Originally posted by Devil1976:
Under the strong control of our current government... It somehow
just leads me to the idea of 'old China'...
To mention the recent years of 'opening up' proposed by our
government.. Is it to avoid the same old fate of China which had
faced a revolution?
And at the same time... While the government very much encourage
new ideas and for people to venture.. It's ideas are kinda
'restricted' and 'backward' because of its form of control.. How
can there be much 'breakthrough' from such an environment? I'm
speaking of these as I think of Korea and some of the other asia
countries like Japan... Malaysia..? Somehow they seems to be behind
us.. But they're REALLY CATCHING UP...??
If one is to compare the dictatorial dominance of the supremacy
of a Single Party Rule, there is little difference between the
Political Parties and Governments of Communist China and
(supposedly) Socialist Singapore.
China is Communist, and Singapore was supposedly Socialist-Democrat
but was forced out of the International Socialist-Democratic
Movement as a result of the perceived dictatorial rule of the
Ruling Party.
Is Singapore a fully Socialist Country ?
Certainly not, as much as the Ruling Party would like the world
(including Singaporeans) to think that there is socialism being
practised in which everyone's welfare is looked after 'a la PAP
standards and methods'.
Singapore today has all semblence of Capitalism, and so is China
also embracing Capitalism to get the best benefits that can be
derived from the Capitalistic Economic Models.
China has to 'open up' to the World, so as to leap frog its
backward Third World Economy to that of the First World.
China has to reach Economic First World status as quickly as
possible , in order to gain Political and Military muscle to face
the challenges that she feel coming from the USA (from the success
of US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan), and Japan (from
her financial clout that allow Japan to build and sustain a high
quality military force).
China need the Political and Military muscle to prevent Taiwan from
making any unilateral declaration of independence. With credible
Political and Military muscles, China will be able to face any
interventionist challenge from the USA in coming to the defense of
Taiwan.
Similary, Singapore has to continue to be economically successful,
so as to have the financial clout to build up and maintain a modern
Military Machine that has a quality standard of at least one
generation ahead of the other countries in the region.
The "Opening Up" of Singapore has many connotations, and much will
depend on what LHL has in mind when such a term is used.
Does the "Opening Up" of Singapore refer to the Political Arena, in
which the Government will not use the Law to suppress strong
Opposition Personalities, and allow alternative viewpoints to
thrive ?
Or does "Opening Up" of Singapore merely refer to non-Political
issues only ?
Perhaps by the term - "Opening Up" the present Singapore Government
had meant the relaxation of tight legislations that tightly
supervise economic activities, which can only rsult in individual
entrepreneurial efforts being stifled.
Before China's Deng Siow Peng encourage the "opening up" of China,
its national reserves was nothing compared to the more then US
Dollar 90 Billions in the Singapore Treasury.
Yet in less then twenty years, China's reserves is more than three
times that of Singapore.
Singapore no longer has the monopoly of being the gateway to
South-east and East Asia.
The population numbers and the size of the neighboring countries
are far larger than Singapore, and allow their citizens far greater
opportunities at higher levels of economic activities that keep the
citizens employed.