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“The magic of 1989 was the way that the political shape of Europe was changed, not by a process, speeches or grand strategic designs - but by the exercise of "people power" western politicians frequently talk about, but rarely see delivered to quite such positive effect and so quickly.” [bbc]

Those who protest and claim Singapore as a melting pot due to an increase in mixed marriages, need to witness that such interracial marital unions only occur in specific directions; for example, more Chinese women marry Caucasian men than Chinese men who marry Caucasian women. Even the expatriate communities here exist almost separately from the local communities despite the government’s best efforts to address this issue. Hence, the question that really needs to be asked and addressed today is this – As Singaporeans, do we really possess the heart and mind of a twenty first century individual? - Reena Devi. Seems like there is greater unity in Singapore now, but it is not a melting pot of difference as some erroneously claim, but a 'hor fun' with different ingredients that do not conflict with its traditional taste.

Not only do people tend to flock to the prominent for information and insight, but it is only there that they afford the content thought enough for comment. I suppose in affording thought for the pronouncements of the prominent, in their subconscious minds, puts them, vicariously, on an equal footing with the prominent since they are thinking along the same lines, be it in support or opposition.

Not only do people tend to flock to the prominent for information and insight, but it is only there that they afford the content thought enough for comment. I suppose in affording thought for the pronouncements of the prominent, in their subconscious minds, puts them, vicariously, on an equal footing with the prominent since they are thinking along the same lines, be it in support or opposition.

Not only do people tend to flock to the prominent for information and insight, but it is only there that they afford the content thought enough for comment.

Upon being included in a multicultural nation, one's culture becomes what one can be given new input, and not just what one was for lack of new input.The following was meant to be a comment at a Singaporean site which equated ‘cultural cleansing’ with the shutting down of Chinese schools and ‘Nantah’. But, I thought it would do better as a standalone article. Here goes, 'Cultural cleansing'? I dare say that the 'cultural cleansing' that took place occurred in the form of taking away the potential from 'Chinese-lookalikes' to be Malay, Indian and Chinese in culture, and therefore ‘Singaporean’ in race. In anything, the shutting down of Chinese schools and etc, is more of ‘cultural emancipation’ as opposed to ‘cultural cleansing’ as it bode quite well for becoming more as opposed to becoming the same. But, this was not to be.

The thing about the ‘affordability’ of HDB housing in singapore is that it is subjective and the personality that makes sense of it, in a Confucianised state, is well aligned, feng shui-style, to bode well for the undeterred growth of the government’s coffers. Whenever people say, 'I can afford it what!', I always ask them to consider what losses and gains are being incurred and by whom by their idea of 'affordability'.

Pushing for harmony amongst the populace within an unegalitarian status quo is always a good thing because friendship is one of the means by which people are blindsided and become oblivious to the tweaking that is going on to perpetuate an unegalitarian status quo.

Singapore Indian Shocked that Daughter is now minority in Indian Kindergarten.“A Singapore Indian has expressed his shock and dismay of being “swarmed” by overseas Indians within his own community! In an interview with the state media, Mr K. Varatharaju, 43, a factory owner related his own experience when he sent his youngest daughter to Sarada Kindergarten in Bartley Road: He discovered that she was one of only two Singaporean Indians in the class of 15.”[source] Personally, when I came across the above report at a local so-called ‘activist’s’ site, I was quite disgusted at the perspective of the ‘Singapore Indian’.

Sometimes I wonder, we demand that governments apologise for the misdeeds of their predecessors whether it comes to the Nanjing Massacre, the slaughter of civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the enslavement of Africans, the 'stolen generation' of Australia, the extermination of the Jews in WWII.....but why no such demands when it comes to the soldiers who died in wars, as opposed to 'glorification'.

