I’m not sure why The Online Citizen displays its mobile site when I visit it on my laptop. It’s rather annoying.
I don’t like the message or the tone in this article Take responsibility by Brandon Ngo. Not only is the tone smug and condescending, the content is offensive and obviously written by someone who has enjoyed significant privileges in his life. If you were hoping for people to pat you on the back and congratulate you for being self-sufficient and successful, you won’t get it from me. Instead, all I have to say to you is that you are a selfish person and I hope that you are young for then, you might mature a little and learn a bit more about the world.
It’s so easy for anyone to say “work harder” and expect that the simple act of working harder should improve people’s life. Unfortunately, meritocracy or not, that isn’t always the case. For one thing, we don’t all start on a level playing field.
Some of us, through no fault of our own, are born with a silver spoon. Others are born into less fortunate situations. Tell me how this doesn’t matter. Some of us are born into positions of privilege – perhaps you are Chinese or perhaps you are male or perhaps you are not disabled or perhaps you are straight. Tell me how this doesn’t matter in life. There are so many things that affect a person’s life and to completely ignore all these variables and insist that hard work is sufficient is either naive or dumb.
The sentiments expressed this article are exactly those that the government wants us to believe so that they can continue to refuse to provide adequate aid and support to the disadvantaged. After all, if their poverty is a result of their own reluctance to work hard, then why should all the other citizens, who supposedly worked hard and are thus successful, have to pay taxes to support them?
And let’s be honest. How many of these people living in poverty are just bumming around, being lazy? How many of them are working their asses off and yet still not earn enough money? It’s difficult to be poor – you have children but you can’t afford childcare. Without childcare, you can’t work but if you don’t work, you can’t put food on the table. Or maybe you or your child has a major medical problem and the bills have taxed you. Perhaps you had to sell your HDB flat and now you’re homeless and you can’t afford another flat or even rental on the market. And all people do is tell you to work harder. Because clearly, you didn’t work hard enough. Go get another job. Who needs sleep anyway?
So instead of looking at the structural inequalities and other issues that impact Singaporeans and instead of looking at how to ensure a minimum level of welfare for those who are floundering, we turn on them, accuse them of being lazy and simply stand by the side exhorting them to work harder.
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Piper
I admire your passion and love for the kids under your care.
I would agree that not all who are in poverty are underserving of help, yet you take umbrage on theme of self reliance.
It does not mean that I think that all members of the govt of the day are worth their weight in goal.
I have no qualms on spending oodles of state funds for better schools, more help for teachers and medical care for kids , bursaries, etc.
As the young ones deserve every opportunity to excel both academically and communal.
However, i do have qualms for adults who do not put their socks on and expects everything on a platter and not willing to do the grind and expect manna from heaven so that they can have a easy life.
So would agree with the theme of self reliance.
Regards
The thing is I’d rather waste some money helping those who don’t deserve help than be penny pinching and fail to help those who really need it.
But of course, with every system, there will those who hope to game it.
I agree fully with you that some of the people who are less fortunate are the ones that have fallen into misfortune. I experienced a bit of bad luck when my wife’s parents contracted diabetes. Hospital bills aren’t cheap, but luckily I have health insurance to pay for most of it. I know that there are people that have to deal with handicaps, disabilities or cancer. Those people are already working the hardest they can, and unfortunately for them luck is not on their side. I am not against them. In fact, I support and respect them.
What I am irritated by, is that the luckier people in life are not taking advantage of their fortunes.
I was not born with a silver spoon. Yes, I am Chinese, male and am perfectly healthy. I might have misconceived notions about what constitutes as normal, but looking at the demographics of Singapore, I am around the mean. I grew up in a HDB flat, went to a neighbourhood primary and secondary school and graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma.
I have been a property agent since then (not exactly the most privileged careers). Life has been extremely tough these few years, but I work longer hours, cold call many more times and things start to work out. I spend as little as possible. I’m lucky I don’t have to pay school fees thanks to subsidies, and lucky that my children understand my plight and do not need tuition. I’m extremely grateful to my wife who takes care of the kids because I’m always home late. In fact, I’m one of the luckier families in life, blessed with a healthy, complete family.
I’m grateful for all these, but when you look at the attitudes of many Singaporeans nowadays, they start looking towards the government as the babysitter. Many of the young people are in the same plight as me (low income, many dependants) But unlike people like you and me, they often end up complaining. Just look at TR and TOC comments to understand. I’m sure many of them are like me, but look at life from a different perspective.
There are always the people that experience bad luck and fall out of the rat race. I contribute my free time to help (I have little spare cash to donate) by fund raising for TOUCH. I assure you that I urge more Singaporeans to contribute time, if not money towards the community.
But to those Singaporeans that have the capability to work harder and SMARTER, please do so and do us Singaporeans proud.
election fever is building up… I see more political discussions on blogs and facebook.
A big difference from the last one is less talk of fear that radical ideas will propagate themselves via the political websites. This is positive for social progress as ideas/feedback are being shared, though it remains to be seen whether any change can arise out of it.
On the topic of Pulling up my socks, no one like to be taken for a free ride. Ultimately, Singaporeans have to decide the kind of society that we want to live in. Do we want to have a society that is based on meritocracy where I can strive to be the best and get rewarded for my efforts (though this is not likely to be as high as the HK tycoons) or one that is all inclusive and no one is left behind? (generous welfare benefits paying countries like Denmark and Norway come to mind and they have oil to pay for all these)
Note that I’m not elitist though my background would suggest so, I had to go thru some hard times and it has left its mark on me. I prefer to see changes in the current way PAP goes about helping the needy. To be in need and have someone suggest that I am not doing enough to help myself was definitely not helpful and did nothing for my state of mind then.
To Brandon Ngo, luck plays a small part in lives of ordinary people. More importantly, it’s our attitude to changes and our strength to take action when needed that counts. Having a good government that has the fortitude to put the plight of its needy first is a bonus, instead of one that is focused on myopic indicators like GDP growth and rising prices of housing assets. I hope that in this election, you can take this into consideration and vote wisely for a progressive society.
“To be in need and have someone suggest that I am not doing enough to help myself was definitely not helpful and did nothing for my state of mind then.”
Exactly. (that said, I hope that person wasn’t me)
It’s so easy for people to say work harder especially you are not the ones living their lives. It’s easy and it’s dismissive.