http://talkback.stomp.com.sg/forums/showthread.php?p=878426
Article Headline: Anime Fans seek ways to fight Odex crackdown
Date Pub.17/8/02007 Friday
As some of you might know by now, local anime [video comics] distributor Odex is planning to sue about 500 people guilty of illegal anime downloads for up to $5000 with a promise to stop further illegal downloading. This has caused uproar in anime fans groups.
To kick start my blog entry, I would like to announce;
I have a prophecy, that everyone will start buying copyrighted stuff
I have a prophecy that everyone will not download illegally
I have a prophecy that all will know of the dangers of illegal downloading and not be caught by the police force or whatsoever.
Firstly, this issue affects many of us, including you and me. Ask 10 teenagers, 8 will confess to having a history of illegal downloads. Nabbing 500 people is also a seemingly impossible task, to the public it is more of a laughing stock than a case matter.
Clearly, anime is creative work and fans copy the whole work, but nobody does it for profit. Even Article 38 of Japan's own copyright law allows parties to 'distribute by wire a work already broadcast for non-profit purposes'. The most popular anime titles take about six to eight months to be released here on VCDs and also competitively priced.
On to the case itself, it is understandable for Odex to launch a lawsuit. Anime is becoming more popular, but there is no rise in sales. This alone is rather frustrating. Not only that, mangas [drawn comics] are drawn painstakingly, manually, and take a long time as well. Making their drawings into anime is also rather tedious. As such, downloading anime illegally would be robbing the artists of their rice bowls.
If Odex wins the lawsuit, no one will dare download illegally for fear of the hefty fines. However, how will future offenders be deterred? Lawsuits are not a long –term solution though. What if, they were to lose the lawsuit? More people would download illegally.
For the have-nots people who cannot afford the VCDs but yet are anime fans, fret not. There are anime fan bases all over this tiny red dot, which charge cheap prices for rental of mangas.
Personally, irregardless of the infringement- right laws or whatsoever, I feel that illegal downloading reflects on poor self-control, no respect for the law, and an uncaring attitude about other people’s life. Now, the fate of the manga artists lies in your hands. If you wish to see more beautiful comics, please lead the way by buying copyrighted stuff and restraining form illegal downloads.
Now, I feel that downloading anime is like downloading music; the latter is not allowed in Singapore, and doing so will have a trail of blue assailants after you. This lawsuit is rather lenient; there is no jail term which follows. Only a fine ensues, after which most will go back to their incorrigible ways.
Well, getting caught, paying hefty fines, serving a jail sentence, separation form loved ones and public embarrassment, hmm... I ponder which is an easier route... Mind you, IT experts nowadays can track down any illegally downloaded file. With a search warrant, when the truth comes to light, your life might just be over.
Do you want to see all your hard work go to waste over some puny clip? Don’t fall over to the dark side. Would you like to be arrested at your wedding day for an incident in the past you once foolishly committed?
Well, in the past, I was anime loving fan enjoying unlimited downloads. For this post and the 180’ change in attitude, I accept nothing less than an outcry and the flaming of my tag board. Bring it on.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Blog Post 5- China's Vow
I refer to the article “China vows to get tough over unsafe products”
Headline: “Beijing will inspect all food exports and severely punish errant manufacturers.”
Date: 17/8/2006 Friday
Firstly, to begin with, how many of us actually cringe at the idea of China-made products? It is rather a generalization nowadays that the above products are cheap and spoil easily. However, I beg to differ. Not all of the products are lousy, it is unfair to stereotype just based on a few examples.
Now, with the Beijing 2008 Olympics Games arriving in slightly lesser than a year later, I feel that the products will have an everlasting effects on everyone. Imagine this: An ambassador falls ill due to improper food production. Not only that, he sees shabby products and as such has an extremely bad opinion of China. How will his opinion affect the economic market and the trade? When his opinion is voiced on the headlines of a newsletter? Millions of dollars will be lost and disaster ensues
Regarding an issue not long ago about officials enslaving workers in a brick kiln for forced labor, shook the whole world, including me to such a great extent. China has no shortage of human labor, and to obtain workers is rather easy. However, the mistreatment of laborers for production of bricks shows how heinous the officials are towards their own countrymen, just to save costs. This act of behavior should be condemned.
