8/01/2008

Unleashing the power of the people

In his Jakarta Presidential Lecture, Kishore Mahbubani talked about the lessons to be learnt from India and China. What make the resurgence of these two ancient civilisations at such a rapid pace? Both countries have enormous human resources and both these resources were trapped by feudal systems that enslaved them for centuries instead of liberating them. What move these two sleeping giants was the unleashing of the power of the people, all more than 1 billion each. Freeing the people's mind, educating them and unleashing them to develop to their fullest potential. The miracles that are happening in these two countries are there to be witnessed. While Singapore embarked on its revival by embracing foreign talents, the biggest pitfall is that it is continuing to entrap the minds and power of its own people. It simply tells its people not to think, not to get involved in the nation's affair. Shut up and move on. Make your money and keep quiet. Be grateful, be happy. Don't think, no need to think. The few super talent elite will do the thinking. Was there a change to these thinkings? Can Singapore really transform itself into a new height given these kinds of feudal mindset where obedient to authority, authoritarianism, is regarded as the epitome of a political system?

7 comments:

Mockingbird said...

As long as the gahmen keeps on imposing on us, the commoner majority, that we should not think. Even if it means we have to labor and slave until our dying day, they shall be "toppled" by people power someday.

Anonymous said...

That's the reason 66.66% are now brain-dead and refused to think.

Lost4ever said...

not brain dead, just fear..

BTW it must be less than 66.66% as many of us has no opportunities to vote because of walk over.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

the japanese, the germans, the jews were great and achieve more than other races simply because they believe in themselves as one people. they don't run down their own people or believe in foreign talents.

they don't need foreign talents.

Anonymous said...

Not only do they tell us to shut up and not think, they take away our voting opportunity in the form of grc and now, the right to vote in a by-election and all this while, they have high powered committees trying to figure out why we voted with our feet.

Anonymous said...

There are citizens who have no opportunity to exercise their voting rights for over 20 years and our leaders are wondering why our top talents are leaving.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

don't worry, the system will be tweaked and hopefully everyone will have a chance to vote and we will have a strong opposition party after the tweaking.