Gedankan, It is easier to look back on our past and judge based
on HINDSIGHT, and condemn what went wrong, what should have been
done and how our lives would be better today. BUT it takes great
foresight for someone back then to do what they had to do to ensure
we all survived. No one could have predicted the future.
The 80s were equally of boom and bust stages. Recession and wars.
Economic disorders. Japan and Taiwan expanded their
entreprenuerships and was was caught in massive recession and the
battle with US, a major importer, over inequality over their
exports and dollar spending.
We in SIngapore had only our port and tourism, which would hardly
had paid for social spending of the likes we enjoy today.Malaysia
was exerting and flexing its muscles and never failed to rattle its
sabres at us.
How many graduate and scholars were there in the 80s? How
productive and educated were we back then, let alone to have an
entreprenuerial mind in the face of better educated and progressive
and matured societies such as Japan, Taiwan and korea?
What could we do that can be cheaper and better than resource rich
Malaysia or Indonesia?
Had you ever and even ask yourself this fact?
Things were no better in the 80s than anytime now in 2009. The only
difference is that back then our treasury was only in millions, now
it is billions. Somebody certainly sweated and saved it, instead of
spending it lavishly the way US does each year.
Had we not have this billions, it would have been tougher for many
of us today. Point is, right or wrong, necessary decisions made in
the past ensured our survival today and one must give credit
where it is due, not condemnation based on hindsight even a village
idiot can mouthed out.
More vital is our tomorrow. Where do we go from here? Is it too
late for us to rebuild our billions for our next generation? All I
know nothing is ever too late if we use what we have - our hands
and our brains. So curb that angst and let us all crack our brains
on how we can collectively improve our economy, what will work for
us as a society, thru discussion and not finger pointing or
ridiculing each other.
