What is wrong (or not wrong!) with the PAP nowadays?
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Since the Punggol East by-election is now history and that thread has gotten a bit unwieldy, I thought I should start a new one!
Post with a view to help them improve, or just to rant. Be constructive, or not. I don't think we care. But I hope that you will bear in mind that as kiasu parents, all we want is to make Singapore a better place for our children.
Let me start off with a broad rant (3Boys baiting here hee hee! :evil:
(1) I think one of the main problem with the PAP nowadays is that they have allowed public trust in them, which took decades to build, to erode. High salaries, 'fixing' political opponents, AIM etc have eaten away at the voters' trust that PAP's policies are intended to benefit the people of Singapore and not themselves. So much so that nowadays whatever the government tries to do is met with cynicism and distrust. Yet, when I look at how some of our ministers have aged within a relatively short time of taking office, I cannot help but think that on the whole they still have the welfare of Singaporeans in their hearts. Is it merely a PR disaster?
(2) The other problem I feel is that the PAP does not trust the voters. Hence, the various controls on the mainstream media, the funny electoral boundary lines, and perhaps even the so-called political tricks to 'fix the opposition'. Somehow, the voters, especially the young voters, are like little kids. Always crying for more candy and throwing inexplicable tantrums. But voters who are 50 years old and below are the products of the PAP's own education system. Do they not trust or even understand who they themselves nurtured and brought up?
(3) And somewhere over the years, the PAP had become so obsessed with fiscal prudence that they had become bean counters. Everything must have a $ price to it. Everything must pay for itself or better yet, return a profit. Hence, MRT lines could only be built after the HDB flats in a new town are occupied and there is enough passenger load. The BTO prices of HDB flats must somehow be pegged to market rates for resale flats instead of household income. Building of new hospitals only begin when the existing ones have 90% occupancy rates (what do they think SGH and TTSH are with that kind of occupancy rates, hotels?) Wherever possible, everything must be tendered out to the lowest contractor. SAHMs (and SAHDs) do not add to the GDP numbers, so every household should be encouraged to have both parents working fulltime, otherwise it is a waste of their education. They have allowed themselves to become like Ebeneezer Scrooge - knowing the price of everything, but the value of nothing. Penny wise but pound foolish.
(4) And all these came about because the PAP leadership allowed themselves to be separated from their grassroots. They have become so used to the top down approach of talking down to the citizens from the top and parachuting in scholars and other 'elite' types that they now have no idea how to handle an opposition party that decided to do things from the ground up instead.
A caricature, perhaps? Or even complete bollocks? There is nothing wrong with the PAP. The problem lies with the childish voters. :spank: -
Too tired tonight. Not a bad caricature though, can understand why people feel this way, but not totally fair.
A ton of their political philosophies are rooted in the past, late '80s, early '90s. GRCs, ministerial pay.
A lot of the social engineering was LKY’s ideas. Grad mum’s priorities, stop at 2, sterilisation for lowly ed women.
I thought to myself that the way the party was set up in the late '80s/early '90s during the transition from LKY to GCT, would leave them in trouble for the future.
It’s now come true, sadly.
Put away the rose tinted glasses, the past ain’t what it’s cracked up to be.
I like the current lot better. -
PAP has pegged itself as the ‘elite’ group.
The gap between the common citizens and govt has widened.
As a parent, I worry for my children as they grow up. Will they be living in a country where they are natural citizens (born here) and yet not be looked after/protected?
Will my children get a place to study in tertiary institutions or compete with foreigners?
Lots of worries as a parent. I can only hope and pray hard that Singapore will not become a country devoid of feelings for the future generations. -
3Boys:
So, in short it's a legacy problem, and it's all the Old Man's fault? :siam:A ton of their political philosophies are rooted in the past, late '80s, early '90s. GRCs, ministerial pay.
A lot of the social engineering was LKY's ideas. Grad mum's priorities, stop at 2, sterilisation for lowly ed women.
I thought to myself that the way the party was set up in the late '80s/early '90s during the transition from LKY to GCT, would leave them in trouble for the future.
It's now come true, sadly.
Put away the rose tinted glasses, the past ain't what it's cracked up to be.
I like the current lot better. -
3Boys:
Yeah, I agree. At least they are more responsive to feedback, in my opinion, unlike LKY times where unpopular policies like Grad mom scheme now backfired on him spectacularly.Too tired tonight. Not a bad caricature though, can understand why people feel this way, but not totally fair.