On to the products, China products range from toothpaste to toys to eatables. With China’s massive population, the factories prefer quantity over quality products. Manufacturing at a slower rate for better quantity would mean starving of the many. Lead has also been shown to be overused in the products, highlighted in newspapers which draw the attention of many parents towards lead-laden toys.
Now, the blame of the poor quality of the products gets shifted here and there. Not only are the factories affected, even seemingly innocent parties; exporting companies are also blamed for not doing spot checks. However, if the factories were to put in more efforts into the products, and maybe the exporters doing a few random checks here and there, then the problem will be solved.
My personal reaction to this whole incident is that no matter whose fault is it, safety comes first. What I can be certain is that everyone would not like to see mass casualties arising from unsafe products. Though the business between factories is competitive, they should at least spare a thought for the consumers/ buyers. Making money is not as important as saving lives. That should be the 1st priority amongst the workers. Though reducing quantity for quality will result in monetary loss, it is still incomparable to the gratitude and the holy act of saving lives.
If the workers were to place themselves in the shoes of others, how would they like it if their loved ones died from poisoning? Wouldn’t it have been a death easily prevented with a few spot-checks?
After all these criticism, there are actually good points to note if you place yourself in the perspective of others. Firstly, the quantity of the products makes the prices extremely low and affordable. Imagine, one can easily save about more than ½ of his salary by selecting china products.
However, after all, despite cheap cost, one should not look down on Chinese products. As a Chinese, looking down on the former would be absolutely ridiculous. The factories are a massive source of jobs for the ever rising population, as the products are a source of income for many.
If everyone’s perception on production could be changed for the better, almost everyone in the world will benefit.
The option to save the world lies in your hands- to educate the masses and enlighten them.
Monday, May 14, 2007
BloG PoSt 4- Drink-Driving
Article 4 URl:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/cgi-bin/search/search_7days.pl?status=&search=drink%20driving&id=275329
Recently, newspapers have been screaming over the punishment for Christopher Lee. He was charged with drink driving, and as such causing injury to a motorcyclist and the pillion rider in his hit and run accident. The jail and fine term for the famed actor will no doubt tarnish his reputation and leave his future in doubt. No doubt, he is appealing against the sentence.
For this article, I would like to respond to the issues of drink driving, escape from the scene and the appealing.
The problem with drink driving occurs after one tries to unwind after a hard day’s work by having a cup or two. There is certainly no problem in doing so, but there certainly is with drink driving.
After one is drunk, one should never drive, as drinking blurs your vision and slows down your reaction speed. If he drives, all h*ll breaks loose, as he might knock down many pedestrians, ending the future endeavors of many and causing their families grief. This act of irresponsibility should be condoned; for it is easy to get a cab or one’s friend to send you home after drinking. Given the saying “Drink-Driving shatters lives”, I have come to realized that not only drivers are not caring for others, but also their own lives too.
The underlying reason as to why people drink and drive is simply due to laziness. They are unwilling to pay extra money for a cab to get home, or having to go back to the pub yesterday to retrieve their car. It could also be due to peer pressure, where everyone is driving after drinking.
However, those reasons are not acceptable and are merely just excuses. If one gets killed by a drunk driver, how is the latter going to explain to the deceased family? "I wanted to save $15..." Those reasons are unacceptable and the driver's point of view should be condemned.
Personally, I feel that it is very unfair for the deceased families to bear the full brunt of a stranger’s actions, which could have been prevented easily. If the driver’s relative were to get knocked down by a drunk driver, he too would feel the same amount of emotional angst as what other families would feel too. Placing himself in other people’s perspective would suffice to stop one form drink-driving anymore.
