rofl.
I wont even bother writing much. The racist guy sounded more
american than Australian. I really hate how you people lump
everyone together into "Asian" and "western". None of you are
Asian, you are Singaporean, Chinese, Vietnamese etc or whatever you
are. It's a really narrow category.
So far i think we have not seen ANY good arguements here. Most
critics can always find good arguements to insult anothers culture;
some fo you have good points in pointing out that the majority of
noble prize recepients and PHDs intellectuals are non Asian,
although Kishore Mahbubani will certainly disagree and even quote
numbers, but then the Japanese make good technology and the
developing countries will develop.
But i personally believe we "westerners" or "europeans" or (if i
go more specific) "west european bloc" (even more specific) "Brits"
have a right to feel superior only for past glories or past
technologies or achievements. I believe europe has a monopoly on
liberal ideas and human rights, back when "asia" (to use your own
terms) did not have similar ideas; (with the exception of some
classical Chinese philosophers; China is a great culture).
And we can feel superior; (well the Americans can haha) for
inventing stuff like microchips and modern education and the rule
of law; which many asian states are trying to emulate. But these
issues are a matter of historical fact and are in the past, they
can be used by people to "feel superior" and to make others feel
inferior.
But you guys should know that all that stuff does not matter...
what matters is here and now. America is not all-powerful, USA
cannot fight or take on all other states in war, nor can it survive
on its own in the global economy, therefore, it makes no1 more
superior or inferior. American soft power in itself does not make
America superior. There is no genetic basis to claim one ethnicity
is superior to another... yet =) But you get the idea right?
I do think that the Singaporean school system is lacking in
fostering creative thinking and decent sportsmanship. I remember PE
in local schools was just army training, a lot of running and no
games. Whilst in british schools PE were games and a lot of
playing, fun, strategies and just simple playing the game; whatever
it was basketball, rugby etc. PE in Singapore was just toiling
training to prepare for IPPT and then for army, such a chore,
already that is an element of a mechanized culture, which is
inculcated since young.
(Quite a sweeping statement for me to make, but i just want to
air my views on the lack of PE in Singapore at a time; i think it
may be different now, but still behind the so called 'west')
When you are faced with such remarks, it is hurtful but
exploding in a tirade of insults just does not do much. Instead,
what you should do is look for stuff you can be proud of in your
country. Also trying to ride on the bandwagon of "ASIA" is very
shallow... i am sure that most of you Chinese Singaporeans are
anti-PRC and try to think of yourself as not "chinese" so much so
that you don't want to learn mandarin because you consider it
uncool, but then if China sends China-man to Mars, you will
immediately have no more reservations about your "chinese-ness",
that would be very shallow and i predict that will happen in future
=) But then Singapore might have its OWN nationalism and its own
distinct culture by then.
Asia is not a union, it is just a region and it has no extensive
ties similar to a federal American system nor the European Union,
please don't use the term "Asian" as a generalizing picture, it is
so shallow. I realize many Yanks make that mistake, calling a
Chinese person "Asian." hilarious.