Suspicion 2
| The strangest thing is the quick rise and the quick fall in oil price. Who is behind it? Let’s take a look at the post from the 28 Oct 2008 Business Day:
— Oil prices sank below $60 a barrel in London yesterday, hitting a 17-month low on worries that a global recession would sap energy demand, and as the US currency strengthened against the euro. In early trading, Brent North Sea crude for December delivery dropped to $59,02 a barrel, the lowest point since February last year. The contract later stood at $62,28, down $1,87 from Friday’s close.
New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for December delivery, tumbled to $61,30 a barrel, a price last seen in May last year. The market extended last week’s heavy losses to plunge underneath the psychological barrier of $60 a barrel in London for the first time since March last year. “Crude prices have continued to slide as global recessionary concerns intensified after dramatic falls in Asian financial markets which saw Tokyo’s Nikkei index fall to its lowest levels since 1982,” said Sucden analyst Nimit Khamar.
“Prices are more or less tracking the movements of global equity markets at the moment, as market participants view the indices as a gauge for economic conditions and hence an indicator for future oil demand.” On Friday, even after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) announced a 1,5-million- barrel-a-day cut, oil fell $3,69 to settle at $64,15. Prices have plunged 57% from a record $147,27 on July 11. “The mood is fairly negative, reflecting worry about the international economic outlook,” said David Moore, a commodity strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney. “If there are further weak economic data in the US or Europe, prices could come under more downward pressure.” Iran’s Opec governor, Mohammad Ali Khatibi, said on Sunday a reduction in production “will be considered” at the group’s next meeting in Algiers in December. Moore said: “I thought the Opec cut was a fairly decisive act, but concerns of recession in the major economies remain dominant.” Sapa-AFP-AP When we examine the collapse of the world biggest banks and corporations, we will be able to gauge this suspicion. 30 years ago, there were some hanky panky things going on in the world financial market in the name of Capitalism. Little did we know that Capitalism is afterall not the best answer to the Economy of the world. The very strength of capitalism is its weakest point. A new world order for the financial arena is coming forth. It may be Socialism???? or Social-Capitalism? No one really knows which form it will come. Certainly the economists of the world are looking to a way to update the old Capitalism mode. It may take years to achieve. The Poors are many and they are getting poorer and the Richs are getting richer. It will come a time when the poors will be so poor that they will rise up against the richs. Social-Capitalism is coined by me. It may be worth look at. Since many countries are advocating no one should live below the poverty line and social security for all the needy including the old and the young and the disabled. Yes many developed nations are doing that already. The question of ownerships and assets have to be re-examined so not to allow artificial inflation and escallating cost like the recent case of the oil price. Some of the basic ingredients or staple food must be controlled and easily accessible to all people. only the luxury items are not controlled. there should also a limit at the top end to check abuses and wastages. The early church in the New Testament was doing just that. There were lots of poor people then and the rich people of the church sold lands and propperties to share. Some took it as Communism. Outwardly it looks like Communism but the philosophy is greatly different. The poor were looked after through shared food and basic essentials. Those who could work and earn should be able to carry on to earn. There was social security for the poor. The able bodied people should go out and bring back more help. Back in the days of the NT, there was no control over the prices and abuses and wastages. Some form of mechanism must come forth to control and monitor the over-pricing and abuses and wastages. It may not seem to be very exciting on the onset but there are plenty rooms for freedom and expression. It is, as I call it, RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM. Capitalism sets no limit both at the top and bottom ends. But RESPONSIBE FREEDOM will create a narrower platform for Freedom and Play where it should cause excessive suffering and hurts to the less advantages. Can we begin within our churches? Why not?
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October 27th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Well said Great information, keep up the great work!
October 27th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Nice Site layout for your blog. I am looking forward to reading more from you.
Tom Humes
December 16th, 2008 at 8:11 am
As I was reading through your blog titled Suspicion 2 dated Oct 27th, I was motivated to press on in my pursue of the dream church that I hope to see come to reality. I am talking about a church in the marketplace, for the marketplace. Yes, I am talking about a church in Ipoh Parade, which has already got a name, Ipoh Parade Convention Center (IPCC) or Ipoh Parade Auditorium (IPAD). It is a corner lot, 6000 sqft, presently occupied by an antique shop. Of all the lots, this lot is column-free, suitable to be made as worship hall. Main attraction will be students - Ave Maria, Main Convent, and Sam Tet. But that is not all. The main idea is to encourage church members to start businesses and occupy the rest of the lots at that corner of the floor. Businesses such as jamming studio, music shop, christian gifts and book store, gym, computer shop, cafe, wedding planning, floral shop etc. The church itself can have facilities such as tuition center, study/revision room and counseling center. These will open everyday, available free of charge. In doing this, we bring the church to the people, instead of bringing the people to the church. When a person step foot in that corner of the floor, he/she is stepping into a ‘church’ without him/her realising.
This dream will come to reality when we begin to model the early church of the New Testament, as you have mentioned in your blog. The renovation alone will cost at least RM500k plus sound system and multimedia. Why spend so much in a hall? Multimedia and Mass Communication are useful tools to set the church on the cutting edge. Very powerful tools to bring the message of hope to the masses. Especially in this 21st century, to be an influence, we need to be at the cutting edge and forward-looking. To win the physical, first must win the mind. To win people, the battle of the mind must first be won. To obtain influence, one must first earn respect. In this material world that we live in, we have to be at the cutting edge to earn respect. As Christians, we should not subscribe to this kind of lifestyle. But we can use this for the good of the gospel. We are in the world, but not of the world. I may be wrong to equate this to your saying, “Outwardly it looks like Communism but the philosophy is greatly different.” Outwardly, it looks like materialism but the philosophy is greatly different.
When respect is earned, trust is gained. People will believe by what we do and how we do. So people will flood in, both rich and poor. Perhaps more rich people than the poor, considering the higher standard that we subscribe to. But how can the rich take care of the poor as in the early church? When the rich begin to start up businesses as mentioned earlier, this indirectly creates job opportunities.
However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. How many poor people to help? There is no end in this. But we cannot deny the fact that we are called to be in this business. By the way, by creating job opportunities, we are not even close at hitting the poor. I am talking about those really poor, not having even basic needs met. How? We start Compassion Malaysia. It’s basically a child sponsoring program. People from US or UK can sponsor a child in Malaysia. At a very minimal cost, considering the currency exchange rate, a very poor Malaysian child can be assured of his/her basic needs met, not to mention education and health needs. My wife and I are sponsoring a child in Thailand for 2 years already. She has been greatly blessed. How to start? Not difficult, Compasssion is well established. We just need funding. Go for training and start a chapter in Malaysia.
Imagine what mentality/culture are we cultivating among the church members? Responsible Freedom?