Another interesting post from Penumpang Halal, this time about Dr. Wee's veiled treat on withdrawing $$$$$ support for a Chinese primary school should they invite the state government representatives to their school function:
===========
Datuk Wee, Please Don't Wee On Yourself
written by Penumpang Halal, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
No Justice Without Equality
Look what I found on http://www.malaysiainsider.com.
So good that I must replicate here:
=============
No Justice Without Equality
written by Penumpang Halal, February 18, 2009
Granted all of us are unique (no two humans has identical thumb print!) and there are obvious differences in the Gender, that does not make us unequal when rights are concerned.
All persons are equal before the law and whether you want to believe that some laws are "God given" and some "Man made", all laws are humans implemented.
Herbert Spenser, the English sage said, ""Laws whether written or unwritten, formulate the rule of the dead over the living. In addition to that power which past generations exercise over present generations, by transmitting their natures,--bodily and mental,--and in addition to the power they exercise over them by bequeathed habits and modes of life, there is the power they exercise through their regulations for public conduct, handed down orally, or in writing. . . . I emphasize these truths,"--he adds,--"for the purpose of showing that they imply a tacit ancestor-worship."
Alas, what the women is fighting for is actually futile, because the "rights of men" are enshrined above that of women in the holy books.
What is needed is a shift in paradigm and a change in mindset and that include even to the drastic step of not having the religion that one, who had chose not to belong to by one's freewill e.g. "by birth".
Simple solution, in a democracy, people have personal freedom and that includes rights to personal choice and privacy: Just Leave and be Free to or not to associate.
This is the 21st Century which no obsolete paradigms, methods, systems and mindsets can help solve modern days problems: modern day problems need modern day solutions, that is why Homo-sapiens are have better brains and are supposed to be the fitter survivals in the Cycle of Life where it is a game of the Survival of the Fittest (another of Herbert Spenser's coined terms).
Want to know how liberal and pragmatic some other people from other parts of the world have shifted their paradigms and changed their mindsets?
Well, feast your eyes and change your mindset:
http://www.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20080331-57109.html
========================================================
So good that I must replicate here:
=============
No Justice Without Equality
written by Penumpang Halal, February 18, 2009
Granted all of us are unique (no two humans has identical thumb print!) and there are obvious differences in the Gender, that does not make us unequal when rights are concerned.
All persons are equal before the law and whether you want to believe that some laws are "God given" and some "Man made", all laws are humans implemented.
Herbert Spenser, the English sage said, ""Laws whether written or unwritten, formulate the rule of the dead over the living. In addition to that power which past generations exercise over present generations, by transmitting their natures,--bodily and mental,--and in addition to the power they exercise over them by bequeathed habits and modes of life, there is the power they exercise through their regulations for public conduct, handed down orally, or in writing. . . . I emphasize these truths,"--he adds,--"for the purpose of showing that they imply a tacit ancestor-worship."
Alas, what the women is fighting for is actually futile, because the "rights of men" are enshrined above that of women in the holy books.
What is needed is a shift in paradigm and a change in mindset and that include even to the drastic step of not having the religion that one, who had chose not to belong to by one's freewill e.g. "by birth".
Simple solution, in a democracy, people have personal freedom and that includes rights to personal choice and privacy: Just Leave and be Free to or not to associate.
This is the 21st Century which no obsolete paradigms, methods, systems and mindsets can help solve modern days problems: modern day problems need modern day solutions, that is why Homo-sapiens are have better brains and are supposed to be the fitter survivals in the Cycle of Life where it is a game of the Survival of the Fittest (another of Herbert Spenser's coined terms).
Want to know how liberal and pragmatic some other people from other parts of the world have shifted their paradigms and changed their mindsets?
Well, feast your eyes and change your mindset:
http://www.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20080331-57109.html
========================================================
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Creation or Evolution?
Some kind soul sent me the below article and I responded in reciprocation.
Enjoy!
Question:
============
We are often asked whether we believe the Creation account in the first chapter of Genesis should be understood as a literal six-day creation. Some Christians believe that if a person doesn’t believe that God created everything in six literal days, then they are denying both God and the Bible.
