From Capitalism To Socialism

By Paul Chong Sunday, 29 November 2009

New Socialist Flag?

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (b. 1813, d. 1855), philosopher, theologian & psychologist, was a profound and prolific writer in the Danish “golden age” of intellectual and artistic activity. He said: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Thus, if not for any other reasons, this fact alone is sufficient for us to dwell on history in order to understand the present & serves as a guide towards the future.

Until about 400 years ago, Western Europe was largely a feudal society – one that valued service & chivalry. The turning point in history arrived with the discovery of a new hierarchy of values. Feudalism was then replaced by capitalism - an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market. Wealth became the measure of success, and everyone was set in a frenzy for cash. The cult of money replaced all other values, including religious.

Capitalism turned the western world topsy-turvy. Making money was the be all and end all of objectives. This system turned out to be extremely efficient in terms of production of goods, services, and comfort. America benefited from the system the most, and decided that the rest of the world has to adopt it as well. Underdeveloped countries, if unable to appreciate the benefits of capitalism, would even be forced to do so.

However, after all the glories & excesses of high living, America is now facing the collapse of the illusion – the illusion of power & might, of conquest & dominance, of grandeur & sheer luxuries. In a word the collapse of capitalism.

We are either fortunate or unfortunate to be living in an era witnessing the unfolding of the old & the making of new history. We are on the threshold in time to see an unprecedented event that will transform the global geopolitical landscape.

This transformation will be in transition – slowly, steadily & most certainly. Philosophers & economic analysts maintain that capitalism is driven mainly by the striving for hard cold cash & the consumption of these goods. It’s this obsession that breeds greed, avarice & the inherent covetous nature of man that is the root of all the present day problems.

There is a lack of spirit in the power mind of the capitalist. There is no soul. A society that was built on the premise of “In God We Trust” is now doing away with God, throwing Him out of the schools, institutions & public places – forbidding the preaching & practice of anything religious.

With moral degradation setting in, a near collapse & breakdown in its economy, an unemployment of the highest in excess of 10%, a dollar currency that’s steadily losing its value & hallmark, America is now further faced with the dilemma of the emerging power in the East.

American’s values are exhibiting flaws, and the appeal to adopt them would be madness considering that the system is in crisis. Pragmatic Americans will soon realise they are no longer “boss” of the world to continue to impose its will upon billions of other nationalities, where traditional values & spirit are held in high esteem.

Globally, people are amazed by the economic miracles & achievements of China. Nations are flocking to learn of its wonders & adopting its system of development.

Signs are everywhere that Obama & his administration is shifting in the US policies bringing about changes that are possibly hard to believe:

• From confrontation to mitigation in its approaches to Iran & North Korea

• Obama’s decision not to build the Missile Defence System in Poland & the Czech republic
• Obama’s acceptance of his controversial Nobel Prize Peace Award as a “call to action”
• Obama’s bowing gesture to the Saudi King & Emperor Akihito of Japan.

Has America, the bulwark of capitalism, grown tired of imposing its rules on others? Is America feeling the importance of friendship with other nations – rich or poor? Does it need to dominate to subjugate? Perhaps, as evidenced by the above actions, America is finally convinced that there are more to pursue than just power & money. If this be the case, we will soon be witnessing another turning point in world history with US embracing more elements of socialism.

Good News To Mankind

Doves with Messages of Peace & Goodwill

A friend of mine Mary from Malaysia emailed me this beautiful story “Take My Son” & suggested that I might adopt it in my blog. No doubt many of you may have read the story, but a good story such as this is well worth repeating.

A Chinese proverb has this to say: “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I might remember. Involve me and I will understand.”

This beautiful but sad story will involve you & awaken your understanding like “a picture that paints a thousand words.” Remember how at times something hits you hard & strong upon later reflection. “Life” as said by Soren Kierkegaad, “can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

Here goes the story: (Source: Unknown)

Take My Son

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael . They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas,there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, ‘Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.’ The young man held out this package. ‘I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.’

