More people commit suicide
More people commit suicide
It is a sad indicator of a society in trouble when the number of people who kill themselves grows higher.
A recent case of suicide was that of pregnant house-wife, Eriani Adriani, 26, over a Rp 2.9 million debt.
A 12-year-old student living in Garut, West Java, tried to kill himself because his parents couldn't provide Rp 2,500 for an additional school-subject -- handicraft. He was saved, but suffers from brain damage.
A patient of the Jakarta Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital jumped from the fifth floor of the hospital to her death, as she was unable to afford her treatment.
Suicide is apparently not just the "way out" for poor people, as Marimutu Manimaren -- the younger brother of the boss of Texmaco Group -- also killed himself by jumping from a hotel balcony.
People from various social backgrounds and ages commit suicide out of desperation. From the above, we can conclude that the victims were all experiencing financial problems.
Suicide is not an individual symptom. It is a social trend, and a very serious problem. Social cohesion has become rare, forcing people to solve their own problems.
The victims' financial problems existed because of the country's prolonged crisis; not their conundrums.
It's time for the government to deal with the problem, by, among other things, improving social welfare and rebuilding social cohesion, which has been corroded by individualism and materialism.
-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta
;AFTENPOSTEN; Anpak..r.. OtherOp-India-Pakistan Bombay bombing and India-Pakistan ties JP/06/
Bombay bombing and India-Pakistan ties
So far, no one has taken responsibility for the terror action in the Indian city of Bombay in which about 50 people lost their lives and 150 were seriously injured. It can therefore only be pure speculation about who was behind it, even though India authorities already pointed to militant Islamic organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, based in Pakistan. ...
Lashkar-e-Taiba is one of two terror organizations fighting for a free Kashmir, and has strong indirect support from Pakistan. ...
Pakistan was quick to condemn the Bombay bomb, which was aimed at innocent civilians. At first, India accepted the condemnation. But yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, known as a hawk in foreign policy, said Pakistan's declaration would not be credible unless the country turns over 19 people that India wants for terrorism.
It is hard to say whether that statement signals a harder Indian line that could torpedo the difficult peace process Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee put his prestige behind. ... If that dialogue breaks down, the consequences will be great.
-- Aftenposten, Oslo, Norway
The recall and special interests
Remember California's do-nothing Legislature, the hapless body that couldn't pass the state budget for months and didn't fix anything when it finally did?
The Oct. 7 recall election has made those days a thing of the past. ... Suddenly, legislators are ready to get to work, and work hard, to crank out legislation at breakneck speed.
In total, Gov. Gray Davis stands to sign or veto as many as 1,300 pieces of legislation - that's more than 10 for every member of the Legislature - before his Oct. 7 judgment day.
And it's judgment day that drives the frenzy. Special interests of all kinds - business, labor, attorneys and more - know that Davis is desperate for campaign cash and so is everyone else.
...(T)he special interests see this time as a going-out-of- business sale - everything must go, no reasonable offer refused. This is their chance for once-in-a-lifetime bargains, deals that won't still be around should the state come under new management on Oct. 8. ...
Because business in Sacramento is done with a wink and a nod - rather than a quid and a quo - it's impossible for anyone to prove any actual wrongdoing except for those foolish enough to get caught on tape. But the signs are everywhere, and 1,300 new laws from now, it's doubtful that the lot of average Californians will be any better....
-- Daily News, Los Angeles
Shipyards
The closing of the Van der Giessen De Noord shipyard is a bad business.
Not only is it bad for the 400 people who will lose their jobs, but also bad for the Netherlands: a piece of history and expertise will be lost.
The shipyard ran into financial problems in part because of competition from countries that pay their workers less. That's a market force that the ship building industry can't escape.
Worse is the accusation that other countries - especially other countries in Europe - unfairly subsidize their shipyards.
The European Union should investigate this charge. -- De Telegraaf, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Shuttle report
The seven astronauts who perished with the Shuttle Columbia on Feb. 1 could have been saved. NASA does not do enough for the safety of its men. These are the conclusions reached by a panel of experts charged with determining who was responsible for the accident.
It is a very harsh accusation brought against the American space agency. The defense is as expected: it was impossible to foresee that the small damage to the heat shield tiles would be fatal.
It will be a long debate. What is certain is that NASA is no longer the organization that made us dream at the time of the lunar missions.
In the Sixties, space exploration had similar goals to military research and commanded almost unlimited resources. This is no longer the case.
Paradoxically, as space travel becomes routine, the adventure becomes more dangerous. Of course there's no such thing as a zero risk, but the real question is one of conscience. Did NASA really do everything that was humanly possible? Isn't it time for certain senators in Congress to examine their consciences as they suggest patching up old shuttles instead of investing in new development? -- La Stampa, Turin, Italy