Blackmail in Singapore

[FUCK THE POLICE]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_general_election,_2006#Debate_on_housing_and_lift_upgrading

The upgrading of public housing, including the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP), was a major issue in this election. As in previous elections, PAP had tied the scheduling of housing upgrades to the number of votes the party received in the election. The PAP argued that government was successful in raising the standard of living in the country, and those who supported its various policies, including the upgrading, should be given priority. In the hotly contested Aljunied GRC, George Yeo (PAP) placed lift upgrading the "top of [his] priority list" so that the lift would stop on every floor in as many blocks as possible.[59] Sylvia Lim (WP) accused the PAP of being selective in its upgrading programmes, arguing that this was a divisive policy.[60]




Does anyone else find a problem with a ruling party tying the amount of money a certain district gets in a nation with how many votes the voters give the ruling party after the election? That's fucking blackmail and racketeering. It really depresses me, reading on the state of politics in Singapore. It just goes to show how laughably easy it is to rig the SMD system, and why NOT to tie such a system with a unitary form of government.

This party, the "PAP", also didn't organize on the internet effectively, unlike the opposition, so guess what their response was? They banned their opposers sites as "partisan speech". Then they condemened the parties. Which is kind of odd, because if anyone of the third parties condemns the "PAP" racketteering organization, they get fined with humngous hundred thousand dollar fines, and usually get thrown out of parliament. To even call Singapore a democracy is a mockery of the word.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiam_See_Tong

n the 2001 General Election, he won the Potong Pasir SMC for the fifth time. Subsequently, in the 2006 General Election, he won 55.82% of the votes to continue his sixth term as the Member of Parliament for Potong Pasir SMC and also become the longest serving opposition member of parliament in Singapore's history. In this election, he defeated the People's Action Party's Sitoh Yih Pin yet again. He had secured 8,245 votes against Sitoh's 6,527.

For many, this was a surprise victory for Chiam, as the People's Action Party had offered a S$80 million upgrading package for the residents of Potong Pasir, and had even brought in the Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong to win votes for the PAP.

 

[3.14]

Does anyone else find a problem with a ruling party tying the amount of money a certain district gets in a nation with how many votes the voters give the ruling party after the election? That's fucking blackmail and racketeering. It really depresses me, reading on the state of politics in Singapore. It just goes to show how laughably easy it is to rig the SMD system, and why NOT to tie such a system with a unitary form of government.

I don't know much about elections in Singapore (I thought it was a dictatorship???) . . . but yes, if this is true, it is not fair to the other constituencies (or the SG equivalents).

Now, that being said, this sort of thing occurs in many Asian countries. . . in certain Asian countries, the parties actually distribute free liqor amongst the poor to get them to vote for them!!

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Well, there are 84 seats. The PAP has 82 of them. Tell me how that can be called a democracy. Those two opposition districts have been all but ignored by the government over the year, and it's lead to the poor and elderly in the district being unable to move around inside of their housing, all while the PAP sits around and watches election results. The government says "Those who want the money should show us they do" - by voting for the PAP. It's fucking racketeering.

 

[3.14]

Well, there are 84 seats. The PAP has 82 of them. Tell me how that can be called a democracy.

Precisely what I was saying re:dictatorship.

Those two opposition districts have been all but ignored by the government over the year, and it's lead to the poor and elderly in the district being unable to move around inside of their housing, all while the PAP sits around and watches election results. The government says "Those who want the money should show us they do" - by voting for the PAP. It's fucking racketeering.

Well, it is, but I'd be willing to bet Singaporeans are quite satisifed with their form of government, though. . .

Give me HK anyday though. (and, good to see you on this forum too)

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Nobodies happy with it. No one can change it.

 

[3.14]

Nobodies happy with it. No one can change it.

Why do you think no-one is happy with it? So long as the city maintains it's prosperous nature, I don't think anyone really cares - at least, those who stay in Singapore by choice don't. Singaporeans have no travel restrictions, and are free to leave when they wish. . . Unlike citiznes of other "dictatorships".

But, thats just my opinion.

 

[uscitizen]

WM we have exactly the same thing going on in KY and in many other states in the USA.
Buying votes with tax dollars and projects.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Why do you think no-one is happy with it? So long as the city maintains it's prosperous nature, I don't think anyone really cares - at least, those who stay in Singapore by choice don't. Singaporeans have no travel restrictions, and are free to leave when they wish. . . Unlike citiznes of other "dictatorships".

But, thats just my opinion.

I think that violations of human rights are violations of human rights wherever and in whatever forms they are done, and whether or not it causes all of the citizens of an entire nation to leave.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

WM we have exactly the same thing going on in KY and in many other states in the USA.
Buying votes with tax dollars and projects.

I've never heard anyone say "OK, no one gets their medicaid unless they elect a Democrat!"

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

The people of Singapore caused it's prosperity. They are wealthy despite of, not because of, the government.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

http://abstractnonsense.wordpress.com/2006/09/05/the-fascism-of-singapore/



Western conservatives, who have largely swallowed that illusion whole, keep talking up Singapore. To believe what they say, its educational system, its economy, its cultural policy, all the envy of conservatives who only wish democracy didn’t fear with their plans, work nearly perfectly.

In fact, that illusion is about as true as the illusion that the Soviet Union kept cultivating among Western socialists in the 1930s. The only way Singapore looks good is if you skew statistics to fit your agenda, which the PAP is not above doing. A few facts that Lee Kuan Yew, the de facto king, won’t mention in his interview, are:

- Singapore’s level of inequality is the highest in the developed world, except possibly for Hong Kong’s. Its bottom quintile is the poorest in the developed world except for Portugal’s.

