Singapore Democrats

It is laughable and rather far-fetched to expect Americans and their multinationals to discard their parochial interests to come to the rescue of low-income and elderly workers are being purportedly being exploited.

Many of us have reservations about the foreign worker policy here, but the accusation of exploitation flies in the face of the reality that many foreigners are clamouring to come to work here.

As to CSR, [i]The Economist[/i] had this to say about it: "It is hazardous to generalise, because CSR takes many different forms and is driven by many different motives. But the short answer must be yes: for most companies, CSR does not go very deep. There are many interesting exceptions...[but] for most conventionally organised public companies--which means almost all of the big ones--CSR is little more than a cosmetic treatment. [b]The human face that CSR applies to capitalism goes on each morning, gets increasingly smeared by day and washes off at night.[/b]"

You can laugh all you want, the achievement speaks for itself.

Hello, Corporate social responsibilities (CSR) my favourite topics. Look up at BBC Worldservice archive Fair Trade for Fair Deals. Decent working condition act exploitation of sweatshops workers, NIKE, Walt Disney, The Gap..etc. Fair Competition act Farmers who depend on coffee for survival often taking a loss at their corps for example StarBucks question about their commitment to welfare of their supplier. International Labour Organtization on child labor. All the way to product label "Fair Trade Certified" When you have question on CSR, only there is only 1 Brand BBC Worldservice you can trust em"

quantum,
what achievement?u mean going to jails or the number of times in, fines & many talk that do not walk?com'on lar,sometime must accept fair comments & observation mah...o yes, in case i may have forgotten or spoken too early, come next election we shall wait & see if the 'achivement' speak for itself,otherwise,m still awaiting to see the achievement besides just talking.

The world economy generates social, economic and political opportunities as well as problems for societies. The global economy has led to a shrinking tax base, more joblessness, greater insecurity in the workplace, higher numbers of people in poverty and a climate in which the disparities between the overclass and the poor are growing. Globalization has a negative effect on the economic well-being and the power of the working class.

Clearly, we saw such economic and social problems placing demands on the American society as a welfare state to respond to the needs of all their members (both citizens and residents).
Inequity relating to gaps in educational and job skill levels, changes in wage scale and occupational structure and overemphasis on foreign trade are factors which led the US government’s consistent respond to help the vulnerable populations, especially through their welfare policies.

To the Americans, such responses from their government is expected as part and parcel of their entitlements. The US’ social security systems comprise of 21 titles employing a progressive model which covers a wide range of public assistance and social insurance. Americans staying in Singapore may be critically unconscious about the state of matters in Singapore. Unlike them, we are not only not a welfare state, what comprise mainly within our so called “social security” system is said to be the C.P.F. and we know very well that this is a regressive model as workers are the ones who put in the money. Oh ya…not forgetting, then one may argue that there is another part to the social security system in Singapore. That is none other than the $360 per month Public Assistance for persons with totally zero social support, i.e. the elderly and the disabled. Though the US is a big nation and one may be quick to jump in saying Singapore is small. You may your own conclusion, 21 titles vs. one pathetic public assistance scheme.

One of the distinguished marks of a democratic society is its conception of the role of citizenship and civic participation among residents in creating civil society. Americans have rights to form coalitions and campaigns freely, pursue the government’s attention to change unjust policies especially those affecting the oppressed low wage groups. However, in Singapore, there is a lack of such a democratic process among the citizenry due to a long term learned helplessness which most citizens have succumbed ourselves to…largely due to PAP’s highhandedness in showing the citizens that if we do participate in civic activities freely to rise dissent, we will fail miserably. I think by way of showing us they can detain and change rules…like what we see in the recent PO bill. The citizens here are disempowered, unlike the empowered Americans.

Perhaps if the level of reflective consciousness among our American friends, permanent residents, trading and business partners can be raise, I do hope that they will feel compelled to make their stand against the Sg’s government’s unfriendly policies which affect the livelihood and the basic survival of the many working class here by way of not getting involved in activities which oppress workers’ wages. To our American counterparts, our fellow Singaporeans and everyone else, “injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere in this global network of interrelatedness.”

Before you lose track of what is really going (as Singaporeans often do), let me remind each of you that even if America did not come here to open up shop, another country will.

The problem is not America, it is not Australia, it is not the U.K. or any other business from any other country. The problem is the government- and do not lose sight of that. None of these MNC's from other countries can exploit you- unless you allow it to happen. And you allow it to happen by keeping the pap in charge.

Remember, there can only be exploitation if you allow yourself to be exploited. The problem are not the MNC's. They are not breaking any laws. The problem is your government. You allow them to exploit you, and they will, and so will every one else.

So please. The only one singaporeans can blame are themselves.