But it is important to remember that some parts of the Bible are intended to be understood literally and some parts are intended to be understood figuratively. In fact, some 40 percent of the Bible consists of poetry and metaphors, and these are intended to be taken figuratively, not literally. And the figurative parts are every bit as true as the literal parts.
For example, God is not a literal hen, rock, tower, or shepherd, even though the Bible describes God in such terms.
We have to remember that the writer of Genesis 1 lived at a time when common oral (and eventually written) traditions included mythic creation epics that presented the stars, the planets, the sun, moon, land, sea and animals as gods. Some of these creation epics began with a pre-existent mound out of which the first god springs, who then in one way or another produces the other gods. Another variation has the sea as the first god. Such epics were the standard approach to explaining the original of the known universe.
Contrast that with the Creation story in Genesis 1. The Genesis account uses the standard style of creation epics of the ancient world. But it makes the radical declaration that the God of Israel, completely unlike all the gods of the nations, did not emerge from anything, nor was he ever part of the universe.
Quite the contrary, Genesis declares that this God created everything out of nothing simply by the power of his word. Each of the things thought of by the nations as being gods is systematically presented in Genesis as having been created by this God, and then being declared “good” by this God, demonstrating his utter power over them.
In other words, Genesis 1 is about the Who of Creation, not the how. Genesis 1 is making a profound theological statement to us about who God is as Creator in contrast to the gods of the nations. We should not try to interpret it as providing us some kind of literal scientific record of how and when God did it.
The biblical revelation tells us that the God who revealed himself to Israel and who has revealed himself to humanity in Jesus Christ is the Creator of all that exists. This means that nothing factual that science can say about the universe needs to be in conflict with the biblical revelation – as long as the scientific interpretation doesn’t conclude that God is not the Creator of all that exists.
Scientists, using whatever evidence is available, seek to better understand the wonders of the amazing universe God has brought into being. Since God is the creator of all that is, whatever science finds to be true about the universe or about life itself, is simply a discovery about some aspect of what God has done.
As Christians, we have no need to be afraid of or skeptical of what science discovers, because all truth is God’s truth, and all true science is God’s science.
==================Answer:
| Hi .... |
What is critical now is the future which can be influenced by what we do or do not do in the present.
Present the Creation Story as part of the whole Gospel of salvation by and through Jesus Christ alone as the solution to an impending problem of Sin through the Fall.
If people, after hearing the Gospel, accept, believe and repent, Praise be unto God, if they reject, that is there God given right and if they choose to believe in "scientific evolution", let them find salvation in the scientific theory, that is their right and also their destiny.
Let us not be like some modern Pharisee who insist that man are not mammals because we are not animals.
Man are mammals because we share the common attributes of scientifically coined criteria, but man can fail to be humans if we behave like animals as seen lately how politics have become in Malaysia.
Regards,
...
=======================
Friday, January 23, 2009
A Wonderful Speech is It?
I received an email from a long time friend and in it contained the former PM of Australia, John Howard's speech to the UN.
My friend claimed it to be wonderful; I beg to differ and would classify it as unhelpful.
The reason is one immigrant cannot ask another immigrant to leave; but to understand why people are as they are and so long as they seek no violence in there struggles, we should live side by side amidst diversity.
My reply to my friend is below the posting:
==========================================
IT'S A WONDERFUL SPEECH………
Hi ,
The views of Patriotic Australian Prime Minister....
THE UNITED NATION Needs A Leader Like This !
Prime Minister John Howard - Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
Maybe if we circulate this TO THE WHOLE WORLD- IT MAY GIVE the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths FOR THE PEACE & LOVE OF MANKIND
IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE.
GREAT EXPECTATION MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF US.
Now go to this website to know more"Why Israel's offensive on gaza?"
www.jcpa.org
John Howard
========================================
Dear Bro. (zapped to protect confidentiality),
John Howard's right to free speech must be respected and I support his right, even though I may not entirely agree with what he said, hopefully he verbalizes what he thinks.
