Li Ao is right - Singaporeans lack quality as a people

last SG · 2007-10-03T13:37:39+00:00

Some people have criticized Li Ao as a talk-cock or big mouth. It may be true to say that Li Ao is a talk cock or big mouth. But then if what he talks makes...

robertteh SG

Li Ao one of the most outspoken social critics of Taiwan once famously criticised Singaporeans as lacking quality or spine implying that because of such lack of quality in this regard they have been allowing their government to ride roughshod over them as it likes.

Whatever is the truth, this may be a honest to goodness truthful statement. But unless Singaporeans start to change as a people and prove they have the mettle to stand up to bullying Li Ao would be regarded as right in his observation.

In the latter regard there exist enough evidence already to show that government has been bullying the citizens of Singapore because they are easy to bully. One clear example is the latest daylight robbery of their own CPF monies and right to retire at 55 but no the people are too complacent or weak to resist ending up in government taking it again for granted to deem their own CPF monies are to be commandeered pragmatically to solve a national problem for their common good.

This is how the country has been run - by coercion, by deeming by assumptions of all kinds which run against the interest of citizens with little or only very weak objections soon found to be simplistically overruled.

(Good grief this kind of tongue-in-cheek misguided rule could still happen in today's society with the government doing as it likes and getting away with claims of being pragmatic or doing the unpopular good for the good of citizens when clearly the opposite is most probably the truth)

robertteh SG

(For information)
Friedquest has nothing much to say and is unable to debunk Li Ao's criticism of Singaporeans as spineless people without the ability to stand up to bullying by the government thereby losing their rights and status as citizens.

His rebuttal consists only of the same lame excuses given by newspapers daily news like Singapore has done well over the past 40 years with all kinds of unrepresentative one-sided comparisons made against failed countries to get away with real problems.

He could not explain why if we have done well and government's taxing and freedom-suppressing policies there are so many problems with ordinary citizens struggling for a living against dropping wages and having their CPF lately being commandeered by the authority to serve its own narrow-minded national purpose of preventing destitution which in the first place was a problem caused by government's own failure in economic restructuring over the recent past 20 years.

Now a little blip of economic recovery on the world horizon has benefited the GLCs and the rich and upper middle class to recover from the last deep recessions which wiped out ordinary citizens's saving due to many wrong policies in the GCT era.

People in the rich and upper middle class are make monies due to a temporary blip or hype in the economy and there is no sign that the ordinary citizens are recovering from their losses and sacrifices in terms of jobs, wages or property values hyped up beyond their affordability by HDB's profiteering schemeds.

So MM Lee has failed over the past 40 years to show his policies of the past are working. He has failed to bring about economic restructuring of our own domestic economic sector of the economy.

This issue that the past policies of MM Lee have failed to work well over the recent 20 years has been brought up many times by citizens but sadly due to newspapers playing the government tunes it has not been debated in parliament.

If post-65 MPs and younger ministers have the real interest to serve citizens instead of safeguarding their own million-dollar salaries advancements dependent on MM Lee's goodwill, I would ask them now to raise such an issue in the next parliament.

It is of no use if we have so many scholars and none of them are willing or prepared to deal with such a serious problem as raised by Li Ao of which none in the establishment has been able to face squarely.

Let us not hatch such a critical national issue impacting our survival like the apathy of the people and debate it without constraint and identify real solutions so that all could work productively with cooperations at all levels to work towards reaching the first world standards of advanced countries like Korea, Finland or Switzerland.

will4 SG

I agreed a country should not be always looking to its past glory. What are the policies that the govt had messed up?

As for the CPF's annuity, I think this will cause many people especially those locals planning to migrate to give up their citizenship to get their CPF money.

Sagara SG

I see more bad times ahead with our current govt...

Maybe not so for our elites tho... esp those whose fathers are MIWs.

the Bear SG

frankly.. he was talking about people like robertteh..

elindra SG

If Singaporeans lack quality as a people, the Taiwanese sure lack quality for their Government. Laughing

Coquitlam SG

Thank God I emigrated and took out my CPF.....I knew all along that its a matter of time the CPF will slowly get out of reach of the ordinary Sillyporean....

Can't imagine we have been so dumb all this while and they always assume that they are right......its always the same old line of excuse...we are doing what is right for you as we do not want to be blamed 30 years from now for not taking steps to take care of you....eeeks....puih!!!

I'm very sure they will find more ways to lock in your CPF after this annuity thingy...what's next?....compulsory medical annuity? etc....

Bottomline is CPF does not belong to the people

ndmmxiaomayi SG

If what Singaporeans can offer are just words, nothing will ever be done.

Words look nice on paper, actions will look even better on the person who preaches it.

4getmenot SG

much as u hate it, u know Li Ao is right.. Confused

kramnave SG

You are Spineless !! Razz

4getmenot SG

sorri i left long ago.. Rolling Eyes

justcooler SG

How many out there can really stand up to the PAP w/o getting law sues up their asss.

If we really look harder, what the pap does is similar to any communist gov

RatFink SG

No need look so hard can tell already but do what huh? I say on forum site we revolt also they will bully ISP to get my IP and come kick my door.

kramnave SG

So singaporeans are spineless but once you cease to be singaporean you are no longer spineless ? Shocked

RatFink SG

Or once you got spine you leave.

For all who got spine but no money to go how? All the radio, newspaper, magazine they control. The law they control. The election also they control.

Not yet put first vote already they in power liao. So do what?

de_middle SG

hmmmmmm

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Do we need to stand up in a direct manner?

kramnave SG

Up to individual lor.

Personally my life not bad to the point that i want to leave Singapore. Often i read articles by foreigners condemning us, say that we are living in fear lah, say that we are spineless etc. Oh well, as an individual i don't feel that way. I'm sorry many people do feel that way, life must be so hard for them, to be living in constant fear and live life as a spineless person.

kramnave SG

Second that. In fact if anybody has any grouses can always email the ministers or LHL himself to air our views.

Gazelle SG

I agree..we lack quality....look at their kacang store seller...our MAMA how to compete..... Mr. Green