1/09/2017

There are merits in the American political system

The pro independence kids in Hong Kong have a serious contention about their lack of independence to elect their Chief Executive of preference. The Chief Exedcutive was shortlisted by China and they felt offended, short changed, as if the election of the Chief Executive of a country b the people is a universal democratic formula. Did they know that Singapore also inherited the same British democratic system and the Prime Minister was elected by the political leaders among themselves, not by the people? Singapore or Britain did not elect a politician to be the Prime Minister. The politicians elect among themselves.

The American system is different in that they more or less elected their President directly. There is a presidential election though it still has to go through a second election by an Electoral College of Electors or people’s representative to confirm the election by the American public. This is not what makes the American system particularly more democratic than the British system.

What is distinctive in the American system is that the elected President has a free hand to handpick the best men and women as his ministers to assist and support him in the running of the country. These men and women are the Secretaries or equivalent of Ministers, but not elected by the people, not necessary politicians. It goes for several other top appointments of the govt as well, including the judiciary and finance.

The key difference here is that these men and women are not elected by the people but experts in their own fields or at least are known to be experts in their professions related to the appointments. Notice the glaring difference between these Secretaries and the Ministers in the British system? The latter are politicians and not necessary experts in their ministries. The stark inadequacy of the British system is best seen at home when you have eye surgeon helming the foreign ministry, cancer surgeon helming the defence ministry, generals helming education, transport, internal affairs, etc etc.

The obvious Achille’s heel in the British system is that the politicians are politicians and not necessary experts or professionals and are put into ministries that they have no clue about, not train in, no expertise in but are expected to perform like they know everything. Some may perform, some perform hopelessly.

In reality, not many people are so talented to be experts in things they are not trained in or even in things they are trained in. Some may be good in passing examinations but unable to apply what they learned in schools. Politicians are politicians. Are politicians experts in managing ministries like defence, foreign affairs, health, education etc etc. In many instances politicians are like salespersons, good at presentation or presenting what they want to sell, or like actors/actresses but without the ability to do the professional stuff. They are not knows all.

There is a caveat here of course. Despite the obvious flaws in the British system when non practitioners or non experts are put to helm important ministries, Singapore is Unique. Our talents are super talents, at least by the measures of their multi million dollar salaries. And they really become experts overnight in the ministries they are put in charge.  Even at the lower level they could become experts and advisers in all fields ranging from sports, arts, cultural, clans or trade associations.

This is the great difference in Singapore.  Though everyone can see the weaknesses in the British political system, when put into practice in Singapore, it still works, or at least it works in the past and the momentum seems to prove that it is still working, for how long we don’t know.

Conceptually, the American system is more realistic and practical. The President picks the best experts of the respective fields to do the demanding jobs of the respective office. A general to head defence ministry, a finance experts to head finance, health expert to head health ministry etc etc. Logical isn’t it? Of course there are counter arguments that a soldier is bad to head the defence ministry and likewise a doctor to head health….

What do you think? Is there a need to modify our system to allow experts to head ministries that need and demand people with the professional or relevant training and experience to helm them? The American system has no mismatch problem.  Ours definitely have, but saved by the abundance of super talents born to be knows all, to become expert in anything overnight. That is why we did not hear of mismatch in our political system, at least we never hear of any minister or politician being a mismatch in his job.

The British system is flawed and its derivative systems, if copied profusely, would be equally flawed. You not only did not elect the PM/Chief Executive, you have politicians of all colours trying to make the best of their appointments in ministries they have no expertise in.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is why we did not hear of mismatch in our political system, at least we never hear of any minister or politician being a mismatch in his job.
RB

Not really lah. In the Sinkie system, voters have to reject the one who is even more mismatched lah.

That's why the opposition, by not being ready to be govt, is even more mismatched than PAP to be govt or minister, even if PAP minister is already a mismatch in his job.

It is simply a choice between the lesser of 2 evils. Not choosing is also not an option. So even if all are bad, still have to choose the less bad one lah, tio bo?

Anonymous said...

The late LKY was very smart. To a great extent, he had made the Sinkie opposition so weak and bad for so long that they even remain so even after LKY had died.