The fundamental issue is still Human's basic right to choice.
For people who wants to be under Sharia, let them vote with their hands and legs and for people who vote for Civil Law, let it be so.
But for John Howard, to demand people to get out when he himself like so many others to Australia are immigrants, is a little way above the top.
A viable democracy is one that embraces and the acid test is how the rights of the minorities are protected for the comfort consumption of the minorities alone, without discriminating the majority by even an iota.
Similarly, transport this back to our beloved home country, Malaysia.
What if one day, the majority demands Sharia and Hudud and tell us, the minority that if we don't like it, we can get out of the country?
Yes, any weapon of aggression can backfire, so, let us be more retrospect in everything we think, say and do, undo or don't do.
Shalom,
Alex Kee
My friend claimed it to be wonderful; I beg to differ and would classify it as unhelpful.
The reason is one immigrant cannot ask another immigrant to leave; but to understand why people are as they are and so long as they seek no violence in there struggles, we should live side by side amidst diversity.
My reply to my friend is below the posting:
==========================================
IT'S A WONDERFUL SPEECH………
Hi ,
The views of Patriotic Australian Prime Minister....
THE UNITED NATION Needs A Leader Like This !
Prime Minister John Howard - Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
Maybe if we circulate this TO THE WHOLE WORLD- IT MAY GIVE the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths FOR THE PEACE & LOVE OF MANKIND
IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE.
GREAT EXPECTATION MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF US.
Now go to this website to know more"Why Israel's offensive on gaza?"
www.jcpa.org
John Howard
========================================
Dear Bro. (zapped to protect confidentiality),
John Howard's right to free speech must be respected and I support his right, even though I may not entirely agree with what he said, hopefully he verbalizes what he thinks.
The fundamental issue is still Human's basic right to choice.
For people who wants to be under Sharia, let them vote with their hands and legs and for people who vote for Civil Law, let it be so.
But for John Howard, to demand people to get out when he himself like so many others to Australia are immigrants, is a little way above the top.
A viable democracy is one that embraces and the acid test is how the rights of the minorities are protected for the comfort consumption of the minorities alone, without discriminating the majority by even an iota.
Similarly, transport this back to our beloved home country, Malaysia.
What if one day, the majority demands Sharia and Hudud and tell us, the minority that if we don't like it, we can get out of the country?
Yes, any weapon of aggression can backfire, so, let us be more retrospect in everything we think, say and do, undo or don't do.
Shalom,
Alex Kee
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sustainability = Living Within the Renewable Cycle
We often use the term "Sustainable & Renewable" without much thought and thinking aloud lately, I wondered what it meant philosophically.
As we are all aware, nothing on Earth is new; everything that existed now had existed in its absolute content quantum, its form may have changed and its content remained conserved just as energy and matter are.
The Law of the Conversation of Matter and Energy states that Energy and Matter cannot be destroyed; they can only be transformed as succinctly expressed by Albert Einstein's E=mc2.
This being the case, we ought not to run out of resources, but the empirical evidence is that we do, and always too.
Take the case of drinking water.
The next time you take a drink, think for a while, it may have been someone's urine and after you have drank it, it may come back as clean recycled fresh water in someone else glass.
How? You may ask.
Well, thanks to the Hydrological Cycle (one of the many major cycles that recycle Earth's resources: the Nitrogen Cycle, the Carbon Cycle etc).
Scientist believe that the quantum of water on Earth has been fixed during the Jurassic Period and there are no new water; just fresh recycled water, compliments from the Sun.
Used water evaporated under the power of the Sun to form clouds that fall as precipitation: rain, snow, hail etc that fills up rivers and get treated to become potable water for us.
Conceptually, we ought not to run out of fossil fuel too, but the reality is because unlike water, the recycling gestation period of oil is not in a matter of weeks, months, years, decades or centuries but eons!
Therefore, when we run out of clean potable water, let us realize that this ought not be the case because the Recycling Cycle is within Renewability; it is our abuse and/or overuse that pushes it beyond its sustainability.
As Gandhi puts it, "The world has enough resources to satisfy our needs; never our greed".
