In my last post, I showed the devastation of Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami. It was utter destruction and the death toll may reach over 10,000. So I am less than impressed when people try to make political hay out of the situation.
According to the Strait Times newspaper, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said that Singaporeans are becoming too dependent on the government, and more needs to be done to make Singaporeans more self reliant. He then went on to say that Singaporeans reacted strongly to the Orchard Road floods last year, and that Singaporeans should not complain too much but instead learn from the Japanese tsunami incident.
First off; using the Orchard Road flood is a poor example. Orchard Road was flooded. What did the SM think was going to happen? Of course Singaporeans will complain bitterly about the floods, I would think that anyone from any country would do the same thing. Orchard Road is Singapore’s prime shopping belt and one of our main tourist attractions. Surely the SM didn’t think Singaporeans will just accept a flood there without a word.
More importantly; comparing the Orchard Road floods to the Japanese tsunami is a bloody joke! In both incidents, I had put up photos and to even think of comparing the two is in poor taste. The death toll in Japan could be over 10,000! Compare to that, what is the Orchard Road flood?
Orchard Road was flooded and people in Singapore complained; if the Singapore government can’t even stand complains like that with grace under pressure, I shudder to think what their reaction will be when they faced Japan’s earthquake, tsunami, AND possible nuclear meltdown at TWO locations!
The Japanese tsunami is a disaster of epic, historical significance. It will go down in the history books. Comparing the Orchard Road floods to that is a joke that’s not even remotely funny.
5 comments:
Nothing is too great a challenge to our leaders lah.
Hell can come and they will still be smiling.
Me am talking about men who are boastful and have no conscience, people who will exploit and twist every situation to their advantages.
But funny, they look so wooden and stony.
Lol.........
patriot
I don't think it's a matter of the SM being boastful or having no conscience. It's a matter of being a politician.
The SM is a politician. Like all politicians throughout the world, he will want to position himself to get some advantage from the disaster. Nothing wrong there; everyone does it and he would be a lousy politician if he didn’t.
However the timing and the comparison are poor. If the SM did this a month or two later, no one will say a word. But the disaster happen on Friday, 4 days is too short a time. Also comparing the Orchard Road floods to a tsunami is just plain silly. Look at the 2 pics I posted, in terms of scale they are not even close!
Ghost,
I would describe you as someone with rubber morality (as in rubber time).
There is such a thing called morality and decency for the rest of the world.
Whether GCT says it at the time he actually did just days after the tragedy or a year later makes absolutely not the slightest difference.
When something is morally wrong, it is wrong now or a thousand years before or after now.
It is a terrible argument and lame excuse to claim for GCT the 'privilege' of sprouting anything under the sun because he is a 'politician'!!!
On the contrary, even more so as a politician he should in fact be EXTRA CAREFUL about what he said in reference to another country. But of course, Singaporeans are well aware of the gross liberty that the ruling party politicians have a habit of taking with other countries so long as it served their own agenda. GCT is in fact following in the foot steps of his master, the MM Lee. But whereas Lee is sly, crafty and slimy, GCT is not even a fraction as street smart. That is why he has without fail very often found his foot in his mouth whenever he tried to ape his master. MM Lee should have told him to desist, tell him the brutal truth, that he just don't hack it. That he don't have the gift of the gap, that he needs to have it in his gene (sneaky genes like him) to excel. That he is not his equal! That he is spoiling the market by being such a poor excuse of arrogant buffoon.
But then again, LKY would not dare to pissed GCT off for if the man leave his post out of sheer pique from such a deserving insult, the former would be left with NO excuse for holding on to his MM post. The logic being if GCT who is much younger felt the need to go, why are you (MM) still hanging around your son's office, sitting room?
Should the SM had known better; yes.
Does saying what he said makes the SM a man without morality and decency? No.
Was the SM trying to make political hay out of the situation? Yes
Can we draw lessons from the situation? Yes also.
If the SM had said what he said months or a year later, I am certain it would have made a lot of difference. Time heals and you saying that it would not have the slightest difference is simply wrong.
It can't truly work, I believe like this.
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