For any society to advance to its best one thing is fundamental. That something is self confidence within each citizen. It is the realization that you have rights, you have rights that will be protected, that no tin pot tyrant can push you around just because he doesn't like you.
It is the realization that you don't have to cringe and crawl just because you are before Lee Kuan Yew's son, your ruler, and there is nothing to worry about.
This is not the case in Singapore and that is the problem. Let me show you a picture from the island's state controlled press the Straits Times of Jan 17, 2015 titled "PM lee looking back at 10 years at the helm............... http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/pm-lee-looking-back-10-years-the-helm-and-ahead-new-te-0
In it he goes on blowing his trumpet as to how great and what achievements he has accomplished while half his Singaporeans are living from paycheck to paycheck and at least 30% are living at or below the poverty line in their state owned pigeon holes.
But that is not the point here. The point is to show how consumed with fear these Singaporeans are with this man and why such fear never generated any greatness.
I am well qualified to mention this Singaporean behavior as I live in the West and have done so many years. I can clearly see the Singaporean fear as opposed to the self confidence of Western citizens.
One clear sign of this fear can be seen in this stage managed press conference; clearly evident in the layout of the picture, chairs carefully laid out all in a row, carefully measured and equidistant from each other in a well measured arc.
This picture could well have even been taken in North Korea seated before Kim Jong Un the way it looks, but this is actually taken in Singapore. On these chairs specially invited screened for obedience journalists are invited to ask questions previously approved for this event.
Each of these Singaporean style mouse like journalists quietly sit there and quietly ask the politically correct pre-approved questions. No question whatsoever of embarrassing the Emperor seated in front or your head will fly.
And in answer to these well rehearsed questions, the Emperor gives the necessary politically convenient answers which these ever suppliant journalists will naturally pretend to agree whole heartedly with everything he says nodding their heads in unison in the prescribed manner making sure that the Emperor is pleased and hopefully the journalist will still have his job tomorrow.
You won't expect a single journalist to ask the obvious question, "Do you not agree that paying yourself $3.7 million in salary officially and even more secretly is downright corruption and don't you agree that you should rightfully now be in jail and not the Prime Ministers Office?"
Obviously in Lee Kuan Yew's son's Singapore you can't do that even if the question is what troubles every single citizen the most. On no, that won't do. If you did, you would either find yourself in the local mental hospital or more likely the jail for insulting the Emperor".
The reason why fear is such a powerful factor in Singapore is this. In America a journalist could have asked embarrassing questions of Obama and still be employed by any other news agency in the country. In tiny Singapore where Lee Kuan Yew and his son control everyone and everybody, the moment you fall from favor, you are as good as unemployed for life. The only avenue left for you is to emigrate. With such life threatening consequences, is there any doubt why people are so afraid?
Singaporeans cannot progress with this daily fear of the Emperor. Journalists are afraid to ask questions. Teachers are afraid to teach the importance of truth freedom and courage. Men are unwilling to excel in their work because what is rewarded is political support, not how good you are in what you do. Everyone has to be some sort of a Dr. Jekkl and Mr. Hyde, on the one hand say you love your country but in private hate every bit of it or on the one hand don't openly mention anything of the Emperors corruption but privately mock and ridicule him.
In Singapore there is really no incentive to become proficient in any field because one knows that success needs political connections and recognition by the Lees. Not how good you are.
Shameful nepotism is what runs across the entire upper echelon of this society. Lee Kuan Yew is the man who rules everyone, even though he is almost dead, his son is now the Emperor, the Sons' wife controls Temesek Wealth Fund, Lee's other son runs several state owned companies and rakes in the millions, his daughter a doctor similarly does the same, almost every single minister except the Tamil and Malay ones for obvious reasons are all related to Lee Kuan Yew by consanguinity or affinity. And every single one of them rakes in the millions and if you criticize any one of them the Kangaroo Courts will get you and bankrupt you.
