PM Lee: 24 hour “cooling off” period at next GE
Written by Our Correspondent
An extra “cooling-off” day before polling day itself will be introduced at the next General election during which campaigning will not be allowed so that voters can reflect “calmly” on their decision.
The announcement was made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to the Singapore media in Cuba where he was attending the Commonwealth meetings.
“The legislation is almost done now, but there has been a little bit of delay because we had one further thought, which is to extend the period between Nomination Day and Polling Day by one extra day and to use that extra day as a cooling off period before polling itself,” he said.
All campaigning including mass rallies, door-to-door visits and display of party logos and symbols in public places will be banned on the “cooling-off” day.
The one exception will be party political broadcasts, which are televised on the eve of the polls to summarise the messages of the different political parties. This, alongside news reporting on the election, will not be affected.
The new rule is likely to benefit the ruling party which has absolute control over the Singapore media including its only news agency and broadcast station. It is usually allocated a longer air time on TV than other political parties.
The latest move probably stem from a need to pre-empt a “freak” election from happening as it did in the Malaysian general elections last year when the opposition won 82 seats in the federal parliament thereby denying the ruling Barisan Nasional its traditional two-thirds majority.
The minimum period between Nomination Day and Polling Day will be extended from nine to 10 days to compensate for the extra cooling off day.
Opposition parties have long complained about the short campaigning period which give them little time to highlight important issues to the voters.
The campaigning period used to be as long as three months and it was only reduced to the current nine days after the PAP won the general election in 1963.
During the 2006 elections, the rallies of opposition parties are attended by ten of thousands of Singaporeans in contrast to the paltry crowd at PAP rallies whose participants were offered free food and transport to be persuaded to attend in the first place.
The extra “cooling-off” day will enable the PAP to use all organs of the state to sway the results in its favor and to lessen the impact of mass rallies.
More importantly, it will also act as a buffer to allow it to salvage the situation should it make another PR mistake which may peeve off the voters like the Gomez incident in the last election.
For a party which is used to having everything under its control, the “cooling-off” day is nothing more than another ploy to decrease the chances of the occurrence of a “freak” result.
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Sad on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 10:58 am
Before anyone go to election, good to read this My Defense to the Charges. Law Society of Singapore vs Gopalan Nair.
http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/index.html
Not necessary you agree with it, but, one day it may happen to anyone.
Boo on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:00 am
The polling day eve “cooling period” is actually a news blackout period for opposition parties, given that MIW totally controls the local media.
The local media will give maximum coverage for MIW whilst ignoring opposition parties (eg. broadcasting opposition parties “news summary” at odd hours of the day/night).
That is extremely dirty play by any standards.
rc on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:06 am
i agree completely that this is another tactic that the PAP has come up with that would give them an edge in the elections. once voters have time to ‘cool down’ and be more rational, the practicalities of life and the bread and butter issues will come to the fore, the day to day grind will set in and dilute the emotional fervour (which the opposition is so good at whipping up), possibility resulting in people being less inclined to vote for the opposition.
however, if indeed the opposition is indeed able to present good arguments and sound policy alternatives, this cooling off period might still work to their favour. afterall, while it might be true that the MSM is slanted in favour of the PAP, the internet is not. people will still continue to have access to the opposition manifestoes, their viewpoints, their policy alternatives, etc from the internet. so long as there are websites like TR to challenge the MSM’s erstwhile stranglehold on information, i think this cooling off period might not favour the PAP completely.
Old Guy on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:15 am
you need to cool the hot potatoes
and then everyone will again vote for PAP
for good and for bad times..
because singaporeans need PAP all the time !!
citizenofSG on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:24 am
OMG who need cooling. Strike while the iron is hot.
They are making sure they win the election by all means. Lucky we have TR who will be the people paper, the Singaporkini.
We the people must help TR to campaign against MSM at all cost. Lets start a campaign to distribute flyers under the door step of our residents and informing them that there is an alternate balance voice to listen to on cooling day before deciding.
Will someone organize this for the sake of the nation. Will TR please come up with a multi lingual special edition on cooling day and highlight the crime being committed to our nation.
