Tag: World Trade Centre

The Irony & Tyranny Of It All . . .

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By Paul Chong / Friday, 7 November 2014

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The 9/11 attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, the mystery of which still hangs in the air. Believably, it’s a ploy & strategy for US justification to strike at others.

It’s moronic, insane & totally unthinkable for any country in the world to dare to invade or attack the US with all its war weapons & sophisticated military technology, nuclear power & capabilities, war ships & plane fighters, its fleet of aircraft carriers, its thousands of military bases covering the surface of the world. It would be suicidal & absolutely insane to say the least.

However, US is contradictorily telling the world that its national safety & security are being threatened. It’s driving itself like crazy to war with Russia, creating turmoil , chaos & instability just about everywhere. Its gutter level of propaganda is unimaginable.

President Obama, recipient of the Nobel Prize Award for Peace, has waged more wars than his predecessor Bush, besides constantly threatening wars on others. This is really ironic & laughable for he should be expected to promote peace rather than war. Shouldn’t his Nobel Prize be withdrawn?

There’s an old adage to make friends rather than enemies for even one enemy may turn out to be everywhere you turn. The Chinese are being wise extending peace & goodwill wherever they go – building, developing & sharing with other nations the prospect of prosperity. It’s clear to see the American are doing the reverse laying waste & destruction.

The American are indeed following the footstep of Islam, as invented by Prophet Mohammad, not as a religion of peace but as to justify his aggregation of worldly power & wealth.

If the American act as though all Muslims are evil, they run the risk of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are well educated Muslims who generally are decent & peace-loving who deserve human respect & friendship.

Smile begets smile. Aggression begets aggression. That’s the natural law in operation. The same goes towards making friends or enemies.

I am no politician but like most observers will perceive, US is driving in all possible directions to provoke Russia to war over the question of Ukraine. Good thing that Russia has the good sense to remain cool & patient. Both countries have nuclear capabilities. Should there be a war, both will be annihilated.

China is not a hostile country. It certainly does not come near to compare with the might & power of US military. China quite easily is still 20 years behind the US in terms of military capabilities & technology. Given US technical assets, it will be a long way before China stands head over shoulder in this respect . . . unless China has had made some secret serious strides in the last few years.

What is there for US to fear except fear itself. Let’s hope US is not acting like a lame tiger in the jungle of survival, desperately pouncing & devouring on every animal big or small.

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Taipei 101 Tower

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Taipei’s 101 Tower

(By Paul Chong)

SANY1821When terrorists struck and sealed the fate and tragedy of the WorldTrade Centre in 2001, Pernas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia claimed the honour of being the tallest structure in the world. In 2004, Taipei’s 101 Tower then stood tallest. Its supremacy has since been dwarfed by Burj Dubai at 800 metres & then Al Burj at 1200 metres appears unassailable, especially with its capacity & provision for its height increase if & whenever challenged. Dubai is the place where oil money is transforming the desert landscape with not just the tallest structures but the most futuristic & superlative developments imaginable.

(Picture of Burj Dubai below)

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Al Burj

It is all a question of national pride to have the tallest building in the world ; the biggest and best in everything is the name of the game. For instance, right now China is in a frenzy building more than half a dozen of mega shopping malls covering thousands of square metres. In terms of height, Shanghai would soon have a building superseding that of Taipei but not quite as tall to overtake those two structures in Dubai.

Taipei’s 101 Tower stands in solitude among the overall lower buildings. In general, Taipei is not a city of skyscrapers like Manhattan. By itself, it does not appear to be that awesome and tall. Further, the grey wintry polluted sky does not help to enhance the glory and splendour of the building.

In my three weeks stay in Taipei, I have been constantly reminded by the fact that Taiwan is a FREE country.¨ The word takes on the connotation of being chaotic without order – anything goes, whether it’s the traffic system, building codes, government administration or general business culture. The age of capitalism eats into every fibre of the country. One can be held to be legal in an illegal situation.

Even in Parliament, as often seen on TV, politicians put on public display their free for all prowess action with fists & blows in their furore. This is the practice of democracy not just with the mouths but with hands, fists & legs as well – male or female.

Though the city of just over two million population has multiple lanes for its traffic, chaotic u-turns and crossings spell awe for visitors. It is not unusual to expect traffic jams along major highways with motorists agonizing in long haul and delay. Urban pollution, shanty housings, homeless people sleeping around in car parks of shopping centres, railway or MRT stations are just some of the pressing problems to be eradicated in order to boost the image of Taipei as a tourist destination.

Prestigious tall 101 Tower will not sweep all the unsightliness of the city under its roof, when all the roofs and grounds of the city require due attention. However, its seediness of prostitution appeared to be swept clean without the visible & enhancing sign boards of “VD Clinic” as displayed on my first visit to Taipei in 1972.