GP NOTES 2010 (ESSAY)

Content Page
1. Media
a. New vs. Traditional
b. New: narcissistic?
c. Government Censorship
d. Profit-driven Media
e. Advertising
f. Private life of public figures
g. Celebrity as a role model
h. Blame media for our problems
i. Power + Responsibility of Media
j. Media ethics
k. New Media and Democracy
2. Science/Tech
a. Science and Ethics
b. Government and scientist role in science
c. Rely too much on technology?
d. Nuclear technology
e. Genetic modification
f. Right tech for wrong reasons
3. Arts/Culture
a. Arts have a future in Singapore?
b. Why pursue Arts?
c. Arts and technology
d. Uniquely Singapore: Culture
4. Environment
a. Developed vs. Developing
b. Should environment be saved at all costs
c. Are we doing enough to save the environment?
d. Main reasons for environmental problems nowadays
5. Religion
a. Religion divides more than it unites
b. Religion and politics
c. Science and religion
6. Terrorism
a. Can terrorism ever be eradicated?
7. Sports
a. True purpose of sports nowadays
b. Sports and Media
8. Foreign Aid
a. How effective is Foreign Aid?
9. Migration
a. Is migration/having foreigners good?

10. Subjects
a. Literature
b. History
c. Mathematics
d. Universal language
11. Businesses
a. Business morality
b. Charities as businesses
12. Democracy
a. Good vs. Bad
13. Social Issues (only stats provided)
a. Gender
b. Family
c. Equality
14. Governance
a. World Governance
15. Others
a. Cooperation
b. Education
c. Crime
d. Liberty or Security
e. Consumerism

1. Media

1a. New vs. Traditional

GENERAL
Intro:
The first quarter of 2043 will be when the last newspapers land on
front process all over America. This is the prediction the author of
The Vanishing Newspaper
Advent of tech has brought a radical change in the media industry
No longer confined to reading news, watching television
Click of mouse, people can access instantaneous info and news
online
Proliferation of online blogs and social networking sites such as
Twitter threaten to make mainstream media a thing of the past
But mainstream media adapting to suit the taste of consumers, still
integral part of their lives
Mainstream BAD: Comparatively slower in its dissemination of news
Chicago Tribune, official website chicagotribue.com, posts instant
news coverage before newspaper hit the newsstands following
morning
Many different perspectives on important events and issues
Citizen journalists closer to their subject matter than professional
journalists
Better position to uncover unique on-the-ground perspectives
Mainstream GOOD: Sheer physical authenticity - reliability
Cost of publishing book acts as a barrier to entry against casual
writers
Hardly any oversight over the quality of material that gets published
via new media channels
Any work, regardless of its value, can easily get broadcasted to a
global audience
Publishers want to ensure that their books sell *quality check*
Any hack can put up his dribbling on Fictionpress.net
Any angst-filled teenager can put up his or her macabre, misspelt
poetry online.
Anyone can masquerade a superstition for scientific truth and
create a website to scare similarly weak-minded netizens
Mainstream BAD: Profit motive and Government-regulated - reliability
Dont let the facts get in the way of a good story is an instruction
often heard in the newsroom
Concept of media ethics is conceived to be an oxymoron. Sadly,
many aspects of the modern media are stripped of almost all ethical
concerns. In a reality of competition, ratings and economic
considerations, ethics becomes a secondary, sometimes irritating,
issue
E.g. But consider 2003, New York Times writer Jayson Blair caught
for plagiarising and falsifying elements of his stories clear to

public that newspapers are nowhere higher on moral grounds than

bloggers
E.g. Irish undergraduate posted a poetic but phoney quote on
Wikipedia hours after Maurice Jarres death, Wikipedia quickly
removed it for the lack attribution but journalists
E.g. Cover page of economist: President Obama at oil spill (cut a
lonely figure: portrays the multitude of problems faced by America
and his helplessness in coming up with solutions): Photoshopped
Inherent bias/political slants
E.g. Fox news channel headed by Republican supporters often
portray Democrats in a negative light. Foxs anchorman compared
the logo of the recent nuclear technology forums, approved by
President Obama, with the Muslim crescent, accusing Obama of
having Muslim inclinations. The logo, in fact, was a representation of
the scientific atom and had nothing to do with religion whatsoever.
Government-regulated
E.g. With the tight regulations and censorship procedures on media
put in place by the Iranian government in the lead-up to the 2009
Presidential elections, any news of a manipulated election process
would unlikely have reached the larger global community. It was
only with social networking sites like Twitter that Iranian activists
could raise the alert as to possible discrepancies in the re-election
of President Ahmadinejad.
When the media has so many other motives, it can hardly be relied
on to provide reliable information. The individual, on the other hand,
has less hidden agendas.

Mainstream GOOD: Use professional journalists (compared to citizen

journalism) content quality
Citizen journalist on-the ground reports vs. professional whose
sole purpose is to uncover each and every piece of information
related to the news article they are writing
Wider and deeper coverage
Connections to a wider spectrum of professionals greater insight
into issue at hand
E.g. 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections (bloggers provide personal
opinions about who was likely to win but New York Times invited
experts to do a state-by-state analysis presenting results in a fullpage spread, culminating in a detailed map showing states
Democrats were likely to win)
Anonymity: given free rein to publish any thought that comes to
mind
E.g. For every worthwhile video present on the site (think Annie
Leonards The Story of Stuff) there are a multitude of videos
featuring otherwise inane and banal individuals indulgently banging
away at their pianos or doing less-than-funny spoofs of music videos
(think the Two Chinese Boys in their dormitory room)
E.g. Temasek Review: an anti-government news portal
E.g. Political commentary by a certain Kway Teow Man
E.g. Everyone Draw Muhammad Day Facebook Page. Emphasis
need for freedom of speech and expression that is often curtailed in
Muslim communities but ended up causing much unhappiness

amongst Muslims because the central religious figure in Islam is not

supposed to be visually depicted. Easy, convenient, effortlessly
reach the global community without any prior checks
In-depth and broad coverage not found in new media where no
profit motive

Mainstream GOOD: larger spectrum of information (range of content)

Bloggers tend to report more on celebrity gossip and sports (e.g.
perezhilton.com focuses on reporting entertainment-based news)
(hidden agenda of bloggers too?)
Mainstream cover wide area of fields
Citizen Journalism offers us multiple perspectives
Structure of printed page classifies information for the reader
according to subject matter and importance
Massive amount of (mostly irrelevant) information online,
newspaper supply balanced amount of information
Mainstream + New: Take advantage of the Internet AND integration
E.g. STOMP, newspaper readers invited to post news and pictures
that they have uncovered, every week myPaper has a column
specifically dedicated to STOMP, in which the column lists the top
10 newsworthy stories posted on the site
Mainstream media embrace the Internet as an alternative platform
to share news reports with their readers
Respond to growing demand for less lag time in relaying information
by setting up websites that complement their publications
(constantly updated round the clock)
Shows on television frequently uploaded onto video-sharing
websites such as YouTube and Hulu, showing surging demand for
mainstream shows
Recent nielson index shows that American Idol over 50 million
viewers in U.S. alone
Ryan Seacrest, host of show, frequently urged viewers to log on to
fox.americanidol.com, official site of the show, for never-beforeseen exclusive content, including behind-the-scenes coverage of
contestants
American Idol even has a Twitter and YouTube account, post updates
and jey performances
Book vs. Internet
Intro:
Information lives to be transmitted, books served this purpose,
archiving, locking down and then passing it on
Preserve and disseminate info, enlighten or educate readers
Rapid advent of internet has shaken the traditional role of the book
Ability to transmit regularly updated information at the speed of
broadband, giving free access to vast resources, and opening
avenues for more people to publish their commentaries or creative
writing information super-highway
***Internet more Convenience and Capacity

For centuries, book was the only tangible repository of knowledge in

our world
Epitome of the writing system, evolved from prehistoric scratches in
sand or painting on walls, more advanced than cumbersome clay
and stone tablets
Challenged by Internet on the same two fronts on which it proved
its mastery over other forms of recording and disseminating
information: capacity and accessibility
Fabled Library of Alexandria contained hundreds of thousands of
books, Internet has billions of websites
Vast network of information on the Internet readiness and
convenience with which this information is accessed is greater than
thumbing through a book with the advent of search engines such as
Google

***Internet presents more possibilities than the book

Farthest book goes into another dimension is in the form of a popup book
Internet is multi-media, allows for greater range of expression and
gives a voice and virtual page to would-be writers in the world (e.g.
weblog, fan-fiction sites, video-sharing sites)
As a repository of entertainment, at least, the Internet seems to
render the book insufficient and in many ways, pathetic
Info not the same
Internet does not include the entire corpus of the written word
Books are increasingly finding their way onto the Internet, info
digitized (google books)
Much knowledge residing in books today that have not found their
way onto the Internet (exclusive information)
But Gutenberg Project transcribes old literary texts from all eras,
posting them online for free
Websites such as Questia and JSTOR store full academic journals,
books, newspaper, magazines (portable too!)
Also limits imposed by costs of publication, book cannot contain
everything. Editors sometimes forced to truncate minor pieces of
information. Internet resources easily trounce their counterparts as
cost is low. E.g. Wikipedia or Instructables offer in-depth guides and
resources over an incredible range of topic
Easily edited rather than reprinted (e.g. Wikipedia freely create and
edit info): completely dynamic resource, constantly evolving,
updating, self-correcting, improving
Not everyone has access to the Internet to begin with
Computers, mobile devices such as phones can connect to Internet
Suggest an increasingly wired world
Restricted to developed countries, and particularly, those in the
middle or upper classes
No access to World Wide Web (irony in the name). While Africans
(arguably most underdeveloped continent) have relatively
infrequent access to book and illiterate, but written word has
greater penetration there than broadband

Book is the readily available substitute

Consider One Laptop per Child campaign
Or cannot afford to establish a dial-up or pre-paid connection to the
Internet

Utility
User-friendly with whole range of in-depth technical guides but
serve as a distraction, hopping from link to link
Distractions due to sheer variety of content and multimedia can be
both especially tempting and exceptionally deadly
Clear psychological difference to reading a novel manuscript off a
laptop screen and actually cradling the hardcopy edition in ones
hand (simple sentimentalities?)

1b. New: narcissistic

Intro:
Gone were the days when the chance of seeing ones name in a
printed publication was at the mercies of the publishing house,
whose decision on ones manuscript determined whether one would
achieve international prominence or be reduced to languishing in
nameless obscurity
The rise of the new media, most notably the Internet, has caused an
unprecedented democratization of the publishing process, with
almost everyone and anyone being entitled to their bit of domain
space and broadband to broadcast their thoughts on the World Wide
Web, and consequently to the whole wide world, without being
subject to the scrutiny of an intermediary.
Promote a culture of self-absorption
Live in a little bubble of their own with inflated feelings of self-worth
and a general uncaring attitude
Afford new avenues of self-expression and actualization
Transcended temporal and geographical boundaries to bring us in
greater contact
Given us so many new perspective on this world and enable us to
take such greater global action
YES: Rise of user-generated content: self-indulgence
YES: Anonymity
Given free rein to publish any thought, even if insensitive or
disparaging towards
Empowered to have his views aired without having to consider the
potential repercussions and without having to suffer the ensuing
backlash from the discord he has sowed
Identity protected by veil of anonymity
E.g. Everyone Draw Muhammad Day
NO: Brought us beyond our self-absorbed perspectives
Interconnected
E.g. Iran elections
Allowing the circumvention of restrictions placed on traditional
media
Allow a plethora of new and alternative perspectives to come
through
Opening our eyes to the larger world beyond what we experience in
our everyday lives
More attuned to the happenings of our human counterparts
NO: Move beyond ourselves, to take a stance on social issues, enabling us
to take up causes far greater than ourselves by galvanizing and gathering
the entire global community into taking concrete action
E.g. Avaaz.org
Making use of the internet and social media to achieve a staggering
number of signatories to protest against the Chinese crackdown on
Uyghur minorities in Xinjiang

Enabled us to actively take part in the quest for change / social

consciousness

Conclusion:
Enabled the flourishing of individual expression, to the extent of
narcissism
New media is but a neutral tool; how we use it will determine

1c. Government Censorship

Govt

Regulated (political-BAD):
Morphs into a powerful tool to influence peoples beliefs and values
Sends chills down a liberals spine
Magic behind oligarchs, juntas, emperors, authoritarians abilities
to rally the support of the people behind them
Suppress all information that may jeopardize a governments
position
Devoid of all diversity
Robert Mugabe: corrupt president of Zimbabwe forced all news
broadcasting firms to close down, allowing only the governmentregulated news firm to disseminate info
Rwanda: Genocide was propagated through state-backed radio.
Extremist Hutu group took control.
Circumscribed the variety of information
Government dedicated to serving the good of the people, unaware
of Zimbabwes atrocious human rights record
Chairman Mao censored any dissenting views criticizing his reign
Indonesia and Taiwan: demonstrations, riots, and needles bloodshed
Kills off certain aspects of artistic creativity through selective choice
of content and hence might be said to be an insult to the
professional judgement of the producer of the piece
Acutely aware of shock effect on the public created through grisly
images and shocking, eclectic (free) perspectives on established
issues
Stir up emotions over a humanitarian crisis, one inevitably uses
fottage of cadavers, mutilated and burnt
Lamabaste an entity or concept, one can choose to adopt and
acridly acerbic tone
Media conveys information conducive to public debate. If
government restricts this, stunt social growth and awareness by
limiting information available
China: government blocks web addresses that contain opinions or
sentiments that are anything short of in praise of them (online
criticism is blocked, limits to what newspapers can print). Still
forbids extensive coverage of the Tiananmen Square protests of
1989 where hundreds of students protesting peacefully were
brutally massacred. In light of its deplorable human rights record, it
is not difficult to see why the Chinese government has so much at
stake it risks sparking off massive public outcry. Modernising
rapidly, still persists with unethical means of suppressing dissent
Susceptible to influence of lobby-groups.

Govt regulated (political-GOOD):

Media content that is racially offensive or culturally inflammatory in
nature or intent can spark social outrage
Give the mass media free rein, and one will invariably find seditious
material widely available on the World Wide Web

E.g. Danish authorities inflammatory Prophet Mohammed

caricatures in the national newspaper: spark media furore and
widespread racial clashes
As people have varying opinions on the same issue, it is pertinent
that an authority runs through any form of content to minimize
clashes
What is accepting to one person may be derogatory to another
Given the wide spectrum of racial and religious groups that
invariably form any society, especially important that the fabric of
the nation is not torn apart
Singapore Government has chosen the right approach in this
respect, given the multi-ethnic composition of society
Charging two young bloggers in 2005 under the Sedition Act
Will not tolerate malicious acts of racial discrimination
Censorship is necessary to introduce some modicum of regulation,
in the hope of diverting potential conflicts

Govt regulated (social):

Increased accessibility of information: greater exposure of
undesirable material (GOOD)
Demerit goods (ECONS) In a democratic government where vox
populi is the instrument which elevates a select group to the fore of
administration, regimes argue that they possess the mandate to
make normative decisions for the greater good of society.
Paternalism right and duty.
Censorship challenges the basic premise of a persons individual
judgement: people should be allowed to decide for themselves what
they want to watch instead (BAD)
Government censorship is paternalistic and intrinsically ignores the
possibility for personal censorship or censorship by various
institutions in society
Ludicrous in their non-belief of the individuals intelligence
Fundamentally, a democracy is predicated on the belief of the
general ability of the public to discern between what is beneficial for
them and what is not
Censorship by and within the mass media itself. E.g. US: news
agencies like CNN do not broadcast pornography and violence on a
daily basis; the former perhaps not at all. Demonstration of their
belief that society at large is not fundamentally concerned with and
interested in such material manifestation of the maturity of
society at large (profit motive: will not publish content that is not of
great interest to all swathes of society)
Average child watches 8000 television murders by the time he
reaches the age of 21
E.g. Ted Bundy: obsessed with pornography and went on to sexually
assault and murder innovent young women
E.g. Banduras Bobo Doll experiment: children who were exposed to
violent scenes more likely to hit Bobo Doll
E.g. Columbine Shootings inspired by video game Doom
E.g. Nathan Martinez who shot dead his step-mother and step-sister
after watching the film Natural Born Killers ten times

E.g. The film Cut by local film maker Royston Tan was supported
by MDA because it encourages debate on censorship.