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. ‘Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.’

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. ‘We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?’

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, ‘We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.’

But the auctioneer persisted. ‘Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?’

Another voice rang angrily. ‘We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandts. Get on with the . . . (agitated words) Real bids!’

But still the auctioneer continued. ‘The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?’

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time gardener of the man and his son. ‘I’ll give $10 for the painting . . .’ Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

‘We have $10, who will bid $20?’

‘Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.’

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. ‘Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!’

A man sitting on the second row shouted, ‘Now let’s get on with the collection!’

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. ‘I’m sorry, the auction is over.’

‘What about the paintings?’

‘I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!’

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: ‘The son, the son, who’ll take the son?’

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE . . .” (John 3:16) THAT’S LOVE!

It was love, not nails, that kept Jesus on the cross.

As a gesture of goodwill, just pass this on to two other friends & tell them to do likewise to only two others each. By sheer geometric progression, this message of salvation will outreach globally to every nook & corner.

Christmas & Other Festivities Are Paganish In Origin

By Paul Chong Wednesday, 25 November 2009

It will soon be that time of the year when Christmas will be celebrated throughout every nook & corner of the world. What makes the occasion so grand is that even the non-Christians join in the celebrations. Greetings are sent & gifts are exchanged. Hundreds of millions will be following traditions, rejoicing in what is purportedly the birth of Christ. But is it?

Christmas Decorations

The notion that whatever that is celebrated by millions & millions of people throughout the world must be right cannot be taken for granted. With all this popularity, most people generally just follow along & never bother to investigate its root or origin. Most accept customs & traditions without questions – it’s the fashionable thing to do.

Nowhere is this fashionable practice further from the truth than Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween among other supposed Christian holidays. There is too much assumption without researching the truth – surely hundreds of millions down through the ages cannot be wrong! The vital fact is even churches preach & condone such popular practices.

The basic truth is revealed in the Bible & the pages of history. Truth is truth & fact is fact, and you must be willing to accept the findings. People have a tendency to doubt Biblical or historical truth if it contradicts cherished traditions & belief; or like believing in fiction & the media.

This is what 2 Timothy 3:16 has to say about the Bible: “All Scripture is God-breathed & is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction & training in righteousness . . .” In Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is living & alive, sharper than any double-edged sword . . . “ We are reminded by Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth . . . meditate . . . “

Haver an open mind in this. Rid yourself of any pre-conceived ideas or prejudices. You’d be the judge & jury basing your judgement on truth & evidences. That which can be proved by the Bible & history will stand as truth & withstand all the unholy practices & prejudices of mankind.

Nowhere can it be found that Christmas celebration is advocated in the Bible. All Christmas cards, gifts, Christmas trees & mistletoes are all fabricated by man, advertised & rampantly commercialised for business benefits. According to Encyclopedia Americana “Christmas . . . was not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian church, since the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than the birth . . . a feast was established in memory of this event of Christ’s birth in the fourth century.” “In the fifth century the western church ordered the feast to be celebrated on the day of the Mithrtaic rites of the birth of the sun & at the close of the SATURNALIA, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ’s birth existed.”

In the Encyclopedia Britannica “In the Roman world the SATURNALIA (December 17) was a time of merrymaking & exchanging of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery & lights, & gifts were given to children & the poor. To these observances were added the German & Celtic Yule rites when the Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain, & central Europe. Food & good fellowship, the Yule log & Yule cakes, greenery & fir trees, gifts & greetings all commemorated different aspect of this festive season. Fires & lights, symbols of warmth & lasting life have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan & Christian.” You can thus see that there is nothing to suggest celebrating the birth of Christ.

What about the Christmas tree? Christmas tree long preceded Christianity. It’s from Egypt & its origin dates from a period long anterior to the Christian era. This is not referred to in the Bible – and plainly so as it is not from God. In Jeremiah 10:2 “Thus says the LORD, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven [the stars]; for the heathen are dismayed at them.”

