1/14/2006

speaking the truth loudly, by adverts

Derogatory Adverts By Paul Chan's 'The Craftsman's Forge'This ad "How long more must I take this bus to work?" upsets some commuters.Jan 13, 2006 I saw an advert on my drive to work today which made me a little indignant with the people who put up the advert. As you can see from the photo, OCBC seems to think that its shameful to take a bus. ... The advert screams out to people outside to compare themselves to the “unsuccessful people sitting in the bus. How much more insensitive and derogatory can one get? I hope the advertisement censors get to this really soon. I don’t have a problem with OCBC trying to drum up business for its wealth management portfolios. Just don’t do it by putting people down. the above comment is by seah chiang nee in his littlespeck.com hey chiang nee, got to face reality man. when a man is poor he is poor. what is the difference with the naming of budget terminal? luckily they don't call the bus system and mrt as cheap transport system for cheap people. never mind lah. let people poke a little is ok. take it as a reverse motivation and work harder to own a car and fly by sia. and they can count themselves lucky that they will get a $1 billion workfare bonus. it is quite good and respectable to be a little bit poor in this rich nation. there will always be crumbs falling off the table. must thank ocbc for the motivation. see, can look at things positively : )

7 comments:

Speedwing said...

Yah lah, please do not feel embarass to be poor. When you are fall into the category of being "poor" you will get many handouts and crumbs. Better then those unfortunate people who are rich and cannot qualify for handouts. Just imagine that the buses and the MRT are specially installed for the likes of poor you. There are some Singaporeans who would never consider using the bus or the MRT. I was told by someone, a Singaporean, who does not even know the MRT system that he wouldn't be seen using public transport in Singapore, apparently he consider it low class. Doesn't like to be near heartlanders!!!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

some are just born lucky. no need to be low class. no need to smell the smelly sweat.

what a lucky fellow.

but if they just keep to themselves and don't go around breaking other people's ricebowls like the poor insurance agents and whatever agents, then it shall be ok. let them enjoy their aircon merces and sharksfin and let other people make a decent living.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

The fact that the issue of money is emotional to many people is why advertisers use it.

"Offensive" advertising is a part of everyday life. I consider most advertising "offensive" - govt and NGO slogans (lies mostly), ads which diminish the status of women (giving them hangups), ads which prescribe irrational materialism (credit card ads), ads which prescribe irrational spirituality (Christian ads), ads which tell you what's good for you (health, fitness and lifestyle ads), ads which make you feel guilty (charity ads)

But... ads can't "make you" feel anything, if you look at this phenomenon carefully...

Everyone makes his own emotions. OCBC can do whatever it takes to drum up biz, and let's face it - there ad brought out the self-righteousness in some people.

If those same people are so concerned about the lot of "the poor", they should walk their talk and do something about it themselves so that poverty is completely alleviated in the society.

These same folks probably applaude the govt for the $1bill package because they (the self-righteous moralists) are too wrapped up in their shallow lives to find the time or energy help their fellow man - so they expect the govt to do it for them.

If they really don't like what OCBC is doing in their ads, these moralists can cancell their accounts with OCBC, sell the stock and refuse to have anything more to do than with the bank. The moralists are free to go and give their business to some othe financial institution.

Meanwhile, the sales of cars continues to increase in S'pore. I suspect very few people actually ENJOY being poor. The idea is to be so disgusted and angry with one's state, that then one finds the motivation to do whatever is required to improve one's economic condition.

There may not be any shame in being poor, but there certainly isn't any glory in it either. Unless of course you are so pure and self-righteous and "stink of Zen" so much that you consider money to be an intolerable evil - ego centric that.

The way to end poverty is for people to have abundant wealth. There's nothing like a good swift kick in the arse - from the private market instead of the government.

And let's face it: people wanna own stuff. And one item of that "stuff" in S'pore is prized as a trophy and is also utilitarian: - can bring kids to school, tuition, go to Malaysia and enjoy oneself. More wealth means a better life.

That ain't rocket science.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

ocbc is a private organisation like all privatise organisation. their reason to exist is to make money and profit above all else.

all privatised organisations must make profits. we need to privatise the whole govt. or it is already privatised?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Privatization without the idea of full private property rights for ALL - regardless of social station or connection leads to a fascist tyranny - which is about where S'pore is now.

Whether one is rich or poor, smart or "average", connected or disenfranchised, one still owns oneslef and no one has a "higher" authority to violate ones natural private property rights to oneself.

I agree with the privatisation of every resource - but the power must come from individual Singaporeans or the result will surely be:

MATILAH SINGAPURA

Therefore I don't agree with our most famous fascist Lee Kuan Yew that the cuntry's reserves are required to be stewarded by the govt because S'pore has "no natural resources".

If one agrees with the assertion that S'pore's natural resources are the individual S'poreans, then it is the people who should hold ALL the wealth, including ALL of which is held in reserve, not the government.

The power MUST reside with the individual S'poreans and all power begins with personal power, which is rooted in economic power and independence.

Since the PAP gaind the political advantage, nearly every S'porean (with the exception of the very rich or the very connected) has had his personal power usurped by the state.

That is the fundamental reason why we have a growing class of poor. If the market was allowed to be free, and people owned themselves, the overall wealth of the community increases and the distribution of wealth occurs naturally.

Now we are entering the slippery slope downhill toward a welfare state. Instead of "helping the poor", the "poor" are being couted for their vote.

Small wonder why I (and I don't stand alone here) truly despise the fucking PAP and its resident evil.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi matilah,

many do not want to know the truth or talked about the truth. i am still cursing that my money in my cpf is not my money anymore. those creeps got the cheek to determine what to do with my money.

the national wealth and reserves may be best served by being professionally managed to maximise its return. that i can accept. but the wealth generated must be returned to the rightful owners. every citizen is a rightful owner and shall be paid the dividends for his share.

the administrators of this public money must not be allowed to regard it as if it is their private money. don't be like america where all public organisations, including public companies, are at the mercy of the management.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Right on!