~Editorial~
It started with the President’s Address to open Parliament, continued with the addenda to the President’s Address from the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, and did not stop when ministers and MPs delivered their speeches. They all touched on the Internet.
Many discussed the perceived problems with online speech as if all online speech was equally irresponsible, and argued for more regulation over the Internet; the MINLAW and MICA addenda certainly suggested that tougher regulations may be on the way. Some touched on the need for the Government to do better at engaging the online community. A few defended it.
As one of the leading online platforms for Singaporeans to speak out, The Online Citizen believes that new regulations are unnecessary. The online community can moderate itself, and TOC has done so in the past and continues to do so. Even if many parts of the Internet are irresponsible, some parts are already responsible, and the Government must acknowledge this before even beginning to think of online regulation in a sensible manner.
Can new regulation even work?
This apparent new position by the Government represents a retreat from its longstanding “light touch” approach to online regulation. Despite the flaws in its implementation, this “light touch” approach has largely worked, because it was a pragmatic response to the nebulousness and dynamism of the Internet.
It has only been a mere three years since the Government accepted most of the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (AIMS) in 2008. While TOC does not agree with all of AIMS’s conclusions, we do acknowledge that AIMS had consulted widely and had sought to be fair and balanced.
The Government has not articulated any cogent argument, as to how and why the AIMS report was inadequate or what has changed. Since only the political landscape has changed, we can only conclude that any new attempt to regulate the Internet is a response to the ruling party’s poor performance in this year’s General Elections.
The Government should remember that top-down regulation of the Internet, both in Singapore and around the world, has consistently failed. The sheer multiplicity of cyberspace ensures the closing of one site is likely to be met by the blossoming of another ten. When the people want to speak up, we will, regardless of the hurdles the Government tries to put in our way.
Our standards
The Government and various MPs seem to suggest that there are no rules or standards on the Internet. They could not be more wrong.
For instance, TOC has always taken a strong view on anonymity. Most TOC contributions are by bylined or named persons, and we allow pseudonyms only when we know the actual identity of the writer and there is a reason for the pseudonym.
We have always done our best to moderate comments, and we have a firm stand of deleting comments we come across which we identify as being in breach of our moderation policy. We have also banned users who persistently breach our policy, on both our main website and Facebook page.
Our moderation policy is not new, and has been an integral part of TOC for years. In the formulation of each and every one of our policies, we have done our best to adhere to our core values.
But we are not the only socio-political site to have done so. Other websites have also adopted their own principles and values. The Government’s attempt to generalise cyberspace as being uniformly irresponsible is in itself irresponsible, by ignoring the efforts of all the websites that have sought to positively contribute to Singapore.
The same cannot be said about some officially-sanctioned sites, such as the Young PAP Facebook page, which allows anonymous, not even pseudonymous, postings. Even as the ruling party talks about imposing new regulations, its own members have behaved in a manner that MICA has deemed irresponsible. Again, we can only conclude that this new direction by MICA is nothing more than an attempt to muzzle the Government’s most outspoken critics.
The way forward is in the hands of Singaporeans
Diversity in cyberspace is essential for its growth and evolution. Each site should be allowed to adopt the standards and approaches that it is comfortable with, and then readers will decide which sites are worth their time.
Ultimately, a free Internet is critical to the flowering of Singaporeans’ political consciousness. The Government has to decide if this is a good thing. But let us be clear: any effort to clamp down on the Internet in the name of “promoting responsibility”, is merely a disguised attempt by the Government to extend its existing control over traditional media to online media, or otherwise discredit online media as being unreliable, destructive or divisive.
Our political leaders are barking up the wrong tree. They are still caught up in the elections, thinking of how to win the next one. They need to understand that their old tactics of control and fear no longer work.
More importantly, the polls are over, and we now urgently need to focus on policy-making to benefit Singaporeans. The diverse conversations online can actually help the Government in doing this – if only it would accept the sincerity of its critics. We do what we do, only because we care for Singapore and Singaporeans.