A ton of their political philosophies are rooted in the past, late '80s, early '90s. GRCs, ministerial pay.
A lot of the social engineering was LKY's ideas. Grad mum's priorities, stop at 2, sterilisation for lowly ed women.
I thought to myself that the way the party was set up in the late '80s/early '90s during the transition from LKY to GCT, would leave them in trouble for the future.
It's now come true, sadly.
Put away the rose tinted glasses, the past ain't what it's cracked up to be.
I like the current lot better.
Nevertheless, whether PAP policies really filtered down to the average men on the street remains debatable. Hence, the backlash from Punggol East by-election. -
pirate:
In my view, quite a bit of legacy issues and quite a bit of it the old man's fault.
So, in short it's a legacy problem, and it's all the Old Man's fault? :siam:3Boys:
A ton of their political philosophies are rooted in the past, late '80s, early '90s. GRCs, ministerial pay.
A lot of the social engineering was LKY's ideas. Grad mum's priorities, stop at 2, sterilisation for lowly ed women.
I thought to myself that the way the party was set up in the late '80s/early '90s during the transition from LKY to GCT, would leave them in trouble for the future.
It's now come true, sadly.
Put away the rose tinted glasses, the past ain't what it's cracked up to be.
I like the current lot better.
His son is suffering for it now, so payback I guess.
But quite a lot of what people are unhappy about have roots in the distant past, won't you agree? -
3Boys:
I don't quite agree that our population problem now started with the Stop At Two policy. As for the other things, I have to consult the ISD before I answer that.In my view, quite a bit of legacy issues and quite a bit of it the old man's fault.
His son is suffering for it now, so payback I guess.
But quite a lot of what people are unhappy about have roots in the distant past, won't you agree?
-
3Boys:
In my view, quite a bit of legacy issues and quite a bit of it the old man's fault.
So, in short it's a legacy problem, and it's all the Old Man's fault? :siam:pirate:
[quote=\"3Boys\"]A ton of their political philosophies are rooted in the past, late '80s, early '90s. GRCs, ministerial pay.
A lot of the social engineering was LKY's ideas. Grad mum's priorities, stop at 2, sterilisation for lowly ed women.
I thought to myself that the way the party was set up in the late '80s/early '90s during the transition from LKY to GCT, would leave them in trouble for the future.
It's now come true, sadly.
Put away the rose tinted glasses, the past ain't what it's cracked up to be.
I like the current lot better.
His son is suffering for it now, so payback I guess.
But quite a lot of what people are unhappy about have roots in the distant past, won't you agree?[/quote]bloody heck... i agree with both of u here :frustrated: :frustrated: :frustrated:
especially the late 80s references.... i still remember Spectrum :mad: -
3Boys:
In my view, quite a bit of legacy issues and quite a bit of it the old man's fault.
So, in short it's a legacy problem, and it's all the Old Man's fault? :siam:pirate:
[quote=\"3Boys\"]A ton of their political philosophies are rooted in the past, late '80s, early '90s. GRCs, ministerial pay.
A lot of the social engineering was LKY's ideas. Grad mum's priorities, stop at 2, sterilisation for lowly ed women.
I thought to myself that the way the party was set up in the late '80s/early '90s during the transition from LKY to GCT, would leave them in trouble for the future.
It's now come true, sadly.
Put away the rose tinted glasses, the past ain't what it's cracked up to be.
I like the current lot better.
His son is suffering for it now, so payback I guess.
But quite a lot of what people are unhappy about have roots in the distant past, won't you agree?[/quote]But I disagree with the current policies so it is not true that it is legacy issues la..
You agree with those policies to milk money to generate incomes for gov? :yikes: -
pirate:
Come to think about it! Stop at 2 may be necessary previously because of lack of employment prospects previously. Population problem is almost the whole Asian issue now. My take is stress level causing it..
I don't quite agree that our population problem now started with the Stop At Two policy. As for the other things, I have to consult the ISD before I answer that.3Boys:
In my view, quite a bit of legacy issues and quite a bit of it the old man's fault.
His son is suffering for it now, so payback I guess.
But quite a lot of what people are unhappy about have roots in the distant past, won't you agree?
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