4/07/2008
An issue of complacency
The current issue of complacency is truly the fault of the people. And we shouldn't complain or blame the govt at all. We are so lucky to have such a good govt that we have taken everything for granted. If only that the govt is not as good and as efficient.
Matilah, in mysingaporenews blog compared Singapore with Zimbabwe. Now that is unfair. You cannot compare paradise with hell. It is insulting to put us side by side with Zimbabwe and say we are good. We need to compare apple with apple.
I would suggest that the govt sacrifice a GRC to the opposition and let them mess it up. Then the people will understand what it is like to be in a place that is badly governed. Using an opposition GRC is the best way to get a good and reasonable comparison. And no one can be complacent enough to say otherwise or use a bad example to compare with.
This is the fault of being too good for too long that the people begin to take the goodness and efficiency for granted. Complacency is an understatement.
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23 comments:
Singaporeans are truly blessed to have a top rate government. Look around you. Everything is going like clockwork. When you have a good thing for too long you tend to accept that as a norm. Yes, we read about the hard luck stories of far away land and think that such tragedies will never befall us. We have a great government that does its best to prevent that from happening. So I say to you Redbean, be thankful.
With the most expensive government in the world, you would of course expect everything to work like clockwork and nothing less!
Well I expect the government to be more transparent and accountable.
this is what complacency is all about. the govt has been good for many years. never take that for granted, that it will always be good.
history always repeat itself and when we become complacent, we can fall into the abyss without knowing it.
who's the one who caution us to be always vigilant?
> Matilah, in mysingaporenews blog compared Singapore with Zimbabwe. Now that is unfair. <
redbean, you do yourself a disservice by being dishonest in quoting me out of context.
The comparison between S'pore and Zimbabwe was made in the CONTEXT of the degree of govt interference relating to the resulting consequences. So please, if you are going to tekan me, don't do so at the expense of your integrity — as you stand in danger of negating all the the good work you've done.
Now, that that is settled, I'll comment on the rest of your post:
It is no surprise the people of S'pore are "complacent". The govt has discouraged political involvement at every level. If the people can't express individually, whay should anyone expect them to cooperate voluntarily for instance, say, in keeping "terrorism" at bay?
This has got nothing to do with complacency nor taking things for granted. Being the most expensive government in the world, taxpayers naturally expect the best of the best from them. You pay a premium and you therefore expect the very best. This is an expectation issue. With high pay comes higher expectation. This is what the private sector is all about. If the government can't deliver, it should take lower pay and expectation would correspondingly be lower.
No one takes good government for granted. On the contrary, it is the government who is taking the voters for granted-that it will be returned to power for the next 15 years.
"Without the elected president and if there is a freak result, within two or three years, the army would have to come in and stop it" -- MM Lee Kuan Yew
With the SAF doing their bidding, they will be in power for a lot longer than just 15 years.
matilah, i still take the view that comparing singapore with zimbabwe is a mismatch. zimbabwe is a third world country and the level of govt interference and abuses are unimaginable. how can we use zimbabwe to compare with a first world top notch country like singapore?
and to say that we have lesser govt interference than zimbabwe to justify that we are better is,... i think you know better.
the high pay and complacency will exact a high price from this govt. i agree to that.
a person cannot run away from responsibility and accountability when he demands to be paid every cent of his worth and he cannot deliver or fail to deliver.
the complacency thing is to fail to see the real cause of all the problems.
mahathir is the best example of delusion. he never sees his wrongdoings. what he does is ok. when other people doing the same is not ok.
but worst, he created a corrupt system that everyone is blind to it while enjoying all the excesses.
Redbean, so what else is new ? Being delusional is a human failing, nothing specific to Mahathir. Lee Kuan yew is guilty of it too. Nepotism when practised by him, his family and cronies is not called nepotism. No, it is necessary because talent is so lacking in Singapore, and that it is only concentrated in the Lee family and the family of his cronies.
One more to add to PP's point: Other countries leaders take money from public coffers, he calls it corruption. He and his cronies do it, it is called paying themselves market rate salaries. LKY is even worse that Mahathir where hypocrisy and being delusional is concerned.
Anyone else wants to add.
let me clarify. you cannot say that a straight As student is not talented. his academic talent or talent to pass exams must be excellent.
other talents, that is another issue.
when pay is approved by parliament or the board of directors, they are legally correct or authorised. so legally, technically, administratively and even morally, above board and can take with pride and with no guilt.
just accept this phenomenon with eyes wide shut.
In a word, just legitimise it and it is above board. Just like gambling. there are legal gambling outlets and illegal bookies. What is the difference?
ALEE the Baba and his 81 thieves.
Redbean, the straight A student could have cheated. Could also be that the examiner marking his papers just got laid by a hot chick the night before and was being overly generous in his grading.
redbean, do yourself a fvour and re-read whatever books you had on logic, reason and especially stuff (if you have it) the lawyers read to prepare them for court.
Pay particular attention to the content relating to OBJECTIVITY and CONTEXT, and also to CONTEXT DROPPING and how it makes your argument meaningless.
When I gave Zimbabwe as an example comparing it to Singapore I limited it in a CONTEXT relating to govt interference in the economy and the results thereof. The context was strictly limited for specific reasons: to concretise my ideas in a real-world example.
This has nothing to do with whether Zimbabwe is a 3rd world country or not. Zimbabwe's govt interference is (was) more EXTENSIVE than that of S'pore, and therefore the CONSEQUENCES are greater. (As an aside: BTW, Zimbabwe had the best economy in Africa for many years until Mugagbe and his gang ballsed it up).
You purposely dropped the context and slammed me (albeit mildly) in your post. That old boy, is IMO unfair.
I hope I made myself clear. Can we move on? Thanks.
ok ok, lets move on: )
anonymous, you are letting your imagination running wild. but it does happen as you said.
matilah, about logic, sometimes no logic is required. just common sense. sometimes just con your way through.
> sometimes just con your way through. <
That might suit people like yourself with no fucking backbone or balls, but for me honesty has always been the best policy.
If I don't like you, or approve of what you do, I will tell you to your face.
I don't believe in "conning" my way through life, because I have to live with myself. Why should I protect someone else's feelings or their ego if I think they are assholes? Absolutely out of the question!
if you have not been conning your way through, why take it so hard? my 'you' is a generic term to mean anyone. not just you, matilah. dummy.
Ooooh... aren't you the sensitive one today. Do you have to twist my words around to exonerate yourself? Nice try, old boy.
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