Support for our Govt?
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Hi all, think i'm gonna receive quite a bad flaming for this topic but i'm seriously curious. Is there anyone out there who supports our govt? Sure they've made many many decisions that aren't the best in public opinion but dun u think they've done a good job on the whole?
At least we don't have corruption as bad as the indons or widespread famine and poverty throughout the nation. We've achieved a standard of living that our neighbours all envy.
Disclaimer: I dun support the govt on many of its policies but i'm only trying to be fair to them.
How about it guys? Comments? haha let the flaaaming begin... -
lets see... u hav a roof above yr head, clothes on yr back n food on the table... but yr forever in debt... cruel irony...
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The problem with the PAP is that they are living in past glory.
While their preformance in the past is undoubtedly stellar, compared to many other third world countries who didn't make the cut, we never really evolved in terms of political maturity out of our third world status. While Singapore became affulent, our politics and they were they were run stayed firmly entrenched in the 1950s.
The true irony is, it seems that the PAP is suffering from a bad case of victory disease, where they won so much at first, the concept of being failable has become alien to them. Witness the Japanese in ww2 who suffered badly from the same syndrome and squandered many chances later in the war to make things better for themselves for the simple reason they never considered failure to be a possibility, and hence, never learnt much.
Such is the case now with the ruling party, it appears that they are under the impression that their words and ideas somehow weight more then that of the people or the opposition, and that anybody who questions their truth must therefore be against the progress of Singapore under the annoited leadership of the ruling party, and henceforth are traitors.
Therefore, it follows through that any form of opposition to their ideas and rule can be considered treason to Singapore.
One of the key symptoms of victory disease is also a lack of touch with reality... which is acutely demostrated by The Party now as they often make sweeping statements on how the general populace is happy with their choices, to the current sluggish reaction of gar'men linked organizations like SIA and PSA to the harsh reality that they can be beat if they sit on their butts.
And unfortunately who takes the fall whenever their infaliable politics fail?
Ordinary singaporeans.
The reason why Singapore still works is a legacy of the glory days gone by, built on the blood, tears, and sweat of the people, who had chosen the PAP to lead them in their struggle back then... the sad this is that, the general populace now thinks that Singapore as a nation now belongs to the PAP and that we are just maids and servants living in it, having long forgotten (in part probably by not so subtle propangada) that the current sucess of Singapore was attributed to her people as well.
We have this mentality that Singapore is a flat that we are renting from the PAP, and not a nation that we have built. Should this be?
There always needs to be somebody providing leadership to a team or a group, but the role of the leader is that, providinG leadership. The leader is not the team, and the rest of the members don't rent the team from the leader.
In fact, the true role of leaders in a democracy is to serve the people, not to act like appointed monarchs and live off the people. -
Support for our Government ?
Surely I have supported the Government Policies in
National Service
- that allow each and every young Singaporean Male an opportunity to be independent, and to discover his own physical, mental stamina and potential;
- although its implementation and management of the NSF Project leaves much to be desired, it allow a young army to be a mature army as each NSF soldier mature over time through annual Reservist In-camp Tour of Duty.
Defense
- with its alliances to the FPDA (although it is a dead horse with a member country suspicious of our mature military effort and contributions);
- with the close association towards the USA Defense Structure, with our equipment following NATO standards, with our close relationship to Israel, UK, Australia, NZ, China, Taiwan, and our ASEAN neighbors;
- with our indigenious efforts to develop a local Defense Industry, so as to be self-dependent on the equipment and weapon platforms needed for our own Defense.
Education
- the honest effort in 'STREAMING' so as to help the slower and academically less inclined,
- the honest efforts to correct its mistakes of the last 38 years in imposing a quota for the number of educated allowed Tertiary Education in the NUS and NTU - about three generations of Singaporean are denied Tertiary Education unless able to receive one from overseas institutions;
- the honest efforts to correct the work load imposed onto Students and Teachers that only result in a rote learning system, which prepare Students to learn for the sake of passing exams but not to be educated,
Can I support the Government in its following Policies ?