What media should do:

Media should be used as a platform not only to entertain, but also
inform and educate the masses
Must be willing to bear the responsibility of bringing good-quality
broadcasting to all
Commendable brocasting in light of possible political adherence is
British Brodcasting Corporation (BBC)
Shows like Hard Talk present round-table debates and interviews
with eminent leaders from around the world
Who determines what is censored?
As the Romans eloquently put it: quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Who will guard the guardians? If censorship has been established as
a crucial concept which does not threaten the mental capacity of
mankind, then who is to ensure that it does not degrade into a tool
for abuse?
Scope of Censorship:
Difficult to determine the scope of censorship boards as well as the extent
of censorship, given the spread of information usually available to us; this
line is often hard to draw, hence the difficulty in drawing up guidelines and
establishing what distinguishes an enlightened government from a
deplored one.
Governments of multi-racial societies have the added challenge of keeping
the synergy and harmony of society numerous interest groups to take
into account before Meet these challenges and the unique needs of the
people, while maintaining a certain amount of freedom in the press. Hence
the differential rates of media freedom in various countries around the
globe.
Government ought not to fear political freedom of speech in the media
transparency and press freedom, coupled with a nation that is socially
stable, usually reflect the confidence of the people in the given Cabinet.
The media is used for dissemination of useful information while facilitating
public discussion and debate and is therefore an excellent means of
raising social and intellectual awareness.
While total freedom certainly has its shortcomings, a trade-off between
social welfare and the freedom of press is not necessarily a bad thing.
Quote:
Benjamin Franklins epithet that any government who seeks to give up a
little liberty for a little security deserves neither and will lose both.
Censorship has been around for as long as humans had the ability to voice
their opinion and his fellow man has deemed it appropriate to chastise this
opinion.

In Platos ideal state outlined in The Republic, official censors would

prohibit mothers and nurses from relating tales deemed bad or evil
Shi Huang Ti: Penchant for burning books
Freedom of speech in ancient Rome was restricted to those in
positions of authority

Freedom of Speech:
I disapprove of what you say but Ill defend to death your right to
say it Voltaire
Freedom of speech is fundamental to a democracy as it creates
educated and mature individuals that are able to make informed
decisions
National Security: prevent enemy from acquiring information of military
value
White House reporters said they were given very limited information
regarding the cost, the length and the possible risks in the military
attack on Iraq
Media literacy
Tools of censorship tend to work as a blunt instrument. Filtering
software isnt particularly selective. By filtering the words hate,
software will certainly screen out most hate Web sites but may also
block access to valuable and legitimate resources such as sites
dedicated to anti-racism, Jewish culture, war museums etc.
Forbidden fruit effect
A critical analysis on the media will inspire youths to question why
violence is so prevalent in our media today
Help them to realize that media is not a reflection of reality but
rather a social construct
White House report that media literacy empowers young people,
not only to understand and evaluate the ideas found in popular
culture, but also to be positive contributors to society, to challenge
cynicism and apathy and to serve as agents to social change
enhances rather than curtails young peoples intellectual growth
and their development into critically thinking adults
Censorship cannot achieve this

1d. Profit-Driven
Intro
Manifestations of what extremely parochial motives can do to
transform a medium that should serve multiple purposes
Profit driven: inextricably bound to the economic context and
financial imperative of the media industry
Govt regulated: devoted to perpetuating specific sets of values and
beliefs
Eventuates in the ending of all variety, choice and vibrancy
Ludicrously stilted motives
Profit driven: keep using same formula, no creativity
Modus operandi of mass media is governed by corporate sponsors
Television shows are produced so that a certain number of
audiences watch the advertisements during commercial breaks
Corporate sponsors pay broadcasting firms based on number of
people they expect to watch the show
Trite (commonplace, hackneyed) banality (predictability) and lack of
innovation in media: cookie-cutter programmes
Falling standards and tastes of the broadcasting
The wildly successful birth of Survivor cemented the place of reality
TV in our culture today
Spurned many other reality TV shows ranging from Amazing Race to
Fear Factor whose formulaic (rigid), insipid (dull) nature makes the
discerning viewer queasy with its monochromatic excesses of catfighting, sex and cheap sentiment
The Bachelor has spawned Joe Millionaire, Average Joe and Who
wants to be a Millionaire
Invariable formula, attract millions of viewers
Bland and utterly unpalatable
Profit driven: target group always the same
Target largest group of people in society with abundant purchasing
power to maximize revenue
Cater to tastes of the majority
Social groups which are deemed unlikely to purchase advertisers
products are unfortunately marginalized
Include disabled and elderly who have limited purchasing power
and are deemed to be less overwhelmed by consumerist desires
In contrast, teenagers and young adults are the motivation behind
shows produced today
Firms have long been cognizant of the baffling appeal of violence:
proliferation of violence
Music lyrics (Eminem Kill you), video games (Grand Theft Auto),
movies (only one in five violent movies rated R).
Reduced to nothing more than a few painfully ubiquitous themes

1e. Advertising
General Stats:
In 1880: Global advertising expenditure was $30million
In 1910: $600million
In 2000: $120billion
By 2006, by the most conservative of estimates, $600billion
Coca-Cola spent $234 million in advertising in USA alone
Macdonalds spent $2 billion in advertising
There is nothing inherently wrong with advertising
Corporations have the right to publicize their product to the public
and the public has the right and desire to know what is out there in
the market
Advertising accounts for 60% of newspaper and magazine
production and almost 100% of electronic media production
However, advertising has deviated from its original purpose of informing
the public about new products
E.g. Use of photoshop
E.g. Sex sells Agent Provocateur lingerie got sexy pop icon Kylie
Minogue to ride wildly on a mechanical bull and challenge the men
in the cinema to stand up to prove to everyone that they were not
turned on
E.g. Terms and Conditions of financial advertisements always
printed in small font
E.g. Use of empty but colourful language such as new and
improved, or part of a complete meal for fast food when it is
actually only healthy when eaten in extreme moderation
E.g. Before and after photos for slimming advertisements. In the
before photos, the person usually slouches, is pictured in full view
and is clad in unsuitable clothing. In the after photos, pictured in
half view with more attractive clothing. Increased attractiveness is
thus attributed to weight loss.
E.g. Fast food usually photographed in warm light so that it looks
healthier. Corn flakes on cereal boxes look permanently golden and
crispy because it is held not in milk but in white glue. Similarly,
sesame seeds are super glued on to the burgers for photoshoots.
Audience themselves have become the product
The media captures the peoples attention and sells this attention to
the firms. Firms use this attention to advertise their products. Thus,
contrary to conventional wisdom where advertising is all about the
firm trying to sell products to the public, the audience themselves
have become a valuable commodity to the advertisers
E.g. A 30 second advertising slot during Oscar Ceremony costs
$US1million as it promises 60% of American female viewership
Overexposure has caused desensitization and advertising messages work
into our conscious

Almost every physical surface that can be used is exploited for

advertising (e.g. athletes as walking billboards (F1 drivers), surface
of products)
Overexposure is bad insofar that it encroaches into our private life
and private space. This is not supposed to be the case since we
need to be able to control what we are exposed to
E.g. When televisions were first introduced in public transport
systems in Singapore, it caused an uproar as now people could not
sleep, chat or read on the bus without hearing advertisements in
the background
E.g. American children are exposed to advertising at such a young
age that in a survey, more of them could recognize the Macdonalds
logo as compared to the Christian Cross

Since firms want a constant supply of viewers who want to purchase their
products, it is in the interest of the advertisers to create a sense of
inadequacy rather than a sense of self-satisfaction
Since one has to be confident before he starts to think of society,
advertising causes selfish mindsets
E.g. Bust enhancement advertisements link a womans confidence
solely to the upkeep of her looks
Stealth advertising has caused us to lower our guard
E.g. ABS used prime news time to advertise Touchstone Pictures
movie Pearl Harbour as both ABS and Touchstone belonged to
Disney
Product placement
E.g. The movie Tomorrow Never Dies earned a landmark $1million
from advertising with James Bond seemingly preferring to use BMW
motorcycles and Omega watches
E.g. In the movie Runaway Bride, FedEx was featured with the
punchline wherever she goes, shell reach there before 1030am
E.g. Reebok sued Tristar pictures for $10million for a movie in which
the protagonist preferred Nike to Reebok
Questionable cultural values being advocated in advertisements
Narrowing concept of feminine and masculine beauty: Handsome
men generalized to be muscular, athletic, chiseled and toned while
beautiful women are seen to have above average breast size, long
legs, long hair and white complexion.
Consumerism and materialism: Advertisements seem to purport
that one can achieve a happy, satisfactory life by buying the right
products.
Advertising has been used intelligently and responsibly in the promotion of
important causes
The Body Shop: Promote female empowerment and environmental
awareness. Printed advertisements about missing children on all her
Body Shop trucks to help the police in their search
2005 international campaign for Dove: debate about beauty:
challenges the preconceived notions of what makes a woman
beautiful

LINK: media literacy

1f. Private life of public figures

Intro:
From Princess Diana to Tiger Woods, the headlines on our dailies
have consistently exposed the sordid details of the private lives of
public figures
Such irascible coverage
Harm public figures / prove to be excessive for even public
consumption
But upholds the public right to information and potentially
promotes better behaviour among public figures
Define:
Public figure: individual who achieves prominence and often
extracts considerable benefit from being in the public spotlight
(politicians, actors)
Private lives, which refer to their affairs and lifestyle choices
unrelated to their professional activities
Subject of immense discussion in publications
Right to privacy of public celebrities is unjustifiably infringed (in principle)
Every individual deserves a certain amount of dignity
Actions in public sphere should not be subject to intense criticism
based on tastes and preferences of others in society
Right to privacy does not cease to exist when an individual is
plunged into public limelight
Public life should not become something which can be exploited by
media companies to gain profits
Consequences of such coverage often prove to be deleterious (in practice)
Process of gaining such scoops often involves invading the lives of
individuals in their most private moments
E.g. Memory of paparazzi cameras chasing stars like Audrey
Hepburn on their summer vacations most iconic illustration
More insidiously, damage others whom he or she was linked to in
private
E.g. When sexually-revealing photos of Edison Chen and his multiple
partners were splashed all over the front pages of Hong Kong
newspapers such as Apple Daily not only Edison Chens music
career which suffered. Other celebrities, such as Gillian Cheung,
who chose to have private trysts with him but did not consent to
having their reputations significantly smeared, were unfairly
compromised by actions which had nothing whatsoever to do with
their professional career
Psychological stress on public figures when stories of their families
and their romantic relationships are thrust into the public eye
British Tabloid reports on John Terry and the former girlfriend of his
former teammate, Wayne Bridge heaped much pressure on the
already struggling player and even called into question his ability to
continue serving as England captain
Casts unfair aspersions on their professional careers and produces
pernicious outcomes

Since it would be futile to deny the existence of such negative effects

attempt to debunk the above arguments by presenting a principle that
trumps the right to privacy the right of the public to know the truth
Isolating the fact that unlike the average Joe, who eschews the
media spotlight, individuals become public figures because of the
favourable light that the media casts upon them, which allows
them to achieve widespread recognition and significant support
E.g. Without the support of Rupert Murdochs widely-read dailies like
The Sun, Tony Blair would unlikely have won by a thumping majority
which catapulted him to the premiership
Even after individuals become public figures, they rely on the media
to connect with and influence the public
E.g. The success of David Beckhams endorsement of Adidas soccer
boots depended heavily on the media reaching out to audiences
worldwide
Thus, public figures benefit from the trust and support that the
public places on them
By implication, their duty to remain accountable to the public is
much higher than the average person
Since the media is the primary means through which the public gets
to know these public figures, media coverage on them is justified
More importantly, since it is important for the public to know
whether or not the image that they portray is a faade that hides
deceit and socially-unacceptable behaviour, the private lives should
remain subject to media scrutiny
Does not mean that the media can lie about their private lives since
the media is still subject to slander and libel suits that celebrities
can file if they find the media is spreading mistruths that sully their
reputation
Several benefits accrue when these principles are put into practice
People can check on public figures, make more informed decisions
E.g. Senator John Edwards, a Democratic Presidential hopeful in
2008 in United States, who fell from grace after Washington Post
exposed that he had extra-marital affairs when his wife was
undergoing treatment for breast cancer. By exposing the falsity of
the squeaky clean image that his campaign team had tried to
preserve, , the people duly rejected him
Become better role models
Conclusion:
Regardless of potential harms incurred because outweighed by
For those who want to be larger than life, they must live up to the
expectations

1g. Celebrity as a role model

Intro:
Mass coverage and the media have infiltrated every last nook and
cranny, and children from ____ to ____ know the name Britney
Spears, it is hard to question the pervasive presence of the celebrity
Rise of the paparazzi and the ubiquity of tabloids have made it
nearly impossible for anyone with a modicum of, or the remotest
claim to fame to do anything that does not end up under public
scrutiny and judgement
Catapulted into the public eye bear mantle of the role model
What kind of celebrity statue and what they do with their fame.
Parents accountable?
Define Role Model
Depends on ones individual value system: subjective
Approve strongly of Christina Aguileras talent, conservative person
once-tumultuous private life negates extent of natural gifts
Fundamentally, role model = wish to emulate, personification of
ones desired attainment, upright moral standard
Against 1 + Counter: Celebrity image counter-intuitive to role model
Idea of the celebrity closely integrated with the idea of the
entertainment celebrity image it conjures is that of a drunk,
vacuous and promiscuous person, preoccupied with shallow
concerns of appearance and prone to making laughable sartorial
gaffes.
E.g. Going around town without undergarments (Britney and Paris),
suffering wardrobe malfunctions on national television
Fall miserably short of the yardsticks of a role model
Accurate description of many of Tinseltowns most infamous but
does not do justice to those who are celebrated for genuine talent,
dedication and the like
Celebrities not found exclusively in Beverly Hills; lend their names
and fame to good causes (Angelina Jolie and her work with the UN),
diligently working on improving their God-given abilities to even
greater heights (Roger Federer), Arnold Schwarzeneggar (known for
his muscle and starring role in The Terminator rode on wave of
popularity and fame to political power as governor of California,
dedicated to environmental cause, implement policies to reduce
emissions and vehicle usage)
Closer to home: Eunice Olsen, former Miss Singapore Universe:
active in community service, advocating various causes eventually
becoming Nominated Member of Parliament. Other important
causes championed by many celebrities ranging from climate
change, gender equality to even speaking good Chinese in
Singapore
Against 2:
Well-known song from Disney smash hit High School Musical I
want it all/The fame and the fortune and more

Self-made celebrities creating notoriety for themselves by any

means possible
E.g. Multitude of socialites featured in MTVs My Super Sweet
Sixteen, who behave horrendously on television for their half-hour
of fame on national television, condemning every lavish gift they
receive for some minor flaw and generally behaving with a
complete lack of gratitude
E.g. Paris Hiltons infamous sex tape scandal entered public
consciousness, copycat examples in local context: Tammy Ying sextape While originally not intended for public consumption, idea is
arguable very exhibitionist potential of being leaked for nothing is
private anymore (reinforced by the Edison Chen scandal nude
photos of ex-girlfriends, Madonna having personal contacts made
publicly accessible)