So, use resources wisely and judiciously, always within its renewability cycle so as to remain sustainable, for our sake, our children' sake and our children' children' sake.
As we are all aware, nothing on Earth is new; everything that existed now had existed in its absolute content quantum, its form may have changed and its content remained conserved just as energy and matter are.
The Law of the Conversation of Matter and Energy states that Energy and Matter cannot be destroyed; they can only be transformed as succinctly expressed by Albert Einstein's E=mc2.
This being the case, we ought not to run out of resources, but the empirical evidence is that we do, and always too.
Take the case of drinking water.
The next time you take a drink, think for a while, it may have been someone's urine and after you have drank it, it may come back as clean recycled fresh water in someone else glass.
How? You may ask.
Well, thanks to the Hydrological Cycle (one of the many major cycles that recycle Earth's resources: the Nitrogen Cycle, the Carbon Cycle etc).
Scientist believe that the quantum of water on Earth has been fixed during the Jurassic Period and there are no new water; just fresh recycled water, compliments from the Sun.
Used water evaporated under the power of the Sun to form clouds that fall as precipitation: rain, snow, hail etc that fills up rivers and get treated to become potable water for us.
Conceptually, we ought not to run out of fossil fuel too, but the reality is because unlike water, the recycling gestation period of oil is not in a matter of weeks, months, years, decades or centuries but eons!
Therefore, when we run out of clean potable water, let us realize that this ought not be the case because the Recycling Cycle is within Renewability; it is our abuse and/or overuse that pushes it beyond its sustainability.
As Gandhi puts it, "The world has enough resources to satisfy our needs; never our greed".
So, use resources wisely and judiciously, always within its renewability cycle so as to remain sustainable, for our sake, our children' sake and our children' children' sake.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Mangkali or Punjabi: Misnomer or Malice Meant?
The Sikh Community has just celebrated their new year about a week ago and the newly appointed Chief Minister of Perak, Mohd. Nizar who ignorantly referred the Sikh as "Bengali" where it should have been "Punjabi" in a Sikh Temple celebration, came under fire, big time from certain quarters, Sikh and non Sikh alike, but was also defended by others, Sikh and non Sikh too.
While the fresh Chief Minister may have made a blunder by using the wrong description, does he deserve such condemnation when it is common knowledge that the Chinese Community in Malaysia had always and still do address the Sikhs as "Mangkali" which sounds like "Bengali".
To the Sikhs who originate from Punjab, I can understand why they would detest being called "Mangkali" which sounded like "Bengali", given that Punjab is in the West of India, closer to West Pakistan (now called merely Pakistan) and Bengal is in the East, closer to East Pakistan, now seceded and independent from Pakistan and has adopted the name "Bangladesh".
But the Chinese Community has always refer the conspicuous Sikh who wears a Sikh turban as "Mangkali" and poor Nizar couldn't really be faulted for using the wrong term, even granted as a Chief Minister (albeit newly minted) he ought to show less "man of the street's" ignorance.
My take on the phenomenon is the inherent phonic articulation inability of Chinese tongue in pronouncing certain sounds like "R" and "L", "V" and "B", "Z" and "J".
For example, it is not uncommon for the Chinaman to say, "Bely Good" instead of "Very Good", "Lulian" instead of "Durian". Therefore, Punjabi could be mistakenly pronounced as "Mangkali" because Sikhs address brothers as "Bai" or "Vai" and it follows that "Punjabi" morphs into "Baikali" and then to "Mangkali".
Well, this is only my hypothesis and is subject to further etymological scrutiny by any interested experts out there.
Karpal Singh, who, as a modern Singh is never seen in typical Singh garb turban except on a special day like the Sikh New Year was classic in his defense for the newly minted Chief Minister.
I like how Karpal puts it with style and compassion. Plagiarizing William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet (II, ii, 1-2), he said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose? By any other name would smell as sweet." How true!
