In this modern world, people can go to

the bank and have business without face

to face interaction anymore. What are the
effects of this to the individuals and to
the society? What is your opinion?
Internet banking is a term used to describe
the process whereby a client executes
banking transactions via electronic means.
This kind of banking eradicates the
necessity of physical movement to financial
positions. This type of banking uses the
internet as the chief medium of delivery by
which banking activities are executed. The
activities clients are able to carry out are
can be classified to as transactional and
non transactional.
Non transactional activities
Account balance viewing
Viewing of previous bank
transactions
Bank statement downloading
heck book ordering
Viewing of images of paid che!ues
" banking and # banking
applications downloading
$rovision of account% bank
statements
Transactional activities
#lectronic funds transfer
Bill payments and wire transfers
&oan application and repayments
Buying investment products
Internet banking has its advantages and
disadvantages.
Advantages of Internet banking
onvenience ' Banks that offer
internet banking are open for
business transactions anywhere a
client might be as long as there is
internet connection. Apart from
periods of website maintenance(
services are available )* hours a
day and +,- days round the year. In
a scenario where internet connection
is unavailable( customer services
are provided round the clock via
telephone.
At the touch of a button( actual time
account balances and information
are availed. This hastens the
banking processes hence increasing
their efficiency and effectiveness.
.nline banking allows for easier
updating and maintaining of direct
accounts. The time for changing
mailing address is greatly reduced(
ordering of additional checks is
availed and provision of actual time
interest rates.
/riendlier rates ' &ack of substantial
support and overhead costs results
to direct banks offering higher
interest rates on savings and charge
lower rates on mortgages and loans.
0ome banks offer high yield
certificate of deposits and don1t
penali2e withdrawals on certificate of
deposits( opening of accounts
without minimum deposits and no
minimum balance.
Transfer services ' .nline banking
allows automatic funding of accounts
from long established bank accounts
via electronic funds transfers.
#ase of monitoring ' A client can
monitor his%her spending via a virtual
wallet through certain banks and
applications and enable payments.
#ase of transaction ' the speed of
transaction is faster relative to use of
AT"1s or customary banking.
3isadvantages of Internet banking
Banking relationship ' ustomary
banking allows creation of a
personal touch between a bank and
its clients. A personal touch with a
bank manager for example can
enable the manager to change terms
in your account since he%she has
some discretion in case of any
personal circumstantial change. It
can include reversal of an
undeserved service charge.
0ecurity matters ' 3irect banks are
governed by laws and regulations
similar to those of customary banks.
Accounts are protected by /ederal
3eposit Insurance orporation
4/3I5.
omplex encryption software is used
to protect account information.
6owever( there are no perfect
systems. Accounts are prone to
hacking attacks( phishing( malware
and illegal activities.
&earning ' Banks with complicated
sites can be cumbersome to
navigate and may re!uire one to
read through tutorials to navigate
them.
Transaction problems ' face to face
meeting is better in handling
complex transactions and problems.
ustomary banks may call for
meetings and seek expert advice to
solve issues.
.nline banking( or the ability to manage
bank transactions over the Internet(
provides services today that many depend
on. 6owever( the ability manage banking
from a home computer is fewer than 78
years old. This practice has fundamentally
changed personal money management in a
very short time period. 6ave a !uestion9
:et an answer from a personal finance
professional now;
Online banking is becoming more
popular for people who lead a busy
life. Its cheaper, its easier, and it
saves time. I have online banking
myself and it has both its advantages
and disadvantages. An advantage of
online banking that convinced me to
sign up is that its free. There isnt any
monthly fee to maintain an account as
there are with traditional banks who
want $!"$# monthly to have a
standard account. Im able to access
my account whenever Id like from my
computer or my mobile device which
saves me a trip to the bank, using a
mobile device for online banking also
can allow you to be noti$ed of any
transactions on your account or simply
if you have a low balance. %astly,
online banks tend to have higher
interest rates since traditional banks
have to spend money on running their
branches and other similar e&penses.
