2/23/2014

Thoughts of an 18 year old Sinkie



 
‘I often think about how to repay my parents for they have given up so much for me just to keep me living and educated in hopes for a better future. I also often wonder if it’s easier or cheaper for me to die earlier instead. Is this investment worth it in the future, will I be able to pay them back….

Our growing and relatively efficient infrastructure is all thanks to them. Without them it would be impossible for Singapore to have such a beautiful landscape amongst other things. Without them there would be no skyscrapers to house those major corporations, no MBS and RWS for the affluent tourists….

And as for incessantly blaming the government for such issues, is there any way around it?
How sure are you that the opposition will implement better measures. Can you come up with a better way to deal with such multi-faceted problems? Change isn’t necessarily a good thing….

Economic and social problems are rife and it seems like Singapore’s gonna burst soon. Between fight versus flight, regrettably, I choose flight.’

Apathetic 18 year old

The above paras were extracted from a post by this Apathetic 18 year old posted in TRE. He covered a lot in his post, from hopelessly, to hope, from wanting change but not wanting change. The youth of today are caught in a dilemma between wanting to do their best, to carve out a good life for themselves and facing a competition that they still did not know what it is and how to deal with it.

I would say that this is a typical Sinkie youth, well brought up, still believe in the values of filial piety, looking after and repaying the hardwork and devotion of his parents. And as he grows up and comes smack into the face of reality, a harsh and rapidly changing world that he has to grasp by the horns to make meaning of it, it is a new battle to be won.

Singapore was not built yesterday. Singapore existed even before 1819. It is a continuous existence of a people and a society. In between there were ups and downs and prominent milestones in our history. The young must read our history in full, not just after 1965 or after 2000, the years that many of the young were familiar, but not knowing the past.

The phenomenon of an over populated island and the hordes of foreign workers in the construction sites are new. It was not like that before. We built this island. We built the main part of our infrastructure by the pioneering generation. The foreign workers only came in recently to add on the finishing touches to complete the story of modern Singapore. For the youngs who were born in Spring, they would know the winter before them.

We owe much more, in fact everything to the pioneering generation that turned this island into a modern cosmopolis. By the time the foreign workers were brought in, things were pretty easy and straight forward. They just came to put the lego pieces together. I am not so generous to give them so much credit. And so were the foreign mercenaries called talents. We built our airlines, shipping lines, banks and many big institutions by ourselves. The foreign mercenaries came to pick the fruits. It is easy but not when one was ploughing the barren land, planting the seeds, watering and pouring manure on the soil, and sweating it out under the hot sun with not enough to eat and wear, and not knowing if the seeds would grow into a tree.

The children of today will see only the finishing touches of a successful story and think they owe a big debt to the foreign workers and foreign talents that are here now. This is the price for not teaching history in schools, or teaching only contemporary history from 1965. And some may even think that is too distance and the only thing they are aware is yesterday, after year 2000.
 
We need to stop spouting nonsense like we owe everything to the foreign workers and the foreign mercenaries in Raffles Place and MBFC for our success. The recognition of the Pioneer Generation is most timely to remind our young that they have missed out on the winter of our history and are enjoying the three seasons of warmth and plenty. 

Be sure that you know who you should be grateful to. Yes be grateful to your parents and your grandparents, not the new foreign workers and mercenaries. Do not forget the contributions of your parents and forefathers. It is ungrateful to think that they did nothing and everything is done by the new foreigners.

16 comments:

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

No problem lah. Teenage angst and confusion is quite normal. At 18, very few can do anything else but eat and shit -- no life experience, no BROAD context of existence yet. Probably never had any heavy losses or life crisis, never earned one dollar in a competitive labour market...all they have is theories and loud music.

So nothing to concern ourselves with. Just let them express and accept it as "growing pains". ;-)

Anonymous said...

I think this 18 year old teenager will vote PAP when he turn 21.

Now you know why PAP can get at least 60% votes every election.

I always believe PAP has much stronger support among Sinkies than what netizens and RB think.

Anonymous said...

With 18 year old teenagers like this ... than Singapore got no hope.

Singapore is in this shit today because we only have one gospel ... the gospel of LKY.
As if HE is the only source of truth and wisdom in Singapore.

Nobody bother to ask if maybe a long time ago ... the old fart became a little bit senile and started to go off track.

We need to hear different voices.
More debates.
Otherwise we end up with groupthink.
Like North Korea.

Anonymous said...

Teenagers who are wise will
take flights early.
Staying means getting manipulated and or exploited.

Anonymous said...

/// Teenagers who are wise will
take flights early. ///

Great. So we are stuck with all these pro PAP teenage fucktards.

b said...

"Between fight versus flight, regrettably, I choose flight."

- when he realises that he cannot change anything because there are so many dim voters, he will choose flight. We are all descents of flighters.

Anonymous said...

/// We are all descents of flighters. ///

No. We are all stayers.
The fucktards who fight a rearguard action against the PAP in Singapore.
While our children take flight.

Our ancestors made a big mistake by staying in Singapore when PAP became the new government.
When we were teenagers, we were stupid and believed in all the koyok LKY told us.

And when LKY finally dies;
We have to all say he is the Founding Father of Singapore.
When we know in our heart it is actually Stamford Raffles.

Anonymous said...

Must be the world's first Founding Father who cried tears of despair when he was made the leader of Singapore.

How do you found a country when you were exiled there by a superior power?
Arguably, Tunku Abdul Rahman is the Founding Father of Singapore since he exiled LKY into Singapore.

agongkia said...

Please tell the 18 years old to look forward and serve his NS first before he think of repaying his parents.
Without country,there is no home,without home there is no parent,without parent there is no 18 years old.
Be like me.To serve to strive and not to yield.

Anonymous said...

Serve National Service?
Keep Singapore safe for more Foreign talents to come steal our jobs?

How much is the NS boy paid every month?
While away doing NS, are Foreign talents keeping his girlfriend entertained?

National Service is to serve Singaporeans or to serve PAP?
What do you think?

Anonymous said...

Many in the establishment are telling everyone that they must be grateful to the foreign workers and foreign talents.

So idiotic. If that is the case the pioneer generation package should be changed to foreigners package for their contribution to building this country.

Anonymous said...

Foreign talents help to contribute to GDP growth much more than daft and poor Sinkies.

And PAP minister bonuses are benchmarked to GDP growth.

Foreign talents become citizens will vote PAP.

So of what use to PAP are those daft and poor Sinkies who vote opposition, you tell me lah?

Anonymous said...

I think there is a reason why only those above 65 or above benefit from pioneer package.

Because statistically speaking, they will live shorter than the rest mah, tio bo?

So govt no need to give or give less lah, if these pioneers die or die earlier, tio bo?



Anonymous said...

RB, spent many minutes this morning buying you kopi already, thanks for all your posts.

Anonymous said...

/// I think there is a reason why only those above 65 or above benefit from pioneer package. ///

The reason is this.
There is proportionally a higher percentage of stupid people who will vote PAP.
PAP's voter base seems to consist mainly of the dim witted.
Which of course makes PM Lee look semi-intelligent.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Thanks for all the kopi. Yesterday the level nearly hit Blue.

Cheers.