Excerpts from Bill Gates’ speech at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose when he received the museum’s James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award for his philanthropic work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (“The Way We Give“, FORTUNE magazine, 22 January 2007): “In 1997, I went to South Africa to dedicate a… Read More: A little bit of give and tech »
If that were true, you wouldn’t be perturbed by the negative impact of conspicuous consumption, such as the ethical issues arising from Africa’s bloody diamond trade (reported in FORTUNE’s “Diamonds Aren’t Forever“, 11 December 2006). But if you are aware of the dire living conditions of diamond miners in Sierra Leone (who earn a daily… Read More: Ignorance is bliss? »
Last week, I read an account of a protest march for human rights by an activist in Singapore from the Singapore Democrat website (linked under “Stuff I Read” on the sidebar) and I can’t help but be struck by the following observations. On the issue of distributing flyers:Recognizing that children are in general more charismatic… Read More: You’ll never walk alone »
This season, all hell breaks loose for the world’s largest retailer. A one-and-a-half year old union-backed group called Wake Up Wal-Mart is embarking on a PR offensive to point out Wal-Mart’s misdeeds to the general public. These include cutting costs by lowering wages and diminishing benefits like health care, exploiting illegal immigrants, discouraging unhealthy people… Read More: Holiday hell in Bentonville »
Oct 1994 : In connection with a commentary he wrote in the International Herald Tribune stating how judiciaries in some Asian countries are compliant to ruling powers, American academic Dr.Christopher Lingle was questioned for 90 minutes by the Singapore police for possible contempt of court and criminal defamation. Within a week, he returned to the… Read More: A chronology of authoritarian rule in Singapore »
So, the Singapore government has raised GST from 5% to 7% and the people are complaining that the increase has come at an inopportune time. Well, quit whining! Remember this is the same PAP government that you voted in during the recent General Election in May? You get the government you deserve. The next time… Read More: It’s payback time! »