by PeasantMonkey
The elite system is founded on academic ability.
Academic pursuits enable a person to study and "become knowledgeable, competent" in 4-5 years of scholarship, what people learn through experience over say, a 50-year period. Superb grades only show the person's ability to absorb what he reads and regurgitates. His ability to actually "think through" problems at the exams is assisted by past year's exam questions...being exam-smart and having a powerful memory can get you great grades.
The entire process does not develop the emotional aspect of a person's learning.
S'pore companies such as Temasek are run by scholar-elites, but when it comes to understanding human beings and their emotions, they fail miserably. Scholar elites think logically - linear straight-line thinking. Human beings, especially in societies such as Thai, Indonesian even Malaysian, don't always behave logically.
Government and scholar-elite always thinks that "if I come in and invest, I am good for you, you should be thankful and grateful". Patriotism, honour, national pride, all these are for sale at a right price. (Guess who joined the Japanese while the latter bayoneted the locals?)
Even Singaporeans have the same emotions, but have been cultured - through carrot-and-stick rules, regulations and laws - to suppress our emotions for the greater "rational thinking" in return for economic good. For example, when Dr CSJ lambasted LKY and GCT he was being more emotional than rational, he tripped a uniquely-leegal wire, and he got bankrupted.
It's dangerous to be emotional in S'pore.
These scholar-elites are truly failures at human relationships. The sad thing though, is that it is very pervasive and it has filtered throughout our entire society, so much so that, almost everyone has a certain shade of that mercilessly logical and rational machine that is the scholar-elite.
Well said. An example of what PeasantMonkey said can be reflected on the founder of this elite system himself, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. Obviously, Mr. Lee is a genius among geniuses in terms of administration and implementing his visions on how Singapore should be structured. However, as pointed out by PeasntMonkey, people like him in this system seems to have only a high IQ, but absolute low EQ. This is why Mr. Lee goes around offending our neighbours through his so-called words of wisdom. Every time MM Lee make such statements about our neighbours, I find myself preparing to be called back for reservice, just in case he triggers a war with his big mouth.
ReplyDeleteuseless elitist scholars. the alienation of the slite and the peasant class will backfire unless real and not cosmetic steps are taken to stop the stratification of education and this scholarship rubbish.
ReplyDeleteWell all crdits to the great Lee. Its the elite system which keep them in power. Its a theory which would even be the envy of Darwin. Its not the survival of the fittest but survival of the elite class passed down from generation to generation , not only from fathers to son but the entire clan. This way the elite will remain a separate and unique class which will benefit without having to work their balls off but by just having been born into the correct family.
ReplyDeleteTo add to anon 2:01, it sgets better when not only do you not have to work hard and prove yourself, you can do no wrong..we are seeing that happen now. The happening in the past few months would have seen a few scalps but do we hear anything...perhaps promotion, pay increase or bonuses soon.
ReplyDeleteLKY, the man who can do no wrong has been keeping quiet about this whole saga. This Shin shambles was probably of his making in the first place. Soon he will come out and say " enough, lets move on". From then on SPH will not print anything about Shin and Singaporeans will have to bites their tongues and maintain a respectful and submissive silence.
ReplyDeleteHi to all,
ReplyDeleteI am what friends would call a staunch government supporter. Thing is this, i do not equate government= PAP.
I am embarrased to be termed "scholar elite" as it seems to denote some superiority over my fellow Singaporeans- a view which i definitely do not subscribe to.
Let's clarify- though i got a scholarship but i was never from an elite school/institution. Not when i was in sec sch and certainly not in my A's as i have never studied a day of my life in JC or equivalent at all.
I do believe that along with a higher post in any institution or government means more responsibility- both to the organisation and the people depending upon you.
If the PAP can better the lifes of our citizens and by that i do not mean just making Singapore famous and a first in many aspects, but rather i refer to the improvement of life for the ordinary Singaporean in the street- I am all for it.
In such a situation, i will give my best to support the government and frown upon what might be taken as lack of appreciation.
However, should it be a case of people in power benefiting their own relations or perhaps trying to create an elite class, I will feel otherwise.
Which it is now... i cannot conclude. In the absence of strong enough evidence that the lifes' of ordinary Singaporeans is indeed worser than it was in the 1990s, i will carry on supporting the government wholeheartedly albeit with a close eye on the rationale behind policies taken.
I have read George Orwell, Machiavelli and memoirs of Mao, Deng, etc. Enough to make me cynical... But much still remains to be seen.
Till then, i urge you to support your fellow Singaporeans in a more constructive manner (no offence intended) by words and actions which directly make a person's day better.
I am not perfect and i do not want to be political.
All i want is for our nation and people to progress together- leaving no man behind!
Dear Sweet Anonymous 7.27,
ReplyDeleteYou are honourable as it seems. You have the heart of a buddha and the mind of a saint. I sincerely hope what you write and preach can really change the snobbish nature of the elitist in this system. Rather than urging the commoners to stop venting their frustration over the flawed system, I rather you spend your time urging the elistist minded people in this system to stop their discriminism against the less fortunate fellow countrymen.
I dare not be compared against Buddha nor Saint and i am certainly far from perfect.
ReplyDeleteBut i grew up amongst the ordinary people, went to school with them and worked amongst what i deem to be the less fortunate amongst our society.
The people i was fortunate to be around with were those who fought to volunteer to serve their NS in the tougher units. We were simple people with unquestioned loyalty and we were not elite- i salute them!
I believe our aims are the same, you and i- to benefit the majority of our fellow Singaporeans first and foremost! and not to further the interest of the minority over the majority.
To you i wish all the best. Again to everyone out there who cares enough- i bid you to work tirelessly and objectively for the good of the Citizens.
We make the difference!
Funny thing..I know a German engineer who is just like that...intelligent with work, but socially totally ignorant and inept! He loves S'pore, and this article made it clearer to me why he really likes it there!
ReplyDelete