Singapore is called the garden city, lush tropical plants and trees line the streets and sidewalks. Still the soothing feeling of being surrounded by nature is missing. Instead there is an eerie atmosphere enveloping the city. At a closer look one realizes why: all vegetation is perfectly trimmed, no leafs are sticking out inappropriately and no tree branches scratching the bus roofs. This immaculate orderliness resembles much of what Singapore stands for.
In Singapore, everything seems to be simply perfect. It is one of the most affluent countries on earth and probably the shiniest, cleanest city as well. And of course people are proud of it, manifested in monuments like the great "Fountain of Wealth"--the biggest Fountain on the planet.
Because of its success, Singapore is seen as an Utopian Vision by many leaders of developing countries. Especially China holds the 'Tiger City's' achievements in the highest regard. A Chinese official asked by the New York Times what he values most about Singapore summed it up as follows: "It's run by Chinese, it's efficient, it's rich, and no one jabbers about human rights." For the many people who expect China to 'open up' and liberalize in course of its economic rise, a closer look at Singapore might instead provide a future vision of China.
The achievements of former prime minister's People's Action Party (PAP) are indeed impressive, it transformed Singapore from a swampy island to one of the world's most developed countries (25th in the 2007 Human Development Index). How was that achieved? The answer is Social Engineering. Like the botany on famous Orchard Road, Singaporean society was meticulously tailored towards the Party's vision. Every thinkable aspect of social life is controlled and regulated. The most evident signs are the ubiquitous prohibition signs threatening exorbitant fines for minor offenses, i.e. consumption of food items in the subway without holding valid permit. More subtly, immigration quotas maintain ethnic balance in society according to what the government deems appropriate. Individualism has, of course, little place in a country whose leader once referred to his subjects as "digits" (according to this article in The Times).
Life as a digit can be very comfortable, riding to business meetings in a comfortable car, enjoying the rich cuisine and shopping in one of the ubiquitous malls to relax. Singaporeans interviewed by Oliver James for his book "Affluenza" placed shopping on the highest ranks of their favourite leisure activities. Indeed, the soothing effect of affluence seems to be the answer to most problems arising in this society. The government officials in Singapore receive some of the highest salary's in the world, with the current prime minister's annual earnings roughly equal S$2m (according to information by the opposition). "Satisfactory remuneration is a prerequisite to combat corruption. If you can't make ends meet then the temptation to receive bribes is high," comments Joseph Cheng, political analyst at Hong Kong University, in an 2002 article on singapore-window.com. George W. Bush, in comparison, is in the same article said to earn around US$400.000. This is certainly one way to fight corruption.
The benefits of the Singaporean model are clear--but what are the costs?
To find out, on National Day 2008 I went to meet members of the Singapore Democratic Party, to see it click here...
Make sure your sound is switched on!
Their lack of freedom has been paid for with a shower of wealth. What will happen if, however, one day this runs dry remains to be seen...
About Me
Showing posts with label democracy movement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label democracy movement. Show all posts
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Friday, 13 June 2008
Huge Drums and Mad Cows
It is the 10th of June. 21 years ago the Korean military government finally stepped down after intense public protest and the first democratic elections were held in South Korea.
Thousands of people have gathered in front of the stage today to celebrate this anniversary, but also to protest against the free-trade-agreement with the US. They feel betrayed by their president, who has signed the controversial agreement, because it includes the release of the import ban on US beef--what will bring the Mad Cow disease to Korea, people fear. On a popular poster, a cute Korean child is standing crying and helpless in front of an approaching ship full of menacing cows with skulls and bones symbols on their heads. This might be a slight exaggeration of the possible danger, as only 3 people have died from the human form of the disease in the United States since its discovery.
However, the sentiments are running high amongst the protestors, mostly young people from high school or the early semesters of university. Nobody knows who is behind the campaign, but the fact that it is mainly very young people who flock to the demonstrations in masses might suggest that a powerful interest group is aggravating people's fears intentionally to weaken the president.
In Seoul, the government has entrenched itself behind walls of shipping containers in fear of the demonstrators. Still, almost nobody has been injured (one Korean newspaper reports of 11 people injured alltogether), with tens of thousands on the streets thats incredibly few. In contrast, the police here in Gwangju are sitting around the peaceful demonstration looking bored. The mood is cheerful, it is a giant festival.
