2009年7月22日星期三

RE: Free will's a gamble

Singapore government has already passed a decision to build an Integrated Resort with the highlight of it being the casino last year. This has sparked up much public debates and many people have criticized the government for neglecting the social repercussions that will inevitably be brought about. As for myself, I do not support the casino decision either. The social downfalls brought about is much severe than the economic boons brought about. Some of the social downfalls may even infringe the economic boons too.To begin with, introducing gambling in Singapore causes moral values which had once built up Singapore to decay rapidly. Since Singapore's independence in 1965, sweat and toil has been the building block of Singapore's success, propelling Singapore from a third world country to a first world country, evolving it from an inconspicuous boat to a gigantic ferry in the sea of international recognition. On the other hand, gambling suggests that success can be attained through luck without any toil, except for the trip to the casino of course. Encouraging gambling therefore causes our national beliefs of being hardworking and thrifty to erode away and is incompatible with Singaporeans, who are still stalwart supporters of Confucian beliefs that shaped Singapore into what it is today. Therefore, the government has not considered national interest before passing this policy.As Singapore continues to advocate gambling legally, the gambling business will grow rapidly, soon causing Singapore be akin to Macau, whose main business is gambling. Although our government promises that such a scenario would not happen, but it is an inevitable fact that gambling will be the major business once started, because gambling achieves success after a short period and we would be addicted to reap even more success by encouraging its growth in Singapore. Presently in Macau, most students are not keen to further their studies because working in local casinos there would already meet their monthly expenses. Singapore may suffer the same consequence if casinos were allowed to prosper here.Moreover, the concept of an integrated resort was published after observing other cities like Macau, Las Vegas and Gentling whose casino business brought about much economic prosperity and at the same time functioning well. These cities do not have a conspicuously high crime rate, thus our government felt that we could do the same and benefit from building casinos. Unfortunately, Singapore is unlike Macau, Las Vegas and Gentling. Macau belongs to China, Las Vegas belongs to United States and Gentling belongs to Malaysia, while Singapore is a country by itself. It also means that while Macau, Las Vegas and Gentling concentrate on gambling, their respective countries are not gambling-centered as a whole, unlike Singapore which would be sucked into the spiral of gambling once it opens casinos.Spiraling into a gambling-centered business also means that Singapore's economy is no longer diversified as it was always so. While other well known gambling cities focuses on gambling as their primary source of income, Singapore cannot blindly follow their example. These gambling cities can depend on other states or the whole country for financial assistance lest they fail in their gambling business, while Singapore would not be able to do so, for the simple fact that Singapore is a nation on its own. As mentioned above, gambling would inevitably be Singapore's primary sourer of revenue once casinos are operational. Gambling, like any other entertainment, will lose its popularity one day and Singapore will suffer drastic losses to its economy once that happens. Hence, operating casinos serve limited economic benefits and even places Singapore in an even more vulnerable position.All in all, gambling does not serve the improve Singapore economically and would even make the situation worse. Casinos are an unfeasible option to improve Singapore's economy. Thus, Singapore should search for other avenues to truly upgrade its economy, social and remove casinos completely out of Singapore.

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