Waiting is neither a relaxing or passive affair, in fact, it is far from it. A multitude of scenarios pop into your head, your mind is bombarded by 'what-ifs' and 'what-nots' and all your attention is trained on that single ideal, that single situation in which all your waiting comes to an end. Meanwhile, the fear of its continuity gnaws at you relentlessly, eroding away the boundaries of logic and reason and delving into the chaos that is the emotional universe. The floodgates opened, you lapse into waves of hysteria urged on by boredom's winds. They break near shore, eventually smoothing into a gentle lapping at earth's ankles, a sign of subservience to the stony silence that constitutes this useless but draining activity.
I am going mad waiting, as you can see.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Sunday, October 09, 2005
I not stupid.
Singapore lies on a verge of a revolution. Recent �stirrings� that shake the very pillars of society have been felt, tremors mostly experienced by the here-to-fore obscure �blogging community of Singapore.�
What with all the recent laws and regulation that narrow the stage for these enthusiastic performers, henceforth all �stirrings� must be confined to one�s own personal space, however dismally boring that might be.
Since when has the blood of Singaporeans �stirred� so readily anyway? We see the youths of China parading in the streets with placards and stout hearts, and with deafening cries shout down the hypocrisies of the Japanese. We see them, marveling at their passion, and energy, and then reach for the remote.
One must realise that the social fabric of Singapore is vastly different from that of the 1960s, we are no longer the mishmash of immigrants living in deplorable conditions, with many mouths to feed and no money to feed them. Nor are we led by fervent trade unions that convince us that the only way to a better standard of living is by bashing the mar-tha (police) next door. Neither are we frogs in wells, restrained within the walls of our illiteracy, sunken in our own pool of naivet�.
Today�s Singapore is a maturing population increasingly able to think for themselves. The famous Maria Hertogh riots would never have occurred in today�s context, not because people are any less susceptible to sympathy, but because they know the social and economical cost of such an undertaking. Such is the consequence that accompanies an increasingly capitalistic view of life, where everything is seen in terms of dollars and sense (cents). The worship of the dollar supersedes all potentially rousing ideological beliefs.
That is perhaps the greater challenge of the government, which is not in the extermination of any �political miscreants� but instead to rekindle the interest in the fulfilling of human needs, the pedestal on which the entire human politics is built on. Why clamp down on a few deviants and in so doing risk a politically apathetic community? Indeed, why bother?
From the article on the woman who reported the racist bloggers, we read that the racist entry on Koh�s blog had spurned many replies from the online community. Being loathe to join in the �hatred�, she instead did what other �childish� people didn�t do. She reported the blog to the police.
Well-intentioned though she might be, I cast doubts on the �hatred� described by her. True enough, there might be a few equally inflammatory replies to Koh�s comments that would only cause emotions to spiral beyond control. However, based on my own personal knowledge of the blogging community, I have observed that there are always mediating voices amidst the exchange of hostilities. Usually, these voices make up the majority, not minority, and it is only the few who succumb to extreme emotions who fuel the �hatred� further.
What we are looking at is the self-regulating mechanism that is Singapore society. These are the educated, responsible voices whose thoughts and actions extend beyond their own causes. They have a clear knowledge of the implications of extremist views within the social framework, and do their best to display a moderating influence on such emotional fluctuations. Their existence is a gauge of a nation�s maturity and social solidarity. It is through the growth of the number of such mediating voices, not draconian laws, that a society can truly progress socially.
Instead of �stirring the different communities� as was mentioned in the article, these voices would unite them in a common cause, which is the recognition that Singapore NEEDS racial harmony. Now isn�t that the purpose of racial harmony day and secondary school social studies? It is imperative, therefore that we understand that true harmony does not reside in the veneer of lawful politeness between races; it dwells in the deep-rooted beliefs of the people, the kind of conviction that would spurn one to speak out against any challenge of that faith.
I concede that the majority of Singaporeans have not yet reached that level of acceptance. Any show of harmony is perhaps more due to the indoctrinated tolerance of racial diversity rather than true appreciation of cultural differences. Singaporeans know that harmony is important and take care not to overstep its border, but that�s rather because we know that any transgression would encroach on the comfort of our self-serving little worlds. Our motives are selfish, and though they keep us within the law, they cannot allow for the enjoyment of any extra benefits outside it, such as a potentially enriching relationship with a person of another race. Only when racial diversity has become a NECESSARY state can racial harmony day truly be celebrated, not held as a habitual deference to higher orders.
