Questions S'poreans should ask

Viper52 SG

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sg_Review

1. What are "democractic elections?" Are elections in Singapore free and fair?

"Singapore, according to Electionworld is a pseudo-democracy?(along with countries such as Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Cuba, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Libya, Rwanda, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Zimbabwe).

The word pseudo means false or pretended. In other words Singapore, under the PAP, is a false democracy. That is, we all pretend to go to the polls and cast our votes once every four of five years and go home, thinking that we have discharged our democratic responsibilities and hoping that our votes will mean something."

Singapore a "pseudo-democracy": Electionworld
http://www.singaporedemocrat.org/news_display.php?id=422

Singapore's electoral facade
http://www.sfdonline.org/sfd/Link%20Pages/Link%
20Folders/02Pf/mornstar02.html

2. Do Lee Kuan Yew's past achievments alone justify the causes for his stay in public office?

Majority of Singaporeans want Lee to retire: Internet poll
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw03/030919af.htm

3. Would Singapore have survived without one Lee Kuan Yew?

In Singapore: Government squanders savings
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw02/020518nz.htm

"While the Hong Kong government has emphasized a policy of laissez faire, the Singaporean government has, since the early 1960s, pursued the accumulation of physical capital via forced national saving and the solicitation of a veritable deluge of foreign investment."

4. Should economic development be achieved at the expense of civil liberties and democracy?

http://lists.nu.ac.za/pipermail/ccs-l/2003/001738.html
Amartya Sen on Democracy

"we cannot really take the high economic growth of Singapore or China as "definitive proof" that authoritarianism does better in promoting economic growth, any more than we can draw the opposite conclusion from the fact that Botswana, the country with the best record of economic growth in Africa, indeed with one of the finest records of economic growth in the whole world, has been an oasis of
democracy on that continent over the decades." - Amartya Sen on Democracy

5. Why are young S'poreans de-politicised?

http://www.thinkcentre.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=2120

"I live in a country where the state makes its arguments too simple. Such as: the PAP = the country. Such as: democracy = protests = violence = disorder = national disaster. Such as: human rights = confusing Western concept that our people don't need to learn very much about. Such as: history = one man's story. Such as: Chia Thye Poh = opposition = Marxist =
dangerous = 32 years of imprisonment = non-existence in the authorised history."

http://www.ericellis.com/singsex.htm
* Freedom of speech is limited
* Public discussion of race or religion is taboo
* Thousands of websites are banned
* The movie Titanic was censored
* Permits are required for public gatherings of more than four people

Singapore: The Modern Police State
http://www.thinkcentre.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=1356

"What characterizes Singapore's political system is the constant query, worry and anxiety among the majority of the citizens, foreigners and observers that individuals and groups will get into trouble with the police and the political authorities for challenging the political status quo. Such anxiety is based on repeated examples of political challengers consistently being found guilty of contravening the system of tight and restrictive laws that govern people in the city-state."

Gedanken SG

Well, Viper, your first question spawns another: how true is the National Pledge that we make?

BillyBong SG

Like most ppl, once you have a strangehold on power, you will unlikely release your grip. The 1st generation of leadership in singapore under LKY were asked to give way to the younger, "scholarly" batch of leaders that we seen now. Some have done the moral thing and stepped aside once their time was up, others continue to cling to their positions.

This is the result of that power struggle. A nation of ppl too afraid to speak their mind. A new generation too fearful to be censured and incapable of independent thought. A land of sheep with a handful of nomadic herders.

And all this while, those in power conveniently claim that it is not the opposition who are weak, it is the ruiling party who are strong.

Clearly these ppl have dellusions of grandeur. Coupled with a "we know best mentality", can anyone really wonder why we "fail" to ask the right questions?

ryangian SG

So who is still hanging on to the power..... Question

[email protected]_arms SG

If you people can get your act together, you can take over and revolt. The armed forces and the civil defence cannot possibly match the numbers of the rest of the population. Especially since the army and the civil service is a citizens' armed force. However, you would need a strong leader to unite people in revolution, or you will need the assasinations of the key power holders in the present government. Or, you can wait another few decades, when Lee's grandchildren are in power, and politely persuade for more liberal laws and stuff.