God considers all things heathen in nature as abominable. To think that Churches, Christians & millions of others going about rejoicing in the way of the pagans is sheer insane!

The origins of the other cherished traditions like Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween among others all bear the paganish stigma. If you care enough about practising what’s right & holy to the LORD, all it takes is a little trouble in research.

All festivities are highly advertised & commercialised

Fading whatever justifications made to Christianize.

Modern Economy – A Lesson To Be Learnt

By Paul Chong Monday, 23 November 2009

Basic science tells us that to every action there is an equal & opposing reaction. It follows with the natural law of phenomenon of cause & effect. So with solving any problem, consideration lies with the cause not the effect – treating the cause & not the effect is the only logical solution.

US Dollar Being Shot At! Greenspan?

Do you remember the 1970s era of the Pyramid Marketing Schemes as deviously ingeniously devised by the Americans, particularly from the home ground of Utah? There was this mushrooming of the “Get Rich Quick” concept with ‘Holiday Magic’ spearheading & exploding the marketplace. It adversely affected the pockets & lives of many a home & individual. It was banned in Singapore & became restricted, operating as a Multi-Level Marketing Scheme. There are still such Multi-Level Marketing companies around, and in reality all its productivities benefit largely the company itself – the distributors getting the crumbs & pittance. Calling a rose by any other name still makes it smell the same.

Unlike the conservative British, the Americans are undoubtedly the most innovative & progressive with propitious modern ideas of marketing. In a word, they are the greatest “wheelers-dealers”! They preach & practise this philosophy right to the extreme – with success objective at all costs. The underlying theory maybe sound, but in practice it’s invariably unsound, as individuals have differential capability & capacity.

The Americans are famous for their doomsday & catastrophic shows on the big screen. This time they really hit the real thing – from Wall Street to the Main Street. But it’s not confined or restricted just to the American scene – it’s so monumental that the global economy is reeling & hurting. The cause of the Pyramid practice has evolved & resulted into the Domino effect. Like in a masquerade ball, the Americans have been wearing those loose cloaks with masks to cover up their faces.

Who’s to be blamed? Bush then & now Obama administration would like to attribute the alleged root of this economic crisis to the market itself – speculators, hedge funds, greedy bankers & lax regulators. Passing the buck does not eradicate the fact that it’s one Monumental Policy Failure on the part of the US government.

We are witnessing history unfolding right before our eyes. Two monumental things are glaringly obvious:

1. A dangerous collapse or near breakdown of the capitalist             financial system.

2. A massive outpouring of Free Money by the US government in   bailing out the “Big Boys” who are the real culprits of this             economic calamity. Hundreds of billions are spent in bailing out   the key major players – not at all benefiting the average American & sending the budget deficits going through the roof.

This Monumental Policy Failure of expanding money supply & credit growth is fuelling the economy negatively. The economy is imploding within with the exploding of endless printing of paper money. These two colossal events of the past 24 months with the collapse of Wall Street in 2008 & the irrational response of Washington in the outpouring of free money & the Federal Reserve printing money without restraint.

What happened initially with the huge speculative real estate bubble, which not even Greenspan nor Bernanke would now deny, has triggered off the ramification of the banking problems & the recession.

Many of us to be sure must remember the worthlessness of the Japanese money during the Japanese Occupation in both Malaya & Singapore. The Japanese were also running their printing press overtime to finance their warfare & occupation. Now in the present era, just ask any Zimbabwean what a billion or million dollar note is worth in his country.

US dollar is not backed by anything, not gold or silver or any tangible commodities and with its paper money running off the press like crazy, what can you expect of its worthiness in the final analysis? The confidence of the world for its currency is at a critical point, and all it takes is 24 hours for all the other nations to drop its use as the currency reserve.

As said, US may well be destroyed from within & from without – the wrath & non-confidence of the world may be brought to bear down on US all within the hours before the wake of Wall Street.

