Chief Justice says: "Greed Works Most of the Time"
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What goes through your mind when you hear a Chief Justice say "Greed Works Most of the Time" in a Legal Forum???
"Our young lawyers enjoy a degree of professional and social freedom and mobility which lawyers of my generation have never experienced. Perhaps the solution is in the old fashion but still fashionable way of using carrots without the stick since the latter doesn't work. Pay them well. Greed works most of the time, even for the large majority of people in affluent societies," he said.
Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/294746/1/.html -
I would say, based on this statement only, that he is in error. People expect to be paid what they are worth and that has nothing to do with "greed". Greed is when you expect to be paid more than what you are worth.Originally posted by maurizio13:What goes through your mind when you hear a Chief Justice say "Greed Works Most of the Time" in a Legal Forum???
"Our young lawyers enjoy a degree of professional and social freedom and mobility which lawyers of my generation have never experienced. Perhaps the solution is in the old fashion but still fashionable way of using carrots without the stick since the latter doesn't work. Pay them well. Greed works most of the time, even for the large majority of people in affluent societies," he said.
Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/294746/1/.html
Many people do not even expect or desire to be paid what they think they are worth. That is why the TT Durai episode and the minister's pay increases left such a bitter taste in people's mouth.
When it comes to Charity funds and Public Money, it becomes GREED when you take as much as you can just because you are in a position of power to do so. People expect noble, honorable people to stand for office.
You cannot probe into their affairs and their motives constantly and when you see them so GREEDY, then your suspicions must be raised. You will be wondering if the policies they make are for the interest of themselves, their cronies, their party or for the Public good. -
some truth - afterall you got to pay them enough to stay away from corruptions
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That is like saying you should pay the gangsters extortion money so that they do not mess up your placeOriginally posted by Lin Yu:some truth - afterall you got to pay them enough to stay away from corruptions 
Or pay the Taliban money in exchange for the hostages and continue to pay them millions so that they do not take more hostages...
I can't believe you can buy into such gangsters/triad/barbarian logic. -
greed begets greed and it's sad to see an aging man falling into the same fallacy...instead of reaching out to the hearts of the young lawyers, he went for their wallets....
you can never pay enough, give a dollar today and it becomes a want for ten tomorrow...is it a wonder why anand subhas remains the choice of the desperates...he's probably one of the few who does more pro bono cases...
if more lawyers are leaving because of pay, then you up the intake, surely there will be those appreciative of the opportunity who would stay in the service...
many of those who enter the law faculty tend to come from the upper social strata and usually have lawyer family members, same for doctors....naturally these blokes tend to take their chances lightly, give some places to those qualified but from less resourced background and you can be assured of their gratitude to serve with passion... -
i didn't but others did.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:That is like saying you should pay the gangsters extortion money so that they do not mess up your place
Or pay the Taliban money in exchange for the hostages and continue to pay them millions so that they do not take more hostages...
I can't believe you can buy into such gangsters/triad/barbarian logic. if they lack passion, they don't suit the seat -
You must understand the reasons why they cannot simply "up the intake". They only want greedy and not idealistic people as these idealistic people will certainly be a threat to them.
You think idealistic people will stand for barbarians / gangsters lording over them?
Edited to add: This post is in reply to "countdracula 19 August 2007 · 10:49 AM " two posts up -
Originally posted by Lin Yu:i didn't but others did. if they lack passion, they don't suit the seat I know. Just using you to point out the stupidity of those "others".
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Hehehe....Originally posted by Lin Yu:some truth - afterall you got to pay them enough to stay away from corruptions
Now our judiciary has the same corruption level as our government. -
sadly, you are probably right.....history has proven the greedy hardly shares...Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:You must understand the reasons why they cannot simply "up the intake". They only want greedy and not idealistic people as these idealistic people will certainly be a threat to them.
You think idealistic people will stand for barbarians / gangsters lording over them?
Edited to add: This post is in reply to "countdracula 19 August 2007 · 10:49 AM " two posts up -
Greed is boundless.Originally posted by countdracula:greed begets greed and it's sad to see an aging man falling into the same fallacy...instead of reaching out to the hearts of the young lawyers, he went for their wallets....
you can never pay enough, give a dollar today and it becomes a want for ten tomorrow...is it a wonder why anand subhas remains the choice of the desperates...he's probably one of the few who does more pro bono cases...
if more lawyers are leaving because of pay, then you up the intake, surely there will be those appreciative of the opportunity who would stay in the service...
many of those who enter the law faculty tend to come from the upper social strata and usually have lawyer family members, same for doctors....naturally these blokes tend to take their chances lightly, give some places to those qualified but from less resourced background and you can be assured of their gratitude to serve with passion...
Give a man an inch and he wants a yard, give him a yard and he wants a mile.
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if i can keep a dog, i want one that will wag its tail when i come home
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It's good to know that we are greedy but incorruptible.Originally posted by Lin Yu:if i can keep a dog, i want one that will wag its tail when i come home -
This simply imply that our legal profession is facing shortage of lawyers and generally are not paid well enough to justify their amount of workload.Originally posted by maurizio13:What goes through your mind when you hear a Chief Justice say "Greed Works Most of the Time" in a Legal Forum???
Marketing gimmick if you ask me. -
You will never own a rottweiler or pug.Originally posted by Lin Yu:if i can keep a dog, i want one that will wag its tail when i come home -
i want a dog that will never bite its mistress hand. so rotweiler is not for me.Originally posted by maurizio13:You will never own a rotweiler or pug. -
entry level lawyers are starting close to $4k...i know many people working twice as hard for half the pay...it's the attitude stupid...time for a new chief justice...
