Comments on: In Defense: The Case for Singapore http://www.reneseifert.com/2007/08/in_defense_the_case_for_singap.html Entrepreneur, Global Citizen, Flat World, Internet, Web 2.0, Innovation, Start-Up Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:03:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Brenda http://www.reneseifert.com/2007/08/in_defense_the_case_for_singap.html/comment-page-1#comment-421 Brenda Sun, 13 Jan 2008 07:26:22 +0000 http://reneseiferts.mineus.cz/2007/08/in_defense_the_case_for_singapore.html#comment-421 I'm Singaporean and have been having mixed feelings about my country for the longest time. I agree with what you say about the overly-simplistic binary classification of democracy = good and non-democracy = bad. When I was a student, I was constantly questioning why we were having to analyse the Singapore system by the West's yardstick. It's true, we are in a unique situation, and what works for America and other Western democracies may not work for us. But I found very little resonance in my concerns among my classmates, they were more concerned with finishing the assignments and not questioning the assumptions implicit within. And that is the real problem with Singapore. Most people do not question. There is an unhealthy obsession with beating your neighbours at material success. People do not realise there is more to life, they have no interest in things that will not add to more material well-being - people just want their house, their car, their kids to produce top grades and get into a top university and make lots of money, an upgraded house, a second car. You said that people here don't give a shit that they have never tasted democracy. That is true, they don't give a shit, and it's not because they have evaluated democracy vs the Singapore system and chose the latter. It's because they never thought about these issues at all. There is no need to think - the government plans everything perfectly and people just need to follow, obediently. I do love this country a lot. But people need to learn to think for themselves. The world is entering a new information era, people are exposed to more and more new ideas and they need the skills to assess those ideas and reject the bad ones. Singapore's economy is in transformation itself and will increasingly need the labour force to contribute beyond textbook knowledge, to add value. And most of all, the ability to think is an inextricable part of an enriching life. I’m Singaporean and have been having mixed feelings about my country for the longest time. I agree with what you say about the overly-simplistic binary classification of democracy = good and non-democracy = bad. When I was a student, I was constantly questioning why we were having to analyse the Singapore system by the West’s yardstick. It’s true, we are in a unique situation, and what works for America and other Western democracies may not work for us. But I found very little resonance in my concerns among my classmates, they were more concerned with finishing the assignments and not questioning the assumptions implicit within. And that is the real problem with Singapore. Most people do not question. There is an unhealthy obsession with beating your neighbours at material success. People do not realise there is more to life, they have no interest in things that will not add to more material well-being – people just want their house, their car, their kids to produce top grades and get into a top university and make lots of money, an upgraded house, a second car. You said that people here don’t give a shit that they have never tasted democracy. That is true, they don’t give a shit, and it’s not because they have evaluated democracy vs the Singapore system and chose the latter. It’s because they never thought about these issues at all. There is no need to think – the government plans everything perfectly and people just need to follow, obediently.
I do love this country a lot. But people need to learn to think for themselves. The world is entering a new information era, people are exposed to more and more new ideas and they need the skills to assess those ideas and reject the bad ones. Singapore’s economy is in transformation itself and will increasingly need the labour force to contribute beyond textbook knowledge, to add value. And most of all, the ability to think is an inextricable part of an enriching life.

]]> By: Martin Wunsch http://www.reneseifert.com/2007/08/in_defense_the_case_for_singap.html/comment-page-1#comment-244 Martin Wunsch Sat, 01 Sep 2007 03:04:19 +0000 http://reneseiferts.mineus.cz/2007/08/in_defense_the_case_for_singapore.html#comment-244 Just another of your consistently sharp and refreshingly politically incorrect comments... thank you for this! I readily agree with some of your views on the state of Western democracy. The illusion of citizens having a say in what I would rather like to call media and party democracies can only be upheld with some difficulty by the powers that be. The gulf between the political caste and the interests of the citizens in Germany is ever widening. The degree of stupidity in public discourse is ghastly, but so many people do not seem to care... OK, I'll stop - I know my cultural pessimism is ridiculous... As for Singapore which you depict as a political system as near as is possible to paradise, it is hard for me to pass a judgment - I simply don't know enogh about it. I find it hard to believe that Singapore's autocracy feels so good to live in, when it comes to political liberties... Then I am not of the law-and-order kind and I like to think that some social problems can be tackled without repressive measures, but at the end of the day that may be a naive way of seeing things. However, the temptation to abuse of such power is likely to be as great in Singapore as anywhere else in the world. And you must not forget that it is so easy to become a victim of state repression yourself, even if you believe that you abide by all the rules. But you probably don't care because you would enjoy the caning ;-) Come to think of it - I suspect you intentionally carried drugs with you to experience caning and really loved it! That's why you are so excited about Singapore - admit and show us those pictures! Just another of your consistently sharp and refreshingly politically incorrect comments… thank you for this!

I readily agree with some of your views on the state of Western democracy. The illusion of citizens having a say in what I would rather like to call media and party democracies can only be upheld with some difficulty by the powers that be. The gulf between the political caste and the interests of the citizens in Germany is ever widening. The degree of stupidity in public discourse is ghastly, but so many people do not seem to care…

OK, I’ll stop – I know my cultural pessimism is ridiculous…

As for Singapore which you depict as a political system as near as is possible to paradise, it is hard for me to pass a judgment – I simply don’t know enogh about it. I find it hard to believe that Singapore’s autocracy feels so good to live in, when it comes to political liberties…

Then I am not of the law-and-order kind and I like to think that some social problems can be tackled without repressive measures, but at the end of the day that may be a naive way of seeing things. However, the temptation to abuse of such power is likely to be as great in Singapore as anywhere else in the world. And you must not forget that it is so easy to become a victim of state repression yourself, even if you believe that you abide by all the rules. But you probably don’t care because you would enjoy the caning ;-)

Come to think of it – I suspect you intentionally carried drugs with you to experience caning and really loved it! That’s why you are so excited about Singapore – admit and show us those pictures!

]]> By: Nina http://www.reneseifert.com/2007/08/in_defense_the_case_for_singap.html/comment-page-1#comment-243 Nina Fri, 31 Aug 2007 23:30:43 +0000 http://reneseiferts.mineus.cz/2007/08/in_defense_the_case_for_singapore.html#comment-243 Singapore didn't get expelled from Malaysia. It is a consequent to a civil fight between the Chinese and the Malays. (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_13_Incident)" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_13_Incident)</a> . The Malay kings gave Singapura away to the Chinese as part of the peace pact, to secure the stability in the country. Singapura was already pre-developed as an entreport by the brits, henceforth had a good start. I am not against singapore especially because I have spent so much time there as a child (my father has an apartment on orchard rd) and in my teenage years think highly of it too. Now, I am more 'balanced' in my view of it as a country as opposed to a place for holidays. Good write up R. Singapore didn’t get expelled from Malaysia. It is a consequent to a civil fight between the Chinese and the Malays. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_13_Incident) . The Malay kings gave Singapura away to the Chinese as part of the peace pact, to secure the stability in the country. Singapura was already pre-developed as an entreport by the brits, henceforth had a good start.

I am not against singapore especially because I have spent so much time there as a child (my father has an apartment on orchard rd) and in my teenage years think highly of it too. Now, I am more ‘balanced’ in my view of it as a country as opposed to a place for holidays.

Good write up R.

]]>