Catherine Lim's latest: The disarray in the PAP

[Confuseous]

I am not sure that I understand what is happening during this obviously critical transition after the watershed general election of 2011. I can’t see any clear leadership direction, and I am puzzled by the mixed, even contradictory signals coming from the PAP leaders. The only thing that I can talk about with any certainty is that I’ve never seen the PAP in greater disarray—a far cry from their usual stance of cool, unshakeable self-confidence and lofty superiority.

So what is happening after an election that the PAP leaders themselves had acknowledged as transformative, that Mr Goh Chok Tong had called a sea change, meaning that things will never again be the same?

Let me share some of my thoughts with you as a longtime observer of the Singapore political scene.

- http://catherinelim.sg/2013/08/29/p...-the-same-story-of-human-drives-and-conflict/

 

[zhihau]

Mr Goh Chok Tong had called a sea change, meaning that things will never again be the same?

me try not to mince words... 樹倒猢猻散。

 

[tanwahp]

Catherine Lim's commentary could have built more depth. It's a surface analysis only.

Contrary to her assessment, I think the reason for PAP losing ground was not jobs, economy or hard politics, but the housing, transport and population failures leading to overcrowdedness and high prices. The PAP obviously knows that too, that was why WKS, MBT and Raymond Lim went out of the cabinet (either shown the door or offered to resign).

The only 2 ways to regain lost ground is to solve these 3 problems or Singaporeans get used to such a lifestyle without blaming PAP. Either way is going to take very long, so I expect PAP to retain the present ground, lose more or lose power for at least within 4 elections.

If you think a good economy is going to keep PAP in power, it still depends on whether people benefit from strong GDP growth. Not in the present case.

Kenneth will probably be unhappy with Cath's statements on JBJ.

 

[Poomer]

Kenneth, where are you? Come on, you think I don't know where you sit ah?

 

[winnipegjets]

LKY deserves to rot in hell ...

‘Tell me, JB, why are you doing this? Why have you, at your age, started a new political party?’ I’ll never forget the answer he gave me (which in fact I had reproduced verbatim in my novel). He leaned across the lunch table and said, his eyes reddening in anger and anguish, ‘I have my pride! That man (he couldn’t even bear to mention Mr Lee Kuan Yew by name), after bankrupting me, taunted me. He said to me, ‘One day you will come crawling to me, and I will grind you deeper in the dirt!’ ‘

 

[PrinceCharming]

Contrary to her assessment, I think the reason for PAP losing ground was not jobs, economy or hard politics, but the housing, transport and population failures leading to overcrowdedness and high prices. The PAP obviously knows that too, that was why WKS, MBT and Raymond Lim went out of the cabinet (either shown the door or offered to resign).

You forgot to add MediShield LIFE and GST increase.

 

[escher]

LKY deserves to rot in hell ...

‘Tell me, JB, why are you doing this? Why have you, at your age, started a new political party?’ I’ll never forget the answer he gave me (which in fact I had reproduced verbatim in my novel). He leaned across the lunch table and said, his eyes reddening in anger and anguish, ‘I have my pride! That man (he couldn’t even bear to mention Mr Lee Kuan Yew by name), after bankrupting me, taunted me. He said to me, ‘One day you will come crawling to me, and I will grind you deeper in the dirt!’ ‘

Smear of shit on sole of shoe LKY will not be rotting in hell.
LKY will be under demons and ghouls out to fuck and screw him in all his orifices with the same kind of mercy LKY demonstrated to other people.
Not likely those ghouls and demons will allow LKY time off to eat joss sticks and candle wax so those friends of LKY should not bother to burn
joss sticks and candles for that bastard LKY

And yes, JB will be there front seat watching the ghouls and demons fucking and screwing that bastard LKY


Of course, we all go yum yum yum seng to cheer those demons and ghouls on

 

[ray_of_hope]

Catherine Lim's commentary could have built more depth. It's a surface analysis only.

Agreed. She could have made a stronger, intellectual case against the PAP that goes beyond what people in the kopi tiams already know. But she is incapable of doing so. All her political analysis is like that... completely lacking in depth. She has shrewdly used her relative success as a novelist (to perennially write about the game of 5 stones!) to chance her arms as a political commentator. However, her methodology, which is essentially surface impressions, is faulty. Still, the online community is happy with any impression as long as it involves beating up on the PAP.

Incidentally, she is the last person to talk about the PAP's apparent disarray. When she wrote that ST piece in the 90s' that drew a robust response from the PM's press secretary, she promptly gave a craven apology. To me, that is disarray at its best!

 

[winnipegjets]

Incidentally, she is the last person to talk about the PAP's apparent disarray. When she wrote that ST piece in the 90s' that drew a robust response from the PM's press secretary, she promptly gave a craven apology. To me, that is disarray at its best!

Not everyone is like JBJ or CSJ who gave up lucrative careers to participate in politics. I think she is just being practical ...at least, she can still live and take occasional pot shots at the PAP. Until there is a visible groundswell of support for opposition views, any sane person will want to walk the delicate balance of not offending the PAP too much and eking out a living here.

 

[eatshitndie]

i prefer to see a woman's dress in disarray. :o

 

[SgGoneWrong]

LKY deserves to rot in hell ...

‘Tell me, JB, why are you doing this? Why have you, at your age, started a new political party?’ I’ll never forget the answer he gave me (which in fact I had reproduced verbatim in my novel). He leaned across the lunch table and said, his eyes reddening in anger and anguish, ‘I have my pride! That man (he couldn’t even bear to mention Mr Lee Kuan Yew by name), after bankrupting me, taunted me. He said to me, ‘One day you will come crawling to me, and I will grind you deeper in the dirt!’ ‘

If there's indeed God or karma, LKY will eventually pay for all the evils he commited

 

[bakkuttay]

LKY deserves to rot in hell ...

