of the Elites to stay united; which the lesser mortals are not buying. You want unity? Come down to our level first and you know damn well what has to give first.
#10.. I think it’s more platitudes than propaganda. But as terence said, you can ridicule the quality/content of gilbert’s article, but there’s nothing wrong with mouthing platitudes. Singaporeans do it all the time, including the PAP millionaires.
Stand together, but no one knows how to really.
#11) DCT ;
Perhaps you’re right, it certainly sounds more like platitudes, now that you’ve mentioned it. Oh, and I did not say it is wrong. I just feel so hollow after reading the article. Surprise me that TOC allows such a useless article for discussion.
Well, i will stand united with my fellow singaporeans who are working their arse off to make a leaving, but stand united with those elitist? I rather burn in hell…however thankfully i don’t seem to glimpse that hint in this article.
from my point of view, we should stand together to get rid of the incompetent elites.
I think Gilbert started a support site http://www.transitioning.org. for unemployed people. I dunno if it would help, but I applaud him from putting his words into action. Anger is useless unless we put it into constructive use. Thank you Gilbert.
I actually am very impressed by our members who spoke or debated.
We can actually learn how to speak from them.
Like when someone challenge your solution, how you could respond or counter the argument.
The most ‘impressive’ speaker in terms of Technique is the lady called Josephine and the guy called Lim SS.
But most important is for them to focus on helping singaporeans. LTK’s questions actually contributes to finding a better solution, if possible. I feel that the many who debated with the 1 man team of LTK should give a more convincing answer as to why Job Credits should be given to all companies regardless of their profitability.
I also learnt from a blog comment that maybe its possible that some companies could create more fake ‘headcounts’ to profit from the job credits? This needs to be investigated and I propose that every job credit issued be audited, investigated , if necessary and someone must come up with a credible and accurate way to ensure no company cheats. Also, one lady mentioned could a company split an employee to 2 jobs and pay him $1500 and $1000 respectively and receive 2 job credit amounts for 2 positions? How about part time workers who work in multiple companies?
1 cent too many if cheated.
I also see that they seem very uptight.
Since their solution so great, I thought they must be feeling and showing very confident about their plan.
Terence 9 , Good afternoon,
“I find accusations of this article as propaganda absurd. To brand something as being propaganda would imply it has a political objective, which in this case I find there is none. ”
Well Terence, IF you knew about , then it wouldn’t be really be propaganda would it?
That incidentally is NOT how propaganda works FYI. Its supposed to operate below the radar of consciousness. Why do you think nerve gas is so effective – it colorless, odourless and cannot even be detected without specialized equipment.
Trust me you will get there eventually, if you read hard enough between the lines as I did wearing my gas mask.
You know which part of this essay takes the cake?
“The spirited debate in Parliament was a joy to watch and for once I found that our MPs meant what they said. There was NO TIME for politicking in this period of crisis.”
Tell me, since WHEN did hanging your brain and mouth along with the brollies before one steps into Parliament ever produce any good in the way of clarifying ideas and thoughts? Why do you even think intelligent people came out with the idea of a Parliament? What do you think an opposition is for in the first place? The author would have us all believe, when “there was no time for politicking in this period of crisis.” Then we are all playing happy families; when the truth remains; if this is not the time for politicking, then can you ANYONE please tell me WHEN is the time THEN?
I dont think this sort of nonsense should be published – if its brought to light then like cigarettes and hard liquor, it should rightly carry a surgeon generals warning;
reading propaganda makes you dumb.
I stand by what I said here. If you want more info why I think this sort of article is inappropriate for public consumption (especially for kids). I can give you more reasons. There is plenty more where that came from and please dont label it as misdirected anger; I exercised by mind calmly and cooly and I gave you good reasons why I wrote the things; I did.
