Sunday, May 07, 2006
on stupidity.
i'm not going to give some long lengthy logical response to this year's elections. if you want to read the usual propoganda you can refer to the msm. if you want to read the other side of the story you can refer to elsewhere. me? i'm just going to post some thoughts to get a load off my chest.
not really going to talk about the sda/sdp grcs, or about low's and chiam's victories or about the great job done by the 'suicide six' at amk. i, and many many others, have already said what we can and have about the matter.
what i want to comment on is aljunied. 56% of the people in aljunied, i dismissed as stupid. now, according to certain people this might be an unfair statement coz there might be extenuating circumstances tt led to such actions.
so i will therefore divide this camp of 56% into 3 groups:
1) the group tt truly *loves* the ruling party;
2) the group tt is "kiasee, kiasu and kiaboh" (translated to scared to die, scared to lose, and scared of having nothing);
and
3) the really pathetically stupid.
in the first group, we have people who really *believe* everything tt the ruling party says. their only source of info is probably sph and mediacorp news, which everyone knows enough about to understand where i am coming from. they truly believe tt they owe their lives and livelihood to the good done by the ruling party, and continue to believe tt ideas from 1965 tt have no changed since will still work in 2006 and beyond. they want the political stability offered by the ruling party and the economic growth once delivered, and they much prefer this to the great unknown and liberalism offered by the opposition.
simply put, they are the conservatives still stuck in the 1960s who are unprepared for change.
in the second group, we have people who are in 1 word: SCARED. they fear the pap. fear tt they will be sued for defamation, fear tt they will be jailed or investigated by the isd, fear the simple machinery of the ruling party. there is no love lost, mind you. it's just tt they fear the repercussions of disobedience, and have thus been cowed by years of legal subversion into submission. they think tt speaking up against or doing anything like joining the opposition is literal career suicide (and i suppose in tt respect they are not tt fair from the truth). and because voting slips have serial numbers on the back and may be traced, they therefore assume tt the ruling party is tracking each and everyone of them down, and if they do something like vote for the opposition, bad things might happen. they might lose their jobs, lose their homes, or worse. they do not understand tt the very fact tt they should be afraid of such scenarios is highly unnatural for a government tt touts itself as first world, let alone democratic.
and for the last group, this consist of well... the stupid. i'm sorry but there is no other apt name for this group. they are probably apolitical, do not give a damn beyond their own petty lives, have little common knowledge and will not know a damn thing about who their own prime minister or parliamentary representative is, yet alone what the opposition party is or what both parties seek to offer or what issues are being discussed. they rarely ever tune in to the news, if ever, and even if they do, it is only to the usual msm. probably the only things that have swayed their vote is a) the fact tt they know the name of the ruling party (only); and b) the fact tt they received electorial bri... i mean progress packages just before.
with voters such as these... isn't it any surprise tt you got what you deserved???
not really going to talk about the sda/sdp grcs, or about low's and chiam's victories or about the great job done by the 'suicide six' at amk. i, and many many others, have already said what we can and have about the matter.
what i want to comment on is aljunied. 56% of the people in aljunied, i dismissed as stupid. now, according to certain people this might be an unfair statement coz there might be extenuating circumstances tt led to such actions.
so i will therefore divide this camp of 56% into 3 groups:
1) the group tt truly *loves* the ruling party;
2) the group tt is "kiasee, kiasu and kiaboh" (translated to scared to die, scared to lose, and scared of having nothing);
and
3) the really pathetically stupid.
in the first group, we have people who really *believe* everything tt the ruling party says. their only source of info is probably sph and mediacorp news, which everyone knows enough about to understand where i am coming from. they truly believe tt they owe their lives and livelihood to the good done by the ruling party, and continue to believe tt ideas from 1965 tt have no changed since will still work in 2006 and beyond. they want the political stability offered by the ruling party and the economic growth once delivered, and they much prefer this to the great unknown and liberalism offered by the opposition.
simply put, they are the conservatives still stuck in the 1960s who are unprepared for change.
in the second group, we have people who are in 1 word: SCARED. they fear the pap. fear tt they will be sued for defamation, fear tt they will be jailed or investigated by the isd, fear the simple machinery of the ruling party. there is no love lost, mind you. it's just tt they fear the repercussions of disobedience, and have thus been cowed by years of legal subversion into submission. they think tt speaking up against or doing anything like joining the opposition is literal career suicide (and i suppose in tt respect they are not tt fair from the truth). and because voting slips have serial numbers on the back and may be traced, they therefore assume tt the ruling party is tracking each and everyone of them down, and if they do something like vote for the opposition, bad things might happen. they might lose their jobs, lose their homes, or worse. they do not understand tt the very fact tt they should be afraid of such scenarios is highly unnatural for a government tt touts itself as first world, let alone democratic.
and for the last group, this consist of well... the stupid. i'm sorry but there is no other apt name for this group. they are probably apolitical, do not give a damn beyond their own petty lives, have little common knowledge and will not know a damn thing about who their own prime minister or parliamentary representative is, yet alone what the opposition party is or what both parties seek to offer or what issues are being discussed. they rarely ever tune in to the news, if ever, and even if they do, it is only to the usual msm. probably the only things that have swayed their vote is a) the fact tt they know the name of the ruling party (only); and b) the fact tt they received electorial bri... i mean progress packages just before.
with voters such as these... isn't it any surprise tt you got what you deserved???
# posted by Kitana @ 5/07/2006 04:29:00 PM 
Comments:
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stop insulting pple lah. so what if pple do really want to vote for PAP. do you care for your country or do you merely care for something as impractical as free speech and liberalism? singapore is really a tiny dot of a country with absoultely no natural resources, no nothing. would deadlock in parliament really do singapore good? true democracy counts for something, but not when you have nothing to eat. can't u respect other's choice besides calling them scared, stupid and ignorant!
