Originally posted by politicsinmotion:
[b]She is just 17
I think the harsh responses to a 17 year old's personal opinion,
while understandable, is unjustified. All of us are guilty of
thinking and doing certain actions at that age that we will be
ashamed of doing now.
I don't think there is a need to bring politics or her father into
this issue or use it as easy game to dismiss the brighter students
in our country.
I also wouldn't term her comments 'elitist'. They seem more to me
lacking in maturity, which if you have read the GP essay of any JC
student her age, would be a common occurance.
Those of us who are able to present a better argument should do so
in a calm manner. I think someone bright will yield to a better
argument but not insults.
My only concern is that there are some who agree with her. As such,
I will like to point out exactly why her opinion lacks sufficient
sophistication and knowledge to be taken seriously. There are many
problems with her train of thought but for my purposes, I shall
just highlight two remarks she makes to make my point:
Remark 1:
"I think the main reason for its lack of publication was that his
incensed diatribe was written in pathetic little scraps that passed
off as sentences, with poor spelling and no grammar. derek, derek,
derek darling, how can you expect to have an iron ricebowl or a
solid future if you cannot spell?"
Why it is flawed:
It is now accepted by academics that having a standard form of
communication is unhelpful to promoting understanding among
individuals and cultural groups, or to the exchange of
information.
Had Ms Wee been aware of this fact, she would have known that the
onus is less on the individual to meet certain standards of
communication but for all types of communication to be understood
at the discussion table. To put it simply, Ms Wee will lose out on
a lot of information if she only read material written in perfect
English. An enlightened approach to understanding someone requires
that one sieves through the incoherent elements to find
meaning.
Remark 2:
"it's the same everywhere. yes discrimination exists, and it is
sad, but most of the time if people would prefer hiring other
people over you, it's because they're better. it's so sad when
people like old derek lament the kind of world that singapore will
be if we make it so uncertain. go be friggin communist, if
uncertainty of success offends you so much - you will certainly be
poor and miserable. unless you are an arm-twisting commie bully,
which, given your whiny middle-class undereducated penchant, i
doubt."
Why it is flawed:
Ms Wee does not define what it means to be 'better'. This is
extremely important because critics of the government's liberal
foreign employment policy feel that foreigners are better only in
terms of cost. This is not an ideal situation for all parties
involved, because it creates a 'cut-throat' employment market. It
erodes a citizen's sense of nationalism and does nothing for the
self-esteem of the majority of foreign workers to know the only
reason why they are here is because they are cheaper. Quality char
kway teow takes a longer time to prepare and requires a chef with
decades of skill. The quality of char kway teow has gone downhill
precisely because they are too many hawkers serving it up instantly
and so-called cheaply (notice how the ingredients and portions seem
to shrink with each year?) Ms Wee appears unaware of the downsides
to a capitalist market.
Ms Wee's approach to discrimination is uninspiring. Had feminists
taken her 'get on with it' approach to discrimation, she would not
be in the elevated position she is in today. In fact, she would be
in the kitchen.
There is no doubt that younger workers can work for longer hours
and cheaper pay than older workers. This is indeed the way that
companies are hiring today but it is hardly the way to go. Ms Wee
fails to appreciate that an individual's life cannot be completely
dictated by the whims and fancies of capitalisim. We cannot allow
companies to continue their age discrimation as it will have dire
consequences on the fabric of society. We value family, leisure
time and putting in an honest day's work, not working to see who
will drop first.
Lastly, by suggesting that Mr Derek Wee should be a communist, she
has shown that she is uninformed on communism. It is taken very
seriously by academics as a moving political theory that is ideal
but unfortunately very difficult, if not impossible to
implement.
Communism still provides a guiding light to an enlightened way that
humans can govern themselves. Ms Wee would be surprised to know
that Sweden, which boosts one of the most stable political systems
of the world, has a strong element of communism in it: there is no
private property.
The overriding problem with Ms Wee's comments is a failure to
appreciate that "Just because this is the way that things are, does
not mean it is the way that things ought to be."
Her unwillingness to question the status quo lacks courage, but is
certainly forgivable in one so young.
[U]Daddy to the rescue?[/U] Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Wee Siew Kim's
remarks:
I think if you cut through the insensitivity of the language, her
basic point is reasonable, that is, that a well-educated university
graduate who works for a multinational company should not be
bemoaning about the Government and get on with the challenges in
life.
Nonetheless, I have counselled her to learn from it. Some people
cannot take the brutal truth and that sort of language, so she
ought to learn from it.
Why it is flawed:
An immatured JC student is one thing but an MP who advises citizens
to 'get on' with the challenges of life instead of helping them to
deal with it, particularly when some of these challenges are in
fact, injustices, is alarming. I do not think a 35 year old
graduate or anyone else for that matter, will find the advice of an
18 year old JC student very helpful. MP Wee needs to re-visit his
recommendations.
Questions should be asked if a culture of accepting all elements of
a status quo, even those that are unjust, is pervasive and if so,
to what extent, the government must take responsibility.
[/b]
I can smell 'elitism' when someone post a reply to you that
starts with 'please learn to use proper
English...blah..blah..blah...' 