'ome disadvantages of online banking
would be that it takes longer to open
an account, various connection issues,
and no bank relationship. (rom
e&perience when opening my account
it took at least week to be able to use
my money, I had to sign and mail out
a signature card, wait for my debit
card and checks. One thing about
having e"banking is that in order to
use it you have to be online or at least
have a fast enough connection
otherwise you cant access your
money, and sometimes theres other
connection issues that prevent you
from accessing your money, like if the
website is under maintenance. %astly
some people prefer to have a
relationship with the bank so to say,
they prefer to handle problems face to
face rather than resolving the issue by
calling or emailing. )ersonally online
banking is more convenient for me
despite the disadvantages but some
people prefer traditional banking or a
mi& of the two
Page 1 of 2
The :ood and the Bad of .nline Banking
<ith the onset of the Internet technology(
there are a lot of things that you can take
advantage of. =ou can do your shopping
online( do business transactions( and even
do your banking. .nline banking has set a
revolution in how business is done. Not only
would you benefit from personal banking but
doing your business transactions online
proved to be very beneficial too and can
save you a lot of time and money. But >ust
like in all things( online banking has its
advantages and disadvantages. If you are
thinking twice about online banking( here
are some pros and cons that you might
want to consider. The :ood?
)*%@ availability
=ou can access your bank account online
any time of the day( even on holidays. =ou
can check and monitor your transactions
with >ust a few clicks of the mouse even in
the wee hours of the morning. Accessibility
<henever there is Internet access( you can
always check your bank transactions. This
is best for business travelers and those who
are in far away areas. 0uch accessibility is
very beneficial when in comes to
emergencies and you need to access your
account. 0peedy transactions
.ne of the advantages of online banking is
that you can save a lot of time. No longer
would you have to wait in line for your
!ueue in banks or in AT" machines.
onfirmation and execution of your
transaction can be done in a matter of
second. "ultitasking
Not only can you monitor your bank
transactions online( but you can also
manage other types of account like IAA(
securities and 3s. If you are an investor
you can also take advantage of financial
tools like stock !uotes( rate alerts and other
managing programs. The Bad?
Aegistration process
If you want to enroll you in online banking(
you may have to devote some time doing
so. =ou need to go to your local branch and
fill out an application form. =ou also need to
provide them with valid identification cards.
Approval may take + days to @ days.
3ifficulty in using...
Some people say that health care and
education should be the responsibility of
the government abut others think that it
is the responsibility of the individuals
themselves. Discuss both views and give
your opinion
Healthy and educated citizens are the
driving force of a nation's productivity; thus,
some contend that the government should
invest on this for the people to achieve their
optimum well being. On the contrary, many
individuals think that the people themselves
should be the sole responsible in assuming
this role. I embrace the idea that cooperation
between government and its people is the
key to success in having efficient healthcare
and effective education.
overnment has a big role in providing its
citizens proper healthcare system and proper
education. !or instance, the government
should allot budget in providing healthcare
professionals, vaccines and medicines,
health educational materials and health
centers for different communities. !or the
poor people to have access in proper
healthcare, government"s healthcare free
facilities should be available. #his is
possible because many healthcare
organization like the $OH and %HO
e&tends helps specially for the developing
countries. !urthermore, government should
invest in building more institutions in
remote places so that many students can
have formal education. In addition, the
government should provide scholarships.
!or e&ample, in the 'hilippines the
government funds short term technical skill
courses like #()$* for those students who
cannot go to college. Hence, because of this
short courses, it is still possible for them to
be employed.

On the other hand, others think that
people themselves should be responsible
enough and not depend on the government
because health and education are personal
matters. !or e&ample, though many
healthcare facilities and educational
institutions are available, if many
individuals are still not compliant and not
interested, these provisions will still be
useless. !or e&ample, there are many parents
who are lazy in taking their children for
vaccination and there are patients who are
not complaint in taking their medications. In
addition, there are many students who are
contented not to have formal education
eventhough they are encouraged to do so.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that both
the government and the people should
assume a staunch role in achieving proper
healthcare and education. %ith this, the
country can be more productive and the
people can be more empowered.
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENT
+y ,oland %atson
-essons in $emocracy
#his website is primarily about democracy, not
government. #his reflects the fact that government is
in a sense separate from the political system to which
it is sub.ect. *ll nations, with the e&ception of failed
states, have government. (ven dictatorships regularly
have e&tensive bureaucracy to at least give the
appearance of doing something for the people. +ut
the real ob.ectives of dictators are simple/ to stay in
power, and self0enrichment. #he ob.ectives of
democratic government are, one would hope, less
selfish, and sincere.
