Does high pay equate to good government?

Following the recent pay rise for ministers, there is heated debate about whether the ministers' pay is reasonable, and whether such amount of money are needed for a good government. Before giving my opinion, there is a need to look at some facts. A minister's revised annual salary is now $1.6 million and the Prime Minister's a whooping $3.1 million. Now let me get to my point. I personally feel that there is no need to have such high pay. After all the world's most powerful man, George W. Bush does not get even half as much and his country is doing well. Secondly, if money is the fuel to attract potential leaders to be involved in governing the country, can you guarantee that these future leaders really want to serve the people or are they in it just for the money?
Looking from another point, who dare say that Singapore was not governed properly for the past 4 decades? Despite frequent tax increases, Singaporeans never really met with major hardships under the government. Singaporean ministers do deserve that kind of pay. Then again, the salaries come from the citizens' taxes. I suggest that if ministers' salaries can be slightly lowered so that the citizens can have a better life.

US College Massacre

Groundbreaking news have happened last week, when 33 people were killed at Virginia Tech University. A South Korean, Cho Seung Hui, apparently mentally unsound, became the murderer of the greatest college massacre in history. This one person have caused terror throughout the United States and shock back in South Korea. Tensions rise after the massacre. Will copycat acts run rampant in the country? Are the South Koreans who are living in the States ever safe again after what a fellow countryman did? The American and South Korean governments are currently trying their best to curb the social unrest. However, at important point to take note of is that only Cho is responsible for the mass murder. An individual, not a people, have done such a terrible sin. Just because Cho is a South Korean does not mean that all Koreans are violent in nature. This incident should not be the reason for weakened diplomatic ties between America and South Korea.
Could this terrible massarce be avoided? Apparently from the video that featured Cho in arms, the answer is yes. He had said that "You had a hundred billion chances and ways to have avoided today but you decided to spill my blood. You forced me into the corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours. Now you have blood in your hands that will never wash off." If what he said was true, then his parents, lecturers and roommates have missed many warning signs. Perhaps the root of his psychological problems started from young. Despite his intelligence, Cho had difficulty in speech. His parents, however, has overlooked his quietness and allowed his dark side to grow. Even at college, Cho had records of stalking girls and being violent in his writing. All these and more mounted up to the day of the massacre. How can somebody like Cho be allowed to walk around freely? If people paid more attention to these warning signs, this incident would not have happened.