In Remembrance of the Victims of War

“About 300 protesters held a candlelit protest outside a Glasgow theatre over the staging of a play which portrays Jesus as a transsexual. The protest was held outside the Tron Theatre, where Jesus Queen of Heaven, in which Christ is a man who wants to become a woman, is being staged. It is part of the Glasgay! arts festival, a celebration of Scotland's gay, bi-sexual and transsexual culture.” [source] Though I’m officially a catholic – even though I’ve given the ‘roman’ prefix an irreverent boot for their playing ‘bourgeois socialist’ in global affairs – I’m not overly concerned about the portrayal of Jesus as a transsexual. After all, if God made man in his image, and if the overuse of ‘man’ and ‘his’ in biblical texts is due to the patriarchal state of affairs wherein it is made sense of, than it would be more true to say that God made WO/man in HER/is image wouldn’t it? Therefore, God might simply be a hermaphrodite, at least insofar as we are to literally appreciate the phrase, ‘God made wo/man in her/is image’.

Most certainly. That is why I saw nothing amiss with Chavez proclaiming Jesus as the ‘greatest socialist in history’ during his inauguration as el presidente of Venezuela – though whether he lives up to the ideals of his spiritual mentor is another matter altogether.

“At this time of year we remember all those who have lost their lives in conflicts around the world both past and present. You can leave a message on a virtual poppy anywhere in the world to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.” Goes the ‘Plant a virtual Poppy’ appeal on BritishLegion.org.uk. I can’t say that I like this association between performing the ‘ultimate sacrifice’ and ‘our freedom’. It strikes me as awfully Orwellian for what is left unsaid – ‘at the behest of the state despite what the rest of you buggers have to say’. I mean, it’s not like a referendum was held was it? Before going on to asking what ‘ultimate sacrifices’ had been made in wars, shouldn’t we be asking what oversights had led to the war? Or does the term ‘ultimate’ in ‘ultimate sacrifice’ serve as an implicit admonishment of those who dare to question beyond the unquestionable ‘ultimate’ –thus presenting the entire divide in terms of a, ‘you’re either with us or against us’. So all it takes for a cause to be for ‘freedom’ is the death of a soldier?

It is said that the battleship is made up of steel melted from the remains of the ‘Twin Towers’. But its metaphorical substance, may not be the resilience of the human spirit, but a waterborne relic of self-absorbed arrogance.

Some have stated that the rise in racial intolerance in the UK can increase the generic incidence of intolerance and impact negatively on gay rights. Quite, but... …it could also be said that the rise of racial intolerance does not necessarily exacerbate homophobia. For instance, if the BNP had successfully ruled Britain for quite some time and achieved its racialist agenda, and moved on to the phase of ‘democratic fascism’ where more rights are demanded by and for the ‘preferred race’, we might actually see increasing respect for gays.

This series of videos is recommended for singaporeans whom claim or aspire to being empathetic - with regards to race relations and integration. It is too easy to claim to be 'democrats' but not as simple to be aware of how one might be fascist especially when such a condition has served as the overarching milieu wherein one was reared.

Obama hails historic resolution to rid world of nuclear weapons• President steers vote through security council• 'A day to celebrate,' say pro-disarmament groups• Datablog: the world in nuclear weapons

  FBI probes death of hanged census worker. On the case of William Sparkman, the murdered census worker in Kentucky, Devlin Barrett reporter for the AP reports via an anonymous source that the victim had the word "fed" written on his chest. (...) Gilbert Acciardo, a retired Kentucky state trooper who directs an after-school program at the elementary school where Sparkman was a frequent substitute teacher, said he had warned Sparkman to be careful when he did his Census work. "I told him on more than one occasion, based on my years in the state police, 'Mr. Sparkman, when you go into those counties, be careful because people are going to perceive you different than they do elsewhere,'" Acciardo said. "Even though he was with the Census Bureau, sometimes people can view someone with any government agency as 'the government.' I just was afraid that he might meet the wrong character along the way up there," Acciardo said.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion," says the Human Rights Act. This freedom includes "the right to manifest his (or her) religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance."