Opposition Supporters and Class Warfare
I think it’s about time we take a break and analyze the type of people who support the Opposition parties (or TRS followers for that matter) vs. the type of people who support PAP.
I have been talking to many supporters from both camps, as well as following the TRS regularly and the profile I built for these two camps turned out to be very scary and disturbing.
PAP Supporters: Either from the older generation, or from the ‘successful’ part of the younger generation. By successful, I mean the typically more educated (a lot of academic scholars). Many young entrepreneurs, or bosses also belong to this group. In other words, people who have made it. They are typically not the kind of people who are ‘afraid’ of FTs taking away their jobs- because they are valuable workers and their companies are willing to pay more for them.
Opposition Supporters: Now almost an opposite demography emerges. Most opposition supporters fall into the ‘lower tier’ of Singaporeans. The tier that is not good enough to succeed in Singapore’s competitive climate. Either they didn’t do well in school, or have not acquired or developed any niches that would have rendered them valuable to society. Because of this, they are often ‘outclassed’ by FT professionals. They usually blame it on the lower wages FTs get- but will never (or very hard to get them to) consider that they were displaced by FTs who are more hardworking and capable then themselves.
Now these are just my personal observations. What would be useful is a study done collecting the education level, the pay check, type of employment ect. of the supporters between the two camps. Then we will be able to (statistically) see a clearer picture.
Now assuming my premise is correct, this is a very scary situation. Because this means a class warfare is brewing among our society. What’s more disturbing about the picture is that unlike, many class war-fares in human history, the upper class in Singapore if primarily forged out of meritocracy.
If a society is uprising against an upper class forged out of bloodlines or dictatorships, then perhaps such an uprising and disruption of society in necessary for true progress to be made. But when we are trying to revolutionize a society based on meritocracy, what are we trzing to change it to?
Are we pushing for a society where you are not rewarded according to your merits/ how good you are? Are we fighting for a society where we pay people $3000 sgd a month to wash plates?
These may sound silly, but they are really not. This is because of the demography of the opposition supporters. Which means if they (the less educated, less successful ‘worker-bee’ class, or the few genuinely lazy folk) take over the parliament, they are going to start to enact systems/ mechanisms that favor themselves- the weak.
Do we want to forcefully create a society which favors the weak? I use forcefully because nature always favors the strong and that’s how species evolve to become greater.
Anyway, the point is if we start to be run by the weak, we will indefinitely deteriorate as a state. Everything we have saved through generations of hard work and sacrifice will be wastefully thrown into social spending which would last for one or two generations. Then we will start getting into some serous debt (just like every other non- resource based welfare state) and be in serious trouble.
This piece comes with not conclusion. It is more of a FFT piece. Think about how Singapore politics is forming up, and whether it is healthy for the lower class to fight against an upper class forged through meritocracy. More can be done to ensure that the lower class gets equal opportunities in education so that the next generation have an equal chance to earn their spot in the upper class (as many have).
But fighting against meritocracy all together is a very dangerous (and illogical) path to take.
http://sgbangla.wordpress.com/2013/11/26/opposition-supporters-and-class-warfare/
I think it’s about time we take a break and analyze the type of people who support the Opposition parties (or TRS followers for that matter) vs. the type of people who support PAP.
I have been talking to many supporters from both camps, as well as following the TRS regularly and the profile I built for these two camps turned out to be very scary and disturbing.
PAP Supporters: Either from the older generation, or from the ‘successful’ part of the younger generation. By successful, I mean the typically more educated (a lot of academic scholars). Many young entrepreneurs, or bosses also belong to this group. In other words, people who have made it. They are typically not the kind of people who are ‘afraid’ of FTs taking away their jobs- because they are valuable workers and their companies are willing to pay more for them.
Opposition Supporters: Now almost an opposite demography emerges. Most opposition supporters fall into the ‘lower tier’ of Singaporeans. The tier that is not good enough to succeed in Singapore’s competitive climate. Either they didn’t do well in school, or have not acquired or developed any niches that would have rendered them valuable to society. Because of this, they are often ‘outclassed’ by FT professionals. They usually blame it on the lower wages FTs get- but will never (or very hard to get them to) consider that they were displaced by FTs who are more hardworking and capable then themselves.
Now these are just my personal observations. What would be useful is a study done collecting the education level, the pay check, type of employment ect. of the supporters between the two camps. Then we will be able to (statistically) see a clearer picture.
Now assuming my premise is correct, this is a very scary situation. Because this means a class warfare is brewing among our society. What’s more disturbing about the picture is that unlike, many class war-fares in human history, the upper class in Singapore if primarily forged out of meritocracy.
If a society is uprising against an upper class forged out of bloodlines or dictatorships, then perhaps such an uprising and disruption of society in necessary for true progress to be made. But when we are trying to revolutionize a society based on meritocracy, what are we trzing to change it to?
Are we pushing for a society where you are not rewarded according to your merits/ how good you are? Are we fighting for a society where we pay people $3000 sgd a month to wash plates?
These may sound silly, but they are really not. This is because of the demography of the opposition supporters. Which means if they (the less educated, less successful ‘worker-bee’ class, or the few genuinely lazy folk) take over the parliament, they are going to start to enact systems/ mechanisms that favor themselves- the weak.
Do we want to forcefully create a society which favors the weak? I use forcefully because nature always favors the strong and that’s how species evolve to become greater.
Anyway, the point is if we start to be run by the weak, we will indefinitely deteriorate as a state. Everything we have saved through generations of hard work and sacrifice will be wastefully thrown into social spending which would last for one or two generations. Then we will start getting into some serous debt (just like every other non- resource based welfare state) and be in serious trouble.
This piece comes with not conclusion. It is more of a FFT piece. Think about how Singapore politics is forming up, and whether it is healthy for the lower class to fight against an upper class forged through meritocracy. More can be done to ensure that the lower class gets equal opportunities in education so that the next generation have an equal chance to earn their spot in the upper class (as many have).
But fighting against meritocracy all together is a very dangerous (and illogical) path to take.
http://sgbangla.wordpress.com/2013/11/26/opposition-supporters-and-class-warfare/
