If Life is a game, these are the Rules …

Honestly, before I begin, I have to say that singaporeans really suck at making arguments, let alone making their opinions public. Now onto comments about the forum @ NUS.

Jamie Han v. MM Lee

Jamie’s a history honors* student. Being a history minor, I’ve seen the relevance of knowing history and decision making in the present day. Everything follow set patterns.

History explains a lot about the decisions made in history today, and could have resulted in aversions of disasters. The trick is recogonizing the pattern before tragedy happens.

I applaud him for having the audacity to voice out his opinions like that to LKY, but at the same time, I cringe at his ‘debating’ skills.# You’re speaking with a man of great importance who’s not only have 4x more experience than you, but who is also a lawyer.

Word your arguments better for goodness sake, and don’t join the ranks of people who wants change in Singapore but gets striked out by their wrong choice of venue and words. For a history* student, I don’t know if his actions should be applauded or if he should be ‘smacked’ on the back of his head.

A lot of people believe that LKY was playing psychological games with Jamie, and reading the transcript, I have to say he definitely was. I’m quite disappointed with his response though, because being the senior, he should have led the discussion in a better way.# But nevertheless, since he responded the way he responded, let’s summarize his suggestions:

“There is nothing to prevent you from pushing your propaganda, to push your programme out either to the students or with the public at large… and if you can carry the ground, if you are right, you win. That’s democracy. We’re not preventing anybody.” (emphasis added)

– [on checks and balances]: Advocate it, push for it and get a political party to adopt your platform, and then it’s up to the votes. That’s the definition of democracy.

– [concerning ISA and Newspaper Laws]: Start a registered publication, or set up a website.

“Those of you who really feel strongly that you got a better point of view, I say organise yourself – as I did. I took my life in my hands and said I stand for this.

My message to you is a simple one: Remember how we got here and before you make fundamental changes, make sure the alternative is viable.”

– If you disagree with the way things are currently way, make sure you have a viable alternative. Once again, history comes into play. Study what LKY did with PAP, and use that information to implement something for a viable opposition.

“You have two election terms of a dud, lousy, incompetent government and you will set Singapore back so badly, it may take you decades to recover, and maybe never. If you dismantle the organisation that brought us here, don’t believe it will come back.“

– This is not a game. You’re dealing with a society, with real people here. Don’t ‘pray pray’ ahhhh.

– The second part is irrelevant. Nobody’s thinking of overthrowing PAP here. We’re just hoping for an opposition with a larger voice in parliment, to make sure there won’t be a day where some idiot group in PAP ruins the whole country. Power corrupts. What’s that they say? Prevention better than cure.

In Response to the other questions:

MM: What do you think will give those friends of yours who do not feel they own this place a sense of ownership? You tell me.

Student: I don’t know. That’s why I was hoping that you could say something on this.

Reminds me of what a teacher-wannabe student said this in a sociology class in NUS:

“I didn’t come here to think. I came here for you to think, then tell me what to think.” – source

The Singapore Education system somehow produces a percentage of morons, who need other people to tell them what to think. Freedom of thought is the last freedom that cannot be taken away from you. Here, Singaporeans are volunterringly giving it up. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

A Useful Tip:

Even if you are right, be respectful. Nothing can go wrong with being respectful.

This is not how you argue:

Dear Voters in Nee Soon Central, Jurong GRC, and Hong Kah GRC,

This election is one of the most important ones in the history of our nation. It will determine how you live, the kind of wages you get, whether you have job security, and how you are taken care of in your retirement years.

Don’t let the PAP scare you into voting for it. Remember how it told you that you would scare away foreign investors if you voted for the Opposition? This has proven to be untrue. In the last few years, there has hardly been any Opposition MPs and, yet, foreign investors are staying away, causing this painful recession. The PAP also promised in the last GE that if you voted for it, your property prices would increase significantly. Again, this promise has also not been kept as property prices have slumped.

Don’t believe everything the PAP tells you. It is important that you think carefully about your future. We are campaigning on the issues presented below. If we are not elected, you will send a message to the PAP Government that you agree with everything that it does, including the foreign talent policy, CPF cuts, unaffordable health care costs, etc. But if you elect us as your MPs, you are telling the PAP that you want the PAP to review the policies the SDP has identified.

Fellow Singaporeans, don’t waste your vote, it comes only once in five years. Send us to Parliament to protect your rights, your welfare and your interests. Vote wisely, vote SDP.

We wish you and your family a secure and bright future.

Yours sincerely,

Chee Soon Juan
Secretary-General

Got this from here while googling CSJ. Essentially, if you read in between the lines, here is what he’s saying: “Don’t vote the PAP, don’t fall for their threats or their lies. Vote for us [SDP].” Sounds like the campaign Kerry was trying to run against Bush.

Okay. Why do we vote for you? Give us valid solutions! What is SDP’s proposal concerning foreign investors? What is your agenda? Would I rather vote for the established PAP who although may ‘threaten’ or ‘lie’ yet at least fulfils some promises, or vote for the opposition, of whom has stated no agenda or any reason why I should vote for them?

I have to be fair to them. Their site has a ‘what it means to vote for us link, but upon visiting it, I don’t really see it as a viable alternative.

But at the moment, what do I care? My ward never gets to vote anyway. It’s always a walk-over. God forbid I should enter into politics. I’m currently in the ranks of the *NATO Singaporeans. =P

In Conclusion:

Singapore makes one heck of a fascinating case study. There’s so many things to study about. The education systems, laws, economics, government, safety, yada yada. I think if you truly want change to this nation you call home, examine the past and the present, and you’ll have clues as to how to improve the future.

History is the answer damn it! Heh.