Sunday, May 29, 2011
Moving Us
Move in move in
Usual call at the bus scene
Jammed at the entrance
Choked at the exit
Empty spaces in between
Standing passengers
More room in MRT trains
Closed eyes at reserved seats
Notice suspicious bags
Mind the platform gaps
You see it afar
Hired the sign says
Taxis welcome the peak
Surcharge at certain hours
Come midnight better still
Into CBD causes congestion
ERP to ease the strain
Getting out equally jammed
ERP also can
Motorists feel the pain
Long long ago
By feet everywhere can
Rickshaws for the rich
Labour sweats the poor
Go at will with no restrain
Up horse the quickest
Faster the modern transport
He wants you want I want
Ha ha ha jam for all
We want we got
Usual call at the bus scene
Jammed at the entrance
Choked at the exit
Empty spaces in between
Standing passengers
More room in MRT trains
Closed eyes at reserved seats
Notice suspicious bags
Mind the platform gaps
You see it afar
Hired the sign says
Taxis welcome the peak
Surcharge at certain hours
Come midnight better still
Into CBD causes congestion
ERP to ease the strain
Getting out equally jammed
ERP also can
Motorists feel the pain
Long long ago
By feet everywhere can
Rickshaws for the rich
Labour sweats the poor
Go at will with no restrain
Up horse the quickest
Faster the modern transport
He wants you want I want
Ha ha ha jam for all
We want we got
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Elitism
What is elitism, and is it good or bad ?
Elitism may be explained as a select group of gifted and highly educated individuals, the very best, governing a larger group, a society or a country. Thus elitism is naturally perceived as the choice without equal. Who would want to dispute that, getting the best team of individuals to get things done, by the best ways to achieve the best results, to progress. Hurray, clap hands !
There is not anything that the elite cannot do well, everything will be fine, as planned and executed; achievement, success, celebration roll along! Spoils and rewards, camaraderie and happiness, and each one looking out for the other, together a cohesive force to meet any challenges. Yes, it has the best expertise, and whatever difficulties and obstacles, a way will be found and success assured.
Individuals naturally will have families, relatives and friends, and every one naturally wants to provide the best for his own. The demands of these human paraphernalia of impedimenta will grow as their status rise. The core elite being what it was, began with a certain high standard, which will unlikely remain so with the infusion of the peripheral accouterments.
Misdeeds are natural too, and when any crime is committed, would any of the elite bear to punish his own. Elitism is a network, and all elements of the net must be united, else this power block cleaves asunder. Naturally, back scratching would be solicited and integrity compromised, and laws and rules bent. One favour granted demands the return of another, and no wrongs would be exposed. Under such an umbrella the perpetrators become bold and daring, feeling immune to prosecution. Obviously a time comes when this corruption permeating along the network insidiously and secretly breech through the power of protection and the downfall begins.
In Chinese Teochew opera there is a story of a very upright high-ranking official who sentenced his own son, Kai Liang Chye, to death for committing murder. There is also a story of the popular famous magistrate Pao Kong, who sentenced his nephew to death too, knowing that the criminal was the son of his benefactor, the sister-in-law who had nurtured him and brought him up to become what he was. These steadfast righteous men were exceptional; fact or fiction the tales are legend. It would be extremely difficulty to find such men today. Cronyism prevails where networks exist, and corruption is their way of staying united.
It is often said that it is easy to kill someone but difficult to conceal the murder. Cover-ups may be kept secret for as long as mouths are sealed. When the truth is exposed, what follows is a repeat of the fall of regimes all over history.
There is an old Chinese saying that wealth does not last beyond three generations, and analogously elitism has a similar lifespan from goodness to decay.
Elitism is akin to whitewashed gangsterism, it is good to begin with, and the goodness get eaten up when it is established with its network of cronyism and corruption devouring whatever goodness there ever remained.
Have a nice day.
Ronald
Elitism may be explained as a select group of gifted and highly educated individuals, the very best, governing a larger group, a society or a country. Thus elitism is naturally perceived as the choice without equal. Who would want to dispute that, getting the best team of individuals to get things done, by the best ways to achieve the best results, to progress. Hurray, clap hands !
There is not anything that the elite cannot do well, everything will be fine, as planned and executed; achievement, success, celebration roll along! Spoils and rewards, camaraderie and happiness, and each one looking out for the other, together a cohesive force to meet any challenges. Yes, it has the best expertise, and whatever difficulties and obstacles, a way will be found and success assured.
Individuals naturally will have families, relatives and friends, and every one naturally wants to provide the best for his own. The demands of these human paraphernalia of impedimenta will grow as their status rise. The core elite being what it was, began with a certain high standard, which will unlikely remain so with the infusion of the peripheral accouterments.
Misdeeds are natural too, and when any crime is committed, would any of the elite bear to punish his own. Elitism is a network, and all elements of the net must be united, else this power block cleaves asunder. Naturally, back scratching would be solicited and integrity compromised, and laws and rules bent. One favour granted demands the return of another, and no wrongs would be exposed. Under such an umbrella the perpetrators become bold and daring, feeling immune to prosecution. Obviously a time comes when this corruption permeating along the network insidiously and secretly breech through the power of protection and the downfall begins.
In Chinese Teochew opera there is a story of a very upright high-ranking official who sentenced his own son, Kai Liang Chye, to death for committing murder. There is also a story of the popular famous magistrate Pao Kong, who sentenced his nephew to death too, knowing that the criminal was the son of his benefactor, the sister-in-law who had nurtured him and brought him up to become what he was. These steadfast righteous men were exceptional; fact or fiction the tales are legend. It would be extremely difficulty to find such men today. Cronyism prevails where networks exist, and corruption is their way of staying united.
It is often said that it is easy to kill someone but difficult to conceal the murder. Cover-ups may be kept secret for as long as mouths are sealed. When the truth is exposed, what follows is a repeat of the fall of regimes all over history.
There is an old Chinese saying that wealth does not last beyond three generations, and analogously elitism has a similar lifespan from goodness to decay.
Elitism is akin to whitewashed gangsterism, it is good to begin with, and the goodness get eaten up when it is established with its network of cronyism and corruption devouring whatever goodness there ever remained.
Have a nice day.
Ronald
