A gentle reminder to vote if you haven't already done so. Guess who is in the lead and sure to claim the title for May 2006.
Singapore's leadership may be the most pigheaded example of the notion that democracy is little more than a financial inefficiency. Ahead of elections this month, the prime minister continues to rely on the mantra that you can't make an economic omelette without silencing a few eggs. Thus it is that opposition parties are bullied, their leaders persecuted and their supporters intimidated. True, a smattering of democratic pretence has been added to the proceedings, but Lee, like his father before him, has manifestly failed to loosen the political reins. Aiming for a clean sweep in the poll, Lee has even sunk to suing opponents who dared to compare his manner of government to the running of Singapore's opaque National Kidney Foundation.
Singapore
I will not strain my arm by writing about the exploits of Mini Lee, a rear admiral of the fleet by his middle twenties. a man who travelled to England, to talk to the royal navy, and complaained because he was only greeted by a Lt. who refused to salute him.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I wish to change the subject to a much sadder subject, the fate of pianist Ike See. The MINDEF decision to refuse the poor chap a delay in his NS, his career is all but finished. At his age, he must continue to practice, twos years slogging in the army with singapore's morrons, and probably a sg who hates and does not understand classical music, poor ike can say good bye to a musical career.
The government is pleading for an arts based society; no chance my friends unless the gifted and given their freed to grab the scholarships, and with luck oerform in the worlds concert theatres.
Has there ever been any such thing as a "good" democracy? ;-)
ReplyDeleteSweden, Norway?
ReplyDeleteWelfare states.
ReplyDelete"However, I wish to change the subject to a much sadder subject, the fate of pianist Ike See. The MINDEF decision to refuse the poor chap a delay in his NS, his career is all but finished. At his age, he must continue to practice, twos years slogging in the army with singapore's morrons, and probably a sg who hates and does not understand classical music, poor ike can say good bye to a musical career."
ReplyDeleteSingapore's morrons [sic]? I think many people out there feel the same way about "wasting" two years of their lives. Sob sob. Let's move on ya.
You want to know what's sad? On those polls, you only qualify if you're deemed a poor democracy. And so what if you win the ignonimy of Bad Democracy Award for the month? Nothing changes for you back home in the political front. I don't think any of them will lose sleep over this.
The sad part is, all those Third World countries with citizens living under regimes that do not even qualify as a poor democracy.
- Impassioned Singaporean
" Has there ever been any such thing as a "good" democracy? ;-)"
ReplyDeleteA Good Democracy can only exist within a 'Good' economic system that does not subsist on the perspective that it is alright that a few thrive far more at the continued expense of the many. The current variant of democracy is little more than a facade covering the age-old master-slave economy. Democracy is not a phenomenon that can be appreciated in itself without considering the economic and cultural context within which it is applied.