- Only 25% of Singaporeans aged 16-17 go to junior college, the equivalent of high school. The rest don’t participate in the international reading and math tests; that’s how Singapore always places number 1 on these tests.

- Singapore’s per capita military spending is second only to Israel’s, even though Singapore is not at war nor will it ever be. That last fact doesn’t prevent the government from engaging in a propaganda campaign aimed at convincing the citizenry that it is.

- The combination of low wages, no social safety net, and a social security system that has no redistribution of wealth at all means that lower-class people often have to work into their 70s and 80s to survive.

- Singapore’s literacy rate is 92.5%, just above this of Palestine and just below this of Thailand.

- Despite the country’s cult of economic growth, its GDP per capita has stagnated since 2000.

- Despite draconian sentencing laws for violent crime, Singapore’s crime rate remains far higher than Japan’s.


Whenever people criticize them, Lee Kuan Yew and his cohorts have two excuses for their behavior. The first is accusing the critics of libel; the laws that the PAP wrote and the judges the PAP appointed then conveniently find any opposition politician who’s insufficiently timid guilty of libel, and impose a fine just higher than the politician’s net worth. The other is accusing their critics of not understanding Asian values, which roughly mean, “Whatever is convenient for the ruling party” (Mahatir Mohamad, Lee Kuan Yew’s Malaysian counterpart, engages in the same tactic, while we’re at it).

 

[3.14]

I think that violations of human rights are violations of human rights wherever and in whatever forms they are done, and whether or not it causes all of the citizens of an entire nation to leave.

Agreed, what I'm saying though is that the people there might not necessarily consider them to be violations, and probably don't really care.

As this smiley picture so eloquently says. . .

http://abstractnonsense.wordpress.com/2006/09/05/the-fascism-of-singapore/

A lot of this is common to MANY ASIAN countries - not just Singapore. Note that I don't particularly love Singapore, I'd rather live in China ANY DAY (I've been there before, and loved it). But, just being honest. . .

Western conservatives, who have largely swallowed that illusion whole, keep talking up Singapore. To believe what they say, its educational system, its economy, its cultural policy, all the envy of conservatives who only wish democracy didn’t fear with their plans, work nearly perfectly.

In fact, that illusion is about as true as the illusion that the Soviet Union kept cultivating among Western socialists in the 1930s. The only way Singapore looks good is if you skew statistics to fit your agenda, which the PAP is not above doing. A few facts that Lee Kuan Yew, the de facto king, won’t mention in his interview, are:

It's also about as true as socialist India claiming to be on the road to the first world. The only way India looks good, even remotely good, is by skewing stats.

- Singapore’s level of inequality is the highest in the developed world, except possibly for Hong Kong’s. Its bottom quintile is the poorest in the developed world except for Portugal’s.

Probably right on the HK part, not sure on the Portugal part though.

- Only 25% of Singaporeans aged 16-17 go to junior college, the equivalent of high school. The rest don’t participate in the international reading and math tests; that’s how Singapore always places number 1 on these tests.

I must admit I don't understand this one. 75 percent of Singaporeans don't participate, then how the hell do the remaining 25 percent manage to put SG at the top spot??

- Singapore’s per capita military spending is second only to Israel’s, even though Singapore is not at war nor will it ever be. That last fact doesn’t prevent the government from engaging in a propaganda campaign aimed at convincing the citizenry that it is.

Interesting, but can you elaborate on this "propoganda campaign"? Who do they say they are at war with?

- The combination of low wages, no social safety net, and a social security system that has no redistribution of wealth at all means that lower-class people often have to work into their 70s and 80s to survive.

Agreed.

- Singapore’s literacy rate is 92.5%, just above this of Palestine and just below this of Thailand.

I really doubt this. China is 100 percent from what I know, as is HK . . . I really doubt SG is just 92.5 %.

- Despite the country’s cult of economic growth, its GDP per capita has stagnated since 2000.

HK, anyone?

- Despite draconian sentencing laws for violent crime, Singapore’s crime rate remains far higher than Japan’s.

Good point - it shows restrictive laws aren't necessarily the only solution to any type of crime. Hell, look at Finland - they don't even have armed guards in their prisons from what I can tell and yet have a VERY low crime rate. . .

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Turns out their execution rate per a capita is 15 times higher than China. Gee, I never thought I'd be looking at China in such a positive light, but they're a goddam nation of progress compared to this regressive backwater.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

"I must admit I don't understand this one. 75 percent of Singaporeans don't participate, then how the hell do the remaining 25 percent manage to put SG at the top spot??"

Only the top 25% ever actually take the test and are counted in the rankings.

 

[uscitizen]

I've never heard anyone say "OK, no one gets their medicaid unless they elect a Democrat!"

Umm seems like I have heard that we get terrorism and mushroom clouds if we vote for a demoncrat....

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

In comparison, everyone who wants to be in school can be in the US, and all of them take part in the rankings. I believe that's about 70%, right?

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Umm seems like I have heard that we get terrorism and mushroom clouds if we vote for a demoncrat....

US, I meant, "No one in this district gets medicaid unless they voted for a Democrat!" While our reps favor their district, very rarely does the official government campaign in the district, pull up their sleaves, and say "Unless...", and hand out several threats of what they'll do to the members of that district unless they elect a government supported person.

 

[uscitizen]

US, I meant, "No one in this district gets medicaid unless they voted for a Democrat!" While our reps favor their district, very rarely does the official government campaign in the district, pull up their sleaves, and say "Unless...", and hand out several threats of what they'll do to the members of that district unless they elect a government supported person.

Umm the governor of KY does it. No new road if you vote democratic....
then when he was elected he proceded to fire democratic merit employees and hire his cronies....

 

[Cypress]

WM, this thread is just plain wierd. What's up with the obsession with singapore? I already knew they were authoritarian.