So much so that even when his son is already quite a bad politician, majority voters still think his son and party is still better than the opposition to rule Sinkieland.

It is a tragedy for Sinkieland, and nothing but suffering for daft, money no enough and jobless Sinkies.

Anonymous said...

...and nothing but suffering for daft, money no enough and jobless Sinkies.
9.06 am

True, but luckily for PAP, such Sinkies are a minority, maybe 30% or less, assuming of course they did not vote PAP.

Lucky Hsien Loong, for having such a great father, and lucky PAP, for having such Sinkies.

Anonymous said...

This one from tmg should wise up singaporeans:
"Mr Cheng (Calvin) thinks the people’s problem with the (6.9 Population) White Paper was the way it was explained to them, rather than the points in them. He also said that it was time for the People’s Action Party G to expend the political capital it accumulated in the last GE when it scored a landslide victory."

This is the minister materials from Malaysia. I heard he never work but has income. His solution is: Pap must use its political capital now to expand the population to 7millions to eliminate the old folks' problems. Old folks is the main "cause" to this young Malaysian turn Singaporean. I frankly do not know if he was unhappy for low income or far too rich and want other Singaporeans to share his experience to be"rich" without really work.

Got the point? Why appoint this appoint that similar to Obama? At the end, the Nobel Prize Economic published a paper in US, since globalization years 1999 to 2013, the White (do not mix up with White papers here) middle class had highest suicide tendency.
Suicide means premature death in US. Singapore has mature aged process, young Malaysian turn Singaporeans thinks it is a problem to him. He Calvin Cheng must write his piece to advise the cabinet to wise up.

I prefer foreigners turn Singaporeans to form Cabinet and appoint PM. It was so fun. Last mrt chief was an anuntie from Malaysia, holding PR not even citizen. She drive several cars including Ferari. I so envy and admired. Come to think of it: Only Malaysians can solve Singaporeans problem. Malaysians do not need to work here, just get invited to do the jobs. Trouble is with Pap, only allow a few paper generals to run the small city like running a restaurant with a few crews. Sometimes the general is meat cutter, chop chop chop, sometimes the general is chief mix sugar with chilli paste and fry meat, then add salt on it. Any things go, the final dish is for citizens to makan. Taste absolutely unquestionable. No system is better than world highest paid politicians. US system NO NO, UK system Not at all. For citizens, follow the White papers system, get no need to work foreigners to rule over them, the system will reach perfection. Name it as Terex system. What do you think?

Anonymous said...

That why Sinkapore ministers always think out of the box. Sinkapore system is the best.

Anonymous said...

Over the years, the Government has shed its aversion to state welfarism — rolling out a raft of initiatives to help the needy. Even so, the principles of self-reliance and family support remain sacrosanct.

“You need to be very careful because when individuals don’t see a need ... to depend on themselves, (they will) feel that it’s much easier to not work and get all these handouts,” Mr Tan said.

He also cautioned against veering towards a direction where children neglect their parents because they think the State and the community will step in. “As a society, (we) also need to realise that families do need to take responsibility,” he added.

-----
On another related issue, on governance, you understand the above? You see where the problem is or you see the people as the problem?

Anonymous said...

The shameless hypocritical religious minister better take his on advise. The Father that he worships, his familee, needs to take responsibility!!

Anonymous said...

Do you think the worst mistake a Singaporean can make is to believe that Singapore actually has a system that can survive the death of an emperor?

After 50 years, do you think Singapore still has a civil service manned by competent and righteous civil servants?

Anonymous said...

@ January 09, 2017 10:12 am

Do you think our civil service is loyal to Singaporeans/Singapore or to a single political party?

Anonymous said...

Next time...go out on a street with a police baton and beat the crap out of people....especially whack their legs into pieces and then command them to run....see how far they can run.

If they can't run.....or run like a bapok...ask them to invest in a pair of bionic legs...solve the problem

Anonymous said...

LoL

Anonymous said...

The bunch of sheep only knows how to raise their hands...close their eyes...and sing song and speak in tongues

Anonymous said...

