China HAS risen.
It has taken over Japan for the number two spot as the world's economic giants.
That's why it can afford to spend S$61 BILLION dollars to host the week-long Olympics.
That money can definitely be used to rebuild hundreds of World Trade Centres, and assist the Sechuan earthquake victims many times over. Perhaps help with the famine-stricken third world countries too.
So, I was scratching my head when people were scrambling to collect donations for the Sechuan earthquake victims.
Not that I mind donating but sometimes I see old folks around Singapore collecting cardboards and drink cans, pushing cartfuls of recycled materials to be sold, some even sleeping on pavements late at night, maybe homeless - I thought why we can't even seem to help ourselves. These poor old people who have contributed to the building of our country, left to rot like this when our MIWs are earning millions of dollars a year, hundreds of thousands a day, don't know how much per hour.
That's why I prefer to hand money to beggars who obviously (as in genuine ones with amputated legs etc) need our help, rather than contribute to these large organizations which, yes have purpose and have staff who sincerely want to contribute to society, but often are run by corrupted individuals who are merely clever manipulators who know precisely how to tug at people's heartstrings.
I am not saying it's wrong to donate lah, but it helps to know exactly what's really going on.
Singaporeans tend to donate and not care, as long as they know they have 'done their part' and done a good deed, they don't really care how the money is used.
As long as their conscience is clear.
