tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post5063329426031192329..comments2024-02-14T04:53:18.295-08:00Comments on Singapore Dissident: If they knew what is good for them, they should be packing.Gopalan Nairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15399145588654603667noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-40107047975050795282009-01-19T07:38:00.000-08:002009-01-19T07:38:00.000-08:00Talking about CPF monies, it is very wrong to keep...Talking about CPF monies, it is very wrong to keep changing the withdrawal age. It is after all our hard earned money and yet we couldn't withdraw it! Ridiculous!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-39810531206889842832009-01-16T04:10:00.000-08:002009-01-16T04:10:00.000-08:00To both anonymous:#1 You mentioned curfew but you ...To both anonymous:<BR/><BR/>#1 You mentioned curfew but you forgot to add that chartered flights will be arranged for those in the organisation to fly to a little island somewhere in the pacific which was secretly bought during their regime.<BR/><BR/>#2 You mentioned the death of the emperor will not destabalise the country, rightly so for a "clean" government but this famiLEE has tons of dusts under the carpet and the people wants to know where is their CPF monies and how much for example, is GIC really worth now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-68486236212282299442009-01-11T21:14:00.000-08:002009-01-11T21:14:00.000-08:00Dear Norman Wisdom,No cigar for me? Oh shucks. Jus...Dear Norman Wisdom,<BR/><BR/>No cigar for me? Oh shucks. Just as well: I don't smoke. <BR/><BR/>"Ahmad Ben Bella's famous words to the French troops in Algeria nearing the end of the civil war was 'Choose. The suitcase or the coffin.' Judge Belinda Ang is lucky that Singaporeans are a gentle people. Perhaps they would not insist that she get into a coffin. But I don't think they will let her go scot free either."<BR/><BR/>I was criticised for failing to read between the lines. Which portion of Mr. Nair's war metaphor eludes you?<BR/><BR/>I should be clear: I would welcome political change. But I am also of the opinion that one should be circumspect about how change should be brought about.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-4476869990465883652009-01-11T09:40:00.000-08:002009-01-11T09:40:00.000-08:00"I would like to ask you a simple question: how is...<I>"I would like to ask you a simple question: how is your brand of fearmongering any different from the fearmongering which you accuse the incumbent government of?"</I><BR/><BR/>Why, it's different because it isn't fearmongering to point out the consequences of wrong-doing — isn't that obvious? Would you call it fearmongering to be told that taking something that doesn't belong to you without permission is a criminal offence which could be construed as theft? And that you could spend time in custody for it?<BR/><BR/>Fearmongering is a deliberate attempt to frighten citizens and influence their political views, a tactic honed to a fine art by Mr. freak-election-result-will-result-in-the-army-being-called-in LKY. How does Gopalan's post even compare in the slightest to the persecution, bankrupting and jailing of anyone, whether citizen, foreigner or media, foolhardy enough to question the ruler's methods? Now that's REAL fearmongering, red in tooth and claw.<BR/><BR/>It's pretty facile of you to try to conflate that with Gopalan's pointing out to the judges and assorted hangers-on that there are downsides to knowingly choosing the path of personal gain and moral bankruptcy. Nice try Anonymous, but no cigar.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-14519116260474510622009-01-10T19:08:00.000-08:002009-01-10T19:08:00.000-08:00"Clearly, you are someone who is capable only of s..."Clearly, you are someone who is capable only of surface level analysis...<BR/><BR/>If you read between the lines of the pro-democracy, reformist minded - that is if you are capable of reading between lines, seeing that even explicit mentions elude you - you will find that this group is adamant that checks and balances are put into place."<BR/><BR/>Perhaps I am. Perhaps it befalls to the simple-minded such as myself to gasp at how wonderful it is that fear is regarded by "pro-democracy, reformist [sic] minded" persons to be a viable means to institute political change.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-66978458209305968902009-01-10T08:28:00.000-08:002009-01-10T08:28:00.000-08:00To Anonymous on Fri Jan 09, 07:02:00 PM PST:Clearl...To Anonymous on Fri Jan 09, 07:02:00 PM PST:<BR/><BR/>Clearly, you are someone who is capable only of surface level analysis.<BR/><BR/>A tyrant is a tyrant because he has removed all checks and balances against his excesses.<BR/><BR/>If you read between the lines of the pro-democracy, reformist minded - that is if you are capable of reading between lines, seeing that even explicit mentions elude you - you will find that this group is adamant that checks and balances are put into place.