03/10 Political Questions
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QUESTION:________________ (Source of Paper)
SV1)
OV1)
SV2)
OV2)
SV3)
OV3)
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Please use the following format:
Name:
QUESTION:________________ (Source of Paper)
SV1)
OV1)
SV2)
OV2)
SV3)
OV3)
9 comments:
SV1
Encouraging patriotism instills a sense of national identity and belonging as it encourages people to stay in the country. This is especially important when everyone is so mobile
OV1
This may not be as important in the case where the country and its government fail to provide its people with their needs, like a poverty-stricken nation faced corruption, where some may be inclined to leave in search of better lives
(Counter)
This actually further highlights the importance of patriotism as the people will then come together to overcome the problems faced)
SV2
Encouraging citizens to love their country strengthens social fabric, where everyone can identify with each other
OV2
This however could lead to the formation of different political groups which clash over the way the country should be governed, which results in the division of society
SV3
The lack of patriotism weakens the country’s morale and emboldens the enemies and makes the country more vulnerable to attack, hence emphasizes the need to encourage the love for one's country
Angelina Zoey Lim
03/10
‘The view of the majority is always right.’ Do you agree? (GCE 2007)
SV: The views of the majority are usually more acceptable as they reflect the general needs and wants of the people.
OV: When the majority supports a view, it does not necessarily mean that they are right as the democratic system enables the poor to have more power than the rich because there are more of them. Hence, the poor might support populist viewpoint which could be detrimental.
SV: Even if the view of the majority is flawed or detrimental, it could be still claimed to be ‘right’ as it ensures political stability. (If one would insist on the correct minority view, it might lead to uprisings…etc)
OV: When viewpoint of the majority is correct, it is still unfair as it negates/neglects the viewpoints of the minority. The democratic system is nothing more than mob rule, where 51 percent of the people may take away the rights of the other 49. Hence, it is unfair.
SOV: However, it is important to note that there is no ‘right’ view per se and one man’s terrorist is another man’s martyr. No one can truly determine what is right or wrong….
OV: However, the view of the majority is indubitably incorrect if it radical….
How effective are international efforts to ease the problem of global hunger? (GCE 2010)
SV: International organizations reduced global hunger because they have the massive financial ability and capacity for global outreach
OV: Inadequacies in solving political restrictions and long lag time before the execution of action
SV: International aid continues to pour in since they have the ability and generally local governments are open and receptive towards aid
OV: International efforts remain ineffective due to political instability within under-developed nations (eg Somalia) thus disrupting the distribution of much needed air
SV: Global organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank have brought hope of better coordinated food aid for the poor
OV: Fundamentally operating under capitalist ideology and thus may have vested interests in free market mechanisms which serve as an impetus for such powerful organizations to abuse their power by providing aid that would do more to secure access for Western firms than provide a constant food supply for countries.
Jo
03/10
No politician’s reputation can survive the judgment of time’. How true is this?(GCE 2010)
SV1: Due to the nature of the responsibilities which forces the politician to exercise duties that do not aid in keeping a positive image of them in public, it is hence justifiable to say that their reputation can not survive the judgment of time.
OV1: However, these duties that they assume which may endanger their image and reputation tend to be more accepting in the public’s eyes when the results of implementing an unfavorable policy are produced in the long run.
C-C-Arg: That being said, these politicians who implement politically unpopular policies are far and few between as majority of the politicians do succumb to public pressure that resulted in them implementing ineffective policies that worsens a country’s situation. As time passes, the negative externalities caused by these politicians would then surface and thus destroys the very reputation which they wish to uphold.
SV2: Aside from the fact that politician’s reputation can be tarnished from the implementation of politically unpopular policies, there must be an acknowledgement that politicians are also human in nature and humans do make mistakes sometimes. Such mistakes are normally covered up by the politicians in seats but when they stepped down and lose the ability to conceal these mistakes; this is where their reputation is in jeopardy as their scandals and undoing are released as time passes.
OV2: On the contrary, not all mistakes made by the politicians do compromise their reputation as certain mistakes can be deemed forgivable and do not warrant the public’s complete sanction of them.
Jeremiah
03/10
‘The view of the majority is always right.’ Do you agree? (GCE 2007)
SV: The views of the majority are usually more acceptable as they reflect the general needs and wants of the people.
OV: When the majority supports a view, it does not necessarily mean that they are right as the democratic system enables the poor to have more power than the rich because there are more of them. Hence, the poor might support populist viewpoint which could be detrimental.
SV: Even if the view of the majority is flawed or detrimental, it could be still claimed to be ‘right’ as it ensures political stability. (If one would insist on the correct minority view, it might lead to uprisings…etc)
OV: When viewpoint of the majority is correct, it is still unfair as it negates/neglects the viewpoints of the minority. The democratic system is nothing more than mob rule, where 51 percent of the people may take away the rights of the other 49. Hence, it is unfair.
SOV: However, it is important to note that there is no ‘right’ view per se and one man’s terrorist is another man’s martyr. No one can truly determine what is right or wrong….
OV: However, the view of the majority is indubitably incorrect if it radical….
