Journal of James's Journey with Jesus

Singapore's OK?

Okay, the thoughts you are about to read began forming when I started reading newspapers daily as part of my job scope. I have since realised how utterly stupid some comments and questions on the forums are.

It just brings me to the conclusion that education does nothing for you without critical thinking. Knowledge without wisdom is a locked treasury with no key. I'm not a skeptic but I try my best not to become a brainless imbecile.

After reading the papers, I realised how childish and spoon-fed some Singaporeans are. They are constantly concerned with mindlessly minor problems and the solutions they offer are so out-of-point at times. Their comments and suggestions give a hint of what Primary School kids would say.

There is this huge bunch of clueless bandwagon hitchriders who have no perspectives of their own or idea what they're talking about. Brainwashed self righteous prigs who shouldn't say anything when they've got nothing to say. Especially when there's the next generation of equally impressionable minds consuming their nonsense like hot cakes.

Now I know why Robert Klark Graham created the Genius Sperm Bank. To save the world from the multiplying imbeciles, should all the smart people die by some freaky fluke of nature one day. Imbeciles wouldn't know what to do with the world if it was in their hands. Thank God for leaders!

Going to the subject proper, let's talk about certain concerns raised about AYG.

Certain Singaporeans think that AYG had little Singaporean supporters because the schools did not let the kids off on holiday to support the event, the broadcast timings were during the adults' working hours and there were no free tickets.

Point #1 - Giving the kids a holiday does not guarantee that they will be down at the sports venues enthusiastically cheering the Singaporean team on. I should know; I'm still one-quarter a kid.

Youths will catch a late night rock concert even if they have school the next day. It goes to show they weren't interested about AYG. There's only so much publicity and advertising can do; sometimes it takes years for events to gain prestige and define their unique selling point.

Look at the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon. They had to limit the number of participants to 50, 000 since last year. They didn't even have one-fifth of that number in the first few teething years. Moral of the story - you're out of point and can't solve problems for nuts.

Point #2 - Don't expect the television station, government and the whole wide world to cater to your needs. There have been VCR recording instruments since like a decade ago. Secondly, get your own tickets if you want to really support the Singaporean team. Moral of the story -The world doesn't owe you a living and stop being cheap!

Let's now talk about the issue I am particularly interested in. SMRT has recently been taking a very firm stance on eating and drinking on the MRT trains. I understand their concerns after reading about horrendous people who eat apples every night and leave the cores on the seats. Or people who have a 3 course lunch on the go.

But we need to get our act together and not make unfair examples of minor offenders. One ethics principle that has resounded in my mind is that 'Treating unequals equally equates to inequality.'

That's why communism and the ideals it seeks to achieve aren't as fair as communists would like it to be. We should subdue our opposition by logical reason, not fear and overactive reactions to minor offences.

Fine the girl who threw the apple core big time and give the guy who ate the Tic-Tac a stern warning. To my knowledge, Tic-Tacs have never caused inconvenience to any commuter or dirtied the MRT floors in any way yet.

Think about the implications of black-and-white and absolute-yes-and-no policies we are setting. One very good comic strip I saw in the papers showed an installation of a milk-feeding compartment for babies on the MRT.

Which brings us to the question - Do we allow babies to be fed milk on the trains? In case you didn't know, babies cry when they hunger and yearn for milk. They have no sense of self-control and the poor mom has to pacify the child with milk.

There's this really irritating Singaporean mentality that I abhor to the core. We ban chewing gum when it's vandals who are the source of the problem. Instead of thinking about installing cameras and incriminating vandals, we punish all the consumers.

You can take away the symptoms but you did not cure the sickness itself. The root of the problem is Singaporean's lack of courtesy and maturity. By banning chewing gum, they're getting away with it scot-free. It turns the attention away from their childish and criminal behaviour to the evils of chewing gum.

It's a childish piece of legislature that serves as a precedent and shapes our mentality for future policies and rulings. I call this the legalization of nonsense. Foreigners must find Singapore a pretty weird place.

The part I hate most about black/white policies is that some Singaporeans just follow in actions but not in thought. They'll just go off thinking chewing gum and eating on trains are morally wrong and advocate bans here and restrictions there. We can't eat on trains, we can't smoke in public places(FYI, I don't smoke) and we can't sit on reserved MRT seats if we look young and strong.

I've got an intriguing question. What if a young person needs a seat more than an old person does? What if the old timer is getting off the next stop? What if the young chap is terribly ill and incapable of standing?

What if he's perfectly healthy but travelled all the way to Marina Bay just to get a seat for the long ride home to Woodlands? Would it be fair to ask him to give up the seat if old people are just lazy to go to Marina Bay themselves when they boarded the train near the town area?

Look at all sides the coin and have a balanced perspective. Allow the dissolution of absolutes to shape your mind. It'll bring you further and deeper in life and in your thoughts.

There is something else I call the 'Condominium' mentality. There are some freaking annoying Condominium owners who can't stand a bit of inconvenience or people having fun. People who like to complain at every small thing and send security guards scurrying here and there. Beware, we're on our way to becoming infected with the 'Condominium' mentality, though many of us will still live in our humble HDB abodes. Some people should just live in a bubble of their own.

It's amazing such women still exist in our highly educated society. She needs a few National Education lectures from her husband but I'll gladly give her some for free.

Where was she while we were crawling on the ground against our own will? She was sitting in some fine restaurant eating great food.

Where was she when we had to do wee-hour duties? She was sleeping soundly in her bed.

Where was she when we handled incidents not announced to the press or public? She was sitting comfortably at home thinking that Singapore is such a safe and secure country because it's so diplomatic.

But the most amazing part of it all is that she actually thinks NSFs like to stink. I don't know if that's an insult to us or to her own intelligence. I feel like pleading with the Government to start conscription of females into the National Service scheme. They can use taxpayers' money as cost-effectively as they can.

Let's push the envelope even further and talk about issues commonly raised in debates. God did not give us brains to give simple yes and no answers. He gave us grey matter to deal with grey matters. A nervous system that delivers the appropriate reaction to sudden occurrences we are not familiar with.

I would even go as far as to support legalisation of euthanasia, on a case-by-case basis with certain factors present. If we allow severely injured animals to be put to sleep, why won't we let those who are irreparably hurt go in peace? Especially when all life holds for them is pain, suffering and a lack of meaning.

Do we think that by relieving them, we have committed murder or they have committed suicide? Let's just say that if you have seen genocides and homicides take place or questioned these murderers, you'll find a stark contrast between them and people who commit the act of euthanasia.

Murder is an act committed to hurt and kill a person out of anger, jealousy, hatred or perverse pleasure. Euthanasia is often committed out of love from a broken heart. Who was the smart aleck who said that people who committed suicide or euthanasia will go to hell for their sins anyway?

I believe in a sympathetic God who understands and empathises with our sufferings more than we think He does. Instead of offering families comfort, we put in them doubts about a loving God when we ourselves have no definite answers.

Man In Green

The man in green shoulders great burdens unseen

No one sees his troubles and no one sees him

He is looked upon as a beggar with a stink

He toils day and night for a future not his own

He seeks to defend the land he stands upon

To protect people not his kin

He bears the pride of the nation for a measly wage

He complains but never quits

He is weary but never surrenders

He humbly submits to decrees against his own will

He is a true citizen who understands our fragile sovereignty

Who are you to speak so impudently?