Citizen lets gear up our campaign and go to all kopitiam, pubs, etc and inform our brothers and sisters about the new SIngaporkini. Hurray.
We must not get flat footed as the gimmicks by the PAP is aplenty. The paranoia PAP will start election at any day.
dogbert on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:43 am
if the rules of the game are being amended again, the goal remains to get into parliament. MSM can be biased, but other channels must be robust. and hearts and minds to be won over. looks like a short timeline to the next GE. keep working on better alternatives
fpc on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:49 am
//Old Guy
Yeah, tell that to LHL.
If he is that confident, why introduce the extra day?
The sad thing is even with “cooling”, people will realise that his policies hurt Singaporeans very much.
Chua Lee Loong on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:51 am
Can i say that it is really as plain and simple a change as it sounds?
Cobweb of deceits on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:52 am
Good trick but IT WON’T WORK.
Read this on Kubler-Ross grief cycle
And then, into the calm of this relative paradise, a bombshell bursts…
Shock stage: Initial paralysis at hearing the bad news.
Denial stage: Trying to avoid the inevitable.
Anger stage: Frustrated outpouring of bottled-up emotion.
Bargaining stage: Seeking in vain for a way out.
Depression stage: Final realization of the inevitable.
Testing stage: Seeking realistic solutions.
Acceptance stage: Finally finding the way forward.
http://changingminds.org/disciplines/change_management/kubler_ross/kubler_ross.htm
They know that their FAILED immigration, education and economic policies have hurt citizenry, so must exist a lot of bottled up anger.
They want us to sober down, cool it and gave up in resigning to the “inevitable” and vote them in DESPITE ALL ANGUISH.
Why haven’t they practice this cooling off period previously?
DIRTY POLITICS OF MANIPULATION. DON’T BE FOOLED, SINGAPOREANS.
Skulambai on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:53 am
Well, seems like they can change and change as they deem fit.
Well, 2012 is far away and many things can come our way still.
I don’t even want to think about that.
There is really 1 way out now.
fpc on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 12:14 pm
//rc
As if after the cooling period, people will forget that PAP is not handling the bread and butter issue well at all.
If he is so sure, why not add in another day?
The fact remains that 5 years of LHL has brought misery to most Singaporeans.
He knows people don’t support his policies.
They even complain about it on traditional TV.
fpc on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 12:17 pm
//rc
PAP is the worst when it comes to inciting positive emotions.
How else to incite positive emotion when everyone knows PAP’s policies are self serving all the time and of late, detrimental to Singaporean way of life?
They are very good at inciting negative emotions by sueing people over every small issues possible.
Mr. Brown managed to make a famous podcast mocking PAP. Remember the mee bok man?
You must have been overseas all these while, rc .
fpc on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 12:19 pm
//Old Guy
Why does Singaporeans need PAP?
To be milked some more by PAP? so that LKY even gets a stipend after he dies?
So that LHL’s sons get a stipend after LHL dies?
How did Taiwanese live after Chen ?
Is not similar Sammyboy.com and others' traffic higher then here in TR??? on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 12:36 pm
And what’s the total traffic for all. Also, if the individual are even lesser, then internet blogs have minimum negative effect on MIW! am sure MIW pappies with all their finanacial and expert resources which include government sources, they must have reearch into this and know this. Although of course they can’t be absolutely certain for obvious reasons!!!
Perhaps TR Admin may care to comment.
Local citizens on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 12:43 pm
Come on lets face it! If the ruling party is not at an advantage, do you think they will impose such nonsence?Since they are at it, why don’t they dare to increase the campaigning days by one or two days from the existing 9? It will certainly add more spice, more substance and create more emotion to the election, which partly is all about!
The ‘coolingoff’ nonsence may backfire on them. TOC & TR may use this day to boost up the sentiments thru the internet, calling upon the citizens to vote with their eyes open!
Anyway, most citizens’ mind have already been made even before the election as to whom we are going to BOOT out!
Cooling off or cooling in or cooling out will not make an iota of difference!!!
