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Promoting capitalism as the only moral and practical social system for man!
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Articles and Letters (Only the first paragraph or so is shown, please click the article header to get the full text) Contrary to what David Newbery asserts (Living with sharks, October 23), his claims are anti-life - specifically anti-human life. Mr. Newbery warns men, women and children that their presence in the sea is a visit to a wild place and “… we cannot expect sharks to make a distinction between a human and other organisms that are their natural food or enemies.” People Versus Sharks (SCMP 16 October 2005) So Charles Frew wants a special ocean area for sharks - a place where vicious creatures can be free to maim or kill any man, woman or child who just want to enjoy watersports in that area. (In the sharks view ... October 9). Witness his shameful call to “issue an 'offence against nature' to those that take the (sometimes deliberate) risk of sharing the water without this predator.” Or his barbaric demand for letting sharks cull “anyone deemed to be over-exploiting their habitat”. Clearly he is very serious when he adds, “If that mistakenly includes a few humans, so be it”. Notice too his snobbish disdain of a young waitress who wants to end shark attacks on humans. Bootleg Spirituality - Part 2 - Reply to other letters (not published by SCMP) Contrary to what Tony Henderson asserts (Faith by any means, September 23) faith is not rationality. Under rationality ideas must ultimately be reduced through proper process to sensory data whereas faith says ignore logic and the senses and go by what you feel. Further, faith does not work in worthwhile decisions such as choosing a spouse. For example, a woman can fall in love but she can't have faith that a convicted wife-beater will make a good companion. She needs either objective proof of reform or a black belt in Karate to show who is boss. Bootleg Spirituality (SCMP Letter 21 September 2005) I refer to the article “Keep the Spirit Alive” (SCMP September 9) by Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho Chi-ping where he compares the recent Hungry Ghost Festival to the Christian Eucharist. Some might quickly dismiss his stories of spirits returning from some other dimension (as fairy tales). However spirituality is a vital part of a rational person’s life and it is too important to leave in the hands of mystics -- both Eastern and Western. Indeed there is no scientific proof of a spiritual world separate from this earth and advocates of this idea invariably end up demanding subjugation of common sense to primitive ideas of faith. Make The Mandatory Provident Fund Voluntary (SCMP 17 August 2005) Much has been said about government collusion with business in Hong Kong and unfortunately some of that criticism is legitimate. One of the biggest examples was the government giving into heavy lobbying by the finance industry to implement the ill-fated Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF). Indeed, recent reports show the returns on the MPF have been averaging a woeful 4% per year - less than the growth of the Hang Seng Index. Further activist David Webb claims that up to 55% of total contributions to the MPF will end up as commission payments to underperforming MPF providers, rather than helping individuals save for their retirement. The Environmental Appeal To Ignorance (July 20) The following letter was sent to the South China Morning Post in reply to John Arnold. John Arnold (Behind the ban on DDT, 18 July) complains that DDT was never proven to be safe and thus commits the fallacy of the appeal to ignorance. Logically, the onus of proof is on he who makes the accusation and with DDT’s exemplary track record, he must show why he thinks DDT unsafe. Environmental Claims (SCMP Letter 14 July 2005) Contrary to what John Bruce (As John Wayne said … July 11) claims, rejecting arguments out of hand is not a tyrannical, fanatical reaction. Rather, it is just a common sense way to deal with wild environmentalist claims that sometimes worm their way into the public arena. In that context, I reject out of hand his claims too. Further Mr. Bruce wants to see how environmentalism in the hands of statists has killed millions, without using the “standard diversionary tactic of bringing new examples to the table.” Exactly how can someone show something without a range of appropriate examples? Capitalism Versus Poverty (SCMP Letter 8 July 2005) I wish to refute all of Jack Muir’s claims out of hand (“Historical ignorance”, July 6); especially that capitalism is somehow destructive. The history of the world shows that the sacrificial philosophies of religion, communism, fascism and environmentalism in the hands of statists have killed tens of millions of people in the last century alone, whilst free markets have lifted more and more out of poverty. Taking things from a global perspective, we can see that capitalism is both moral and practical. Just compare Hong Kong with North Korea or China under Mao. Religion Versus Spirituality (The Undercurrent - July 2005) With the passing of Pope John Paul II there