Social
- it leaves the bulk of the funding of Homes for the Aged, to the charity of Singaporeans to look after our Aged;
- it burdens the younger generation to look after their Aged Parents, when wages are limited even during the better times, and CPF Contributions with MediShield and MediSave that do not count much to pay for High Cost of Hospital services needed by the Aged;
- in a Profit Oriented approach in Government Policies, not much is done to help to LOWER the cost of living for the average Singaporeans and those caught in the lower income strata;
- through a Policy of Perpetual Consumption, Singaporeans are forced to be dependent on the Government for a variety of Services that the Government make it exclusive for their own operation, and profiteering from it; viz. transport, news medias, communications, utilities, food and land.
Law
- the expedient use of legislations to block the ability of Singaporeans to exercise the right to negotiate for a better future, whether it is at a level between an industrial union with the Management of GLC or Statutory Boards, or a Lobby Group representing specific Singaporean interests with the Government or its Statutory Boards;
- the complex web of legislations that builds one upon the other that block and make a mockery of the Citizen's Rights of each Singaporean that is enshrined in the basic statements of the Singapore Constitutions;
- the manner in which appointments to the Judiciary is made by the Executive Branch of the Government, instead of an Independent Board of Esteemed Singapore Citizens free from any pressures of Political Debts and Alliances,
- the symbiotic relations between the Judiciary and the Executive Branch of Government that merges into the Political Realm.
Politics
- the manner in which the Political Future is being carved permanently into the stones of history for the interests of a single Political Party that is expected to be perpetually true to its original beacon set alight by the Group of Founding Fathers of Singapore,
- the manner in which the entire Ruling Party Politics is merged into the Government System, with Party Appointees holding on to the Chair in nearly every branch of the Administrative and Security Service,
- the manner in which the First Family and its extended family members is involved and in control of the various GLCs - from the Main Holding Companies to the Subsidiaries,
- the manner in which Singapore Politics is being developed that will result in a hang Government, if ever an Opposition Party is elected into Government; with no mature handover mechanism from an expected independent Civil and Administrative Service of Government and its related GLCs
- the manner in which Politics is claimed to be the exclusive turf of the Ruling Party, and that there are no other talent that can best what is already been pre-ordained in the Party - as in by the Father, for the Son after the blessed Holy Gohst,
In all clear conscience, after systemetically listing the various groups of policies, and looking at the directions that Singapore is heading in the manner that Politics is being entrenched, being developed, being perpetuated - can one seriously support the Government in Politics, finally ? -
Thank you for your opinions. We all have our takes on where the gah'men has excelled and faltered and i am not going to argue with anyone what they are as i don't really want to turn this thread into something like the rest, ending in a debate on who's more right then the other.
I really hope that somehow Sgforums provides the spark to improve how our gah'men works. Progress in Singapore is really slowing down compared to the time of lky and what worries me is that my generation will not be able to take over the reigns when it is time
Let me explain:
1) As a result of PAP's dominance on the political scene, too many youths have either become apathetic about politics OR they, like many of us forumites are not foolhardy enough to take them on lest we get "squashed like a cockroach". Do we really want to see all our future leaders(thrid generation singaporeans) go through the school of PAP? What if PAP collapses due to internal conflicts? we will be like a headless chicken(its really sad to say that) without any proper leadership?
2) Take a look around, notice that singapore and many Asian countries are gradually being colonized a second time. The white men have returned to steal our jobs, our women and basically the lives that our forefathers have fought so hard for. I would be damned the day i see an expat let into parliament. We all know what these white men have done before, descend upon us like locusts, feeding on our raw potential and then leaving us in the lurch to fend for ourselves. I would rather have lived under Jap rule then see the return of these white men.
With these two growing problems slowly taking form, how can we or rather WHAT are we going to do about this. I certainly don't want to sit still and watch my homeland devoured by some incompetent fool who thinks he knows what he's doin just because he was trained by lky and friends or even worse, some white skinned smart alec who thinks he's superior cause of his skin colour.
Disclaime: I find that i have to use this disclaimer pretty often. I know there are definitely Caucasians/Eurasians reading this. My reference to the white men encompasses their afro-american/latin etc counterparts. Many of you white men reading this might not fall under this category and have good souls that genuinely want to help. I hope i have not offended you as u do not deserved to be offended. Damn your brothers and sisters who harbour thoughts of superiority against my azn brothers and sisters -
Are you sure about the Japanese thing?