Viper on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 12:50 pm
Cooling off period at the next GE ???
hmmm … I think the coming GE will be a interesting one …
Fievel on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 1:03 pm
Getting scared eh..some people…small desperate measures starting to show up
rc on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 1:11 pm
@fpc
on the contrary, i remember the mee pok man by Mr Brown. and i have not been “overseas all these while”.
and if you had read my comment, you would realise that i have not said whether PAP could or could not ‘incite’ people’s emotions. though i do agree that in general, PAP MPs are, when compared to the opposition candidates, not as able to give emotive speeches.
Online Shmonline on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 1:23 pm
Wow…I gotta say that this is just one more conniving tactic to control media exposure and to go into brainwashing overdrive. Thank god for the internet and inability of the white mummies to corrupt this open sphere of communication.
LN on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 1:28 pm
Haha.. Tricky Dick is at work here.
Everybody will have to shut their mouth on that day… or face fines / imprisonment, except for The Straits Times…
..which will have pages of articles singing heavenly praises of their puppet master, the MIW.
You have to admit it, the MIWs are forward planners… and will do anything to win an election / keep their jobs.
Afterall, they have to protect their Million $$$$ salaries, you know.
http://www.yeocheowtong.com/Salaries.html
cy on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 1:34 pm
“The only thing we have to fear,is fear itself.”
LHL said they have discussed abt this for a long time. If so, why only implement it now when they fear losing votes?
It reminds me of a person drowning who is clutching at straws hoping that he will postpone the reckoning day.
Catergory 2 on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 1:39 pm
## Old Guy on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:15 am
“you need to cool the hot potatoes and then everyone will again vote for PAP for good and for bad times.. because singaporeans need PAP all the time !!”
Some people gets more intelligent as they grow older.
Some people gets cobwebs in their brains.. from lack of use, when they get older.
You know which catergory you belong to, don’t you ??
Singaporeans need PAP all the time ????
Yeah… like they need a hole in their head to clear the cobwebs.
fair and square on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 1:41 pm
TR!and Singsporeans here on this blog,our voices seem to have been heard at last.
the PAP is taking it more seriously this time round and it is a good start but the show must go on…
the OPPOSTION PARTIES need to speak as ONE VOICE just like bloggers here in order to be heard by all singaporeans.
the homework needs to be done now,so that the message touch the hearts of singaporeans ,ring in their ears and echo in their minds even when it’s all quiet during cooling off time.
rc on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 1:51 pm
@category 2:
i’m sure Old Guy was just being sarcastic la.
@fair and square:
“touch the hearts of Singaporeans, ring in their ears and echo in their minds…”
very nicely put. if i may read a little into what you have written, you seem to suggest that we need politicians who are intelligent (and so ‘echo in their minds) and yet at the same time empathetic (and so touch the hearts of Singaporeans). and i agree with you completely on this one.
Bengster on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 1:52 pm
Hi TR,
I believe PM Lee was at Trinidad and Tobago when he made the comment, and not Cuba as stated.
I am not sure of the effectiveness of this “cooling off day”. In fact, I am puzzled by this decision. Why have a day designated for “cooling off”? Shouldn’t the days leading up to polling day (inclusive of the day before voting) be contained with various political parties campaigning for the electorate’s support?
Shouldn’t all political parties be given the maximum time possible to state their case to the electorate?
The rationale for such a measure is that it will allow voters time to think through their decision, and to vote rationally.
But I think voters don’t need that. We did fine in the last few elections with no “cooling off” period; I don’t see why one should be implemented now.
DEar Bengster... Remember what LHL and his Apapa rancoured at the last Ge in 2006???... on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 2:34 pm
Well… looks like ‘they’ more need a “Cooling off day” mid-week during the “Heats” this time around. As it will surely be a much hotter potato for ‘them’ cowards with untamed tongues of the street level type yah!!!…
Pehaps ‘they’ are afraid their throats may get so sore from rancouring shit as ‘educated people’ that this day is for giving their throats some rest… lest they choke to death when they start to hear some bad result for pappies haw!!!
citizenofSG on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 2:43 pm
Dear TR, Why don’t you have a video of a hokkien speaking man like Mr. Lim speaking through your news site on cooling day? That will be cool.
