Of course the SG government cannot say so publicly. Singaporeans should from this video understand better why we must not just have a strong but overwhelming SAF. Also those who fight for values would appreciate that when you scale up to the national level things are not simple at all. Does the SDP understand this or just pretending not to? So should countries have values or interests? If you have faith (not the common and fake sort) you can live by your values and succeed spectacularly which is extremely rare. What is more common is nations have interests and those who try to live by their values are lunch for other predatory nations.
What we can realistically expect from our leaders is at the personal and family level to be guided by good old fashioned values. But at the state level they have to take care to only go as far as their faith permit them, which in the end our actions are often dictated by Singapore's interests than values. No man has the character to handle so much power and temptation and that's why we have a system of government to limit what is put on his or her shoulders.
Democracy cannot deliver good governments but it can allow governments to change peacefully and if well instituted it can peacefully limit bad government. If Singapore always require a first class government than we will simply fail unless we are an extraordinary people. And I know we are special in at least three aspects. One, we cannot be bribed. We always ask who pays when politicians promise freebies. Two, any alternative party which suggest scrapping NS will get scant support. Three, and this is the latest. We demand that the ruling party prove that they always put nation before party interests.
"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." (from a House of Commons speech on Nov. 11, 1947)
Update: March 22, 9:30am
But the perception just won't go away....seriously do I really need to know the truth?
Did Singapore banks help them launder money??? Should ask MAS to comment la.
ReplyDeleteYou really believe we cannot be bribed???
ReplyDeleteDream on.
A bribe by any other name is still a bribe.
Haha, do you know how much connection the elites have with Taib.
ReplyDeleteThe SDP has a pretty decent grasp on defence matters. Think about the doctrine to call people back for additional training during Periods of Tension (POT)... I had an argument with someone from Joint Plans and Operations Directorate on the efficacy on this. We need an effective military, not an expensive military. The technology "force multiplier" can be easily eliminated by the inexperience/lack of training "force divisor". At some point, we will talk about this...
ReplyDelete... furthermore, do you think that a principled focus on the social and economic well-being of Singaporeans is not scalable? People have just seen, over the past decade, how incentive misalignment eventually leads to crushing hardship that is unexpected, and difficult to extricate people from. These are errors made from the "make more money and good spillovers for welfare will happen" principle of the PAP. We believe that a program to create a strong middle class that has the capability to take economic risk will rejuvenate the economy and improve national survivability. This will be achieved through measures to manage the cost of living through state-led economies of scale. Our housing and healthcare plan are examples of this. (It should be noted that the three elements of the housing plan are all necessary for a proper transition to a cost-recovery based public housing system.)
ReplyDeleteThink about it, if your principles are right, you can't go as far wrong as when your principles are wrong. The PAP's expedient change of heart about two decades ago to seek first the kingdom of mammon and the subsequent failures in government show how far wrong one can go when the principles are wrong. We pay the price eventually for our leaders' lack of principle.
Dear convexset
ReplyDeleteSingapore's PAP is very much like the Republican Party in USA.
Unfortunately, Singapore does not yet have an Obama and a USA Democratic Party.
The best and funnies refutation of the PAP-Republican party ideology of "trickle down" economic theory. 5 minute video from the Colbert Report.
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/341481/july-28-2010/the-word---ownership-society
I'm not sure how the post relates to the video. However, I think that if people in Malaysia have the impression that Singapore is helping their criminals and keeping illegal money from their country, Singapore will suffer from more ill will which may threaten national security. I feel that closer cooperation with neighbours will have a better effect on national security than buying even more weapons.
ReplyDeleteIf someone stole a few billions from CPF and keep the money in Malaysia, wouldn't you be upset with Malaysia too?