One Nobel Prize winning economist predicts a run on the dollar as “Probably the kind of disorderly run that precipitates a global financial crisis . . . ” while other monetary experts now warn “We are in the terminal stages of the world’s most gigantic pyramid scheme.”

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Take Care.

Obama – Bowing To “Who” Or “Hu”

By Paul Chong Friday 20 November 2009

Democrat President Obama Bowing to Emperor Akihito

President Obama would unconsciously be reminded by memories of his boyhood’s Muslim upbringing that the shortest distance between a problem & a solution is the distance between his knees & the floor. That would be kneeling down before Allah to stand up to anything in the world!

At least the Christians would believe in doing their best, and leave God to do the rest. Bur alas I have been reminded that the Americans have been throwing God out of their life’s equation. I believe that Obama, consciously or unconsciously, is living out a life of religious conflict.

He is the first American President (Afro in origin, imported from Kenya) known to bow to foreign dignitaries. First he bowed to the Saudi King & then it was a “wow bow” to Emperor Akihito. In the Los Angeles Times (November 14, 2009) he was reported as “How low will he go?”. He has aroused all sorts of sentiment among the American people.

Obama Bowing to Saudi King

Has the switch & change in the Democrat foreign policies brought this on? The change has meant less confrontational approach towards Iran & North Korea. This change towards a conciliatory & co-operative diplomacy is certainly apparent in Obama’s recent Asian outreach. He is obviously acting out “the call to action” since receiving his controversial Nobel Peace Prize. What has he achieved, if anything, after the initial nine months of his presidency?

Obama, for all his rhetoric, lacks the mark of a great man’s aura. He looks simply plain. At least, George W Bush exhibited the gait of a six-gun shooter. There’s the creeping question whether his “painting with words” would be matched by his action & commitments. In short, could he fulfil his dream of change? He will yet be judged by history.

However, Obama missed out one great bow – not to “who” but to “Hu”. In his address in Japan he emphasied that America was not out to “contain” China. Yet his many moves & appeals to China betrayed that intention, & it’s left to wonder whether the American generals, the avid practitioners of the full spectrum dominance doctrine were listening.

China is not a new nation nor small in status by any comparison. Foreign countries have had taken advantage of China during its past repose & rest. For a greater part of human history, China has been known to be great & far advanced than any other. China means “Middle Kingdom” – half-way between heaven & earth. It is also the centre of civilization or globalization in the present context. As in the tradition of Chinese kungfu martial arts, new skills are unmatched to the old master’s.

Obama must remember that China does not have to be dominant in order to be prominent. Co-existence, mutual help, & co-operation rather than confrontation are key pointers to peace & harmony. This is the type of foreign policies preached & practised by China since the dawn of history. Such would be the basis for the new world order. For this reason, China has surged ahead in its dealing with Africa & Southeast Asia leaving US way behind.

China & the rest of the Asian countries are no doubt pleased to hear of Obama describing himself as “America’s first Pacific president” & even of his boast of having a half-brother living in China’s glorious booming special economic zone of Shenzhen.

Liu Mingkang

It would be unthinkable for China to accede to US pressure on its currency policy. At a recent Beijing forum, Liu Mingkang, Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, highlighted the fact that the very weak US dollar & low interest US interest rates are creating “unavoidable risks for the recovery of the global economy, especially the emerging economies”. This is “seriously impacting global asset prices & encouraging speculation in stock & property markets”.

The above scenario goes to show that US is more responsible for the problem than the solution. Why would or should the Chinese listen to US hectoring, when US keeps printing its “fiat” money without restraint? Should the Chinese be expected to prop them up?

In his four-day visit to China, Obama did not miss out the hallmark of China – the Great Wall of China. Taking in the sights is one thing, but having a better insight of the greatness of China is yet another! Had he bowed to Hu, Obama would have reaped greater bonuses than all the bows he had executed with the Saudi King & Emperor Akihito.

