don’t take peace for granted

 

Hamas and Israel start on a truce today.  One of those stories that repeat so often in the papers that they can hardly be classified as news.

 

This truce pertains to the Gaza Strip.  General skepticism over whether it will last is captured in Israeli Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit’s comment.  “The idea is a complete ceasefire – no fire from anyone… if there is any violation of the agreement, the government is free to return to act with full force.”, he said.

 

His emphasis that there should be ‘no fire from anyone’ underscores how unlikely it is for all not to fire.  Imagine persevering in a place like that!

 

In the civil environment that the rest of us live in, we swarm ourselves with various other concerns.  But if we pause to think about the constant terror and fear that common Palestinians and Israelis are subjected to, our daily concerns pale by comparison.

 

Peace is one of those things that we ought to be thankful for.

 

 

exchanging food for energy (part II)

 It is interesting that Malaysia PM Abdullah Badawi urged participants of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to think again on the shift towards biofuel production (from food production).

 

Maybe he has neglected to look at his own backyard.

 

When 30 years ago, you got to enjoy paddy fields, buffaloes, kampongs, rubber plantations, tin mines, cliffs and forests along the country roads, today, you see nothing but palm oil plantations along the North-South Highway. 

 

On a flight from Singapore to KL, you will marvel at the endless sea of uniform palm greenery below.

 

Back in the 60’s, Malaysia was self-sufficient where rice was concern.  Today, it imports 30% of the staple grain. 

 

The ongoing food shortage is a wake up call.  That is where PM Badawi is coming from in his address to the WEF. 

 

His government has recently decided to encourage rice farming on a massive scale again.  It has identified the East Malaysian state of Sarawak for the purpose, and the state is supportive in providing more land.

 

Sound policy it is.  The next question then, is where the land will come from.  Will biofuel production hectares be converted, or will it involve clearing of more forests yet?

 

*related article here

 

 

living up to a personal sacrifice

 South Korea President Lee Myung Bak was elected into office in a landslide victory.

 

Three months into governance, the tide has turned.  His decision to resume import of US beef against public concern over mad cow disease triggered major protests so serious that his cabinet offers to resign.

 

The issue with beef import was only the straw that broke the camel’s back.  The crux of the matter it seems lies in the President’s CEO style of governance – he hardly hears the voices of the people.

 

The turn of events is disappointing.  I was rather impressed when he pledged in March to donate all 5 years of his presidential salary to charity.

 

 

Maybe his arrogance and confidence have got to do with this very pledge.  His work now becomes a personal sacrifice for the nation, thereby justifying his calling the shots any which way he alone deems fit.

 

 

 

saudi arabia’s concerns amidst favorable oil prices

 The way oil price increases, it scares even oil producing nations who stand to gain from it for now.

 

Saudi Arabia says the hikes are not justifiable given that the market has sufficient supplies.  It is calling for a meeting among oil producing nations, consuming nations and oil companies spanning the supply chain, to discuss how to deal with it.

 

The Saudi’s official concern is that spiraling oil prices ‘could affect the world economy’.  I think they are also worried about how the phenomena could backfire against oil rich countries in the long run.

 

Everyone is now driven to research and invest in renewable forms of energy.  Dependency on oil aside, these alternatives also hold promises of cleaner environments.

 

One day they might just make oil obsolete.

innovation in sports?

 All the hype about Speedo’s LZR Racer swim suit makes one wonder where the sport is heading.

 

38 swimmers wearing the suit have set new records since its introduction in February.  Just yesterday, Kosuke Kitajima clocked 2min 7.51sec at the Japan Open to break the world record for men’s 200m breaststroke.

 

You see, the Speedo design is stealing the thunder from the athletes. 

 

Yet, some athletes actually swear by it.  Singapore’s 18-year-old Tao Li, who set a new record for 200m butterfly at the National Championships yesterday, said “I feel more confident when I swim in the suit, but the most important factor is still training hard.”

 

The unfortunate trend is that the sport is now as much about product superiority as it is about sportsmanship.

 

To level the playing field again, sports councils ought to take a leaf from beauty pageants –  they make contestants parade in gowns of similar design. 

 

But then again, sportswear is but one of various forms of performance enhancement means.

 

 

 

best practices, not age-old ones

 

 Last year, a B-52 bomber flew six cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads across the US.  US Air Force officials had known nothing about that for 36 hours.

 

Then in March this year, it was discovered that nuclear warhead triggers had been shipped by mistake to Taiwan 17 months before, for what should have been helicopter batteries.

 

These successive Air Force blunders cost Chief of Staff Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne their jobs.

 

Commenting on the dismissals, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates pointed out that although problems in securing arsenal are not new – since decades ago, in fact – the current leadership should have identified and corrected them.

 

Actions, or lack thereof, that have established as age-old practices are not necessarily right.  Or safe. 

 

The notion itself of not fixing something if it is not broken ought to be re-examined in this light.

message of the humble potato chips can

 Pringles potato chip cans look humble enough.  I learn only today that it is a patented item.  The Straits Times carries an article about its inventor Fredric Baur’s cremated remains being stored and buried in one such cans.

 

Everyone has good ideas which unfortunately remain unharnessed.  We either lack the money, time, experience, courage or motivation to bring them to fruition.

 

I for example, also worry about what others think.  Will they find my ideas ridiculous?

 

Consider the Pringles potato chip cans again.  If Fredric Baur had worried about being ridiculous when patenting a can, he would have missed it all.  That he had requested to be buried in a Pringles can conveys how much he valued the piece as being the defining achievement in his life.

 

The point is that we worry too much, and think too little of our personal creativity. 

 

We have all heard from Nike – Just Do It.  Maybe it makes perfect sense – we’d never know except in retrospect.

 

 

 

 

is john howard a war criminal?

 Australia’s previous PM John Howard’s part was in sending troops in support of George W Bush’s invasion of Iraq.

 

For that, some Australian lawyers, politicians and academics are advocating prosecution of Howard for war crime.  According to the Australia Broadcasting Corp., they had sent a legal brief to the International Criminal Court.

 

If their argument holds, shouldn’t it apply also to a few other heads of states including Britain’s Tony Blair? 

 

And what would it make of George W Bush himself?

déjà vu in thailand

 There they go again. Thailand opposition People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has organized protests in Bangkok against Samak Sundaravej’s government.  Thaksin’s puppet installment, they call the government.

 

The nation’s majority had stubbornly voted Sundaravej’s People’s Power Party (PPP) into power in Dec 2007, knowing full well of PPP’s links with Thaksin, against the backgound that the military had booted Thaksin’s government in a coup.

 

On the other hand, the PAD and the elite are finding it hard to accept the will of the majority:  They must tear down Thaksin’s influence.  Never mind disruptions to daily routines.  Never mind impact on businesses and the economy.  Never mind if the military stages another coup – better still if it does, I may add, it will help their cause.

 

Maybe the people, the tourists and the investors will get used to the replay.

 

 

 

 

 

the myth

 Why was the world outraged at Myanmar government’s refusal to accept outside aid to relieve Nargis’ victims?  They (ie the world) could have conveniently shrugged the rejection off.  After all, they had done their part by offering to help.

 

And why did the world warm up to Beijing’s request for assistance in the wake of the Sichuan quake?

 

These contrasting reactions are a manifestation of the human being’s propensity to want to reach out to others in distress.

 

The popular belief is that everyone minds his own business.  That, along with pride, causes people in distress to feel completely isolated and overwhelmed.  Sometimes, they decide to end it all. 

 

The reality, however, is more like the Myanmar scenario:  There are many around who would gladly help, if only they were given the opportunity.