Then the drumming starts. The stage simply erupts in a sudden thunderstorm of sound. It is like nothing I have ever experienced. Five drummers hit their impressive instruments in perfect synchrony. Amplified through the huge soundsystem, the beats shake the ground and fire up the crowd. To top it, the drummers then dunk their sticks into gas and ignite them before continuing to play. I catch a shower of gas, because I too close trying to take some pictures. The effect is majestic, for a short while it seems as if a firestorm is sweeping over the stage.
The crowd is ecstatic. Frenetic applause accompanies the musicians from the stage. Now two speakers take the stage and hold a fiery speech in Korean, of which I unfortunately understand nothing. I try to find somebody who speaks English, but I soon give up as it is futile. In between they animate the people to do a mexican wave with their protest candles, as it is getting dark. It is remarkable there appears to be no violence at all. At demonstrations of this kind and especially this huge size, in my hometown Hamburg there would be intense clashes between armored police and hooded protestors, the police probably using water cannons to disperse the crowd. There might be something true about the cliche of the Confucian mindset and its ideal of collective harmony...
Thousands of people have gathered in front of the stage today to celebrate this anniversary, but also to protest against the free-trade-agreement with the US. They feel betrayed by their president, who has signed the controversial agreement, because it includes the release of the import ban on US beef--what will bring the Mad Cow disease to Korea, people fear. On a popular poster, a cute Korean child is standing crying and helpless in front of an approaching ship full of menacing cows with skulls and bones symbols on their heads. This might be a slight exaggeration of the possible danger, as only 3 people have died from the human form of the disease in the United States since its discovery.
However, the sentiments are running high amongst the protestors, mostly young people from high school or the early semesters of university. Nobody knows who is behind the campaign, but the fact that it is mainly very young people who flock to the demonstrations in masses might suggest that a powerful interest group is aggravating people's fears intentionally to weaken the president.
In Seoul, the government has entrenched itself behind walls of shipping containers in fear of the demonstrators. Still, almost nobody has been injured (one Korean newspaper reports of 11 people injured alltogether), with tens of thousands on the streets thats incredibly few. In contrast, the police here in Gwangju are sitting around the peaceful demonstration looking bored. The mood is cheerful, it is a giant festival.
Then the drumming starts. The stage simply erupts in a sudden thunderstorm of sound. It is like nothing I have ever experienced. Five drummers hit their impressive instruments in perfect synchrony. Amplified through the huge soundsystem, the beats shake the ground and fire up the crowd. To top it, the drummers then dunk their sticks into gas and ignite them before continuing to play. I catch a shower of gas, because I too close trying to take some pictures. The effect is majestic, for a short while it seems as if a firestorm is sweeping over the stage.
The crowd is ecstatic. Frenetic applause accompanies the musicians from the stage. Now two speakers take the stage and hold a fiery speech in Korean, of which I unfortunately understand nothing. I try to find somebody who speaks English, but I soon give up as it is futile. In between they animate the people to do a mexican wave with their protest candles, as it is getting dark. It is remarkable there appears to be no violence at all. At demonstrations of this kind and especially this huge size, in my hometown Hamburg there would be intense clashes between armored police and hooded protestors, the police probably using water cannons to disperse the crowd. There might be something true about the cliche of the Confucian mindset and its ideal of collective harmony...
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| FTA |
Thursday, 12 June 2008
first
The reception has for an yet unknown reason decided to switch off my aircondition, so I have been sitting directly in front of the fan for the past 36 hours to escape the obscene heat creeping in through the window. Communication is a challenge, to find out how to switch on the machine took no less than a day. Still I hope for them to eventually change their mind about the heat treat
ment.
Two days ago I ventured into the unknown city for the first time. Gwangju is famous for its art and culture scene and Thus I decide to start my expedition at Gwangju's 'Art Street'. Antique shops, full of unknown scriptures and sculptures mingle with modern art galleries. Inside the shops there is often either nobody visible or somebody sunk into a deep slumber.