#he government of a democracy is accountable to the
people. It must fulfill its end of the social contract.
*nd, in a practical sense, government must be
accountable because of the severe conse1uences that
may result from its failure. *s the outcomes of
fighting un.ust wars and inade1uately responding to
critical threats such as global warming illustrate/
great power implies great responsibility.
*ccountability in turn has two components, that
different government responsibilities are completed
properly, if not with e&cellence, and that government
power is not abused.
#he central purpose of government in a democracy is
to be the role model for, and protector of, e1uality
and freedom and our associated human rights. !or the
first, government leaders are social servants, since
through completing their specific responsibilities they
serve society and the people. +ut above and beyond
this they must set an ethical standard, for the people
to emulate. !or the second, the legal system and
associated regulation are the basic means to such
protection, along with the institutions of the military,
for defense against foreign threats, and the police.
#raditionally, people did not need government. %e
survived as a species for the bulk of our e&istence
without any government at all. However, since our
population has now risen dramatically, we do re1uire
some government, if only to increase the efficiency
of our social organization. +ut, as we moved from
e&tended families to tribes and then to nations, we
also developed from a situation of no government to
one where the institution became massive, impacting
all areas of life.
*lso, over the centuries shadow governments
developed as well, from courts, to oppositions, to the
contemporary conte&t with special interests, lobbyists
and 2think0tanks.3 Our e&istence has changed from
one where nobody told us anything, to modern
society, where we are told by a powerful central
government, and numerous parallel groups, what to
do about everything.
(ven given these changes, though, we still re1uire
little government. %hile political leaders may strive
to convince us otherwise, we are able to fulfill our
own needs. %e are responsible for ourselves, and we
can take care of ourselves. 4ountless people around
the world still live independently, without the benefit
of any government assistance.
#his illustrates a fundamental distinction/
government e&ists to help us protect our rights, but
we must satisfy our needs.
!or protection, this was traditionally thought of only
in physical terms, i.e., of defense against aggressive
groups. In the modern world, though, the concept has
necessarily been e&panded. 5owadays, with all the
social ills that e&ist, we re1uire many different forms
of protection, including from other groups, or
nations, as in defense; from criminals; from other
powerful institutions; and from the government itself.
Indeed, while we of course still need a means of
defense, including against both e&ternal and internal
6criminal7 aggressors, it seems clear that our greatest
need for protection is from other institutions and
from the abuses of government itself, particularly its
collusion with these other institutions. 68any of the
needs that we now have for government are actually
to solve the problems that it creates.7
*n additional protective role for government is
stewardship over the natural world, to defend other
forms of life.
* second general role, related to the need for
efficiency, is the organization of large0scale pro.ects.
It is for this benefit that we accept government
involvement in the construction of society"s
infrastructure, including roads, posts and
telecommunications, and water, sewage and energy
utilities. !urther, giving government charge over
these utilities guarantees that they remain in public
hands, and solely dedicated to the common good. If
such services are privatized, the owners have a selfish
motivation, which could negatively affect the 1uality
of the services.
#hat such assets should have public ownership is
e&pressed in the idea of the 2commons.3 #hey should
be owned by and shared between the members of the
current population, and preserved for future
generations.
It is here that the distinction of rights versus needs
surfaces. %e have rights to e1uality and freedom, but
do we also have rights to food and water and shelter,
and such things as health care, education and social
security9 #here are great differences of opinion over
the role that government should have, and most such
differences boil down to this basic 1uestion. *s
government has grown, its role has e&panded beyond
protection, of our rights, to assistance, with our
needs.
#here is of course no reason why we can"t increase
the purpose of government. Having a society where
all people are guaranteed health care and where the
poor and elderly receive assistance can be taken as a
sign of real civilization. !rom this perspective, then,
it is acceptable that government fulfills 2social
welfare3 responsibilities. +ut, we must recognize that
as we add these services, we want to do it in a way
that does not undermine personal responsibility, i.e.,
assistance should only be given when people truly are
unable to help themselves. !urther, we are going to
have to pay for this, and in many different ways. 5ot
only is there the direct financial cost; as government
grows it becomes unwieldy and much more open to
corruption and abuse.
