How interesting to read about my home country from a completely different point of view.
It's funny how I've never even thought about how pliant I've been raised to become until moving away from Singapore and experiencing different countries, a different governments, different people.
It's true that many Singaporeans have been taught to simply follow and obey. It's true that we are hardly encouraged to think outside the box. And it's frightfully true that there is no way we would even think of opposing the government.
And it's certainly fascinating to learn how others view Singapore, standing on the outside.
The spotlight has been on this sunny island I still call home for the last few weeks, with the impending hanging of Australian Nguyen Tuong Van for drug trafficking.
It's true I hardly appreciate the stifling way in which I've been educated. But yet at the same time, I have to say, Singapore did what it needed to do.
It's a small country. It needed a strong government in order to survive and not be lost amidst the other Asian giants when it was left to fend for itself after WW2. It did the only thing it could - herd its people together to work towards a shared focus. Unity is strength. And the only way unity could be garnered in a country such as Singapore was to ensure that there were no dissidents and wayward thinking.
And look at what it's achieved in a short span of forty years . A country with a stable economy. A country where people are largely comfortable and well-to-do. A country that is able enough to go to the aid of Asian giants far bigger and seemingly far stronger than itself whenever a disaster hits. A country where I feel completely safe to walk the streets at two in the morning. A country that would have gone unnoticed because of its size (or lack thereof), but instead is recognised by most people all over the world.
In all honesty, it has been a considerable price to pay. The lack of freedom. The lack of creativity. The lack of alternative thinking. The lack of having an opinion of our own. But the rewards are appreciable at the same time. All I can say is thank goodness we had leaders who had the foresight to bring the country to where it is today, and not some zany, off-balanced cuckoo.
So I guess the question to ask is, do Singaporeans believe the price to pay for what they have now has been too high?
4 comments:
I think the price is just right. Call me a brainwashed blind patriot, but I own my own home, I have a stable job, my money is safely invested, and if I ever have children, I am assured of a world class, albeit stressful, education system.
It's easy for outsiders to throw rocks and individual aspects. To look at the parts and pronounce us deficient.
The lack of freedom. The lack of creativity. The lack of alternative thinking. The lack of having an opinion of our own.
I think we have plenty of freedom. I am free to walk the streets at 3am in the morning and not be deathly afraid of being mugged, or raped. I am free to choose my government... yes I am, believe it not, it's just the other options are pretty much crappy and the current one is doing such a great job in making my life sweet.
I think we're very creative. We have arts fests, short films competitions etc. Sure, Lifeline sucks, but our Young SRT put up a brilliant performance of RENT and we have prizewinning playwrights, authors etc. They're not world reknowned, but they're not non-existant either.
Sure, we don't have the gloriously romantic past of Camelot and Kings and Knights, or convicts (*Grin*), but who can deny the drama of the Hock Lee Bus riots?
I think our most vicious critics aren't foreigners -- they're fellow Singaporeans who think the grass is truly greener on the other side. Who think that there really exists a country in the world where you can say anything u want (the ubiquitious freedom of speech -- sheesh!) and have no consquences; where you pay no taxes, get jobs that pay thousands all for sitting and doing nothing, etc.
Yes, we call Singapore a "fine" city. But's it's MY city, so can damn well call it anything I want. But don't outsiders dare do the same. Because when foreigners say it, they haven't earned the right to say it with pride and deep sense of love.
I love Singapore. It's got flaws, but to me, it's all worth it! And anyone who doesn't agree, is free to do so.
Just like I am free too.
i agree with most of what you say, but well, with regards to governments...the only reason why the opposition is crappy is because the current one bankrupts or imprisons anyone who is even willing to set up an opposition party!
creativity..i know there are rather good ones out there - i'm not saying that we're not creative but sadly creative folks are few and far between.
The grass IS greener on the other side. But only certain aspects of it. There is an opportunity cost for everything. We just have to pick and choose which grass we want.
In this life we have been given choice. But humans have stuffed that up badly by making bad choices.
Thank you Singapore for hanging the drug couriers. Those who say he shouldn't lose his life have forgotten the dozens of destroyed lives his shipment would have brought to Australia.
Thank you Singapore for showing that our choices have consequences.
(It's also cheaper to put them to death... a life in prison costs me a ton of taxes.)
creativity is few and far because ... erm.. we very small leh! only 3.5 mil ppl. so in terms of statistics, we're doing well with creativity.
in terms of government, we have opposition leaders and opposition party run GRCs. Potong pasir is a long standing opposition party run estate.
and it's not true that our current govt is only in power cuz they bankrupt ppl. haiyah, give me another regime, they'll also make decisions that have opp costs. so far the only opposition candidates I've seen, apart from Chiam See Tong, are just pathetic.
have u seen jeyaratnam on the streets, hocking his 'opposition party' newspaper? i did. so sad.
as jack says in Lost : everyone wants me to be a leader until I make a decision they don't like.
and bilbo, good point about the costs of life imprisonment.
hee.
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