airgrinder,
1) be careful what you mean by "past years". I agree the government
has done good for us from 1959-1986, but since then (or at least
since I was born) I'm unsure of what good it has done for
Singaporeans.
2) It's "sanitation", not "sanity". Hmm, all you have stated are
economic benefits. Economic benefits are not necessarily popular
benefits. Opportunities for foreign investments benefit foreign
investors, but they only benefit Singaporeans insofar as
Singaporeans get jobs, which don't seem to be the case. Changi
Airport, Great Tourism Spots and PSA benefit tourists and
Singaporeans who are tourists. They don't benefit Singaporeans who
are not tourists. And anyway, we don't need to build I(C)R if we
were that great a tourism spot. Though I grant, top places in these
industries make good platforms for electoral advertising.
Top education facilities? Define what you mean by "top". Why didn't
Warwick set up campus here? Because - whatever Straits Times
reports - Singapore has insufficient academic freedom. Students
can't speak up, can't organize, can't really do much. ANd anyway,
our stress rate is pretty high: student suicide and depression
rates are on the ascent; even ST can't miss that out in its
"objective" reporting. I'm a student myself, and from the student's
perspective, I can tell that students aren't enjoying school much
at all, even neglecting the almost-useless NE.
3) I'm always baffled at why Singapore leaders and their lackeys -
like you - always look downwards, instead of upwards. Why do we
always look at Africa and India? Why not look at USA or Switzerland
or Scandinavia? And we say we aren't resting on our
laurels...
4 & 5) Stop quoting proverbs. I realized a while ago that many
proverbs contradict each other. I can easily find proverbs to
counter yours, if I bothered to. But anw, for the sake of
it:-
4) Leopards cannot change their spots; loaves of bread to not
change their intrinsic characteristics as loaves of bread dependent
on who looks at them.
5) "Among three people, at least two are my teachers." Confucius
the Master
Cheers,
Don't be so brainwashed,
the pikamaster (who is a student studying at a "top" education
facility)