Sluts and Slutwalk Singapore

When I called Singaporeans Sinkies, some got offended. I used this term for several reasons, sometimes negative, sometimes for convenience. It is a short two syllable word instead of the long and winding Singaporean. And often Sinkies should be called Sinkies just like some called them daft. Sinkies did not complain for being called daft but for being called Sinkies because Sinkies sound like sinking. Whatever, a rose is a rose by all names, and a piece of shit is shit no matter what you call it.

I came across this word Slutwalk in a new movement by a group of woman championing their rights to wear whatever they want, how sexily they want, and to party and drink like the men in the most fun loving places deep into the night. They are protesting that such dressing and behaviour are often branded as sluts by the male chauvinists, an invitation to be raped. So they are going to defy the chauvinists by doing what they want and showing their middle fingers to them.

Such brandishing of women’s rights is nothing different from women happily sharing dirty jokes with the men. Some did it happily even with strangers or people they knew only for a few days. To these women, it is all about being open, liberal and worldly, if not, being westernised or sophisticated. They think this is about having arrived and even mature and clever, to be able to engage the men in their saucy stories. Many men appreciate such openness in the women and always enjoy their great company.

Some ladies are more discreet and would only share with people in their close circles of friends. Letting go with strangers or people they hardly know is a no no. They are smart enough to know that the presumably merry men sharing the dirty jokes with them and flattering them could form very different opinions of them and may make unkind comments behind their backs.

I digress. The Slutwalk protagonists are very comfortable with the branding. I am not sure if they are comfortable and call themselves sluts. They must have welcomed all the spectators and guests to their events with words like welcome to the Slutwalk or Slut dinner or Slut party or something like that. But they are not sluts, definitely. It is just a choice of names they called themselves to gain attention.

So, should Sinkies be offended by the word Sinkie? If Sinkies can be just as proud as the woman for calling themselves Slutwalk or ‘Sluts’, then it should not be an issue. Be proud that you are a Sinkie and a Sinkie needs not be daft or sinking. Political parties may also adopt such eye catching and loud unforgettable names, like Prostitute Party or Pimp Party, as long as they are not prostitutes or pimps. It is very creative and going with the flow.

It is all in a name. Nothing much to it really.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

The Western world is quite familiar with the Art of War as a book on military warfare. Thanks to the trainers who popularised this manual of warfare by applying the tactics and strategies in modern management practices. An equivalent and more powerful book, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is less well known outside the Middle Kingdom but is stacked with many military strategies and tactics of psychological warfare.

In one of the stories, the famous strategist, Zhu Ge Liang, was pitted against the warlord Cao Cao. The game plan was about luring Cao Cao into a trap, allowing him to be victorious and became complacent. The finale was for Cao Cao to paint himself into a corner and defeating himself in a game of crafty deceit.

Zhu Ge Liang knew that Cao Cao had a weakness for women. Without disclosing this knowledge, he used it to plot Cao Cao’s embarrassing defeat by setting up one of his general, General Yao, with another woman in an improper affair. Of course this was leaked to Cao Cao who happily exposed the details of the relationship to the public.  Zhu Ge Liang’s Cukong Liu was greatly embarrassed and summarily dismissed General Yao who then left the state.

Tasting success, Cao Cao seized on the opportunity to embarrass Liu by ridiculing him, demanding that Liu tell the whole truth and be transparent, not to hide any material fact. Cao Cao’s ministers added fuel and fire, telling Liu’s people that Liu had let them down, and failed to carefully select his officers. They ran circus around Liu, accusing him of being inept in choosing his generals, lack of integrity and that Cao Cao’s camp was better in serving the people’s interest.

After a year, when things quiet down, when there was apparent peace under heaven, with Cao Cao smarting over his moral victory, Liu exposed Cao Cao’s affair to the world. What Cao Cao did was an exact replica of what Yao had done, the same affair with the wives of another officer in the same camp. Cao Cao was forced to face the same barrage of accusations and flaming and was helpless. Every word spoken by Cao Cao and his ministers were carefully recorded and read back to Cao Cao and his men. It was a taste of his own medicine. There were no buts, no running away from a similar and grave mistake. Cao Cao and his ministers who acted high and mighty, as the righteous ones, beyond reproach, had to swallow every word they said, heads bent low, some went into hiding. Cao Cao was defeated in his own game of moral superiority.

