10/08/2008
The goodness of obedience
The thoughts of what is happening in Thailand today, when protestors were fighting and shooting at the police must give a great sense of gratitude that we are such a peaceful country with peace loving people. Those who still have doubts about the cancelling of the cycling event in East Coast Parkway should better appreciate the foresight of the decision. You need talents who can look a few steps ahead to make wise decisions.
We did have people fighting the police in the past. But those were the days gone by. Today we have a different set of people that believe in the goodness of obedience. It is a diffferent kind of obedience, not those of a dictatorial regime, an authoritarian state or an archaic kingdom. Those were imposed obedience through the use of force or ignorance of the populace. That is one of the reason why some old feudal states chose to keep their people under educated. For with education comes knowledge and a questioning mind. The more education the people received, the more they can see falsehood from the truth and the lower will be their tolerance for inepts and bad policies.
This is a little contradiction which requires a little explanation. We have a very high level of literacy in our people. Many are highly educated. But this does not bring about disobedience. In fact the people become more obedient than before. Thanks to several good men and their wise policies that brought us so far. And the people are grateful to the point that they will stand up to defend the govt against any critics. Critics are frown upon and set upon especially in the cyberspace.
The kind of obedience among Singaporeans have been carefully cultivated through young and has become second nature to them. This is an achievement which many countries could not do. I cringe when I heard educators talking about teaching the students to learn critical thinking. Raising literacy in an orderly society is an achievement that many failed to appreciate. For that, our govt should receive a Nobel Price for Peace. More specifically, it should go to the good leadership. Not just anyone in the govt.
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10 comments:
obedience is it?... or cowardice or may be conplacent due to wealth.
we are so dissolved in self indulgent, comsumption that we could ignore the subtle brainwashing i.e obedience.
Law abiding, obedience or just plain fear? I have noticed that the majority of Singaporeans do not break the law when they have the fear of being found out or if they suspect big brother might be watching. As soon as that fear is gone or if they are sure big brother is not watching, then they are like any third world citizen would very likely break the law. Good examples is the overnight litter that cover the pavements early in the morning before the sweepers get to work. Of course we could always blame it on the FWs????
It goes deeper than that: CONFORMITY, in order to be accepted socially.
Even those who want to be disobedient, pick and choose where and when they can "win". Shhh... quietly.
If you are openly disobedient -- like certain 'democratic' politicians -- the govt will hantam you, and sooner rather than later the majority of Singaporeans will think you're a bloody fool (but won't say so) and won't give you any fucking sympathy.
And you'd deserve it.
Redbeans, since you desire a society zero on critical thinking than why are you writing so much.
Obedience as a concept is like chicken being locked up in a cage. Are you moralising that a chicken locked in a cage is same to goodness because they had now transformed themselves into higher ranking educated chicken and had learned how to live well in a cage? Beats logic.
It can be obedience, fear/respect of the Laws, civicism, apathy to social/national developments.
And likely plain servility.
patriot
simply impotent
So the citizens are obedient, but the govt keeps bringing in uneducated foreigners who are showing more and more disobedience. How does that make sense?
hi anonymous,
my posts are often very provocative. i take different positions to aggravate the thinking process. obedience is good to some extent and in some situations. obedience can bring down a nation of non thinking people.
our strength is an obedient sheeple. but this will also be our downfall. all it needs is for some rogues to take over the running to the country, and the sheeple will be sold lock, stock and barrel.
what we really need is a thinking people, who knows good from wrong, who questions and be obedient when it is right to do so, and be disobedient when it needs to be so.
The only disobedient and therefore thinking people are those (the majority) in Hougang and Potong Pasir. Is that it?
the people of pasir ris and hougang are not disobedient. they decided to take their futures into their own hands.
they believe in themselves.
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