And that is our promise to our readers. TOC will continue to advance and speak up for the interests of Singaporeans, on issues that affect us and matter to us. We have always been, and will continue to be, a community of committed Singaporeans who care. We don’t always succeed in meeting our own standards, but we will always try.
As one MP has said, online media is here to stay, and Singaporeans are going to speak up. The Government can work with Singaporeans to make it a meaningful conversation, or it can try — futilely — to scare us into silence. But regardless of the Government’s choice, we will not be cowed, and our voices will be heard.
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The fear of being defeated in GE 2016 is making the government paranoid. The government must have blamed the new media for its decline in popular votes without publicity admitting it. Since the government has conceded that it does not have a monopoly of wisdom, it will be foolish not to let a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thoughts contend.
Peoples Power will flourish thru’ the new media.
This is PAP’s FEAR FACTOR!
In today’s ST news article headlined “Digital media ‘tough but vital’”, the “heavyweight Chris Foster”, “the chairman and regional chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi Asia Pacific welcomes the challenge”.
“… It gets us back to fundamentals, and we can no longer hide behind a 30-second television commercial”, he said.
Link to story:-
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_727666.html
What this expert says is directly opposite to $mil PAP Govt’s thinking. The latter sees public hiding behind keyboards! Amazing!!!
When minister Shamugam said that the new media presents a challenge to the rule of law, he simply means that the new media will one day incite protests and demonstrations, which goes against the rule of PAP law. (After, all they have been tightening their grip on free speech over the years, with the latest public order act, supposed to control order during the APEC some 2 years back, remember ? ) Look what it’s being used for now even after APEC.
There is no need for TOC (or any other blog for that matter) to be anserable to anybody. Instead, we must pointblankly question the PAP’s motives and exact definition of online responsibility.
now,what’s wrong with loyal singaporeans voicing their care n concerns here or another social site?
on the one hand,we warmly welocme all sorts of peoples here to rob loclas’ jobs,buy HDBs which is supposed to be reserved for the citizen public,and say n do things they fancy;some are from TERRORIST COUNTRIES,SOME COMMUNISTS,etc and,on the otehr hand,WE WANT TO STOP singaporeasn from thinking like true SINGAPOREANS N SHARING THEIR OPINIONS.
ARE WE STILL SINGAPORE OR SOME OTHER ‘REGIME’?
So what is the alternative to the social media? SPH? Youmean this PAP controlled mass media that was consistently ranked around 135 out of 150 countries in the world, even below third world countries like Zimbabwe? Come on, give me a break. Now, Will the PAP try getting SPH to be ranked among the top 10 in the world and we may consider giving you a modicum of control on the internet. If you can’t raise the standard of the national newspapers,then shut up. Don’t force us to swallow all the daily shit information from SPH. These SPH reporters are paid to try write and to charge us for what they write. And guess what? We get shit information. How disgraceful!
The internet is for Singapore citizens to talk among ourselves for free and to discuss matters that are close to our hearts. We did not invite the PAP members to join us. They want to join us and yet want to set the rules. Goodness, how thick can the skin be,I wonder.
The PAP is welcome to set up their own web sites and set all the rules that they want and those who want to engage them can abide to all their rules.That’s fine.
As for the social media,the PAP can get lost for all I care. Nobody wants you. Nobody welcomes you. Hope you get this message loud and clear.
The increasing support for the new media gets stronger each day. Due to the heavy censure of the mainstream media, their article is not worth to read. Their articles are much filtered and tailored to suit the government. New media will be here to stay, irrespective of whatever measures the government may want to implement. This is a ‘Kiasu and Kiasi’ government, covered in white attire.
“The Online Citizen believes that new regulations are unnecessary. The online community can moderate itself, and TOC has done so in the past and continues to do so.”
The Brotherhood and their extended family similarly considers any attempts to regulate the internet spurious and frivolous. They were supposed to debate this matter extensively, but someone smart asked, “how can a sovereign state in the real world legislate a set of regulations on the internet? Does the internet belong to the Singapore government?” This person tabled a motion to declare this move ultra vires. It was not challenged. In other words, they consider all the actions of the government of Singapore irrelevant as the government of Singapore lacks locus standi.