However beware that on cooling day, your site will be attack by dogs. LOL.
Any mirror sites to go to in case this one don’t work on that day.
Man they got lot of tricks to fix you as well. LOL.
wayangtimes on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 2:47 pm
will it be a public holiday on cooling off day? lol.
waste of oxygen on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 4:35 pm
It is more agonising for citizenry to wait out the execution.
If a politician’s career is going to be hanged on x date, why delay it for another day when he or she still has to dance on the other end of the ropes all the same?
Unless, of course, the politician is desperate to see the sun-rise and sunset for another day and be needlessly wasting of society-saving oxygen.
Rainnix on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 4:44 pm
Cooling day = PAP campaigning day. It is as plain as shit disguised as gold.
TR must prepare site to be hacked on this day. No penalties for breaking this rule?
POlitical SalesMaN on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 4:56 pm
Viper, This Election wiil be not interesting one,if the people is still not wake up.
btan on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 6:26 pm
If people cannot see that the “cool off day” is yet another dirty trick by PAP to try to garner more votes, then we are blind.
They can make use of the cool off day to swing the massive MSM to action to make them look good and the opposition look back with NO WAY that the opposition can reply.
As such, our resolved has to be FIRMED. NO MATTER what happened, just stick your choice of vote to the opposition and remember who is the one who invited foreigners in and pay themselves multi million dollar pay while the citizens suffer.
bear on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 6:39 pm
The announcement was made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to the Singapore media in Cuba where he was attending the Commonwealth meetings.
hey , admin , please change . its trinidad and tobago , not cuba. haih , like ST only , havent made any research.
cy on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 9:29 pm
Reacting to the proposal, Lim Boon Heng, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and PAP chairman, said: “Choosing your representative in Parliament is a serious matter. So I think it is a good idea to allow people to reflect what has been said during the campaign period and then to make a considered decision on how they would vote on Polling Day.
“A 24-hour reflection shouldn’t make people forget about the essentials of the campaign. It will make a difference when emotions are stirred up too high for whatever reasons. It is not something new that we have thought up. It is something which has been adopted in some countries too.”
Eugene Tan, Assistant Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University, said: “The hope is that the swing voters would be less likely to cast swing votes and the fence sitters will have an additional day to make their choices. The aspiration is that the choices will be because of the ability to reflect, to think, will be for the better, for the country.”
But the Workers’ Party said the extra ‘cooling-off’ day favours the PAP.
Sylvia Lim, Non-Constituency MP and Workers’ Party chairman, said: “You have to remember that the eve of Polling Day is a very critical period for the voters and in Singapore’s context, you can say there is a bar on political parties campaigning on this cooling-off day, but you must remember that the role of the PAP as a political party and its role as the government is often blurred.
“We may have situations where civil servants could come out to clarify certain government policies and even announce policy reviews for that matter. So practically, I think it is difficult to ensure that the cooling-off period serves its purpose.”
In an e-mail response to MediaCorp, Hougang MP, Low Thia Khiang, felt the idea is a sign of the PAP distrusting voters’ judgement.
Teo Ser Luck, chairman of Young PAP, said: “Mr Low could be reading too deep into such an action. I think cooling-off could be good, whether for the opposition or the main party to consolidate and take a breather and to review their positioning.
“I don’t believe it would have that great an impact on anyone. It would give people some time to consider but as I say, some of them would have decided before the nine days of campaigning begin. And a lot of Singaporeans would almost look at the whole GE as uneventful, as their life would go on as per normal. But for another segment of the society, it would impact. But I wouldn’t look at it as the majority.”
claude tnt on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 9:57 pm
Do we need more people like citizenofSG?
“____Will someone organize this for the sake of the nation. Will TR please___”
Yes, while people like citizenofSG sits in their comfort zone not even daring to have his/her name known wants others to organize and battle the PAP, with such a mentality no wonder we are a nation of whiners and the PAP winners!
ronin on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 10:59 pm
LHL claims that he was “shoved” during election rallies.
