小中大(附英文原文：)
Gazing into the Year of the Ox
Although we were warned of the dreadful bite of the Rat, most of us were not prepared at all for the upheavals and nerve-racking crises that shook the world in 2008.
As we heave a big sigh of relief as the catastrophic Year of the Rat draws to a merciful close, dazed investors are emerging from their shelters to ask if the Year of the Ox will be any better. The truth is it is still difficult to be cheerful about prospects in the new year, as the adverse effects of the Rat year will continue to spill over.
It is clear that the fate of the global economy will continue to dominate the headlines in the Year of the Ox. Until September, Singapore and the rest of Asia had escaped much of the financial catastrophe that had threatened to bring down many Western financial institutions.
But now, the global credit crisis, which is billed as the financial tsunami of the century, has finally hit the region with full impact. Hopes that with the rise of China and India, Asia would ‘decouple’ were overly optimistic as the past months have shown that the world's fortunes are still heavily "coupled" with America’s.
Despite the sense of gloom, the Year of the Ox promises new beginnings and a whole lot of political excitement. Much of it is undoubtedly generated by the world’s leading man in 2009: President Barack Obama, who coincidentally was also born in the Year of Ox. How the global economy will fare in the new year and beyond will depend to a large extent on how well Obama steers the United States in his first year in office. All eyes are now on him to see how his presence in the White House will make a difference in America and the wider world.
Cartoonists, who are so used to satirizing the Bush presidency during the past eight years, will find it tough not having Bush around. While most editorial cartoonists agree that Obama is relatively easy to caricature, there is also a general consensus that he lacks obvious comic appeal. The new president has neither the verbal gaffes of Bush nor the prurient appetites of Bill Clinton.
Even if Obama fails to slip up, cartoonists can still have the consolation that one of their favourite targets is back: Hillary Clinton, and by extension, her husband. The world will be watching with keen interest and amusement as Bill Clinton travels with Hillary as the spouse of the Secretary of State.
The Year of the Ox will be a year full of significant anniversaries. The most obvious ones are the 80th anniversary of the start of the Great Depression, and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Having endured a year of natural disasters, riots and the logistical challenges of hosting the Olympics, China’s leaders will have no breather in the year ahead. China will face tests of whether its increased might will now be matched by an increased sense of global responsibility.
On the domestic front, the Chinese government will also be paying very close attention to their calendar in 2009. The coming months are studded with a string of major politically sensitive anniversaries, notably the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising and the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen protests.
An increasingly restive workforce and a new middle class troubled by a stock market slump and a faltering economic growth, combined with the sensitive anniversaries would make the Year of the Ox a very trying time for the Chinese leaders.
Elsewhere, there will also be a few interesting political developments in the Year of the Ox. Voters in countries like India, Indonesia, Israel and Iran will have the opportunity to express their views through the ballot box.
At the same time, after the infamous anti-Bush shoe-throwing incident, unpopular politicians worldwide will also be wondering if the event will create a new trend of people expressing their sentiments by voting with their shoes.
The Year of the Rat was a year of mayhem and never-ending crises, a period of immense frustration and cynicism. So it is perhaps unsurprising that the global financial turmoil has inspired a rich seam of humourous material.
During my recent presentation in Wellington, some members of the audience remarked that they were thankful for the existence of editorial cartoons, which in a way had helped them cope with the baffling chaotic situation. This is not an overstatement, as studies have proven that during times of crisis, humour can provide a vital way of relieving a sense of frustration and powerlessness. Humour in times of insanity is what keeps us sane. The present situation is too serious to be treated humourlessly! As we have heard time and again, humour is the best medicine. And, this is, I believe, the cartoon’s positive function in society.
As we usher in the Year of the Ox, this is also a special moment when we should count our blessings and pause to think of those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
At times like this, it is even more important for Singaporeans to pull together as a nation. While weathering the economic storm together, perhaps it may be helpful to remind ourselves of the rhetoric and simple “Yes We Can” mantra that resonated with such happy results for Obama.
The ox is the quintessential steadfast and patient worker which will put everything back in order and turn chaos back into reason. The Year of the Ox is just what is needed to clean up any mess and clutter left by the Rat!
