Black sheep or white sheep, you are still sheep
Deng Xiaoping had this famous quote attributed to him, which goes something like this:
“No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat.”「不管白猫、黑猫，逮住老鼠就是好猫。」
And I realised that this could be easily adapted for our Singaporean context, but with a twist in the meaning. In Singapore, it doesn’t matter if you are black sheep or white sheep, you are all still sheep.
I think there’s no need to assign colours to the 2 sides, either colour will do. The important point is to acknowledge the fact that people who are unthinkingly anti-govt/PAP and people who are unthinkingly pro-govt/PAP are equally moronic.
Sad to say, there are no signs that the unwashed masses have any intention of lifting themselves out of their stupor. Those who think it is oh-so-fashionable to be rabidly anti-establishment have merely flipped from being mindless followers of one Master to being mindless followers of another Master. No gain in self-awareness, no signs of any thoughtful self-reflection. Just look at the commenters on Mr Wang’s blog, or Singabloodypore, or Singapore Election Watch.
The worst thing about these people, is that they do not realise that they are STILL being sheep. By reflexively opposing any position taken by the PAP, without exercising anything in the manner of critical thought, analysis or just some effort in trying to understand what is at stake, these people are acting in the very manner that validates MM Lee’s belief that Singapore is still a long way away from being able to adopt a Western-style democracy.
And that makes me very sad, because I have always thought that all human beings are capable of rational thought and reason. It appears that many Singaporeans are not. This is a state of affairs for which I lay the blame squarely on MM Lee himself. For years he has cultivated a political culture which discourages clear, independent and analytical thought. This culture permeates every facet of Singapore life, from the civil service to our education system, right down to the person on the street. The end result is that whenever Singaporeans talk about politics, people unthinkingly repeat the same few natty slogans and catchphrases that Lee Kuan Yew and the PAP foisted on the people. Train them to think for themselves? Blasphemy! There is only the prophecy of the lightning bolts. Everything else is banned.
Now the results of this policy have come full circle to haunt the PAP. We have generations of unthinking morons in Singapore, unable to think or fend for themselves in a new global economy. They think that they either have to blindly follow the PAP, or blindly follow anything that appears to be opposed to the PAP, their minds trapped within this false dichotomy. Without anything to follow, they become lost, without their moorings, without a shepherd or a Master to guide them in this strange new world.
As long as these morons do not realise that their only master is themselves, they will always be, regardless of which colour they take, mere sheep.
I am one of the sheeps which are herded into that narrow passageway by the running dogs. I have no idea what is the end of the passage - a greener pasture or a slaughter house.
I can see the master shepherd from afar.
At the meantime, most of the sheeps are circling around.
Thanks for the reminder …
Sheep No. S21491534U
9 Feb 07 at 10:01 pm
I’m an innocent lil lamb.
好熊猫
10 Feb 07 at 2:44 pm
Well said… the sad truth is that human beings tend not to behave rationally and think critically… several of my batch mates are studying courses because another monkey is also doing the same thing…monkey see, monkey do…
btw nice pic of phoenix wright…
the Stark in Winterfell
11 Feb 07 at 2:05 am
Han,
Whenever I get frustrated with people who cannot think and insist on their own positions without a critical think, this quote from Bertrand Russell comes into my mind:
“It’s a waste of energy to be angry with a man who behaves badly, just as it is to be angry with a car that won’t go.” - Bertrand Russell
BL
11 Feb 07 at 6:58 am
Now now… its the beauty of the world’s diversity.
There are sheep and there are sheepherders. In SG, each human being trained is relentlessly tested to see whether they are better as sheep or sheepherders, and then conditioned accordingly.
To each sheep, its pen. To each sheepherder his/her bed. Such is the natural order of things
All sheep are equal. Some sheep are more equal than others.
(translation: some sheep sleep in better pens.)
E.o.M.
KiWeTO
11 Feb 07 at 12:16 pm
there are plenty of rabbits amongst the sheep. yes, those people who are happy to wake up every morning and just play their saxaphone till sundown.
politics is just not that important to some people. but watching the behaviour of politicians can be great fun.
hunguptodry
13 Feb 07 at 3:45 pm
Agreed. The PAP style of government and nannying has created a nation of people who choose not to think critically, for the most part. And we are paying for it. They try and force kids to _learn_ creative thinking. Sigh. And I firmly believe that Singaporeans, on the whole, are not ready for real independence and more free-wheeling democracy - it’ll be no more than chaos. It’s a vicious cycle!
andrea
13 Feb 07 at 6:23 pm
Hi Legal Janitor
I’m a fan. And I’m here to learn more about sheeps! *laugh*
Anyway, I’m doing my thesis on blogging. Drop me a mail if you’re willing to be one of my white mice
Cheerios!
Dottie
18 Feb 07 at 4:22 pm
Thanks for that cat statement by, Deng Xiaoping.
“No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat.”
………………………………………………
‘I believe that there is no black and white in human Beigns, just one soul, one life, given by the one and all mighty God’. ‘Eurgerne Earl Van Bon’
Eurgerne Earl Van Bon
18 May 07 at 2:04 pm
Are you a moron just because you are ‘unthinking’? I know loads of unthinking people, and I think many of them are just plain lazy to think. So many people also like to copycat and repeat ad nauseum something which impressed them to begin with, and which is never their own original thought or description. Moron? No in most cases, I think. Lazy and unoriginal, yes.
P.S. Just
JADED
10 Apr 08 at 12:55 pm