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Originally posted by Farmer Brown:
don't worry , i'll be around
1) As a result of PAP's dominance on the political scene, too many youths have either become apathetic about politics OR they, like many of us forumites are not foolhardy enough to take them on lest we get "squashed like a cockroach". Do we really want to see all our future leaders(thrid generation singaporeans) go through the school of PAP? What if PAP collapses due to internal conflicts? we will be like a headless chicken(its really sad to say that) without any proper leadership?
Originally posted by Farmer Brown:
i prefer to live under a white man who bullies me than a jap man who bullies me and rapes my family
2) Take a look around, notice that singapore and many Asian countries are gradually being colonized a second time. The white men have returned to steal our jobs, our women and basically the lives that our forefathers have fought so hard for. I would be damned the day i see an expat let into parliament. We all know what these white men have done before, descend upon us like locusts, feeding on our raw potential and then leaving us in the lurch to fend for ourselves. I would rather have lived under Jap rule then see the return of these white men.
With these two growing problems slowly taking form, how can we or rather WHAT are we going to do about this. I certainly don't want to sit still and watch my homeland devoured by some incompetent fool who thinks he knows what he's doin just because he was trained by lky and friends or even worse, some white skinned smart alec who thinks he's superior cause of his skin colour.
Disclaime: I find that i have to use this disclaimer pretty often. I know there are definitely Caucasians/Eurasians reading this. My reference to the white men encompasses their afro-american/latin etc counterparts. Many of you white men reading this might not fall under this category and have good souls that genuinely want to help. I hope i have not offended you as u do not deserved to be offended. Damn your brothers and sisters who harbour thoughts of superiority against my azn brothers and sisters
anyway i dun really support the govt i only support singapore whoever is capable of being leader i'll support, thats puts pap and the opo out of the picture
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Like you, Farmer Brown, I believe that I will be flamed by most of the forumites in here when I state my stance prehaps?
My stance is YES.
I support the Government and the majority of the policies in force.
But before I get a lashing from any others, let me first state that while I am a supporter or maybe even loyalist, this does not mean that I do not believe in the System to have room for improvements.
The past 'hanging out' around this joint has taught me many a things and opened my eyes to many bigger issues and implications that I have never been previously aware of.
And while I thank Atobe and the various seniors such as CX, Viper52, Stevenson101 and Laser for infusing this forum with their many insights, facts and opinions, I have nonetheless come to the conclusion of meaning behind the term 'To Each His Own'.
Because while I understand and on occassions, share similar sentiments on certain advocates, for me, my belief remains with the fact that it will not be political changes that will improve the prevailing environment for the mass of ordinary civillians.
Economic improvements and constructive social actions can do those hell of a lot more better and faster, and at the same time, retain on the stabilty fundamental that is so very important to this country. -
To my fellow Singaporean [Neo],
It was brave of you to express your Private Thoughts into Public Print at this sgForums Political Corner.
Each of us is entitled to our individual position in our political beliefs and opinions, based on our own experiences.
If one see incorrect line of thoughts from someone, one can always engage the other in an exchange of ideas, beliefs, opinions - with the purpose of bringing out a higher standard of the same; or perhaps can bring new insight to an issue that one's own bias and prejudices prevent us from seeing.
It is unfortunate that on most occassions, it end up in the dump when issues are not engaged on logic, or presented in an incoherent form that leads to nonsense, or pure acts of destruction to throw the thread off-track for the sake of entertainment.
About your belief that it is important that social stability and economic development is more important than POLITICS for the betterment of Singapore, I would like to offer the following for your consideration.
We need to understand clearly what is 'POLITICS' ?
'POLITICS' is the art or science of government or governing a Nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs.
'POLITICS' include all the activities or affairs engaged in by a government, politician, or political party - as developed and taught in the Art of Political Science.
'POLITICS' include the methods or tactics involved in managing a state or government.
'POLITICS' is critical to the function of the Government that include its management and formulation of policies, strategies, tactics, administration, control of the DEVELOPMENT of the Society.
'POLITICS' will then be critical for the advancement of the Society through policies affecting the outcome in the development of Social, Economic, Education, Cultural, Law, Justice, Security, and any other areas affecting the Society and Communities.
If 'POLITICS' is the PRIMARY ARENA that must affect the PERFORMANCE of a Government, can one DO AWAY with the importance in the PRIMARY DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICS, and ONLY develop the other subordinate objectives of Government - the economic and social aspects ?