10:03am
"Over the years, the Government has shed its aversion to state welfarism"
A good reminder was one old public figure used to "walk" around with 4 young men following. When that old man unstable about to fall, the young man behind would hold his waist gripped the pants. I have questioned: why the sons and daughter cannot help behind him. Answer is straight.

The very person who believe providing welfarism is wrong needed so many manpower to help him walked, ordinary old men and women need no one to help to assist? Or passing the job to the sons and daughters?
Often the sons and daughters are the ones who hold their young kids who cannot walk alone on streets not being crushed into pieces.

The state is held by a bunch of wasteful young who think they do not own the problem of old age society? Old age in groups only happen in this century, there was no old age problem when these in power men and women were very young. Yes it was what they meant.

Avoiding to face the problem is my answer. Same as an unemployed man faces the minister. The minister tells the unemployed hey the economy is growing at 1.8%. How can you be unemployed and cannot find job?
The answer is: you are unemployed, not me unemployed. U cannot find job is not economy problem. Its you the problem. You can go and vanish.

The solution to old age problem reflects the still immature Cabinet team trying to get drunk to avoid facing the facts of life cycle. They still want to try another round of getting in 3 millions foreigners to ruin the already bad employment situation for the locals who already been indebted due to the unplanned inflation prices in housing. Average household debt is $55k per household in singapore. Without inflows of cash, how to pay off the mandatory outflows of cash to pay debts?

If the Calvin cheng malaysian has his way, it will mean singaporeans household going bankrupt. Suit the malaysian well. Wake up please, singaporeans.

Anonymous said...

10:12Am
"After 50 years, do you think Singapore still has a civil service manned by competent and righteous civil servants?"

Can survive and excel. Civil service need to "global". Change all to graduates from mumbai university graduates and master in south pacific island degree holders. All will be fine for singapore. I look forward to that day.

Anonymous said...

Change all to graduates from mumbai university graduates and master in south pacific island degree holders. All will be fine for singapore. I look forward to that day.

When that day comes we will have real democrazy.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Direct democracy ==> all or nothing deal. Can be very dangerous.

However, one "success story" of direct democracy is Switzerland.

Forget it, Singaporeans are still not rational or mature enough to even smell the Swiss's arsehole. Maybe in 2 generations, the population, culture and genepool will be more diverse, fluid and reasonable and thus the government the people deserve will be in accord of the zeitgeist of that (future) time.

We still have too many (older) assholes who have fucked old-timey ideas, who refuse to change in spite of the evidence, and who cling neurotically to their brain-shit.
When these fuckers finally shed their mortal coils, their shitty ideas will die with them, and the culture can mature and become more in touch with humanity.

Until then, there needs to be an agency to TIGHTLY CONTROL the people of Singapore, and the PAP has been tasked for the job by overwhelming choice.

Like the old Greek poem goes, Singaporeans have at least used the little rationality they have left to get themselves tied to the mast as the ship sails into the territory of the Sirens. Under no circumstances are the to be untied, or they will die. (Ref: The Odyssey by Homer

Singapore, you've made a great mistake in choosing direct election for the presidency. I would seriously consider having PR-status or plans to renounce citizenship and emigrate to another cuntry when (not "if") eventually fall apart, and nose-dives to oblivion. (aka "Matilah Singapura")

The death of Singapore will be 100% caused by her own people. 🤡

Anonymous said...

NS men, lets fact this fact. When country cannot tahan the words said by politicians and decided to mount simple attack with some parachuters and coastal assualts, will the Malaysians and Indians turned Singaporeans volunteer to be reserves to defend the coastal areas and join the manhunt for hiding parachuters commandos?

These non NS men have no place to talk about Singapore politics. If they can be in Cabinet and offend some countries leading to war, they must be NS men to stay on here to command the troops and no stay out of the fire still talking nonsense. Agree?

It is time to vote for another political party to clean up the messy citizenships. There might be 5th column whose idea is to fire for NS men to extinguish. These 5th column need not to be involved while the politicians siding them thinking they are "globalized" politicians.

Anonymous said...

Strange thing about this non corrupt government is that they have a law minister....blowing his horn of righteousness and claiming to leave no stone unturned where suspicious activities thrive..such as tax fraud or big time money scandals ....but he blantantly ignore a worldstar man of power, like himself, who has enriched himself and his cronies of community workers....job far more noble than the law minister apparently....can heal cancer even raise the dead old man if need be, law minister can or not?