They might as well go and pass a regulation against spitting on the surface of the moon. Stupid people will always do stupid things. Desperate people will also be desperate. And people who run out of time, will always try to stop time.
In another piece “International public broadcasters meet in Singapore”
(http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_727682.html):
“In her speech, guest of honour, Senior Minister of State (Information, Communication and the Arts and Environment and Water Resources), Ms Grace Fu…..
shared with the international delegates how Singapore plans on meeting the challenges facing the broadcasting industry.”
She said, ‘Public broadcasters today face competition for eyeballs from multiple content delivery platforms, but we can ride on the opportunities that these platforms present to engage and retain our audiences,‘
Does Grace Fu ask her Govt to practicise what she preach??? She is THE MINISTER for goodness sake!
SPH is a FAILED mass media as confirmed by their extremely poor ranking by the international mass media bodies around the world. Is the ruling party satisfied with such poor ranking? Please, go sort out your own SPH and raise its standards to a respectable level before attempting to control the internet. Until you show that the standard of reporting by SPH is of world class, you have no credibility to control the internet. So please don’t drag the standard of the internet down to the level of SPH.
The ruling party itself is divided on this issue – to regulate the internet. Whether the conservatives will override the younger, more moderate views remains to be seen.
It would be a welcomed paradigm change for the party if the moderate, younger PAP members were allowed some space to show their political stance advocating a platform for citizens to freely express their feelings on policy matters and living concerns, and at the same time allow for alternative views to be proffered. The nation and its people have matured. Let the ruling party temper it’s thinking to be in sync and connected with Singaporeans’. That connection through the internet is wider, more diverse, and can therefore be more effective.
There is so much for all to gain from a free internet, actually! The conservatives within the pap must open their minds and start to appreciate this new medium. It has already exploded. To introduce measures now to regulate it would be tantamount to “throwing the baby out with the water”. If that were to be the decision, then I wouldn’t be surprised if the new normal thinking of citizens might then be: PAP out in the next GE!
Guess the government is so powerful that internet Temasek Review Emeritus that declared that it is stationed thousands of miles away overseas probably at Panama also got suspended . Will ten more internet Temasek Review Emeritus come out in the future ?
I think the mainstream media is even more irresponsible taking into account that it is state sanction. Though it is more open lately, thanks to the online media, it is still a PAP mouthpiece. The PAP is thinking only of prolonging its hold on power when it talks about regulating the online media, never mind if it is detrimental to the well-being and survival of Singapore in a knowledge driven world. We must make sure they are not allowed to succeed via the ballot box.
And so after much wayang – “We are sorry for our mistakes,” “We welcome feedback”, “Yes, we recognise that this is the new normal and we accept that Singaporeans want to have their say, we just have to work harder”. “Control the Internet? Are you mad? This is an open society, we are plugged into the West, that is Singapore’s strength” etc etc – the minority backed government is now testing the water about controlling new media. Well, let it. Lose the argument, use the power of incumbency. But that will last only until 2016. Remember, LKY will have been gone by then, surely. And there will be absolutely no one of any stature left to hold a besieged and unpopular party together. By then, WP MPs will have grown so much in the public eye that everyone will be ready for a new government. Just listen to the speeches by Low Tha Khiang, Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao and Pritam Singh and compare them with those made by the PAP MPs. Except for LHL and perhaps Josephine Teo, the rest pathetic….
To the ruling party, examples of truth are what is stated below. If netizens keep saying all these, then there will be no need for control.
*That The PAP leaders are not the highest paid politicians in the world.
*That 2 million foreigners in Singapore is a very small number that does not lower wages and threaten the livelihood of Singaporeans.
*That there are no floods in Singapore.
*That the escape of Selamat Mas is a very small matter.
*That the MRT and buses are not jam-packed and that everyone is very happy.
*That HDB prices are very low and affordable.
*That the ruling party is the best party in the world and that there is no income distribution gap in Singapore.
*That there is complete freedom of the press and everyone can express his views freely and without fear.
*That ISA is accepted by everyone and detention without trial is great.
