3/04/2010

Are the grievances real?

There seems to be a lot of criticisms against the govt policies, and people felt that they are disadvantaged. How true are these? Are they just noises from a small unhappy minorities or are they genuine? Read the main media everything seems so rosy and good. Everyone seems to be very happy making their millions, buying expensive cars, going for holidays, and still jamming up at property launches. I think the PAP has nothing to fear. Grousing and kpkb by small groups of unhappy people will not be enough to swing the votes against them. They will still ride to power with comfortable majority.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Helicopter view can be different from ground view.

Many years ago, sorry for repeating this true story, they listened to helicopter pilots in Hougang and Potong Pasir, who reported seeing ripe chikus and papayas all over the two wards ready for the PAP's picking. It turned out to be misguided.

The MSM have to paint rosy pictures, report rosy statistics, pump hot air, blow bubbles, anything that creates a feel good aura.

Believe them at your own peril.

Wally Buffet said...

Also sorry gotta say this. Past history tells us that history will repeat itself. There may be rumblings and grumblings here and there but in the end, the opposition may just garner another two miserable single seats bringing the total tally to four with a smattering of NMPs coming in through the grace of you know who. The two seats is the sum total of all the foreign T grievances which is the current raison d'ĂȘtre of so much unhappiness.

When that show is over, it's time to rest until another four years down the road.

Hehe, what a bore!

Speedwing said...

Hi Redbean, I am willing to bet that in the next GE the PAP will sweep the field again. I cannot imagine a Singapore without the PAP. They have been there for such a long time and they there to stay, like it or not. To many the PAP is the best thing since sliced bread. There are many who have benefitted from the PAP policies and they rightly do not want any change. For those who are less hard driving and hard striving, they only have themselve to blame. Maybe as indicated they have not had the spurs stuck into their hides. Maybe it is time they wake up and join the hardworking Singaporeans who have made good under this PAP government. There will always be those who are left behind. That is part and parcel of life. Who says life is fair?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Dissent for govt policy is always a good sign. At least there are people who are willing to express their dissatisfaction -- loudly enough so that they are heard, even if they are "ignored".

If they didn't the govt could get away with more shit -- more than they already do.

Lighten up redbean.

It doesn't seem logical for you to run a blog and promote freedom of expression, and state that you treat all views as "equal", and then turn around and criticise people who do so in the public sphere.

Anonymous said...

Situations now very much different...high costs of living,massive influx of foreign "talent", high property prcs,depressed wages,investors losses in Lehman structure product etc.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

I think the high prices of public housing is not an issue. See the new prices of Sengkang exec condo coming up? No sweat, what is $600 psf?

No issue at all.

Anonymous said...

I hate to say this, but I agree with Mati-lah. If there is totally no expression of dissatisfaction, God knows what would have become of us.

Let the opposition be token, but at least it beats being trampled to a pulp.

I hope this time it will be different, what with the various issues like foreign workers, HDB pricing and cost of living affecting so wide a sector of the population.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

anon @244

On the idea of "political opposition" as a "protector" of the peoples' "justice":

I've never accepted this so-called hypothesis. When we're talking politics, we're talking big, organised groups, and when you have these large entities the result is a metamorphosis into ideological warfare – i.e. my ideas are better than yours.

For e.g. many people support the SDP as an “alternative” to the PAP. However, as well intended as these SDP (or other opposition party) seem to be, they are organised and with that comes power struggles. There will also be power struggles from within – as no doubt there is in the PAP (I can’t wait for the thing to implode. I’ll be laughing and dancing when it finally does come to bear)

What is needed is true diversity – plurality of opinions, views and ideas, and let the “best” ideas win out in the long run even if the worst ideas are selected in the interim. These ideas are of course selected on an individual basis which means you have to have lots of people with their own opinions and loudly disagreeing with each other – vigorously arguing their cases the best they can, all competing openly for acceptance.

Then you have a healthy democracy in the truest sense – one person, one vote – with those who disagree withdrawing from any association as they so choose.

The problem with big organised political groups – ideologically driven – is that when they come to power they tend to disallow a peaceful withdrawal of association on the individual basis. Once they take over the state, they can make it illegal for any individual to do so – short of emigration, but states have also resorted to killing people who try to exit the territory e.g. East Germany when the Berlin Wall existed.

So yeah, more kpkb regarding government interference the better. Does it ever make a difference? Who knows? Our human brains are not “programmed” to reason in long-term periods, and our brains are not “programmed” for long chains of complex reasoning and logic. This is why a messy, loud, free-wheeling democracy – with all it’s faults – based on individual rights and unfettered freedom of speech is necessary: you have lots and lots of “imperfect” processors all competing, AND cooperating (both from the stance of individuals making choices to do so) in the public sphere for acceptance of ideas.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

I think it does not make any difference. And Mah Bow Tan will win Tampines.

Anonymous said...

"And Mah Bow Tan will win Tampines", unquote.
I will bet with anyone who says he won't.

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