2011 had been a very event-filled year.Uprisings in the Middle East,the world's 7th largest earthquake happening in Japan and more incidents that the news-informed public should know and discuss about.
Which brings us to our point.Why should we take note of what is happening around us?I think I shall first start with a not so proper but much more common sense answer.As I once heard someone said,"We Are Humans.How can we call ourselves citizens of this earth if we don't even know what is going on around us?"Which makes perfect sense.If you do not have the instinct to know what is happening to the people around you,not knowing that there are people such as in Japan that now lives a much more arduous and hard life,be thankful that we are not in a seismic-active region and be grateful for what we have,we should not be here.We do not deserve to be here.
But of course there are more than one reason.Naturally,what many will ask is "Why do I need to know?It doesn't affect me"That is precisely why we need to know what is happening in the world.We live in a globalised world,where the prosperity of many lies on the whims and ways of the many regions around the world.What's more a Multi-National Company and trade reliant country of Singapore.Our economy sags and rises along with the ones of many neighbouring Asian countries and World Superpowers.Because of the uprisings in Libya,there had been a rise in oil prices,and the former and earthquake in Japan had sent shockwaves through the US,European and Asian markets with the STI(Straits Times Index)going down before climbing up due to bargain buying.We are at the mercy of many happenings around the world.The fear of radiation had sparked the banning of Japan's food import and certainly part of Singapore's electronics and manufacturing companies as well as our trading relationships between Japan had been badly affected by the incident.However,there is a silver lining in the dark cloud.Many companies are temporarily redeploying their employees to countries around the region,and Singapore had been one of their favoured destination,proving once again our business hub name and boosting the service industry.
The impact of the news around the world on our Little Red Dot is not only confined to the economic scene.On the political front,we are certainly seeing political groups like the PAP finally understanding the power of influence of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook as we gradually see a change of campaign tactics moving online as well as younger faces entering the political scene as politicians finally understand the power of youngsters.
Last but certainly not the least,the lessons to be learnt are too many.How will building a Nuclear Facility in the region affect us.What about our own nuclear plants.How are the Japanese able to stand cool and collected in the face of disaster and hold their integrity and kindness in such hard times.Lessons that will always let Singapore learn and work towards improving our lives and avoiding similar mistakes.
News is a part of our lives.As we look at the news of Japan and Libya's struggle for recovery and averting nuclear meltdown and freedom respectively,perhaps we should stop and think,is this really their own business?
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