With his multiple bodyguards, nobody can get within 10 metres of him. So how to “shove” him???
At any rate, if he is so scared, he can just command MediaCock to broadcast his rally speeches!!
Old Man and Junior on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:21 pm
Old Man got sudden brain wave – add 1 day cooling period to remind voters that their mothers and sisters will become maids if they vote for the opposition.
So Old Man calls up Junior to get him to inform the peasants.
Junior was having his holiday in trinidad and tobago (cuba?).
Junior has no choice have to call up State’s Times to tell them about daddy’s idea. Otherwise daddy will cancel his holiday.
CruEL on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 12:50 am
ok this is suspicious.. I think the bigger story is
In May, Mr Lee announced in Parliament that Singapore’s political system would be amended to give non-People’s Action Party (PAP) members at least 18 seats, or nearly one-fifth, of the House.
And we are talking about cooling off period??
So now the PAP ‘ALLOWS’ non pap to get into parliament?
Thus giving sillyporeans the ‘thought’/'feeling’ that hey its actually working?
C’mon TR, i’m sure u can pick up the more juicy bits of that particular story no?
Dettol your brain please on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 8:36 am
WHY IN THE AGE WHEN INTERNET WERE NOT SO PERVASIVE, AND THE INCUMBENT RULES THE PRINT AND AIR WAVES COMPLETELY, THEY WERE COMPLETELY SILENT ABOUT THE COOLING OFF PERIOD?
Now that alternative media keeps citizenry involved and informed, they want a last minute blank to insert through MSM all sorts of distortions like policy clarification ( actually deceptions) so neither oppositions or alternative media can tear this deception apart.
WHY IS THE COOLING PERIOD NOT APPLICABLE TO MSM – BOTH PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA????????
DEVILS AT WORK OVERTIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE READ THE RULES OF POLITICAL MISDIRECTION by this simple minded person and see IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE SURPRISED AT THE KIND OF POLITICAL CHICANERY AWAITING OPPOSITION AND THOSE DISSENTING.
PLEASE PASS THE LINK ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE AND LET THEM THINK CAREFULLY ON COOLING DAY ON WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THEM.
http://www.islamfrominside.com/Pages/Commentary/Rules%20of%20misdirection.html
In case, this site has been blocked, here is the details.
Rules of political misdirection
Added August 11, 2006
Magician’s rules of misdirection:
1. The spectator’s eye will look where the magician looks.
2. Use a broad motion to cover another motion you wish to conceal.
3. Keep the audience occupied with patter and direct their attention….
Like a magician working his sleight-of-hand deceptions to deceive and misdirect the eye, political sleight-of-hand artists work their deceptions to deceive and misdirect a society’s collective mind and attention. The mass media provide the stage on which the theatre of deception unfolds and on which the audience’s rapt attention remains focused. It’s large scale spectacle, full of drama and emotion, fear and prejudice, ideological politics and dubious aims, but ultimately hollow and bitter as these magicians are not working a benign entertainment but applying deceit and duplicity with devastating mendacity. It’s worthwhile then to speculate about some of the procedures of ‘legerdemain’ (sleight-of-hand) adhered to by the political magicians of our time – what set of practices allow them success in managing their audience while they unswervingly pursue their strategic goals.
Note: It’s important to realize that political performance is primarily for the home audience – it’s not essential for the other side (the enemy) to buy into the viewpoints being peddled – but it is important to sell these at home in order to obtain acquiescence or at least limit domestic resistance to a particular policy or course of action. (The other side (the enemy) will be handled through other, more ‘vigorous’ means.) The homefront is key as it’s through domestic movements that resistance to a particular policy or action might emerge. So, limiting the effectiveness of that resistance is crucial.
Here then, structured loosely along the lines of a magician’s guide to audience misdirection are the rules of political misdirection:
Rules of political misdirection and deception:
1. The people’s minds will follow the media’s focus and the media will follow the official focus. Whatever crisis the official spotlight illuminates is where the media will focus. Wherever the media looks – the people look. Guide the media’s attention and the people’s attention will follow. So direct their minds towards issues of your choice and away from your key moves and strategies – from the things you need to get away with doing.
