5/07/2006

the sign of 666

Everytime on a Sunday morning I just feel so good to talk craps. I felt the earth moved under my feet last week. But it wasn't enough. Maybe my feet moved instead. 8.7% down in popular vote. Is this a strong mandate or a strong dip. It all depends on what kind of kopitiam head one has. It also depends on what kind of yardstick one uses. It also depends on the motive behind the person calling the it. For those kopitiam heads who expect 85% win, this is a big failure. It must be. It is less than 75% or 70%, not enough to get an A grade. For those who think 65% is a strong mandate, 66.6% is a strong mandate. And for those who just want to call it a strong mandate, any figure will still be called a strong mandate, even if it is 55%. But I don't like the sign. Last week someone told me that the sign of Satan were flashed all over the place. Now 666 is in the front page of the newspaper. Ooooohh me God! What is really important is that the people have spoken. And the victors are thanking the people profusedly, humbling themselves by saying that it is the people's vote. Now after the election, will the people be forgotten? We can expect a few more days of thanking the people, humouring the people that they are the masters of the land. But will the real masters now take over and tell the people to behave? Will the new masters again adopt the attitude that they know what is best for the people and continue to shaft down the throat of the people what they want? For the next five years, the people must watch carefully and make their assessments of the real masters and their actions. Would they listen to the plight and wishes of the people? Would they reverse their thinking that efficiency, big profits of big organisations takes priority over jobs for the people? Will they continue with another round of restructuring to make sure that the big organisations continue to spread their activities and encroaches into every other little businesses to make more profits, and in the process destroying more jobs? Is economics priority, or profit priority more important than political considerations, the welfare of the people? Will the people be allowed to make a decent living by restraining the giant corporations from elbowing everyone out of business? This is a watershed election. It registers the beginning of a shift. Small it may be. But if not arrested, the difference will be seen in the next election. It could be a big shift, not so much of Gomez, but the $10 bil package, with a few thousand dollars in everyone's pocket that makes the difference. It is a very expensive election and could have turned the other way without the heroin jab. Everyone is still feeling a little high. But the effect cannot last long.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's so darn disappointing. Even though I'm overseas, I followed the hustings and the vote tally last night fervently. I was really hoping Aljunied went to WP. Sigh, but it wasn't meant to be.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi wheeljack,

many singaporeans share your sentiment. socap wanted to waste his xo just for last night but disappointed.

the signs are there and change there must be. either the ruling party change for the better, ie, to look after people, jobs, cost of livings etc instead of bottomlines of big corporations at the expense of the people, or the march forward by wp and other opposition parties will continue.

there is a demand for change. the message is there for all to see.

Anonymous said...

that's what everyone said in 1991, only to have the tide reverse against the opposition in '97. I do hope for all our sakes this won't be the case in 2011.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

what the people want is a govt that looks after the people. even if the pap wins, as long as it is not a clean sweep, and if they really take good care of the people and country, the people will vote for them.

but if they are still intoxicated by having too many peanuts, then it is only a matter of time before the people say enough is enough.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to believe that is the case, but judging from the results of the just concluded election (and preivous ones as well) Singaporeans have short memories. All the ruling party needs to do is dangle the upgrading carrot and dish out a couple of hundred in cash before the next election and the people will give them a mandate to do as they please for the next five years. In this election, look how easily Singaporeans forgot the GST increase in 2004, the broken promise to restore CPF cuts, the NKF issue. Sigh, the future does not look bright.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

any real change will come in the next election when most of the senior citizens have gone home to be with the lord.

this time round all the ah peks and ah mahs are still happily casting their votes after striking lottery.

Anonymous said...

But are we really sure it's only the ah peks and ah mas who had voted the PAP enmasse ? According to LHL, a large proportion of the young voters who reside in Anchorvale and Fernvale in his AMK constituency voted for him. Ditto the Punggol 21 district in PRP constituency.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

you are right. i am not sure as i have no access or knowledge of who vote for who. my view is at best based on an educated guess.

i dunno if anyone knows for sure.