have been more calls from the religious establishment for more spirituality. Indeed, in his first official visit to the gathered faithful in Bari, Italy, Pope Benedict XVI said, "It is not easy for us to live as Christians." From his "spiritual" point of view, the world in which we live is "so often marked by runaway consumerism, religious indifference and by secularism." Trust in Ingenuity (SCMP Letter 1 July 2005) Contrary to what Markus Shaw of the WWF asserts (For the greater good, June 29), the philosophy of conservation harms not helps people’s livelihoods. If we take such philosophy to its logical end then men could not clear land for homes or kill wild beasts to protect themselves from harm. Indeed green resistance to DDT and genetically modified food costs millions of lives a year. Honesty is the Best Policy, Mr. Ho (June 2005) Recently in the South China Morning Post, casino operator and property developer Stanley Ho apparently admitted to barefaced lying to keep property prices high. He was quoted as saying, “I have been forced to tell bare-faced lies in the past seven years that the property market would rebound soon so that the public could set its mind at ease.” Disney, Think Twice About Shark's Fin Soup (June 2005 - Revised December 2005) Earlier this year, I wrote that some large companies in Hong Kong had been giving in to environmental pressure groups and that this kind of appeasement only seemed to be growing. Since then, some companies have begun resisting pressure from environmentalists as seen by letters appearing in the South China Morning Post’s letters’ pages. For example, since Greenpeace labeled China Light and Power (CLP) a “climate criminal” the company finally confronted Greenpeace over the hard facts about their coal-fired plants. Declare War on Greenpeace (May 2005) At China Light and Power’s (CLP) recent annual general meeting in Hong Kong, Greenpeace militants unveiled banners proclaiming CLP to be a climate criminal. I am no fan of CLP, especially when it comes to their position on restricting new entrants to Hong Kong’s power market. However Greenpeace have since issued press releases and appeared on Hong Kong radio to make the same outrageous claims again. It is more than an issue of clean air. Greens worldwide want a statute upholding crimes against the environment in much the same way that Nazis were tried for crimes against humanity. For example, in a 1999 Greenpeace press release in Brazil they said “Greenpeace welcomed today's decision by the Brazilian president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, to approve the adoption of the Environmental Crimes Law.” A former head of the West German Green party once went even further by saying "We in the Green movement, aspire to a cultural model in which the killing of a forest will be considered more contemptible and more criminal than the sale of 6-year-old children to Asian brothels." More Capitalism and No Religion Makes Real Spirituality Possible (SCMP 7 May 2005) With the recent change of pope there have been calls for more spirituality within Hong Kong and China. Indeed we often hear church leaders condemning Hong Kong’s capitalist way of life for being devoid of any spirituality. But let’s ask, what does spirituality actually mean? Christians claim spirituality means dedicating one’s life to a higher power above all else in the hope of joining it in some kind of afterlife. Devotees pray, confess, sing hymns and listen to sermons for the fuel necessary to stay on track. In this context spirituality can be described as reverence for a Christian god above even family and friends as the moral standard of value, making it the central part of their life. Even here, some also argue that faith in Jesus can also lead to Earthly joy. Help Those Who Help Themselves (SCMP 15March 05) Donald Tsang recently noted that Hong Kong’s population is aging and asked couples to have three children each to help redress this imbalance. What Mr. Tsang does not realize is many middle class couples already support at least three children through the extra taxes taken from them -- including expanding expenditure on state-sponsored welfare, medicine and education. This is money they could spend on their own families instead. Indeed, despite a forecasted budget surplus, it is these big government policies that are causing a cyclical deficit that pundits claim will drain Hong Kong’s reserves and put us in the poorhouse. Simply put, there is not enough working people to prolong Hong Kong’s welfare state and Donald Tsang’s solution would offer benefits to middle class families today so their children can be the indentured taxpayers of tomorrow. Who's The Real Villain? (SCMP 4 Feb 05) The recent proposals to ban smoking in the workplace including restaurants and pubs might seem reasonable to many people. After all, anti-smokers claim that a majority of people wants a smoke free place to eat and work. They claim, just as one should not get food poisoning of the stomach, neither should someone get poisoning of the lungs, heart and other internal organs through alleged second hand smoke. Some have argued for a gold standard to push the anti-smoking line into the home so