For 1:
Behaviour we often condemn as morally degrading is part of their
private lives
All-invasive nature of reporters and photographers eager for the
next big scoop, be it Zhang Ziyi frolicking topless with her Israeli
fianc or Amy Winehouses latest entrance into rehab, have
rendered this demarcation between the public and the private
impossible for celebrity
E.g. Vanessa Anne Hudgens scandal: Declared as befits her image
as a wholesome, Disney-endorsed starlet, that she wishes to be a
role model for girls. Nude photos scandal. Parents whose children
are ardent fans of the High School Musical franchise dismayed and
condemn her BUT Hardly her intention & human and fallible
Celebrities, by virtue of the other privileges they enjoy, should bear
greater social responsibility as equal exchange
Media just as culpable (for seeking attention-grabbing story to
ensure wider readership) for deliberately sensationalizing these
negative behaviours
Parents play a role
Not to advocate a kind of Big Brother mentality
Immediate influence of the surrounding moral environment probably
has the most impact on a child or teens behaviours
What are right values and how or why they should be espoused
Compare political figures
Commit illegal acts or influence youths in extreme ideology
Exceptional qualities of leadership, advocacy or enlightenment on
various social issues
E.g. Mao Zedong stir youths in 1960s Cultural Revolution: lasting
damage especially to the cultural and societal fabric of China
Amount of negative influence politicians could wield is much greater
than celebrities as they are the ones ultimately charting the
progress of a state
Stirring fervent youths in the wrong direction, such as acts of
terrorism or violence could cause lasting damage to generations of
youths and even their societies

Proliferation of celebrity publicity, and therefore the influence they exert,

is fuelled by our own inherent impulse to judge we may in fact relish it
when the celebrities do wrong, that we may judge them accordingly; but
we must take care not to let impressionable youth, unaware of moral
standards, be unduly influenced

1h. Blame media for our problems

Media responsible for problems faced by young people today
Intro:
Most convenient scapegoat
Blamed for anything from underage alcoholism to promiscuous
lifestyles among teenagers, or accused of acts ranging from
perpetuating the myth of the ideal body to promoting moral
perversion
Some basis of these allegations, nave to hold media fully
responsible
For 1:
Moral norms are often threatened by salacious television
programmes such as the infamous Desperate Housewives, or by
sensationalist news reports about the sexual exploits of students
Mislead youths into morally questionable behaviour
Glamorisation of smoking and alcohol consumption undesirable
influence on impressionable teenagers
Ad for slimming or proliferation of television programmes in which
perfectly-proportioned actors are the protagonists contribute to
teenage insecurity and self-esteem issues (during their formative
years)
Cannot absolve media of all responsibility
Against 1:
Distinguish between correlation and causality
Even staunchest advocate of media censorship
Hormones, not television drams, are responsible for teenage sexual
misdemeanours
Peer Pressure, not Seventeen, is directly responsible for creating
perception that one must conform
Against 2: Other factors
Peer pressure, a subtler and more insidious force than media
influence
If ones social circle finds smoking uncool, unlikely to take up
smoking just because lead singer of famous rock band does so
Conversely, if one is brought up on a strict diet of only the most
wholesome television programming and educational publications,
yet associates with peers who consider copious alcohol
consumption the ultimate rite of passage end up heading down
road of teenage alcoholism
Banning Cosmopolitan or FHM will not lead to a drastic drop in
teenage pregnancies; impressionable girls will not be cured of
anorexia just because they are no longer exposed to beauty
pageants
But media does play a role in shaping teenage attitudes and hence
contributing to peer pressure
Against 3: Viewers responsibility

Giving young people too little credit to suggest that they are the
helpless victims of a media onslaught, able only to succumb to
media influence without any resistance
Todays youths do not have to accept the stereotypes reinforced by
pop songs or movies; free to challenge the value systems and
morally-suspect messages presented to them
Like all other industries, media industry ruled by forces of supply
and demand
If youths choose to buy magazines that promote materialistic
superficiality or decide to watch reality shows that glorify violence

Against 4: Generalization
The media encompasses everything from The Asian Wall Street
Journal to Teenage Magazine and includes both documentaries and
mindless sitcoms alike
Only a section of the media responsible
Also problems other than those commonly cited by critics of the
media: academic stress, social politics, a dysfunctional family
situation or even financial difficulties
Hardly blame depraved television programmes
Range of problems faced by young people is vast and media only
implicated in a small portion of those problems
Medias role one of influence rather than causation
Putting aside question of the medias culpability, if we still hold it fully
responsible, against all logic, inevitably attempt to tackle problems by
merely censoring and diluting the media. Root of problem remains
unacknowledged.
The media remains a convenient scapegoat; but to persecute a scapegoat
is to remain unaware of the truth

1i. Power + Responsibility of Media

Power:
We live in a world where the money dedicated to advertising by
multinational companies is equivalent to half of the money
channeled to education across all countries
Uncle Ben: With great power comes great responsibility
Nature of the media is such that the tiniest error is magnified when
it is processed by the media
Whether it is through hyped-up reports or the fact that millions of
people are watching, the media opens up a black hole of
possibilities of tension and strife to occur
Power can be useful!
At a time when the American government was trying to cover up
the fact that scores of American soldiers were dying by the day in
the Vietnam war, the media became the voice of truth, bringing
reports from the front and showing the American people what was
really going on in Vietnam
Resulting public uproar forced government to relook its futile efforts
Bowed to public pressure
Can media ever be responsible?
Government regulated
Profit-motive
Why need to be responsible?
Social effects of media
Political effects of media
Effects of new media?
Less control + anonymity = less responsibility?
1j. Can media be relied on to tell the truth?
Intro: Purpose of media = important to convey the truth (power of media)
Consequences of not telling the truth = less reliable = less people buy =
less profits (individual too!) (therefore tell the truth)
Profit motive = sensationalize stories (link media ethics)
Government regulated = censor the truth
New media = more truth? Not necessarily! problems with new media
(anonymity)
News is never a mere recording or reporting of the world out there but a
synthetic, value-laden account which carries within it dominant
assumptions and ideas of the society within which it is produced
Conclusion: individual needs to be discerning

1k. Media ethics

Need for accuracy:
Joseph Pulitzer three rules for reporters: accuracy, accuracy and
accuracy
Dont let the facts get in the way of a good story is an instruction
often heard in the newsroom
Hard to resists executive pressure to push stories further than the
facts justify, often by the use of anonymous quotes
The concept of media ethics is conceived to be an oxymoron. Sadly,
many aspects of the modern media are stripped of almost all ethical
concerns. In a reality of competition, ratings and economic
considerations, ethics becomes a secondary, sometimes irritating
issue.
Objective nature of the media:
News is never a mere recording or reporting of the world out there
but a synthetic, value-laden account which carries within it
dominant assumptions and ideas of the society within which it is
provided
Government-regulated?
Profit-driven: modus operandi controlled by firms
E.g. Investigating reporters discovered that the milk produced by
Monsanto in the US could be adulterated with bovine growth
hormone. Forced to change the story (83 drafts) because Monsanto
threatened that there would be dire consequences for Fox news if
the programme airs in Florida. scared of losing advertising dollars

1l. New Media and democracy

Intro:
New media arise through technological advancements (e.g.
internet) to make our world increasingly globalised and interconnected
Democracy whose main ideal is enshrined in our power to vote,
requires political leaders to reach out to the masses so that the
masses can make informed choices in electing leaders
Sharing of knowledge and ideas: push towards democratic process
Reach out to one another in a way that is revolutionary and which can
never be achieved through door-to-door canvassing of votes and support
US presidential election, set up political websites
Monetary funds for political campaigns raised through internet
Allow citizens to voice their opinions whether in dissent or in
support of political candidates
BUT British general election (most memorable online moments
pale by comparison: first political suicide by Twitter when a Labour
candidate posted some crude comments) (moment that changed
the campaign was a live televised debate where in a 90-minute
contest, the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, ended in clear
victory and whose support surged by an unprecedented 50 percent
afterward: TV invented in 1925) (most memorable incident came
when Prime Minister Gordon Brown was campaigning in Rochdale
when a widow came over to give the prime minister a piece of her
mind. Brown dealt with the encounter well but when he got back
into his car, forgot to disconnect the radio and called the woman
bigoted: radio microphone invented in 1949)
Poll conducted by Opinion Matters: 9% get information from Web
sites, 5% from emails sent by politicians, 63% from TV, 47% from
newspapers, 27% from radio
Resulted in degradation of political process
General trend has been in the formation of very cloistered and
segregated communities
E.g. proponents of abortion have their own website and community
forum and same can be said for pro-life camp
E.g. supporters of Obama segregated themselves on the internet
from supporters of Mccain
Development of discussions that are one-sided and narrow in focus
Prevent people from making more informed choices about their
political candidates
Newspaper better medium for exchange and synergy of contrasting
ideas and viewpoints as they make objective reports presenting
hard and discerning facts to citizens without much bias
Propaganda
Noam Chomsky Propaganda is to democracy what the bludgeon is
to totalitarianism
Spread false information about themselves and their rival political
opponents

E.g. Change their entries on Wikipedia to improve own image

E.g. Spreading of false claims that Iraq had weapons of mass
destruction by the George W. Bush government (YouTube)

Spread of idea of democracy

Activists set up watchdog groups criticise governments for not being
wholly democratic
Amnesty International scrutinizes countries worldwide to determine
whether they are democratic, often posting critiques and
evaluations online
Public scrutiny and criticism often stir leaders towards greater
democracy by placing pressure on governments to reform
(proliferation of tenets of democracy)
Also sole medium that has truly allowed freedom of expression (key
tenet of democracy) (censorship of viewpoints largely impossible
given internet rapidly changing and expanding)
BUT limited access E.g. Twitter fueling protests that could bring
regime change to Iran (only 1% have Twitter accounts) Censorship
(Great China Firewall)
Closer to home, 3 bloggers detained for inciting social tension
through insensitive comments on blogs.
Conclusion: Internet has given spread and actual practice of democracy a
much needed boost in recent years but limitations Just because a tool is
new and cool doesnt mean it will have a great impact

2. Science & Tech

2a. Science and Ethics

Define:
Science: systematic and organized pursuit of knowledge
Purpose of science: explain and manipulate the physical world
Einstein has 3 motives: enjoyment of intellectual power and
accomplishment, satisfaction of practical purposes, and a sort of
religious following
Science provided mankind with a language which transcends
cultural boundaries and connects us in a highly satisfying way
Ethics: study of what is right and what is wrong (morality)
Melamine scandal in China which killed several young children
rekindled the debate on whether or not ethics has a part to play in
Science
Science without ethics
Science is very much a career-driven discipline. Thus, scientists rely
very much on their reputation for ongoing funding and support and
such reputations only come when they publish high-profile scientific
papers. This publish or perish concept has caused many scientists
to fabricate data.
If scientists are given free reign, they are as likely as anyone else to
cross lines
E.g. South Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk faked stem cell
research. In an interview later, he claimed that he was blinded by
work and his drive for achievement.
E.g. In 1980s, two chemists claimed they had performed controlled
nuclear fusion in a test tube. (energy woes solved?) But they had
not performed the tests properly.
E.g. Simon Shorvon (National Neuroscience Institute Chief) putting
Parkinsons disease patients through tests without informing them
E.g. Tuskegee experiment (1932-1972) African American men given
syphilis intentionally and monitored. Penicillin discovered then but
not administered
VS. Science with ethics! Genetically-modified food (very tightly
regulated) antifreeze gene in tomatoes. ETHICS: blasphemy
against life of divine origin and potential emergence of strange and
new varieties of harmful organisms
Science potent!
Means to acquiring knowledge should be subject to common ethical
codes
Due to its potency, like the analogy of a child with a gun, science
must be balanced with social responsibility
Study of science must be balanced with social responsibility
Science cannot shrink away from the moral implications that are
implicit in all forms of learning
Esp. because science now increasingly corporate-led, no more
obligation to humanity, scientists self-serving
Research funding skewed towards those which can bring about
financial benefit (armies sponsor)

Science is hindered by ethics

Science itself has no conscience
Inquisitive, creative mind hindered if need to keep thinking about
moral issues
President Bush veto of legislation to fund stem cell research saying
that crossing the line would needlessly encourage a conflict
between science and ethics that can do damage to both
Science cannot be undiscovered irreversible
Scientific improvements are pandoras boxes
E.g. Albert Einstein said that if he knew his work in nuclear physics
would lead to the invention of the nuclear bomb, he would never
have studied physics
E.g. Leader of the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer, who had earlier
chastised scientists in his team for opposing the use of the bomb for
ethical reasons, was later overwhelmed by guilt and championed
the stopping of development of nuclear weapons later on
E.g. In an attempt to develop a stronger pesticide, scientists
developed sarin gas. It was later used by Germans during WWII and
even by terrorists in the 1995 Tokyo Subway attacks
Declaration reiterates the notion that science is irreversible
Environmental problems nowadays due to scientific inventions in
the past (industrial revolution)
Thomas Watson I think theres a world market for about five
computers
Nature of ethics subjective vs. Nature of science objective
Animals: rights or soul?
No unified system of ethics
Diversified views and varying moral stands
E.g. embryonic stem cell research: varying models of ensoulment
rights of foetus (US embryo older than 14 days)
Debate alone could put scientific research and all the benefits
coming from it, on hold
Denying patients therapeutic stem cell treatment because of
dissent in the religious and moral arenas is undoubtedly more
unethical than the act of embryonic stem cell research itself.
E.g. Louis Pasteur shot to fame after testing his vaccine in a boy
who had small pox
E.g. Penicillin, the sacrifice of the rights of a few laboratory guinea
pigs has led countless lives to be saved by the invention of this
medicine
Conclusion: Albert Einstein: Science is the study of what is and not what
should be. Outside the domains of science, all forms of value judgement
are still required.
Late Pope John Paul II Science purifies religion of error and superstition.
Religion purifies science of evil and false absolutes. This is what we must
strive towards. Science must be guided by ethics, and ethics, similarly,
must also be guided by science.

Risk-conscious scientific research is the best option available

E.g. GM food may one day help Third World countries produce highly
nutritious, hardy and cheap crops. Nanotechnology may one day help us
create our wants from rubbish. Genetic engineering may one day help us
cure genetic diseases such as Parkinsons disease.
E.g. Human enhancement technology can help cure illnesses like cancer
but can be abused in sports as well
E.g. Clonaid claimed that they had cloned the first human baby, Eve, even
though they could not prove it. They received large amounts of funding
from people who were desperate to have clones despite the suspicions
surrounding the validity of this claim.

2b. Government and scientist role in science

E.g. In Soviet Union, Lysenko, an agricultural scientist, claimed that he had
found a cultivation technique that could quadruple agricultural yield. The
media and propaganda machine showered praise on him. With Lysenkos
advice and Stalins blessings, many geneticists, whom Lysenko
denounced, were executed or sent to labour camps. Lysenkoism caused
long-term harm to Soviet biology. Lysenkoism continued in China for
several more years even after it was denounced by the Soviets in 1960s
E.g. From 1997 to 2002, California had a 5 year cloning moratorium to
allow lawyers, ethicists and religious leaders to debate and catch up on
the issue of cloning

2c. Rely too much on technology?