Name: Dory Khoo
QUESTION: Does the presence of a foreign power ever help a country with problems? (GCE 2008)
SV1) The presence of a foreign power is crucial in ensuring the welfare of the people which the government may have neglected.
OV1) The presence of foreign power may inject their own interests and reap benefits for themselves rather than solve the country’s problems.
SV2) In chaotic circumstances when local authorities are unable to maintain stability, the presence of a foreign power is especially crucial in maintaining peace.
OV2) Yet, there is a limitation to the effectiveness of such presence due to domestic policies in the foreign country.
SV3) The presence of foreign powers that aim to help countries in times of distress are usually extremely helpful in the recovery process.
1. How effective are international efforts to ease the problem of global hunger? (GCE 2010)
SV1: Advancements in science have alleviated the problem of global hunger as it allows for the engineering of crops that are able to withstand harsh weather conditions. This is especially essential in countries that are highly dependent on agricultural sources for food as their yield is often subject to the volatility of the weather, which can at times, deprive them of a stable source of food.
OV1: There is however a limitation whereby such advancements and research tends to be done by corporations, trying to maximise their profits. Even so, such research tends to be extremely costly and time consuming. This is definitely an obstacle as governments may find it too expensive to provide subsidies for such foods, especially in areas with high hunger rates. Furthermore, the time factor involved in such research is bound to be rather extensive given that such experiments are usually on a trial and error basis.
SV2: The efforts of international non-governmental organisations have been effective in easing the problem of global hunger as they are able to provide food aid. With their inherent ability to raise awareness and rally masses of people together, such organisations will effectively ease the problem of global hunger as they are able to attain food aid packages as well as generous donations from people all over the world. This would this benefit those in need as it provides them with a source of food.
OV2: The effectiveness of such efforts are however limited to that of the short run. As a matter of fact, in reality, such efforts may be excessive and could even prove to be hazardous as it will provide a form of competition for domestic food suppliers, possibly chasing them out of the industry. This will thus induce a further round of food shortages in the country.
SV3: Efforts in alleviating global hunger have been effective due to the increasing emphasis of education in most countries, one which seeks to eradicate the root cause of hunger – poverty. The problem of poverty is ultimately, the root cause of hunger as the poor are usually the ones who are worst of in society and do not possess the monetary capability of competing with the rich for food sources. With the emphasis of education however, such no longer needs to be the case as the impoverished are now able to break out of the cycle of poverty and subsequently, ease the problem of global hunger as they are now able to afford one of the most basic needs for survival.
OV3: Despite its effectiveness however, such efforts only apply to one aspect of hunger and not hunger that is caused by geographical factors, one that is beyond the control of man.
THIS BELONGS TO J-J-J-J-JO-JO-JO-JOELLLLL ANG ZHUO YAO.
2. How far can we satisfy the worldwide demand for food and still protect the environment? (GCE 1997)
Stand: The above question is largely true if we make a conscious effort to change what is currently happening.
SV1: The development of non-polluting technology had allowed man to reap double the normal food yield without polluting or harming the environment.
Balance: Yet, these technologies and equipment are often expensive and farmers do not have the incentive to make the switch.
As such, although mankind has acquired the necessary technology to increase food production in a greener manner, much more has to be done to ensure the spread and use of them.
OV2: Even so, these technologies have still been unable to keep up with the rapid population that has been growing exponentially.
Balance: Be that as it may, reducing food wastage in many developed countries can help to alleviate or if not solve this issue. OR Slow population growth instead.
However, prodigal habits die hard, many of these problems have roots in the lifestyles of many people, which are not only difficult to change but also time consuming.
SV3: Finally, at the heart of world food security is water scarcity as irrigated agriculture accounts for 50% of the total crop population in the world. By ensuring and encouraging water conservation and renewal, we would thus be able to increase food supply and at the same time conserve one of our world’s most precious resources – water.
Balance: Yet, water conservation brings up a whole new list of its own problems. For example, how much water should the world allocate for agriculture?
Having said that, there is hope that we can look toward, technologies like desalination and reverse osmosis has greatly increased the amount of freshwater that the world needs.
Many developed countries are paying increasing attention to the needs of the disadvantaged. How far is this true in Singapore? (GCE 2008)
SV1: A wide income gap between the rich and poor could lead to social disability. As relative poverties cannot be completely eradicated, the poor people become a concern of Singapore society.
OV1: However, financial cares mainly come from the government. The public showed little care about the financial conditions of the poor.
C-C-Arg: While this may be true, it is undeniable that the government has the most efficient method in dealing with national wide financial problems. Moreover, the public did show some care by donating basic necessities to the poor.
SV2: The physically disadvantaged people would have less capability to earn benefit as much as the ordinary ones do. While being a part of our society, they are drawing more attentions from us.
OV2: Yet as the physical disadvantaged is only a minority of our society, it is difficult to find a way to associate with them. As a result, even though we want to pay more attention to them, there is little what we can do.
C-C-Arg: Thanks to the development of technology, many related organizations have websites now. Therefore, it is much easier to find a way to communicate with them.
SV3: As we want to develop as a not only prosperous but also loving and caring society, the socially disadvantaged people have also become a hot topic recently in Singapore.
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