I’ve had a fruitful discussion with Wayne on whether Singaporeans are moving away from being a consumer i.e. “what’s in it for me?” towards citizenship i.e. “what can I do to make a positive difference towards nation building?” The general consensus is quite simply no, and even if there are movements, these are rather gradual in nature.
To further elaborate on the consumer viewpoint, here are 3 ‘rules’ that are generally adhered to by those who subscribe to this view:-
1) What can teachers/my town council people/politicians do for me?
Indeed the notion of “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” seems to be increasingly alien to Singaporeans (yes I recognise that this is an American term, but that’s really beside the point). Who indeed should take responsibility for this entitlement mentality? Now that’s another story for another time altogether.
2) What subject do I study that would earn me the most money and satisfaction?
My peers often relate “Who cares about history?” or “Painting/writing cannot make $$, be a doctor/lawyer/engineer instead!”
Yet it is precisely this lack of awareness of what’s really possible among citizens that does the nation a great disservice. Why be like the others? Because apparently these ‘others’ seem to be doing rather well for themselves, with their good incomes, nice cars/condo/club membership etc. Credit card debt anyone? Some by-the-way advice on the bubble that is to come (or is it here already?): bubbles exist to be burst, so be forewarned…
3) How best can I spend my spare time to make myself happier?
The refrain from most quarters seems to be “If it makes economic sense to do X, then do it.” Substitute X for any of the following:-
- applying for another job that pays 1% more $$ even though deep down in your gut you’ll hate it but heck, simply kill time and claim days-off while waiting for the next CNY bonus to come along before moving on
- driving as close as possible to the next vehicle on the way to work without making contact, when gleefully grin and overtake when the startled driver jam-brakes
-filing for taxes a few days late, knowing that the taxman was denied the chance to claim your hard-earned money, with nothing more than a warning letter (do not, I repeat, *do not* try this next April…)
- gathering a group of friends at a coffee shop to complain about the latest revision of tax/transport charges/interest rates/price of coffee(!)
- going shopping/watching a movie after work or during weekends to numb the pain of being ’sponged’ by the boss (no one cares about storyline anymore these days, do they?)
- taking a vacation overseas during CNY or, horrors, National Day (it’s round the corner)
- placing one’s parents in “retirement islands” when they are deemed too much of a liability…
… the only exception to this so called rule is #2; apparently much of this economic rationality flies out the window once one’s neighbours/peers get a new condo/car/club membership 
Evidently I don’t subscribe to this framework, hence my comment to this post lol…
Wayne has also pointed out that one can both citizen and consumer, depending on the circumstances. It is one thing to adopt a citizenship approach to the evironment/gay rights/whatever else; it is quite another to *vote* with an adherence to such an approach i.e. sacrificing flat upgrading priorities/job security/potential legal action and other perceived inconveniences
I wonder, what if the *establishment* operated on a consumer rather than a citizen level? Would it be accurate to say that many of the our leaders have been reinforcing the consumerist refrain, besides the obvious ploys during election time? How would that serve to the advantage of the nation?