The Pathetic Action Party will not have its last say on the internet.
now we all know the new normal is just the same —- on a different day. Thanks for finally defining it for all of us at last. We wish the government of Singapore every luck in their outreach program to engage netizens.
This reminds me of child bride marriages that we regularly see in third world countries in either Pakistan or Africa, where people are forced to get married by their parents even if they seem to have nothing in common, seems like a funny way of fostering trust, understand and love.
I remember just not long ago, Britian had a riot, where some people suddenly became unruly and looted shops and beat up some minorities. They are mobilised by new media of the wireless type.
Perhaps our gov is just trying to prevent such incidents from happening ?
but really, this island we live in is getting crowded. Some things is bound to happen in future. Give us some physical space please, by not overpopulating our island.
There is also a worry that the gov is trying to use some excuse to curb political parties from propagating their ideas.I personally hope this will not be the case, but I’ll agree some extreme idealogies, need to be curbed.
@beachbum
Surprised that you did not mention the Middle East where Dictators have been brought down, got rid of eternally! Those were truly work of new media.
In case they shut toc down maybe TOC can mirror your contents on other backup sites. Just in case.
TRE has shut down .
Hear! Hear!
“Our political leaders are barking up the wrong tree. They are still caught up in the elections, thinking of how to win the next one. They need to understand that their old tactics of control and fear no longer work.”
I can’t agree more with the above.
Before this GE, ask ourselves, how many of us were pissed to the max n fearing that because of the grc system , wp may not win?
Many did not have much hope as they knew how strange citizens think unlike all other citizens from elsewhere. History has shown how stubborn they have been.
How regardlessly they still vote like that.
Now we see that its not mission impossible.
A lot of credit goes to the bloggers and rightfully so. Opposition parties dared not be too direct and its bloggers who led the way.
They have been the CHANGE AGENTS, the main catalyst for the change that just happened in sg. That has gone into the history books.
WP has enabled pap to lose votes consistently for 3 successive elections. Unfortunately only pap can break this record.
And we see the usual suspects resigned , partially.
So, its only a matter of time.
I wanted to join ypap before. Not anymore!
I am joining the next big thing – WP!
I learnt that we should take care of our own interests first.
why is the pap governors cared/worried where/what we surf?
do we tell the pap governors which mistress/gayman to keep as companions?
I’m with you TOC.
When politicians lied, the mainstream media help them to cover up their lies. The internet is a good medium to expose and shame these politicians and their cronies……how else would we know that our 35% President had abused his office to give his sons’ preferential NS treatment.
Jumping after every other negative comment is an inefficient waste of resources. What is probably more effective is having your own inhouse team of spin doctors.
The PAP is probably going to find it more effective to speak the right language and persuade people to come round to its logic. It can then allow the internet to amplify its message and achieve the maximum result with the minimum effort and come out smelling like roses. The PAP should just look within its ranks. They surely have people who are capable of this.
Why discuss in such detail and write rules to regulate what ordinary Singaporeans can discern to be nonsense? With all the talent the PAP believes it has within its ranks, surely they can do better than this.
Now that China is going to be stricter with the internet, Singapore will follow suit. The repressive ruling party will make a big show of getting feedback, then clamp down on free expression on the internet. This has always been the way the party operates. If this were to materialise, I wonder if PAP MPs have the moral and intellectual courage to oppose their party.
We ask why those people so fearful of the internet-
they have done things that they fear exposed.
Hypocrites.
The government is shooting themselves in the foot. Command and control won’t work in the infinite universe that is the internet. The only way they can win over the netizens is to increase their signal to noise ratio by providing clear information free of propaganda.
Now that we have the tablet, alternative news become more accessible- How wonderful!
Who needs The Shit Times?
Folks, did you see BlogTV cahoots with pap to feature their darling TPL and another Nair nut? What a cheap act .
We really dont need it pap!
The root of the problem lies in the set of repressive laws in Singapore to stifle free speech and political freedoms (Ford’s Theater, Washington, which awarded the Lincoln Medal to former MM), are you listening?).