*nother e&tension of responsibility is in the area of
economic management. overnments issue
currencies, and all of the conse1uences of their
e&istence must be managed, through such institutions
as 4entral +anks. *lso, we need protection, as
provided by bank and investment regulators, from the
misdeeds of the financial institutions that have been
established in response to the creation of currencies.
4oinage also facilitated the world of business and
trade, and government has an additional role to play
here, through its power to regulate commerce.
overnment must ensure that the essential
prere1uisites for a well0functioning economy are in
place. #hese include the rule of law, to guarantee that
contracts are honored; minimal corruption; and fair
compensation and working conditions for employees,
so they are encouraged to work efficiently and to
provide 1uality goods and services.
*nother perspective though on government economic
responsibility is that it is also linked to protection,
i.e., from the negative conse1uences of free markets.
#he government must defend us against unscrupulous
merchants and employers, and the e&treme class
structure that results from their e&ploitation. In
addition, the government must protect us from the
conse1uences of new technology, to ensure that all
the potential outcomes of the technology are properly
evaluated and controlled.
#his is also the area where the greatest institutional
collusion occurs. overnments argue that people
need to be assisted with the economic competition
that now dominates the world. +ut the real intent of
this position is to .ustify helping corporate interests,
and not only against foreign competition, but by
siding with domestic companies against local
workers, consumers and the environment.
,elated to this is that government has international
responsibilities. * government represents a distinct
group of people in its relationships with other such
groups. #his includes having normal, cordial social
relations; foreign affairs, to promote national
interests; and defense, against both military threats
and predatory trade and business practices.
overnments have taken on other roles as well,
although these are not without controversy. #he first
is education. 8ost nations have public educational
systems, to ensure that all children receive good basic
instruction. (stablishing a standard, high01uality
curriculum, and ensuring that it is e&tended to
everyone, is actually essential. 5ot only does it
enable us, as individuals, to reach our full potential, it
is a defense against the social ine1uality that
regularly arises from educational ine1uality.
(ducation, though, can be abused. 4hildren are
unable to discriminate, and they readily absorb
whatever they are told. #hrough such classes as
2civics,3 and via other indirect means in the school
environment 6e.g., the wearing of uniforms7,
government can enforce any social standards and
belief systems that it desires. )chools can be used to
shape children into humanitarians and ecologists, or
into fascists. 6)ome Islamic schools, madrassas, for
e&ample, are known to be breeding grounds for
terrorists.7
*s with the regulation of corporations, governments
in general around the world are failing at their
educational responsibilities. #he school systems of
many nations are essentially brainwashing
institutions, and in all nations, children of the wealthy
go to better schools and the system of class structure
and ine1uality is reinforced, not reduced.
#he role of government evolves. In the early stages
of social development, it bears the responsibility to
establish the overall infrastructure of the society,
including utilities, schools and health care. It is the
only institution capable of overseeing such
developments, at least in a well0planned way. +ut, as
the infrastructure is completed, the government"s role
necessarily diminishes. 'olitical leaders in turn
oppose this reduction of responsibility 6and their
power7 by redirecting the government into other new
areas.
#his is not to say that all such developments are
unacceptable. One candidate, for instance, is the
funding of basic science. *s a species we have a great
interest in scientific research, as it is one of our main
routes to new understanding. *s it stands now,
though, corporations provide most scientific funding.
#his means that the research is inevitably tilted
towards applications that have the potential to make a
profit. overnments can offset this, by funding
pro.ects that do not have immediate, or even
foreseeable, financial returns, but which do lead to an
e&pansion of human knowledge.
* final way that government is evolving is the
aforementioned rise of international institutions.
5ations are finding new ways to cooperate together.
(urope, for e&ample, has established a formal
regional government. !urther, these institutions are
assuming responsibility both for protective and other
functions.
Having e&amined the legitimate roles of government,
it is also appropriate to consider what it should not
do. *nd for this, a basic provision is that government
should not attempt to protect us from ourselves. %e
have free will and we must retain the ability to use it
as we choose, even if this involves danger. #he
government should not tell us how to live our lives. It
should not treat us as children, by assuming the role
of a highly restrictive parent.