President Hu jin-tao

Hu Jin-tao, the Chinese “sifu” President would gladly have shown Obama what China is doing right, in contrast to US, to resuscitate, rejuvenate to recover from this economic crisis. While US “stimulus” package has largely been channelled to bailing out the greedy & seedy, China’s economic stimulus package has been towards productive economic infrastructure, creation of businesses & jobs. It is undeniably true that greed begets more greed, and seeding it will be breeding it. No end will be in sight . . . sorrowfully for US.

Let’s just roam through some vibrant economic activities in China:

• Pearl River Delta – China’s factory of the world, the hub of manufacturing & endless assembly lines.
• The Yang-Tze Delta – the hub of capital-intensive industry,car production, semiconductors & computers.
• Zhongguancun just outside Beijing – China’s Silicon valley.
• The many immense info-tech malls – bursting with smallbusinesses manned by industrious, well-educated youth, wellmotivated & eager to trade & deal.

It is not as though technology is completely new to China, rather China had never looked at it with the eyes of the Western democratic capitalism. China’s way of economic development may well be the best there is after Deng Xiaoping’s foresight & economic vision. This is totally transparent without any hidden agenda, unlike the British with their scheming, devious & hideous diplomacy & imposing an unforgivable opium war upon the Chinese in the 19^th century.

The new world order, as preached & executed by China, is hopefully being heeded by US. As advocated, this will be strategically based on economic independence with due respect to cultural & political differences. The four BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) emerging economies are in accord along this economic road to development. Consolidation of Asia as opposed to fragmentation, that which the West & the Northern rich countries like to create. The former Soviet Union knows full well what it means to be fragmented.

China will not dominate to facilitate deals with other sovereignties. Loans are given without any political strings attached & accessible without any hefty corporate commissions or consultation fees & conditions. China invariably has been engaged in vast, complex infrastructure projects that result in costing not more but less than half the price charged by IMF.

In the kungfu duel, the old master or “sifu” always has more up in his sleeves to overcome his opponent, brilliant & young he may be. Trustingly, some of the Eastern upbringing in Obama’ childhood still remained intact & will serve him well as his “third” eye . . . that he may see the ills & ailments of the US state of affairs.

Venice – From Sinking To Shrinking

Paul Chong Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Canals of Venice

That glorious unique exotic paradise with its romantic canals & gondolas, bridges & some of the most exquisite buildings still draws a tourist crowd of some 55,000 visitors per day, that is a staggering 20,000,000 in a year. However, the magic stops there & does not prevent an exodus of its inhabitants.

Gondolas in a Row

There was a time when Venetians were worried about their city sinking & eventually be lost to the surrounding water. Only this time, the threat is not from the rising tides & the subsiding foundations of the island city. The fear of sinking is now switched to shrinking with its population migrating rapidly to the mainland. This is Italian “arrivederci”!

Plazza San Marco

Venice population was 175,000 in 1961 but it has been falling to its present 59,992. This is worrying the City’s administrators as well as the loyal citizens that still remain. Venice though visited & renowned as tourist paradise is not lived in!

One of the Many Bridges

Contrary to popular belief, a popular city that attracts a relentless influx of tourists has generated rising costs in property, food & transport driving out its city’s inhabitants from their ancestral homes. Prices have soared and found to be higher than those in the mainland, so naturally the local Venetians are forced out of this historical city.

Rialto Bridge

 

 

A city without vitality or enough lived-in inhabitants could only mean its demise. With a population in decline, something must be done to prevent it from becoming a modern Pompei. This is indeed a far cry from way back in 1960 when we visited the vibrant city. Ladies were then being warned about the Venetians pinching their bottoms! I remember well the great Plazza San Marco (San Marco Square) with its teeming pigeons & Basillica, romantic bridges & canals, gondola rides on the Grand Canal, and endless delightful walking tours among the thousands of tourists.

How do you save a city in decline?

Desperate Time Calls For “Sexperate” Measure

Shared by Paul Chong      Saturday, 14 November 2009

If your business is suffering from poor sales in this economic downturn, you might try to employ this “Sexperate Sales Technique”!

