Why there will never be a coup or revolt in Singapore

[CPT (NS) BRANDON]

Alot of people have suggested that there could be a coup or revolt in the coming years, and the PAP would be toppled by angry/enraged citizens who are fed up and simply can't take any more.

I can assure you this will never happen. LKY was a keen student of revolutionary history. He knew that revolutions always happen because the proletarians (the "have nots") are squeezed to the point where they have nothing more to lose, so much so that even the risk of losing one's life is worth it if it can produce even a small chance at a better future. It is always the aristocrats and the bourgeois that resist, and they are often taken to task by the revolutionaries.

That is why Singapore has things like CPF and HDB. We have the highest rate of savings in the world (albeit savings that we will never be able to touch). We have the highest rate of home ownership in the world.

With these conditions in place, almost EVERY Singaporean is a bourgeois. We are too fearful of losing our CPF savings and our HDB flats, because they are symbols of what we own. At no point in history has a popular uprising been staged by members of the bourgeois class. Those who have little tend to cling on to the little that they have. It is those who have NOTHING that have nothing to lose!

By ensuring that every Singaporean is provided with these things (what some of you will inevitably describe as being 'scraps from the master's table), LKY, who is probably the most astute politician of his generation, also safeguarded his rule against any form of popular uprising or revolt.

This is why Singaporeans are often described as being 'kiasu' or 'cowardly'. This is why Chee Soon Juan's lame attempts at protests have failed so miserably. We will vote against the PAP if we are not satisfied. But we will NEVER, and I mean NEVER, take to the streets.

Those who are speaking of parangs or machetes -- seriously, stop it. It will never happen. Stop dreaming of an Arab Spring taking place here. You will never be able to get even 10 people to take part in a protest, let alone take to the streets and demand the regime's ouster. It simply won't happen.

Look, the PAP is not going to be deposed from power. Not now, not ever. LKY has already made up his mind on this and he has already made his stand clear. That's not necessarily bad news since the majority of Singaporeans still want the PAP in power. They are just fed up with the PAP's policies, which they perceive to be detrimental to the people.

That's all fine and well. But the PAP is not stupid. They have noted the discontent. They will change simply because they must. They do not want to lose any more seats in Parliament. Their scholar-bureaucrats will be able to find some way to distribute handouts to the poor so that their plight will at least temporarily be alleviated. We are one of the few countries in the world that gives handouts in CASH to its citizens every few years.

I'm not saying I support the PAP or that I agree with its current policies. I don't. However, the PAP itself is not evil. It is just that its current leadership has lost touch, and is somewhat misguided. I am just offering my honest analysis and opinion. Over the past few days I have read numerous posts on how the Punggol East result will be the beginning of some sort of popular movement to oust the PAP. Believe me, Singaporeans will NEVER, EVER take to the streets no matter what -- and the PAP knows that.

 

[andyfisher]

the one lesson I learnt and which gets reinforced within me is never say never.

no one thot mubarak or gaddafi will be deposed, with one killed like a common dog

no one thot pappys will lose, let alone lose so badly and that their current policies will be worse than dog shit, but it is

but I dont want a coup or revolt in sg, its bad for business, and I shld think we are educated people, not idiots

But I do hope, establishment people, those in the admin service and scholar clowns get their heads out of their arses and realise spore is gg to the dogs if we keep going like this and quietly get pinky and his clowns to do the right thing and resign.

I want the house to be cleaned, not bloody burned down.

I have lived in a few countries, and the current spore govt policies are some of the silliest I have come across in terms of vision, practically, and sustainability.

 

[CPT (NS) BRANDON]

I have lived in a few countries, and the current spore govt policies are some of the silliest I have come across in terms of vision, practically, and sustainability.

Worse than Francois Hollande's proposed 75% income tax in France?

Worse than the ridiculous unemployment benefits in the UK?

Worse than the American taxation system where you have to pay double tax if you earn income outside of the US?

Worse than China's one child policy?

I agree that the current policies in Singapore are worrisome. But other governments make huge mistakes too. And often they can't correct them after the effects become entrenched.

 

[CarrotHead]

yawn...........