Surely, the POLITICAL SYSTEM must be put in order, before any advancement or progress can be made in ensuring the stability in Economics and Social developments ?
Looking at some classic cases, firstly we see Communist Russia with a bankrupt economy, as its POLITICS were fundamentally wrong for more then Fifty Years of Russian History.
POLITICS in the Philippines and Indonesia is another case in point, with the Elites climbing over each other to form their own power base, so as to benefit themselves individually, at the expense of stability to bring further development to the Economy and Social standards of both Countries.
When the ORIGINAL BEACON OF LIGHT IS NO LONGER SEEN IN THE SAME LENS AS SET BY THE FIRST GROUP OF FOUNDING FATHERS, it will lead to aberrations in our vision of our tasks that must be performed in order to achieve the original goals. -
Farmer Brown, what perturbs me about your view is that it implies denial of the competitive nature of our globalised environment. Mind you, unless you are the direct descendant of a small group of Malay fishermen on this island in 1819, this exact accusation could be levelled against you.Originally posted by Farmer Brown:2) Take a look around, notice that singapore and many Asian countries are gradually being colonized a second time. The white men have returned to steal our jobs, our women and basically the lives that our forefathers have fought so hard for. I would be damned the day i see an expat let into parliament. We all know what these white men have done before, descend upon us like locusts, feeding on our raw potential and then leaving us in the lurch to fend for ourselves. I would rather have lived under Jap rule then see the return of these white men.
With these two growing problems slowly taking form, how can we or rather WHAT are we going to do about this. I certainly don't want to sit still and watch my homeland devoured by some incompetent fool who thinks he knows what he's doin just because he was trained by lky and friends or even worse, some white skinned smart alec who thinks he's superior cause of his skin colour.
Disclaime: I find that i have to use this disclaimer pretty often. I know there are definitely Caucasians/Eurasians reading this. My reference to the white men encompasses their afro-american/latin etc counterparts. Many of you white men reading this might not fall under this category and have good souls that genuinely want to help. I hope i have not offended you as u do not deserved to be offended. Damn your brothers and sisters who harbour thoughts of superiority against my azn brothers and sisters
To put things in perspective, I expect that white people in Australia could say of me that I "steal our jobs, our women". I am guilty on both counts and absolutely unrepentant about it. Hell, I even stole my place in the postgraduate program from hundreds of white students. The question is, was this because of my skin colour?
With regards to the job and the education, the only reason all of those white people were deprived was because I was a more suitable candidate, and dammit, I was the sharpest knife in that particular kitchen at the time. As for the women, it was a matter of my personality, amongst other things that shall not be mentioned here.
If that sounds like an ego trip to you, well, read it how you will. The fact of the matter is that for everything I achieved in a place where I was the outsider, I did it by being the most qualified and most experienced person available, and I worked my arse off to make sure I was in the right place at the right time. I did not think that I was superior because I was Asian - I knew I was superior because I damned well worked to get there.
I have heard white men express exactly the same sentiments as you have, and I will tell you exactly the same thing I tell them. This is a dog-eat-dog world, and if you are to get what you think you deserve, you jolly well work for it instead of finding someone else to blame. At best you are doing yourself a disservice because you are preventing yourself from developing the competitive attitude necessary to achieve what you want, and also from identifying the areas in which you need to raise your own game. At worst the attitude is racist - after all, racists look for someone different to themselves to blame for the results of their own inadequacies.
As for the assertion that white men are stealing our women, reflect on how poorly it speaks of our women, and your disclaimer to the token "good" white person is downright patronising. -
Gedanken, I thank you for your insightful reply and i must admit that you have indeed made me become a more self-aware of my views. First of all i agree with you that this is a dog-eat-dog world and we should all be tenacious and jump at the oppoturnities for the betterment of our lives. I agree with you that thru ability and hard work, you have deserved your place in the society you belong to now (aussie ain't it??) and most importantly i congratulate you in finding happiness in that land. In case you are feelin sceptic, i am not being sarcastic at all and i mean what i say from the bottom of my heart.