The Three Kingdom was a timeless classic, and the tactics and strategies have been thoroughly read and discussed and mastered by many modern military commanders and politicians. Some were able to use them so effectively in defeating their enemies through deceptions, schemes, plots and strategies that often caught the enemies totally unguarded and with their pants down. Zhu Ge Liang was a living legend of his time.

Art of RAR - A new series

Another series of rar art created by Mother Nature. Size up to 24in x 36in in oil or pigments.

SMRT driver bashing – The other untold story

Untold may not be the right word as the story was told many times over several months, but no one wants to hear them. This untold and embarrassing story is starting to reappear to shed light on the plight of the SMRT drivers. One was jailed, 29 repatriated and 5 charged in court. The story in the media so far was all about the trouble makers, the SMRT drivers. And they were duly punished with many Sinkies throwing more vitriol at them.

Desmond Kuek has conducted an internal investigation on how the strike came about and commented that it could be avoided if the management was more “sensitive, attentive and responsive” to the problems the workers had brought up. Disciplinary action would be taken against those who allowed the drivers’ grievance to escalate to become a work stoppage. The drivers would not have been charged, jailed, repatriated and lost their jobs. The strike would not have occurred to embarrass the govt and the trade union. Relations with the Chinese Govt would not have been affected.

Since his last comment that there were many problems in the organisation, a witch hunt could be next and many skeletons are likely to be dragged out of the cupboard. But most important of all, the truth shall prevail and the drivers would be seen in a different light, that they could be victims of mismanagement and neglect.

Shine the light and brighten up the dark patches and return justice to those that had been wronged. SMRT would no longer need to say we are sorry, it should not have happen, we will make sure it will not happen again. ‘We are sorry for the inconvenience caused’.

Punggol East - A scramble for the spoils?

I wrote about the congregation of the vultures awaiting the ageing lion to fall. Every vulture is hungry and wanting to have its share of the meal. Would there be a mad scramble for the carcass or would each take its turn for a bite of the morsel? If they do it in an orderly manner, each will have their fill and more could come their way. If they go on a mad rush, the dying lion could walk away to live another day.

Lina Chiam of SPP, Hazel Poa of NSP have spoken. They would not be engaged in the foray in Punggol East. They would wait their turn as it was a battle field of WP and SDA in the last election. This sets up a gentleman's agreement on the pecking order in the opposition camp for the rest to follow. Would the others abide by this protocol, or would they defy the existing order and behave like when fools rush in?

Some parties are taking an ambivalent position at the moment with reservation that they could jump into the fray. Some quarters are openly encouraging all the opposition parties, or some parties to move in, 3 corners or many corners fight is irrelevant. Their intent could be simply a genuine interest in wanting their perceived favoured party to have a go at this seat. For some, the intent is nothing to hide, to agitate the opposition parties to strangle themselves and deprive themselves from a good fight.

The memory of the last Presidential Election is still vivid in the minds of the electorate. Some are cursing at the missed opportunities for their chosen candidate. Some are cursing at the spoilers. Would there be spoilers in the making, for whatever queer or make belief justifications, that they must be in the ring to split the votes of the opposition?

In a straight fight like Hougang, the chances of victory against the ruling party has been proven to be very high. So, would Punggol East be another Hougang or another multi corner fight that makes the opposition parties look like a bunch of unthinking and selfish hyenas, and ended with nothing and losing their credibility, and be the cursed of the electorate?

Should there be a multi party contest, the electorate could still be the deciding factor. They could despatch the spoilers into shame and losing their deposits as well. The electorate are no longer easily conned and a spoiler will be seen as a spoiler and will not be getting much sympathy votes. They would be rudely dismissed and their intent exposed.

Punggol East is staged like the last fort, the last resistance. Should Punggol East fall this time, the writings will be on the wall. There will be no stopping of the tide and a tsunami may follow suit to clear up everything in the way.

Hougang was  a watershed. Punggol East could be the Waterloo. Would there be spoilers to throw shit in to muddy the water?