Intro:
A glimpse into human civilization a century ago will reveal stark
differences in the way we lived then and now
Less reliant on tech automated
Governed by technology in so many aspects and spheres of our
lives
Fear the loss of a personal, human touch and human independence
Spawned copious science fiction movies and books that imagine a
world dominated by machines and robots, relegating Man to the
backseat
Evidence 1: Immense faith on technology is the main driving force that
keeps R&D industry thriving
E.g. Food shortage: increase crop yield through better irrigation
methods, fertilizers and GM crops
Alleviates the problem but brings with a new host of problems
Perhaps if technology were not perceived to be the best way out for
any problem, political bodies could have worked on improving the
food distribution in the world
Starvation and hunger in Nigeria and Somalia: not dearth of food
but problem of wealth: gargantuan amounts of food wastage
Many ways of addressing a problem but modern world is
presumptuous in pursuing the best technology to mitigate their
woes, overlook better solutions
Evidence 2: Characteristic laziness of modern Man
Communication extremely easy
Overlook other more personal communication channels
Handwritten letters are uncommon and few are willing to travel a
long distance to have a face-to-face conversation
Youth in Singapore overly reliant on short message service (SMS)
find it particularly crippling and difficult to connect with friends and
family
Lost a sense of independence from technology
Evidence 3: Impossible to cut down on our energy consumption
Kyoto protocol: carbon emissions and energy quota was
unfulfillable, unreasonable, unfair
Industrializing and industrialized countries need energy to fuel their
machines
Cannot perform manual jobs on our own, uphill task to reverse
peoples way of living
Reluctant to break out of their familiar lifestyles
Energy conservation is an unfeasible solution to our problem of
depleting fossil fuels
Tech used to find alternative sources of energy
Blackouts in the USA, electricity completely cut off for merely a few
hours: numerous complaints, activity seemingly ceased, normal
activity cam to a halt

Yet to infiltrate certain aspects of our lives

Human touch: developing love and emotions is only within the
power of humans
Essence of Man that technology cannot aid, intervene or replace
Retain a certain sense of independence and autonomy
Human emotion and interpersonal relationships still highly valued

2d. Nuclear technology

Intro
Pilot of Enola Gay My God, what have we done?
Advent and pursuit of nuclear technology key defining feature of
the 20th century
Possession of nuclear energy facilities and nuclear weapons
aspired to dominance
Concerns over nuclear research and its applications have multiplied
in recent decades
For 1: applications to the energy industry
As oil and gas prices soar due to depleting stocks, war scares and a
falling US dollar
Pursuit of alternative sources of cheap energy
Renewable energy sources remain largely unproven and unviable
due to prohibitive costs nuclear power immensely effective in
alleviating the energy woes of the developed world
More efficient and expedient methods of producing enriched
uranium desirable
Medical applications: treatment of cancers
Against 1 / For 2: Waste disposal
Although in much less danger of running out than oil
Uranium not a renewable resource
More nuclear waste piles up from spent uranium fuel rods: harmful
and lethal consequences of nuclear waste disposal (remains
radioactive and dangerous for long periods of time)
de-enriching uranium fuel rods?
Against 2: Highly dangerous
Potentially devastating impacts on human populations and the
surrounding areas
Increasing population figures have compounded the challenges to
the pursuit of nuclear technology
Disastrous reactor failures at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island:
physical and environmental damage (pictures of deformed Russian
children and cracking Geiger counters in Scandinavia and central
Europe: necessary evil?)
For 3: Dangers largely unfounded nuclear technology remains one of
the most highly regulated fields of research
E.g. Stats from US Department of Energy and Nuclear Physics (1 in
15 proposals for nuclear research approved VS. 1 in 10 for genetic
engineering, another field widely known to have strict regulations)
Even in mega-institutes such as CERN, where nuclear research are
highly funded and encouraged, close watch on experiments,
ensuring proper protocol followed
Number of safety nets imposed: minimal concerns over safety
Against 3:

Eclipsed by recent breakthroughs in the energy industry: utilization

of new renewable energy sources (safe, clean, limitless sources of
wind, water, solar power) OR improvements to existing technology
(Germanys decision to take all nuclear reactors offline by 2025 and
replace them with a new type of highly-efficient, reduced-pollution
coal-fired plant shows that ultimately the safety of population
centres must take precedence even in the pursuit of reducing
pollution)

For 4:
Effectiveness of energy sources: nuclear energy 80%, wind and
micro-algae production only provide energy at efficiency levels of
20% and 40% respectively
Marry the concepts of environmental conservation and continued
economic development
Against 4: Nuclear weaponisation is severely detrimental to global stability
and highly undesirable given ethical concerns and political risks involved
Cold War: tens of thousands of nuclear warheads instilled worldwide
fear for four decades
End of Cold War in 1989: sign of hope for humanity BUT also
brought about notion that any further pursuit of nuclear technology
was an attempt to ruin newly-founded state of global stability
E.g. Pyongyangs 2007 nuclear test & Tehrans insistence on
pursuing peaceful nuclear research embargoes, threats of war,
UN sanctions, political isolation
Nuclear weaponisation now seen as bordering on a belligerent
action against the rest of the world

2e. Genetic modification

2f. Right tech for wrong reasons

Intro:
General Omar Bradley, Commander of the US forces, once
ominously declared, Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical
infants. (double-edged sword)
Wrong reason 1: Cursory examination of topic indubitably draw ones
attention race between countries to boost military right
Cognizant of the need to maintain a powerful arsenal of weapons to
deter potential aggressors
Threaten other countries w=or serve as form of deterrence against
potential aggressors
Build stronger tanks, faster aircraft, more precise missiles
E.g. atomic bomb
Today many countries retain thousands of warheads to sustain the
concept of mutually assured destruction
Wrong reason 2: Private economic gain
Motivation that is parochial and self-centred
E.g. pharmaceuticals industry. Drug companies race to find new and
better cures, just so that they can be the first to apply for the
patent, and reap the full benefits of monopolizing a drug line which
is licensed exclusively to them
Grossly overpriced drugs poor find it hard to gain access to cure
their ailments
Concomitantly, practice of pursuing research just to secure a patent
and reap the corollary economic benefits has extended to the
biotechnology sector has extended to biotech sector, where
research institutes have been patenting cell-lines and even parts of
the human genome
Wrong reason 3: fraught with ethical considerations
E.g. Gene therapy, whilst opening door to possibly curing many
debilitating diseases caused by genetic defects, is still an ethical
minefield as it involves changing ones DNA abuse for eugenics
E.g. GM food boost yield but play God and temper with life itself
Correct reason 1: Altruistic reasons
Large bulk attained for benefiting humanity as a whole
Tech comes in response to human problems or to overcome human
limitations
E.g. Wright brothers, empower mankind with the ability to fly:
aeroplane
E.g. Mr Hoover, vacuum cleaner
E.g. smallpox vaccine
E.g. Internet, started as a military project, saw its greatest growth
when programmers saw its potential in connecting people around
the world and contributed to its development (BUT used as a means
of spreading pornographic content as well as terrorism-related
ideology)

Correct reason 2: aid humanity

During outbreak of bird flu, research labs banded together and
posted resources to develop a cure
Tamiflu instantly available to every country to enable them to stave
off the pestilence
Surge in green tech

3. Arts/Culture
3a. Arts have a future in Singapore?
Intro:
As a disclaimer to his appearance in the beloved classic Much Ado
About Nothing, well-known local thespian Adrian Pang implored his
audience to not judge him by his television work
This dismissive, almost shame-faced attitude, lamentably depicts
the general consensus regarding Singapores fledging arts scene
Tide of common perception changing slowly but surely
Government active encouragement + growing receptiveness of
people towards arts
Singapore arts scene increasingly influential
Last few decades determinedly striven towards making its
presence felt
From interviews with popular stage actress Emma Yong enjoying a
full page coverage in local newspapers to the construction and
renovation of iconic buildings such as the Esplanade and the
National Arts Museum that have irrevocably altered the local
landscape healthier than a decade ago
Private sector and government, under the auspices of the
substantially-subsidized National Arts Council, have in no minor part
helped to lure international acts from overseas. The British staging
of The Tempest and the Indian remaking of Hamlet: The Prince of
Clowns
Common perception and prevailing majority mindset casts a shadow on
this lofty prospects
As Adrian Pangs disclaimer illustrated, the arts in Singapore are still
very much limited to the filtered-air domain of the affluent and
Western educated
In contrast, the stereotypical local heartlander is expected to enjoy
his lower-rung fare Jack Neo movies and Channel 8 Dramas
instead
Pander to majority appetites and do art that is not necessarily
challenging to his craft
Common perception is doggedly fixed against the arts as a viable career
choice, advocating instead professions such as engineering and science to
put food on the table
Distressing trend of local artists moving overseas to further their
passions after finding it impossible to ply their trade in Singapore
Fashion designer Andrew Gn decided to move overseas to find
success and the open-armed receptions in the Parisan catwalks that
are not available in Singapore

Small market: local artists such as By2 moving to Taiwan to develop

their music career
Limited development of true-blue Singaporean artists as opposed to
international offerings

Government has realized this problem and has expanded its art promotion
policy to funding and supporting local talents, especially budding ones
Newly-minted School of The Arts, proudly occupying eleven storeys
of building at the heart of the business district
Generous funding from the Arts Council (Piano virtuoso Abigail Tans
piano classes are fully subsidized)
Increasingly receptive to the Arts
Democratisation of the Arts through HeARTbeat, bringing the arts to
the public
Increasing instances of people collecting Asian Art, which are priced
from a reasonable few hundred dollars, is so dramatic that it has led
to the construction of the Tanjong Pagar Distripark to keep this
burgeoning collection
Ashley Isham turned his back on European acclaim to re-establish
his headquarters in native soil, speaks volumes of the growing
receptiveness towards the arts in Singapore, something that the
sold-out status of acts such as Cats and Phantom of the Opera can
certainly attest to
History has shown that there has been a strong correlation between
growing affluence and a thriving arts scene
E.g. Emma Yong credited her freedom to pursue her passions to her
parents ability to support her financially
Not pressurized to choose bread-and-butter professions should their
calling lie elsewhere
Conclusion:
Important to recognize the presence of local artists and artworks
that Singaporeans can genuinely be proud of bands like Electrico,
acts like the ever-charming Dim Sum Dollies and films like Glenn
Goeis The Blue Mansion as improvements on stereotypically
substandard Mediacorp broadcasting
SM Goh Chok Tong once declined labeling Singapore as a First World
Nation because she lacked the artistic and cultural developments

3b. Why pursue Arts?

3c. Arts and technology

Intro:
As early as 1932, art critic Walter Benjamin voiced concerns that
technological advancement encroached upon the artistic endeavour
The impact of technological advancement has spared very few
aspects of modern life and the arts are no exception
Technological wonders like the printing press, the computer and its
attendant digital graphic software and musical equipment such as
synthesizers
Allows art to expand and stay relevant
Technology does not help
The ability of to strike our fancy lies more squarely in its
composition and the message(s) relayed, than simply its form.
Unsustainable without substance.
Synthesisers: electronica genre of music emerged but it is often
derided for its synthetic unemotional quality
Technology submits the arts to crude commercialism at the hands of
advertisers
Reduces the value of a piece to the lowest common denominator as
people purchase such reproductions to hang in their rooms purely
for aesthetic pleasure and disregard the value of the arts as a
means for expressing a mood or idea
Art needs to be unique
Walter Benjamin argued that what gave art its mystical aura, its
most sacred and revered quality, was its singularity desecration o
f art
Technology and art are not always complementary, two are
antagonistic to some degree
Mass reproduction of Edvard Munchs The Scream has
desensitized modern audiences to much of the raw, unbridled
power of the original
To see angry reds and oranges glaring at you every day as you take
the train to work may consign Munchs masterpiece to the blur of
the mundane and the routine
Desensitisation is harmful insofar as it encourages careless and
cursory treatment of artwork in general few of us can claim to
have looked upon a work of art and immersed ourselves completely
in a wholly beautiful and transcendental experience
Originality tends to be compromised as everyone uses similar
software. Without education, not innovative, simply learn from
manual
Copyright issues
Proliferation of file-sharing services such as Kazaa, Limewire and
Toreentsearcher
More avenues are open for copyright breach, and this removes
incentive for artists to continue the creative effort

If sales revenue from the sale of CDs plummet because the public
opts for the cheaper alternative of free downloads, then the artist is
deprived of both the will and the resources to make a new album
Malaysian artists, for example, frequently allege this as the reason
why domestic music industry cannot take off
BUT in response to growing concerns of copyright breach, a
matrix of intellectual property law has arisen to preserve artists
incentive to create, in tandem with the recording industry of
Americas crackdown of illegal file-sharing services

Preservation of classics
Restoration and reconstruction of damaged prints from the Italian
Renaissance, currently exhibited in Americas National Gallery of
Art. Impossible without the precise tools and substances that
technological advances have given us
Development of colour fixatives has been a godsend for colourpencil artists. Absence of such fixatives, pencil pigment flakes off
easily diminishing the vibrancy of even the most meticulously
coloured masterpieces within months
Birth of some new forms of art
Digital art: Adobe Photoshop
Provide fertile ground for artistic inspiration: the Bauhaus
movement and the doctrine of new internationalism in twentiethcentury architecture argued for a consideration of houses as
functional living machines and drew inspiration from the
construction of multi-storey flats, carparks and state buildings
Marcel Duchamps masterpiece the urinal, which embodied a
rejection of the aesthetic process would have been impossible
From a Marxist perspective, developments in the technological
base led to the artistic superstructure growing even richer and
more interesting
Communication revolution and accessibility of e-texts have benefited the
literary tradition
Allowed writers access to other writers works and ideas with a click
of the mouse
Allows meeting of many minds and the literary movement is surely
richer with such dense interaction
Post-structuralist Julie Kristeva maintains that all literary texts are
tissues of past citation, allowing authors access to other works is
absolutely essential
Technology has influenced Arts content
We already know that computer technology has enabled the
diversification of art forms, but in terms of actually permeating the
concerns of artists, technology has also played a key role
Exemplified in the proliferation of art dealing with the issue of
scientific progress and whether this bodes well or ill for the future of
mankind

Helped paralysed or otherwise physically disenfranchised artists who

regain the ability to express themselves creatively. Artists who survive
road accidents lose certain motor functions and are unable to produce art
in traditional forms of sculpture or painting

3d. Uniquely Singapore: Culture

Intro:
Singapore is a strange little society. Situated at the crossroads of
numerous shipping and transport routes, it has, over the years,
under the confluence of external and internal societal forces,
moulded what I believe is an extremely idiosyncratic and distinctive
culture
But is it unique culture? Casts a shadow upon the originality of our
culture
Culture: set of beliefs, practices and lifestyles that is embraced by,
and entrenched in, a common group of people. Ideology and value
system that characterize us.
Singaporeans have cultivated themselves a global image which is
synonymous with the infamous Singaporean trait of Kiasuism (afraid to
lose out)
Pragmatism, political apathy, prudence and the desire to pursue
material objectives
Display the distinctive ethos of competitiveness
Tracing its origins to the hard life that our migrant ancestors had to
lead, the political system and the general Chinese desire for
material gain and social status
Engendered this spirit of die die must win
Satirized by the international media and local commentators
calculative and self-preserving ways
Ridiculed for packing food into napkins at buffets to get max value
for our dollar
Rebuffed for our conservative attitudes to seemingly frivolous
things such as casinos
Conservative, self-centred view that resembles that of Victorian
England where social status, wealth and propriety were celebrated
Still firmly rooted in tradition and exacerbated by the islands
competitive economy, such a distinctive Singaporean attitude will
persist long into the future
Aside from attitudes and mindsets, Singapore also has a unique cultural
scene that brims with the vigour of its Asian flavour
E.g. Sumptuous spread of Asian hawker fare
Thanks to diverse ethnicity of Singaporeans population, local
cuisine here is ruled by a gamut of influences
Aromatic spices, the opulent cream sauces of Western society,
traditional and modern cooking methods have manifested
themselves in a gastronomic delight
Characteristically Singaporean dishes touted as must-trys for
tourists include Hainanese Chicken Rice and roti prata. The list
extends into infinity.
Attributed to Singapores role in a converging point for the regions
different cultures.
Vast variety of influences manifests themselves in our local culture
Exemplifies the mingling of the Eastern and Western worlds

Colonial roots and increasing penetration of globalization forces

Culture has evolved into a cross-cultural fusion of East meets West
E.g. Singlish effectively infuse their Asian roots into a Western
language
Influence of local dialects which stem from the ancestral roots of our
migrant forefathers, Colonial English has been transformed into a
unique Singaporean form
Words like lah, lor and other popular dialect terms have become
part and parcel of the Singaporean diction.
Singlish is the idiosyncratic lingua franca of Singaporeans
Demonstrates uniqueness of Singaporean culture and the ability of
Singaporean society to assimilate modern influences into its
tradition to produce its own unique lifestyle

Caught effectively between the past and present

Retain and preserve its traditional heritage and keep up with the
rapidly modernizing world
Variety of cultures interact to adapt to the traditional and yet
modern Singaporean mindset
Produced the aforementioned complex and varied culture
Singapores unique culture is not a direct product of our populations
actions. Indigenous culture has played a significantly smaller role in
shaping our way of life. The predominantly migrant population has
generated our unique culture, more so than any other cultural force in
Singapore
Largely attributed to its location
Situated along the worlds most vital trading routes, since colonial
times commercial hub of activities
Cultural forces that have since shaped and moulded our culture
originate from these external agents who were drawn to Singapore
due to commercial interests. This stream of commercial activity has
been the driving force of Singapores cultural evolution
Although our culture based on the premise of a dozen other
cultures, is this not typical of the rapidly globalizing society?
Can no longer remain immune to external cultural forces move
along to a homogenous culture dominated by Western traditions
and norms comforting to see that Singapore has managed to hold
on staunchly to her traditional roots
Conclusion: The fact that our distinct culture is not entirely our own and
the embracement of this fact, has in fact created a laudable culture which
differentiates itself from others in the worlds cultural landscape

4. Environment

4a. Developed vs. Developing

4b. Should environment be saved at all costs?

