tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post2551487807545767855..comments2024-02-14T04:53:18.295-08:00Comments on Singapore Dissident: Singapore's fear factor. The hidden commentors.Gopalan Nairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15399145588654603667noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-13361943656228950682010-02-08T14:17:27.808-08:002010-02-08T14:17:27.808-08:00Hi Gopalan and thanks for the kind words. Actually...Hi Gopalan and thanks for the kind words. Actually it's nothing to do with a personal fear factor as such. While I may well be out of reach of Lee's goons, the same cannot be said of relatives still in that island police state. We know (the persecution of Tang Liang Hong's innocent wife is a fine example) how vindictive the octogenarian can be to those unfortunate enough to remain within range of his malice, so there is no need to expose the blameless to his spite unnecessarily. <br /><br />Until that happy, happy day that we have a truly democratic, free and fair nation with an honest judiciary and fearless press, I reckon the old idiom, <i>'Discretion is the better part of valour'</i> will have to be the wisest course to adopt. It shouldn't be too long that dissent need remain incognito though. Already the ground is beginning to crumple beneath the incumbent's feet. Grassroots anger is almost palpable now.<br /><br />The rot that began when the son took the reins in 2006 has continued unabated since, with one snafu after another culminating in the loss of one-third of the reserves last year and an infrastructure struggling to cope with 2 million more foreign residents as we speak. Thanks to PAP's blinkered programming I don't see them ever being able to make the sort of 180 degree policy U-turns needed to regain lost support. That would require a modicum of commonsense and humility and I don't think that last word is in their vocabulary. They'll try to tough it out and that will be their undoing.<br /><br />Cheers and see you in <b><i>our</i></b> Singapore someday very soon!mycroftnoreply@blogger.com