But (you knew it was coming) I do have a few points to raise. I am generalising my views about the white men( hmm maybe i'll start a new thread about this) if i were to judge on a case to case basis i wouldnt be able to complete doing so in this lifetime. Forgive me if i sound racist but I welcome the white men with open arms and an open mind, but lets compare the situation in singapore and in australia. Once again please do note i am generalising and not accusing all white men guilty of the actions i am about to point out
1. In Singapore, the locals tend to put the white men up on a pedestal even before they show their abilities. Many expats were brought in by large sized firms to improve the way they work or to provide the expertise that Singaporeans could not.
My question for you is that: were you offered a bungalow/big condo apartment, car, enormous wages and other benefits not given to the australian people when you went there? i think not. You were instead, given a fair playing ground and you WON it(congratulations again).
2. I don't know if this is completely true and i am prepared to be badly flamed for this but ang mohs just seem to be a little bit too proud of who they are. I feel that they come to our society and culture and while MANY and i really mean a large portion of them try to blend in and learn about it ( kudos to these people, respect!) a sizable amount of them treat our people, our culture with disdain. And somehow, the very singaporeans that put them up on a pedestal and follow them around like they were revered gods ( i hate these singaporeans even more then i dislike ang mohs) are influenced by it and turn their backs on the society that raised and supported their rise to where they are. You think that they could show a little gratitude? I'm not expecting any replies to this point as i would rather leave it up to all of you to take a look around next time you're out on the streets.
3. Women. Weird creatures aren't they? Nvm hahaha... Actually I'm glad for the ang mohs who steal our women. SPGs Bah! who needs them? I'm definitely not going to go out with one who thinks that local men can't make it. Nuff Said.
4. Western Culture. Now this i have quite a bit to say.. and i will say it in my next thread( i've decided to start a new one as we are totally out of point)
Anyway, Gedanken, from where you are and in comparison to the govt that oversees your well being at the moment, what dya think? does our govt deserve the flack it receives from my fellow forumites or is it actually deserving of support?? -
I wouldn think its possible to achieve a political revolution in Singapore in the very near future.. Even if the opp is to win a landslide victory in the next election.. politics is too tied to the singapore economics now. All the important people are handpicked and groomed by PAP.. Former generals, MPs.. all are in some key positions in Temasek Hldgs or its subsidiaries. And sad to say this is a very powerful engine. The SME's are in no way capable to matching the pooled potential of these agencies in terms to sustaining the livelihood and providing employment for the people. If PAP were to go, then I can only see two possibilities.
1. That the entire Temasek goes with it and then both will nv return. 2. Even if PAP fails, they will make a return.
I all likelihood, 2. is really more possible. Think about all teh scholars PSC has put abroad. Again considering the alternatives we have, is there enough to even replace half of everything that has a PAP tag (either in name or in a way link to it)
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VERY GOOD OBSERVATION to the existing situation in Singapore.Originally posted by Ecxentrique:I wouldn think its possible to achieve a political revolution in Singapore in the very near future.. Even if the opp is to win a landslide victory in the next election.. politics is too tied to the singapore economics now. All the important people are handpicked and groomed by PAP.. Former generals, MPs.. all are in some key positions in Temasek Hldgs or its subsidiaries. And sad to say this is a very powerful engine. The SME's are in no way capable to matching the pooled potential of these agencies in terms to sustaining the livelihood and providing employment for the people. If PAP were to go, then I can only see two possibilities.
1. That the entire Temasek goes with it and then both will nv return. 2. Even if PAP fails, they will make a return.
I all likelihood, 2. is really more possible. Think about all teh scholars PSC has put abroad. Again considering the alternatives we have, is there enough to even replace half of everything that has a PAP tag (either in name or in a way link to it)
When Mr Chiam See Tong was elected as the MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT by Singaporeans from his Potong Pasir Constituency, he is effectively the HEAD HONCHO representing the interests of EVERYONE from Potong Pasir Constituencies.
Even those who did not place their vote for Mr Chiam, will be served by this MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.
It was unfortunate that the Ruling Party had taken on the role of a 'sour grape' and began to administratively place Mr Chiam into a corner in his large Constituency.
Mr Chiam could not raise Child Care Centres at the void deck of HDB Flats, while we can see numerous similar facilities all around Singapore that unabashedly mix politics with education by flying a flag with a slightly modified PAP Logo.