Thank you
SD
Kindly change Mr Chain See Tong to Chiam See Tong at the 4th paragraph
Have gone thru the past few recessions starting from the market fiasco in 1985 where the stock market close for 3 days
I have only have this conclusion
You have to really rely on your close friends (close friends or good friends
can forsake you in times of need) so it should be termed true friends
All the BULLSHIT from the MIW I have already heard from one ear and it
goes out the next
There are not free handouts, if if they do give they will take it back straightaway
once the economy shows any sign of even picking up
Don’t rely on CHEAP TALK and PHYSCHO TALK
Believe me they have graduated with Phds on that
Whatever little they give out is only to keep the gullible and stupid to vote them
and keep them in power
Terence
“By propaganda, you imply also that a political agent is involved here. Once again, there is none. Perhaps one can ridicule the article for its emotive nature, or its perceived lack of solutions. But what is wrong with an ordinary citizen calling for unity?”
Wrong again. You do NOT need the involvement of a political agent to qualify a statement as propaganda – if that were palpably true then racist nusery rhymes which once openly condone slavery and colonialism wouldnt be banned today from schools. Go and ask yourself why Pixar hasn’t come out with a redux of the black minstrels?
The reason why I believe this piece is redolent with propaganda is because it attempts to skewer and bend the truth at so many levels by leveraging specifically on emotion and very little else (it attempts to by pass both our senses and sensibilities) – by appealing to our puffy idea of king & country – unity – family – along with the whole idea of the feel good factor.
There is nothing wrong with an appeal for unity (it should even be encouraged if possible, but it must be done intelligently) – ONLY, it should NEVER be attempted at the expense of the mufflement of the truth; when was harboring a contrarian view divisive? When did silence ever serve the imperative of civil discourse? Since when did speaking out confidently and asking intelligent questions constitute something less than patriotic?
If you look CLOSELY at most civilizations, they have progressed precisely because they debated and argued vigorously; conflict should NEVER be feared, it should be UNDERSTOOD instead; the Europeans did precisely that during the age of enlightenment with the likes of Martin Luther, Da Vincci, Corpenicus, Newton etc and look how they benefitted mankind with their rich disquisitions in the arts and sciences.
The only ones in EU who resolutely rejected this idea and plumbed for a bla bla black sheep rubber stamp parliament were the Swiss; they were so united; they didnt even bother to do anything when Adolf Hilter was stomping around in Europe; and we all dont need to wonder why their greatest gift to mankind was a cuckoo clock.
“And please, keep your criticism to this article. Keep your “personal vendetta” against him out of the way.”
Please dont try to bully me by inserting meaningless distractions which have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with my motivation for responding vigorously to the said article. No one here can ever say that I do NOT supply good reasons for my pov.
I have argued my case well here and if you take a vote on it; I am confident most people will go not with me; but rather with what I have said here.
Good day
SD
Dear ALL,
I have read and re-read Gibert’s piece and still cannot decide what his real message is. It seems to be a sort of random thinking aloud and writing for the sake of writing. I will let it pass. But from it I take out a few observations and thoughts:
1. In light of the depressing situation before the Parliament, just like in a wake, it is of course politically correct to look grim regardless of one’s innner feelings. To do otherwise in front of the camera, especially those MPs who own businesses, will risk bringing forth criticism in the ilkes of what we have seen in the French Cooking saga.
2. Watching the blind loyalty displayed by most PAP MPs who spoke out in defence of the JCS and unfairly and unrationally attacking Low TK’s speech, I’m not sure they all say what they felt about the scheme. We must acknowledge that these MPs, even if we don’t always agree with them, are well educated and intelligent people who I assume also to be people of their own mind. But yet they speak like clones of one kind.
3. It is sadly clear for all to see that Chiam ST is way past his prime mainly due to the condition of his health. While we all should honour and respect him for all his contributions in the development of Singapores’ modern political history, I think its is time for him to pass on the baton, retire and return as MM (Mayor Mentor) for PP town council and take care of his health with all our gratitude. It is also an opportune time by his retirement for a by-election to be called so that we can all communicate the feelings of the people to the govt. and decide with our votes. As Potong Pasir is a single-seat constituency, there can be no excuse to withhold a by-election. Let’s bloggers channel their energy into penning about this, instead on Gilbert’s inconsequential scribe, as a way to get onto our displeasures with JCS and many others issues..
Well Gilbert, I think you outdid yourself with this article. Using the parliamentary debate on the JCS as the backdrop for your call to Singaporeans to unite as one to see us through this storm cannot be any more wrong than for Wan Kan Seng to remain as Home Minister after the escape of MSK.
