It's almost Election time, judging from how the local newspapers are
starting to dish out propaganda news to the peasants.
The news, ranging from the improved employment rate to Singaporeans
being one of the richest people in the world, are commonplace only when
the General Election is approaching. But, of course the 'tactics' change from
dishing out good news to bad news that hinge on the fear of the peasants
before the GE date is announced. Just like how post-911, the government
played up the terrorist card that only THEY (the million-$-ministers, i.e.)
can prevent terrorists from striking in SG. However, that is debatable,
because if they did not open their big mouth to support USofA such that the
whole world knows, terrorists perhaps won't even notice tiny dotty SG.
Let us ask ourselves, are we even a thinking nation? How many peasants,
when reading the papers everyday, know that they are actually reading
propaganda and not genuine news? How many peasants, while working
hard for a living day in and out, actually took a little more time to digest
the 'news' they read than accepting them as they are?
I'm brought up in an anti-pap family (er.. count my relatives in as well) so
you can say i'm more or less immune to propanganda from the ruling party.
Back then, hearing my parents and relatives criticising the govt really makes
me wonder, because when I was in school, the teachers (of course all on the
payroll of the govt) have insisted that the local news are TOTALLY RELIABLE,
and have not a doubt in its credibility, that we should rejoice when reading
good news, and start worrying when reading bad news... so.. i was going to say,
luckily i'm a bad student but a better daughter.. so i'm more tuned to my parents'
way of thoughts than believing in the teachers' bs at any time.
Afterall, sometimes when i used my parents' arguments against the teachers,
all the teachers said is "ok, that is the end of the discussion." - no concrete
answers.. i have to shut up or get out of class. I count myself lucky that I've
not became a robot-student under this stifling education system, thanks to
my parents. But then, being young, i took the easy way out, that is, being
politically apathetic. I mean, what do i care? Life still goes on.
Of course, now that I'm much older and experienced, I'm starting to open my
eyes wider and put my brain to work harder....
Every year, we read about SAF Scholars, President Scholars, LKY Scholars,
A* Scholars etc etc.. each 'scholar' scoring straight As, given scholarships
worth millions to study overseas, came back after their studies to head some
government agencies or become paper generals in the armed forces.
We should ask ourselves, are these 'Scholars' really brilliant?
Sure, they are brilliant in scoring good grades and at performing jobs, but is
that why we sent them to overseas on taxpayers' $$?? Having spent millions
and millions over the last few decades on such 'scholars', what do we have?
Astronomer? Scientist? Inventor? Nobel Prize winner?
None! We only have busloads of paper generals and highly-paid govt
administrators, who have their 'future' secured for life, jumping from one
govt establishment to another to another till they retire, meanwhile enjoying
all the perks at the expense of taxpayers - ordinary peasants who have to
slog from day to day earning a living, trying to keep their own families alive
and yet still paying tax to feed these sycophants.
As a taxpayer myself, i question why I am paying tax to pay for the studies of
these textbook scholars, who after coming back from their education, sit in the
policy-making chairs, and 'create' and 'invent' policies to make my life difficult.
That said, I'm fortunate that I'm never and will never be a scholar, because then,
i'll still have my soul, integrity and dignity intact... of course, never in the same
way they thought theirs are.
