- He was only “slightly” corrupt cause a few billion is equal to a bag of peanuts! The “thumb” brand logo turned upside down.

These people (GY, LKY, the whole lot) are fighting the cumulative effects of the French revolution, the American revolution, the Russian revolution, the Iranian revolution. They’re fighting every runaway slave, every peasant rebellion, every anti-colonial war of independence.

LKY tried to fight world history when he visited Suharto at his deathbed and said: oh it’s fine that he was “slightly” corrupt and that he squirreled away a few billion of his country’s money — after all he brought progress to Indonesia.

Is it possible to fight world history? No, in time they will be taken down. In Singapore it will come slower than the rest of Asia, but it will happen.

The direct link should be :
http://oneworldtalk.freeforums.org/singapore-minister-american-democracy-elect-good-leaders-t994.html#3080

Is it a harbinger of changes to the Singapore presidency?

Is the president going to be more than ceremonial and there will be “real” contest, not defacto?

If so, he won’t be in the likes of Nathan, but someone who could be “trusted” to rigorously check and ask questions. All this cabinet reshuffle, talks about fourth generation leadership can’t be randomly thrown up without any coherent strategy in mind.

IMO, Yeo’s question is rhetorical. Obviously the government does not think that the American model is worth imitating but they do see certain powers of the C-in-C, veto power, chief executive, attractive. How to apply it to the Singapore context. We’ll have to wait and see.

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http://siewkumhong.blogspot.com/

I will have preferred onlineOitizen focus on speech delivered by genuine nominated MP that raise concern and defend against nonsensical arguments by coffers than by seasoned and established gahman who has much to lose to tell the the reality and truth.

Of course, this may not be possible as this will be perceived as partisan.

1. GY is just stating the obvious, restating what we all know and have seen for ourselves for long, and all this restatements without even the piquancy of ‘sound bites’ he so derides, or the insights and analyses into the restatements of facts that most of us bloggers have proven we can and have been producing in decent volume this past year alone, much of which can be seen in TOC own writings as well as those blog articles it highlights. If this is the best from the PAP, and GY is picked for that, since LIE KY and LHL cannot write or incise to save their lives, we are certainly doomed to even more mediocrity from the next generation of handpicked nepots and cronies.

2. We all know, don’t we? that democracy is always inefficient — having to persuade, argue, debate and wiles when a LIE KY would simply jail the victim for 32 years like he did CHIA Thye Poh, releasing him only when old and sick caused by harsh prison regimen. Or simply torture the fellow without end, quite entertaining and amusing, too, makes you feel superior when you have few other means of feeling superior. Other forms of debate employed by efficient dictators include simply shooting the fellow. All these are quick, efficient and very persuasive. Thus, democracy always seems inefficient, interminable debating without quick and easy conclusions. Nobody, not OBAMA, CLINTON or McCAIN would really want to go through all this — GY and his Mental Minister are right — unless they have no choice.

3. Does democracy then have no redeeming virtue/s? Ah, the people. We see what we choose to see and what we choose to pretend as GY does, that American democracy is messy while rigging elections like LIE KY LHL PAP did in Cheng San GRC 1997, by stuffing fake PAP votes into fake boxes, is efficient, quick, simple. Ah, the people. What we see is the astonishing sight of Presidents-elects of the most powerful country in history, all 3 having to pander to the people, to slice and dice the voters into very small blocs in order to appeal to their small, sectarian interests, as GY pointed out but dishonestly drew the wrong conclusions [GY is not stupid, he's a lot smarter than LIE KY and therefore cannot go far]. Ah, the people. When the Presidents-elect all have to cater to the broadest majority they can, they cannot go too far away and wrong, from the peoples’ interests. True, some charlatans like GB may get into power by winning elections dishonestly and then do what they want, serve their own and their backers’ interests instead of the peoples’, but then, hey, they get thrown out in pretty short time, max 8 years, and then shame forever. Whereas LIE KY is continuing to draw millions for no work and had forgotten the people decades ago “Never mind what the people think”.
4. Yes, the American system is messy. Saddam Hussein, like LIE KY, used to get over 90% of the votes, the same way. But hey, each new President is a REGIME CHANGE. A total catharsis. American voters can make mistakes like Bush but then in 8 years, they get to repudiate their mistake and cast Bush, and his party even, into not only oblivion but purgatory. Bush will be spat on wherever he goes. While LIE KY can not only continue his mistakes, but infrastructures them into concrete rules, hey, that’s so satisfying! to make rules that are obeyed for perpetuity. Godlike.

5. But why compare 42km x 23km with a half-continent? Compare like with like and thus, SG with HK. HK is not a messy democracy but has enough freedoms to be truly 1 while SG postures as a democracy but is the ultimate Sparta, 100% militarised, with every man, woman and schoolkid obeying a myriad of orders unthinkingly and without being able to opt out or object. Thus, the correct metaphor for SG is that of a large regimen, all taking orders from the top, all moving in unison this way and that, like parade square formations. Every means and measure to ensure no 1 ever steps out of line or straggle. And armies are the ultimate in efficiency. No debates. No quibbles. Just orders and obeyed. Pronto. No questions.

6. LIE KY has created the ultimate Sparta, Army, Hospital. The last, clean, landscaped, efficient, orderly but totally STERILE. Smelling of antiseptic. You don’t want to live in a hospital. You don’t want to wish hospital upon your children and descendants. Hence, many Singapooreans emigrate. Because a hospital is where you die, where everybody is a stunted human being, missing some parts or malfunctioning, deformed. Where the only life is to eke out a few more years, months or weeks, in depressingly unambitious living, just to stay alive, not even to try or hope for some glorious achievements. Singaporeans EXIST, day after dreary day, while Hongkongers LIVE full lives, with cantopop mp3s lifting eardrums, tv soap operas that are surprisingly sensitively made, with great humanistic touches often, and an enterprising breed that has diasporaed all over China and the rest of the world, in Chinatowns and the professions, while LIE KY has manacled every single Singaporean to his HDB mortgage that takes a whole lifetime to pay off, with little left, thus the ultiimate manacle, the financial 1.

7. I could go on. So, GY, have you really not seen all this? Your abject apologist for your Mental Minister?

The President has a more serious duty than the above mentioned, that of taking care of his fellow parliamentarians’ welfares and they reciprocate likewise for him, that is what family is all about, is’nt it? And they are all done with a strong sense of duty and dedication.

Singaporeans, leaders and lay citizens are indeed the best in the World, everyone else should learn from us, be they American, Chinese, Africa and any other nationalities. Even our neighbouring countries get free advices from our esteem leaders from time to time and they were publicly announced by our mainstream medias.

US Politics within their Nation are for the Americans to decide, who leads them is the Americans’ Choice. Not all past and present leaders are(were) very wellknown for benevolence and competency. The Current President Bush Junior maybe leaving the worst shits for his successor to handle. But according to our very own leaders, Bush is the ‘Best Friend’ and the Most Powerful Man running the Most Powerful Nation in the World. Should we agree? Not me, the United States of America could very well becomes DISUNITED soon if the American Leaders are not taking care of their people.

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