<BR/><BR/>An effective system of checks and balances can effectively prevent tyranny.<BR/><BR/>I believe that that is the point that Mr Nair, and others like him are driving at.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-52541566214380719922009-01-10T05:25:00.000-08:002009-01-10T05:25:00.000-08:00Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is still around infictin...Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is still around inficting unbearable pain to his people. No soft methods are working to unseat him.<BR/><BR/>Similarly, we need a revolution to unseat LKY, then allow UN to conduct a democratic election to select a new leader.<BR/><BR/>Revolutionary leaders do not make good peacetime/nation rebuilding leaders.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-12187251976999236642009-01-10T00:51:00.000-08:002009-01-10T00:51:00.000-08:00Wow, really Gopalan. U good at predictions.Set up ...Wow, really Gopalan. U good at predictions.Set up a stall at Serangoon Road, put on a dhoti, get a parakeet and some cards and you should be in business. As for me, I know the system is entrenched and the demise of one man or even a few is not going to make a difference. The only way to throw out this lot is through the ballot box but then even then they gerrymander the boundaries to keep themselves in power.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-28525102783878355392009-01-09T19:02:00.000-08:002009-01-09T19:02:00.000-08:00Dear Anonymous,If you unseat the tyrant by the way...Dear Anonymous,<BR/><BR/>If you unseat the tyrant by the ways of the tyrant, what gives me the assurance that you wouldn't be a tyrant yourself in time to come?<BR/><BR/>The resort to fear is by definition unjust.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-25696019098879711012009-01-09T18:44:00.000-08:002009-01-09T18:44:00.000-08:00My dear Mr. Nair, you are way to naive yet about t...My dear Mr. Nair, you are way to naive yet about the PAP and Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. Surely you don't really believe that the "Organization" hasn't already created down to the finest detail contingency plans for the event of Mr. Lee's death. You make the same mistake as others before you have made: your wishful thinking leads you to grossly underestimate your adversary.<BR/><BR/>The first thing that will happen, way before the announcement is made, is that the military and police and riot truck firemen will all be put on the highest alert, probably even on Emergency status. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised and neither should you be, if the PAP doesn't declare a state of emergency and declare a curfew and have police and soldiers patrolling the streets. Next, the media will kick into high gear and on every channel news of the event and warnings about how the populace is expected to behave will deluge the citizens of Singapore. Then, there will be the state funeral. Finally, in carefully orchestrated steps, the populace will be guided back to normalcy. Now I ask you, Mr. Nair: if an idiot like me can figure this out, don't you think the higher-ups in the PAP, who are paid to do so, can also? Please be more understanding of the work cut out for you. Let me leave you with a reference: see the Far Eastern Economic Review for the first or second week in December of 1987. Look for the letter to the editor over the name "Wolfman." I think you'll find it as interesting as I did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-25126347202308221392009-01-09T18:25:00.000-08:002009-01-09T18:25:00.000-08:00Perhaps, I can help Mr Nair out on this one: Gopal...Perhaps, I can help Mr Nair out on this one: Gopalan Nair is not paid by us to inflict 'fear' in us.<BR/><BR/>That is, if 'fearmongering' is what he is doing. I myself don't feel 'fear'; I would feel vindication should what he describes materialize.<BR/><BR/>Only those who have done serious wrong need to fear, and rightly so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-39869354935016133362009-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:002009-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:00Mr. Nair, I would like to ask you a simple questio...Mr. Nair, <BR/><BR/>I would like to ask you a simple question: how is your brand of fearmongering any different from the fearmongering which you accuse the incumbent government of?<BR/><BR/>Regards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081742307252789733.post-1455975606579373522009-01-09T07:10:00.000-08:002009-01-09T07:10:00.000-08:00Nair,in my wildest dreams, you and me travelled ba...Nair,in my wildest dreams, you and me travelled back in time in a time machine to take that very man out before 1965.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com