*lso, the government must be e&tremely sensitive to
its innate tendency to resist criticism.
-astly, other than through providing a vehicle for
their resolution, i.e., through courts and a body of
law, the government should not participate in the
resolution of social disputes. #here will always be
disagreements in a large, comple& society, and to the
greatest e&tent possible they should be resolved in the
arena of public opinion. #he government should
never side with one group over another 6other than to
counter discrimination7. #he people must decide,
through compromise and if necessary arbitration.
+ut, for some issues people never will agree, or even
agree to disagree, and this, although it may be an
unsatisfying aspect of life, cannot be changed.
: ,oland O. %atson ;<<=
healthcare and education are e&tremely
similar, so much so they we have labeled
them 2#wins in #rouble3 6in the .ournal
#otal >uality 8anagement7. +oth are
critically important to us both as individuals
and as a nation. In each, the outcomes occur
years0to0decades in the future as a result of
actions we take now.
Healthcare and education both have ma.or
cost concerns as well as challenges in
measuring positive outcomes the outcomes
we want.
In both healthcare and education, the person
who pays is different from the person who
consumes 6receives7 the service. 4ontrast
these two crucial industries with purchasing
other products such as a car or buying other
services such as dry cleaning.
?ust recently, the 'resident emphasized that
getting an education was a vital personal
responsibility. #he country should provide
for and encourage people to become
educated because in that way, the country
and the individual gain. #hus, by accepting
our personal responsibility we @do good"
both for us and for the A)*.
On education, 'resident Obama spoke like
'resident Bennedy who said in his CDEC
inaugural speech/ 2*sk not what your
country can do for you F ask what you can
do for your country.3 'resident Bennedy F a
true leader F focused on our obligations to
our country and to each other, rather than
our rights or entitlements.
%hen 'resident Obama gave his speech on
healthcare, he made no mention of personal
responsibility. It did not seem to e&ist. %hat
I am going to write below may not be
popular or even welcome. It is what our
'resident should have said but chose not to.
In contrast to 'resident Bennedy, saying
what is popular is much more important than
saying what is necessary.
Health care is not a right.
Health care cannot be a right for four
reasons. 6Health care F two words F is an
activity. Healthcare F one word F is a
system, well actually a non0system.7
,eason GC
8ost people tend to see a right as our due F
something we should have or get without
personal effort. %e are passive. %e .ust
receive health care F it is delivered like the
mail. %e have no responsibility. If we view
rights that way, we are in error.
(ven the +ill of ,ights carries with it
responsibilities. Our founding fathers never
envisioned one without the other.
,eason G;
Health care cannot be a right is because it is
a service that must be provided by others.
%hat if no one went to medical or nursing
school9 #his is not .ust a theoretical
concern. *pplications to medical schools
have consistently fallen off over the past ten
years. #here are over H<<, <<< open nursing
positions in our country. !or us to have our
@right" to health care, some other person
must provide it. %ho9 )hould health care
providers be slaves9
,eason GI
ood health re1uires a partnership of person
and provider, actually of person and process.
If we re.ect any personal responsibility, then
we over eat to obesity and e&pect health care
to .ust take care of our diabetes, arthritic
knees, and coronary heart disease. It"s not
our responsibility because health care is a
right. If we re.ect any personal
responsibility, then we smoke cigarettes and
spend O'8 6other people"s money7 on
treating our emphysema or lung cancer.
,eason GJ
#here are only two people who can control
health care costs/ us or the overnment. #he
'resident has made it clear that our national
e&penditures on health care are an increasing
drag on the whole country. One of three
things will eventually happen.
*7 %e will spend ourselves into bankruptcy.
+7 #he overnment will control costs.
overnment controlling e&penditures K
rationing. #hat is how every 2universal
health care3 country controls its costs/ they
.ust never use the ,0word 6rationing7.
47 %e can control costs. Les, we can/ by
reconnecting us with our money, and by us
demanding a true healthcare )L)#(8,
instead of what we have now/ separate
groups all out for themselves with us as their
victims.
#he first step to fi& healthcare is to accept
our personal responsibilities and not put
them off on the government or O'8. #H*#
is what the 'resident should have said.