6/02/2010
Building a nation
Building a nation, they used to call it nation building, is not about setting up a business, hire and fire, pick the best and discard the worst. A nation is about a people with a share history, some common identity, and a share destiny. It is not about fair weather friends, come when the weather is fair and vamoose when things get bad or there are green pastures elsewhere. It is about sticking together, looking after the able and disable, yes, no one is left behind. And many more.
The last thing about nation building is to clamour for foreigners at the expense of your own people. To disadvantage your own people and tell them they deserve it if they don't buck up and there are many foreigners queueing up at the door to replace them. There is this relationship, an unwritten bond, to stick together for good or for the worst.
When leaders forget and think that the less able can get lost if they are unable to keep up and will be most happy to bring in fair weather foreigners, give them a pink ic and call them citizens, then we are not talking about nation building. We are just running a corporation, hire and fire, no misgivings, no gratitude, no attachments. The people don't owe anything to the govt or the country and vice versa. Just a business contract.
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11 comments:
Short comment.
Nowadays where got charcoal roasted coffee powder?
Everything is threee in one.
Includes "love" too. You want it? Instantly available. Top dollar for top quality.
You want world champions? No problem Hombre. Just Pay and Pay. Gold medalist, three million. Silver medalist, two million. Bronze medalist, one million. No medals? it's a one way ticket back to where you came from.
Hehe.
Redbean,
You are wrong. Can build average nation or first class nation. A city of excellence is for superbeings, not for the average good for nothing ah bengs, ahmads or muthus.
We need blood transfusion of the best kind, champions, celebrities, billionaires, nobel prize winners, rock stars, top class athletes. Then we will have a glittering of stars above and on our pavements.
That is the kind of city we want to be, a city of excellence.
A city of champions, winners, celebrities, millionaires, nobel prize winners, a glittering of all that shines.
I wonder who is going to collect the rubbish, sweep the roads, prune the trees, wash the blocks, police the streets etc.
Hey, yeah, highly talented, rich, well known people doing such things?
Redbean Sir:
You have came out with the Best definition of nation building.
THE PROBLEM; our English Educated and English Speaking Local Leaders do not have the slightest idea of it, the Nation Building You talked about.
Not only that, they lack CONSCIENCES.
patriot
In the dog-eat-dog society of Singapore, the idea of nation building has long been lost. The Singaporeans are too money-face to even think about the welfare of the laggers. To most Singaporeans those who cannot keep up should be got rid of or at best let to rot by the wayside. Lets face it, it is every person for himself or herself. And this is among the true blue Singaporeans. When it comes to imported Singaporeans, the scenario is worse. They even look down on the true blues. They are in Singapore to milk whatever they can when the times are good, and when dark clouds come over this tiny red dot, they will be the first to rush to Changi and get on the first SIA A380 and wave good-bye to those true blues they leave behind and they will flush your Singaporean IC down the plane toilet the first chance they get. That is the way things stand, like it or not. In the meantime, open your arms and welcome them. Your govt says so.
redbean,
Wow, in less than 150 words you described PAP's twisted idea of "nation building". Sadly, after 50 years, instead of developing a national identity, Singapore has been transformed into a Hotel (but its more apt to call it Lee's fiefdom) with no identity, no culture, no nothing because people no longer feel a sense of belonging much less any sense of ownership.
Which also explains why nobody gives a SHIT about some hired PRC paddlers "winning" some medal for Singapore.
This foreign talent scheme will backfire when people don't see the value in it and cannot connect. It is more like taking our savings to nurture other people's children.
The worst part is to bring in FTs to be our bosses, to run enterprises that we have built to what they are today and then claim that our locals are not good enough to run them.
Building a nation is not making rojak. Just throw anything that one likes and thinks that they will gel together as one. Flush it with water and every piece will come out clean like it was before. That is rojak.
Building a nation needs a very strong glue to hold everything together, not to be easily washed away by a little flush of water.
Only sheep need to be led. Real men and real women think for themselves -- cop their own mistakes and get on with their lives without blaming anyone for their “bad luck” but are lavish with praise and gratitude when they succeed. The real men and wome do this voluntarily and don’t need an “authority” (arbitrary at best, illegal at worst) to tell them how to think or how to act.
As for nations: they are arbitrary --- some lines drawn on the map to “divide” groups of people so that small elite groups of powerful people can control the rest of the flock.
Nation building is bullshit. Govt and states are bullshit. Those who believe in all this are asleep – and like sheep: waiting to be FLEECED or SLAUGHTERED.
Enjoy your nation building, dear motherfucking sheeple!
Well said. Our country is slowly but surely going down a slippery path. When I see the large number of "FT" around sometime makes me wonder whether I am still in Singapore. What will it be like 10 yesrs down the road ? Where will our children stand in society ? What future is ahead of them ?
OK I’m getting fed up with whiners complaining about FT’s. I declare my sake: I am an occasional on/off FT myself.
There is no such thing as “country” – countries are essentially pieces of global territory delineated by arbitrary line on a map. Ever heard the saying “the map is not the territory”? Well it is not. A map is a mere representation of the said territory and the lines and grids drawn on a map do not exist in reality.
An “FT” is in fact another human being – just like you or I. The idea that he comes from another so-called “country” – again arbitrarily defined by bullshit lines on a map does not warrant animosity or hostility.
Think about it: ever since the human species came into existence anything “foreign” must immediately be greeted by skepticism, perhaps caution or hostility.
I still standby the open-borders/free labour market concept of the sg.gov. There are very few areas I do agree with the govt – the free and open market in labour is a 100% rational call and has excellent long-term benefits.
Open competition brings out the best (and unfortunately the worst) in people. But I think the idea of direct competition is flawed. There are many new people coming to the island. That means new customers: they all have needs which need addressing.
Instead of whinging about your precious Singaporean “birth right” to a job (another arbitrary myth which doesn’t exist in fact) how about welcoming these FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS and finding ways of earning money from them (i.e. taking their cash legitimately)?
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