9/06/2015

The Singapore Syndrome

Recently the Stockholm Syndrome has been quoted as applicable to Singaporean and their relationship with the PAP, the ruling govt. They compare the development of a relationship between the hostage and their captors, developing a kind of bonding or sympathy for the captors. This is quite true in a way as Singaporeans despite being the victims of govt policies have developed a love/hate relationship with the govt, wanting to vote against them but still thinking that they are not so bad and a new govt would be worse, still wanting to keep the PAP in power but with lesser majority.

There is also another element that complicates this relationship in the form of fear. Singaporeans are troubled by a fear of being fixed, not without reasons with the frightening stories of those that opposed the PAP still vivid in their minds and with many of the victims still alive to tell their stories.

I have done a very serious study of this relationship and have come out with a slightly different theory which I called the Singapore Syndrome. This is best explained by using the example a rape victim and the rapist.

There are 5 phases to this Singapore Syndrome. In phase 1, the victim will react violently against being raped, even fighting with claws and nails, screaming and refusing to be raped. In phase 2 there will still be some struggling and resistance but in a weaker form. By phase 3, the resistance is gone, and the victim would just let the rapist do the raping like a dead person, a dead body. The victim surrenders to the rapist, gives up fighting. This phase can go on for quite some time before the next phase cuts in. In phase 4 the victim would gradually start to enjoy the rape and may cooperate with the rapist. By the time it reaches phase 5, the rapist would have taken the victim for granted and the victim would take the raping as the new normal. And if the rapist forgets or grows tired of raping the victim, the victim would even miss the raping and may be looking forward to it. The final phase 6 would see the victim begging to be raped and refusing to leave the rapist but not loving the rapist. The victim just wants to be raped.

One can apply these phases to how Singaporeans react to tough and anti Singaporean policies with the Singaporeans as the unwilling victims. They will protest initially, but only for a short while, soon the rest of the phases will take over, and the Singaporeans would ask for more. That is why Chok Tong and the PAP have the audacity to ask the Singaporeans to vote them into power with a bigger mandate to continue this relationship. The Singaporeans want more or the PAP. They know that the Singaporeans are like the victims in the Singapore Syndrome. They will get use to it and would love it and demand for it if they did not get more of it. Instead of being raped, apply the unpopular policies of the govt in its place, like PWP, CPF, COE, high ministerial pay, Medishield Life, ERP. GST, housing prices, etc etc.

There are certain conditions that must be present in order for this syndrome to be recognisable. The victim must be under the full control of the rapist or has lost all freedom, physically or mentally. In a way the victim is helpless in the hands of the rapist and under threats of harm. There is no where to run and no one to come to assist the victim. There must be fear of the rapist or the rapist wields tremendous power over the victim. And this fear has become a way of life, second nature to the victim, a part and parcel of the victim’s life. The whole relationship would normally develop over a longer period of time, more gradual than in a hostage situation. The Singapore Syndrome is in many ways far more serious, and the control over the victim more pervasive than the Stockholm Syndrome.


Now we can be famous for another thing, this one is more high sounding, a syndrome, the Singapore Syndrome.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a joke.
Suddenly I see my rapist dressed in white clothing.
Rape me! Rape me!
I still got money left in CPF that can be withdrawn.
Please rape me.
Before I lose my cpf money in Batam.

After 50 years.
If this is called progress, then clearly it's time for a change.
We have nothing to lose.
We will only lose the big fat white dildo shoved up our arse hole for the last 50 years.

Anonymous said...

Not Stockholm, Singapore or whatever Syndrome lah.

I would say it is part of human nature to choose the lesser of 2 evils, because not choosing is also not a good option.

In Singapore elections in the past, it used to be a clearcut choice between good and bad, but recently and now, and unfortunately, it is a choice between bad and worse. So what is this syndrome? Or is it even a syndrome?

Anonymous said...

We have nothing to lose.
Anon 10:52 a.m.

Not all Sinkies have nothing to lose lah. In fact a lot of Sinkies, perhaps even majority, think they have a lot to lose if PAP is voted out of govt.

