Current Affairs

"... Somalia has been characterized as a failed state and is one of the poorest and most violent states in the world."

-Wikipedia

Recently, the lives of the people in Somalia have just gotten much, much worse. Famine and drought has struck the country, worsening an already horrible situation. Currently, about 3.2 million people are on the brink of starvation in Somalia. Children, the disabled, the elderly. All left to fend for themselves as their parents or caretakers have either died or have left for refugee camps. The refugees are not cold-blooded, but rather victims of circumstance. Faced with either letting some of the family survive or none of the family surviving, they have taken what little food is left to make the long journey to the far-away camps.

Words cannot describe this.

This has been a rude awakening for me. Only now do I realise that not having a new computer, not having good grades, not getting to play instead of studying, are all "first world problems". I do not have to face death daily, neither do I have to fight for survival. I am truly thankful for what I have today, and what I have had, and what I will have. I really do hope that we can help them. A small donation will not hurt. Perhaps you will just brush this off, but think, if you were in their position, would you hope for a glimmer of hope? Hope that somewhere, someone has decided not to buy that pair of Nike shoes and instead put the money in a Red Cross donation box? We can all do our part to make the world a better place for all of us.

Captain Murdoch and his Band of Jolly Reporters

"The news media should be blamed for the unhealthy paparazzi culture and going to the extremes for sensational news. How far do you agree?"

The news media cannot be entirely blamed for this unhealthy paparazzi culture. Competition is very stiff in this cut-throat world of news and gossip reporting: Be quick or be dead. New firms try to make a name for themselves and the old guard try to keep relevant everyday. In this high-pressure cooking pot, going to extremes seem perfectly justified with deadlines hovering above your head daily.

The readers also have a part in the creation of this culture. With the advent of social media, new stories spread at lightning speed through the Internet. The printed word cannot hold a candle to almost instantaneous updates on trending news and the blazing speed which gossip travels. As such, these publishing firms have to get the juiciest and most exclusive content that competitors and the general public do not have. Such content is obviously only obtained through more underhand and more unscrupulous methods than a simple interview.

The demand for gossip and information about people has driven companies to resort to extreme methods. Perhaps in this world where any thing can be found online in a few mouse clicks, readers feel that newspapers and tabloids must provide almost constant information about celebrities and politicians.

Justice and his trusty sidekick Mercy

1. Is there true justice? Why?

Rarely is there some thing or idea in this world that is an absolute truth. Anything and everything can be debated. The world is not black and white, it is gray. Justice is no exception to this rule. Although people generally try not to make prejudiced or biased decisions, many times our subconscious intervenes or makes the final decision. Subconsciously, we may have deep-rooted prejudices against people of other social stature, wealth or race. Furthermore, some people do actually consciously obstruct justice either to protect themselves or to further their own agendas.

2. Is there true mercy as expounded by Portia? Why?

I also do not believe that there is true mercy. Mercy is an act of kindness and compassion to someone who has wronged you or someone else. Mercy is, in my opinion, just a show to garner more popularity and public approval. As Portia has said, it is heavenly, and mortal men are definitely not that.

3. Justice and Law can be manipulated by people in power. Comment on this with reference to the text and other real-life cases and examples.

Some may argue that people want to get into positions of power solely to bend Justice and Law to suit their own needs. Mr. Dominique Strauss Khan is one such example. He has used his position as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to protect himself from a full investigation. He has also used his wealth and status to hire a group of lawyers to defend him in court.

Blog Prompt 4

To what extent do you agree with the issues that the student has raised here? Point out some issues of agreement and possible contention.

I agree to an extent with the issues that the student, Janelle, has raised her. She makes two main points about our current Singaporean education system- the disturbingly large role that rote memorization plays and the redundancy of moral education.

On the issue of the large amount of memorization, I find it completely senseless. Firstly, a content-based examination creates a culture of memorization. But students memorizing large amounts of specific information serves no purpose because we can always refer to the internet or other information sources.

