LAST Saturday's articles ("Dying shouldn't be so brutal" and "Rise of the frugal economy") drew attention to two important issues that we need to address - the realities of death and money, for they affect our approach to health care.
First, we need to come to terms with our mortality. It has been said that it is better to die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.
Facing up to death will help us make better and more informed decisions about medical care and avoid futile treatments that may add years to our lives but diminish the quality of our remaining life.
As the writer Ira Byock rightly pointed out, there is a lot we can do to make the process of dying safer as the end of life approaches, whether death is welcomed or feared. We can also improve the quality of life, as well as extend our survival and save money.
Second, we need to change our attitude towards money.
In the second article, writers Navi Radjou and Jaideep Prabhu called attention to a very important truth - a self-organising frugal economy can generate millions of dollars in value and create millions of jobs.
As they pointed out, the Internet, mobile technologies and social media have eliminated the intangible costs associated with search, bargaining, decision-making, and enforcement in many sectors.
We also need to recognise the very important difference between a welfare state and a cooperative society.
In a welfare state, taxes are collected from the rich to help the poor. In a cooperative society, rich and poor pool their financial resources for the common good.
When everyone gives their "small change" to make a big change in the nation, there will be more than enough to provide basic, essential and universal medical care, as well as reduce the cost of education, transport and other essential services.
We need to encourage our citizens to pay their taxes as an expression of gratitude for the opportunities for them to earn their living. Taxes should not be seen as a burden, but as a responsibility for those of us who are doing well, to ensure that our fellow citizens are well taken care of.
We urgently need to transform our selfish and competitive society into a cooperative and compassionate nation.
Patrick Kee Chin Wah (Dr)
First, we need to come to terms with our mortality. It has been said that it is better to die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.
Facing up to death will help us make better and more informed decisions about medical care and avoid futile treatments that may add years to our lives but diminish the quality of our remaining life.
As the writer Ira Byock rightly pointed out, there is a lot we can do to make the process of dying safer as the end of life approaches, whether death is welcomed or feared. We can also improve the quality of life, as well as extend our survival and save money.
Second, we need to change our attitude towards money.
In the second article, writers Navi Radjou and Jaideep Prabhu called attention to a very important truth - a self-organising frugal economy can generate millions of dollars in value and create millions of jobs.
As they pointed out, the Internet, mobile technologies and social media have eliminated the intangible costs associated with search, bargaining, decision-making, and enforcement in many sectors.
We also need to recognise the very important difference between a welfare state and a cooperative society.
In a welfare state, taxes are collected from the rich to help the poor. In a cooperative society, rich and poor pool their financial resources for the common good.
When everyone gives their "small change" to make a big change in the nation, there will be more than enough to provide basic, essential and universal medical care, as well as reduce the cost of education, transport and other essential services.
We need to encourage our citizens to pay their taxes as an expression of gratitude for the opportunities for them to earn their living. Taxes should not be seen as a burden, but as a responsibility for those of us who are doing well, to ensure that our fellow citizens are well taken care of.
We urgently need to transform our selfish and competitive society into a cooperative and compassionate nation.
Patrick Kee Chin Wah (Dr)