A sports shop “Decathlon” in Germany, during their opening of the store made the following advertisement:

Get dressed for FREE,

from head to toe,

first come first serve.

Only condition:

COME NAKED!

The result speaks well for the fact that “Desperate Time Calls For “Sexperate” Measure!

See the pictures for yourself

No shortage of naked customers!

Miracles of Miracles in the Desert

By Paul Chong Friday, 13 November 2009

Moses Parting the Red Sea

Once in a while we witness & marvel at great happenings of nature & wonder. But when miracles happen frequently on a daily basis all awe & significance are seemingly lost or are taken for granted. This is in reference to undoubtedly the greatest of logistic miracles ever to occur with the lives of the Israelites when wandering through the deserts for 40 long years before reaching the Promised Land.

We often familiarly hear of miracle cure with some deadly or terminal diseases. What seem to be humanly & medically impossible unexpectedly turn out to be possible is what miracle is all about. We would say that his recovery was a blessed miracle – a wonder, marvel, sensation, phenomenon, or a supernatural mystery . . . something unexplainable. A miracle cure goes against all logic of medicine & science.

After the great Exodus from Egypt, Moses led his people through desert land, living it out in hostile environment & wandering for a long 40 years before setting their eyes upon the Promised Land – the Land as promised by God to them “flowing with milk & honey.” Those long years of wandering were destined by God to rid off a generation of idolaters, & people who showed a lack of faith complaining constantly against God.

Originally, it was intended for the Israelites to proceed directly from Egypt to Canaan. In the Book of Numbers 1:46, we learnt that from the 70 that went into Egypt (Genesis 47:27), the total number involved in the Exodus was 603,550 of men 20 years & older. The turning point happened in Numbers 14 when all the people grumbled against the Lord. As a consequence the Lord said that all the people counted in the census would die in the desert except for Caleb & Joshua who would eventually lead the people into Canaan.

Even the rebelliousness of the people rubbed off on Moses & Aaron who were not allowed into the Promised Land, when they failed to give due credit to God for the miracle of producing water from the rock. Thus Moses came to live a 40 year-life in the palace of Pharaoh, 40 years as a refugee in Midian, and 40 years as a leader of the Israelites in the wilderness.

Life in the wilderness must have been hard. By the second census taken in Numbers 26, the total number was 601,730 with Caleb & Joshua surviving from the first census. Can you imagine what kind of logistics & planning is required to feed & care for that multitude of people in the hot wilderness? What was he to do with them?

In the modern scenario, taking from the experience of The Desert Storm of the American Forces in the Middle East, according to the Quartermaster General in the Army, say on the basis of feeding 2 to 3 million soldiers, Moses would require:

• 1500 tons of food daily
• 4000 tons of wood to cook the food each day
• 11,000,000 gallons of water each day for drinking & washing

It would have required Moses to have two freight trains, each as mile long to transport in the food. Similarly, it was necessary to freight in the firewood for the daily requirement. For the water, another freight train with tank carts, 1800 miles long would be necessary. There were no freight trains in the Biblical days!

What about accommodation & camping at the end of the day’s wandering? It’s estimated that a campground two-thirds the size of the State of Rhode Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles long!

Do you think that Moses figured all these logistics & mathematical problems out before departing from Egypt? What about the question of storage of food in a hot, stifling warehouse – so that food might be fit for consumption? The whole affair would require a logistics support team of science, engineering & packaging personnel.

These are just the basic & fundamental requirements & needs of the people, who lived & wandered in the wilderness not for a year or two but for 40 long years. Did we mention the need to clothe them against cold at night & clothing suitable for day’s heat?

Moses couldn’t have conceived all these problems before setting out of Egypt. Moses believed in God. God took care of these things for him. Everything that sustained the lives of the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness was well provided for by God. There was no logistics support team . . . just one miracle after another.