‘Tell me, JB, why are you doing this? Why have you, at your age, started a new political party?’ I’ll never forget the answer he gave me (which in fact I had reproduced verbatim in my novel). He leaned across the lunch table and said, his eyes reddening in anger and anguish, ‘I have my pride! That man (he couldn’t even bear to mention Mr Lee Kuan Yew by name), after bankrupting me, taunted me. He said to me, ‘One day you will come crawling to me, and I will grind you deeper in the dirt!’ ‘

Tend to believe late JB, now wish lky go 18th basement now.

 

[Leongsam]

Catherine Lim's commentary could have built more depth. It's a surface analysis only.

Why don't you write the in depth analysis you claim is lacking then instead of just commenting from the sidelines?

 

[enterprise2]

I am not sure that I understand what is happening during this obviously critical transition after the watershed general election of 2011. I can’t see any clear leadership direction, and I am puzzled by the mixed, even contradictory signals coming from the PAP leaders. The only thing that I can talk about with any certainty is that I’ve never seen the PAP in greater disarray—a far cry from their usual stance of cool, unshakeable self-confidence and lofty superiority.

So what is happening after an election that the PAP leaders themselves had acknowledged as transformative, that Mr Goh Chok Tong had called a sea change, meaning that things will never again be the same?

Let me share some of my thoughts with you as a longtime observer of the Singapore political scene.

- http://catherinelim.sg/2013/08/29/p...-the-same-story-of-human-drives-and-conflict/

She and the rest of us are all on the outside looking in...and we can only speculate whats happening inside. Maybe we need an insider to tell us whats happening...a Tan Cheng Bok so somebody.

 

[halsey02]

Why don't you write the in depth analysis you claim is lacking then instead of just commenting from the sidelines?

Sometimes, sucking too much eggs is bad for your health...what comes around, go around...Catherine Lim, has her valid points....as a country, we have lost the plot...LKY though not many love him, had managed to convince a generation of poorly educated people to work behind him, giving them hope for a future & a prosperity they could never dreamed of & have delivered that, we applaud LKY for this. BUT..had he thanked us, who were behind him, all the way??

Now...what do we have? a pool of very educated & we could say talented people, can we?, yes!, that had taken over & is now running the country. What's the picture now?, we have, 'headless chickens' running around, with confusing policies...from Catherine Lim article " Damn If they do, Damn If The Don't"

"Certain to tell you confusion has its cost" a line from Stephen Stills song "Helplessly hoping"...confusion, that is what the current leader & his people are in...to clear course!. We are slip sliding away...unless we have a clear cut, strong leader like LKY...without or less of his other unsavory aptitudes.

 

[enterprise2]

Sometimes, sucking too much eggs is bad for your health...what comes around, go around...Catherine Lim, has her valid points....as a country, we have lost the plot...LKY though not many love him, had managed to convince a generation of poorly educated people to work behind him, giving them hope for a future & a prosperity they could never dreamed of & have delivered that, we applaud LKY for this. BUT..had he thanked us, who were behind him, all the way??

Now...what do we have? a pool of very educated & we could say talented people, can we?, yes!, that had taken over & is now running the country. What's the picture now?, we have, 'headless chickens' running around, with confusing policies...from Catherine Lim article " Damn If they do, Damn If The Don't"

"Certain to tell you confusion has its cost" a line from Stephen Stills song "Helplessly hoping"...confusion, that is what the current leader & his people are in...to clear course!. We are slip sliding away...unless we have a clear cut, strong leader like LKY...without or less of his other unsavory aptitudes.

This 'disengagement' is happening throughout all spectrum of society. Companies have no loyalty to their staff and vice-versa, churches are now in turmoil, people are no longer accepting the priests or pastors as god given rights, family units are breaking down too..... This all has to do with how society is evolving as it encourages people to move to new areas to improve themselves and squeeze new units of productivity and efficencies from each one of us!!

 

[winners]

In today's Internet media and connectivity, there is no better truth than any for the PAP. There is no escape for the PAP. They used to tightly control the publishing and broadcasting medias, but they're of irrelevance now, especially in this Internet era.

I can only foresee that if they are not going to improve to perform and better themselves for the sake of the majority of the citizens, they will continue to lose votes in coming elections and eventually be wiped out altogether after another 2 or 3 GEs.

 

[tanwahp]

Why don't you write the in depth analysis you claim is lacking then instead of just commenting from the sidelines?

Didn't you just see it and replied to it?

In depth analysis does not need to be lengthy.

 

[tanwahp]

I can only foresee that if they are not going to improve to perform and better themselves for the sake of the majority of the citizens, they will continue to lose votes in coming elections and eventually be wiped altogether after another 2 or 3 GEs.

Actually, the PAP is trying to reverse what they are doing (as much as they try not to admit). Less foreigner friendly, more trains, more flats.

Unfortunately just like progress that takes some time to fester from correct policies, so do failures from wrong policies. The PAP might be out of power before the present corrections start taking effect.

 

[Einfield]

I hope you are right but it is not that simple to unseat PAP, they still have a few tricks up their sleeve. The final card is a military intervention tr restore law and order and to save the country's reserve from being looted by freak election results. Absorbing all the SAF Generals into Party and Politics are not by chance but by choice.

Actually, the PAP is trying to reverse what they are doing (as much as they try not to admit). Less foreigner friendly, more trains, more flats.

Unfortunately just like progress that takes some time to fester from correct policies, so do failures from wrong policies. The PAP might be out of power before the present corrections start taking effect.