2. Hide one movement with another.
Use a large, dramatic movement to draw their attention. Use it to cover other movements on which there is too much heat or which are not executed well due to your lack of skill and ability or due to difficulties encountered (but which you still desire to accomplish).
3. Keep them occupied with your interpretation of events.
When brutal deeds that need doing are underway keep the media occupied with your justifications – tell them over and over again that your actions are only a measured but necessary response for the protection and greater benefit of the people. Use rule number 1 (feed selected information to the media) to accomplish this. Repeat this claim incessantly and emphatically.
4. Make them afraid.
Do something (anything) to maintain in the population a general sense of fear or dread (of imminent danger from enemies). When they are fearful – you can do your thing. When they become afraid, their critical faculties and overall awareness is low. Even if they are doubtful about your claims, they will acquiesce to most of what you do simply because they can’t be completely certain that what you say isn’t true.
5. Use broad, sweeping generalizations in your declarations.
Create trepidation in your opponents, enemies, and everyone else by using vague but ominous descriptions when profiling your enemy and their aims. People will duck and keep their political heads low to avoid fitting the profile or even associating with those who might fit the hazy descriptions you provide. When they’re busy trying not to be noticed they’ll stay away from words, actions, demonstrations and open opposition to your goals.
6. Conceal the crucial information.
Secrecy is good. The art of ruling requires maintenance of secrecy. Restrict access to information for security purposes – tell people this is for their own protection – now you can make whatever claims you like since it is always possible that you have information unknown to others and therefore your opponents cannot determine with certainty whether your actions are based on lies or whether they are based on “classified information” only available to you. By the time it is discovered whether they are based on falsehood or fact, it’s too late – you would have accomplished your deception and the discovered information is largely irrelevant to the situation now at hand.
7. Spin a good story.
It doesn’t have to be the truth, so long as it’s plausible and captures their attention. Feel free to mix lies with truth – it really doesn’t matter if you’re caught. If they point to the lies, you point to the true parts – blame the lies on faulty intel. Use the true parts to justify your actions.
8. Keep the momentum going no matter what.
If they discover a part of your deception, deny their explanations and keep going on with what you’re doing. They’re unlikely to uncover all your trickery for quite some time, and the momentum of events will act as misdirection from what’s already been exposed.
9. Restrict their freedom.
First take care of steps 4 and 5. Then tighten the screws on political and legal rights – institute monitoring and surveillance on a widespread scale – grant your government special powers to circumvent the existing legal and justice systems. Tell people this is for their own safety and protection. After all what do they know – you have all the information.
10. Always keep a few aces up your sleeve.
Hold them back for when the show goes wrong and the audience grows restless. Produce an ace as and when necessary (but make sure your timing is good) – the “foiled terror-plot” ace is always good for regaining political ground, pushing back the opposition, and distracting from weak areas in your performance. Always make a big show of the ace production – milk it for all you can. This will allow you to move forward on the other points and may make it possible to salvage a show that is going wrong.
11. Stay one step ahead of the media.
This one’s easy, since you have all the intel and information and they have nothing except what you tell them. And they’re mostly inefficient at actually doing any real investigating – it’s much easier for them just to attend briefings and report what you tell them and then call in the “experts” to speculate on what it all means.
Like the audience at a magic show, many of us willingly suspend our disbelief and accept the illusions (even the poorly executed ones) – and if we’re somewhat skeptical of the performance it’s still hard to look away from such vigorously audacious spectacle. Perhaps it is only through letting ourselves be deceived, through taking sides and falling into line in order to soothe our fears, that our consciences can accept the actions carried out in our society’s name.
