Hope for sensibility amid chaos in HK

The current unrest in Hong Kong is worrisome for many fair-minded people. The consequences are anybody's guess.

More will get hurt when wisdom in judgment fails.

Many explanations have been proffered for this unusual demonstration led overtly by young people - some barely in their teens. 온라인바카라

The phenomenon of young people leading the movement for change without regard to consequences reminds one of a similar young people revolt during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. However, that movement was set in motion by those in charge.

It baffles bystanders that these young people can be so impressionable and filled with irrational idealism.

It would appear that these extreme measures are due to the loss of hope. The perception that there is nothing to lose since the future seems so hopeless can drive one to desperate acts of destruction towards society and self.

It is hoped that those with power to change circumstances for the better will take the moral lead to bring about change peacefully and expeditiously.

Rationality, not threats of penal servitude, should prevail if reconciliation and hope are the outcomes desired for all involved.

It may have been more fruitful for Professor Tommy Koh to look at why people behave badly (An insult to Third World nations, Oct 8; Singaporeans can be more civic-minded, considerate, says Prof Koh, Oct 2).

Is it due to the frenetic pace of life in this tiny and expensive city?

If so, it would have been more constructive to engage in conversations that encourage slowing down the pace of life here so that people have time to reflect on their pursuit of well-being.

A preoccupation with the pursuit of material well-being leaves people with little time to cultivate relationships besides the few that matter in one's immediate family.

While we would expect the Government to take the lead in shifting the focus, we must accept that people have elected it primarily for the pursuit of material well-being.

So it is not merely a personal choice but a political one that every concerned citizen must make to change the tempo of life in this "little red dot" if we desire a more civic-minded outcome for Singaporeans.

It was heartening and refreshing to read the comments of Professor Tommy Koh as the timing was just perfect to "tune" Singaporeans for the upcoming general election (Diplomat Tommy Koh spells out wish list for 4G leaders, Oct 2).

He related an anecdote from the early years on the benefits of appointing Singapore's first chief minister and Workers' Party founder David Marshall as Singapore's ambassador to France, despite Mr Marshall being a member of the opposition party. 안전놀이터

It teaches us a valuable lesson that leaders of tomorrow should learn to work in unity with political opponents on policies for the good of the nation.

Prof Koh warned against breeding a pool of "angry voters", saying that it was angry voters who helped to elect President Donald Trump in the United States and who contributed to the Brexit crisis in Britain.

However, given the current bleak job market in Singapore, which has resulted in more displaced workers and those who turn to short-term contract work - such as being private-hire drivers, cleaners, hawkers and food deliverymen - the number of "angry voters" in Singapore could multiply.

This should be taken seriously and should be one of the urgent tasks that the leaders have to resolve, if possible, before the next general election.