Now this super anointed man whose main headquarter is in Sin is getting a lot of praises and attention from global citizens....they even highlight his contributions and I wonder...whether the law minister knows he has a counterpart whom he may like to drink tea with and share jokes?

https://youtu.be/CRxksysbcJI

Plenty of such videos...he should have the same recognition as the other Joseph.....schooling

Anonymous said...

That's where the law fails. Where it should be messing with, it messes not. Where it shouldn't be messing with people's lives, it messes with them.

The sting of death is Sin, the strength of Sin is the law or in simplified words...Now sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power[upon the soul] through[the abuse of] the Law.

Anonymous said...

We need the factories of stupidity around. Good for this kind of political system.

Where wolves can laugh in the Holy Goh all the way to the bank lah

b said...

Even rome can be destroyed. What is so great about singapore that it cannot be destroyed? Even sars can send the people panicking and no military might can deal with it. Live and let live. No one system is perfect.

b said...

But always have a plan B.

Anonymous said...

Old man said...demolish the house. Better listen to your father

Anonymous said...

After those jokers spoke in the house, China immediately sort of issue warning again but look like sinkie just want to fight to death lor

Anonymous said...

8:45pm
China Foreign ministry spokes man Lu Kang said this:
“I hope the relevant parties can be cautious in their remarks and actions,”.

Solid reply from China.

Anonymous said...

There is no Socialism,
no Communism,
no Democracy,
no Parliamentary Democracy,
no Dictatorship,
no Papa's Meritocracy or
no whatever Political Systems in this world.

The only System that truly exist in this world is CRONYISM!

Even the US System is based on Cronyism. They simpl y changed the term to Special Interest Groups and Lobbyists.

Anonymous said...

/// The only System that truly exist in this world is CRONYISM! ///

What's the difference between cronyism and double hatting?

Anonymous said...

What's the difference?

One looks like a crony. The other looks like a clown. The more hats, the more clownish looking.

patriot said...


Double hatting makes

cronyism more lucrative

and

rewarding.



patriot



Anonymous said...

KNN, I wear 64 hats. How?

Anonymous said...

The Hongkies do not know how lucky they are. They can demonstrate, occupy Central, make a lot of noise, make a mockery of the legislative assembly during swearing in and even insult the Basic Law - and still wants to directly elect the Chief Executive. They are tempting the devil by inciting independence!

They also happen to think that an eighteen-year-old can solve their problems. We also have a sixteen-year-old who like to think like their 18-year-old (he's now in the US of A seeking asylum} God bless the country who has to rely on 18-year-olds to be their leaders.

I am not a PAP card-carrying member and great admirer, but I still think they are more sensible than the Hongkie Democrats behind the 18yo. Anson Chan and Martin Lee both carry foreign passports. I'm also sure that most of the other supporters behind the scene also carry foreign passports. What do we call this? Dissenters or saboteurs? At least our ministers carry Singapore passports and served their national service.

Whatever parties we vote in the next election does not make a great difference because we are given the right to do so. We are a better country than most of other aspiring democracies although I personally would like to see more democracy.

I don't know what happens behind the scene of the Terrexes episode, but I think diplomacy is still the best way to deal with it. Singapore ministers would be making a big mistake if they want to go for arbitration. President Duterte of the Philippines is wise because he doesn't want the Philippines to be a pawn in the US' containment of China. He would rather be friends with all.

I recently read an article by a Jiang Dongliu, a researcher at the Charhar Institute with regard to the present relationship among China, US and Singapore. In it he urged the Chinese government not to use economic sanctions on Singapore. He understands the reasons why Singapore has to be close to the US because of our geopolitical situation. But he also emphasized that China has a choice in containing Singapore through the Gwadar Port and the Malacca Gateway as long as Singapore does not change its stance vis-a-vis the US and China.

Our leaders must think long and hard for Singapore's future. This is the paramount challenges ahead for Singapore. As Singaporeans we should support the government of the day (be it the PAP or other political parties) for the betterment of the country.
Fred