Only a minority think they have nothing to lose and hence angry enough to vote opposition, even though they may think opposition is worse than PAP.

Anonymous said...

In Hougang, Punggol East and Aljunied, the unhappy people are the majority and they are now the happy people, refusing to be called daft, refusing to be fixed, refusing to be abused, refusing to listen to lies. They have thrown the shit out of their lives.

More Singaporeans will do the same in this election.

Hands-On Green Matters said...

A gentle note: anti-not-good-policy is not same as anti-govt/ anti-PAP (today)/ anti-WP (tomorrow?)/ ...

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

The difference between a real case of Stockholm Syndrome and this creative rendition of the "Singapore Syndrome" is that in the real case of Stockholm Syndrome the victims are truly victims. i.e. they developed Stockholm Syndrome as a DIRECT RESULT of being held or forced against their will.

This of course is different from the so-called, mythical "Singapore Syndrome" where the "victims" voluntarily from Day Number One have voted to keep the PAP in power and in government for several decades. The "best" the non-victims could do was to give the PAP a "scare" and return them to office with a 66.66% majority. Oooooh scary lah...

The Sheeple Get They Syndrome They Deserve, because they willingly choose it time and again!

I don't vote. Don't blame me ;-)

Anonymous said...

More Singaporeans will do the same in this election.
Anon 11:13 a.m.

That will only happen if the opposition is ready to be govt.

If not, majority Sinkies will be happy just to keep only Hougang, Punggol East and Aljunied for WP and let the rest all lose to PAP.

And knowing PAP, opposition and Sinkies for so long, this outcome has more than 90% chance of happening. Don't believe, just wait till the early hours of 12 Sep and see lah.

Anonymous said...

Singaporeans deserve whatever they get because they have selected PAP as the party to rule over them. Why complain and cry foul when you have given PAP the mandate to do whatever they want? Two things you can do about the situation, one, cast your vote to ensure checks and balance and two, if it becomes too much to bare, then emigrate to somewhere where you can have a better life.

Anonymous said...

Remember graduate mothers scheme.
Remember third child discrimination policy
Remember our CPF money return back at 55 years policy.

Do you remember our National Pledge of "justice and equality"?

Will you vote wisely to take revenge in GE 2015?

Anonymous said...

This Singapore Syndrome, willing to be raped, raped and enjoying the rape and then doing nothing about the rape sounds ok in theory.

But you forgot one thing. That guy raping you, all dressed in white, riding on a white steed and looking like a really handsome prince leaping out from a bolt of lightning is really the devil in disguise.

If you know that he is really the devil right from the beginning and looks like one, you definitely wouldn't want to be raped. In fact, you'll just give him a good kick in the balls and this "prince charming" will just roll on the floor and die. So much for your Singapore syndrome.

We have been suckers raped for 50 long years.

Enough is enough.

Anonymous said...

Wah lau eh, look at this latest news:

http://news.asiaone.com/news/general-election/chee-makes-surprise-pledge-work-pap

Is even Dr Chee also having Singapore Syndrome now?

If so, what more ordinary Sinkies, u tell me lah?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

He might be buttering it up so he can join them later. Why not? They pay good. So many years pok kai orleidi, time for some PAY DAY lah.

hahahah...

Got politics?

Anonymous said...

What Dr Chee was saying is a bit like RB. You need to have a little bit of intelligence to know what he meant. If inside your head is kosong like 3:13, then you will say things like that.

Shake your head and listen, got kosong sound or not?

Anonymous said...

Hey Matilah.
Why don't you do a Goh Chok Tong?
“Speak up once and that is enough. Make it impactful. And that's all you need to say,”

b said...

All politicians raped their people one lah. Which one does not?
However, it is best to see some fighting in the parliaments rather than the usual yesmen and yeswomen boring thing. Afterall, we paid so much and they must put on good fighting shows (e.g. throw eggs, cakes and mayo) mah.

Anonymous said...

This GE, do not vote for masters to lord over us.
Vote for servants to serve us.

This GE, fear no evil.