I would have expected you to see through the veil of this stupid PAP govt. The call for Singaporeans to unite as one has been the common daily staple even before the budget was announced.
I see this as the platform by which the PAP will rally the population to continue to give support to the PAP should an election be called any time soon. Can you not see the pieces falling into place? And to think you are aiding them by making the same call.
It is when the people start buying into the idea of the need to stay united that the PAP will snuff out all oppositions.
I think Singaporeans are smarter now than ever before. We cannot continue to be hoodwinked time and time again. We will unite for sure. But the unity will be one that see to the ouster of this stupid PAP govt.
If they did not gamble our CPF & taxes away, we could be more prepared to face this economic crisis.
http://www.littlespeck.com/content/economy/CTrendsEconomy-090204.htm
JCS helps companies cut costs. However whether to cut jobs or not depends on the companies management philosophy; some cut jobs only as a last resort and some cut jobs to maintain profitability. As the JCS is a blunt tool, there is no way to direct the companies to cutting jobs as a last resort. The quarterly reimbursement is also a reason I think companies decide to cut staffs as waiting three months to see salary reduction through the JCS is too long.
Do not waste time to wayang debate whether the scheme works or not. The JCS helps but is not effective to save jobs. Period. Can any genius (PAP or netizens) proposed a better way and fast? My bet is that there is no quick and easy fix as the current crisis is a difficult one.
The main problems that businesses face are loss of liquidity (due to credit crunch) and stagnant global demand; these two combination makes credible companies cut people like flies. Many business with revenues plunging near or below fixed costs have to cut costs or maybe retrench staffs. The Govt must look at further reduction of business costs so that businesses can cope with lower revenues and at the same time find an effective way to provide liquidity to the companies that were viable before this crisis. Any schemes must be fast ( quarterly is too slow) and effective.
In the meantime as job losses are inevitable, I suggest that the Govt implement a jobless help scheme as proposed by NMP Sylvia.
i would rather they cut the gst so that the main public can benefit. these would be a more direct help as the poor would generally spend a higher percentage on basic necessities, this would be more helpful to them in the long run.
the thing about JCS is that the general public won’t be able to see how well it has worked. will the companies come out and say that they have decided to halt the axe because of the scheme? and how long will the axe be halted? 3 months? this is not a long term solution.
many sgreans are worried abt surviving, paying off their exorbitant mortgage, bills, etc and the MIW are just sitting back and collecting a few hundred thousands each month. this is a critical period. shouldn’t they be proactive? cut their pay! with the money saved, i don’t think we don’t even need to touch the reserves.
but no, no word from them. so this speaks volume isn’t it? their pockets matter the most, nothing else!
Singapore has a unique ready-made solution that is fast, hassle-free and effective. Give each worker 0.5% to 1% of their CPF savings from their Ordinary accounts.
The government does not have to cough out one cent because the CPF monies are the workers’ own hard earned money.
a. The extra cash will help them tie over this period.
b. It will boost the economy when the money is used as spendings.
c. Each worker is given an amount that is reflective of their contributions over the years. This is fair. You contributed more, you get more.
d. There is no need for repayment. It’s an advance payment for what one would get at retirement.
to the govt, it’s not our money. once it’s inside cpf, it’s their’s to use to their heart’s content.
it can at least allow Singaporeans to use their CPF to pay off their monthly HDB mortgage loan and utilities. No cash need to change hands. This will ensure Singapreans are not unduly worried over these payments while they go about looking for jobs.
23) rahman on February 5th, 2009 3.14 pm If they did not gamble our CPF & taxes away, we could be more prepared to face this economic crisis.
http://www.littlespeck.com/content/economy/CTrendsEconomy-090204.htm
Do you people know what 24.5 billions can do to help the singaporeans to tie over this bad recession period? If the papees govt did really lost these money in their foreign investments, really cannot imagine how many years of our hard earned struggling cpf contributions are being thrown away just like that.
The ONLY reason why we are in a right mess and all twisted up is bc some fool in the gahmen PR dept decided to hype and spin the whole idea of JCS as a means to help the ordinary Joe.
Dont complicate your already complicated lives. If they came out clean and honest and just said, this is a cash handout to businesses (period) – then it would be cut and dried and we can all either shoot it down or take and run with the idea.
