Qian Xuesen, the Chinese nuclear scientist educated in MIT and a co founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Caltech, returned to China in 1955 after being detained at Terminal Island in California for 5 years. On his return to his motherland, he was instrumental in the setting up of China’s missile and space programme. He is being honoured as the Father of Chinese Rocketry and the rest is history. China’s progress in space and nuclear technology owed a lot to scientists like Qian and many others educated in the West. They returned home to serve their motherland, exchanging a life of luxury in the West for something where luxury is a rarity.
Many Chinese professors and scholars have gone home to serve their country for anything but money. The emotional attachment and love of the motherland are beyond comprehension. Not to Singaporeans anyway. Singaporeans only understand money. The motherland concept is something intangible, cannot be bought by money, and with intelligent and patriotic people willingly making great personal sacrifices just to serve their country and people.
It may be idealistic, it may sound stupid, it may sound unrealistic, but the power of the motherland is not something to be trifled with. Countries that have developed such values and virtues like patriotism, nationalism, will triumph in adversity, by the sheer loyalty, commitment and dedication of its own people that believe in the motherland.
In Singapore, what kind of values are we teaching the people, to bind the people to this land which rightfully is their motherland? What we are seeing today is the pride of a materialistic people that believe only in money and nothing else. And half a century of nation building is being rubbished, that we conveniently called this island a hotel, a city state, not a country. And we keep dismissing the citizens in favour of alien foreigners for their perceived talents. We buy talents, we bribe talents, we beg talents, hoping that they will be here to contribute to our economic growth and well being. When things are fine, when the sky is clear, they will be here.
When the weather turns foul, will these talents stay and strive with the people in times of adversity? Many would not even want to serve in NS. Would our own elite, the self proclaimed great sacrifices they made to serve the country, also stay and struggle side by side with the people when there is a national crisis?
Or would all of them reveal themselves as just fair weather friends, and would scoot the moment things turn bad? What is there to hold them back when the draw for them to be here is money, while everything else is an aspiration? Would they bother to double think, that this is their motherland, to fight and to die for? Do the elite bat an eyelid if this city state is lost for whatever reasons, sold or snatch away by anyone?
Would those who are here stay and fight? Would those overseas come running home to help to defend this city state like defending their home, their motherland? The Chinese will return to fight for their motherland, the Indians will return to fight for their motherland, the Jews around the world will return to defend their motherland, not for money but because it is their motherland.
Would Singaporeans do likewise, driven by the cause of their country, their motherland, to come home to stand side by side with their fellow citizens? Unfortunately, no Singaporean is calling this island their motherland. The word motherland is alien to Singaporeans. More are familiar with the word hotel. In a crisis, the reverse is likely to happen, with everyone for himself, running away as fast as they could from this island, which was never seen as their motherland.
Bring in the foreign talents, bring them in. Pay them, bribe them, just bring them in to share the good fortune of this island hotel. It is not a motherland to anyone, not to Singaporeans, not to any foreigners. Just a hotel of convenience.
Plant an 'instant tree' mentality.
ReplyDeleteCan't compare lah. China has thousands of years of culture, history and evolution. Many influences create a rich tapestry which not doubt "unites" people -- from the diaspora across the world to locals, to those who are non-China Chinese, across generations, across languages.
ReplyDeleteSingapore what? Just over 50 years of PAP-induced social engineering and "culture".
For me, my best bet: treat the Mother Cuntry like a hotel. In that way I couldn't care less who runs it -- foreign talent, local talent, no-talent talent, animal talent or outsourced to India...just as long as everything is running properly and works well.
I respect M_S more than I do the Rulers in Sin.
ReplyDeleteMay I say here is a guy that is forthright and honest.
patriot
If a lawyer enjoys fucking up his PM's mouth, one shouldn't be apologetic for calling a spade a spade....he is what he is in street language...a shameless corporate motherland fucker who also fucks up idiots and cowards like useless Richard Wank when the master calls
ReplyDeleteAwww c'mon, it's just an aspiration... as coined by 'fatherlee' figure.
ReplyDeleteWhat more can you ask if your own leeders think it's an aspiration.
Kaffein
Do Sinkies have a motherland they long to return to?
ReplyDeleteStepmother is usually not someone a child long to be with!
ReplyDeleteFor the guest famiLEEs, the concept of motherland is alien. They have conveniently called themselves Chinese, but even in China they were refugees and they were refugees for so long that nobody even know their origins, where they come from or who they really are. They tried to make a grab for Lanfang Republic but scoot the moment the Dutch came. Is Singapore theirs? Will they make Singapore their motherland? Or will they just move on, as they have always done, even in China?
ReplyDeleteQian Xuesen was never a nuclear scientist. He is a rocket scientist. He is responsible for China's rocket, missile, space development. The other scientist, Qian Sanqiang was responsible for nuclear stuff, e.g. nuclear bombs, during the same era. Both have surname of Qian but are not related.
ReplyDeleteSingapore is never a first world country except its GDP and infrastructure, i.e. those hardware but not software. There is no identity and sense of belonging in Singapore. The political climate in general will never nurture a nation like China that people consider as their 'motherland'. China has more than 5000 years of history. In fact, most old generation Singapore still consider China as their motherland, likewise for old generation Indians. The new generation Singaporeans are victim of the past 46 years rule and most are banana.
How to turn a generation of banana into sweet potato that has root, brown (yellow) skin and red interior (heart for the land)? It is almost impossible because banana will breed banana and not sweet potato.
Damage has been done. Most Singaporeans have lost their original ethnic culture and historical sense though they may still speak their ethnic language. Current debate on social inclusiveness has triggered this. I would say it is just wayang. Making money is top, top, and gain top priority of this government and nothing else. Good luck for Singapore.
Thanks anon 2:18 for clarification on the role of Qian Xuesen and the other nuclear expert Qian. Many other great Chinese intellectuals and technocrats had returned to their motherland when it was in turmoil, to rebuild their motherland.
ReplyDeleteHere, many are running away as they know things would only get worst. This is the tragedy of a country that is turning into a non country. Everyone is here only for the money and thinking money. There is no heart string and emotions attached to this island.
This is very sad. And they are willingly giving it away to any jokers that want to be here. Sadder.
And the real owners of this island, the Singaporeans, have no say to this sell out of their country. Even sadder.