7/03/2010
Coming to terms with Communism
Communism was as good as Satan in the days of the Cold War. It was revolution and armed struggle to overthrow existing govts which were often dictatorships or colonial powers or decadent monarchies. The success of Communism in USSR and China was an affront to Western Imperialism and domination of the world stage. When hot wars could not be fought, Western powers resorted to Cold Wars.
As a legacy of Western Powers and ruled by colonialists, we naturally took the side of the Western Imperialist and made Communism a national enemy. I am musing at the moment as writing a statement like this will reward me with a communist sympathiser badge to wear and probably a place behind the Blue Gate in the early years.
The political climate has changed today. Communism has proven to be a failed economic and political model of govt. Communists and ex communists and their sympathisers are tolerated and to a certain extent accepted. Some countries have communist parties running in elections for the govt.
The release of the Marxist Conspirators and the freedom granted to them mark the ending of one chapter of our political history.
Why were the Communist so feared and ISD so zealous in the pursuit of this group of political activists? Other than the Cold War mentality and to be on the right side of Imperial West, Communism stands for the violent overthrown of incumbent govts. Armed struggle was their proclaimed modus operandi to power.
Would our govt of today accept a communist party standing for election and accepting the electoral process of free election? What if a communist party declares in its manifesto that they renounce armed struggle and willing to play by the accepted rules and procedures?
Would ISD still be relevant and set to go after them? ISD played a vital role in the early stages of our independence and political process. They were the front soldiers in the fight against a militant communist force challenging and attempting to be the govt of this country. The current govt and political system owe a lot to the role of ISD in removing the militant communist equation from our political process.
With Communism in the wane, with armed struggle no longer an option to political parties, the role of ISD in quelling political unrest could be put to the back burner. Or should it continue to chase the shadow of a militant past?
The threats to national security has taken a different form and possibility more violent and deadly. International terrorism, religious extremism, espionage etc will demand a lot of attention from ISD. They will have their hands full. Would there be a new role and priorities for ISD and would these divert their resources from internal political rivalry to the new threats to national security and survival?
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5 comments:
Communism? What communism? It is passe and as redundant as the dinosaurs which roamed this planet aeons ago.
The Mainland Chinese who were the greatest proponents of Russian communism are now more capitalistic than the Americans. The latter desires an I Phone or an I Pad, they, the Chinese hankers for a diamond studded limited edition mobile.There are more Lambos and Ferraris in China than anywhere else on Earth.
Forget about communists and communism. Karl Marx's doctrines doesn't work anymore. They were defective and flawed ideas to begin with.
National Security agencies around the world are now concentrating their total attention to the containment and if possible eradication of terrorists and terrorism. Terrorism is the new enemy of the state and people as well as the bane of economic activities enabling rich people to get richer and the have nots to have something. It makes sense to generate more wealth through capitalistic activities than equitable sharing of limited wealth which is communism, at its most fundamental level.
The discussions in My Singapore News has now moved a few notches higher into ideology. Hope it will move on to philosophy soon.
Communism was/is but a form of describing a system of governance. It was not carved in stone in the way it works. Have You not heard that our system is worse than communism. How's that so? Me agrees with the claim, Communist leaderships tend to be hardline, enforcing ideology on everyone including the leaders themselves. The Leaders have to live by examples by working as hard as the people and LIVE AS SIMPLY AS THE RULED.
In SIN, everybody is made to work faster, harder and CHEAPER, quite liked communist style and the Ruled are remunerated slower than the rate of inflation. BUT the Leaders increased their MULTI-MILLION SINDOLLARS SALARIES AS THEY THEMSELVES DEEMED FIT or ACCORDING TO THEIR WANTS, shall we say.
Yes, the Mainland Chinese Citizens are buying Lambos, private yatches, cruisers and planes. BUT no single Chinese Leaders dare own one themselves. None of the Communist Leaders, past or present had their offsprings continued their leadership except North Korea, a deviation of course.
What's in the name of anything? Ah Lian and Ah Huays maybe more kind and generous than tais tais and socialites. National leaders can be craftier than casino operators and police chief and military chief are likely the most corrupt in most countries. What is communist, imperialist, dictators are we talking about? In any system, so long as the leaderships have propriety, it is all good. A beautiful system run by rogues will still stink, all descriptions are but just semantics.
patriot
The problem with communism is that it doesn't work because you soon run out of other people's money.
However, I don't agree that it should be "banned".
Masses of people should be allowed to make silly decisions and collapse their civilization and economy.
It makes for good entertainment on the TV.
The most successful communist state is not the most successful communist organisation. The most successful practitioners of communism is the followers of Jesus, starting with the Catholic Church. Oh, for sure they don't call themselves communists.
We have the City Harvest Church and New Creation Church and many other churches, all practising communal living and sharing of wealth. They are very successful.
What is this cheaper, faster and better nonsense? It is meant for workers only. You are right Patriot. We should have another slogan, Expensive, Slower and not Better.
Occasionally, I might appear to be a friend of the Christian church...such as in this case.
The difference between "religious" communism and state communism is that one is free to choose their religion and thus the imposed ideologies and prescribed behaviour.
However state-communism is not really a choice -- even in a democratic country because it is a collective effort --- you only have the power of one vote in a democracy.
Because it is a collective effort: the people get the government they deserve, as opposed to some people get the mind-fuck they deserve when choosing to become a voluntary slave to religious dogma and its dog-handlers.
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