If my memory serves me right, I have never read in the Press and seen on mass media, a Chief Minister, especially a Muslim (and from a Muslim inspired political party like PAS) entered a place of worship except a mosque and to even officiate the opening of a religious ceremony like Vaisakhi or Baisakhi in a Sikh Temple, is truly a sign of goodwill and humility.
Alas, there are some within and without who took extreme offense and demanded for the Chief Minister's blood, if not head for a common mistake held by the masses.
Nizar has apologized for the mistake and to me, the whole accident ought to be just forgiven and forgotten, because malice was never intended, it was a genuine accident out of a habitual use of a term.
This incident is like one that was told to me when I was working as an Insurance Agent in the 1980s.
The scene was a classroom and the lesson was "cookery". The Cookery Class Teacher held up high a Rastali banana and asked the class, "Girls, do you know what banana this is?".
The class bimbo quickly got up, put up her hand and shouted, "Indian Banana, teacher".
The whole class broke into laughter, the teacher included.
The poor girl was puzzled. It definitely looks like a "Keh Leng Chio" or "Indian Banana" in Hokkien, so what is so funny?
The same goes for the "Indian Temple" instead of "Hindu Temple" and "Malay New Year" instead of "Hari Raya Idil Fitri".
Funny, me think, if some Sikh and non Sikh can be easily offended by such honest accidental mistakes, they ought to take offense when a non Sikh puts on a Sikh Turban in a Sikh Temple, but then, Mr. Lim Eng Guan, the newly minted Chief Minister of Penang, do look undoubtedly cute with it, and so does our Karpal Singh, Esq.
I wonder how they will look in Taliban styled turbans though, but then, as garb doesn't make a man or a woman, it does not matter.
A Rose will smell like a rose, no matter by what you call it and a Sikh will always be a Sikh even when Punjab is split into half Indian and half Pakistani and by what name you can him, Punjabi, Mangkali, Bai or even Bengali.
नमस्त
(Namasté)
While the fresh Chief Minister may have made a blunder by using the wrong description, does he deserve such condemnation when it is common knowledge that the Chinese Community in Malaysia had always and still do address the Sikhs as "Mangkali" which sounds like "Bengali".
To the Sikhs who originate from Punjab, I can understand why they would detest being called "Mangkali" which sounded like "Bengali", given that Punjab is in the West of India, closer to West Pakistan (now called merely Pakistan) and Bengal is in the East, closer to East Pakistan, now seceded and independent from Pakistan and has adopted the name "Bangladesh".
But the Chinese Community has always refer the conspicuous Sikh who wears a Sikh turban as "Mangkali" and poor Nizar couldn't really be faulted for using the wrong term, even granted as a Chief Minister (albeit newly minted) he ought to show less "man of the street's" ignorance.
My take on the phenomenon is the inherent phonic articulation inability of Chinese tongue in pronouncing certain sounds like "R" and "L", "V" and "B", "Z" and "J".
For example, it is not uncommon for the Chinaman to say, "Bely Good" instead of "Very Good", "Lulian" instead of "Durian". Therefore, Punjabi could be mistakenly pronounced as "Mangkali" because Sikhs address brothers as "Bai" or "Vai" and it follows that "Punjabi" morphs into "Baikali" and then to "Mangkali".
Well, this is only my hypothesis and is subject to further etymological scrutiny by any interested experts out there.
Karpal Singh, who, as a modern Singh is never seen in typical Singh garb turban except on a special day like the Sikh New Year was classic in his defense for the newly minted Chief Minister.
I like how Karpal puts it with style and compassion. Plagiarizing William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet (II, ii, 1-2), he said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose? By any other name would smell as sweet." How true!
If my memory serves me right, I have never read in the Press and seen on mass media, a Chief Minister, especially a Muslim (and from a Muslim inspired political party like PAS) entered a place of worship except a mosque and to even officiate the opening of a religious ceremony like Vaisakhi or Baisakhi in a Sikh Temple, is truly a sign of goodwill and humility.
Alas, there are some within and without who took extreme offense and demanded for the Chief Minister's blood, if not head for a common mistake held by the masses.
Nizar has apologized for the mistake and to me, the whole accident ought to be just forgiven and forgotten, because malice was never intended, it was a genuine accident out of a habitual use of a term.