My grandad once told us, it is easy to brainwash a person. What you need to do is to keep repeating a fake story 10 times and even a dead bird can come to life. This is the power of a gahment controlled media. Thats why it is important to eliminate alternative media…
The Government owns the mainstream media and is able to closely control what is aired there.The result of such refinement of the news have stifled the political consciousness of at least four generations of Singaporeans. We all now behave like minor LKYs but without the indispensable trait that distinguishes him, nor the essential ownership of our own being. For lurking in every nook and cranny of our lives is the great fear of hearing something truthful and saying something in response to the truth.In short our freedom from fear is taken from us and we have become lackeys of philosophies which serves to keep our minds in check, our aspirations limited , our citizenship farcical. We are subservient first to the requirements of the Ruling Party, then to every foreign national in our land, for they are the favored guests of the PAP.
In our time, in these past 12 months, we have seen before our eyes in our TV screens how other societies who are so shackled have thrown off their chains.Because they value freedom more than their lives, they are now given back their freedom and their lives. When we trace the narrative of how these societies communicate their servility, how they organize the overthrow of their overlords, we find that the new media has been the midwife of each and every step of their escape.Thus the organizer of the Egyptian uprising was by an employee of Google, who used the power of Googlein communication to strategize and organise their escape from Mubarack, Their victory i the overthrow of a repugnant dictator was spread to Tunisia, Syria,Jordan,Libya.
People in this world think nothing of their lives, much less their HDB flats, their CPF, their prospects in life if they have no legitimate lives of their own to lead.
So my fellow citizens, we have been vouchsafed this gift of the Internet which is ethereal and so not easily controlled. The Govt can own the Straits Times but can it own the Internet? It can’t. Even China is fighting a losing battle against controlling the Internet.
The impending crunch is just a squeak of dismay from the soul of the PAP. It knows that its days of controlling speech and thought is at last coming to an end.
It is coming, a new bill to stop the new media from operating. Of course the ISD will be managing this.
I think that with the advent of the new bill making the new media unlawful except in praise of LKY and his cohorts, we the citizenry have no choice but to appeal to the UN Human Rights Council for help to regain our freedom of speech. I will anticipate that the International Community and even the UN will hardly believe that Singapore is actually a pariah state. Its dubious economic success covers up completely the mafia backbone of its governing body.
By bringing up the matter to the UN we will at least stir up some attention towards the gangsters running this country. We of course will never be able to organize a Singaporean Spring. Why we can’t even organize a gathering in Raffles Place, so well tamed we become under 50 years of indoctrination and threats of dire ISD action.
Singaporeans passed up the greatest opportunity to stand up for themselves at Raffles Place. I bet the Govt won’t dare do a thing if people gather there in the thousands because the World was watching on the particular event. Or maybe there is nobody left behind in Singapore afterall. Wealth is fairly distributed and everyone enjoys a fair share. No one gets pinched by the depressed wages & increased cost.
Come come.. TOC.. you are pissing in the wind.. if you will excuse the pun.
This gahmen AINT going to take any notice of no one.
They remain a god unto themselves.
They make the rules.
ITS THEIR COUNTRY.
You and I only live here.
The ability to communicate is the hallmark of being human. Our nearest relative, the chimpanzee lack the organs of speech and most importantly lack the neural equipment in the brain to conceptualize and to vocalize the conceptualization. Indeed although the chimp has more than 97 % of their genes similar to us, the difference in the 3% lies exactly in the genes for conceptualization and vocalization. All this big talk I just penned is not for nothing. I am trying to point out to you that the PAP is making us into chimps when they set laws including the ISA to stop us from gaining data to think about and to talk about. Of course when you want to talk about how wonderfully smart is LKY and GCT and TT and Nathan etc, whose biographies are in all bookshops in Singapore, you are free to do so. (Sycophants earn their living by such talk) But beyond that : no go.
In Mubarak’s Egypt, Gadhafi’s Libya, Ben Ali’s Tunisia and so on, it is uniformly a fact that sycophants are planted profusely in their societies, ready to report back to the Regimes’ legal thugs the political police, names of those who speak the wrong things. The methods in all these pariah states are the same. Their first and most important duty is to control speech so as to control the minds and the behaviours of their people. Why? Because all these rulers have another thing in common, they are plundering the country’s assets. And this fact must not be spoken of.
