Here is one more reason why it is so difficult to defeat the PAP.
It has systematically destroyed the inherent close and supportive relationships between people because it fears them, and having destroyed that bond, has developed a new but unequal relationship between them and the State.
Let me explain.
In the old days, people developed social networks in the neighborhood that they lived in. They had friends who would gather for mahjong sessions, drop by each other’s house to gossip, shared food, and their children played together and became great friends. It was as natural as sunrise and sunset.
But now, people don’t develop social networks with the people in their neighborhood. They may exchange polite greetings but the relationships seldom go deeper than that. Instead, they develop a social network with the State! They join morning mass exercises organized by the State, outings organized by the People’s Association, enrichment programs in the Community Clubs, chase reward points on the Healthy 365 apps and fitness trackers courtesy of the State, attend Skillsfuture course, shop at NTUC, look to the government give out vouchers, send their kids to PAP kindergarten and thereafter to State-run schools and many work for the State.
The PAP has very cleverly, nay, cunningly, broken up natural human bonds that form close-knit communities because it fears them. Instead, it has atomized the people and cultivated relationships with them that it can control and manipulate.
The State should stay out of the private lives of the people otherwise we risk becoming a totalitarian society, if we are not already one.
Many people complain about the high cost of living, the lack of work life balance, their stressful lives but would not hold the government accountable. On the contrary, will insist that it is doing a good job. But it is entirely understandable given that they consume State propaganda on a daily basis and that Big Brother has cultivated a strong and personal relationship with them.
Foong Swee Fong