# posted by 
: 5/07/2006 11:07:00 PM
: 5/07/2006 11:07:00 PM
respect choice? to anonymous, then why dun u respect eso's choice for an attempt to create an alternative voice for enrichment of one's general knowledge and critical thinking?
if i am to show respect to one's choice, i will have to be convinced that he/she has made an INFORMED decision through elvaluting BOTH sides of the coin.
if someone wants to vote for PAP, because, 1, he is able to see thru the veneer and pol strategies in the dominant party, 2 understand what the opposition has to offer, 3 weights the pro and cons for both party. then i say, GO ahead.
however, how many singaporeans are doing this? How many Singaporeans are viewing this election objectively? how many are being swayed by subjective biases and heuristics?
the point that she wants to make is, there are other alternative views and options available. and do consider these b4 making choices. not just basing on a single entity and decide.
the whole pt is making INFORMED and EDUCATED decisions.
and due to censorship, this informed and educated decisions have eluded many singaporeans.
so what she is doing is to be the other side of the coin to create a balanced overall viewpt.
i dun believe that actions are impt. but the intentions are more impt. why are u voting for PAP?
in the end, the pt she wants to make is 'why?' if ppl vote for PAP due to educated and informed decision, then i dun believe she will blog abt it. cuz there is a truth and legitimaticy in the votes.
however, if votes are given due to pressure and carrot, will the significance be the same as the previous case? NO. is this an informed and educated move? or a move out of fear?
question the motive
question the intention behind the actions.
and there u see there are more problems that is needed to be brought up and dicussed, which has been systematically been swept under the carpet.
if i am to show respect to one's choice, i will have to be convinced that he/she has made an INFORMED decision through elvaluting BOTH sides of the coin.
if someone wants to vote for PAP, because, 1, he is able to see thru the veneer and pol strategies in the dominant party, 2 understand what the opposition has to offer, 3 weights the pro and cons for both party. then i say, GO ahead.
however, how many singaporeans are doing this? How many Singaporeans are viewing this election objectively? how many are being swayed by subjective biases and heuristics?
the point that she wants to make is, there are other alternative views and options available. and do consider these b4 making choices. not just basing on a single entity and decide.
the whole pt is making INFORMED and EDUCATED decisions.
and due to censorship, this informed and educated decisions have eluded many singaporeans.
so what she is doing is to be the other side of the coin to create a balanced overall viewpt.
i dun believe that actions are impt. but the intentions are more impt. why are u voting for PAP?
in the end, the pt she wants to make is 'why?' if ppl vote for PAP due to educated and informed decision, then i dun believe she will blog abt it. cuz there is a truth and legitimaticy in the votes.
however, if votes are given due to pressure and carrot, will the significance be the same as the previous case? NO. is this an informed and educated move? or a move out of fear?
question the motive
question the intention behind the actions.
and there u see there are more problems that is needed to be brought up and dicussed, which has been systematically been swept under the carpet.
# posted by : 5/08/2006 02:42:00 AM
: 5/08/2006 02:42:00 AM
everyone is entitled to their own opinion. the voters are entitled to theirs, you are entitled to yours, i am entitled to mine. and this is my honest opinion.
i don't care about free speech and liberalism per se. for you, it's just an airy-fairy concept to be used by first world nations are moral high ground over us. but it's more than just liberalism. it's things like respect for the rule of law, the idea of living without fear.
if you genuinely support the pap because you have thought through their policies and weighed them over what the alternative had to offer and found them better, then so be it. i respect your decision.
however, from all the conversations tt i have had with my friends, people who fall into (presumably) your category aren't tt many to begin with. most people don't really know what they are doing. a lot vote because the ruling party is all they know. or because they are scard. people actually believe tt choosing the alternative will lead to dire consequences. is tt really called an exercise of choice, i ask?
yes. singapore is a small country with no natural resources. but does this mean tt an exchange rate policy with no deficits is the best way to go? if so, then why did they blow $2.6 billion of the budget this year on progress packages, when this could have gone towards maybe greater healthcare subsidies.
and btw, a deadlock is currently impossible because the pap will have a majority for a long time to come. but i shall not refute whatever issues you are raising.
i'm asking you to ask yourself: can you honestly tell me tt a majority of these people really made an informed, independent choice?
because we will be seeing the consequences of their choice for the next 5 years to come.
(and i still maintain tt they are scared, stupid and ignorant.)
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i don't care about free speech and liberalism per se. for you, it's just an airy-fairy concept to be used by first world nations are moral high ground over us. but it's more than just liberalism. it's things like respect for the rule of law, the idea of living without fear.
if you genuinely support the pap because you have thought through their policies and weighed them over what the alternative had to offer and found them better, then so be it. i respect your decision.
however, from all the conversations tt i have had with my friends, people who fall into (presumably) your category aren't tt many to begin with. most people don't really know what they are doing. a lot vote because the ruling party is all they know. or because they are scard. people actually believe tt choosing the alternative will lead to dire consequences. is tt really called an exercise of choice, i ask?
yes. singapore is a small country with no natural resources. but does this mean tt an exchange rate policy with no deficits is the best way to go? if so, then why did they blow $2.6 billion of the budget this year on progress packages, when this could have gone towards maybe greater healthcare subsidies.
and btw, a deadlock is currently impossible because the pap will have a majority for a long time to come. but i shall not refute whatever issues you are raising.
i'm asking you to ask yourself: can you honestly tell me tt a majority of these people really made an informed, independent choice?
because we will be seeing the consequences of their choice for the next 5 years to come.
(and i still maintain tt they are scared, stupid and ignorant.)
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