You deserve each other

Posted by admin on April 19th, 2006 filed in General

So some old folks think that the “youngsters” (some of whom are older than me by the way) in the forum were rude, or inappropriate in their questioning . The only conclusion I can come to is that these petty-minded relics of the past have no idea what a debate truly is (although I have to stress that those were not the questions I would have asked). I also found it hilarious that MM Lee called them “ radical English-educated young “.

The forum participants did not provide a convincing case for voting for the Opposition. Opposition for its own sake is a terribly weak reason. It also doesn’t help that Opposition parties are vying for the populist and protectionist space (restricting “foreign talent” and “protecting” jobs for Singaporeans), which really casts a negative light on their economic credentials.

The real case for social and political freedom, is that it is not separate, and cannot be separated from economic freedoms. There is a reason why Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, etc etc etc the worlds greatest generators of wealth hail from the United States. To unlock and unleash the potential of human creativity and ingenuity, we need more than just governments throwing tons of money on infrastructure. Without the freedom to think and to express, all that human potential will remain just that, potential.

So next time, when these “Chinese-educated” oldsters are retrenched or unemployed because they do not possess skill sets in demand by the economy, or do not possess any skills at all, and sitting at home moping around feeling sad and sorry for yourself, please remember, its your naive and blind obeisance to Asian values and authority that got you where you are.

AsiaOne - Not all young people think like those at forum, says MM
Channelnewsasia.com - Participants in MM Lee dialogue tell their side of the story
TODAYonline - Please mind the age gap