APEC 2024 Peru. Biden shafted to a corner in the back row. Xi in front row next to Peru's President
11/11/2008
We create our own model and our own problems
During the early days of our independence, we were still suffering from the colonial hangovers. The residence were not all citizens and still lived as if they were British subjects. Home or obligation was to their motherlands. This island was a transitional place, to make a living and to return to their homelands. Do they bother about who became the Prime Minister or was he of a particular race? In fact they were more accustomed to a European face as the political master. And if not, anyone would do. It was not their concern. For those who were eligible to vote, a minority, they could vote whoever they want. No hard feelings, no emotional attachment, no ethnic pride to boot. They knew that they were just migrants, did not belong here.
After 45 years of independence and nation building, we have created a fragile nation from the various races. We wanted one people regardless of race and religion. But we also want every race to retain their own identity as their cultural ballasts. The is our paradox. We want to be one but our policies do not turn us into one. Our identity card still says we are of this or that race. Can we then rise above our racial divide and become one people?
There was a time when we were moving closer as one people. Then we have this influx of foreigners whom we called new citizens. They came and they accentuate our differences more distinctly. We are back to square one, to redevelop a new people from all over the world. As the number increases, prepare for more diversities and pulls into all directions.
If we have let our socio political development to continue without the disruption of the new citizens, the issue of what colour is our PM will be naturalised over time and a good man will be seen as a good man, regardless of race or religion, and will just fit into the shoe without much hullaboo.
The more we raise such questions, the more will be the awareness of our differences and the sensitivity of why not a minority PM. Only time can overcome such differences. But if we keep diluting the pot and prevent a Singaporean identity to surface, we only have ourselves to blame.
Two possible path forward to alleviate such an issue. Since we have regarded PRs as locals, it may be better to keep them as PRs. Then they will know how to shut up and stop demanding for their rights as a citizen and for their own PMs, like what we were during the colonial time.
The other is to continue what we are doing, have more new citizens and be prepared for the new interest groups to demand recognition of their tribes. Maybe we should evolved a system with 4 or 5 PMs each of difference races.
All these potential issues could be avoided if the entire island of Singapore and its territories were totally privatised.
ReplyDeleteIn that way, everyone would have a financial interest in the success of the country. If the managers were lousy, they get fired by the owners.
The owners of the property will act in ways until they find the best solution — and it will be quicker than politics, because loses in markets are particularly painful on the personal level, causing people to wake the fuck up and think properly.
Singapore doesn't need PM or parliament house or a bunch of expensive ministers. It is a small fucking island. We have fully privately owned cattle and sheep stations in Australia many times the size of Singapore, all managed by one family from an office.
You don't need a "micro-managed" Singapore. You only need a "government" (management team) that would occupy no more than one floor of an modern office building. That's it.
Singapore has an unnecessary state, and a government far too large to be justified on any grounds other than to bolster the ego and bank accounts of a few selected fraudsters.
you mean the model where the father, the son, the daugther in law , the other son, proxies and all who chose to whispher sweet words of endearment run a country like a private enterprise?
ReplyDeleteThere was never a model of mixed ethic running the country to begin with.
And we did not create them - it was absolute powers which create the democracy we are in.
New citizen can grouse but they are no threat. It those who run the country and spend our reserves and annual budget which threaten our survival.
As long as they keep maintaining WESTERN ideals are better (put more money there) and continue to populate more WESTERN citizen here, we are doomed. It treachery when they dont invest in their very own people & business. They groomed scholars in Western University who in turn return and bring more WESTern ideals to town, we continue to get screwed by the proven failed Western ideals.
There will never be a melting pot -at least not in your lifetime. It just convenience English. Absolute power corrupts, and it is their sons and their gene pool that matters All rest SIN are gentiles living outside the gate of the Inner sanctum.
New citizen can grouse all they like. New citizens are NO threats.
In a typical PAP bulldog style - dont like SIN? give back your citizenship & FO. They say that to own SIN.
Those returning scholars bringing in their foreign brothers/sisters or spouse into town and sleeping with their ideals are what i think are threats. These foreign spouses and their extended families also need lots bananas and compete with us.
What do you think is left for local to pick up? Our scholars will say hey live up to the competition. These scholars knows F. and continue to squeeze their own SIN bone dry while they live well.
Dont get carried away with Obama-mania. Let see what his 4 years brings.. Will there be a white awaking ? the White house is run by very complex system. we watch.
Dont emphatise for the new citizen who had chosen to make a living here and stress out our modern infrastructure, We spend time & strategise for our childrens who belong here
Dont believe the Serangoon saga - it is just a side-show and not the main one.
They treat their own SIN worse. The Ah Ma(s) still picking up re-cycle rubbish to make ends meet while they easily screwed 400 mil on some goddamn ABC steriods.
F1, Volvo, F1 Air are like drugs to temporarily stung you in believing we can. That we are in fun place. Like drugs it wear out fast and needs more steriods. This is not genuine but to drug you to believe in the system not matter how sick.
As a society, we are slowly breaking up becos the trust is slowly eroding. They have given too much control to others in name of competition and squeezing everyone dry (dollars and cents wise) while they fly wine dine and buy.
We need one free from such extravagrance and setting it right in putting their own citizen first. That will be my vision of the next PM.
boon hwee just said that dbs will now promote from within. they now have second thoughts on this foreign talent formula when ceos must be foreign talent.
ReplyDeleteand it is amazing that they now discover that they have talents among the locals who have been with the banks for donkey years.
Eureka!
ReplyDeleteanon1243
ReplyDelete> you mean the model where the father, the son, the daugther in law , the other son, proxies and all who chose to whispher sweet words of endearment run a country like a private enterprise? <
I think the therm "fiefdom" or "kingdom" is more appropriate. Let's leave "private enterprise" to "private citizens" — i.e. no connection to the state.