Fears of a Black Swan in Singapore General Election 2011

[Jon-san]

The relentless flood of foreign trash is the last straw !!!!

i respect that you are agitated about certain issues raised by the increasing influx of foreigners coming here to live and work, etc. But I would appreciate if you refrain from using such language as "foreign trash" to describe them. They are, after all, humans, and not trash. The tone of discussion used in this forum has thus far been polite, cordial and informative. Please help to keep this tone as such. I do not deny that they have caused problems, socially and economically, but they also have their role to play. Demeaning them demeans us. Thanks.

Apologies if I have offended anyone with my views.

[hyom]

But I would appreciate if you refrain from using such language as "foreign trash" to describe them. They are, after all, humans, and not trash. The tone of discussion used in this forum has thus far been polite, cordial and informative. Please help to keep this tone as such.

On instinct, it is easy to blame the foreigners. As an engineering student in a local university, I have encountered foreign students given free scholarships and monthly allowance but their academic results are not really of a scholar's standards. Upon graduation, foreigners gain an unfair edge in the job market over Singaporeans because they do not have reservist duties. Which employer wants to have his worker disappear year in year out for a few weeks? It is highly disruptive. If you were an entrepreneur, given all things being equal, would you prefer a Singaporean with reservist duties or a foreigner with none?

Faced with such unfairness, the natural reaction of a Singaporean is to blame the foreigners. I have to curb my own resentment everytime I take the crowded MRT with foreign accents around me. However, if we put ourselves in their shoes as foreigners in a foreigner-friendly country, we would also seize the opportunities created by bad government policies that put foreigners at an advantage over locals. I agree with Jon-san that we should refrain from calling foreigners trash (but not easy to curb such resentments in practice because the over-crowdedness reminds us of it on a daily basis). They are just normal opportunistic human beings like the rest of us.

I hope the government will do some self-reflection this time round. Why did the ground turn so sour? Why do they find it so hard to find good candidates from the private sector? Why are even former civil servants joining the opposition? Given the lower rewards and higher risks of joining the opposition versus PAP, why is the opposition still able to draw quality candidates this time round?

Hyom's post maybe ironical, but it is definitely not hypocritical! He is reflecting what many pro-singapore voters are feeling. Most who loves singapore will not want the PAP to be voted out at this stage.

Before I forget, thank you for your support. I agree with you that many pro-Singapore voters, despite their unhappiness with government policies on foreign immigration and housing, do not want the PAP to be voted out in the coming election.

[FA+TA]

Why do they find it so hard to find good candidates from the private sector?
People with right ethics不屑与之为伍,道不同不相为谋.

If the management in a company are foreign talents, eventually, majority in the department are foreigners. Are foreign talents create jobs for Singaporeans? Question mark! Government should do a follow up audit after a year.

[tonylim]

Why do they find it so hard to find good candidates from the private sector?
People with right ethics不屑与之为伍,道不同不相为谋.

If the management in a company are foreign talents, eventually, majority in the department are foreigners. Are foreign talents create jobs for Singaporeans? Question mark! Government should do a follow up audit after a year.

Just look at Spice i2i ( Previous MediaRing ) . Ever since the new management from India taook control of the management thru 20% equity, all their management , including middle management level were replaced by Indian Nationals, even the one who was in charge of media relation was also replaced by one from India. The locals lost their jobs to foreigners just because the 20% is being controlled by Indian national.

[Zelphon]

On the contrary, I WANT THE PAP TO BE BOOTED OUT OF PARLIAMENT..

I want the entire reserves to be audited ...
I want full accountability for all the money lost and diverted to various interests ...
I want the entire web of deceit and relationships between PAP loyalists tracked and mapped out ...

I am utterly disgusted with the state of our country !!!!

[FA+TA]

The great irony of Singapore is that we have to compete with foreign talents and PAP has little competition. Without competition, it is simply 闭门造车.