Now, after an accident, the worst thing Christopher could do is to escape from the scene. Fleeing reflects the cowardice, irresponsibility of one and proves even more that the offender should never be forgiven. I know that the subsequent punishment will bleak one’s future, and waste all his hard work in the past. If a guy dies from your moment of foolishness and irresponsibility, the least one could do would be owning up and receive punishment. To the estranged family, no matter how much gold or accomplishments would never bring their loved ones back.
On to the appeal itself, Christopher has no right to appeal. He did not even suffer any injury; and that the fines to such a huge local celebrity like him is nothing. Next, for celebrities like him, acquitting him would only set a bad example for his fans, and he himself would never learn from his own mistakes. Although he may not have caused any casualties, he might cause some the next time if he does not learn hard from this lesson.
Not only that, given the recent spate of drink driving accidents, a message must be sent to the public that such risks are not acceptable and will continue to be sternly treated. If not, everyone would start to go drink-driving and causing even more unnecessary deaths. Those drivers would then use Christopher’s case ‘If he can get away scot-free, why can’t I?’
Hence, I firmly believe in prosecuting Christopher. Only then, will others follow suit and check their own behavior. Only then will we be able to walk peacefully on the roads.
*At this point in time, I might still not know how important career is to me, since I am not in the working world yet. To a few, being sentenced to jail would mean the end of their hard work and their slogging and sacrifices for the past few years. As such, we should have a general sense of pity for the accused. Not only that, we all always feel that drink-driving is a condemnable action, but what if the driver what not at fault, and that the pedestrian was jay-walking? So, we should not always be biased agianst the drivers in road accidents, but instead analyze on a case-by-case basis.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/cgi-bin/search/search_7days.pl?status=&search=drink%20driving&id=275329
Recently, newspapers have been screaming over the punishment for Christopher Lee. He was charged with drink driving, and as such causing injury to a motorcyclist and the pillion rider in his hit and run accident. The jail and fine term for the famed actor will no doubt tarnish his reputation and leave his future in doubt. No doubt, he is appealing against the sentence.
For this article, I would like to respond to the issues of drink driving, escape from the scene and the appealing.
The problem with drink driving occurs after one tries to unwind after a hard day’s work by having a cup or two. There is certainly no problem in doing so, but there certainly is with drink driving.
After one is drunk, one should never drive, as drinking blurs your vision and slows down your reaction speed. If he drives, all h*ll breaks loose, as he might knock down many pedestrians, ending the future endeavors of many and causing their families grief. This act of irresponsibility should be condoned; for it is easy to get a cab or one’s friend to send you home after drinking. Given the saying “Drink-Driving shatters lives”, I have come to realized that not only drivers are not caring for others, but also their own lives too.
The underlying reason as to why people drink and drive is simply due to laziness. They are unwilling to pay extra money for a cab to get home, or having to go back to the pub yesterday to retrieve their car. It could also be due to peer pressure, where everyone is driving after drinking.
However, those reasons are not acceptable and are merely just excuses. If one gets killed by a drunk driver, how is the latter going to explain to the deceased family? "I wanted to save $15..." Those reasons are unacceptable and the driver's point of view should be condemned.
Personally, I feel that it is very unfair for the deceased families to bear the full brunt of a stranger’s actions, which could have been prevented easily. If the driver’s relative were to get knocked down by a drunk driver, he too would feel the same amount of emotional angst as what other families would feel too. Placing himself in other people’s perspective would suffice to stop one form drink-driving anymore.
Now, after an accident, the worst thing Christopher could do is to escape from the scene. Fleeing reflects the cowardice, irresponsibility of one and proves even more that the offender should never be forgiven. I know that the subsequent punishment will bleak one’s future, and waste all his hard work in the past. If a guy dies from your moment of foolishness and irresponsibility, the least one could do would be owning up and receive punishment. To the estranged family, no matter how much gold or accomplishments would never bring their loved ones back.