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Quote for WikipediaOriginally posted by maurizio13:It's good to know that we are greedy but incorruptible. Greed is selfish, excessive or uncontrolled desire for or pursuit of money, wealth, food, or other possessions, especially when this denies the same goods to others.
It is generally considered a vice, and is one of the seven deadly sins in Catholicism. (People who do not view unconstrained acquisitiveness as a vice will generally use a word other than greed, which has strong negative connotations.)
Some desire to increase one's wealth is nearly universal and acceptable in any culture, but this simple want is not considered greed. Greed is the extreme form of this desire, especially where one desires things simply for the sake of owning them. Greed may entail acquiring material possessions at the expense of another person's welfare (for example, a father buying himself a new car rather than fix the roof of his family's home) or otherwise reflect flawed priorities.
Coveting another person's goods is usually called envy, a word commonly confused with jealousy. The two words denote opposite forms of greed. We may envy and wish to have the possessions or qualities of another, but we jealously guard the possessions or qualities we believe we have and refuse to share these with others. Greed for food or drink, combined with excessive indulgence in them, is called gluttony. Excessive greed for and indulgence in sex is called lust, although this term no longer carries as negative connotations as it once did.
Greed is sometimes represented by the frog.
A woodcut by Ugo da Carpi, is entitled "Hercules Chasing Avarice from the Temple of the Muses." [1]. Thomas Aquinas metaphorically described the sin of Avarice as "Mammon being carried up from Hell by a wolf, coming to inflame the human heart with Greed".
Proponents of laissez-faire capitalism sometimes argue that greed should not be considered a negative trait and should instead be embraced, as they claim that greed is a profoundly benevolent force in human affairs, as well as a necessary foundation for the capitalist system. Critics have argued this definition confuses greed with self-interest, which can be benign.
[edit] Greed vs. Happiness
Buddhists believe greed is based on incorrectly connecting material wealth with happiness. This is caused by a view that exaggerates the positive aspects of an object; that is, acquiring material objects has less impact than we imagine on our feelings of happiness. This view has been correlated by studies in the field of happiness economics, which confirm that beyond the provision of a basic level of material comfort, more wealth does not create greater happiness. -
Actually $4K is very good for entry level graduates. I wonder how many grads get $4K for entry level.Originally posted by countdracula:level entry lawyers are starting close to $4k...i know many people working twice as hard for half the pay...it's the attitude stupid...time for a new chief justice...
But I guess CJ is right, we should promote GREED in Singapore. -
Gordon Gekko's Words of Wisdom from the movie "Wall Street":
Gordon Gekko: Teldar Paper, Mr. Cromwell, Teldar Paper has 33 different vice presidents each earning over 200 thousand dollars a year. Now, I have spent the last two months analyzing what all these guys do, and I still can't figure it out. One thing I do know is that our paper company lost 110 million dollars last year, and I'll bet that half of that was spent in all the paperwork going back and forth between all these vice presidents. The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfittest. Well, in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated. In the last seven deals that I've been involved with, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pretax profit of 12 billion dollars. Thank you. I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much.
Gordon Gekko: Greed is good.
Gordon Gekko: If you need a friend, get a dog.
I think our ministers must have lots of dogs as friends. -
you guys are overreacting...
what the hell is the CJ talking about?
who the hell are the people the CJ are talking about?
they are lawyers right??
i'd say something about lawyers but i was taught to keep my mouth shut if i have nothing good to say about them.. -
I have engaged lawyers before, what turned out to be a $5k estimated legal cost ballooned to $15k, I withdrew my suit thereafter, because I know I can never recover any of my legal cost as my debtor is insolvent. And who knows what is the final cost after the judgement for the case. If you don't pay, they can take you to court for free, whereas you still have to engage another lawyer to defend your case.Originally posted by the Bear:you guys are overreacting...
what the hell is the CJ talking about?
who the hell are the people the CJ are talking about?
they are lawyers right??
i'd say something about lawyers but i was taught to keep my mouth shut if i have nothing good to say about them..
Former lawyers include T.T. Durai.
Oh yes, not to forget our benevolent fascist. -
Maybe you can get a gazelle or a lion, they make very faithful pets.Originally posted by Lin Yu:i want a dog that will never bite its mistress hand. so rotweiler is not for me. -
This reminds me of those ancient Chinese sword fighting movies where the dying man ask his killer why he did it and the killer replied: "For the money"Originally posted by countdracula:sadly, you are probably right.....history has proven the greedy hardly shares...
The dying man then says: "But you are already so rich..."
The killer then laughs his sinister evil greedy laugh and says: "Shi sang na you ren xian jian duo?" (Who in the world complains of having too much money) -
How much is too much is really subjective and depends on the state of the economy, supply and demand. What this article is trying highlight is reality of life and young smart and capable people are all driven $$ and thats what make the world goes round.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:I would say, based on this statement only, that he is in error. People expect to be paid what they are worth and that has nothing to do with "greed". Greed is when you expect to be paid more than what you are worth.
Instead of focusing on the word GREED, I think you guys should ask yourself why didnt you sign on in the army or police force serving this country and why are you doing what you are doing and not something that pay you less.
As far as i know Greed is something happens everywhere and that is why bankers are being paid 6 to 7 figures bonus a year, EPL footballers are being 150K GBP per week, or F1 racer being paid US$1m per race. And all the rich millionaires in Europe are mostly living in tax friendly places like Switzerland and Monaco because of they want to be richer by paying less tax.