So it is that in S, we are not allowed to speak for a number of decades. Comes the Internet age, we started to be able to speak again. Now the MInister of Law, that clever fellow is cracking his brain to stop the torrent of words that would reveal the secret heart of the Matter.
Let’s fact the fact. Singapore is badly managed because we have a useless PM. All he knows is how to deny Singaporeans freedom of speech and information in order to stay in power. Absolutely useless and unfit to be a PM. Far worse that Gaddafi who at least had the balls to stay and die in honor.
We certainly need a PM with courage and much higher leadership qualities.
If PAP had their way and somehow managed to “control” TOC and free expression, it would be the begining of yet another dark age of Singapore, darker than those we have had in the past.
I have always made it a point to express responsibly in all my postings, and I dare challenge any ministers who says otherwise.
These days the postings on TOC are getting even better in standard and quality. Just look at all the above postings, expressions and arguements that PAP members of parliament have found it difficult to debunk and to ignore. Because these postings are speaking of the truth, and how can PAP argue against the truth?
The mere mention of controlling the new media is a sign of self-admit that PAP is very fearful of we, the young and true blue Singaporean, spreading the truth to more and more people of our country.
And the sad fact, which is the truth, is that PAP principle of governance has never been built on serving the people.
A government that is principled on serving the people would not have doubted and wanted to control the internet for it really benefits the country in moving forward towards political maturity.
The days of authoritarian government throughout the world is numbered, it would be very foolish of PAP to even attempt to comtemplate otherwise.
Dose PAP really want Singaporeans to remain politically immatured ? The answer is probably YES !!
it would be a shae to the govt’s general standing if they make TOC face an ‘extinction’ of sorts like TRE.
TOC is not just the singaporeans who wroks as editors for the site but TOC is in fact a true representation of the inner thoughts and cares and deepest concerns of true blue singaporeans at large.
the rich here have many avenues of ‘release’ like scarce statelands for their golfing activities and COEs that they comepete at PAR with ordinary citizens and F1 thta is heavily subsidised and making ‘DEFICITS’ for the public funds whilest enriching some FT-ENTREPRENEUR N ONG BENG SENG.
THE GOT MUST NOT BE UNFAIR TO THE COUNTLESS SINGAPOREANS WHO COME HERE TO AIR THEIR VIEWS N CONCERSN AND EVEN VALID ‘COMPLAINTS’ at TOC.
TOC must be honourably allowed to remian an HONEST PLATFORM for COMMON SINGAPOREANS who only want to ENSURE the govt leaders work for our COMMON GOOD nad not just for A FEW ‘GOOD’ MEN.
This is 2011 going into 2012. This is not 1960. That’s a good 50 years ago. God has given the human race enough intelligence to create things like the iPad and the iPhone. The march of progress continues. This is a different world now.
1. Remember a good natured likeable true blue Singaporean lady author got dragged through the mud for expressing some mild comments and personal views on politics. It is utterly shameful the way she was treated. We write anonymously afraid of what we saw happened. We are not politicians. We are not prepared to take on the juggernaut who could mercilessly destroy you anyway they like. We have seen it. We are ordinary citizens, small fries. We want to state our views but we are busy finding food to put on our table. We are not politicians, just ordinary folks. We don’t want to risk being hauled up and put up and displayed as examples for slaughter. We are afraid of being locked up in windowless dungeons. We hear stories. We still dare to write anonymously despite we know you know who we are. God protect us.
2. We know you know who we are. The files have been opened long ago. But they know it will be disastrous if they have to house 1000s of us with free lodging and free meals and provide entertainment to the many dim witted still sleeping foot soldiers they command in their dark underground security services.
3. Some of them lately have said they encourage open dialogue. The big question is do they truly sincerely really mean it.
4. The educated masses are reasonable people. They want to live peacefully. You just have to win their hearts and their minds and if you are sincere in wanting to really serve the people, you will gain their support. We can read you. We are not unfair.