 

[Bigfuck]

All nice and fine. But Leegime is made of people and it has intentionally selected people of low moral fibre and ability, all grounds for corruption. As long as any machinery works fine, some crud in it is acceptable. You may not have realized that the crap inside Leegime has crossed too many lines. When the big world depression happens, you will see the uprising come as the current dogs in Leegime will only enrich themselves and care little for others. Nobody likes blood but the dogs in Leegime were always power hungry wannabes. If an uprising occurs, it will not be an Arab spring of course. And there will be foreign intervention as well as every major power has vested interests for this rock and the trade routes. Many foreign powers are already using their own dogs to test the waters and weaknesses in our armor. The complacency of 3rd rate people in ivory towers guarantees they cannot see things coming. Things will happen and unfortunately, it will be trigger happy weak minded dogs in Leegime that push things to happen. The common people in the world are all cowards. But do not give them a reason to want to play hero. You do not want to go there but Leegime dogs seem to be expert in this field. Replace the dogs with better people who will unfortunately all outshine the Lee family. As for the dogs, they are equipped to sink as low as is necessary even for a moldy bone. No worries, they are survivors just not leaders. PA and grassroots have a lot of them. Just shave more power away from them at PA and grassroots levels, things will improve.

 

[winnipegjets]

I can assure you this will never happen. LKY was a keen student of revolutionary history. He knew that revolutions always happen because the proletarians (the "have nots") are squeezed to the point where they have nothing more to lose, so much so that even the risk of losing one's life is worth it if it can produce even a small chance at a better future. It is always the aristocrats and the bourgeois that resist, and they are often taken to task by the revolutionaries.

When the 50 percent of foreigners treat sinkees like dirt and the PAP government continues to side with the foreigners ...there will be 'street fireworks'.

We have the highest rate of savings in the world (albeit savings that we will never be able to touch). We have the highest rate of home ownership in the world.

You don't have much to look at in your CPF account after deduction for housing loan. After working for 20 years, you barely have tens of thousands for retirement. That's depressing.
Home ownership becomes less important when heartlanders are faced with eviction when they can't pay the increasing conservancy and other levies imposed by the PAP-controlled town councils.

Look, the PAP is not going to be deposed from power. Not now, not ever. LKY has already made up his mind on this and he has already made his stand clear. That's not necessarily bad news since the majority of Singaporeans still want the PAP in power. They are just fed up with the PAP's policies, which they perceive to be detrimental to the people.

Continue on this path - flood the country with foreigners, favour foreigners over sinkees, create jobs for foreigners, make home ownership harder to attain - the PAP will be reduced to minority, if not tossed out of power.

That's all fine and well. But the PAP is not stupid. They have noted the discontent. They will change simply because they must. They do not want to lose any more seats in Parliament. Their scholar-bureaucrats will be able to find some way to distribute handouts to the poor so that their plight will at least temporarily be alleviated. We are one of the few countries in the world that gives handouts in CASH to its citizens every few years.

Can the PAP change its policies? Perhaps it can't because so much of personal interests is tied to those policies. Need more foreigners in the country to jack up cost of resale HDB flats so that HDB flats can be priced higher. HDB needs higher prices to deplete the CPF savings otherwise the CPF would be unable to pay out the savings. Then there is their million-dollar salaries ...would the ministers be willing to take a 50 percent paycut (even then they are still overpaid)?

However, the PAP itself is not evil. It is just that its current leadership has lost touch, and is somewhat misguided.

The leaders make the party. If the leaders have become self-serving, that attitude permeates the party. You can't distinguish a party from its leaders in the sinkapore context.

 

[Bigfuck]

I for one used to distrust everyone and put faith in the system even to the extent of full automation. It failed as activities of society deal with people and people run systems. Maybe if the world was a computer game, it would be different. It is people that destroy the system. The system is like a gun. Guns do not kill people. People kill people.

 

[CPT (NS) BRANDON]

I for one used to distrust everyone and put faith in the system even to the extent of full automation. It failed as activities of society deal with people and people run systems. Maybe if the world was a computer game, it would be different. It is people that destroy the system. The system is like a gun. Guns do not kill people. People kill people.

I fully agree with you. No system is immune to human error. And the fact of the matter is that human error on the part of the current PAP leaders has contributed in no small way to increasing the difficulties that Singaporeans are facing on a day-to-day basis. Life is getting tougher in Singapore, and it is getting tougher because of mistakes made by the PAP.