Hidden underneath the street I discover an old tea shop, quite an unique place. Melancholic, otherworldly singing transpiring from below draws me inside. With every step I take down, the temperature to sinks by about one degree, a relief to the heat on the street. The walls are covered with Calligraphy on yellowed paper. A woman dressed in black hums along to the beautiful music floating through the air, stopping only as briefly as possible to greet me with a friendly "annyeong haseo". There is nobody else inside. I do not dare to order something as I do not want to be the only customer and without any knowledge as of how to behave in a place like this. "Beautiful" I just say to her and left after staying as long as seemed appropriate. I dont know if she understood.
When I re-enter the harsh sunlight and unforgiving heat outside, this whole episode already seems like a dream. Art Street is short, and soon I am back in the normal city race. It appears everything has to be noisy here. every second shop has either brutally loud music blaring out of a PA system in front of it or somebody shouting at everyone passing through a portable amplifying unit. In this case it is a blessing to look obviously foreign, as most promoters ignore me. Walking past a shop entrance I glimpse a young woman kissing a minuscule dog with pink makeup on its cheeks. At the next corner stands a group of small schoolgirls, they circle me instantly as I try to pass, shouting "HEEELLLLOOOO" "WHERE YOU FROM?". I escape quickly through a small breach in their lines. From the distance I can hear thumping bass on the main street, where I spot a group of students in pink dress marching towards democracy square.
The demonstrations! Today is the 21st anniversary of the democracy movement in Gwangju and this must surely be part of it. I run into the underground shopping complex right underneath the square to catch a picture of the group from the other side. Unfortunately I am too late, the group has already dispersed around the gigantic 'democracy bell' made in rememberance of the movement. While I try to take some pictures, two guys with a camera approach me. "INTERVIEW!?" they shout over the music from the huge speakers of the truck heading the demonstration. The language barrier is almost impenetrable despite brave efforts. They are from University TV, finally one of them manages to explain. I agree to be interviewed, although I have no idea how to be part of an interview with only one person speaking English and the other one not speaking any Korean. "What do you think?" he simply asks me and points camera and microphone into my face. I want to help them, so I just start a monologue about whatever comes to my mind. Instantly a group of curious people gathers around us, I quickly finish and escape again.
Meanwhile, on the street an impressive soundsystem is set up from a crane while huge drums are lured onto a stage for the main celebrations. This is only just the beginning, I realize...
ment.Two days ago I ventured into the unknown city for the first time. Gwangju is famous for its art and culture scene and Thus I decide to start my expedition at Gwangju's 'Art Street'. Antique shops, full of unknown scriptures and sculptures mingle with modern art galleries. Inside the shops there is often either nobody visible or somebody sunk into a deep slumber.
Hidden underneath the street I discover an old tea shop, quite an unique place. Melancholic, otherworldly singing transpiring from below draws me inside. With every step I take down, the temperature to sinks by about one degree, a relief to the heat on the street. The walls are covered with Calligraphy on yellowed paper. A woman dressed in black hums along to the beautiful music floating through the air, stopping only as briefly as possible to greet me with a friendly "annyeong haseo". There is nobody else inside. I do not dare to order something as I do not want to be the only customer and without any knowledge as of how to behave in a place like this. "Beautiful" I just say to her and left after staying as long as seemed appropriate. I dont know if she understood.
The demonstrations! Today is the 21st anniversary of the democracy movement in Gwangju and this must surely be part of it. I run into the underground shopping complex right underneath the square to catch a picture of the group from the other side. Unfortunately I am too late, the group has already dispersed around the gigantic 'democracy bell' made in rememberance of the movement. While I try to take some pictures, two guys with a camera approach me. "INTERVIEW!?" they shout over the music from the huge speakers of the truck heading the demonstration. The language barrier is almost impenetrable despite brave efforts. They are from University TV, finally one of them manages to explain. I agree to be interviewed, although I have no idea how to be part of an interview with only one person speaking English and the other one not speaking any Korean. "What do you think?" he simply asks me and points camera and microphone into my face. I want to help them, so I just start a monologue about whatever comes to my mind. Instantly a group of curious people gathers around us, I quickly finish and escape again.
Meanwhile, on the street an impressive soundsystem is set up from a crane while huge drums are lured onto a stage for the main celebrations. This is only just the beginning, I realize...
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