Intro:
Several events have brought the issue of environmental
conservation to the forefront
Documentary An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore brought the issue
to the masses
UN commissioned a study on climate change that concluded, rather
worryingly, that climate change is affecting the environment more
than the wildest of projections from barely a few years ago and is
set to accelerate in the foreseeable future
BUT with current economic crisis, voters no longer consider global
warming a priority. 42% of Germans now worry about climate
change, down from 62% in 2006. Australia, 53 percent still consider
it a pressing issue, compared to 75% in 2007. Americans rank
climate change dead last of 21 problems that concern them most,
according to a January Pew poll.
2010, Canadas Prime Minister Stephen Harper, blasted climate
change as a sideshow to global economic issues, canceled the
meeting of environment ministers that has preceded the G8 or G20
summit for every year but one since 1994.
Merkel slashed green-development aid, Obama cooled on his plan to
cap emissions
Economic Costs
Slower economic growth due to the need to phase out
environmentally unfriendly but economically-useful tools employed
by the economy such as coal-powered power plants
Added costs needed to increase the energy efficiency of machines
and tools
Need to treat harmful economic by-products
Profits decrease, economic growth suffers, job losses as they
become less competitive.
Leads to social costs (crime rates, SOL, breakdown of family unit,
increasing poverty)
Political cost:
Main factor why economic preservation not widespread today
1 In todays mostly capitalistic world, politicians often ride into their
office on a ticket sponsored by large corporations with vested
interests
Profit-seeking firms often hope that politicians they sponsor will
implement policies that allow them to make more profits
Bid to conserve environment by increasing operating costs certainly
will not go down well with corporate sponsors
You do not bite the hand that feeds you, ruin political career
E.g. US presidents have well-publicised links with large firms, hence
hesitation in implementing policies to save environment

2 Green policies can be popular when they mean subsidizing

renewable fuels but can quickly hit a wall when they force lifestyle
change, such as less driving
Politicians aim to remain in office for as long as possible
3 Preoccupied with other matters such as foreign policy. Leave such
matter neglected will risk letting the state degenerate into chaos

Is the environment really saved?

Germanys solar subsidies, perhaps the most wasteful green
scheme on earth, produce a mere 0.25 percent of the countrys
energy and cost consumers as much as $125 billion.
Novembers climategate affair over irregularities in the report of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United
Nations body whose findings are the basis of all climate policy.
Though a review panel has since cleared the researchers of most
allegations, the lingering controversy could further undermine the
IPCCs longstanding push for massive carbon emission reduction
targets as the only viable option to deal with global warming
Conclusion: Sir Winston Churchill The era of procrastination is drawing to
a close and in its place is a period of consequences act now but ensure
overall positive results
4c. Are we doing enough to save the environment?
4d. Main reasons for environmental problems nowadays

5. Religion

5a. Religion divides more than it unites

Intro:
God might not be dead, but God sure leaves a lot of people dead.
This was one social science professors response to Nietzsches
famous proclaimation that God is dead
Face value more peaceful withour religion
Perhaps Crusades might not have happened. Perhaps six million
Jews might not have been gassed to death by Hitler. Perhaps the
Israel-Palestinian conflict would have been resolved in 1967 or
better, need not be carved out of Palestine and artifially instituted
as a state
Religion leads to genocide against one another
By its very nature, religion can make people disagree
Quintessence of religion is faith in something that can neither be
seen nor proven, cannot be debunked as well
Religion is very diverse: some feel that religion is a social construct
opium of the masses, some feel that there is only one true
religion: Islam, Christianity, while others feel that there will be a
Great Awakening in the sense that all religions are working
towards and adapting to the final truth
Often no plausible way for people of different religions to see eyeto-eye
When ones religious beliefs constitute the meaning of ones life,
and is a tremendous source of strength, coupled with the natural
tendency for members of a particular faith to identify with one
another, a stray attack on one member is easily interpreted as a
challenge to all who share that faith
E.g. Danish newspaper publish cartoons depicting Prophet
Mohammed in unflattering light, shockwaves of disgust and
resentment against Western Civilisation reverberated through
Muslim communities
In absence of common sense, a Hobbesian nightmare of war of all
against all does not seem far away. E.g. Holocaust and Crusades
exemplify how desensitizing feelings of hatred can hypnotise
individuals and blind them to common sense
Engenders the nation/state conflict
Nation: group of people who identify with one another, for instance,
members of a particular religion
State: political entity that seeks to represent the people of one
country
State often includes multiple nations, exacerbated by religion
Duty of state often hijacked by the selfish interests of a nation
within it
Tyranny of the majority where minority religious group is excluded
from society and marginalized
E.g. Muslim minorities in Europe have little political power, interests
seldom represented, tend to live in inner-city ghettos, receive
unequal share of socioeconomic opportunities

E.g. Sectarian violence hampering the rebuilding of Iraq as Sunni,

Shiite and Kurdish denominations in Iraq (diff interpretation of
Islam), never seem to be able to forge a political consensus

Misinterpretation of religion which divides

No reasonable reading of Christian Bible condone senseless
killings sanctioned during the Crusades
No reasonable reading of the Quran commit jihad
That the Taliban and Al-Qaeda wield religion as a blood-stained
sword is no foreign face to us. The convenient use of Islam as an
excuse to free them from the opposition of the West, a justification
for the mass-murders, brutal killings and savage beheadings is but
a warped and sick distortion of holy text. While Islam itself means
peace, terrorists have used its teachings in an unprescribed and
unprecedented manner they have most assuredly used religion to
sow the seeds of hatred and ostensibly, conflict.
Scapegoat for conflicts of the world
Religion is often politicized
E.g. Irans president together with many politicians in the Middle
East engage in vicious Israel-bashing arguably not for the sake of
representing their people but rather to distract voters from
domestic problems and incompetencies of governance by uniting
them against the mirage of a common enemy. Same goes for
Olmert and his gang of merciless Israeli hardliners
Oft-referenced Samuel Huntingtons prediction of a world defined by a
clash between the Judeo-Christian West and the Islamic world will not
happen
Globalisation and modern progress, unity in diversity
Cultures become less homogenous and more of a melting-pot,
differences in religion looks to be cast aside
German govt. Muslim: German first, Muslim second 70%
Religion does not define people to a full stop but rather serves to
supplement existing cultures and national identities
Common morality
Most believers across the globe belong to one of a few major
religions
1.3 billion Muslims, roughly a billion each of Christians and
Catholics, hundreds of millions of Hindus and Buddhists, a
significant number of people who belong to offshoots of these last
two
Share a common credo, a common way of doing things, a common
set of customs associated with their religions
Arguably one people in mind, if not in body
Religion does, therefore, provide a linking force between peoples of
the world, perhaps giving the world a greater cohesion and identity
While sometimes divide like on issues of homosexuality
Plethora of religions have an amazingly similar set of moral values
(Golden Rule)
Universal values like no harm, encouraging love and kindness

Even secularized and codified these values as a formal constitution

Religion is basis for law, basis for which individuals may feel morally
compelled to uphold the law, and by extension, their own religion
Also unite nations against a common injustice
E.g. Whites in US realize discrimination against blacks was an insult
to their own faith. Today, religion, transcending race, still holds
them together
E.g. The saffron revolution, in which Burmese monks protested
against their tyrannical government, gained extra moral force
thanks to religion
Religious leaders often become voices for justice and morality
E.g. Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa fight against
apartheid and later crime
E.g. the Dalai Lama preaches understanding, recipient of Nobel
Peace Prize

Religion creates bonds within societies

Multi-religious societies as well
Inter-faith dialogues and exchanges
Inter-Religion Organisation established in Singapore, leaders of
various religious communities come together to promote
understanding
Mirrored on global stage, where we saw the Vatican host a
conference of the worlds religious leaders in 2007
Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim: Singapore is one country in which relation
between Muslim community and the rest of society did not worsen
after 911 (Muslim extremists terrorist attacks on the World Trade
Centre in New York City) in no small part due to the excellent interfaith dialogue that we have instituted
Religion is not the sole focus of most peoples beliefs. In addition to
subscribing to a religion, most people will also be part of other
societal groups, such as Champion democracy and human
rights inalienable powers of their monarch or state. These beliefs
are intrinsically linked to religious ones in that religion does help
shape their moral guidelines. Agnostic, these divides remain.
Differences always exist and religious group them together into
easily recognizable general groups. In recent AWARE saga, much
debate centred on issue of homosexuality, in which objectors to its
acceptance largely belonged to the Christian religion. Presence of
inter-faith dialogue bring viewpoints together in a conciliatory
manner
Conclusion: Religion intrinsically unites society in tolerance and in
morality. But when misinterpreted or hijacked for political interests
Given religion is so intrinsic to human life and human calculus of meaning
and value, religion is here to say. Religion can be both the light of the
world and a scourge of this planet
E.g. High-ranked Buddhist monks caught visiting prostitutes
E.g. Doomsday Cults: Solar Temple Cults inspired 74 people to burn
themselves to death so that they could travel to the planet Siruis. 40

Heaven Gate followers poisoned themselves so that they could take the
UFO to heaven before the gates of heaven closed
E.g. President George Bush uses Christian rhetoric to garner support for
his policies so does Osama Bin Laden
E.g. In 1600s, Christian Church grew so powerful that people started
paying money to church to buy their way to heaven
E.g. Some Christian fundamentalists believe that technology is
disrespectful to God and thus refuse to get any treatment for their
illnesses

5b. Religion and politics

Intro:
The idea of religion and the state being closely linked goes back to
ancient, unenlightened times
Recent surge in enthusiasm for various religious fundamentalisms
Should religion play a part in politics
Very fundamentals of religion and politics are so far removed from
one another that the combination of the two can only lead to
corruption of the grand ideals embodied in them
History has seen a move towards political secularism
Religion acts as a moral compass
Desire to rectify the evils that liberalism has brought about
Secular state is deemed decadent and morally loose
Religious state would be governed by a strict moral code
Modern theocracies, such as Iran, see the state as an actor of divine
religious will, teaching the people how to behave morally, and if
need be, ensuring that they do so through the force of law
Modern world of excess and decadence, religious state seen as the
only force left that can ensure that people remember discipline, selfcontrol and spiritual purity
With the divine will of God behind them, religious states can justify
almost any kind of extremist behaviour
Claiming it part of a religious mission to cleanse the world of the
excesses of the liberal world
Self-righteous crusade attitude: rise of state-sponsored terrorism
jihad war against the non-Islamic world based on divine command
In Lebanon, Hezbollah, which means Party of God is not only a
state recognized organization but also a terrorist organization that
has launched multiple attacks on Israel as a response to the
anomaly that is the jewish state
Religion: based on faith: easy justification. Dissenters labeled as
non-believers and enemies of the will of God
Religion acting as a perfect defense for states engaging in all sort of
extremist behaviour has led to many international conflicts and made
many such conflicts harder to resolve
Religion gives the state the right, even the encouragement, to stand
so firm that all compromise seems impossible
E.g. Arab-Israeli conflict: purely secular conflict: resolution through
the two-state solution. Yet, with the insertion of religion into the
mix, Israel now sees the land it occupies as its Holy Land and hence
absolutely fundamental to its existence. No longer willing to
compromise with the Palestinians for the religious justification for
holding the territories is far too strong
Ability of religion to polarize politics and encourage inter-state
rivalry is not new: harkens back to the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries or perhaps even earlier
Irrational political rivalry between England and Spain is a complex
one, but fundamental divide springs from the fact that Spain was a

Catholic nation and England a Protestant one (exacerbated political

rivalry)
Conflict between India and Pakistan because Pakistan, a Muslim
nation, lays claim to the majority Muslim Kashmir
In land of politics, where diplomacy and compromise are essential in
order to survive alongside other states, religion only leads to
irrational rivalries and drawn out conflicts
International stage: no room for such polarize and unchangeable
views

Domestically too religious states have proven to be a hazard to the very

people it seeks to protect
Self-righteous attitude of the religious state gives it the right to
ignore anything that is incongruous with the religious teachings it
follows
Right to dole out punishments that often deny the individual all
forms of human rights
Right to free speech completely ignored, speaking out against the
state may lead to death often by inhumane methods such as public
stoning
Since law is the word of God no room for compromise
Breaking law is akin to defying word of God
State can clamp down on all dissent in order to retain political
power
E.g. Middle Ages; roman Catholic Church could claim to focus only
on religion, ignoring the general state of dissolution in the country
Religion: based so much on faith and so little on logic that it can be
used by the state to instantly silence all dissent, even if dissenting
voices are raising perfectly valid points that could lead to the
betterment of the nation
Fundamental incongruity of religion and politics
Vastly different entities with different functions
Overlap can only corrupt the purity of both
Social contract between those who govern and those who are
governed only stands if the rulers are accountable to the people,
which, in the case of religious states, they are not
Discouraged from listening to the corrupt, selfish voice of the
people
Conclusion:
Seperation of state and religion will not solve all the problems
Communists in Soviet Union and the Nazis in Hitlers Germany were
fundamentally opposed to the very concept of religion
Combination, while a grand ideal on the surface, presents too many
problems