As it is; its no good. Everyone is falling over on the starting lines.
You see; there is a moral here: sometimes you can get away with a little hype and spin: lets say; if you decide to call a spade a portable earth extractor; that’s OK.
But if lets say you happen to weigh 2 metric tons and have a personality like a soviet warehouse; then it may not be such a good idea to market yourself as the date of the year. You just going to cause heart attacks and misunderstandings.
The facts and reality will never EVER stack up no matter how you cut and splice it; and not ONLY will it be a paradox; you will end up creating a cognitive dissonance; where even NOT only will those who argue AGAINST the idea look foolish; but its conceivable it may also make the people SUPPORTING the whole idea of JCS as a means to help the ordinary Joe look even more foolish as well.
I mean if you really want a reliable litmus test whether this is supposed to help the man in the street; then just stop anyone in Singapore and ask them how they might benefit from it? Go on do it; start with your own family members then proceed to your friends and associates – blow your mind out!
If NO one can even give you an answer in 15 sec flat – in my book, that has to be a categorical FAIL under every practical definition of the word.
Its as simple as that; dont complicate things. Keep it short and simple. We are not going to get anywhere in this so called debate UNLESS everyone FIRST agrees to call a spade a spade.
How can you even have UNITY when the lingua franca in this debate is written in an alphabet that no one can even agree on called Babel. Can anyone tell me?
And to the perceptive reader NOTICE; I havent even begun to talk about economics or finance yet.
SD
Thank you all for the positive and negative comments. I read and appreciate them all nevertheless. I have to state my part though.
I will try to improve on my writing in future. I have much to learn from you guys who all wrote well. For me, I prefer to appreciate than criticize as people take time to write and risk their piece for all to comment and criticise. This have all along being my philisophy in life.
To SD who always has a case against me in many of my writings, I can only say that to forgive is divine. Though you can articulate yourself well and you seemed well educated, you still have much to learn in having a soft and kind spirit. I have nothing against you and my hand is always stretched out for you to be a friend and brother. In this bad time, I pefer to have a friend than an enemy. Your suspicion of me is unwarranted. Your criticisim of me is already well noted since the time we have an argument. I can only say that you hold grudges deep in your heart which can only be bad for your own health.
I have followed your squabbles with many bloggers here and some have left becuase of your very cutting hurtful writings. My advice for you is to soften up as we all never gain from venting against one another. Ehat you sow will be what you reap.
I urge more to submit your writings to TOC for print if possible as each of us write differently. We all can learn from one another however different we are.
This is a grave period and we all need to stand together. Though we may not subscribe with what the govt does, there is nothing wrong in supporting our fellow Singaporeans who are down and out.
Some of my friends were retrenched and felt depressed. By following up with them via emails and SMS on their current situation, we can show them care and concern along the way.
As Zefly has mentioned,I have started a support site for the unemployed http://www.transitioning.org. This is a non profit group,
Many jobless have emailed us for online counselling and my team of counsellors are working over time to help them online. We also scheduled a networking session with a retired businessman Many have signed up and we will doing that sometimes next week. I am glad that those whom I have asked for assisatnce have offered them voluntarily without much persuasion. The web designer also did his part t by meeting me up for many nights and doing up the site FOC. By uniting together to help our fellow Singaporeans, we are all wiser and stronger.
We were fortunate that the press (TNP) took up our site and featured it in one of their pages on Monday.
I stand by what I say in my piece to unite and support one another even though we may not agree with what the govt has done. Though I may seem to have echoed what they have said in the press, I think I did my part by doing something for the jobless here.
There is no need to smear my intention to write here with suggestion that this piece is used as propaganda. I also can’t write that well as some of you mentioned to do just do. You all have flattered me.
Instead of wasting time criticizing, let us think of what we can do to help our fellow Singaporeans.
gilbert, criticizing is not wasting time. ..doesnt have to be either/or . badly written articles can invite good criticism and quality articles can be bombarded wth dumb comments. helping fellowman doesn’t have to mean help in the literal sense. criticing is also ‘helping.’ offering simple ideas and solution is ok but in many cases i think u’re too simplistic. theres a difference there.
So let me get this straight.
Anyone in this here site who voices the merest support of any government related initiative is seen as a son-of-a-bitch.