Story for us to ponder. They are top paid politicians in the world, don't allow them to be complacent and have easy life. They have to work hard for every dollar we pay. HIRE and FIRE should be the rule of thumb.
　　上帝把两群羊放在草原上，一群在南，一群在北。上帝还给羊群找了两种天敌，一种是狮子，一种是狼。　　
　　上帝对羊群说：“如果你们要狼，就给一只，任它随意咬你们。如果你们要狮子，就给两头，你们可以在两头狮子中任选一头，还可以随时更换。”南边那群羊想，狮子比狼凶猛得多，还是要狼吧。于是，它们就要了一只狼。北边那群羊想，狮子虽然比狼凶猛得多，但我们有选择权，还是要狮子吧。于是，它们就要了两头狮子。
　　
那只狼进了南边的羊群后，就开始吃羊。狼身体小，食量也小，一只羊够它吃几天了。这样羊群几天才被追杀一次。北边那群羊挑选了一头狮子，另一头则留在上帝那里。这头狮子进入羊群后，也开始吃羊。狮子不但比狼凶猛，而且食量惊人，每天都要吃一只羊。这样羊群就天天都要被追杀，惊恐万状。羊群赶紧请上帝换一头狮子。不料，上帝保管的那头狮子一直没有吃东西，正饥饿难耐，它扑进羊群，比前面那头狮子咬得更疯狂。羊群一天到晚只是逃命，连草都快吃不成了。
　　
南边的羊群庆幸自己选对了天敌，又嘲笑北边的羊群没有眼光。北边的羊群非常后悔，向上帝大倒苦水，要求更换天敌，改要一只狼。上帝说：“天敌一旦确定，就不能更改了，必须世代相随，你们惟一的权利是在两头狮子中选择。”
　　
北边的羊群只好把两头狮子不断更换。可两头狮子同样凶残，换哪一头都比南边的羊群悲惨得多，它们索性不换了，让一头狮子吃得膘肥体壮，另一头狮子则饿得精瘦。眼看那头瘦狮子快要饿死了，羊群才请上帝换一头。
　　
这头瘦狮子经过长久的饥饿后，慢慢悟出了一个道理：自己虽然凶猛异常，一百只羊都不是对手，可是自己的命运是操纵在羊群手里的。羊群随时可以把自己送回上帝那里，让自己饱受饥饿的煎熬，甚至有可能饿死。想通这个道理后，瘦狮子就对羊群特别客气，只吃死羊和病羊，凡是健康的羊它都不吃了。羊群喜出望外，有几只小羊提议干脆固定要瘦狮子，不要那头肥狮子了。一只老羊提醒说：“瘦狮子是怕我们送它回上帝那里挨饿，才对我们这么好。万一肥狮子饿死了，我们没有了选择的余地，瘦狮子很快就会恢复凶残的本性的。”众羊觉得老羊说得有理，为了不让另一头狮子饿死，它们赶紧把它换回来。
　　
原先膘肥体壮的那头狮子，已经饿得只剩下皮包骨头了，并且也懂得了自己的命运是操纵在羊群手里的道理。为了能在草原上待久一点，它竟百般讨好起羊群来。而那头被送交给上帝的狮子，则难过得流下了眼泪。
　　
北边的羊群在经历了重重磨难之后，终于过上了自由自在的生活。南边那群羊的处境却越来越悲惨了，那只狼因为没有竞争对手，羊群又无法更换它，它就胡作非为，每天都咬死几十只羊，这只狼早已不吃羊肉了，它只喝羊心里的血。它还不准羊叫，哪只叫就立刻咬死哪只。南边的羊群只能在心中哀叹：“早知道这样，还不如要两头狮子。

[intellect]

Interesting Story...

[Big Toe]

A choice between of 2 lions is better than a wolf, now that's interesting.
So what you're saying is that since we are a lion city we should choose 2 lions?
That would make us sheep. Come to think of it, the description is very apt.

[Jared Seah]

Great story FA+TA!

May I know the source for the article? Did you write it?

[mrEngineer]

I have always wondered is having opposition really means that there is a check and balance in the system? By right, every member of parliament should represent the interests of the citizens and not to their party. And does having a lot of voices mean efficiency and less misuse of authority?