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[h=2]The New Singaporean Social Classes Disorder[/h]
June 2nd, 2012 |
Author: Contributions
The current wave of anger and outrage by many Singaporeans, following the fatal Ferrari accident involving an immigrant PRC driver, has only added to the evidence to suggest a new social class order has emerged in Singapore and that there is a class warfare growing between the social classes.
MARX & WEBER SOCIAL CLASS CONFLICT THEORIES
One should visit the theories of Marx and Weber on social class conflicts only to find how the current circumstances in Singapore are consistent to both set of theories. Marx had asserted that social class divisions will be the most important source of social conflict. Weber’s analysis is similar to that of Marx but had used social stratification to explain it.
AFFLUENT VS STRUGGLING CLASSES
Two economic classes have emerged after 50 years of PAP rule. The affluent class include those who own plenty of private property and other assets. They fall into the top 10 or top 20 percentile of income bracket and the gap between them and the lowest 10 or lowest 20 percentile is the most severe in the world. This group is living in a totally different set of circumstances from the rest and see no reason for any change to status quo. One can find that this class of people, if they should contribute money to any political party, do so only for PAP and not for any other opposition party. They are totally concerned about consolidating their social class dominance in society. All of the PAP MPs and Ministers also fall within this social class. They are also commonly referred to as the elitists.
What is interesting about the another group within the affluent class is that they do not necessarily own private property. However they have a comfortably settled in their public/private housing, do own a car in most cases and basically even if they cannot save out of their monthly income, they are not struggling to make ends meet. This section of affluent class include civil servants, teachers, professionals and so on. They are divided in their support for PAP. However those who do not, simply do not want an adverse change to the country’s political system. They either wish for a faction to split and emerge from PAP OR for a political party that is almost as similar to PAP such as Workers’ Party. This section of affluent class still imagine PAP’s policies during the earlier three or four decades of rule to be appropriate and simply wishes to see a renaissance.
The struggling class in general include Singaporeans who are struggling to make ends meet. They also face numerous other struggles to even get basic necessities of life such as finding job, buying a HDB flat, affording healthcare treatment, hiring a tuition teacher etc. The struggle class is polarized in their support for PAP. Some still maintain old hope whereas on the other extreme, there are those who are snapping.
IMMIGRATION BEING THE CATALYST FOR CLASS CONFLICT
In the case of the 1.0 million – 1.5 million immigrants who have moved into Singapore within the last decade, they have managed to slip into the affluent classes. What emerged as a xenophobic reaction to mass immigration policy foolishly and blindly adopted by PAP, it has turned into a class war. However this social class conflict is expanding. The struggling class is also starting to have conflicts with the affluent class. Incidents like the recent PRC Ferrari accident only seem to exacerbate this class conflict.
MINORITY SINGAPOREANS, THE CLASS CONFLICT AND RACIAL TENSIONS
Minority Singaporeans predominantly fall within the struggling class. A good proportion of those minorities who fall into the affluent class are those in power and dominance set up by the ruling Chinese elites to control minority communities. This is now led to a class conflict emerging within the minority communities itself. There is also a class conflict emerging with the immigrant affluent class who are seen to be taking away their jobs and opportunities. A class conflict that always existed between the Chinese and Minority communities is growing only bigger too.
What is interesting is that this class conflict is leading to a revisit to the cruel and unfair PAP policies that were implemented between later 1960s to 1980s to establish absolute control over minority communities.
POWER TO THE FEW, DOMINANCE TO THE SELECTED
What is problematic in this entire set of class conflicts is how PAP has set up the Singapore political system and governance whereby power is monopolized by a few and dominance is given to a selected group. PAP has often praised this to be a stable system but any autocratic system is stable without regular change, though highly risky and prone to massive shifts in long term.
There is simply nothing that the struggling class can initiate in this political system. So their social class also comes along with a deprived social honour and status. They are deprived of any voice. One can see how that has led to the struggling class aimlessly looking for avenues to vent their frustration.
SOCIAL DIVISIONS LEAD TO SOCIAL CONFLICTS
PM Lee Hsein Loong is talking about socially inclusive society which is a total joke considering how adverse social class divisions he, his father and his regent had set up and still preserving. Extreme social divisions are a ticking time bomb. Not too long ago, this was seen in London riots where socially misplaced individuals snapped and went on a mindless rampage.
It is unclear what kind of social conflicts will emerge in Singapore. In the beginning it will be individual events such as individuals burning MP over unhappiness about not getting $200 hong bao etc. As for group efforts it will somewhat like impulsive deluded individuals joining global radical movements like Jemaah Islamiyah seeking instant remedies and successes.
However over time the aggravation of social divisions will only lead to social conflicts of unthinkable scale. Riots targeting immigrants only seem highly probably and it seems it will be a matter when and not if. A repeat of race riots between minorities and majority ethnic groups is another possibility.
WHAT PAP MUST DO TO SAVE THE DAY
Of course PAP is not going to do this but it will be exactly what will be needed to save the day. It will need to demolish its totalitarian autocratic system. Power will need to be shared and dominance must be eliminated. The system will need to uplift the struggling classes, provide them with equal opportunities and resources. It will need to have the courage to stand up to the affluent class especially the elites.