On to the appeal itself, Christopher has no right to appeal. He did not even suffer any injury; and that the fines to such a huge local celebrity like him is nothing. Next, for celebrities like him, acquitting him would only set a bad example for his fans, and he himself would never learn from his own mistakes. Although he may not have caused any casualties, he might cause some the next time if he does not learn hard from this lesson.
Not only that, given the recent spate of drink driving accidents, a message must be sent to the public that such risks are not acceptable and will continue to be sternly treated. If not, everyone would start to go drink-driving and causing even more unnecessary deaths. Those drivers would then use Christopher’s case ‘If he can get away scot-free, why can’t I?’
Hence, I firmly believe in prosecuting Christopher. Only then, will others follow suit and check their own behavior. Only then will we be able to walk peacefully on the roads.
*At this point in time, I might still not know how important career is to me, since I am not in the working world yet. To a few, being sentenced to jail would mean the end of their hard work and their slogging and sacrifices for the past few years. As such, we should have a general sense of pity for the accused. Not only that, we all always feel that drink-driving is a condemnable action, but what if the driver what not at fault, and that the pedestrian was jay-walking? So, we should not always be biased agianst the drivers in road accidents, but instead analyze on a case-by-case basis.
Friday, May 11, 2007
BloG PoSt 3- Fat Teenagers
Article 3 URL:
http://www.stltoday.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=4564905
This article shows that teenage years decide whether one becomes an obese adult. Researchers have deduced that fat teenagers have a higher chance of growing up to be obese.
In response to the article which highlights that obese teenagers are also going to remain as obese adults, I feel that the teenagers are facing a difficult prospect in life ahead; they would still be laughed at, but only to a lesser extent. The chances of one finding a life-mate would be lower then.
Nowadays, we see the number of teenagers turning fat, due to simple reasons like unhealthy eating habits and laziness. I believe that nobody would like to be fat, since one would always be in great inconvenience and being constantly made a mockery of. Not only that, they would also be more prone to chronic diseases like heart attack & diabetes, and also have a long history of illnesses.
Not only that, in a social sense, fat people tend to have less friends as people are also biased against them for their large body mass. The latter are also regarded as ‘dumb’ and always be a victim of the relentless and evil teasing by others. It would be hard to prove others wrong with their accomplishment, due to the bias opinions against them. Having to endure being laughed at all the time without retaliating is no mean feat, and I really take my hat off to those who do so.
However, some of us are envious of fat people. They have the 6th freedom, Freedom of Eating, which enables them to enjoy all the heavenly delicacies which mortals would strive to avoid due to health issues. For example, when we see unhealthy but delicious food, but a physical test is round the corner, we would not abstain from eating it. However, to them, they would eat it, since they know that they would fail anyway.
Having this freedom also has a price to pay. If an overweight guy enters National Service, he will be suffering much more than others, since he would not be able to take the grueling physical demands. As such, with or without this freedom, everybody is still ‘equal’ overall.
Now, some may argue that being overweight is not a problem, as with the springing of many slimming centers; it would be extremely easy to burn those lipids, despite eating as much at the same time. Personally, I feel that it is pointless to gorge on food then waste money by going to slimming centers. Being overweight is a sign of unhealthiness, and one should watch out for one’s diet.
In the past, I used to habitually insult a fat person in my class. Until one day, I placed myself in his perspective, and found out what a miserable life he was leading, having to face a class, and a mean person who would call him names. As such, when I realized the atrocity of my actions, I stopped bullying him at once. From then on, I believed that 'fat' people should never be laughed at, for they have emotions as well and that no parent would want their child laughed at.
*I realised that coping with bullies is never an easy thing. Only by being a weel-built person can one then gain a bird's eye view of this incident.
http://www.stltoday.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=4564905
This article shows that teenage years decide whether one becomes an obese adult. Researchers have deduced that fat teenagers have a higher chance of growing up to be obese.
