The disinterested Singaporean.
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The disinterested Singaporean.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Anyone having spent any amount of time in Singapore would have discovered a startling characteristic of the Singaporean psyche. They have no interest at all in politics or public affairs whatsoever. Period.
They have no interest at all in how their tax money is spent. No interest in what new public projects are intended. None in how the train system functions. They couldn't care less how much the ministers are paid or indeed what they are even doing. No interest in whether the education system is working. No interest in listening to the next speech given by the Prime Minister. Nor for that matter by the Minister Mentor, his father.
The public have stated publicly, by their actions; if not in so many words; that as far as they are concerned the government, their ministers and the whole establishment can go to Hell for all they care. They are not interested.
A foreigner being confronted with this total indifference in the Singaporean about his country's affairs may ask, why? Why this universal indifference, disinterest, in their own futures; for their own country. The answer is quite simple. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew cares two hoots about what the people think.
Its like this, you see. The Minister Mentor has managed, according to him, to employ the most capable among Singaporeans, and paid them the highest salaries for any job anywhere in the world. Since he has these highly talented people, this illuminating brilliance; what need is there for the ordinary people to think and question government policies?
According to Lee Kuan Yew, the people's input in opinions, suggestions is unnecessary. Since the government has all the thinkers they need, what need is there for the man in the street to even think? It would have made no difference if they had no heads at all!
Therefore the people, have decided, naturally, that since his government is not interested in his views, it is useless for him to try to voice them. It will after all, fall on deaf ears anyway. So
understandably, over a period of time, Singaporeans have become what they are today. An entire society which has disengaged from any involvement in public affairs. They have removed their thinking caps. Today, Singaporeans go to work, they do their shopping if they can afford it, go home to watch television, they sleep, wake up the next day and follow the same routine, day after day.
Singaporeans do not know that they have a constitution. They do not know their laws. They do not know who their local MP is. They do not know what the HDB policy is. They do not know what the tax system is. They do not know if it is illegal to speak in public. They do not know whether it is illegal to criticise the Minister Mentor. They do not know if it is legal to complain against CPF policies. In other words the average Singaporean does not know very much about his own country. He or she lives for the next day waiting to be told what he has to do next.
And what is worse, they couldn't care less!
Such a country with an entire population who are unable or unwilling to question government policy; figuratively speaking, a country of children waiting for Lee Kuan Yew to tell them what to do next, is a country doomed to failure; doomed because it lacks a self correcting mechanism provided by the people engaging the government in decision making.
You have seen this country stumble from one mistake after another. You will recall many years ago, people were told not to have too many children. Today, there are no children being born.
The government introduced national service. This speeded up the brain drain with educated Singaporeans taking their children overseas to avoid it.
English was introduced as the main language. But it also facilitated the brain drain with people leaving Singapore for English speaking Australia.
The government legislated to own and control all newspapers and news media. What is left in the newspapers is just government propaganda. Today, the people have no faith in the newspapers. If you need the truth, look elsewhere. Look to the Internet. This is causes to heighten the brain drain to Australia among the educated.
The government controls the legal profession appointing their puppets in the Law Society. The government placed their puppets as judges. This has entirely eroded public confidence in the administration of justice. Resulting in lawyers leaving the profession and the country. And resulting in the people not resorting to the law courts and settling disputes privately.
This fact, that the people of Singapore are being led by this government; that there is no rule of law; that it is a country run by dictate; this knowledge has spread far and wide. Today foreigners are becoming increasingly reluctant to use Singapore for any purpose other than as a stopover tourist destination.
And while this country falters along under its own fiction of grandeur and opulence put out in the state controlled propaganda sheets or the Straits Times, the people remain completely disinterested in what ever is going on. This combination of a government which thinks it knows best and a people completely disinterested in whatever the government does; to put it mildly; is a recipe for disaster.
It is an explosive situation. An untenable situation. An unhealthy country.
Gopalan Nairhttp://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2008/03/disinterested-singaporean.html
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i nv read the whole thing coz too long but what's there to be intrested in since the ruling party is always the same.As long as they are doing a good job i think there will be no discontentment.
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Singaporeans are slowly opening up. I think Gopalan Nair still thinks Singaporeans are still as disinterested as in early 2000. He migrated to USA long ago anyway.
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Then he is wrong. We are not disinterested, but raging interest also cannot change anything in the short term ma.
For me I am using a wait and see approach for now. -
bloody lky is worse than the communist govt of China. Therefore, think it is imperative he dies soon.
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Originally posted by Shinjichan:
i nv read the whole thing coz too long but what’s there to be intrested in since the ruling party is always the same.As long as they are doing a good job i think there will be no discontentment.
well, the fact is, no matter how good a job they do, they can't please everybody and there will always be discontentment.
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maybe if people learn to be less critical and negative and be more constructive it may help.
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Originally posted by Arapahoe:
maybe if people learn to be less critical and negative and be more constructive it may help.
Well, it really depends what gahmen we have in running Singapore.
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i have posted in another thread and question someone who has till now not replied me.
Is it the fault of the people for such political apathy?
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I've never paid much attention to this gopalan nair. To me, he may use big words and sophisicated languages, but that does not cover up his immaturity and shallow analysis of Singapore's politics.
English was introduced as the main language. But it also facilitated the brain drain with people leaving Singapore for English speaking Australia.