This incident is like one that was told to me when I was working as an Insurance Agent in the 1980s.
The scene was a classroom and the lesson was "cookery". The Cookery Class Teacher held up high a Rastali banana and asked the class, "Girls, do you know what banana this is?".
The class bimbo quickly got up, put up her hand and shouted, "Indian Banana, teacher".
The whole class broke into laughter, the teacher included.
The poor girl was puzzled. It definitely looks like a "Keh Leng Chio" or "Indian Banana" in Hokkien, so what is so funny?
The same goes for the "Indian Temple" instead of "Hindu Temple" and "Malay New Year" instead of "Hari Raya Idil Fitri".
Funny, me think, if some Sikh and non Sikh can be easily offended by such honest accidental mistakes, they ought to take offense when a non Sikh puts on a Sikh Turban in a Sikh Temple, but then, Mr. Lim Eng Guan, the newly minted Chief Minister of Penang, do look undoubtedly cute with it, and so does our Karpal Singh, Esq.
I wonder how they will look in Taliban styled turbans though, but then, as garb doesn't make a man or a woman, it does not matter.
A Rose will smell like a rose, no matter by what you call it and a Sikh will always be a Sikh even when Punjab is split into half Indian and half Pakistani and by what name you can him, Punjabi, Mangkali, Bai or even Bengali.
नमस्त
(Namasté)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Fishing in Troubled Waters
I received a phone call from a stranger purportedly based in China, trying to interest me into investing in fuel oil futures.
He claims that fuel oil prices in the USA is bound to rise given the higher and bigger demand for winter heating because of the anticipated colder winter, low stock levels and higher crude oil prices.
I protested to him that with people like him speculating in the fuel oil futures and with no viable alternatives in sight, fuel oil prices will have no other way but to go up, unless of course the US government releases it stockpile to drive down market prices.
Heating oil to keep alive in the winters in countries is a necessity. It is like water in desert climates. Withholding or profiteering in basic commodities to can mean life or death to people is the greatest crime anyone can commit.
If I make money at the expense of someone else suffering, is this humane?
What is the root objection to usury, precisely because it enslaves the poor to poverty when to the contrary, we ought to help the poor to feed, clothe and keep themselves warm when they are not able to.
If fuel oil prices become unaffordable to many in the cold countries, be prepared to see a rise in the number of deaths and all thanks to the hike in oil prices exacerbated by speculators in commodities.
We all know that fossil fuel is not sustainable but the harsh reality that in the short run there is no real alternatives to it but to gain at someone else losses is to me, adding another misery on suffering people.
He claims that fuel oil prices in the USA is bound to rise given the higher and bigger demand for winter heating because of the anticipated colder winter, low stock levels and higher crude oil prices.
I protested to him that with people like him speculating in the fuel oil futures and with no viable alternatives in sight, fuel oil prices will have no other way but to go up, unless of course the US government releases it stockpile to drive down market prices.
Heating oil to keep alive in the winters in countries is a necessity. It is like water in desert climates. Withholding or profiteering in basic commodities to can mean life or death to people is the greatest crime anyone can commit.
If I make money at the expense of someone else suffering, is this humane?
What is the root objection to usury, precisely because it enslaves the poor to poverty when to the contrary, we ought to help the poor to feed, clothe and keep themselves warm when they are not able to.
If fuel oil prices become unaffordable to many in the cold countries, be prepared to see a rise in the number of deaths and all thanks to the hike in oil prices exacerbated by speculators in commodities.
We all know that fossil fuel is not sustainable but the harsh reality that in the short run there is no real alternatives to it but to gain at someone else losses is to me, adding another misery on suffering people.
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Well said.
If MCA cannot represent the very interest the party is supposed to champion, the grassroot will switch over to other parties who can a better job.
Datuk Wee must not wee on the people who supports him or the people will wee on him and the party he represents.
The time of "There is Only One Choice" is gone, swap away by the tsunami of March2008, so for people like Datuk Wee, let the people free and let the people wee!
=====================