5c. Science and religion

Intro:
Religion: age-old endeavour of mankind to become clearly and
completely conscious of superpersonal values and goals
History of mankind has been marked by both spiritual and material
progress
Two radically different philosophical worldviews have emerged as
catalysts and products of such progress the empirical method of
science and the more spiritual one of religion
Diametrically opposite at their deepest levels: science is an
objective, empirical interpretation of the universe while religion
seeks a moral, spiritual understanding of the world we live in
According to definitions: science and religion do not conflict
Science determines what is and not what should be, and outside of
its domain, value judgements of all kinds remain necessary
Religion deals only with evaluations of human thought and action: it
cannot justifiably speak of facts and relationships between facts
Well-known conflicts between religion and science ascribed to a
misapprehension of the situation
Conflict usually arises when religious community insists on the
absolute truthfulness of all statements recorded in the Bible:
intervention on the part of religion into the sphere of science (e.g.
struggle of church against doctrines of Galileo and Darwin) Religion
attempts to use accessible thoughts and narratives to teach certain
morals. It is this mythical, or rather symbolic, content that is likely
to conflict with science. Of vital importance for the preservation of
true religion that such conflicts are avoided which are not really
essential to the pursuance of religious aims
Representatives of science often make and attempt to arrive at
fundamental judgments with respect to values and ends on the
basis of scientific method
Religion helps science
Realms of religion and science clearly marked off from each other,
but there exists between the two strong reciprocal relationships and
dependencies
Science can only be created by those who are thoroughly imbued
with the aspiration toward truth and understanding
This source of feeling, springs from the sphere of religion
Science helps religion
One of religions goals is to liberate mankind as far as possible from
the bondage of egocentric cravings, desires and fears
Whoever has undergone the intense experience of successful
scientific advances is moved by profound reverence for the
rationality made manifest in existence. By way of the
understanding, he achieves a far-reaching emancipation from the
shackles of personal hopes and desires, and thereby attains that
humble attitude of mind through the grandeur of reason

Science and religion do overlap, most notably in shaping our attributes to

the unknown, but they are not necessarily in conflict
Science cannot explain everything
Big Bang Theory: what happened before Big Bang
Science does not claim to offer a full or complete understanding of
the universe, but merely hopes to move closer to the truth
E.g. Galileo and Copernicus
E.g. Alfred Wagners theory of continental drift
E.g. Alexander Flemings theory of germs
Religion offers an explanation for creation and existence
Theories of creation range from that of a primordial cosmic egg to
the belief that everything about us is the manifestation of a
consciousness
Symbolic (cosmic egg symbolizes vitality and abundance). No way
to confirm any of these claims
Religion offers salvation
Afterlife. Which God is real?
Religion promises to develop society morally according to universal
principles
Many people worldwide cite a religious upbringing as the reason for
their morality and sense of right and wrong
Many acts of benevolence are performed in the name of religion
Moral dilemmas? Religion has been used as a political tool to
subjugate and discriminate and to kill. Many examples of this have
been chronicled the Crusades in Europe, the invasion of Persians
in North India; the ongoing friction between India and Pakistan
Conclusion: Science without religion is lame, religion without science is
blind
Late Pope John Paul II Science purifies religion from error and superstition.
Religion purifies science from evil and false absolutes
A dependence of science on the religious attitude, a relation which, in our
predominantly materialistic age, is only too easily overlooked scientific
results entirely independent from religious or moral considerations
individuals to whom we owe the greatest creative achievements were all
imbued with the truly religious conviction that this universe of ours is
something perfect and susceptible to the rational striving for knowledge

6. Terrorism

6a. Can terrorism ever be eradicated?

Intro:
September 11 2001 was indubitably an epochal day in the lives of
our generation. People all around the globe were glued to their
television screens, shaking with fear as they watched the tragic
fates of the World Trade Centre and thousands of innocent people
unfold before their very eyes
Merely marked the start of a series of similarly unforgiving attacks
Terrorism greatest threats plaguing the international community
Brutal, relentless form of political violence that uses fear as a key
weapon
Asymmetrical warfare often born out of political aims that have
been constantly suppressed or denied by governments, forcing
many disillusioned citizens to take up arms and seek to deliberately
create violence and fear, disrupting the delicate harmony and social
fabric of society so that their demands will be heard
Counter-terrorist measures effective at quelling terrorists, doubleedged sword that fuel and further radicalize many to become
terrorists
Counter-terrorist measures crack down on terrorists and terrorist
organizations
Increase in information sharing and intelligence both within and
between countries
Patriot Act in USA: government passed legislation allowing wire
tapping on phone conversations
UN member countries agreed to freeze the bank accounts of
suspected terrorists in their country to deny these terrorists a
safehaven
Success of mutual cooperation is exemplified in the way the multiintelligence sharing among Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia
enabled the Indonesian government to find and arrest key leaders
of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)
Overpower using military might
Hillary Clinton: imperative that we refuse to legimitise terrorists
Obamas support for General McChrystals counterinsurgency
measures in Afghanistan: reinforce domestic security force, employ
state-of-the-art military weapons and air drones
Taliban and Al Qaeda key leaders have been killed
To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war
Negotiations between the government and terrorist groups are
instrumental in successfully weeding out terrorism
Terrorist groups, such as the Irish Republican Army in Northern
Ireland, are disenfranchised groups that seek political freedoms of
equality in treatment or an autonomous region and have only
resorted to terrorism because the government has constantly
refused to acceded to their requests and marginalized them
Grant political consensus less need to adopt violence

ONLY CURB ORGANIZED TERRORISM, not self-radicalised terrorists and

state-sponsored terrorism by rogue states or autocratic dictators
Terrorism is about wining the hearts and minds of the people
Harsh counter-terrorist measures often serve to create breeding
grounds for further radicalization
Nietzsche in dealing with a monster, be careful lest you turn into a
monster yourself
Patriot Act: Highly contentious as it infringes upon a persons right
to privacy which is enshrined in the American Constitution
Atrocities committed in Guantanamo Bay and the Abu Graib prison
in Iraq go against Geneva Conventions, provide further fuel for
terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda to characterize the USA as a
power-hungry and hypocritical. Shifting moderate Muslims towards
radicalization
Fail to address the political grievances and aims of terrorist organizations
Creating situations termed negative peace
Simmering tensions still brew and threaten to erupt, destroying the
fragile peace
Sri Lanka governments vicious destruction of the LTTE not only
violated international human rights, but led to growing discontent
and protest from the Tamil diaspora worldwide that would provide a
fertile ground for the LTTE to regroup and re-emerge.
Rajapaksas government refuse to acknowledge the political
marginalization and deprivations of these groups
Some are politically-driven, others are purely terror driven
Rise of Islamic fundamentalist terrorist groups such as the Jammu
Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)in Kashmir and Hamas in the
Palestinian Israeli conflict
Fundamental nature: fervently believe they are fighting a holy war,
or Jihad, against foreign influences in their land, based on a
distorted interpretation of the Quran
State-sponsored terrorism
While most countries have recognized international cooperation as
paramount to achieving their political self-interest
Some radical dictators continually fund militant terrorist groups in
fulfillment of realism
Al Qaeda, product of Saudi Arabia and the USAs funding of the
mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghanistan War
Pakistan funds the Laksha-e-Tobia (LeT) responsible for the Mumbai
bombings in Nov 2008
Proliferation of new media:
New platforms for terrorist groups to send their message to other
users
Inciting many to be influenced by such subversive messages and
self-radicalising
Easy instructions on creating bombs

Few thousand Americans perished in Sept 11 attacks, effects of

attacks were transmitted globally by media coverage of the events,
inciting fear in the entire global community
Death count not biggest weapon. Rather, harrowing and dramatic
images of destruction
Use fear and propaganda as main weapon: presence and influence
even more pervasive than before

Conclusion:
Terrorists are a multifaceted, complex group of people supported by
states or groundswells of disenfranchised people and cannot be
viewed simplistically as homogenous groups.

7. Sports

7a. True purpose of sports nowadays

Intro:
Citius, altius, fortius are the three famous words which
encapsulate the spirit and soul of the worlds greatest games the
Olympics
The Olympics was born to one mans dream of recreating the
sporting intensity and passion of ancient Greece and creating a
platform for countries to interact and exhibit their abilities,
creating a sort of universal brotherhood
Myriad issues ranging from doping to profit-seeking belied the
ideals that are the foundation of sports
Sport is heralded as a test of human strength and character
Athletes push beyond perceived boundaries of human anatomy to
achieve the impossible
E.g. Beijing Olympics: ten-second barrier for the hundred metres
sprint was smashed
Athletes like Michael Phelps, a multiple Olympic gold medalist for
swimming, has inspired many to test boundaries and has given us a
temporary reprieve from the harsh realities of the world, and for one
magical moment, encapsulated the audience within a bubble where
human strength and mankinds greatest abilities are exalted
Beauty of sports lies in it ability to merge both strength and grace
legendary performances
Michelle Kwan: artistry on ice moved even the judges to tears
Universal brotherhood
Wildcard feature
Eric Moussambani, affectionately called Eric the eel by the media,
won the hearts of millions of supporters even though he finished
last in his race
Developed countries usually have better facilities to develop
sporting talents
While compromising on excellence, it has enabled people from all
over the world to compete together, regardless of their athletic
ability
Helped to enforce spirit of universal brotherhood
George Orwell Sport on the international level is frankly mimic warfare.
Darker issues have tarnished the polished surface of sports
Chiefly concerned about profits
It is not the honour of being able to hold the Games, nor the desire
to spread the sporting ideals that cause countries to zealously bid
for the right to hold the Games. Neither do organizers envision great
triumphs or grandiose falls during the Games that would make a
mark on history.
While it is not wrong to make profit from sports since this is
essential for the continuation of sports compromise sporting
ideals

Recent FIFA World Cup, FIFA doubled the fees they typically charge
for the rights to broadcast the World Cup. Did not take into
consideration the ideals of the universal sharing of sport and global
participation
Sports have also served as a backdrop for companies to advertise
their products
Wimbledon: Maria Sharapova and Nike criticized when shots of
Sharapovas underwear, which revealed the infamous Nike Swoosh
logo when her skirt lifted during the tennis match, were posted on
the internet

Cooperation and friendship are compromised

mimic warfare
Canada won a record 14 titles in the Vancouver Winter Olympics but
created the Own the Podium programme that cost US$115 million.
Also restricted training facilities to athletes from other countries
Sports is an avenue through which countries show their athletic
abilities, and, by extension, their political and economic might
During Vancouver Olympics, the heated rivalry between Kim Yu-Na
of South Korea and Mao Asada of Japan extended beyond the
private spheres to a nation-wide magnitude
Celebrating Yu-Nas eventual victory, South Korea was also
celebrating a victory over Japan
No longer the pursuit of athletic abilities that matter, it is the gold
medal that matters and it is even more sweet when it is a victory
over traditional rivals
Celebration of super-human abilities
Increasing number of cases of doping
Great records negated the very next day
Fallen heroes include Marion Jones, the once golden girl of America
who was stripped of all her titles
Tour de France was marred by allegations that the Chinese team
had ridden behind the American team to avoid the effects of wind
on their stamina
Conclusion:
Why then do we still almost religiously follow World Cups, the
Olympics and the World Championships?
Engaged by the flamboyant fashion of Serena Williams
Rabid competition: Greater draw for many to catch the clash of the
titans
Guilty enjoyment of off the court drama
Fuelled the movement of sports away from original goals
It is not the games that have to change; it is our attitudes.

7b. Sports and Media

Intro:
Sport, in todays increasingly commercialized world, has been
arguable diverted from its Olympic ideals uniting people with the
same love for the enjoyment of sport
Athletes no longer train immeasurable hours for pure adrenaline
rush of a good sprint, or a well-played tennis match
The amount of media coverage on sporting events is immense, esp.
if one compares it to news on events with greater brevity
One might even be inclined to argue that media coverage has
overstated the value of sport in todays world
While sport is indeed newsworthy and does aid in promoting good
values such as sportsmanship, commercialism of sport THESIS
Reason behind overexposure of sport in the media today:
Commercialism and sponsorship have made sport a lucrative billiondollar industry with MNCs splurging sky-high figures in order to
advertise at major sporting events or sponsor athletes as their
spokespeople
E.g. Recent Olympics where Coca-Cola and McDonalds were
unhappy with the organizers for restricting no. of spectators in
stadium forked out millions to place advertisements in prominent
areas within and outside stadium
E.g. Sports brands like Adidas and Nike also sign on celebrity
athletes to use their sporting products in their matches
This is where the media comes in
Newspaper coverage of events such as Wimbledon ensures that the
champions photos are splashed across the front page of every
newspaper, complete with his or her championship trophy and
decked out in Nike gear from head to toe
Television coverage of soccer matches ensure top-dollar firms pay
for neon advertisements, billions of people see advertisements as
they sit at home watching the EPL matches
Media and MNCs share a symbiotic relationship. Firms require media
coverage for the sporting events they sponsor, media require these
firms to create celebrity athletes for their reports to be newsworthy
Against 1: Sporting victories and defeats have become far more public
today with media coverage
Sport outlet for nationalist consciousness
Victories and defeats are perceived by sport-crazed fans to be akin
to triumphs and losses on the battlefield
(traditional archrivals?)
E.g. Cricket between India and Pakistan, Rugby between the
Springbok South African team, the Australians and the British
Media coverage plays up the significance of the outcomes of
these matches publish incendiary headlines national pride
E.g. Chinas gold medal tally exceeding USs for the first time in
Olympic history

US media countered: overall medal tally US still leads, Chinese

gymnastics team under-aged should be stripped of their gold
medals
E.g. World Cup: Spain winning World Cup giving elated Spaniards a
break from months of economic gloom and political squabbling VS.
France

Against 2: Extension of politics into sports

Well-established before advent of extensive media coverage
E.g. Black American sprinter Jesse Owens jeered by German
spectators in the Berlin Olympics under Nazi Germany
E.g. Soviet team boycotted Olympics held in US during height of
Cold War
BUT Media make both inseparable, further entrenched mindsets of
people that sport must be publicized
E.g. Sporting boycott of apartheid South Africa: given boost by
media. Media reports particularly from the West, played up
instances of athletes who defied the boycott and played in South
Africa, inciting furore in home countries of these athletes (including
former Wimbledon Champion Pat Cash)
Beijing Olympics? Spotty human rights record. International Olympic
Committee (IOC) criticized. Reports criticizing Beijings heavyhandedness regarding the Tibet issue
For 1: Given sport and sporting ideals the coverage they duly deserve
Disclose hard work and determination behind the making of a sports
champion, publicise strength of these athletes in the face of
adversity
E.g. Ian Thorpe overcome chlorine allergy swim with head above
water until 12 / David Villa
E.g. Kenyan marathon runners escape poverty cycle due to their
gift. Dr William Tans record-breaking feats continue to inspire the
poor, the disabled and the disillusioned that they too can overcome
their challenges
Win-win situation: generate hype and bring news agencies revenue
For 2:
Harsh media criticism of athletes who use performance-enhancing
drugs
Makes an example out of athletes who resort to cheating to attain
victory
Emphasising the need for integrity in sport
E.g. Media furore over former USA sprint queen Marion Jones:
stripped of medals and former sporting glory
Strong impediment for young sportsman (impressionable?) to use
steroids or other drugs
Conclusion:
While media has exaggerated sports importance in todays world, it is
perhaps just a necessary outcome in our increasingly commercialized
world where the media are no longer a complement but a prerequisite,
and sport is merely one domain which the media have capitalized on.

8. Foreign Aid

8a. How effective is Foreign Aid?

