Addressing the political fear
-
I thought I will start a new thread to discuss some comments on WP's quid pro quo, rather than hedge on topics that are discussing other parties or topics.
As someone within WP, I would say the party generally feels that it will continue to be difficult to encourage people to come into the opposition fray as long as anyone who enters it cannot lead a normal life.
And as long as this remains, the opposition cannot strengthen in numbers.
Naturally, this does not mean there has to be compromises, or much compromises.
This, as much as I understand and try within my means to convey, is what I see as the WP's approach. Admittedly, this opinion may not be shared by all.
Regards -
let me just say something: as long as there is fear of something non-existent, due to, i dunno... stupidity, ignorance, paranoia, cowardice... it's going to be hard to change the mind of people..
i mean, hey! there are highly educated IDIOTS out there who still think, and perpetuate that myth that civil serpents will be taken to task and fired for voting for the opposition..
if that was true, almost all my civil serpent friends would be out of jobs but they've been progressing in their career smoothly...
do YOU think that myth too?
add to that a lot of other myths...
heck! if i was the MIW, i'd do nothing to dispell them.. they're not started by the MIW and have a life of their own working FOR the MIW -
Supporters of Chee Soon Juan may say that politics caused him to lose his job. However Sylvia Lim kept hers.
-
he's not brilliant enough to keep his job
-
I think that the general feeling in Singapore is that once you join an opposition party, you will be targeted by ISD for annihilation.
A detainee remembers
http://www.singapore-window.org/tfhmemo.htm -
unfortunately, therein lies the paranoia...
you think the ISD got the time and people to go and tail all of them?
"Security" part of the ISD is not for fun and is not political... they are the ones who are keeping tabs on terrorists... and for all the quiet, and all that, we are a real target..Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:I think that the general feeling in Singapore is that once you join an opposition party, you will be targeted by ISD for annihilation. -
Thanks for sharing. I think eradicating fear is also very much an individual effort, as much as the ruling or opposition parties are expected to or accused of not doing anything about it.Originally posted by the Bear:let me just say something: as long as there is fear of something non-existent, due to, i dunno... stupidity, ignorance, paranoia, cowardice... it's going to be hard to change the mind of people..
i mean, hey! there are highly educated IDIOTS out there who still think, and perpetuate that myth that civil serpents will be taken to task and fired for voting for the opposition..
if that was true, almost all my civil serpent friends would be out of jobs but they've been progressing in their career smoothly...
do YOU think that myth too?
add to that a lot of other myths...
heck! if i was the MIW, i'd do nothing to dispell them.. they're not started by the MIW and have a life of their own working FOR the MIW
The key is to be observant and logical of the surroundings.
Firstly, a quarter to a third of Singaporeans vote for the opposition in every election, but I do not see a quarter to a third of Singapore children being denied entry into PAP kindergartens.
Secondly, I do not see a quarter to a third of Singaporeans become homeless because HDB refused to grant them a flat for voting opposition. I had a friend who had to wait 7 years to get a flat because he voted SDP in Braddell Heights in 1991. He attributed this to the way he voted. But at that time, HDB was less inefficient in granting new flats. My parents who were PAP voters had to wait 6 years before a new flat finally came in 1990.
Thirdly, you can't get into any soup buying an opposition publication on the street because every one of them has a registration number from MICA (Ministry of Info, Comm and the Arts). Oppositionists would have been first to get arrested for selling an illegal publication before any buyer gets any repercussions.
Regards -
Singapore is a small country and under a very tightly controlled system.
If you become an enemy of the state, it is easy for the state to hunt you down and bring you down.
I think this is one of the reasons for political fear.
Bigger countries like Thailand etc, there is still a chance to hide in the jungle. -
yeah.. the thing about this is that you have the opposition doing their work... guys from WP and CST.. working for the people..
then you have idiots who purposely break the law (they know) and then cry foul when they are arrested...
it's dumb.. how do you serve the people by getting arrested?
yet, so many out there support these idiots.. all you have to do is to look in our own SC here
if these idiots spent as much time getting themselves the publicity stunts as they did earnestly working to improve the lot of the people, they could be in parliament
don't you think so?
the WP are going about it the right way... i hope the WP brings a credible opposition to the MIW.. the way CST brought it up there with the old SDP before he was stabbed in the back..
we can hope... -
I have heard of this one but I do not think the ISD can hire 3 million officers to tail 3 million Singaporeans. This will surely put a hole in the government's budget.Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:I think that the general feeling in Singapore is that once you join an opposition party, you will be targeted by ISD for annihilation.
For that matter, even if the PAP wished to, they will be unable to as the 3 million ISD officers will have to come from the 3 million Singaporeans, unless they hired 3 million foreigners or hired 1.5 million officers to tail the other 1.5 million. This would mean half of Singaporeans will be employed by ISD.
Hence, if one were to look at things in a logical sense, there are some myths that were not necessary. I readily admit that there are some myths that are difficult to eradicate.
Regards -
herein, you have someone with The Fear but is not afraid to propagate his ignorance and paranoia to others
sad isn't it?Originally posted by Melvin Tan:I have heard of this one but I do not think the ISD can hire 3 million officers to tail 3 million Singaporeans. This will surely put a hole in the government's budget.
