Re: DRE: CTS community mail

  • From: Ilitirit Sama <ilitirit@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: cpt-fgc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2015 15:28:17 +0200

The author of that piece leans to western (read: US) conservative values.
She also happens to believe that women should not have the right to work
after giving birth.  They should stay home and look after the kids.
Basically a right-wing crackpot.

She does touch on something that was highlighted as a problem in Singapore
by an ex-intelligence officer with whom we happened to have a conversation.

In short:

There are basically 3 generations of Singaporeans:
1.  People whose family originated on the island ("ethnic" Singaporeans)
2.  People who emigrated there or who were slaves (mostly Malaysians,
Indonesians, Indians and Chinese)
3.  People who emigrated in the last few decades (mostly Chinese)

All 3 generations fiercely identify as Singaporeans.  Generation 2 + 3 form
the biggest part of the population.  However, generation 1 and 2 have a
slightly different idea of identity, or what it means to be a Singaporean.
For example, they value family, so they tend to get married and have kids
before the age of 30.  So what happens is that in practice, Generation 1
and 2 leave the workplace sooner, and Generation 3 overtakes them in terms
of business success (but not family success).  This results in a ruling
elite (in business) that has different values to the rest of the country,
which Generation 1 and 2 don't agree with.  Generation 1 and 2 are
typically older, more conservative, and have more power in government.  So
they basically enforce rules which level out the playing field between
people who want to have families when they are younger and people who focus
more on business.  This leads to a problem where the young Chinese get
educated in Singapore, but then leave because they feel that they are being
held back by the Equity Laws.  When they become successful, they return,
and use their new-found wealth and power to influence politics in a way
that benefits them, which ultimately means that Generation 1 and 2
Singaporean values are slowly being replaced by Generation 3 ones.  How to
handle this problem?  The guy we spoke to was not sure.  In fact, he
thought it might already be too late.

This is the kind of thing that the Japanese author is afraid of.  She wants
Japan to retain its culture and values (which is ironic considering the
Western influence on her political ideas), and is afraid that by treating
immigrants equally they will lose their identity.  Well, I'm sorry to have
to break this to Ms Sono, but that's exactly how the world works.

In any case, what a wonderful predicament Singapore is facing.  Imagine
living in a country where one of your problems is that the people are
working too hard, and are too ambitious.  I'll take that over the crap we
have to deal with any day.


On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 1:46 PM, Ryan Williams <ryan820509@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Yeah, read about this earlier. How fucked up can you get.
> On 16 Feb 2015 13:04, "Manase Zote" <bmlzote@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> Japan please...
>>
>>
>> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/11414141/Japanese-author-provokes-furious-South-African-response-by-suggesting-a-new-apartheid.html
>> On 16 Feb 2015 12:53, "Moshe Shevel" <jaguguarang@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> Haha thanks guys :)
>>> On 16 Feb 2015 12:47 PM, "Sameegh Jardine" <sameegh@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Happy Birthday Jag, hope you have an awesome one :]
>>>>
>>>> On 16 Feb 2015, at 12:41 PM, "Donaldson, Alasdair" <
>>>> alasdair.donaldson@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  Oh, nice one Ilit. You couldn’t have posted that first thing this
>>>> morning, could you? So we’re now all the schmucks who didn’t realise it was
>>>> his birthday.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> In other news, HDB Jag.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *From:* cpt-fgc-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [
>>>> mailto:cpt-fgc-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *On Behalf Of *Ilitirit Sama
>>>> *Sent:* 16 February 2015 12:37 PM
>>>> *To:* cpt-fgc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> *Subject:* Re: DRE: CTS community mail
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> HBD Jag!
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