In Other Words

Musing

Its funny how people grow quiet whenever I talk about something that would be considered 'public dissent'. I see they consider what I say, that they think about it, but they always avoid making comments about it. It’s quite humorous for somebody who discusses politics on a regular basis (and often disagrees with what the mainstream considers acceptable.)

Today, for instance, I stumbled back upon my ‘did you know…’ plan. This plan involves secretly postering parts of the town with ‘did you know…’ and then a ‘blah’ of something or other that most people don’t know but the government still does.

Like the government giving tax incentives to doctors that choose not to maintain the patient doctor confidentiality agreement. I think people in Singapore would be interested to know that. Would they do anything with the information? Doubtful, though they might just complain in the paper that the government should crack down on people that put up these kind of posters.

Keep it going long enough, I was thinking, and somebody is bound to get just a little annoyed. Possibly even start questioning some of the things that the government does. That would be good.

The only response the people at the table could give me was ‘see you in jail’. Pretty sharp, but not all that helpful to my philosophical musing.

I wonder, sometimes, if Singapore has a good chance to make it out of its current predicament. Without a true opposition party to challenge what the Singapore government does it seems hard for them to implement change. Change, in this day and age, seems essential.

As does critical thought. Critical thought, I might add, is one of the true weaknesses of most Singaporeans. The inability to doubt the things around them, I believe, makes it hard for them to innovate. Almost every innovation, I believe, starts off with somebody asking a question (be it conscious or otherwise) ‘does it have to be this way?’ and then realizing it doesn’t.

That’s how home computers were invented. Somebody came along, saw the mainframes and wondered ‘does it have to be that way’ and then said ‘no!’ and made them for home use.

Questioning happens in general, though, not in specific. You cant specify ‘you can only ask questions about this field’ Though some people might be able to do it, you create freaks. People that don’t notice that one leg is longer then the other and that they keep walking in circles.

But that’s just my thought.

posted by Symbol @ 17.6.04