It’s just the sheer laziness of sinkies. They are to blame for this lack of democracy in our country. In countries with established traditions of democracy, free flowing ideas and communications are exchange and debated and acted upon. In these countries, the citizens do not have to do too much. All the information is present by the media and the political parties themselves for electorate to make their decision at election time. Just look at the US Presidential election process. Months before the actual elections all the candidates, from both the Republican and Democratic parties are publicly and prominently presented. Whether it was in the form of campaigning at various locations, or nationally televised TV debates, or just plain interviewing with the many independent newspapers and publications, the public gradually know all the candidates very well. By now, most Americans know what Donald Trump stands for, what his personality is like, and what policies he wants to put in place. Likewise, they are pretty familiar with the other candidates and their viewpoints too. Without too much effort, US voters have all this information streaming into them from various sources.
Sinkie voters on the other hand have to really work to get information on any other candidate or party that is not PAP. In fact, Sinkies have to go even deeper than that. They have to independently assess the viability of each party and their policies before they can vote for that party. They have go back to basics and examine the very system they have in Singapore and how it can survive without the PAP. They have educate themselves between what is the PAP and what is the civil service and the Government. They have to evaluate whether the opposition party they vote for can run a good government. The American voter does not have this problem. They are not worried that Obama has no experience, not even as a Mayor or Governor, to run the country. They are not worried that Obama has no military experience. They know that voting in any President that has no such experience does not mean the end of the world, like the PAP would like Singaporean voters to think. Singaporean voters have to work all of this out themselves.
Singaporeans need to ask themselves basic questions that American voters do not. Questions such as “Is running a Town Council effectively, a pre-requisite to runing the country”? “Will the whole country break down the next day if the PAP loses the elections?” These and many questions have to be asked and answered in a logical way without emotions and prejudices. But unfortunately, this is beyond the current ability of the Singaporean voter. Well, at least 70% of them. This is hard work. This requires thinking and asking hard questions. Sinkies are averse to this and frankly are too lazy.
In the past, there might have been justification because of the tight control over all traditional media such as print, radio and TV exercised by the PAP. But today, there are many independent bloggers who voice their views at the risk of jail time, and many alternative news websites such as this one, TRE, The Real Singaporean, etc. All a voter has to do is spend some time at these websites, keep an open mind, and get an alternative point of view. There is nothing subversive about it. And they are educating themselves and if after viewing these websites, they still want to stick with the PAP, that’s fine by me. Unfortunately, this does not happen often enough. Singapore is the one country where you really have to work for it and at it to be more democratic. The laziness of Singaporeans and the desire to be just spoon fed the information is the reason for the gradual demise of true democracy in Singapore. In the absence of a real press freedom, any spoon feeding will simply be the PAP’s version. In this sense, Singaporeans deserve what they get. All the ills of the current system (over crowded trains, breakdowns in the MRT, job loss, cost of living increases, inability to withdraw CPF, obscene politician salaries, etc.) can all be traced to this laziness to even do some minimum research to get an alternative viewpoint. Singaporeans are truly screwed.
Sinkie voters on the other hand have to really work to get information on any other candidate or party that is not PAP. In fact, Sinkies have to go even deeper than that. They have to independently assess the viability of each party and their policies before they can vote for that party. They have go back to basics and examine the very system they have in Singapore and how it can survive without the PAP. They have educate themselves between what is the PAP and what is the civil service and the Government. They have to evaluate whether the opposition party they vote for can run a good government. The American voter does not have this problem. They are not worried that Obama has no experience, not even as a Mayor or Governor, to run the country. They are not worried that Obama has no military experience. They know that voting in any President that has no such experience does not mean the end of the world, like the PAP would like Singaporean voters to think. Singaporean voters have to work all of this out themselves.
Singaporeans need to ask themselves basic questions that American voters do not. Questions such as “Is running a Town Council effectively, a pre-requisite to runing the country”? “Will the whole country break down the next day if the PAP loses the elections?” These and many questions have to be asked and answered in a logical way without emotions and prejudices. But unfortunately, this is beyond the current ability of the Singaporean voter. Well, at least 70% of them. This is hard work. This requires thinking and asking hard questions. Sinkies are averse to this and frankly are too lazy.
In the past, there might have been justification because of the tight control over all traditional media such as print, radio and TV exercised by the PAP. But today, there are many independent bloggers who voice their views at the risk of jail time, and many alternative news websites such as this one, TRE, The Real Singaporean, etc. All a voter has to do is spend some time at these websites, keep an open mind, and get an alternative point of view. There is nothing subversive about it. And they are educating themselves and if after viewing these websites, they still want to stick with the PAP, that’s fine by me. Unfortunately, this does not happen often enough. Singapore is the one country where you really have to work for it and at it to be more democratic. The laziness of Singaporeans and the desire to be just spoon fed the information is the reason for the gradual demise of true democracy in Singapore. In the absence of a real press freedom, any spoon feeding will simply be the PAP’s version. In this sense, Singaporeans deserve what they get. All the ills of the current system (over crowded trains, breakdowns in the MRT, job loss, cost of living increases, inability to withdraw CPF, obscene politician salaries, etc.) can all be traced to this laziness to even do some minimum research to get an alternative viewpoint. Singaporeans are truly screwed.
