I wrote earlier about how the people in this democratic
state are not ready for democracy and how the govt too is not ready for
democracy in an article, Singapore
is a Democracy. This is a kind of Cognitive Dissonance in the people’s psyche.
This could be an Asian think, having been seduced by the western concept of
democracy but unable to unload the centuries of reinforcement in the idea of
authority and the fear of authority.
In democracy, the authority of the state is transferred from
a kingship or dictatorship to the people, or at least in a temporal mode and
vacillating to and fro at different stages of political change. This concept of
having authority over the ruler, personified in an individual or a few individuals
represented by a political party is still a very scary and confusing thought to
the masses. They did not know how to use this authority and fear the power of
this authority and would be most happy to hand it over to the people they
elected to power and to obey as their psyche expected them to. The rulers
elected to power also assume power like a mandate of heaven and have no qualms
in using that power, even believing that it is there for good.
This state of inexplicable balance in the rulers wielding
exceptional power in a democratic state, and a people so docile and so used to
defer to the power of the rulers has been in existence since the island became
an independent state and professing democracy as the nation’s guiding political
philosophy. The state is comfortable in wielding the power the people willing
surrender by default, governed by their sub conscious of being and a cultural
upbringing. It is just like that and all is well. The state decides, dictates,
and the people accept and abide by the decisions of the state. Compulsion
becomes an acceptable norm in policy making. The people need not know, the
state knows best and there is no need for the state to be transparent in all
things. Some of the naughty people may ask insensitive questions or questions
that they know would not be answered. They will ask and they will be ignored.
The CPF saving scheme is all about compulsion and the power
of authority. It started with a compulsory saving scheme introduced by the
state with a reasonable set of terms and conditions. There was limitation of
power despite the compulsive nature of the scheme and it was accepted as a
necessary instrument of living a life with some financial certainty. Over the
years many terms and conditions were changed, authoritatively, decided
unilaterally by the state, with little or no resistance from the people. More
and more compulsory schemes were introduced as a matter of fact and right of
the state to do so.
After the 7 Jun Return My CPF rally in Hong Lim, things
begin to change. There were articles saying that Singapore
is at a cross road, there is a more compelling reason for change, a change of
govt and all its unpopular policies. The CPF Protest Rally is not about the CPF
alone. It is a challenge to the conditioned psyche of the people. It is the
thinking of the people that is at a cross road. They have been dragged by their
noses, not to question the power of the state, how far could the state go in
compelling its people to accept policies without the need of the people’s consent.
The people are demanding their right to run their own lives,
to manage their own money, to limit the state’s unbridled monopoly to decision
making that affects their lives, from cradle to grave. The people are pushing
back the power of the state, demanding the state to redefine the limits of its
power over them. The state or the political leaders are rocked out of their
comfort zone. They have been making decisions without the need to consult the
people, to decide first and no need to talk later. The Govt or state knows
better and shall decide what it thinks is best. Some even openly declared that
they would do it the way they think best, no need to listen to the people, a
kind of superior beans or more than mortals. They have all the answers.
How far would this discourse and challenge to what the govt
or state can do, how much power they are allowed to possess, and whether can
they afford to do as they pleased without the consent of the people, is just
emerging. The people are taking cognitive resonance to their rights and the
rights of the rulers. The rulers too would have to re assess how far they can
go it alone, ignoring the wishes and interests of the people. The balance has
been shaken and things are getting shaky. Would there be a new balance or would
it be all the same after this flash in the pan labour pain? Is there an
awakening of the people to what democracy is all about, that power over the
people is not absolute and unrestrained, unlimited?
Is Singapore
at a cross road, a psyche change in the making?
Kopi Level - Yellow
Japanese food products and the whole of Japan is highly and dangerously contaminated with nuclear radiation. Stop taking Japanese food products and avoid travelling to Japan for holidays unless you are courting death. Stop patronising all Japanese restaurants for your own safety. Go through the video which is scary and self explanatory.