Lest we forget, getting across the Red Sea was a great miracle. Logistically, if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days & nights to get through. So, there had to be space in the Red Sea, 3 miles wide so that they would walk 5000 abreast to get over in one night.

Now would you ever doubt that God would forsake you?

The Simplicity of Selling

Paul Chong – Monday, 9 November 2009

The majority of sales personnel have heard of the “KISS” formula in sales – that is “Keep It Simple, Stupid”. For me, I prefer to say this:

“ Simplicity Sells, Complexity Repels”.

Success Awards

Be like a psychiatrist, getting paid & well paid, by just listening to the patients. After all, the business of selling boils down to just one thing – seeing the people. Any man with ordinary ability who is willing to go out and earnestly tell his story to 4 or 5 people everyday can succeed in the business of selling. It’s as simple as that! It’s just a matter of sticking to a number & formula of call routine:

8 SEEN CALLS

3 CLOSING INTERVIEWS

4 NEW PROSPECTS

( This call formula is based on the Law of Average. It works all the time!)

You are in the people’s business. As such, you should be interested in people – to be as gregarious as you could possibly be, but be genuine & sincere. Abraham Lincoln had this to say about sincerity:

“If you would win a man to your cause,

just convince him that you are his sincere friend.

Therein lies a drop of honey that catches the heart,

which is the high road to his reason & which once gained,

you will find little trouble in convincing his judgement

of the justice of your cause, & if indeed that cause to be a

just one.”

Sales generally begin with relatives & friends and the big reservoir of strangers is often avoided. Don’t be afraid to approach people you don’t know, for “A stranger is but a friend you have not met.”

This is no lesson in salesmanship, but tips & advice which I have personally found useful to equip myself with in the days of my life insurance sales experience. All other considerations aside, the greatest obstacle to being number one is your ATTITUDE or mindset. This is the single most vital ingredient that will determine the outcome of your sales venture.

To assist your attitude is to fortify & motivate yourself daily with just one poetic dose. This motivational dose must be consumed daily without fail – a ritual as it were to be cultivated until it becomes part & parcel of yourself. Commit then this simple & powerful poem to your heart & mind & you’ll find success & abundance of rewards to mine . . .

I Can

If you think you are beaten you are

If you think you dare not you don’t

If you like to win, but think you can’t

It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow’s will

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are

You’ve got to think high to rise

You’ve got to be sure of yourself

Before you can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger or faster

But sooner or later, the man who wins

Is the man who thinks HE CAN.

(Author Unknown)

Though motivation does not last, but like bathing you’d still do it all the same!

Happy Selling!

I Do Not Choose To Be A Common Man

On Top of the World

 

(Poem by Dean Alfange)

This is a simple & powerful poem depicting the individualistic principle of man, his right to freedom & choice, to live a life of his own choosing, to enjoy the fruits of his own labour, to stand tall & be counted for all his actions, to do the right things by his conscience, to undertake all things big & small in the final reckoning of what it means to be a Man! It shows the strength of character – a citizen that any nation would be proud to have!  (P. Chong)

Dean Alfange

I do not choose to be a common man

It is my right to be uncommon if I can

I seek opportunity not security

I do not wish to be a kept citizen,

humble & deluded

by having the State to look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk,

to dream & to build, to fail & to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole

I prefer the challenges of life to dole

I prefer the challenges of life

to the guaranteed existence;

the thrill of fulfilment

instead of a stale Utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence

nor my dignity for a handout.

I will not cower before any master

nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud & unafraid,

to think & act for myself,

to enjoy the benefits of my creations

and to face the world boldly,

and to say: “This I have done”.

All this is what it means to be a MAN.

Dean Alfange

An American statesman born December 2, 1899, in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He was raised in upstate New York. He was Professor Emeritus at UMass Amherst and a leading figure in various pro-Zionist organizations (between other actions, in November 1943, he appeared before the House of Representatives and addressed them on the rescue of the Jewish people of Europe). He died in Manhattan at the age of 91 on October 27, 1989.