Originally posted by Devil1976:
Under the strong control of our current government... It somehow just leads me to the idea of 'old China'...
To mention the recent years of 'opening up' proposed by our government.. Is it to avoid the same old fate of China which had faced a revolution?
And at the same time... While the government very much encourage new ideas and for people to venture.. It's ideas are kinda 'restricted' and 'backward' because of its form of control.. How can there be much 'breakthrough' from such an environment? I'm speaking of these as I think of Korea and some of the other asia countries like Japan... Malaysia..? Somehow they seems to be behind us.. But they're REALLY CATCHING UP...??
If one is to compare the dictatorial dominance of the supremacy of a Single Party Rule, there is little difference between the Political Parties and Governments of Communist China and (supposedly) Socialist Singapore.
China is Communist, and Singapore was supposedly Socialist-Democrat but was forced out of the International Socialist-Democratic Movement as a result of the perceived dictatorial rule of the Ruling Party.
Is Singapore a fully Socialist Country ?
Certainly not, as much as the Ruling Party would like the world (including Singaporeans) to think that there is socialism being practised in which everyone's welfare is looked after 'a la PAP standards and methods'.
Singapore today has all semblence of Capitalism, and so is China also embracing Capitalism to get the best benefits that can be derived from the Capitalistic Economic Models.
China has to 'open up' to the World, so as to leap frog its backward Third World Economy to that of the First World.
China has to reach Economic First World status as quickly as possible , in order to gain Political and Military muscle to face the challenges that she feel coming from the USA (from the success of US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan), and Japan (from her financial clout that allow Japan to build and sustain a high quality military force).
China need the Political and Military muscle to prevent Taiwan from making any unilateral declaration of independence. With credible Political and Military muscles, China will be able to face any interventionist challenge from the USA in coming to the defense of Taiwan.
Similary, Singapore has to continue to be economically successful, so as to have the financial clout to build up and maintain a modern Military Machine that has a quality standard of at least one generation ahead of the other countries in the region.
The "Opening Up" of Singapore has many connotations, and much will depend on what LHL has in mind when such a term is used.
Does the "Opening Up" of Singapore refer to the Political Arena, in which the Government will not use the Law to suppress strong Opposition Personalities, and allow alternative viewpoints to thrive ?
Or does "Opening Up" of Singapore merely refer to non-Political issues only ?
Perhaps by the term - "Opening Up" the present Singapore Government had meant the relaxation of tight legislations that tightly supervise economic activities, which can only rsult in individual entrepreneurial efforts being stifled.
Before China's Deng Siow Peng encourage the "opening up" of China, its national reserves was nothing compared to the more then US Dollar 90 Billions in the Singapore Treasury.
Yet in less then twenty years, China's reserves is more than three times that of Singapore.
Singapore no longer has the monopoly of being the gateway to South-east and East Asia.
The population numbers and the size of the neighboring countries are far larger than Singapore, and allow their citizens far greater opportunities at higher levels of economic activities that keep the citizens employed.