7/03/2006

distorting the truth, mr brown

The is a heading in a reply from K Bhavani, Press Secretary to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, to Mr Brown's article on rising cost of living. Bhavani's point is that Mr Brown must use his real name to make comments or criticisms and not hide behind a pen name. Funny to insist on Mr Brown using his name when most people know who he is. It is like if an author writes a book under a pen name, then the book is not written by him. A second point is that Mr Brown was criticising, like the whining Singaporeans, and not offering constructive criticism and alternatives. Who's job is to come out with solutions? Who is being paid market rate to solve society's problem? The people are the customers that civil servants are paid handsomely to look after. Using the word 'serve' may be asking too much these days and some might find it offensive. Isn't it the right of the people, or customers, to complain when they are not satisfied? Isn't it the duty of the civil servants to look at the criticisms and try to come up with a better solution? Why ask the customers to come up with solutions? Are the customers paid to come up with solutions? If yes, I think many customers will willingly come up with solutions. Then we don't need civil servants anymore. The people will provide their own solutions. Why should the people pay the civil servants if they cannot come up with solutions and pass the buck to the people? The food is not properly cooked. The wine tastes bad. The service is lousy. The TV does not work. These are the common complaints of unhappy customers. Now the management is going to say, please come out with an alternative solutions. Criticisms and complaints are not constructive. Bhavani's third point, 'Mr Brown's views on all these issues distort the truth. They are polemics dressed up as analysis, blaming the govt for all that he is unhappy with. His piece is calculated to encourage cynicism and despondency, which can only make things worst...' Now this is an unfair criticism and even an accusation that Mr Brown is attacking the govt on the pretext of criticism. Under the same interpretation, this post will also deserve the same branding as Mr Brown's comments. I think it is all in the way people see and accept criticisms. What Mr Brown wrote can be seen as a feedback, that something is not going down well. Why must it be seen as polemics, as an attack on the govt? Is it not the right of the people, as citizens, to air their grouses? How else is the govt going to get some genuine feedback if airing of grouses is seen as attacking the govt? Now there is another definition of a partisan player in politics. One cannot be a neutral critique. In the past, one is deemed as partisan if one joins a political party. Now, when you criticise the govt, or air your grievances or grouses, you are partisan. Is this what an open society should be?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is a clear sign that people who are in control CANNOT accept criticism nor are they open to it.

in short, they want to lord over you anyway they deem fit with your mouth shut.

Anonymous said...

On the contrary, redbean, the customers ARE happy. Well, 66.6% of them at least. So, they should not even be complaining in the first place.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

imagine when you employed an expensive ceo and complained that his work is not up to mark and he turns around asking you for suggestions.

even if 99% of the customers are happy, the 1% still has the right to complain. is complaining so offensive?

Anonymous said...

No one can make everybody happy no matter how hard you try. That isn't the aim of politicians. They just aim to make enough people happy to put them into power. That is sufficient.

Anonymous said...

"Is it not the right of the people, as citizens, to air their grouses? "

Redbean, you have forgotten so soon ? 66 percent of the voting population signed away those rights in May 2006. What else is there to say ?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

yes people can air their grouses. but it must be constructive and better still, come out with the solution.

the ah peks in the kopitiams are complaining about no smoking. they better come out with a solution, or else shut up.

Anonymous said...

Exactly. The old maxim of 'If you've got nothing better to say, then shut the fuck up' rings true.

Anonymous said...

only in s'pore

sorry also must explain!

complaint also must be constructive and must come up with solution!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

And now Miyagi, Brown's good pal, also quits Today. The second casualty of the Brown episode. Who is next?

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