Anyone in this here site who tries to mention some of kind of positive thinking is seen as a pro-government sympathiser who deserves to flogged.
Seems like rednecks have taken over.
“Your criticisim of me is already well noted since the time we have an argument. I can only say that you hold grudges deep in your heart which can only be bad for your own health.”
That reminds me I need to pop down to guardian and get me some multi-vitamins.
Bfr I take off on by bicycle; I like I say, keep it tight and smart – DCT said something real smart here – no one is saying you wrong; you just need to learn a better way to get your point across- one that preferrably doesnt cause pain to thinking people, try to take it constructive Gilbert, bc the way you going the only thing you’re going to attract are flies and the only thing you going to end up conducting is lightning.
You better hang loose and stop accusing me of driving people away from here (like you always do, unless you can produce proof); I do the reverse and everyone knows it including the webmaster here; the function of the liaison officer is to speak for his community, very much like a MP. I collated the responses and there you have it – I am just a postman, nothing more or less.
Thats our feedback; you do as you like; it matters little to us.
SD
Actually, why give JC and not create Demand?
No Demand means no business.
No Business means get JC also won’t prevent retrenchment.
Retrenchment is a natural process adoptable by companies when business is bad.
There is nothing wrong in itself as long as its based on real reasons.
As part of restructuring effort, I urge that companies go ahead with retrenchments as long as its real reasons. Companies retrench to stay alive and avoid close shop. Everyone protects themselves and have the right to do so. Employers are humans too. No one owes no one nothing.
What i mean is, if really have to retrench, Just Do it. Its legal, i suppose. correct me if wrong. After this crisis over and restructuring done including retrenchments, I am sure most companies will emerge leaner and fitter to fight another day. Is this not great?
So, why issue JC? JC should go to already unemployed due to inevitable retrenchments. If no business, even if JC received, I do not believe that employee has reason to stay on the payroll. i put myself in the shoe of an employer.
we can only blame ourselves that we have no capability to be our own boss and have to depend on company salary to earn a living. not wrong but we then have to accept the consequence of relying on others for our own happiness aka salary.
to conclude, I have to sing lemon tree : “i wonder how and i wonder why….”
okay, thanks for listening. I feel that our finance ministry is doing what they can to offer singaporeans. As to whether this scheme is successful or not, only time can tell. Unless someone has prove this one works for sure. so, kudos to the youths at the ministry. your effort is shocking, in a good way. i am impressed.
the crux of the matter is that our gahment contributes half the big shit we are going through now. When gahment takes credit in good times (hence highest paid in the world) but pushes blame to world financial crisis during downturn, it will always be, heads they win, tails, we lose.
the policies they have implemented are just to keep us alive enough so that they can milk us till we die. They want us alive, but not kicking, so that we are always shackled to their systems.
how can the gahment say they will suffer with us, when they are paid millions, but we are struggling like mad. it’s all BS. the most important for us is to remember this episode (and all those failed promises) and exercise our votes wisely come next election.
Your sheer arrogance and self righteousness is astounding. Are you Rush Limbaugh in disguise?
Dear Gilbert,
I have to speak my mind and it may hurt.
Your attempt to give a reasonable reply to all the negative feedback here is as lame as the article you have contributed. I am sorry, but I have to speak my mind.
Over the past few months, you have contributed some very useful and enlightening articles and I have even given you my vote for being the best consultant at TOC.
Sadly, I agree with some of the comments here that this time round, you have done yourself no good with comments like “a joy to watch”, “the much-maligned Job Credit scheme”; “our MPs meant what they said”, “no time for politicking in this period “; and to cap it all off with the remark that “CST was nowhere to be found”; and finally calling on all Singaporeans to unite as one to battle this storm.
Let’s put these words together and your message, whether intended or not, is very clear. IMHO, your message is this: JCS is maligned, there was no politicking in parliament which was a joy to watch, every MIW was giving and doing their best in unison while CST was missing.
This was why I felt so hollow after reading your article.
Coming back to your reply, I do not seem to see any rebuttals to the comments posted here except to paint yourself as a champion of some interest which you have set up elsewhere. The work you are doing is great but it is not the issue here and you know it.