In response to the article which highlights that obese teenagers are also going to remain as obese adults, I feel that the teenagers are facing a difficult prospect in life ahead; they would still be laughed at, but only to a lesser extent. The chances of one finding a life-mate would be lower then.
Nowadays, we see the number of teenagers turning fat, due to simple reasons like unhealthy eating habits and laziness. I believe that nobody would like to be fat, since one would always be in great inconvenience and being constantly made a mockery of. Not only that, they would also be more prone to chronic diseases like heart attack & diabetes, and also have a long history of illnesses.
Not only that, in a social sense, fat people tend to have less friends as people are also biased against them for their large body mass. The latter are also regarded as ‘dumb’ and always be a victim of the relentless and evil teasing by others. It would be hard to prove others wrong with their accomplishment, due to the bias opinions against them. Having to endure being laughed at all the time without retaliating is no mean feat, and I really take my hat off to those who do so.
However, some of us are envious of fat people. They have the 6th freedom, Freedom of Eating, which enables them to enjoy all the heavenly delicacies which mortals would strive to avoid due to health issues. For example, when we see unhealthy but delicious food, but a physical test is round the corner, we would not abstain from eating it. However, to them, they would eat it, since they know that they would fail anyway.
Having this freedom also has a price to pay. If an overweight guy enters National Service, he will be suffering much more than others, since he would not be able to take the grueling physical demands. As such, with or without this freedom, everybody is still ‘equal’ overall.
Now, some may argue that being overweight is not a problem, as with the springing of many slimming centers; it would be extremely easy to burn those lipids, despite eating as much at the same time. Personally, I feel that it is pointless to gorge on food then waste money by going to slimming centers. Being overweight is a sign of unhealthiness, and one should watch out for one’s diet.
In the past, I used to habitually insult a fat person in my class. Until one day, I placed myself in his perspective, and found out what a miserable life he was leading, having to face a class, and a mean person who would call him names. As such, when I realized the atrocity of my actions, I stopped bullying him at once. From then on, I believed that 'fat' people should never be laughed at, for they have emotions as well and that no parent would want their child laughed at.
*I realised that coping with bullies is never an easy thing. Only by being a weel-built person can one then gain a bird's eye view of this incident.
Friday, March 16, 2007
BloG PoSt 2- Teenage Robber
Article 2 URL:
http://lwb.lawnet.com.sg/legal/lgl/rss/subcourts/52304.html
Recently, teenager Maria Dass was put to a reformative training centre (RTC) after committing two violent taxi robberies. Luckily for him, his 5 year jail term and caning was cut by Judge Rajah.
For his case, his grandmother attributed it to his short fuse and stubbornness which landed him in trouble. Not only that, living in a known gang hangout also caused him to be a bad boy. Dass was also said to be intellectually dull, which may result in him being influenced by his accomplices to rob cabbies.
Furthermore, Dass could not really be that bad, because he knew where his grandmother stashed all her jewellery but did not steal them at all.
Ironically, at first, his family members wanted him to be sentenced to jail instead. A prison term would mean that he would have a black record for life and would hinder him form finding a job in the future. Furthermore, a jail record would illustrate that he was a bad guy and leading to him not being accepted by society. In the end, the family changed their mind because the thought of caning really scared the daylights out of them.
But what intrigues me was why his family members wanted to sent him to jail instead of the RTC. After committing such heinous crimes, being sent to RTC would be considered a god's blessing. From their point of view, I feel that the underlying reason would be effectiveness in correction; considering the fact that Dass's two stints in Boys' Home had not changed him much, and in prison, there are not many people of his age that will lead him astray again. Whereas in RTC, there are many youngsters there convicted of petty crime; they would make Dass's reformation difficult.
This idea to me is quite new, for I have never read before such an unusual case of teenage offenders wanting to go to prison instead of RTC. Maybe, what the family members see is that going to RTC would be a waste of time, and having a black record would not really matter much, because he could help out with the family's grocery shop. I believe, for those who have commited crimes and wanted to reform but are unable to, they feel the same way too.