Perhaps, as a society, we have lost (or thrown away, or drawn a heavy curtain over) the ability to see and judge things according to a realm of supernal values and ethics (which requires a compassionate connection to the wider world and a more elevated viewpoint). Instead the realm of desire and will allied with technical, instrumental, manipulative ability has come to supersede any impetus among the powerful to move and interact with the world in accordance with humane values and non-exploitative means. The faint shadow of understanding of ethics that remains has itself become a thing to be manipulated – useful for purposes of propaganda or as a mental instrument to be used to gain the acquiescence of people for the support of certain goals – goals which are ideological, power based goals, which, if they carry any value, carry a negative one – a negativity that arises not only from the relentless pursuit of acquisitive ends but from the heartless and mechanistic use of degraded, amoral means to achieve the end.
As for us, we’re simply parameters that need to be managed and controlled and kept ineffectual (if we’re in opposition to policy) while the equation plays itself out – we’re an audience whose attention is to be directed and misdirected while the “great” goals of this new century are relentlessly pursued.
“…the powerful among the unjust speak out words (of promise) only to lead-on and deceive….What (they) have brought is deception; (and) surely God will make it come to nothing….(and) will show the truth to be the truth…though the guilty may be averse (to it)” (Qur’an 35:40, 10:81,82)
- Irshaad Hussain
DETTOL YOUR BRAIN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE – TO AVOID BEING CONNED BY DECEPTIVE POLITICAL CHICANERY.
LHL's Dead Wife on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 11:01 am
wow they are actually getting worried aren’t they?
MeeSiam on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 11:09 am
PM Lee is afraid of losing in GE due to his poor performance as PM and now cracking his head to keep his position. Singaporean should ask themselves if their life better after PM Lee took office ? Other than the high inflation and deteriorating quality of life, I have yet to register anything good that he has done!!!!
TL on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 11:20 am
To have more single seat constituencies is a new trick by PAP to readjust the GRC boundary. You will definitely see some adjustment in those fiercely contested GRC in last GE to ensure those “heavy weight” PAP candidates are voted in !!!
frontman on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 11:41 am
If Lee Hsien Loong wants to treat me like a small kid, I will make sure he will not get my vote.
Trying to disrespect my ability to think and decide my own future is condescending at best and criminal at worst.
frontman on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 11:44 am
To Cruel:
The population dismissed that red herring, thus the need to come up with COOLING PERIOD.
The only PERIOD anyone has is Ah Loong.
To One & All... on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 2:59 pm
Does this grossly over paid guy also DON”T KNOW how to lie like his senior Lim Swee Say who lied about his jubilance “Every moth when I receive… my CPF statement” habahaba!!!… please just read first and then my further comments after his…
“Teo Ser Luck, chairman of Young PAP, said: “Mr Low could be reading too deep into such an action. I think cooling-off could be good, whether for the opposition or the main party to consolidate and take a breather and to review their positioning.”
See his kink like his senior Lim Swee Say ‘SAY’!!!…
“…and take a breather and to review their positioning.”…
Frankly… See the NUTS STUPIDITY of his Take a “breather” and “to review” their positioning for what???… On a “Cooling-Of-Day” just between LAST Campaigning Day AND Polling Day and then do what ON POLLING DAY ItSelf when “WE The People of Singapore ARE VOTING” if we have the ‘Chance’!!!… And then DO What TO “SAVE” WHAT when Voters ARE VOTING???…
Get the idea folk???… Again LIE OsO DOe NO How To LIE!!!…
That’s the problem with liars and their lying!!!… GET CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN “CobWEB” of LIES and Lying!!!
Be happy on Thu, 3rd Dec 2009 10:56 am
Stop complaining. We’ll likely to get shopping money in form of some rebates from government on “cooling day”. Hopefully it’s a Saturday. People will be busy queuing up at ATM, nobody will have time for politics. Shopping is cooler than attending rallies…
Oh Now We Get it on Thu, 3rd Dec 2009 11:43 am
Be happy on Thu, 3rd Dec 2009 10:56 am
Shopping money to buy condoms or lollies on “cooling” day?
'Mat on Fri, 4th Dec 2009 8:51 pm
I suggest that on National Cooling-Off Day
all eligible voters be barred from wearing
underwear.
THAT’ll keep things nice and cool!!!!!