Intro:
All men are equal. That the value of a human life does not diminish
across borders is a principle that has achieved universal consensus
today
BUT very few of the worlds most developed nations meet the clear
requirement of the UN on committing at least 0.7% of their GNP to
foreign aid.
As of 2008, most generous is Norway 0.9%. US, shining beacon of
democracy and guardian of human freedom a meagre 0.1% to the
desolate and impoverished lives in the Third World
Due to great degree of interdependence and also stemming from
moral obligation, there has been a rising sentiment that external
bodies should deliver foreign aid
Stats:
1.4 billion of global population is mired in poverty today
Jeffrey Sachs mentioned in his book The End of Poverty that given
sufficient international aid, poverty can end by 2025
Against 1:
Resources donated are squandered away by corrupt and ruthless
dictators, and nothing, it seems, can be done to prevent the
rapacious folly of such regimes due to the politically tricky issue of
national sovereignty.
E.g. Food and financial relief provided to Myanmar, North Korea,
Somalia, Zimbabwe and other oppressive regimes scarcely reach
the starving and the sick
E.g. Emperor Jean-Bdel Bokassa of the Central African Republic
used Western aid to buy a gold-plated bed, and Zaire's dictator,
Mobutu Sese Seko, spent it on personal jaunts on the Concorde.
Money frequently ends up lining the dirty pockets of immoral rulers
Former Nigerian President once estimated that of every dollar in
foreign aid given by external bodies to African governments, a
whopping eighty cents is siphoned off by corrupt government
officials and used to line their pockets
Aid may be deliberately withheld from the population as defiant
leaders see it as a form of political leverage
N. Korea: threaten to stop delivery of aid in response to the
international diplomatic pressure exerted on it regarding its nuclear
programme
Efforts in remedying the state of deprivation futile resistance
from crackpot leaders who spare no concern for the welfare of their
own people
For 1:
Should not completely deter nations from providing foreign relief
Even if an unreasonably huge proportion of all humanitarian aid
ends up wasted, some good must have been done in getting basic
necessities to the masses

Precisely because the pitiless rulers of failed states have evidently

decided to neglect their people that it becomes all the more
compelling that we do not leave these people to their own damned
fates when we are empowered to help them with the wealth that we
possess

Against 2:
Foreign aid is merely a short-term measure that ultimately falls flat.
Years of channelling money into the African continent has seen little
success in poverty alleviation
Foreign aid seems to be ineffectual and does not deserve to be
continued
Over-reliance on foreign aid
Most Latin American and African economies remain unsustainable
and are likely to collapse should foreign money suddenly be
withdrawn from them
Age-old maxim: Give a man a fish, and he is full for a day. Teach a
man how to fish, and he is full for life
Foreign aid that is not accompanied by social reform initiatives and
economic restructuring guidance futile
For 2:
But this only proves that we need to make aid more effective
Aid has been instrumental in countries like Kenya and Nigeria where
funds have been allocated to fuelling the growth of small-scale
cottage industries, such as providing better heating and cooking
stores or installing better systems to harness the energy from rivers
Developed nations possess the technical expertise and capital for
these start-up technologies
For 3:

Short-term aid is important too in times of war or natural disasters:

providing basic sustenance definitely needs to be met before we
can talk about long-term solutions
E.g. provision of medicine in curing gonorrhea, syphilis or even
potentially fatal cases of flu has a definite and quantifiable effect in
protecting human lives V.S. long-term measures of education and
ensuring sanitation
Lacks the resources and political will necessary to relieve the dire
state of its people
E.g. Myanmar in the trail of Cyclone Nargis
E.g. WWII Reconstruction of economies of Germany and Japan

Against 3:
Other policies counteract the effects of aid (jeopardize the interests
of the receiving nations that further exacerbate poverty and
intensify their domestic problems, directly and indirectly)
Protectionist policies imposed hand-in-hand with aid
Import tariffs and subsidies to local farmers by US and EU cannot
compete fairly farmers lose their jobs and continue to be trapped
in poverty

E.g. Aid is given by EU to the developing world to develop their

agricultural sector but double that amount is given to the farm
enterprises in EU itself.
E.g. the textile and clothing sector. Despite the obvious importance
of these sectors in terms of development opportunities poorer
countries, the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) sets bilateral quotas
on textile and clothing trade.
Such barriers to trade that protect the richer countries are
estimated to cost the developing world around $50 billion a year,
which is more or less equivalent to the total amount of annual
development aid provided to the Third World.

Against 4:
Not all countries have altruistic motives when providing aid
Donor country also hopes to have something in return
E.g. Japan: Aid heavily skewed towards those in East Asian
countries, which they have extensive commercial ties with
US: direct aid to regions where it has concerns related to national
security (Middle East) (Israel three billion dollars in aid: nearly all
goes to military credits)
Osbourne if aid is not particularly given with the intention to foster
economic growth, it is perhaps not surprising that it does not
achieve it
Purchase products from donors: recipient have to use these
precious uncompetitively priced imports
Inter Press Service: Cut value of aid by 25 to 40 percent
E.g. Aid for Africa to fight AIDS. Insist that anti-drugs from US are
bought when money could be better spent on cheaper generic
medicine for common flu
15000 dollars on anti-AIDS drugs, 350 dollars on generic drugs
annually
Some clauses that come tied with the aid are even more sinister
African Growth and Opportunity Act: Clause which states that if a
country is eligible for this aid, has to refrain from any actions that
may conflict with the USs strategic interests
Used this clause to garner support from the UN security council for
the invasion of Iraq
Message was clear: either you vote for us or you lose your aid
Conclusion
To end off, let us consider this. United States provides the largest absolute
amount of aid in the world. This supposedly huge amount, however, is a
mere 0.39% of USs GDP. Of this 0.39%, more than half goes to the middleeast countries to buy weapons. And of this minute amount of money that
actually comes to your country, some of it is wasted due to the
inefficiencies of tied aid, some of it goes to the pocket of the dictator in
power and even more goes back to the donor herself. And whatever the
amount left, that is if there is any left, will have to be divided amongst the
millions of people who are the ones who really require this aid.

At the end of the day, we have to admit that aid is sometimes not as
effective as it seems. People often argue over how some countries have
yet to make the 0.7% of GNP mark for foreign aid. The problem, however,
lies deeper. Aid and politics just dont go hand in hand. As Cornelio
Sommaruga, President of the ICRC remarks, humanitarian endeavour and
political action must go their separate ways if the neutrality and
impartiality of humanitarian work are not to be jeopardized. If foreign aid
is to become effective, it needs to be free of politics. Yet, without politics
there will never be any significant foreign aid.

9. Migration

9a. Is migration/having foreigners good?

Intro:
Thorny issue
Define: flow of people across borders
Singapore: status as a nation founded by immigrants in search of a
better life
Singapores unique context as an open, multi-racial society with
proud ambitions
Singapores unique identity
Beginnings as a floundering colonial port-of-call, attracted many in
the Asian region to traverse the high seas to seek their riches here
Multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society established through peaceful cohabitation of early settlers from a wide spectrum of countries
If close doors on immigrants, tantamount to rejecting our own
heritage, and by extension, our identity
Against 1: Jobs
Oft-heard lament that foreigners steal job opportunities, competition
drives down wages
If influx of immigrants threatens the ability of locals to remain
gainfully employed and even decreases SOL, no surprise that kneejerk reaction would be to denounce these immigrants
E.g. When news leaked than Las Vegas Sands (Marina Bay IR)
promised Philippines president job vacancies for Filipinos, uproar!
provide much needed employment in a time of financial crisis
Against 2: Incompatibility of cultures
Difficult for immigrants to assimilate into local society
Result being immigrants end up being the focus of much discontent
Due to cultural differences, conflicts may arise when some practices
of immigrants, such as spitting in public, are viewed with distaste by
locals
Esp. when immigrants from backward nations accustomed to rural
life, do not comprehend the unspoken rules of living in dense
neighbourhoods in Spore
Loitering of immigrants at void decks, radios blasting Hindi music,
beer-drinking
E.g. Resurfaced most prominently when residents of Serangoon
Gardens signed petition protesting against the siting of a dormitory
for foreign workers for the aforementioned reasons
But these problems are not insurmountable; long term interests
For 1:

Expand local talent base

Bring in skills and expertise, expediting our economic advancement
E.g. welcoming Indian IT professionals to join our ranks
E.g. many positions in our local universities are also helmed by exChina and Indian nationals impart knowledge and experience to
our youth

Add to the marketplace of ideas and spark further innovation

For 2: Add colour to our social fabric

Influx of immigrants from neighbouring Asian countries
contribute towards the exciting diversity in Singapores society,
reinforcing our international reputation as an accommodating nation
that offers visitors a chance to immerse themselves in a myriad of
cultural experiences
E.g. Indian immigrants head to local ethic quarters that is Little
India, spice up the area
E.g. Gathering of Thai and Myanmar immigrants at Golden Mile
Complex on weekends Little Thailand with shops springing up to
cater to their needs
Precisely basis behind STBs Uniquely Singapore slogan the mix
and match of the kaleidoscope of cultures into a unique heritage
enjoyed by all
For 3: Embracing immigrants and shaping a harmonious society
demonstrates our commitment towards being a true representative of the
Asian region
Welcoming immigrants show that we are a hub with regional
connections
Singapore small market size imperative for us to look beyond
our borders and capitalize on opportunities in the region done by
promoting ASEAN identity so that Singapore, as part of the regional
bloc, has an enhanced international standing
E.g. Roll out the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions
(MICE_ programme to attract exhibitions or events like AYG to
Singapore by positioning itself as a gateway to the region
Policies:
Judicious in terms of who we allow to enter our borders
Weight of terrorism rests heavily on the worlds shoulders,
Singapore must be on the alert for unsavoury characters with
malicious intent
Weed out those who might rend our society asunder
Regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) cause for concern
Conclusion: potential for amalgamation of skills, talents and
experiences that would benefit Unwise to be parochial and reject all
contact with immigrants just because of a few unpleasant experiences.
History as guide, Singapores road to development was not without
teething problems as 1960s racial riots showed, but conscious effort by all
parties to resolve differences and live peaceably together attain
prosperity today. Present should be no different

10. Subjects

10a. Literature
Intro:
Incessant nagging of parents to read more, read widely
Why should I, wanting nothing to do with writing in my future
career, immerse myself in the writings of Milton and Shakespeare if
I am not to produce any novel of that calibre in my lifetime?
Lit, encompassing fine writing in the forms of literary novels, plays
and poetry, has a lot to teach to readers.
Do not judge a book by its cover humble novel can
For 1:
Purpose of lit: like other art forms: try to communicate
Author, playwright, poet: ideas, opinions or thoughts to share or has
something about their culture or a fraction of history to
From other people: learn things, expand our horizons beyond the
shadows of our Platos caves, assimilating various ideas to gain
maturity of thought ourselves
For 2:
Intrinsic in every piece of lit is human nature
Characters, their emotions, their thoughts form the very basis of
a piece of writing
Even in writings that do not involve human characters animal
forms, for instance we find human thought processes, along with
our cultures, being imposed on these non-human characters
Think about what the human psyche really is about, glean particular
insights about the human character
Shakespeares Othello: fallibility of man thanks to his innate sense
of pride, greatest strength, if in excess, can be ones greatest
weakness
Character-building: step back, examine ourselves, bettering
ourselves
Holistic education: strength of character
Othello: warning about mans pride: be more wary and strive
towards humility
For 3:
Expansion of ones knowledge
Representative of the cultural backdrop of the novel
2007s bestselling novel, The Kite Runner, while engaging us in a
poignant story of two child characters, exposes us to a part of
Afghan culture cannot learn in other lessons
Give us a birds eye view of our world allowing us to zoom in on
any particular country and be immersed in their culture
Dont live behind closed doors of his residence
For 4:
Lit inevitably gives us insight into the particular niche area that a
story belongs to, be it history, current affairs and even science

E.g. Victor Hugos Les Miserables, French Revolution French

history. Knowledge not in-depth, but act as springboard for readers
to get interested
E.g. Singapores latest play by Jean Tay, entitled BOOM, details story
of old lady whose home is being sold en bloc AND corpse that
refuses to eb exhumed insight to frenzy of en bloc sales in
Singapore and obsession with progress and limited land and its
implications
Pool of knowledge

For 5:
Develop emotionally
Evoke a myriad of emotions in its readers, from shock to surprise to
empathy
E.g. War poet, Wilfred Owen, written from variety of voices but most
commonly from common soldier. Allow us to step into the shoes of
British soldiers who fought in First World War. Experience suffering
outrage disillusionment
Sensitive to the feelings of others, enable us to empathise with the
plights of others
For 6: Develop socially
Lit invites readers to get in touch with the story, with the characters,
culture and history that are intertwined with and embedded in the writing,
and ultimately, lit invites us tog et in touch with ourselves

10b. History
Should we study?
Intro:
Question arises fundamentally because of societys preoccupation
with advancement and the betterment of the human condition
Social undercurrent that seems to approve of progress and
invention, underlying perception that looking into the future and ...
infinitely more relevant
Thesis: Abandon our myopic views
For 1: Unlocks the secrets to our roots, our heritage and our culture
Progress in our journey of self-discovery and our search for identity
a journey that is quintessentially human
Insight into what takes place before our existence, what trials and
tribulations our forefathers faced, overcome present
Humans, we face the perennial question of Who am I?
E.g. SEA understand why our culture is very much influenced by the
West, be it attire or architecture colonialism in pre-war years
E.g. Singapore strive to be democratic and socially stable
Reaction to autocratic colonial rule and rigid totalitarian impositions
of the Japanese during the Occupation
America concerned with liberating countries such as Iraq and
Afghanistan that are perceived to enslave their people to
unreasonable demands due to the Civil War in the past
For 2: Not only contextualize the present but also foreshadow what is to
come in the future
Past has a knack for repeating itself
E.g. American Revolution mirrors French Revolution (decades
before)
E.g. Modernist movement at dawn of 20th century Industrial
Revolution of 19th century: city population was diluted by an influx of
peasants and country-folk
Colonialism neo-colonialism
Substantial empirical evidence: uncanny similarities
E.g. Politicians recognize that grievances such as social inequality
and a lack of rights led to numerous revolutions strive to be
democratic, liberal, fair
Pivotal to the process of civilization, years of progress and social
evolution not wasted and we are not catapulted back into the
vestiges of time
E.g. Xiao He, a high-ranking official in the Han dynasty, refused to
destroy the historical records of the despotic Qin dynasty when the
Han came in power
For 3: Exposing us to ideas and abstract notions (impractical but of
paramount impt)
History is fundamentally about a clash of ideologies (democracy vs.
fascism, communism vs. capitalism etc.)