Personally, I feel that being sent to where does not really affect you much, it all depends on yourself. If Dass was sent to prison, but still hang out with those neighbourhood urchins, then the purpose would be self-defeating. If he went to the RTC and really set his mind on reforming, he would change for good.
Lastly, I feel that the person who I am shape my views, because only then will I be able to understand the whole situation beneath the context. If i just stick to a point of view, I will not know the family's reasons for doing so. This would be one blind spot, so we must put ourselves in other people's shoes and understand them. This would also ensure that students would learn better instead of just knowing the artificial content.
500 words
http://lwb.lawnet.com.sg/legal/lgl/rss/subcourts/52304.html
Recently, teenager Maria Dass was put to a reformative training centre (RTC) after committing two violent taxi robberies. Luckily for him, his 5 year jail term and caning was cut by Judge Rajah.
For his case, his grandmother attributed it to his short fuse and stubbornness which landed him in trouble. Not only that, living in a known gang hangout also caused him to be a bad boy. Dass was also said to be intellectually dull, which may result in him being influenced by his accomplices to rob cabbies.
Furthermore, Dass could not really be that bad, because he knew where his grandmother stashed all her jewellery but did not steal them at all.
Ironically, at first, his family members wanted him to be sentenced to jail instead. A prison term would mean that he would have a black record for life and would hinder him form finding a job in the future. Furthermore, a jail record would illustrate that he was a bad guy and leading to him not being accepted by society. In the end, the family changed their mind because the thought of caning really scared the daylights out of them.
But what intrigues me was why his family members wanted to sent him to jail instead of the RTC. After committing such heinous crimes, being sent to RTC would be considered a god's blessing. From their point of view, I feel that the underlying reason would be effectiveness in correction; considering the fact that Dass's two stints in Boys' Home had not changed him much, and in prison, there are not many people of his age that will lead him astray again. Whereas in RTC, there are many youngsters there convicted of petty crime; they would make Dass's reformation difficult.
This idea to me is quite new, for I have never read before such an unusual case of teenage offenders wanting to go to prison instead of RTC. Maybe, what the family members see is that going to RTC would be a waste of time, and having a black record would not really matter much, because he could help out with the family's grocery shop. I believe, for those who have commited crimes and wanted to reform but are unable to, they feel the same way too.
Personally, I feel that being sent to where does not really affect you much, it all depends on yourself. If Dass was sent to prison, but still hang out with those neighbourhood urchins, then the purpose would be self-defeating. If he went to the RTC and really set his mind on reforming, he would change for good.
Lastly, I feel that the person who I am shape my views, because only then will I be able to understand the whole situation beneath the context. If i just stick to a point of view, I will not know the family's reasons for doing so. This would be one blind spot, so we must put ourselves in other people's shoes and understand them. This would also ensure that students would learn better instead of just knowing the artificial content.
500 words
Sunday, February 11, 2007
BloG PoSt 1 - China Missile
Article 1 URL:
http://www.bestsharing.com/files/K61NO3Q218354/China%20-Satellite%20Missile%20Strike.doc.html
Just recently, China fired a missile to destroy a satellite. This has sparked off a series of events, which has raised a national debate over this incident. Hence, I have decided to use this missile firing incident as my ORP article 1.
The firing of a missile resembling an atomic bomb to destroy a satellite depicts that China has the possibility of igniting a new race for "space weapons", because it was the first to destroy satellites in space since 1980s after Soviet Union and U.S. Ironically, this also shows that the Republic's "peaceful rise" is just an illusion.
Not only that, as there are many countries around China in missile range, it might signify that those countries might be at risk of warring with China. It also proves that China can also shoot down spy satellites operated by other nations, and thus sparking off an extraterrestrial arms race.
One might feel that it is overly-sensitive to care about such "trivial" stuff, whereas others might feel that China is indeed boasting about its technological prowess. However, at this point in time, where there is no adequate evidence of China really wanting to go to war so it would be unreasonable to blame them. A novel way to look at this and not be biased will be to take the view of a bystander who will analyse the reasoning for both parties.
