One of the tragic illusion that many countries of the 3rd world entertain is the notion that politicians and civil servants can successfully perform entrepreneurial functions.
It is curios that in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the belief persists.
- Dr Goh Keng Swee, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, 1972.
Dr Goh Keng Swee who laid the foundation stones of Singapore’s economy and defence forces, has warned us about allowing politicians to manage our economy, knowing well that they will be clueless about the business of enterprising or what innovation is all about.
Now when clueless politicians start bringing in ex-generals to support their failed mission in governing our country and our economy, we saw how badly prepared Singapore was when the pandemic first hit us....
Without talents and people with real leadership to save the PAP from itself, Singaporeans must wake up to this Hard Truth that if they cannot save themselves from their own follies, how can they save Singapore?
Unless we want Singapore to be ruined beyond hope, let’s appeal to the few good politicians left in Parliament to have the courage to speak up patriotically and start holding incompetent politicians and their failures to account.
As for the ex-generals, let’s give them meaningful mission like cleaning up our roads or helping to clean up our hawker centres etc, things that they can do well.
Joseph Nathan
The above is from an article by Joseph Nathan in TRE. The main contention in the article is that politicians and military officers are bad for business or commercial enterprise. Is this true? Goh Keng Swee would vouch for it as in the first paragraph said it.
But in Singapore, there is a new mantra. A politician or a general is a knows all. They can be turned into businessmen over night. They may not know a thing about business but once they become a politician, or if they have achieved the rank of a military general, they know everything and can do everything. This is how good they are, how talented they are by virtue of their appointments as politician or general. It is like these talents are intrinsic in them and need not be questioned. Once they are politicians, caveat, of the ruling party, or a general, the talent would surface.
Need any training? No need. In born, in bred talent aka knows all talent.
What do you think? Paying the price for going against the wisdom of Goh Keng Swee?
6 comments:
That assumption of talents being inborn has been taken too seriously going forward, and will lead to disaster.
The USA too choose leaders based on popularity every four years and what have they got? Instant leaders that are mentally deranged, deficient and dementia afflicted and not knowing what they are talking about. The created more confusion than leading the country.
Good leader have to rise from the bottom, learn the ropes as they go along, before they assume the pinnacle of their appointment. There is no such thing as inborn or instant leaders. Inborn traits yes, like the arts, creative in certain fields or musically inclined. But I do not think politics is an inborn trait. Even those born of political families.
They r not inborn but only know how to take umbrage at others whom pointed them on own their mistakes. These so called talents of politics or military r not real talents unless they r being tested by God's baptism of fire, they r tested for their patience, tolerance, empathy, perseverance, morality,honesty and integrity, when they fall short of these characters they must step aside or fall out from the pack else they r juz parasites invading the system.
Rb can you double check the quotation is really from Dr Hoh cause now many fake news
One ex-general who became a multi-millionaire minister but was subsequently kicked out by the electorate once reprimanded Singaporeans. He scolded us that we cannot just open our mouths and speak to them or question them, the white gods. We have to know our position. They are on a pedestal, we the peasants are in the pit.
The Goh Keng Swee quote above was put up by Simon Lim in his article in TRE.
Simon Lim is a serious blogger and I would not think he would spuriously misquote Goh Keng Swee on such a matter. And the statement made in the quote was well meaning not an attack on anyone and would not lead to libel.
If you think it is misquoted, please check and let me know and I will remove it.
Cheers.
All PAP MPs remind me of the nodding head dogs you see at the Chinatown stalls. They nod when their master speaks. Always agree whatever rubbish comes out of their master's mouth.
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