HDB rejected his application to build an MP's Office in the void deck of an HDB in Potong Pasir, so as to allow him to conduct 'Meet the People Session'.
The reason given was simplistic and churlish, in that HDB is an arm of the Government, and do not serve the politics of Political Parties.
Yet, we see PAP Members of Parliament having the luxury of airconditioned offices in the void deck of HDB Flats.
Mr Chiam continue to conduct his 'Meet the People Session' in the OPEN ENVIRIONMENT of the HDB void deck, with a table and some chairs, AND supposedly with POLICE PERMIT to hold such sessions (?).
When the 'Tree Planting Campaign' comes around, Mr Chiam was nearly hauled to Court for vandalising HDB property !
HDB has continued to prevent the Opposition MP from planting any trees on HDB ground, but will allow a PAP 'shadow MP' to plant as many trees as possible in POTONG PASIR.
During NATIONAL DAY, Mr Chiam See Tong is NOT ALLOWED to head any Flag Raising Ceremonies in ANY SCHOOLS within his Constituency - for the reason that being an Opposition MP, it is unlikely that he will support the Education Policies of the Ruling Party, and cannot possibly represent the interest of the Government to head such a ceremony.
All these actions from the Ruling Party signal the boorish attitude of the Ruling Party, that tantamount to their willingness to sabotage any efforts of any Opposition Party to integrate itself onto the National Stage.
Is this good for the Singapore psyche when POLITICS is practised at such BASEMENT level of behavior by our POLITICAL LEADERS ?
Do we need to encourage such behaviour that is almost equal to the soreness felt by the INDONESIAN ARMED FORCES, when East Timor voted for independence from Indonesian Rule, and resulted in the Indonesian Army allowing rampant ravaging and conducting a scorch earth policy before pulling out of East Timor.
Should Singaporeans continue to keep silent and allow the Ruling Party to continuously change the landscape that allow them to dominate and grip Singapore Politics, Economics, Social and Culture ?
This is Third World Mentality in Politics in a Singapore that is supposedly having achieved First World recognition. -
Farmer Brown, I'll just address your last point - I'll hop over to your other thread to address the others.
I'm in a rather interesting position at the moment - after ten years in Australia, I'm actually spending this year in Singapore to attend to some family issues (along the way, I turned down a $85K job in Oz - I'm kicking myself! :mrgreen
. My current situation makes for interesting comparisons, not only between Singapore and Australia, but between the Singapore of 1994 and that of 2004.
A comparison with Australia's form of government, by virtue of its great difference to the Singaporean system, highlights a number of interesting things about how Singapore is run.
First and foremost, there is the relationship between the Government and the opposition. As you would be aware, the two main political parties is Australia are the Liberals and Labour, with smaller parties like the Democrats playing a smaller but nonetheless significant role. Currently the Liberal are in power, and Labour is in the opposition. Unlike Singapore, Australia has a shadow government, which constitutes of a cabinet formed by the opposition party. For almost everything that the government says, the shadow government will throw its two cents in to sway the public opinion. On top of that, each state has its own government, and this Government may be from a different party to that of the federal government, with its own views on how things should be done. My first thought when I came across this ten years ago was "How the devil does this country get anything done if there is opposition to everything?". God only knows how they do it, but they do manage to move along. In contrast, we have a virtually one-party system in Singapore, where the Government makes autocratic decisions and the people gripe about it.
Which system is more workable? There is no straight answer because of the differences between the characteristics and circumstances of the Singaporean and Australian populations. In particular, speaking in relative terms, the Australian people are more prepared to think for themselves, and are also in a better position to do so.
As Singapore Tyrannosaur stated, the PAP system worked well, and was perhaps even necessary in the days when Singapore was struggling to stand on its own feet. This situation has changed, but neither the government nor the population have kept up with these changes. That said, given the fragility of Singapore’s situation as a small nation with no natural resources, the government’s approach is not entirely without its merits. There are some days when I hear of the Australian people’s whining about something that the government has done and I think “Well, your vote for them was your message “we trust you to run things” – now shut up and let them do the job”. There are always going to be some tough and unpopular decisions that a government has to make, and this I best done without undue interference by the people.
A classic case in point is the issue of National Service. The idea has been raised time and again in Australia, and the public outcry has always prevented its implementation. However, all the way through university, I used to sit back with an Australian ex-infantryman and watch the kids in the class, and we both agreed that some service time would knock the decadence out of these kids.
