Conflict Theory in Practice — Political Scene in Singapore

When one powerful force arises, another will emerge. We see that all over the world, whether it is US invading Iraq, or Pakistani authorities clamping down on ‘Islamic militants’. In light of these global events, our leaders have been, in various forms and guises, attempting to stave off the irrepressible forces that surround us, and provide us with a semblence of order that is nothing like the rest of the world can provide. Indeed it can be argued that their efforts have been relatively successful. Let’s give the Singapore ’system’ due credit: it has served us relatively well, so far. So whither this conflict on our local shores?

Consumers vs Citizens

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.

An Open Letter to the Young Singaporean

Dear Future Leaders of Singapore,

First let me applaud the you, the young generation for your bravery to ’speak up’ as it were. Indeed you remind me of myself some 10-15 years ago, not least in your idealism and if I may say so, brashness. It is heartening to note that there seems to be more among your number than admittedly in my generation

Indeed the advent of Internet and related technologies has made it easier for people to communicate and exchange opinions with one another. Having said that, there is more than sufficient scope for the general populace to access alternative points of view, other than those of traditional media. Perhaps of greater relevance is whether Singaporeans are sufficiently motivated to seek out these alternatives. Moreover, there is the danger of overplaying the entertainment card such that the overall message gets lost in translation i.e. it is well and good to produce an entertaining political satire; would there be sufficient retention for Singaporeans to take a baby step towards citizenship?