I feel that the main reason why many students are unhappy is because the education system has not evolved to suit the needs of the 21st century. In the past, rote memorization was undoubtedly a savior to the many poorer but hard working students who wanted the quickest way to escape poverty and have a better life by getting a good education. However, this system has outlived it's purpose because Singaporean students now of days are (usually) hailing from more financially stable families, better equipped to tackle higher-order or "thinking" questions and generally exposed to a wider range of education possibilities. Thus, students definitely find "regurgitating" answers in an exam tiresome and wasteful.

Civics and moral education, in my opinion, should not even be taught in schools. It is the duty of the parents to properly educate their children on proper manners. To have a correct moral view and respect for others should have been inculcated before the child even goes to school. Although many parents are often very busy at work, I still feel that they have the obligation to raise their child correctly so that he may treat others will respect and not disdain.

Examine her tone and attitude in this letter. Do you think it’s a well-crafted letter with the appropriate tone?

I do think that she was using a very serious and formal tone in the beginning of her letter. However towards the end she lost her "neutral" tone and her letter became moved towards being more personal and emotionally fueled. Overall, the letter is very well crafted.

If you should write a letter to Minister of Education, what are some issues you would raise? Remember- your intention is to make the system better for society’s betterment via CONSTRUCTIVE ideas.

I would raise the point that we could possibly have "open-book" tests and examinations. This way, we reduce the amount of time spent cramming the texts into our brains and instead increase the time we spend honing skills such as the presentation of our work. Furthermore, this would force exams to move towards testing actual understanding of the topic and not how much we remember.

Money in Marriages: Must or Maybe?

In your opinion, is money important in a relationship? Consider the 'transactional' element observed in the relationships between the couples. Do you think there is an upward trend of relationships and marriages valuing money over other qualities? Provide examples for your responses.

In my opinion, I believe that money is indeed quite important in a relationship. True love may conquer all, but I've never seen it conquer starvation and disease.

However, I do not feel that there is an upward trend of relationships and marriages valuing money over other qualities. As countries become more and more developed, money becomes less of an issue. In the past and even now in less developed countries, poor parents would often forcibly marry their daughters to richer (or older) men in hopes that they have a better life. Now, in the more developed and "richer" countries (i.e. Singapore) bachelors and bachelorettes often already have solid financial backgrounds. As such, they are able to choose a partner based on other qualities and not out of sheer desperation. Perhaps Singapore's declining birth rate may also be partially due to this as singles are no longer rushing to get engaged and instead slowly picking and choosing their life mates.

W.A.R: Wasting All Resources

In your opinion, how has war evolved from the past to present? Please use examples to justify your opinions.

"War, war never changes."

In my humble opinion, I believe that war has never changed. Since the dawn of man, war has existed alongside famine, pestilence and death. War turns father against son, brother against brother, a friend against friend. For the want of land, resources , labor, power or even ideology countless tribes, kingdoms and empires have gone to war. Below are a small slice of the various wars that have occurred throughtout humanity's terribly short history.

The First Crusade 1096 ~ 1099

"...military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem."

Russio-Persian War 1722 ~ 1723

"... the Persian campaign of Peter the Great, was a war between Russia and Persia (Iran), triggered by the tsar's attempt to expand Russian influence in the Caspian and South Caucasus regions and to prevent its rival, Ottoman Turkey, from territorial gains in the region at the expense of the declining Persia."

Taiping Rebellion 1850 ~ 1864

“…was a widespread civil war in southern China, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty. About 20 million people died, mainly civilians, in one of the deadliest military conflicts in history.”

The Vietnam War 1955 ~ 1975

“…The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment.”

The Gulf War 1990 ~ 1991

“…following the conquest of Kuwait, the Iraqi army was within easy striking distance of Saudi oil fields. Control of these fields, along with Kuwaiti and Iraqi reserves, would have given Hussein control over the majority of the world's oil reserves.”

Mexican Drug War 1990s ~ Now

“…The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels, who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking.”

As we can clearly see, recent wars are shockingly similar to those of the past. Humankind really has a lot to learn if we are to taste true progress and compassionate for his fellow man. War still exists although governments and politicians try to cover it up with excuses as they have done for so many years. Perhaps one day, the world will know peace.

*All information has been sourced from Wikipedia.org.