that children and maids can enjoy better health. Indeed I prefer to sit in non-smoking areas myself. Of course, why stop there? In the 1994 movie Demolition Man, the villain Dr. Raymond Cocteau not only banned nicotine but also fats, caffeine, sugar, meat, salt, alcohol, contact sports, chocolate and even spicy food Each of these represented a potential threat to the human body. Dr. Cocteau pushed the gold standard still further and required couples to be licensed before they could have children. Virtual sex replaced actual sex because the exchange of body fluids could lead to the transmission of disease. Selfishness Makes Benevolence Easier (SCMP 21 Jan) Contrary to what Paul Serfaty (“Ethics of goodness”, January 18) and others imply, being selfish does not mean ignoring the plight of tsunami victims. The concept means being concerned with one’s own interests and happiness. Ethically, rational selfishness means people should be free to donate or not, as long as it does not adversely affect their own life, long term. Altruism's Bloody Legacy Jan '05 Despite’s capitalism’s practicality, many normal people today still implicitly or explicitly endorse the idea of selflessness over and above that of rational selfishness. Let’s look at what it means to be truly selfless by recalling a recent series of commercials put out by a Hong Kong insurance company. In one ad, a progression of boys is seen falling off bikes and a man administering first aid. He quickly becomes overwhelmed. In another ad, person after person loses their wallet and the man feels compelled to find ways to give that wallet back without the owners knowing. Curing Mad Green Disease (SCMP 7 Jan 05) Some have warned of a conflict going on in Hong Kong that has the chance to rip the territory apart politically, economically and socially. Whilst people are taking to the streets, this is really a battle of ideas that has been brewing awhile. The trigger for the current stand off was the article 23 debates of two years ago, which brought many of the middle classes out to protest. Their demands were not support for mob rule through democracy but rather accountable government and free speech. The liberal left has since hijacked this movement to promote unrestricted democracy and the rights of water, trees and fish over human life. Unleashed they have already harmed our free market, including the humbling of the Hunghom developers and the cancellation of the REIT issue. Defending Property Rights (SCMP 10 Dec 04) Imagine there is a cure for ageing; every person over 60 can take a magic pill to look and feel younger, prettier and stronger. There are no more old-looking people. However, some activists object, proposing that a special board be set up to determine who should be permitted to take these drugs. Each person would have to show why they should be allowed the treatment and how, by taking these drugs, they do not affect the overall balance of old looking people in the community. Obviously, this would be bitterly opposed as a savage attack on the right to one’s own life. Burt Rutan - Space Hero (Dec 2004) Quite rightly, Inc Magazine has named Burt Rutan its Entrepreneur of the Year. Just two months ago in the Mohave Desert, Rutan and his team of American space heroes blasted themselves into history by winning the Ansari X-prize – a cash prize of $US10 million for the first privately funded team to send a manned mission safely into space and back again. A feat they had to do twice in 14 days to win. In the process, they lit another rocket. Straight out of science fiction and classic British boy’s own stories, English entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has since announced Virgin Galactic’s plans to launch 3,000 people into space at a cost of around $US200,000 each. His first spaceship will be named the VSS Enterprise and England's first knight of derring-do plans to board that maiden flight into orbit. Commercial flights are slated for 2007 using spaceships that Branson plans to order from Rutan. Others such as Jim Benson, whose company SpaceDev (Stock symbol SPDV.OB) provided the rocket technology for Spaceship One is also planning his own spaceships with added plans to mine the sky. I am writing to oppose this proposal, especially the moral foundation on which it is based. It is harmful to human life and detrimental to future progress within Hong Kong. Imagine that you have a knock on the door and a person presents you with a warrant alleging that you are trying to harm a cockroach colony in your kitchen and that rats are being hounded out of your flat because they have no “sustainable” breeding habitat. Further they demand a list of spiders currently known within your home and that moves be taken to ensure that the number of spiders is maintained. This would include preparing a list of spiders in your flat on a monthly basis and allowing the NGO to enter your flat anytime to verify what you say is correct and to ensure a free flow of flies for the spiders to catch. The NGO would be paid for his “work” and the alternative to compliance and payment would be a long stretch in jail for alleged “environmental crimes”.
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