"world war 2 was dealt with in a highly stylized way in the model. namely, it was completely left out."
r.c. allen, "the rise and decline of the soviet economy."
i like how economists can say this with a straight face. i went out today and it was raining basically so cleopatra got drenched. and go marathon runners. yeah was just on my way to ryman's and london bridge to feed my printer and get birthdar cards. it gets hungry so often nowadays. not much to say. i think i will include my father's pov today.
>Elsewhere in Jogja or Semarang it is not a pretty picture though. Poor is
>still abundant and it sets me comparing the current condition to some 20+
>years ago. Indonesia seems to be standing still for a long time and it may
>be sad contrasting this to China. 30 years ago China was behind Indonesia
>but now they have forged way ahead, at least economically. Should be
>interesting for you to see this side of Indonesia.
>
>In Semarang we tried the usual favourites, soto, sate, bakmie. And yes, we
>tried a new invention in Semarang, nasi padang on conveyor belt (ala shushi
>on converyour belt concept). The concept is ok but the food, unfortunately
>was junk.
>
>We went to Easter Sunday mass in Semarang at the old chappel that used to
>be
>Mama's school. There was this charismatic priest from Menado that really
>can
>engage the audience. He was asking the audience if they prefer being rich
>or
>poor, being healthy or sick, the answers from the audience was obvious.
>Then
>he asked why then Buddha (Shidarta Gautama) gave up his princely priviledge
>and materials to live a life of no attachment or for that matter Jesus. He
>said we live in a world which put emphasis on knowledge (the whats and
>hows)
>but not enough in wisdom (philosophy, the whys).
>
>Anyway, coming back home to comfortable home in Singapore, Bonnie was
>watching a replay of the forum between young Singaporeans and MM Lee. This
>forum created some controversies recently with the older generation
>accusing
>the young as being rude and ungrateful to MM. But to me being rude or
>aggressive is ok (anyway MM is used to that through out his life) but being
>shallow in their thingking and ungrateful is a concern. The questions and
>some responses from the youth are quite shallow and dissapointing.
>Especially after coming back from Indonesia where I have the glimpse of the
>life there I can't help feeling how lucky (or perhaps unluckily spoiled )
>young Singaporeans are.
>
>Some asked MM why he hang around so long. They do not realize that
>everytime
>he goes to Indonesia, China, India or Middle East,he brings back multi
>billion dollar deals that create jobs for future Singaporeans. And they ask
>him to quit?. He can quit for he has nothing else to prove, but the fact he
>is willing to continue to help as business ambassador at this age shows he
>loves Singapore, not because he wants to cling to power. Let me ask a
>simple
>question. If you are 80, would you rather retire and enjoy your remaining
>years doing things you would always like to do or continue to work. So,
>just
>like the Semarang priest asks, why does he do that? Clinging to power to
>preserve it for his son or does he do it out his care and concern for
>Singaporeans? Why does people so negatively jump to a conclusion that he is
>clinging to power? Why not look at his actions and track records of many
>years of service to conclude more positively and rationaly that he does it
>for the concern of the people? Are young Singaporeans complaining for the
>sake of it and to look fashionable with the crowds?. If they do have
>convictions, surely they must have the guts to stand up as opposition and
>provide viable alternative. Are they prepared to give up the comfort of
>their careers to serve the cause they believe in? Walk the talk, I mean,
>then I respect.
>
>In the Singapore context, I think a more productive role is that of
>rennaisance man, one who speaks up for the right or wrong of policies and
>issues regardless the color of the political party.
>
>Anyway, I have a plan to go back to Jogja and Semaranf in June with mama,
>Ardina and her family.
>Do you want to join. It will be about 5 days kind of thing. If you want I
>can rearrange to fit your schedule. If you don't is OK, no obligation.
OK! I think I shall go.
4/23/2006
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6 comments:
your dad's a really smart guy.
one thing though ... don't the PAP ministers have to obey the party whip in paliarment? they can criticise the party stand but only to a limited extet
yep, i guess that's what happened with the casino thing. in the end voting is still subject to the whip. caused quite some dissatisfaction. i still remember with amusement the posting of white elephants in buangkok though.
and yeah when someone does give up his career to run as president, he doesn't get to run cause there's something saying he's not good enough. isn't voting supposed to weed that out. but i guess they were afraid that it would release irrational pent up voting urges and such.
I like your dad.
the intersection of politics, God and money can be a tricky terrain to navigate.
hahahahahaa i didnt understand a single word of what you wrote..but if you tried to read my poem...
its easier to rhyme in spanish but its more difficult to evade rhymes!
joses: it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. matt 19:24
even jesus said it was tricky terrain!
surprisingly enough, in the koran:
To those who reject Our signs and treat them with arrogance, no opening will there be of the gates of heaven, nor will they enter the garden, until the camel can pass through the eye of the needle: Such is Our reward for those in sin. (Al-A'raf (The Heights) 7:40)
the people who wrote this stuff certainly had an eye for literary allusion.
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