Truth Hurts

Baey Yam Keng famously declared "By the way, I am born in the year of the dog" when he dashed to the defence of PRC scholar Sun Xu. Latter was the target of much odium when he coined the other equally despicable phrase, “There are more dogs than people in Singapore.” PM Lee said being poor in Singapore is no fun, but is a dog's life any better?

The mainstream media went overboard on Sunday to paint a pretty picture of how dogs have it good in Singapore - all the abandoned animals photographed were in the pink of health. Law and Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam got into the act when he and his wife Seetha adopted a cute puppy on Saturday at the Animal Welfare Symposium at Chong Pang Community Club - lucky pooch, it will be residing in a millionaire's home. Non-canine observers were more keen to scrutinise the Minister's number two wife, the first time anyone ever got to see her in real life, and know of her name in print.

Dogs didn't get good press in George Orwell's book. There the dogs represent the military/police. Shortly after the last revolution, several pups were stolen from their mothers and groomed and trained to protect dictatorial Napoleon from a second potential by-election revolution, and help perpetuate his rule. It is not difficult to recognise similar characters in our socio-political stage. Other animals on our little red farm have their own battles to fight.

Lesser mortals working class like the baby boomers must empathise with Boxer the plodding horse, who ended up at the glue factory after a life-time of struggle. Always portrayed as a dedicated worker, but as possessing a less-than-average intelligence, hence the constant talking down to. Occasionally the spurs are dug in for a spurt of required productivity. The novel accurately describes the horses as being "most faithful disciples" and that they "absorbed everything that they were told [by the pigs], and passed it on to the next generation by "simple arguments".

The pig in the book is Squealer, representing the Russian media, who spreads Stalin's version of the truth to the masses. We all recognise the similarities in the MSM.