For that matter, even if the PAP wished to, they will be unable to as the 3 million ISD officers will have to come from the 3 million Singaporeans, unless they hired 3 million foreigners or hired 1.5 million officers to tail the other 1.5 million. This would mean half of Singaporeans will be employed by ISD.
Hence, if one were to look at things in a logical sense, there are some myths that were not necessary. I readily admit that there are some myths that are difficult to eradicate.
Regards -
Hi,Originally posted by the Bear:herein, you have someone with The Fear but is not afraid to propagate his ignorance and paranoia to others
sad isn't it?
I think Poh AP was sharing what he commonly hears from some people rather than believing it himself. As mentioned, I have heard the same as well.
Regards -
20 years ago, when i had my first voting rights, i made up my mind to vote with my heart. my mother-in-law warned me against voting the oppositions as i was a civil servant then. I brushed her off her ignorance and her fear as she was also a hawker depending on the hawking licence to set up her stall
on the actual day when I took the voting slip, I was shocked as the voting slip had a serial number which was tracable from the register. fear overcame me. I could not make myself vote for the ruling therefore I spoilt my vote then.
I had actually regreted my ignorance but have never live to regret eversince -
Actually CSJ also help perpetuate that fear, somewhat.
He is offering himself as an example of what can happen to a person who defy the government. He carefully orchestrated his action for maximum effect on the yokels. He is a PhD, on the science of the mind, he knows how to affect people.
There are anti government forumers here who know pretty well that the fears are unfounded, but nevertheless, still go all out to make political mileage out of it.
Its good that the WP, through LTK and formerly JBJ, tell the electorate to vote without fear, for their vote is secret. They realise that perpetuating the fear would only work against them, when there is no need to fear at all.
As for entering politics, each and every candidate should evaluate carefully what he/she wants to do. The candidate should not expect the path to be paved for him.
And certainly should not expect the incumbent ruling party to do the honours for them.
But then, those who fear ghosts, should not be ghost busters. -
Hi mancha,
Personally, I don't agree that a Taekwondo master will attract the students of his Ninjado rival if he gets beaten to a pulp and torn into paper shreds by his rival, although I reserve comments specifically on various entities and respective approaches as respect to the democratic process.
Regards -
Another problem is that many do not realise that the ruling party has its merits. They choose to believe that the job of the opposition is to oppose. When WP doesn't do that and have SDP and some ex-singaporean spouting nonsense from california, some people will have the notion that SDA and WP are not doing their job.
What people must realise that we have already a good system and any new one serves as an attempt to tweak and make it better if possible. Definitely not a total revamp overnight, especially through foreign intervention. -
I always tell my friends, do not worry to vote opposition, election is a democratic process, they wont penalise u for voting opposition. My first voting I voted PAP, subsequently I voted opposition all the way.
-
Agree......Originally posted by t_a_s:I always tell my friends, do not worry to vote opposition, election is a democratic process, they wont penalise u for voting opposition. My first voting I voted PAP, subsequently I voted opposition all the way.
During the last election..... if it was WP or SDA in my area, I would have voted for them. But no...... SDP have to come..... so sad
-
ISD do not need to physically tail ppl. If really need, can use bugging technologies (cell phone/ house phone/ internet service providers/ cellular phone triangulation to pinpoint your exact location).Originally posted by the Bear:unfortunately, therein lies the paranoia...
you think the ISD got the time and people to go and tail all of them?
"Security" part of the ISD is not for fun and is not political... they are the ones who are keeping tabs on terrorists... and for all the quiet, and all that, we are a real target..
How LKY bugged WP James Gomez's phone? Singtel or ISD? -
I dont care who come, even the ' slipper man ' come I also vote for him, I can not tahan see PAP face, look arrogant, except PAP MP Ang Mong Seng, quite friendly, gentlemanOriginally posted by hloc:Agree......
During the last election..... if it was WP or SDA in my area, I would have voted for them. But no...... SDP have to come..... so sad -
another one spreading the fear....Originally posted by wheelcamp:ISD do not need to physically tail ppl. If really need, can use bugging technologies (cell phone/ house phone/ internet service providers/ cellular phone triangulation to pinpoint your exact location).
How LKY bugged WP James Gomez's phone? Singtel or ISD? -
I dont care who come, even the ' slipper man ' come I also vote for him, I can not tahan see PAP face, look arrogant, except PAP MP Ang Mong Seng, quite friendly, gentleman
I agree with you T_A_S. -
If you are James Gomez, wouldn't u feel the fear?Originally posted by kramnave:another one spreading the fear.... -
Same like you...... except I can't tahan CJS.Originally posted by t_a_s:I dont care who come, even the ' slipper man ' come I also vote for him, I can not tahan see PAP face, look arrogant, except PAP MP Ang Mong Seng, quite friendly, gentleman
So, I rather vote MIW. -
Is James Gomez deadOriginally posted by wheelcamp:If you are James Gomez, wouldn't u feel the fear?
In prison Exile Under house arrest What
Nothing happen to James Gomez after the election..... not even a lawsuit, which is MIW's fave weapon of mass destruction.
It is such unfound fear that is the problem......