Bullying culture

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Low Thia Khiang:

The people should speak and decide via the ballot box what political culture we want as a country, and politicians must be aware of what political culture we are building through our style of political engagement as well as our actions.

If the people continue to support a government party that uses high-handed tactics against its political opponents, we are endorsing a bullying political culture. If the people support a governing party that uses governmental resources, including civil servants, to serve its partisan goals, we are condoning the abuse of political power as an acceptable culture.

Similarly, if you support a political party which believes in overthrowing the government by taking mass political action against the government regardless of the laws and proper channels to change things, you are building a culture of lawlessness. If you support a political party conducting its political engagement with a habit of playing racial politics and m&d-slinging and launching personal attacks on its political opponents, you are building a thug political culture. If you support a political party with the habit of fixing its opponents, you are breeding a political culture of fear.

While all politicians play a role in building a political culture through political engagement, the government, is the dominant player of politics in Singapore, and plays a significant role. Using differentiating measures in policies to punish people who voted for the opposition breeds a culture of divisive politics.

It also used to be said that the political incumbent has no obligation to level the playing field, that might is right, and that the political incumbent has the right to use all legal means to remain in power because everyone will do it if they are the incumbent. This is building a self-serving political culture.


http://www.wp.sg/mp-low-thia-khiangs-speech-debate-on-presidents-address-2014/

 

[Claire]

Thick, I agree in toto with Mr Low. But I seriously doubt the capacity of the voting population in this country to understand what is at stake in the long term for Singapore and Singaporeans.

Many Singaporeans have been "conditioned" by the PAP to believe that the PAP is the best party to lead this nation. Coupled with the mass financial resources that the PAP possess over the years of its "monarchy" and its absolute control over the media, I doubt the majority will wake up from the "painted dream" that has been "imprinted" in the minds since they are young. And even when they realise it, it is either too late or they are helpless to do anything. The cycle will continue till this nation bleeds and dies unless a political miracle happens.

It all reminds me of the words of Carl Sagan, which I have cut and paste below.


“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”

― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World : Science as a Candle in the Dark

 

[yahoo55]

Low Thia Khiang:

The people should speak and decide via the ballot box what political culture we want as a country, and politicians must be aware of what political culture we are building through our style of political engagement as well as our actions.

If the people continue to support a government party that uses high-handed tactics against its political opponents, we are endorsing a bullying political culture. If the people support a governing party that uses governmental resources, including civil servants, to serve its partisan goals, we are condoning the abuse of political power as an acceptable culture.

http://www.wp.sg/mp-low-thia-khiangs-speech-debate-on-presidents-address-2014/

PAP is still using governmental resources and civil servants to serve its partisan goals and bully and fix the opposition. One good example is using MND and HDB to fix AHPETC in court and withhold money for their residents. Another good example is the use of a publicly funded statutory board called People's Association to serve PAP partisan goals with governmental resources. Another good example is the use of the government elections department to serve PAP partisan goals.

Let me provide a recent personal example of PAP's dirty politics of using governmental resources and civil servants to serve its partisan goals. One of my kids is getting an award from MOE for good performance in school. The award winners are presented with the award and $200 cash prize by the MP of their respective constituency in their respective community centres. But I'm a resident in Aljunied GRC, so the loser PAP candidate is presenting this MOE award and cash prize to my kid instead of the duly elected WP MP.

 

[Rogue Trader]

If the party is afraid to be confrontational or controversial when the situation calls for it, then you are masquerading trepidation and passiveness as "constructive politics".

 

[mojito]

Alamak. Low wants sinkies to stand up for him when the PAP bullies WP? Wait long long lah! Remember, sinkies have coolie genes and are accustomed to be used and abused. You want them to stand up for their friends when they get bullied? Fat chance!

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Thick, I agree in toto with Mr Low. But I seriously doubt the capacity of the voting population in this country to understand what is at stake in the long term for Singapore and Singaporeans.

It will take a prolonged economic crisis to make Singaporeans realize that the incumbent is not the know-it-all, does-it-best political party that the media has painted it out to be.

I seriously think we need to have mass repossession of homes and soup lines forming on the street before people wake up.

 

[mako65]

All opposition parties should learn how to speak in a condescending and arrogant manner but surely get the facts right too! Speak with confidence...

 

[Bad New Brown]

All opposition parties should learn how to speak in a condescending and arrogant manner but surely get the facts right too! Speak with confidence...

One can always speak wisely to get the support of the people

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

One can always speak wisely to get the support of the people

I seriously think we need to have mass repossession of homes and soup lines forming on the street before people wake up.

 

[Bad New Brown]

I seriously think we need to have mass repossession of homes and soup lines forming on the street before people wake up.

I think that can happened if the people do not prepare for the next 30 years and to live poverty old life

 

[zhihau]

Go check out the hospitals, the pioneer and merdeka gen will continue to vote for the PAP, just check out the amount of subsidies paid for by the government. Words spreading around from the ground