Determine the best way to organize humanity socially fair and

effective framework for civilization
Much like Sci and tech: aims to elevate the human condition and
advance civilisation

Against 1: Remembering the past does not change it

Philosophical theory of consequentialism
Reminiscing about the past = crying over spilt milk
Better to anticipate what is to come based on concrete evidence or
signs from the present, instead of heeding on prophetic revelations
from the past
Present: more relevant and realistic starting point for our projections
and predictions, better prepare ourselves for what is to come
Case resonates most in econs
Against 2: History is fundamentally subjective, impractical to study views
and perceptions that are biased and tainted by regional loyalties or
political affiliations
Past can be written and re-written in almost any shape or form
E.g. Reagan Victory school proposes that it is Reagans first term
assertiveness that led to end of Cold War but traditional historians
tend to think that it is Gorbachev, a new change in mentality and a
paradigm shift in the USSR resulted in the thawing of the Cold War
History can be broken into his story, however clichd it might
seem, encapsulates why many believe history has no tangible value
BUT it is this inherent bias that makes it such an interesting study.
E.g. studying Vietnam War in the 1960s, one may come across an
American text which will most probably attempt to downplay the
disastrous loss of the Americans to the Vietnamese guerrillas.
Through analyzing the writers stand and tone in the account, a
learned historian will probably be able to discern the Americans
motive for the war, the type of propaganda and reasons for their
defeat.
It is only in sifting through the mass of judgemental accounts,
sieving out the facts and further understanding them human
nature better understood
Only through such tedium can ones mental finesse be honed
become more shrewd in thought and clearer in perception (blessing
in disguise)
Nationalistic pride that causes Japan today to deny the atrocities
that the country committed during WWII, choosing instead to glorify
the past, or the cultural influences that may contribute to a
distinctive way of portraying history
Chinas downplaying of the devastation caused during Maos reign
Conclusion:
Remembering the past and looking into future not mutually exclusive.
Function in tandem to lead to progress.
Does studying make us more pessimistic about future of human race
Intro:

Account of a world shaped by mankinds aggression, power and

moral decay all suggestive of a bleak future entailing more conflict
and strife
Mankinds capacity to develop and espouse ideals that respect and
uphold the worth of life lend some optimism to the picture

Conflicts!
Change only constant but contention is just as worthy of being
branded as a constant, or at least consistent, feature
From ancient Greece, military might was deemed central to the
empire, which warred against other states to build up its empire
Chinese empire unified under Emperor Qin only via numerous wars
NOW: Current generation holds two world wars within span of past
century alone
Bloodshed and destruction and most poignantly futile aggression,
as bemoaned by numerous war poets of the First World War like
Owen and Sassoon seem to attest to the Hobbesian idea that
humans are innately aggressive creatures, prone to conflict and
inflation of harm
Impossibility of greater peace continue finding areas of contention
to extrapolate into long-drawn conflicts (NOW: ascension of religious
fundamentalist groups such as Hamas attests to this trend)
Salient characteristic of mankind is a will to power
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely
Hitlers Third Reich commanded the elimination of the Jewish race,
gas chambers
In a similar fashion, Stalins rule was characterized by repeated
purging of dissenters so as to entrench his totalitarian rule
Willingness of men to exercise violence or annihilate them
Such acts of cruelty speak strongly against an innately moral
human fabric
NOW: N. Korea and Myanmar similarly intransigent in their brutality
Fundamental self-interested behaviour of humans!
Contradicts the imperative for humans to act in a more moral and
altruistic manner
E.g. Foreign policy: guided by national interest (Cold War: rich
collection of engagement with states for strategic interests in their
respective spheres of influence, but what is morally revolting is the
irresponsible disengagement after no strategic needs are served
any longer) US, after training militants like the Al-Qaeda in
Afghanistan, promptly disengaged, budding terrorist group
Economic history: Colonisation of Africa and import of African slaves
Tendency for mankind to compromise on the well-being, natural
rights and peace of , speaks volumes about continuation of similar
actions that defy our sense of what is honourable
NOW: economic crisis: selfish nature of humans. Betrayal of trust by
financial advisors that irresponsibly packaged sub-prime loans as
promising investments has undermined the moral fabric of the
financial system

Events and trends in history that point towards greater, more promising
human development
E.g. Slavery was abolished after a long-drawn battle that advocated
the equalization of rights between Whites and African-Americans
Gender bias dramatically eradicated or reduced
Exert pressure for change
Global cohesion
Limited understanding characterized relations between great
powers in the past
NOW: Formation of the League of Nations and then the United
Nations: strong symbols of a cooperative world order
**NOTE: History of country not = History as a subject. History of
country includes culture/architecture**

10c. Mathematics
Intro:
Mathematics is a discipline whose utility is seldom questioned in the
modern world, given its ostensible impact on our lifestyles
Intellectually satisfying
Tap the left brain, which focuses on logical thinking, reasoning and
problem solving
Think actively using numbers, symbols and formulae to express
things rather than basic emotions
Active harnessing of the human mind to solve mathematical
problems: satisfaction
Challenge, which one has to tackle using his intellect and thinking
skills
E.g. Sudoku, Rubik cube, well-known mathematical conundrums
Intellectual growth over the years too
Mathematics is usually studied through a long period of schooling
years: possible to compare a students level of growth at a nascent
stage with the more mature phase
Deepening in thinking skills like deduction and reasoning
Wide range of applications
Beyond the temporal comparison of abilities or the satisfaction of
solving a mathematical problem
Transcendence from the paper world of Cartesian planes and
random triangles to the actual application of concepts
E.g. Golden ratio, considered the formula for aesthetic beauty.
Used in many forms of art, from the Egyptian pyramids to paintings
like Da Vincis Mona Lisa
Some even try to link the structure of the Petrarchan sonnet, a
popular poetic form, to the golden ratio
Science: Math dictates the proportionate manner in which the world
operates. E.g. derivation of Newtons law of motion greatly assisted
by his study and founding of calculus
Softer sciences: econometrics, the study of economics using
concrete mathematical figures in preference to baseless
hypothesizing
But are these mere impractical applications?
Study of Quantum Physics, the works of La Grange and La place,
even Schrodinger, serve to explain how minute particles of the
earth operate and little application
Astronomy and positioning of planets seem to afford little practical
application
But this serves to broaden our minds, exposing them to events that
cannot be fathomed through lifes experiences while unlocking both
gargantuan and Lilliputian alternative universes that we strive to
master
But if we do not do applied math, is math of little practical use?

Especially true for students who simply cannot understand how the
many graphs, equations and geometrical figures they encounter can
possibly help them in their lives
Most immediate part of life which involves mathematics is in
counting money and spending it, cannot be classified as a study
The mathematical applications for the solutions of daily problems
are oftentimes not observed because average person lives and
behaves by instincts and approximations
E.g. running late, David Beckham, Carly Patterson times her fall
whilst somersaulting in mid-air, Michael Jordan

But isnt every subject of little practical use?

In-depth knowledge of science not needed
No need to know about acid and bases to be qualified to use
toothpaste
Intricate knowledge about procreation not a prerequisite to doing
the act itself
Arts disciplines useless too
Average person has better things to do on a rainy day than
attempting to understand the water cycle
People usually buy things on a whim rather than leaving it to the
rationality economists assume we need in order to calculate the
value of what we purchase
Nobody, if anybody ever, converses in iambic pentameter in real life
Mark Twain: I never let my schooling get in the way of my education
There is more to life than simply fulfilling the demands that mundane and
practical life gives us. Life is more than physical actions and monetary
calculations, but more abstractly, a journey towards discussing and
understanding, not just of the self, but of the world around us, natural or
human.

10d. Universal language

Intro:
Globalisation: phenomenon in which communications and flow of
goods and services cross national or continental boundaries with
increasing ease and effectiveness
Increasing borderlessness of the world
Artificial languages (notably Esperanto)
Need for lingua franca to communicate with each other
Benefits: Convenience of communication
Indispensable within certain circles
E.g. Scientific community uses exclusively English as its language of
publication and discussion, researchers expected to publish in
English or risk being ignored by much of the world
Scientific communities separated and isolated by language barriers
simply cannot reap benefits from synergy of collective international
effort
E.g. Human Genome Project, the greatest collective scientific
undertaking by mankind so far, use English. With such endeavours
becoming more commonplace
E.g. Global business community
Growing integration of trade in regional trading blocs and bilateral
trade agreements across regional boundaries, multinational
companies dominate scene
Despite importance of learning local languages and customs in
order to conduct business, businessmen face a growing necessity of
communicating effectively with counterparts across the globe
Impossible, impractical, inconvenient, not cost-efficient:
interpreters, learn
E.g. In EU, 23 languages recognized as official by EU, most turn to
English when conduct business (even in Switzerland where German,
French and Italian hold official status)
Detrimental to existence and survival of unique culture
Common language is unusually seductive, prompting many to
forego learning their mother tongues in favour of new language
E.g. Spanish Conquistadores imposed language on natives of the
Americas and now some Native American tongues once widely
spoken are now almost extinct, along with the pre-Columbian way of
life
Closer to home, minority of Singaporeans in the past chose to send
their children to English-medium schools acquire linguistic skills.
Many people forsook or even neglected to learn their mother
tongues and lose their roots
Loss of valuable cultural heritage
Language is culture. Language derives its meaning from culture.
Every culture is embodied in the language it speaks. Every
language is rooted in the culture that speaks it.
Japanese/Chinese/English: ways of saying thank you, calling
relatives
Singlish: invokes a different feeling, informal

11. Businesses

11a. Business morality

11b. Charities as businesses

12. Democracy

12a. Good vs. Bad

We live in a world today where three-quarters of the countries in the world
adopt democracy (or so they claim) as the dominant political system.
Indeed, democracy has its allure and it is understandable why countries
like Thailand have progressed from a powerful monarchy in the 1900s to
a democratic state. For the first time in history, the populace of numerous
countries find themselves equipped and empowered by newfound
authority to evoke change and play a part in the decisions of the state.
Yet, has democracy truly succeeded in bringing good to people? Detractors
of democracy claim that democracy fails on two counts. Firstly, democracy
is too idealistic a political system and can therefore never be truly
implemented. Secondly, even if democracy can be put into practice,
there are still some fundamental failures of democracy when it is applied
to our daily life due to the various examples of failures of
democracy that we have seen over the years. However, to me, these
supposed failures in practice cannot be attributed to democracy per se.
Instead, I believe that though there are flaws in the principles of
democracy at the end of the day, democracy is still a lesser evil and is,
therefore, not a total failure in practice.
FAILURE IN PRACTICE?
Anti Thesis 1: Failure in practice (Can never be truly implemented)
E.g. Singapore: democracy but restrict freedom of speech (media
censorship, suppression of opposition)
E.g. Even US cannot be said to be truly democratic (Guantanamo
Bay: violates basic human rights): torture detainees to extract
information and induce cooperation
Counter 1/thesis: No political system can ever be truly implemented and
therefore it is not right to say that democracy fails merely because it can
never be truly implemented
Other systems, when truly implemented, fail! E.g. Communism
(China, USSR)
Monarchy, on the other hand, is too simplistic and concentrates
power in the hands of few people. While benevolent dictatorships
may be beneficial, most do not turn out that way
Thesis 2: Failure in practice (Fails in certain situations)
It does seem to be beneficial to some societies like US
But is democracy necessarily the modus operandi of all countries?
Democracy assumes that people are rational, want freedom, are not
apathetic (are these assumptions true?)
E.g. Iraq (US coerced Iraq to radically adopt democracy. They have
constitutions in flowery language that purport to guarantee many of
the rights taken for granted in Western democracies. Yet their
leaders survive by control and repression. Sunni minority refuse to
acknowledge elections)

E.g. Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria and Kuwait might be described

as liberalized autocracies even though they claim to be
democratic

Counter 2/thesis: Fine in principle and fine in practice for most situations
In these cases, democracy was forced. People need to embrace the
ideals of democracy before democracy can work. If Sunni minority
refuse to acknowledge elections, it is not democracy which fails but
the people which failed in implementing it.
Different cultural and political contexts: Asian democracies are, by
necessity, a different model from western democracies
FINE IN PRINCIPLE?
Thesis 1: Fine in principle (good, fair, practical) but too simplistic/idealistic
Good: Respects and walks hand in hand with openness, freedom
and capitalism values which are
Fair: Upholds justice, promotes equality, maintains a system of
checks and balances and recognizes the mutual symbiosis of state
and people
Practical: Not overwhelmingly complex as in Marxist society
America usually used as benchmark in measure how free a state is
but there are limitations to this.
Therefore, fine in principle
Antithesis 1: Propoganda
Noam Chomsky, Propoganda is to democracy what the bludgeon is
to the totalitarian state
Just like how totalitarian regimes use force, violence and oppression
to prevent people from revolting against harsh and unfair
treatment, democracies often use propaganda to convince the
people that the government is doing a good job, hoodwinking the
public into believing what the government wants them to believe
E.g. US
In principle, democracy assumes that people are well-informed and
are not apathetic
But this is a false assumption!
Winston Churchill, the best argument against democracy is a fiveminute conversation with the average voter
Antithesis 2: Tyranny of the majority, interests of minority groups are often
neglected
Voting system results in the will of the majority being imposed on
the unwilling and often oppressed minority
E.g. In France, African immigrants who are a minority are often
discriminated against and are forced to work long hours with low
wages and to live in appalling conditions
In principle, democracy talks about people power but it is actually
only about power of the majority of the people
Antithesis 3: Small vocal group is often able to express its options best and
thus will of the majority is not respected

E.g. Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra was forced to step down as Prime

Minister even though he was re-elected as the urban population in
Bangkok launched huge demonstrations that threatened to cause
immense disruption. Even though the majority of Thailands rural
population supported Thaksin, they were unable to express their
support
In theory, democracy demonstrates equality by allowing each
person to have one and only one vote
But is it really true that each person gets one and only one vote?

Is it possible for us to reconcile these failures in the principles of

democracy when we apply it in reality?
Propaganda: transparency, free media, technology, internet
Tyranny of the majority: GRCs (Singapore)
Will of majority not respected: Strict controls
Conclusion:
In conclusion, democracy, like almost any other political system or theory,
makes several grave assumptions that can easily be proven wrong. Yet,
democracy does provide us with a set of values and ideals which we can
aim to achieve. Moreover, the shortcomings of democracy can be
mediated in real life. While it is true that democracy may not be the best
policy for all countries, we do need to concede that democracy is definitely
a lesser evil than the other popular political systems of our day
communism and despotism. Perhaps it is too much of a generalization to
call democracy a failure due to some instances in which democracy has
been abused by a small minority. Therefore, I feel that it is spurious to say
that democracy is fine in principle but a failure in practice, for the
converse is in fact more accurate.

13a. Gender

13b. Family

13c. Equality

13. Social Issues (only stats provided)

14. Governance

14a. World Governance

15a. Cooperation

15. Others

15b. Education
Intro:
Define: Education is about imparting and acquiring skills, knowledge
and beliefs through teaching and learning
Many Singaporeans feel that education is all about securing a good
job and a good lifestyle in the future. However, education has much
broader socio-political, economic and humanistic purposes.
2006: Singapore spent $5.2 billion on education, 19.3% of budget
and 3.9% of GDP
From a purely pragmatic perspective, education helps an individual make
a living and makes the individual more useful and more relevant in society
Basic education is essential education and is crucial especially in
developing countries. Benefits include reduced diseases as people
learn about hygiene and nutrition, reduced unwanted pregnancies
and reduced violence as people learn to use non-violent ways to
resolve conflicts
Beyond basic education, education promises to give people the
power to reason, the capacity to make informed judgments, the
ability to solve problems and the vision to think clearly and
imaginatively: various academic disciplines teach us frameworks to
understand the world
A man who has basic literacy can probably get a job, order food and
open a bank account. Someone with a higher educational level can
probably get a better job, order more decadent food and have a
fuller bank account
The speed at which countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia
and South Korea have developed from their previous Third World
economies as compared to their African and Latin American
counterparts is in no minor part due to the regimented way in which
basic literacy and basic education are enforced.
Even in ancient China, the Imperial examination system was
implemented in the Han dynasty to evaluate and choose officials to
rule the country
Singapore is increasingly moving towards an education that focuses
on technology, lateral thinking and creativity to meet the new
demands of the unpredictable and complex modern day economy
Education also socializes individuals to establish social order
Conformity to a common socio-political value
America uses education to inculcate respect for individual freedoms
which is the basis of American democracy. Similarly, Singapore uses
education to inculcate hard work which is intrinsic in Singapores
meritocratic society
In order to create a gracious society that respects the collective
rights to everyone, it must teach its people to be socially
responsible and conform to basic social norms. For instance, in
Singapore, moral education is taught from young which teachers
youths that spitting in public is a health hazard and that
discrimination of any sort is absolutely intolerable

However, education can be abused too. Rulers have used education

as a way of controlling society in order to retain power or credibility.
Instead of meaningful values and knowledge, education systems
can be used to promote meaningless propaganda to indoctrinate
citizens
E.g. Japanese leaders feel that the atrocities committed in World
War II and the Rape of Nanjing were too much an insult to the royal
family and have deliberately left out any such references in their
textbooks
E.g. In 1999, School Board of the state of Kansas caused
controversy when it decided to eliminate testing of evolution in its
state assessment tests

Education inculcates values in us

The enterprise of civil society depends on educating young people
to become responsible, thoughtful and enterprising citizens. This is
an intricate, challenging task requiring deep understanding of
ethical principles, moral values, political theory, aesthetics and
economics.
The goal is aiding the growth of students so that they become
productive members of society. An imparting of culture from
generation to generation promotes a greater awareness and
responsiveness through social maturity to the needs of an
increasingly diversified global society.
Schools in the past were heavily linked to religious instruction (e.g.
Oxford and Harvard began as seminaries to train ministers in godly
knowledge like medicine and law)
Although schools have become increasingly secular, it still teaches
us to realize the better and higher aspects o
15c. Crime

15d. Liberty or Security

15e. Consumerism