Thursday, May 04, 2006

Politics & Mindset

I've always been quite bo chup (apathetic) about politics and though i've openly declared that i'll be voting for the PAP in this year's General Election, i've never tried to convince anyone else to do the same. Likewise, i expect not to be badgered to vote for the opposition because i feel that who you vote for is something you ought to think about carefully, and come up with a decision of your own.

I admit that sometimes, i feel that the PAP can be a little high-handed in the way they handle things... but hey, even LKY has said that there is no level playing field in politics right? I mean, i look at my own situation - the developer of the project i'm selling got another agency in to be our joint marketing agent and i'm all out to kill them (you won't believe the number of ways i've devised to get rid of them!)... what more to expect in politics!?!

If the opposition keeps making stupid mistakes, then who can they blame for their folly? I mean, if they wait so many years for another shot at winning a seat in parliament, only to be done in by their own error, then too bad right? You can't expect the ruling party to sayang (dote) them on their heads & say, it's ok, go on and fight me?

And if their "carelessness" was part of a more elaborate scam to discredit the government and/or the election organisers, then just too bad that they were found out. Live up to the consequences i say!

Anyway, this post isn't about that. You go vote for whoever you want. And i'll vote for my PAP. This post is about the mindsets of some people i've spoken to recently. It appears to me that quite a number of people who have said that they'll be voting for the opposition, are voting only because they want an "opposition voice" in parliament. They want PAP to win overall, but they want a few opposition MPs inside to keep the ruling party on its toes.

I don't agree to that. I feel that you should vote for a person / party based on its merits, and not for the sake for "having an opposition" around. I think this applies to all things. I would never do something just for the sake of doing it. I would only do something because i believed in it.

It's also scary as i hear some people gripe on and on about how bad the gahmen has treated them and all i see is their inertia to improve their own lives at fault. We are all smart thinking adults. You can't blame the government for everything that happens, and for your lot in life because you were lazy / ill-disciplined / foolish, and hence did not get very far in life.

I say instead of complaining to the air, take action and improve your own life. Take charge because no one owes you a living. When i see "aunties" & "uncles" complain mindlessly about how bad the gahmen has treated them, i try to just walk away because i see no point in arguing with people whose minds are shut. But what made me concerned enough to write about this, is that i saw a good number of young people, who should jolly well know better, complain about the same things!

So it bugs me. It bugs me that some Singaporeans are not willing to be responsible for their own lives, choosing instead to blame the government for everything, and ungratefully forgetting all that the government has done.

Sigh... i don't know how my generation is going to turn out. I hope we don't screw up so bad that we squander away all that our forefathers have slaved for. These are difficult times.

Sigh.