5. However if you continue to talk down to them, bully them, threaten them, deny them their basic rights of expressions, you are then not leaders. Time have left you behind.
Yet they want to instil values in the youths. No amount of education is going to help with such unfair society and such bad role models at the top.
If the gahmen does not know how to deal with the Internet, what’s new? It also does not know how to deal with overcrowded buses and MRT, overcrowded hospitals and now over-crowded bodies in reservoirs. Nor could it deal with escalating HDB prices, widening rich-poor gap, etc etc etc.
Cannot wait for 2016 to vote out the bunch of arrogant incompetents.
TOC,
As u have revealed your blog resides in sg,
i would like to check with u what committment u have to ensure it does not get hacked or shutdown?
Why u never place it overseas?
We look forward to the come-back of TR, this time more vicious than before.
Sometimes discussions or comments in TOC FB or forums alike make me more depressed. Yes, valid points were raised, but somehow I don’t feel things are moving forward. Worst, I see my fellow countrymen tearing each other apart (no, I don’t see the so-called good differences that the politicians are talking about). I felt like losing 1 or 2 years of my life. So, I just take time off these forums and take a break. And you know what, the world (and yes, it includes Singapore too!) looks very much prettier than you can imagine! Have fun, guys!
TR will be bck probably by end of Nov.
There is no doubt that the ruling party is a pain in the arsehole.
Most Singaporeans enjoy engaging their fellow Singaporeans on the internet after a hard day’s work and even these small things incur the fear and wrath of this totally incompetent, good-for-nothing, senseless, stupid, no life and over-authoritative govt.
It’s really mind boggling how a useless party can be allowed to abuse its power to stay as a govt for over 50 years despite delivering literally nothing to improve the happiness and welfare of its citizens.
If SPH does not provide neturality in reporting news as what it factual correct, it will lose readership. After GE many found interests from other medias through the internet and realised that TOC do provide objective articles which sadly is missing from ST.
Controlling the internet is like telling children not to watch phonography. By doing so inquisitiveness will push them to sneek when parents are away.
Does the Govt think this is a smart move? Only dud Singaporeans will accept it that way.
The one-man rule everywhere started the same way – self-centered and self-justified system variously called leadership, talent, meritocracy, rule of law – with the purpose of entrenching in power.
People being as they are possessing a sense of right and wrong, justice and duty to serve fellow men, cannot accept such a self-centered one-man leadership rule.
So the current problems started at source when an ambitious self-proud and autocratic person assumed power.
Being legally trained, and highly antagonistic in character, and personality, it will not take long for such a person from acquiring total control of the rather theoretical western model of democracy and capitalism.
Having tasted power, he went about putting the chief institutions of democracy – the executive, judiciary and parliaments – under his control.
The whole autocratic rule by late 1970s were already causing much objections and negatice reactions with people of real abilities and talents speaking out against it or migrating to other countries. On experiencing such unhappiness of the people he made way as a temporary measure for succession.
Fast forward, under the guise of a more open successor, the de facto autocratic ruler stayed in control of real poweer preparing the ground for his own son to take over the autocratic rule called leadership and meritocracy.
By then as predicted by many like Dr. Caterine Lim, the red dot has become rather divided into the capitalist elitist realm and the subjugated common men.
Today, the people are suffering from such an autocratic rule that divides the country with institutions all converted to suit its rule based on unspoken power from one-man dictatorship.
How to change – power is too good like heroin to be given up?
face it.
during GE if all the youtube vides by the PaP were thumbs up and had huge viewership + positive comments, we wont be sitting here discussing this and the govt wont have to u-turn and erect all these firewall to protect their namesake.
fact was, the youtube vides had comments disabled, amongst other things.
the internet is a double edge sword, it reveals your weaknesses, but it could also be used to spearhead your popularity back up.
And since imo everyone know the motive of all these firewall was a result of negative publicity(you know/i know/my dog knows/taxi knows/everyone knows) I suggest to the PaP, DEAL with your popularity FIRST. Dont go the round about way by putting up cameras and setting up terminator skynet.