The complaints by people against sammyboy webside is a typical
example of how citizens' intolerance can finally making themselves
the sole losers.
For example, if citizens keep complaining against fellow citizens
for behaviours and other social problems, what will the government
do?
The government can deal with the complaints and come up with
different ways to govern the country e.g.
(1) Objectively - government studies the root cause and put up
measures to avoid the problems balancing the laws with citizens'
self-help and self-reliance to provide some basic equilibrium of
roles or power between state and individuals.
In responding to complaints on racism, - it needs not over-react.
It can use the existing law wisely to bring about balance and
self-reliance to encourage interactions and cooperation among races
and mutual respects and harmony.
(2) Subjectively - a control-oriented government may use the
complaints to pass stricter laws to create more crimes and offences
and give it more power of arrests and curbing of freedoms e.g.
Immigration Act has now the power to jail a innocuous or innocent
landlord for renting out premises to foreign worker.
The draconian ISA may be extended to increase govenment's
discretion to classify even religious dissents as undesirable
anti-state activities with power of preemptive arrest under the
act.
On the ground of preventing racism the govenrment has already
passed GRC laws only to result in the government having more power
to maintain its one-party rule.
Over the past 40 years, we have seen the government passing more
and more laws to give itself more and more power to control the
press, citizens' freedom of expressions and social activities and
gathering.
On the ground of traffic congestion, the government took the
opportunity to triple-charge on vehicle ownership and
transportation in the form of the heavy Excise duty, COE and ERPs
fees which cause our loss of economic competitiveness.
The slightest complaints by some individuals have caused more laws
and controls over signages on buildings or T-shirts and display of
elephant placards to signify unhappiness over delays in opening MRT
stations, etc.
Do we want to build a society where individuals keep complaining
and government keep increasing its powers over individual freedoms,
trading, association or creative activities.
If we are not clear what we want, we will only make the government
increase controls of freedom or prohibit citizens' rights.
If we are unhappy with some individuals posting of porn in certain
websides, then what do you think those complaints will make the
government do.
I am sure the government will not hesitate to use such complaints
as tools or convenient activants to increase further its own
political power over dissenting or alternative views or criticisms
of its governance by coming up with a stricter Sedition Act to
clamp down citizens' criticisms.
My advice to people is - be objective and do not rely on the
government to increase controls of individuals or society. Instead
of using controls and regulations in an one-sided manner, get
government to liberalise controls over citizens and free up social,
political and creative entrpreneurship spheres so that the society
will eventually learn how to balance and take care of behavioural
problems through self-restraints, harmony and balance.
Before any one is asking more prohibitions in cyber freedom the
last means of expression of citizens against any sammy or other
websites for any reason, think again.
Do not add more fuels to the government's control fire as such
actions will surely one way turn the citizens into zhombies with no
ones to speak up for citizens and government running up the whole
country without accountability leading to high cost problems and
all the pro-foreign excesses causing bigger problems to all.
There is a heavy price to pay for more controls. The better
solution is to get government to liberalise so that at the end
there will be greater opportunities for all and with this upgrading
there will be less social problems with fellow citizens and more
self-reliance and self-checks.
More controls might lead to pent-up frenzy which may end up as
instability and chaos as has happened in many countries governed in
such a manner.
What do we want as a society - keep complaining against fellow
citizens adding more fuels to government fire in wanting more laws
to contain citizens and extend its existing power.