To China, this incident might be no big deal to them and does not really demonstrate any particular technological advancement, so some might feel that there is no need to feel threatened. However, to others, it might show that China has not only expanded its arms race to space and is also out to prove itself by destroying satellites because after all, they form an important part of communications. To United States, the debris resulted form the destroyed satellite could endanger the manned International Space Station and also orbiting satellites. Not only that, this incident is also a very big threat to India's unmanned space programme. As such, I feel that one should try to 'experience' the nervousness of being a country and a neibouring country(China) shooting a missile into space.
If China continues to use missiles to destroy satellites, then other countries might go attack China, forcing an arms control treaty and most probably starting the dreaded WW3. Also, given the history of some events of space issues, small things can cause very big problems. As such, China must better reason out this incident before it escalates into an arms race. I personally feel that China should provide the full details and then rejoining the consensus against testing in space. Furthermore, at times, we might not know how our actions could mean another thing to others, and so we must think thoroughly before every move. One must also not be afraid to apologise if really guilty of wrongdoings, in this case, China "wanting to wage war".
In conclusion, after reflecting on this incident, I feel that i have gained lots of invaluable experience. Firstly, the person who I am will change my views, because my views might be biased at times, thus leading me to misunderstanding some issues. Lastly, even if the truth is not very pleasant, we should not twist facts, and instead act on one's understanding.
(500 words)
http://www.bestsharing.com/files/K61NO3Q218354/China%20-Satellite%20Missile%20Strike.doc.html
Just recently, China fired a missile to destroy a satellite. This has sparked off a series of events, which has raised a national debate over this incident. Hence, I have decided to use this missile firing incident as my ORP article 1.
The firing of a missile resembling an atomic bomb to destroy a satellite depicts that China has the possibility of igniting a new race for "space weapons", because it was the first to destroy satellites in space since 1980s after Soviet Union and U.S. Ironically, this also shows that the Republic's "peaceful rise" is just an illusion.
Not only that, as there are many countries around China in missile range, it might signify that those countries might be at risk of warring with China. It also proves that China can also shoot down spy satellites operated by other nations, and thus sparking off an extraterrestrial arms race.
One might feel that it is overly-sensitive to care about such "trivial" stuff, whereas others might feel that China is indeed boasting about its technological prowess. However, at this point in time, where there is no adequate evidence of China really wanting to go to war so it would be unreasonable to blame them. A novel way to look at this and not be biased will be to take the view of a bystander who will analyse the reasoning for both parties.
To China, this incident might be no big deal to them and does not really demonstrate any particular technological advancement, so some might feel that there is no need to feel threatened. However, to others, it might show that China has not only expanded its arms race to space and is also out to prove itself by destroying satellites because after all, they form an important part of communications. To United States, the debris resulted form the destroyed satellite could endanger the manned International Space Station and also orbiting satellites. Not only that, this incident is also a very big threat to India's unmanned space programme. As such, I feel that one should try to 'experience' the nervousness of being a country and a neibouring country(China) shooting a missile into space.
If China continues to use missiles to destroy satellites, then other countries might go attack China, forcing an arms control treaty and most probably starting the dreaded WW3. Also, given the history of some events of space issues, small things can cause very big problems. As such, China must better reason out this incident before it escalates into an arms race. I personally feel that China should provide the full details and then rejoining the consensus against testing in space. Furthermore, at times, we might not know how our actions could mean another thing to others, and so we must think thoroughly before every move. One must also not be afraid to apologise if really guilty of wrongdoings, in this case, China "wanting to wage war".
In conclusion, after reflecting on this incident, I feel that i have gained lots of invaluable experience. Firstly, the person who I am will change my views, because my views might be biased at times, thus leading me to misunderstanding some issues. Lastly, even if the truth is not very pleasant, we should not twist facts, and instead act on one's understanding.
(500 words)
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