However, my original point was that no amount of PAP mistakes will ever result in a popular rebellion. The PAP can increase the population to 20 million and increase GST to 30% and increase the CPF contribution rates to 40% with a minimum sum of $500,000 and people will still not take to the streets. The reasons were stated in my original post. People will be unhappy, yes. They will vote against the PAP, yes. But take to the streets? Never.

 

[Bigfuck]

I fully agree with you. No system is immune to human error. And the fact of the matter is that human error on the part of the current PAP leaders has contributed in no small way to increasing the difficulties that Singaporeans are facing on a day-to-day basis. Life is getting tougher in Singapore, and it is getting tougher because of mistakes made by the PAP.

However, my original point was that no amount of PAP mistakes will ever result in a popular rebellion. The PAP can increase the population to 20 million and increase GST to 30% and increase the CPF contribution rates to 40% with a minimum sum of $500,000 and people will still not take to the streets. The reasons were stated in my original post. People will be unhappy, yes. They will vote against the PAP, yes. But take to the streets? Never.

Not true. the CPF in 1985 under TT caused a recession and employers to say fuck you. When taxes on citizens exceed 45%, spending grinds to a halt and that has implication to any economy. Population exceeding infrastructure and common used physical space will created real mob tensions that can burn down Orchard road in a night. This has happened all over the world. If you hold a swing Singapore in Orchard and 1 million turn up, you will know what mob mentality looks like. There are several tunnels and underpasses in Orchard that if a stampede starts hundreds and thousands will get injured and die.
I believe you need to study more about human dynamics. You push people or make people think they are pushed to the wall, you will get it. Leegime is entitled to try it. And all these crazy policies have a very bad impact on MNCs here. Their dissatisfaction has serious vicious cycle effect on Singapore and Singaporeans. MNCs can leave overnight just because the President likes to fuck Vietnam girls and eat Pho. That has happened and will continue to happen. Evergreen is in Malaysia due to YNH who talk big.It does not take very much to piss Kline and Maersk to move to Malaysia. Want to test it again? Sure.

 

[andyfisher]

the french, brits, yanks (you forget abt their medical insurance issue) and the tiongs if unhappy can and do something abt it.
They will question, debate and their leaders have to listen, for the tiongs, ok they just demonstrate and kill each other and some poor idiot dies.

But in spore, we cant do that.
we dont have freedom.

This latest pinky FT import policy is myopic, surely you see that?

In uk, they have intro a test before you get brit passport, they are tightening the requirements, unlike spore which is just spread legs and take it.

France has ridiculous tax policies, but they also have good social security (Welfare scheme) and they preserve their heritage.

FWIW, I actually spend less when I spend time in UK or for that matter most EU cuntries than spore save the scandi cuntries. Their cost of living is lower, yet the stds are better.

The yanks double tax is a bugbear and their medical is a nightmare, but we dont have their size, we cannot accomodate so many immigrants.

Ok, the tiongs one child policy is brutal, I give you that, it is a weird commie capitalist society with princelings and leadership changes every decade, but why compare wit a cuntry behind us in social development?

Yes, each cuntry has some lousy policies, but they are not my cuntry, spore is, and without proper analysis and due process by the leegime, I still feel they are some of the silliest policies I've come across.

Worse than Francois Hollande's proposed 75% income tax in France?

Worse than the ridiculous unemployment benefits in the UK?

Worse than the American taxation system where you have to pay double tax if you earn income outside of the US?

Worse than China's one child policy?

I agree that the current policies in Singapore are worrisome. But other governments make huge mistakes too. And often they can't correct them after the effects become entrenched.

 

[steffychun]

Alot of people have suggested that there could be a coup or revolt in the coming years, and the PAP would be toppled by angry/enraged citizens who are fed up and simply can't take any more.

I can assure you this will never happen. LKY was a keen student of revolutionary history. He knew that revolutions always happen because the proletarians (the "have nots") are squeezed to the point where they have nothing more to lose, so much so that even the risk of losing one's life is worth it if it can produce even a small chance at a better future. It is always the aristocrats and the bourgeois that resist, and they are often taken to task by the revolutionaries.

That is why Singapore has things like CPF and HDB. We have the highest rate of savings in the world (albeit savings that we will never be able to touch). We have the highest rate of home ownership in the world.

With these conditions in place, almost EVERY Singaporean is a bourgeois. We are too fearful of losing our CPF savings and our HDB flats, because they are symbols of what we own. At no point in history has a popular uprising been staged by members of the bourgeois class. Those who have little tend to cling on to the little that they have. It is those who have NOTHING that have nothing to lose!

