01S70

Since we're at it, I might as well air my long-hidden opinions since the philip yeo 'mini-saga'...

The first time I read his comments, my initial reaction was anger, then realisation, and eventually a grudging acknowledgement that what the man said was essentially, well, true.

Perhaps I should set this straight. I am not chewing on sour grapes here, neither have I converted to any 'mainstream politically-correct' side that so many of my self-important peers seem to presume is beneath them. I respect scholars for their talents, envy them for the opportunities bequeathed them, and for those who choose to stick by their bonds, their sense of responsibility and moral obligation. But I do not envy them for the scrutiny they have to put up with, the bonds they have to serve, the obligations that they have to fulfil. It takes special qualities to become a scholar, and obviously these r qualities that I lack, so no one shld deny them the due respect they deserve. But with that respect comes expectations, and my pt is, some of them simply fail those expectations.

Philip Yeo was probably off the mark with his sweeping generalisation, but honestly guys, how many times have we all whined (myself included) abt the army, the media, the govt, the girls, even the damn s'pore soccer team? No transparency? Blame the media. No freedom? Blame the govt. No pride? Blame the Lions. Blame blame blame. Yather yather yather...

We don't have a fifth amendment? We lack transparency and freedom of speech? That's prob true... so how come no one seems to want to do anything abt it? Isn't our brightest supposed to be initiating positive changes? (And correct me if I'm wrong, but by virtue of their achievements I actually deem scholars to be in this category). And I feel so gratified to see so many of our best and brightest breaking their bonds, renouncing their citizenships, escaping their NS, doing every thing they can possibly do to bring the tides of change. Add those to heartening remarks like "screw u taxpayers" and "leave if u can", and all of a sudden I have this immense sense of pride. Gosh if only Moses, Martin Luther King and our very own MM Lee were so enlightened... then e world today would prob have 1 less religion, race and 'tiny red dot' to worry abt... Sigh

Truth be told, I've grumbled countless times abt e army, e system, e whole world as a matter of fact, more than I'd care to admit. That's why I prob resemble e grp that philip Yeo was making a swipe at (only diff being I'm not even half as smart as e scholars). And that's wat realli irritated me. The realisation that he's right. That most of us, having come out of e army, have evolved into nothing more than whiney wimps with e kop-out mentality. COOL. Add that to e fact that to date, I have not heard any whining frm ANY of e female scholars that I personally know (perhaps this has to do with my limited contacts wif e opp sex, maybe), and it just gets better.

But hey! They didn't serve NS!
So?
So they haven't served their due!
So what?
So that gives US e divine right to walk out and screw off, duh?!
So u can't stand this place?
Hell yeah!
U can't stand e govt, e whole freakin system?
Duh!
So how do u intend to get out?
Hey I'm going places u noe, like Chicago, soon.
Gosh that's a lot of money!
Yeah, but e taxpayers r paying for it, hehe.
Taxpayers? U mean e govt? e ppl?
Yep...
Din u just say u hated them?
So?
Okkaaayyy... pt taken.

Cheers gentlemen. Ama et fac quod vis.

P.S: Pls dun take this personally Lip, u noe I still love u. And oh, thanks for not misquoting me Mich. See, our media aint that bad actually. :)