Is legislation the answer then? I think not. This is another case in which society must be given the free rein. One cannot reach heaven without an education in hell. Likewise, freedom is nothing without the struggle. To truly mature and gain intellectual freedom, Singapore society must be trusted to stand (and fall) on her own two feet. The government would do well to trust in the intelligent voice of the people.
What with all the recent laws and regulation that narrow the stage for these enthusiastic performers, henceforth all �stirrings� must be confined to one�s own personal space, however dismally boring that might be.
Since when has the blood of Singaporeans �stirred� so readily anyway? We see the youths of China parading in the streets with placards and stout hearts, and with deafening cries shout down the hypocrisies of the Japanese. We see them, marveling at their passion, and energy, and then reach for the remote.
One must realise that the social fabric of Singapore is vastly different from that of the 1960s, we are no longer the mishmash of immigrants living in deplorable conditions, with many mouths to feed and no money to feed them. Nor are we led by fervent trade unions that convince us that the only way to a better standard of living is by bashing the mar-tha (police) next door. Neither are we frogs in wells, restrained within the walls of our illiteracy, sunken in our own pool of naivet�.
Today�s Singapore is a maturing population increasingly able to think for themselves. The famous Maria Hertogh riots would never have occurred in today�s context, not because people are any less susceptible to sympathy, but because they know the social and economical cost of such an undertaking. Such is the consequence that accompanies an increasingly capitalistic view of life, where everything is seen in terms of dollars and sense (cents). The worship of the dollar supersedes all potentially rousing ideological beliefs.
That is perhaps the greater challenge of the government, which is not in the extermination of any �political miscreants� but instead to rekindle the interest in the fulfilling of human needs, the pedestal on which the entire human politics is built on. Why clamp down on a few deviants and in so doing risk a politically apathetic community? Indeed, why bother?
From the article on the woman who reported the racist bloggers, we read that the racist entry on Koh�s blog had spurned many replies from the online community. Being loathe to join in the �hatred�, she instead did what other �childish� people didn�t do. She reported the blog to the police.
Well-intentioned though she might be, I cast doubts on the �hatred� described by her. True enough, there might be a few equally inflammatory replies to Koh�s comments that would only cause emotions to spiral beyond control. However, based on my own personal knowledge of the blogging community, I have observed that there are always mediating voices amidst the exchange of hostilities. Usually, these voices make up the majority, not minority, and it is only the few who succumb to extreme emotions who fuel the �hatred� further.
What we are looking at is the self-regulating mechanism that is Singapore society. These are the educated, responsible voices whose thoughts and actions extend beyond their own causes. They have a clear knowledge of the implications of extremist views within the social framework, and do their best to display a moderating influence on such emotional fluctuations. Their existence is a gauge of a nation�s maturity and social solidarity. It is through the growth of the number of such mediating voices, not draconian laws, that a society can truly progress socially.
Instead of �stirring the different communities� as was mentioned in the article, these voices would unite them in a common cause, which is the recognition that Singapore NEEDS racial harmony. Now isn�t that the purpose of racial harmony day and secondary school social studies? It is imperative, therefore that we understand that true harmony does not reside in the veneer of lawful politeness between races; it dwells in the deep-rooted beliefs of the people, the kind of conviction that would spurn one to speak out against any challenge of that faith.
I concede that the majority of Singaporeans have not yet reached that level of acceptance. Any show of harmony is perhaps more due to the indoctrinated tolerance of racial diversity rather than true appreciation of cultural differences. Singaporeans know that harmony is important and take care not to overstep its border, but that�s rather because we know that any transgression would encroach on the comfort of our self-serving little worlds. Our motives are selfish, and though they keep us within the law, they cannot allow for the enjoyment of any extra benefits outside it, such as a potentially enriching relationship with a person of another race. Only when racial diversity has become a NECESSARY state can racial harmony day truly be celebrated, not held as a habitual deference to higher orders.
Is legislation the answer then? I think not. This is another case in which society must be given the free rein. One cannot reach heaven without an education in hell. Likewise, freedom is nothing without the struggle. To truly mature and gain intellectual freedom, Singapore society must be trusted to stand (and fall) on her own two feet. The government would do well to trust in the intelligent voice of the people.
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