The moon ?? Money also

Today, I speak for myself. These values are all but meaningless. Neither one are of its true essence that it is supposed to be. It is beyond recognition. You do not feel a strong sense of belonging anymore. You generally felt something is amidst. Something we knew should have change for the better. Yet, time and again, we were somehow deprived and can only watch helplessly. Sad indeed(sigh)

Democracy – We have 84 parliamentary seats but 82 of them are of PAP, 1 of WP and the other 1 of SDP. Govt’s tactics to win votes include ‘giving money’ to people just before elections, but later recovered them all through increase of taxes. You call this democracy?

Justice – NKF’s TT Durai shamed the entire Singapore with his corruption charges, yet only served under 1 yr of jail term. Mas Selamat’s escape shook the nation, but Wong Kan Seng, being minister for home affairs, NEED NOT step down. You call this justice?

Equality – Singapore citizens not preferred by firms for the same job offered to foreign talents, reason being not local talent. Govt remind people to upgrade so they upgrade, but doesn’t guarantee their jobs permanently. Can you upgrade yourself faster than the govt bringing in more foreign talents?

Peace – Multiple price hikes in the form of transport fares, including buses, MRTs and taxis – and recent fuel prices in the absence of wage increments left most people eating less for the same price. So the equation becomes: good economy = eat less.

Progress – Political progress? Nope, coz it’s still the same party running the country. Economic progress? Nope, coz we have worked so hard, contributed a lot to GDP, yet wages remained about the same. Social progress? Nope, coz there are still much vice in Geylang and Joo Chiat but police ain’t doing much, and recently got many cases of foreign workers fighting with locals.

I suppose Thailand is more democratic than China, while the latter is more peaceful than the former. Thailand or China? I pick China.

Then did Thailand become better after the 2006 coup produced a military-appointed government? Gen Surayud Chulanont proved to be an inept leader. Under the military-appointed govt, investors’ confidence plunged to a new low with the policy blunder of the capital controls and the chaotic opening of the Suvarnabhumi Airport.
So did a non-democratic government fare better? I doubt so.

As for China, you seem to forget the rampant corruption which traces its origins to the CCP’s monopoly of power and tight political control. Look at the collapsed school buildings due to the local party officials’ corruption. Why are they able to silenced the parents of the dead school children if not for political repression?

I agree that Democracy is lacking in Singapore, but this will become my priority for improvement after the economic conditions are more stable.

But haven’t we always touted that we have successfully progressed from the “Third World to First”?

And after economic conditions are more stable, would you then turn around and say that there is no point rocking the boat?

(B) One where people can always exert their influence on the government and different faction of people are fairly represented. But also one where opposing forces do not reconcile, and so resulting in civil unrest or even war.

Can you tell us why stability and democracy are mutually exclusive? In fact both democracy and authoritarianism are capable of producing instability and disaster and the leaders decided to do the country in. Mugabe, Mobutu and Marcos did not produce progress; they created catastrophes instead. It seems preferable to have democracy in the long run because checks and balance would minimize the possibility of abuse of power in a developed and mature democracy with a vibrant middle class.

(A) One where there is no war, no bloodshed, no need to fear of death, but also absolutely no say in governance.

What makes you think that authoritarianism will guarantee stability? One danger of authoritarianism is the lack of check and balance and concentration of state power in the hands of a few or even just one man. If the leader is wise, honest and capable, fair enough. But can you ensure that their subsequent successors that they will never abuse this unlimited power?

Ferdinand Macros used to be a honest politician but he slowly allowed himself to be consumed by greed and obsession for power.

Benevolent dictatorship may be the best form of government, but its one fatal flaw is how do you ensure that unlimited power won’t be abused?

Well, they mean nothing in the practical sense. It’s like what they paint on the walls of schools; means nothing to the students.

What matters is how they manifest in real life, in what citizens see and feel for themselves. Show the flag to the someone who hasn’t benefited from the nation’s progress and see if it consoles him.

Democracy should be the priority for Singapore if you want to see improvement to the economy and progress for the ordinary folks. The top 20% will be happy with the status quo because the system is benefitting them the most.

The lack of democracy has allowed a spineless PM to lead uninspiring blokes like WKS, Mah B T, Lim HK, Lim BH, Lim Swee Say, Ng Eng Hen, Vivian B, etc,etc,etc. Screwed up leadership = screwed up policies = ?????????

Better leadership means less screwed up policies and better management of our reserves.

“I agree that Democracy is lacking in Singapore, but this will become my priority for improvement after the economic conditions are more stable.”

Funny leh. When economic conditions are more stable, people have the tendency / inertia of wanting the status quo and keeping it that way (e.g if it ain’t broke, why fix it).

Any when economic conditions are not so stable, their priority is for improvement only after the economic conditions are more stable. What a way to win-win-win and win again (head I win, tail you lose).

“I suppose Thailand is more democratic than China, while the latter is more peaceful than the former. Thailand or China? I pick China.”

Do not speak so soon. China has a history of revolutions which have come in a very serious manner (in a bang) – itself are chaotic self-correcting events. Good and bad events manifest itself in different periods and sometimes we are born in a “window” period seeing certain events happening to different places – which may well switch places in an entirely different time. That is life and nothing is permanent.

The question about which aspect of Singapore I would like to improve now is a different question from what is most important (i.e. previous question). In this case, it’ll be Progress since I feel insecure about the economy now.

I agree that Democracy is lacking in Singapore, but this will become my priority for improvement after the economic conditions are more stable.

I would prefer A and B together but not the part on “so resulting in civil unrest or even war.”. Things lke these are not strictly mutually exclusive. Unfortunately, a lot of us are too “conditioned” that this is so by regular flow of subtle messages.

No one in the right frame of mind would want chaos and unrest in their own country – it benefits no one.