.
SG Native
.
The current wave of anger and outrage by many Singaporeans, following the fatal Ferrari accident involving an immigrant PRC driver, has only added to the evidence to suggest a new social class order has emerged in Singapore and that there is a class warfare growing between the social classes.
MARX & WEBER SOCIAL CLASS CONFLICT THEORIES
One should visit the theories of Marx and Weber on social class conflicts only to find how the current circumstances in Singapore are consistent to both set of theories. Marx had asserted that social class divisions will be the most important source of social conflict. Weber’s analysis is similar to that of Marx but had used social stratification to explain it.
AFFLUENT VS STRUGGLING CLASSES
Two economic classes have emerged after 50 years of PAP rule. The affluent class include those who own plenty of private property and other assets. They fall into the top 10 or top 20 percentile of income bracket and the gap between them and the lowest 10 or lowest 20 percentile is the most severe in the world. This group is living in a totally different set of circumstances from the rest and see no reason for any change to status quo. One can find that this class of people, if they should contribute money to any political party, do so only for PAP and not for any other opposition party. They are totally concerned about consolidating their social class dominance in society. All of the PAP MPs and Ministers also fall within this social class. They are also commonly referred to as the elitists.
What is interesting about the another group within the affluent class is that they do not necessarily own private property. However they have a comfortably settled in their public/private housing, do own a car in most cases and basically even if they cannot save out of their monthly income, they are not struggling to make ends meet. This section of affluent class include civil servants, teachers, professionals and so on. They are divided in their support for PAP. However those who do not, simply do not want an adverse change to the country’s political system. They either wish for a faction to split and emerge from PAP OR for a political party that is almost as similar to PAP such as Workers’ Party. This section of affluent class still imagine PAP’s policies during the earlier three or four decades of rule to be appropriate and simply wishes to see a renaissance.
The struggling class in general include Singaporeans who are struggling to make ends meet. They also face numerous other struggles to even get basic necessities of life such as finding job, buying a HDB flat, affording healthcare treatment, hiring a tuition teacher etc. The struggle class is polarized in their support for PAP. Some still maintain old hope whereas on the other extreme, there are those who are snapping.
IMMIGRATION BEING THE CATALYST FOR CLASS CONFLICT
In the case of the 1.0 million – 1.5 million immigrants who have moved into Singapore within the last decade, they have managed to slip into the affluent classes. What emerged as a xenophobic reaction to mass immigration policy foolishly and blindly adopted by PAP, it has turned into a class war. However this social class conflict is expanding. The struggling class is also starting to have conflicts with the affluent class. Incidents like the recent PRC Ferrari accident only seem to exacerbate this class conflict.
MINORITY SINGAPOREANS, THE CLASS CONFLICT AND RACIAL TENSIONS
Minority Singaporeans predominantly fall within the struggling class. A good proportion of those minorities who fall into the affluent class are those in power and dominance set up by the ruling Chinese elites to control minority communities. This is now led to a class conflict emerging within the minority communities itself. There is also a class conflict emerging with the immigrant affluent class who are seen to be taking away their jobs and opportunities. A class conflict that always existed between the Chinese and Minority communities is growing only bigger too.
What is interesting is that this class conflict is leading to a revisit to the cruel and unfair PAP policies that were implemented between later 1960s to 1980s to establish absolute control over minority communities.
POWER TO THE FEW, DOMINANCE TO THE SELECTED
What is problematic in this entire set of class conflicts is how PAP has set up the Singapore political system and governance whereby power is monopolized by a few and dominance is given to a selected group. PAP has often praised this to be a stable system but any autocratic system is stable without regular change, though highly risky and prone to massive shifts in long term.
There is simply nothing that the struggling class can initiate in this political system. So their social class also comes along with a deprived social honour and status. They are deprived of any voice. One can see how that has led to the struggling class aimlessly looking for avenues to vent their frustration.
SOCIAL DIVISIONS LEAD TO SOCIAL CONFLICTS
PM Lee Hsein Loong is talking about socially inclusive society which is a total joke considering how adverse social class divisions he, his father and his regent had set up and still preserving. Extreme social divisions are a ticking time bomb. Not too long ago, this was seen in London riots where socially misplaced individuals snapped and went on a mindless rampage.
It is unclear what kind of social conflicts will emerge in Singapore. In the beginning it will be individual events such as individuals burning MP over unhappiness about not getting $200 hong bao etc. As for group efforts it will somewhat like impulsive deluded individuals joining global radical movements like Jemaah Islamiyah seeking instant remedies and successes.
However over time the aggravation of social divisions will only lead to social conflicts of unthinkable scale. Riots targeting immigrants only seem highly probably and it seems it will be a matter when and not if. A repeat of race riots between minorities and majority ethnic groups is another possibility.
WHAT PAP MUST DO TO SAVE THE DAY
Of course PAP is not going to do this but it will be exactly what will be needed to save the day. It will need to demolish its totalitarian autocratic system. Power will need to be shared and dominance must be eliminated. The system will need to uplift the struggling classes, provide them with equal opportunities and resources. It will need to have the courage to stand up to the affluent class especially the elites.
.
SG Native
.