The truth hurts sometimes.

Hello, Our govt demand CEO salaries Singapore is a corporation that makes billion of dollars. Asia Pacific, you need a full scale industrialization (abandon faming follow the western model of Captialism) faster you need skyscraper, faster you need more roads, you need more cars, you need more planes...etc Our warming planet, continued to plunder your resources, a world of 5 billions people need a world of 5 billions automobiles. Fat Cats want more salaries!

In the interview on the Louie b. Free Radio Show, the host made a frank but revealing comment. She stated that in the US, people “are very parochial. [They] don't seem to be interested in what is happening around the rest of the world ... and don't seem to care to understand much.”

That is the reality that nullifies the attempt to woo the self-interested American. Let's not delude ourselves that people from the “Land of Free, Home of the Brave” pursue freedom and democracy overseas as a first principle, or that they are even interested. Other than some hot air (and a few minutes of transient fame for the interviewee), no achievements will come into fruition from such an attention-seeking strategy.

Agnes Chia made the observation that “injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere in this global network of interrelatedness.” And based on this truism, she hopes that Americans will “feel compelled to make their stand against the Sg(sic) government's unfriendly policies...”

Going by the same analogy, Singaporeans (and CSJ) should rise up to speak up against the gross injustices taking place around the world. There's enough in just Africa to keep all of us busy – Zimbabwe, Sudan, Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone.

[b]Really, I don't recommend anyone holds his breath for any MNC to be pressurised by Americans to cancel their investment here simply BECAUSE of the purported restrictions of rights and freedoms.[/b]

I do not "hold my breath" for any MNC to be pressurized, and I'm sure many others do not either. Thanks for your "recommendation", but no thanks.

Dr Chee is sending a reminder, just as there are many more people and politicians like him, sending reminders about this issue.

It's about a lot more than rights and freedoms and anyone who isn't reading with a bias can see it clearly - that doesn't include you though BryanT. You can't see what you don't want to see.

When the scheme first came out, I was wondering what the real underlying intent for the radio interviews was.

One possibility is that the interviews were simply meant to sustain CSJ's public profile overseas so that he does not fall off the foreign media's radar-screen.

Another possibility is that the interviews were meant as a (poor) substitute to a physical protest at Suntec, based on the principle that he has often preached -- "do something, anything".

Of course, he could have earnestly hoped that the interviews would spark off something controversial at APEC. As I have stated in my comments, I think it was totally unrealistic.

As for the interpretation that he is merely "sending a reminder", I doubt so. A reminder serves as a reinforcement to a current message. With the self-centred Americans, there are no existing message and as admitted, they just can't be bothered.

[b]In other words, they do hear what they don't want or bother to hear.[/b]

But what is important is this : what were the implications of the radio interviews. Was it worth the further accusations that CSJ is a traitor, as portrayed in the TR article? Do all Singaporeans agree with SDP's stand that foreign investment be restrained based on his nebulous freedom and democratic ideals?

correction....In other words, they [b]don't[/b] hear what they don't want or bother to hear.

No country is perfect and there is certainly room to improve for everyone. Please remember however that Americans are typical human beings. Arrogance, self-interest and naivety are not distinctively American as this forum has adequately demonstrated. The root causes of many of the world's problems precede and will outlive the United States.

SDP and all of us have a duty to address them, as well as the imperfection in human nature that ironically unite us.

I certain agree that "SDP and all of us have a duty to address (many of the world's problems)", but I think many here would agree with we start with the homefront first.

The issue is the "what" we want to address, and certainly the "how" was well.

Is the "limited democracy" (that we recognise) the root of societal problems here? Does what CSJ struggle for guarantee a better future or are the promises as "valid" as those of Lenin's (and Marx's)?

As to the "how; what is one to make of this series of appeal to the Americans? Are we to believe that the Americans, with their "arrogance, self-interest and naivety" would work towards the interest of normal Singaporeans? Would the reality (as history seems to show), be that they would only act if it serves their selfish needs?

Are CSJ's interests any less selfish?

The “complimentary” that one kept making to “self-centred” & “self-interested” American were rather broad brushing and warranted a reply.

For the sake of argument - Make the common enemy the mindless greed at the heart of American thinking especially those from the Wall Street in New York and use this as a weapon to spur the unity of the rest of world so that the world can solve its problems in peace (away from American’s influences). But history never tells us to leave a superpower alone.

Likewise, these “complimentary” contain a kernel of truth. The Americans had been mostly isolationists ever since World War I. But Europe was an alarming place containing Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Without the interference of US during the Second World War, it would be unthinkable. Of course, US officially and unwilling joined the war only after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour. The list is obviously not exhaustive.

It may hard for one to accept this – but we need America and American not in isolation but in cooperation.