By ensuring that every Singaporean is provided with these things (what some of you will inevitably describe as being 'scraps from the master's table), LKY, who is probably the most astute politician of his generation, also safeguarded his rule against any form of popular uprising or revolt.

This is why Singaporeans are often described as being 'kiasu' or 'cowardly'. This is why Chee Soon Juan's lame attempts at protests have failed so miserably. We will vote against the PAP if we are not satisfied. But we will NEVER, and I mean NEVER, take to the streets.

Those who are speaking of parangs or machetes -- seriously, stop it. It will never happen. Stop dreaming of an Arab Spring taking place here. You will never be able to get even 10 people to take part in a protest, let alone take to the streets and demand the regime's ouster. It simply won't happen.

Look, the PAP is not going to be deposed from power. Not now, not ever. LKY has already made up his mind on this and he has already made his stand clear. That's not necessarily bad news since the majority of Singaporeans still want the PAP in power. They are just fed up with the PAP's policies, which they perceive to be detrimental to the people.

That's all fine and well. But the PAP is not stupid. They have noted the discontent. They will change simply because they must. They do not want to lose any more seats in Parliament. Their scholar-bureaucrats will be able to find some way to distribute handouts to the poor so that their plight will at least temporarily be alleviated. We are one of the few countries in the world that gives handouts in CASH to its citizens every few years.

I'm not saying I support the PAP or that I agree with its current policies. I don't. However, the PAP itself is not evil. It is just that its current leadership has lost touch, and is somewhat misguided. I am just offering my honest analysis and opinion. Over the past few days I have read numerous posts on how the Punggol East result will be the beginning of some sort of popular movement to oust the PAP. Believe me, Singaporeans will NEVER, EVER take to the streets no matter what -- and the PAP knows that.

Never say never. No one thought the Arab Spring would happen. It did.

The SAF does not belong to Lee.

 

[Kinana]

All singkies are rich, so don't expect we to revolt against ourselves ever, it won't happen. WP is just a safety valve in disguise only. Relaks.

 

[steffychun]

All singkies are rich, so don't expect we to revolt against ourselves ever, it won't happen. WP is just a safety valve in disguise only. Relaks.

Your Masters are rich beyond rich.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Captain you are a fucking IB.....
Finally revealed your true colors....
Your higher ups under pressure....so you must do something to show for it.

You sure EVERYONE wants the pap in power?
You sure PAP is not evil?
You sure there'll be no revolution?
SAF is a citizen army....true the paper generals are neutered....unlikely we'll see a military coup....that is also why these generals never stay at the top for long....but likewise the army will be reluctant if used against us citizens.

 

[kongkek]

For me i agree some of their policies are not the best and that is why discontent is showing. I just don't understand why lah their salary is an issue? seriously? no one has the right amount of how much they should be paid, comparing other first world minister salaries is not a good benchmark. don't hate the player, hate the game

 

[Fook Seng]

The people may not take to the street but can they demand a referendum to overthrow the govt? And if the referendum is passed and the ruling party resists, can the military step in and enforce compliance? If the military leaders refused to perform their duties, could there be an overthrown of power in the military to enable its performance of national duties?

 

[batman1]

The people may not take to the street but can they demand a referendum to overthrow the govt? And if the referendum is passed and the ruling party resists, can the military step in and enforce compliance? If the military leaders refused to perform their duties, could there be an overthrown of power in the military to enable its performance of national duties?

Don't worry,we the RODed or ORDed NSmen are the citizens' army or freedom fighters.IF the army dare to move against the people,we will shoot the commanders.

 

[Kinana]

Don't worry,we the RODed or ORDed NSmen are the citizens' army or freedom fighters.IF the army dare to move against the people,we will shoot the commanders.

Yes. I will not hesitate to execute rebels.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

For me i agree some of their policies are not the best and that is why discontent is showing. I just don't understand why lah their salary is an issue? seriously? no one has the right amount of how much they should be paid, comparing other first world minister salaries is not a good benchmark. don't hate the player, hate the game

Dun benchmark against 1st world salaries then benchmark against what?
The fat pay cheques are attracting all the wrong people to public office.
High salaries got stem corruption?

 

[batman1]

Yes. I will not hesitate to execute rebels.

Yes.We will not hesiate to cut off the balls of traitors including u.