October 2007

Double Standards Fully Justified

Talk about pulling wool over one’s own eyes. We are inundated with Chinese immigrants from China on our shores these days, yet no one officially ponders about the societal significance of this phenomenon. In any case, even if someone does, we probably know what the official explanation would be like, don’t we. And that kinda says it all about Singapore. What we implicitly know and what is publicly declared in the papers are, often, two different things altogether.

Thanks to the fierce arguments witnessed on the Lee Kuan Yew video-site by sgpolitics on YouTube.com, one ought to realize never to discuss anything with the herd out there. They act like they have God on their fearsome side! And why shouldn’t they, when they’re simply standing on the win-win side! Hail, the day has come (again) for X’ Ho to go even further underground. Eh, careful now. Bandy the term ‘underground’ around enough and it’ll be commodified by ST sooner than the next tourism score-card rejoices in upbeat achievement. Yes dear, that’s how it works here – uniquely, with no further argument to trump it! Unless, you go the way of the Net. Wink-wink.

Those fierce arguments defending the Government on the YouTube site are quite telling. They are mostly crude, name-calling remarks that echo the national press’ sentiments of why Singapore is glorious: the Government is transparent (truth is – it has something to prove!), Singapore is safe and wealthy, and so on. None strikes me as intelligent and thinking. Of course, to expect thinking from the hoi polloi here is just plain silly. Or Gurmit Singh wouldn’t have sung to them: “Use your brain, use your brain”. He certainly does not sing for me!
“Canned events not due to Workers’ Party ban: Young PAP” – headline in the ST on Sept 8, 07. “It went on to say that according to the police – “political parties are not allowed to hold outdoor activities”. Of course, all your PAP-organized community-dinners held outdoors are not political party events but government events. So, the truer legal injunction one deduces from that is – opposition parties are not allowed to hold outdoor activities. Please remember this, fellas. The press can’t spell it out that way cos they’re, shall we say, enthralled. But, as a Singaporean, you should know that that’s an OB-marker, hor.

(BEEN SNEAKIN’ IN HERE AGAIN? THINK I DON’T KNOW?)
“Big changes to Penal Code to reflect crime’s changing nature” – ST’s front-page headline on Sept 18. However, Section 377(A) of the Code – criminalizing homosexual acts between males remains. “This was a ‘reflection of a generally conservative society’, said the Ministry of Home Affairs, adding that views on this should be allowed to evolve.” Better secure a word about evolving now that the Internet is around to open minds, ya? Unlike before when Big Brother could be paternalistically firm and heavy-handed with extreme dogmatism. Still finding it strange that in a ‘conservative society’ we ‘agree’ to having casinos? Well, we all know the argument they came up for that one – it’s for economic survival! (Why do you think I keep stressing that our true religion is money!)

So, happy homos, to revoke Section 377(A) of the Penal Code, simply show how its existence will endanger our economy! It’s as simple as that. After all, why d’ya think Big Brother has granted license to gay saunas and disco/clubs in our midst? Can’t deny tolerance is one thing, condoning by allowing avenues is certainly another. And it’s all about showing him the money. In that sense, morality is really secondary to money… and they’ll tell you there’s nothing wrong with trying to survive. I’ll say there’s something wrong with poor foresight when a case was stated with such absolute, firm decree, rendering later amendment to the decision as mere arbitrary justification.

“7 in 10 frown on homosexuality, Nanyang Technological Institute finds”. That was a headline in the ST on Sept 20. “Through statistical calculations, the study concluded that ‘intrinsic religiosity – viewing religion as the primary driving force in life was the strongest predictor of anti-gay sentiment here.” That’s a sheer sign that the Government is not ready to embrace homosexuality. When it’s ready, as with building casinos, which Big Brother himself once banned, it is deemed “not a religious issue”.

Any wonder why “when Govt. says one thing, people think another”? (headline of an essay by Chua Mui Hoong in the ST on Sept 18). And they still wonder why Singaporeans feel frustrated and disempowered! Isn’t it frustrating enough to see our leaders in such poor light? - X’ Ho