why singapore needs political opposition
(And thus we scratch the pseudo-political-blogging itch. But if you're expecting a treatise on the principles of democracy and good government, please go somewhere else. This entry, like all others, is really about me.)
It's Easter, so I begin with a religious analogy.
Every time I ask a Christian why there needs be suffering and injustice in the world, I am steamrollered by a barrage of earnest responses: man has to atone for original sin, bad things only happen to those who can endure them, and - the most annoying of all - God works in mysterious ways.
But the answer that gets under my skin is what a very intelligent and curiously religious person told me the other day - that if there was no suffering, we wouldn't be able to appreciate paradise.
So apparently hell on earth exists for a Christian heaven to be thrown into sharper relief. Like Morpheus says in Preludes and Nocturnes as he faces off the million lords of hell, "What power would hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream of heaven?"
(haha sorry, I'm in the middle of rereading Sandman.)
It may be a poor justification and may not make much sense, but there's an undeniable truth about the efficacy of comparison. It works in other situations too - if you've never had a crap job you wouldn't treasure a good one; if you've never dated an asshole you wouldn't recognise a sweet guy.
Is it becoming apparent where this very rambly analogy is going?
A senior ST columnist recently wrote that age and maturity have convinced her that political competition for its own sake is undesirable. But I still think - although I guess I may grow out of it - that any form of contention, however possibly practically unnecessary, serves a purpose. It baffles me how a government wise enough to acknowledge the need for private sector competition in industries like telecommunications and media (even though that kind of flopped) cannot see that it would be beneficial to institute some form of diversity in politics as well. Yes, the ruling party has done an awesome job. But how do we really judge its performance if there's nothing to measure it by?
Today's manifesto unveiling, for example. Sure, it sounds good - ensure that more civic groups are formed (by civic, I realise, the ruling party means NGOs that give aid to natural disasters, not, like, civil society), give out cash to all (this should not be construed to be anything so crass as bribery but as redistribution of wealth from the taxpayers to, well, other taxpayers), and "allow" people to work longer and retire later (see how generous the party is, so concerned that people will fester with boredom in their old age). What are the competing manifestos? Are we simply comparing this party with the absence of any party?
Interestingly, the first chapter of the WP manifesto is titled Government and Civil Liberties. There you go, instant comparison. How come this manifesto isn't given as much coverage in the national papers, with excerpts and all? (I love excerpts, they make your paper thicker and you think, yay! more news to read with my coffee.)
More importantly, competition is the quickest way to ensure that the boundaries are pushed. Without competition, I doubt (1) we would be getting free incoming calls; (2) iMacs would be so pretty; (3) I would have gone back to work on Thursday with gaping mouth holes.
How do we know we're getting the best deal if there's only one shop?
But the most crucial reason why we need political opposition in Singapore is not because our government isn't performing up to standard (it's probably better than most) or that people are unhappy (are they?), but simply because talking about politics makes people smarter. Any other country in the world that is lucky enough to experience political competition has citizens who are knowledgeable about government and who have opinions on things. Singaporeans can't tell you shit about anything that doesn't involve food, shopping, or gossip. Ask them about laksa vs. char kway teow, or which shop in Sim Lim Square will cheat your money, or whether whatshername really got a boob job, and they can go on for hours. But venture a suggestion that free speech may be worth more than having an elevator stop on every floor (hurrah!), and more often than not you'll just get a blank stare rather than an engaging discussion on the primacy of economic vs civil liberties.
Many Americans are idiots (sorry American readers heh), but almost every single one of them can tell you whether they're conservative or liberal, socially and fiscally. Do Singaporeans know what any of these four words means?
So, to summarise: political opposition is important because it gives us a basis for comparison, encourages better performance, and provides for good conversation.
And that, more than anything else, is why my life in Singapore will never be able to live up to my life in the US - because too few people are interested in talking politics and, by on extension, philosophy and economics. Hey that's a degree programme in Oxford!
Anyway that's my rant for today, which I shall choose to view as an indication of a full recovery after 72 straight somnolent hours of Sleeping, Sandman, and Sunken Temple. And no Solid foods. Fortunately I pretended to watch a documentary about freshwater things (correct or not?) last night, so my brain didn't totally decay. :)
Jay Chou tonight!!!
posted by zyn ::
6:27 PM ::
1 Comments ::
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