The previous government in Melbourne made a lot of autocratic changes to the state. I agree with the way teachers were made more accountable for their own jobs, but cutbacks to the medical and public transport systems were a disaster. On the other hand, the current government has done jack squat. Overall, the effects of the changes would have taken place faster if the governments had not changed, and the changes to the medical and public transport systems may have been developed to a workable point. This highlights one key advantage of the government situation in Singapore – the government actually stays in place long enough to do what it needs to do.
Of course, there are drawbacks to the Singaporean system, and these have been covered in other posts already. My two centsÂ’ worth of observation is that the average Singaporean is not very politically aware, owing to the one-party system that has existed for so long. However, looking at snapshots of Singapore taken ten years apart, there has been some progress in this department, albeit slow and way too late.
One key disadvantage of the one-party system is that it has precipitated groupthink – everybody has had to toe the company line, so inappropriate decisions have gone through unopposed. I agree with what ST said about the government living in the past. Back in 1994, it already occurred to me that Singapore was well on its way to overpricing itself for manufacturing, and that it needed to shift to the intellectual capital game. At the time, I was already hearing stories of Indian and Thai workers getting jobs because they could perform the same tasks as Singaporeans but at a much lower price. Ten years later, the government is just starting to catch up with the facts. Certainly there are likely to have been a number of reasons for this, but groupthink prevented the government from performing a reality check, and that is why we are behind the game.
The government has also overestimated its position in relation to the people. As a group, Singaporeans are ruled by the government. However, as individuals, they have much more freedom to do as they see fit. To entice them back into the fold, the government calls such individuals quitters. Go figure – a government saying “fine – I won’t play with you either”, much as a five-year-old in a playground would.
Do I support the government for what it has done for Singapore? In a limited sense, yes. However, one needs to question what kind of country this government has created in the process of building up its infrastructure. Oscar Wilde once said, “America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization
in between”, and I think the same can now be said of Singapore. In putting out its fires, the government has now flooded Singapore – the level of control that the government needed to get Singapore up and running is now stifling the country’s growth. It is time they got with the program. -
I find that i have to use this disclaimer pretty often. I know there are definitely Caucasians/Eurasians reading this. My reference to the white men encompasses their afro-american/latin etc counterparts. Many of you white men reading this might not fall under this category and have good souls that genuinely want to help. I hope i have not offended you as u do not deserved to be offended. Damn your brothers and sisters who harbour thoughts of superiority against my azn brothers and sisters
Yeah, which is why I will pack my bags and get out ASAP mate. Sorry my father stole your woman and produced me. god dammit. -
One of these days, one Singaporean will be truly pissed he will assassinate some political leader heh. One day... whenever
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You are going to get yourself into very big trouble with your above post.
What you have just posted, is NO SIMPLE JOKING matter. -
To men_@_armsOriginally posted by men_@_arms:One of these days, one Singaporean will be truly pissed he will assassinate some political leader heh. One day... whenever
For your own sake, due to your young exuberance, you may not realise the sensitivities that your remark may have caused that will be detrimental to yourself and this sgForum.
Can I suggest you delete your post as quoted above ?
When you have done so, this piece will also be deleted - perhaps that piece from [Neo] too, as we have both quoted your post. -
aye... men_@_arms watch wat you say...its one thing to say nonsense but... dun let the nonsense hurt u.. anyway.. i dun really get wat u said...
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Let's get on with the topic, shall we?
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Aye..lets do.
K...apart from our grouses regarding how the PAP manages to assure itself of landslide victories, what are the other things that they have implemented that really deserve our commendation?
I'll start by commending the government with its strong stance when Malaysia's political leaders and its Newspapers throw scathing attacks at us. If there's anything the government has been brilliant at, its foreign policy. Comments?? -
Originally posted by Atobe:
I will be more than happy to oblige.
To men_@_arms
For your own sake, due to your young exuberance, you may not realise the sensitivities that your remark may have caused that will be detrimental to yourself and this sgForum.
Can I suggest you [b]delete your post as quoted above ?
When you have done so, this piece will also be deleted - perhaps that piece from [Neo] too, as we have both quoted your post.
[/b]