This sort of a government completely lacks integrity and respect and it is a bad example to every citizen. What does it say? It says it is OK for Lee Kuan Yew and family to be corrupt while no one else is allowed to be corrupt. It says we will give high paying jobs to our family members only and if you dare to complain we will sue you. It says we have Kangaroo courts whose judges will do anything we want and if you dared to complain, you will be charged for contempt of court and thrown in jail.
It is a society that does not instill any confidence in its people.
If you have to become a dog or a poodle licking the Emperor's boots fawning cringing and crawling to succeed, anyone with any self confidence and self respect wouldn't want to take this nonsense.
In America, I know that if I put heart and soul to my work, I can excel in my legal profession. I need not be a chameleon and lick anyone's boots to succeed. In Singapore on the other hand I would have to be an absolute hypocrite to get anywhere. Even though I consider every single one of these Lees and their relatives in the palace a bunch of corrupt blood suckers, I would have to suppress the need to say it. In fact I would have to actually go to one of his political party organizations and pretend to be a die hard supporter of this police state government.
Such a life is demeaning and nauseating and any self respecting human being would want no part in it. The ones remaining in the island are these very sort, inferior people in mind and spirit, people who do not think much of themselves and are quite content to go along and say anything as long as it gives them a living. Such men never produced greatness and never will.
A Singaporean mechanic is far inferior to an American one, a Singaporean lawyer is far inferior to an American one and so on in ever single trade and profession. The reason is simple. The American is not afraid. He is free. The Singaporean like these journalists who ask pre-approved questions for pre-approved answers to make sure they still have their jobs tomorrow are not. And they are not capable of leaving for a free country.
It is appropriate here to mention Charlie Hebdo Editor's words "Without Freedom, I am dead." And the words of François Hollande the French President "We are a free people. Our ideals are bigger than us. We can never be defeated"
It is hard to describe because you have to experience it to know. You are much more confident happy and secure to be living in a free country. It uplifts your spirit to know that you are the master of your destiny and no one can stop you achieving it. You speak your mind without fear, you organize without fear, you advance in your chosen career without fear; no Kangaroo courts to mess with you and no Lee Kuan Yew or his son to push you around. This for me is Heaven and I will give anything for it. For you people in Singapore, all I can say is I am sorry for you. No one can help you unless you help yourself.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
7 comments:
Roy Ngerng and Ravi's counterattack:
Activating "Derbyshire Principle" on PM Lee! PM Lee receives critical hit!!!
http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/01/17/roy-files-application-to-set-aside-summary-judgment/
In PM Lee's defamation lawsuit against Mr Ngerng, the PM finally offered to be cross-examined (after he had secured a summary judgment against Mr Ngerng!) His condition for the cross-examination is to have the questions submitted to him in advance! This PM has been protected by his father since he was a baby and still can't stand on both of his feet. LOL.
A pity that there is a traitor among his team-Ariffin Sha.
When I read this blog, I am reminded that a rebellious propagandist and sophist is still the same as a fascist propagandist and sophist at perpetuating false info and causing unnecessary conflict. You have the heart of Lincoln but the tongue of Goebbels. I share your sentiments but learn from Orwell how to write biting social analysis without sounding like a raving loon half of the time. There's no wit, no style and little rationality, but a lot of steam and stress. But then again I guess you do know your audience. The last thing we need here is blown up net radicals getting pent up on empty steam and doing something stupid to dig us, as a country, deeper in the pit.
To Czach,
Instead of the ad hominem attack against me personally, it would have helped if you had commented on what I wrote instead.
Fascist, sophist, Lincoln, Goebbels, Orwell, and what else. If all that had anything to do with what I wrote, I am sure both the reader and I would be pleased to know.
I like what Gopalan wrote here! And I also agree with him! An ex-singaporean in CT, USA.
I like what Gopalan wrote here! And I also agree with him! An ex-singaporean in CT, USA.
Post a Comment