What you are saying is that your good works gives you the right to impose your thoughts. This is what you have implied in your reply post #31.
SD knew you would counter him with an attack on his character; I too could see it from a mile away; but I think he did enough; not once, not twice but at least three times, telling you to take his criticism constructively. Sadly, you did not, but instead chose to attack him using baseless references from other postings from months gone by, and using fellow commentators as a whole, to back your claim.
Like I said in the opening passage of this post; I am sorry, but I am one person who reads each article as they are presented. Your other contributions elsewhere do not come into play when they have no bearing on the article presented for discussion here.
Gilbert,
As an after-thought, perhaps you could share with us how we can ‘unite’?
Go to any of the job fairs and you will see hundreds of applicants for the same positions. New graduates are already beginning to worry if they could land a job.
Can these people unite and say to the other; “you go ahead an apply, I will withdraw mine so that you can have the job?”.
Would you tell your colleague who is about to be retrenched, to stay while you pack your bags and resign instead?
Would you help them pay their HDB mortgage loans and utility bills till they get jobs to support themselves and their families? How many can you support?
Tell us how we can stay united if the people at the top prefers that we continue to struggle and fend for ourselves? It is a tooth-against-nail situation out there and a horrible battle for survival which the government still does not recognise.
Unity has to start from the top and the top has to decide whether it wants to make the environment conducive for the people to unite or not.
Don’t tell us to unite when disunity is not first tackled.
Are you another Rush Limbaugh wannabe?
I am just an ordinary citizen who does not wear white.
How to “unite”? Try this. Carry 10 angpows in your pocket, each containing $10. Every time you meet somebdy who has lost his or her job, give him or her an angpow. Give out these angpows over a period of one month. You may repeat the cycle the next month, if you are able and willing to make a $100-a-month donation to those who are less fortunate then you.
Believe you me, your act of kindness will uplift the spirit and inspire each of these 10 people in more ways than you will ever imagine.
What the world needs now,
is love, sweet love
– song by Burt Bacharach
Gabriel,
Have been giving cash to poor folks for a long time now, am still doing it. I agree with what Sylvia said in parliament. Some people do not want handouts. They don’t want your money.
People hard up for money or direct cash handouts as a form of welfare, is a notion perpetrated by the PAP govt. They have made it into such a dirty word, that the general population even agree, that direct welfare is no good.
This is a special situation and a special remedy must be concocted, one of which is direct monetary assistance. I have suggested some other possible solutions and I am tired of repeating it.
Coming back to your suggestion, I think you miss the whole point. The responsibilty of ensuring that the citizens stay united to the cause of the country, which is to ride out this storm, falls mainly on the government. Yes, the people can chip in, like what Gilbert is doing or the angpows you suggested, but ultimately, the welfare and well-being of the larger masses, the population, lies with the government.
If it wants the people to unite with them, then they ought to make the environment conducive for such a partnership. It cannot continue to ask the people to bail companies out at their own expense. Will these companies remember them when they survive this crisis and regain their positions?
So the question remains, what is in it for the people to stay united? If the government cannot provide a reasonable answer to this question, then I am afraid, it will continue to remain a situation where every man is for himself.
Read your article six times and to be very honest with you, still dont have any idea how you go justifying everything said there. I wouldnt call it propaganda, but its very close. Too close for comfort. We could do with less platitudes and more substance. And another thing, if you really wish for peace with them, why hold out the olive branch in one hand and make character assasinations with another # 31 / February 5th, 2009 6.44 pm. You dont even give those people any chance to consider your offer for peace Gilbert.
I look forward to the TV program!
My new signature: Vote for Tan Kin Lian to be our MP! http://tkl100kpetition.blogspot.com/2008/12/why-sign-petition.html
Why doesn’t toc see the need to vet articles like this? Shouldn’t toc be the one to bear the blame and not gilbert?
Just my very honest opinion.
#33
235 SA
Get used to it buddy.
It definitely a good call, “Stand United”. But realistically in a crisis people tend to huddle in cliques rather than follow a herd. This was pointed out in a article in the minyanville, which covered this topic amongst other things…
http://www.minyanville.com/articles/index/a/20928
If if you are smart, go find a group to huddle in..otherwise you may be left in the cold.