And to those wire tap spies out there. Do what you like with me for saying that. But know this: I am not that leader...yet... i am just a spectator. My revolution is a global one, not in Singapore. So relax. Otherwise, capture me and let the media get a wind of it. If i was American, bush may invade Smile

the Bear SG

i figure people feel they have too much to lose.. but what is there? in debt for the rest of their lives for a pigeonhole? their car which they paid 6 figures for?

whatever... something depressing was reported in the news.. just...

story was about the SIA union saying that their senior management keeps threatening them with the sack.. and that the gabrament was in cahoots with their senior management.. everyone there is depressed and would quit in a second after collecting their bonus.. their sacrifices were taken for granted.. and more... things that SINK an organisation...

then, the next story is about the same gabrament talking about changing the law that allowed the SIA union to speak the truth and try to protect the unionised workers in SIA!!

so... people, here's something to think about...

is the gabrament so closed up in their ivory towers that they have become so thick and dense?

the Bear SG

argh.. dew-plee-kate...

Viper52 SG

Ged, forget the pledge mate. The gah'ment has taken it upon itself to ignore the pledge and what it stands for, in favour of their own interests.

As for the people, 99.9% of students recite it blindly without knowing or understanding the meaning behind the words. It just another of those things many Singaporeans do for the sake of doing, because it has always been done that way. Nevermind why.

These 99.9% then forget the pledge and even the words after they graduate.

Is there any surprise then, that we have to ask ourselves those 6 questions. But then again, most of the Singaporeans who have to ask themselves the 6 questions do not come here, or read SG_review.

Viper52 SG

Well Bear, unfortunately that overpriced pigeon hole and set of wheels represent almost all that these Singaporeans have worked for.

Its all very shallow, I know, then again, I don't figure that our education system is geared towards producing a deep thinking, socially aware people. Which is exactly what the gah'ment wants anyway.

There are blips of course, no system is perfect, even one engineered by our all-seeing leadership. Good thing this forum seems to be populated by a disproportionate number of these "blips"

whatever... something depressing was reported in the news.. just...

story was about the SIA union saying that their senior management keeps threatening them with the sack.. and that the gabrament was in cahoots with their senior management.. everyone there is depressed and would quit in a second after collecting their bonus.. their sacrifices were taken for granted.. and more... things that SINK an organisation...

then, the next story is about the same gabrament talking about changing the law that allowed the SIA union to speak the truth and try to protect the unionised workers in SIA!!

so... people, here's something to think about...

is the gabrament so closed up in their ivory towers that they have become so thick and dense?

Its nothing that surprises me anymore. Its not so much that they're dense, I think its more a case of the whole system being so entrenched with yes-men and sychopants who are in a position to advise them of the "mood" of the people that they willingly swallow what these yes-men tell them. It also helps that what these yes-men tell them is what they want to hear anyway.

One fine day,the people will be pushed to a point when they will be forced to push back. And the ivory-tower occupants will wonder "where did that come from? I didn't see it coming"

Viper52 SG

Good point, just that in the Singapore context there are 2 big problems

- Most people have been so used to the top down approach and are so geared to receiving and not giving instructions. The "Let someone else be the Indian Chief mentality".

- Secondly, as I've mentioned before, although many are not too happy with their lot, they are too afraid and fearful of the unknown to do anything to change it. Face it, we're a change-resistant people, due in part to our upbringing in this society, and exacerbated by the fear perpatuated by the propaganda dept that "change is no good", "be happy with you have" and "look at the sh*t happening in so-and-so place". With such misinformation constantly drummed into our heads, is it a surprise that a people who've mostly known anything else are resigned to their lot?

Lingos SG

Regardless of race, language and religion.
hehe.. with all the xenophobia displayed in this forum???
Laughing

[email protected]_arms SG

Well then, the path is clear, Singapore must wait for its new leadership and society to await change or liberalisation. Whenever that may be. But I believe we who desire change, are thus a minority, a country must operate for the benefit of the majority. True democracy translates into such a virtue. So if people are happy being resigned to their lot, so be it.

Gedanken SG

Yes, [email protected]_arms, democracy states that the good of the majority outweighs the good of the few. Unfortunately, I think we’ve got things arse-end-round in these parts.

claudetnt SG

1What are "democractic elections?" Are elections in Singapore free and fair?

Western democratic countries are willingly to look the other way if certain Friendly governments had not carried out Free and Fair elections. All that matters to them are that elections are held periodically according to the constitution.

Were the elections held in the UK and USA Free and Fair? For that matter, cannot recall any country that had held Free and Fair elections?

2. Do Lee Kuan Yew's past achievments alone justify the causes for his stay in public office?

Yes, But I wish he would step down for his own sake.

3. Would Singapore have survived without one Lee Kuan Yew?

Off course, but not perhaps with the same degree of Success!

4. Should economic development be achieved at the expense of civil liberties and democracy?

I am not sure about Botswana, but here in Singapore the reality is, most of our people are not interested in their civil liberties and democracies and are most willingly to be led by the government to their graves.

5. Why are young S'poreans de-politicised?

The PAP did a damn good job in brain washing and hypnotizing that most of us are still under their spell.