Friday, April 29, 2011

Four Legs Good, Two Lees Bad

Were you taken for a ride?
Low Thia Khiang's response to Shanmugan's co-driver analogy was a real crowd pleaser at the Workers' Party kick-off rally in Hougang last night. He reminded the record turn-out, in English, Mandarin and Teochew, that wistfully hoping that the driver will bring you to your destination is not enough, "A co-driver is essential, especially as road gets tougher to navigate. The co-driver is there to slap the driver when he drives off course or when he falls asleep or drives dangerously."

Numerous studies have been made about the dangers of talking on a handphone while at the wheel. Interestingly, one finding is that carrying on a conversation with a passenger in the car does not have the same level of distraction. One conclusion is that the passenger tends to vary his communication according to the traffic conditions, thus prompting the driver to adjust according to the changing situation on the road.

MM Lee himself warned of a government on auto-pilot, blind to the realities of the moment. Wong Kan Seng is singing the tune that a terrorist on the loose was no danger to the country, just because he wasn't slapped out of his complacency stupor. Mah Bow Tan repeats ad nauseam that public housing is affordable, while omitting the inconvenient truth that a 30-year mortgage results in zero balance at the twilight years of retirement. Assuming that he can count, Vivian Balakrishnan must have known the expenses for the YOG were busting the budget, but there was no one there to restrain his intoxicated spending. Teo Chee Hean is having a field day distorting an opposition member's remark that spending $60 billion for the people is small change, but did anybody whisper to his ear about the 50 billions lost by GIC alone? And the 59 billions blown by Temasek? Lee Hsien Loong himself is holding on stubbornly to his Workfare solution for the poor, blinkered from the sights of little old ladies carting used cardboard to stay alive for another day. How will their suffering be salved by the snake-oil of Workfare? All these characters operating with tunnel vision, setting their sights solely on the GDP bonus, are running amok simply because the co-pilot's seat is empty. They may bleat in unison four legs good, two legs bad, but two Lees are definitely lousy for the country. Especially when one of them is way, way past the use-by date.

"Unless we have checks and balances in our political system, we cannot claim to be a First World country," Low summed up accurately.

8 comments:

  1. from observations of what has been articulated by OPP and PAP at their respective rallies, including coverage by various media...
    the general public can see for themselves why the PAP buggers have this terrible fear factor of facing the OPP in any live telecast open debate.

    what else can i say, except it is a no brainer. facts vs lies, integrity+substance vs scumbags.

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  2. makes my blood boil every time they talk about 'raiding the reserves' when they have squandered billions. I am near 55 and really fearful of losing my CPF monies. Please can someone assure me the CPF has not become a huge PONZI scheme? Maybe I am paranoid, but after reading about the Madoff case I am scared as I still have 7 years mortgage to pay and little cash .

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  3. Hahaha

    Anon 1.33, at least if you are living in a PAP constituency you are getting a little back, of the billions squandered, in upgradings, walkways etc. Me in Hougang paid taxes etc like you, and my kids did NS like everybody else, but we got back nothing by way of upgradings and other amenities. But, we have a good MP, which is really comforting. He did his best, within his means, and we understand his position.

    The only thing left in me is, like many Hougang residents, fighting for our beliefs and just taking the punishment for voting opposition. It makes one stronger, more resilient and able to withstand rocking boats.

    I believe Heaven is not blind. I feel the answer is very near.

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  4. I have always wondered... since all 82 seats are contested, there is that remote possibility that the non-PAP parties (I refuse to think of them as opposition parties since the parliament has been resolved) will win ALL 82 seats.

    Given only one GRC is walk over, I wonder how the dynamics of the government is gonna be like given now that there are more than 2 parties in the ruling parliament.

    Maybe you can write something about this? It would be interesting to hear your views on this.

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  5. If it does happen, you can bet your last $, Tattler will be absolutely excited to give his views, only after catching his breath and so will many of his readers. :)

    I believe we will be overwhelmed by all the views in cyberspace.

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  6. In addition, GIC linked company suffered millions of losses as a result of their investment into the Australian ABC Learnings Company.

    It was amazing to note that the Australian company collapsed less than 'months' after they had increased their investment....

    Uniquely Singapore!

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  7. Not only "uniquely Singapore". You also have a head of GIC who claimed that there are no regrets on her part. It's technically not her money but the money of taxpayers and public money endowed by us, the taxpayers. A person told me this, "Well, if I gamble away millions at the casino, and none of the money is mine because it is borrowed from friends and family, I also would not regret it."

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  8. Though there is a real fear that protest votes for opposition on a wide scale could possibly result in a freak result whereby the PAP loses the majority of the 82 seats contested; forcing a change in governing party; my personal feeling is that there are enough pro-PAP diehard voters who will ensure that the PAP will return to majority power, albeit with some lost seats. No fear; and history and legacy has shown.

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