Yeoh Lam Keong is a follower of the Buddhist way. It is not surprising that he favors the Bhutan style.
Quoting Yeoh:
refuted criticism that Bhutan’s focus on economic well-being is “romanticised” and impractical for a developed country like Singapore. “Once upon a time in Singapore we had socialised medicine, we had affordable housing, we had an egalitarian education system,” he said. “We had it in Singapore but we lost it in the last twenty years.”
My thoughts are always a work in progress. I have that luxury. It just dawned on me that we might have to lose it first that we may get it back later. Had it been otherwise we would have lost it completely.
We should be wary about a society and government that never make mistakes or play it too safe (what is too safe?)
We can consider socialising medicine etc., but always be cognizant we are also being shaped by prior choices. Be careful how counterfactuals are used.
A study of history often reveals that good viable choices often come from suffering the effects of prior mistakes.
I am not a buddhist and have not been to Bhutan.
ReplyDeleteNational development minister Khaw Boon Wan – who had previously visited Bhutan claimed recently
“Most of time, I saw unhappy people, toiling in the field, worried about the next harvest and whether there would be buyers for their products,”
So is Bhutan really an example for Singapore?I am not convinced.