The government legislated to own and control all newspapers and news media. What is left in the newspapers is just government propaganda. Today, the people have no faith in the newspapers. If you need the truth, look elsewhere. Look to the Internet. This is causes to heighten the brain drain to Australia among the educated.
The government controls the legal profession appointing their puppets in the Law Society. The government placed their puppets as judges. This has entirely eroded public confidence in the administration of justice. Resulting in lawyers leaving the profession and the country. And resulting in the people not resorting to the law courts and settling disputes privately.Read his articles, how many of his claims are backed up by credible sources? How many are assumptions? And he expects our government to be a perfect one who will never make mistakes in their policies?
You can even try leaving comments on this guy's blog. You'll realise that whenever you agree with him or praise him, your comments will be put up. Leave a negative comment under a different name and your comments will not be shown.
So much for freedom of view huh.
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Im one of them, disinterested in what the garmen does, but only to generate my own wealth. Pay less taxes(find all ways to avoid tax), contribute less to CPF (cause i would be managing my own business). If the garmen supports me even better, i get rich faster. Let them pour money into my researches and businesses.
Singapore is such a small economy so im going global, using the Singapore name as a brand.I will still read up on their policies, but will only look into what affects me. Just stay simple and take care of yourself. Isn't that what the garmen wants?
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Originally posted by eagle:
i have posted in another thread and question someone who has till now not replied me.
Is it the fault of the people for such political apathy?
It's not the people's fault; you can't fault apathy, it is not a crime or wrongdoing.
I'd rather say that *it's the people's choice*.
Regards
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Finally, someone found the root after running around in circles? :DDD
Regards
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yeh but what the point of getting interested into politics when whatever opinions put forward will fall into deaf ear. Yes one can lament here in sgforum, however, no amount of discussion will spearchange anything.. unless changes are collective and lead by a capable leader.
Probably im waiting for someone like Obama...smart, charismtic, know how to fiddle with rules to play with the gahmen.
On the contray, i prefer very much on foreign politics than local one.. cos none of the local politics are " so interesting "
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Originally posted by qlqq9:
bloody lky is worse than the communist govt of China. Therefore, think it is imperative he dies soon.
care to tell us how much you know about communist govt in China? -
cos none of the local politics are " so interesting "
mainstream media under the control of the state so how to be interesting?
How to criticise, how to debate, how to discuss?
Mr Brown one article state don't like, lan lan, Brown must go.
This type of media is worthless.
All political activities in this state is under tight control.
How to be interesting, you tell me?
WP wants to have a cycling event also cannot.
How on earth is the people going to be informed?
How on earth to generate political interest?
How on earth for politics in this country to be lively, to be interesting?
Under this type of shit conditions, you will only have apathy and ignorance.
This is what the ruling clique likes.
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Whos wants to be in opposition? Get locked up, beaten up, robbed by the Government for "political crimes". However, PAP must regret not having a Youth wing like Russia's Nashi movement. They dont have to be paid as they truly love their party and they will die to protect the Dear Leader. I doubt anyone will take a bullet for the PAP regime and I presume they also pay and pay to ensure paper loyalty as well from their ka-kia (foot soldiers).
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Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:
cos none of the local politics are " so interesting "
mainstream media under the control of the state so how to be interesting?
How to criticise, how to debate, how to discuss?
Mr Brown one article state don't like, lan lan, Brown must go.
This type of media is worthless.
All political activities in this state is under tight control.
How to be interesting, you tell me?
WP wants to have a cycling event also cannot.
How on earth is the people going to be informed?
How on earth to generate political interest?
How on earth for politics in this country to be lively, to be interesting?
Under this type of shit conditions, you will only have apathy and ignorance.
This is what the ruling clique likes.
Originally posted by Melvin Tan:It's not the people's fault; you can't fault apathy, it is not a crime or wrongdoing.
I'd rather say that *it's the people's choice*.
Regards
So in that case, is it still because of the people? Or are the people's choice shaped by actions by the incumbent?
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I doubt anyone will take a bullet for the PAP regime
Who here will take a bullet for our PAP regime?
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Or are the people's choice shaped by actions by the incumbent?
The answewr is obvious.
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The context of the CNN debate btw obama and clinton have so much substance.
We haven't found someone who has such substance to evoke much interest in the politics scene, to inspire people believe in them. What we have now is some "mad" and "deported" politician,who is trying to make a statement..
which is pretty disheartening to view..
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Btw, F1, Youth Olympic Games security better not be done by the same people in charge of Kastari.
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The country of which the politics you so avidly follow must be insaner still to grant "asylum" to this "mad" and "deported" politician.
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Singapore needs change.
Singapore cannot be ruled in the same manner as it was ruled by the PAP regime for the past 50 years.
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Originally posted by eagle:
So in that case, is it still because of the people? Or are the people's choice shaped by actions by the incumbent?
I know this reply might be taken negatively, but even the PAP is made up of the people.
The ones who formed the PAP in 1959 are ordinary people who came forward and convinced the rest of the people to vote for them. The people who come forward into the PAP and opposition now, are also the people before they joined politics, in which after that, some people do not consider them the people anymore but politicians.
The ones who gave PAP the manpower are the people, the ones who do not give manpower to the opposition are people too.
In other words, the root is the people.
The issue is, what kind of people? 2.5 million Singaporeans, it is difficult to say that they are only one type. The people threw up a Lee Kuan Yew, they also threw up a Chiam, LTK, JBJ or CSJ.
Everything starts from the people.
Regards