There has been a fair few lively debates this week so I though I would chuck this one in about political power. The man considered the "Father of Singapore" died this week and has been laid to rest. I'm sure most of you know the role of Singapore in the import/export and financial world but it was mainly brought about by Lee Kwan Yeu who was of Chinese origin but Singapore born. Malaysia did not want to know his plans and gave him no funding so he claimed independence and followed a blue print that he master minded with Harold Wilson who would become our Prime Minister of a Labour government in 1964. Wilson had been Lee's professor at Oxford and visualised how a state run country could function. These plans were enacted by Lee with encouragement from Wilson and we know the result 50 years later. Because of the population split there will always be a dominant Chinese Singaporean government but all new government must start from zero and generate its own funding through tax, trade and development. This was contained in the vision of Harold Wilson. Hard line economics and one man in charge for the first 30 or so years achieved this.Admittedly he had his foibles and could be seen as a martinet to some, but all the people benefited. The point being that maybe Singapore could be described as a benevolent dictatorship - just as the Greeks philosophers saw the world being run.
There's nowt wrong with a benevolent dictatorship Nostalgic. I do as I'm told and I get my regular pocket money every week from the missis
I read it and found it interesting but had literally nothing to comment on. A thread like this a day and we'd all (most I presume) learn something new everyday!
Phew! What a subject?! I'd love a 'SAFCSingalese' to come on here right now and talk us through it. Sixteen hour working days, if you walk down the street with your hair half an inch longer than prescribed you get arrested - it is very, very strict out there. But when you look at the loud-mouthed worthless b***ards in yob Britain's streets, would it really be a bad thing? Open mind about it, I think. I dunno.
Wouldn't want to live anywhere else Relic. The grass is often greener over the hedge but my grass is green enough.
Well, I fully understand that Blunham. See, I'm into my seventies now and would be pretty well looked after in any fairly civilised culture. It's kinda easy for me to look at today's yobs and think 'wow, wouldn't Singapore's discipline be great?' But then, what about the acid-dropping, dope-smoking hippy with more hair than shoulders that I was back in the 1960s? Would I have cared for it so much then? I think it's maybe a question best left to younger guys like yourself. You know that song - ' I looked at life from both sides now'? Well, yes I have, and in a sense that's good. But in another sense, it fudges issues. So maybe it's best if I just shut up, eh?
Are you not?!!! That's wonderful. I called myself The Relic because - well .. I am. I've just defended Willie Watson on another thread for god's sake!!! Now I find that e.g. Nostalgic is older then I am. It's so comforting to hear from you guys, mate. I'm now thinking of changing my user-name merely to Medieval Makem.
Do I want to go back to food rationing, to seeing my first banana at nine years old, to seeing my first ever mango at twenty-something, to considering egg and chips a luxury meal? Are you kidding me? 2015 is frigging marvellous to me, mate. I stand in the pub and listen to guys with two cars, three televisions and a bloody microwave oven who've just come back tanned from a family holiday in Tenerife telling me their hardships, and how awful Britain is today - and I absolutely marvel at them! You'd like to lose a few years - well, I'm sorry to hear that. But do me a favour - don't take me back with you. I'll stick it out here mate, for as long as this world will have me. Do I miss anything at all? = Yes, I guess. I miss buying a Sunderland programme that contains the logo 'The only club never to have played in any other than the first division'. I do miss that - and the magical Shackleton playing in red and white stripes. Best wishes, good luck.
I'll second that as I sit here on t'other side of the globe with instant communication, watching football as well as talking about it. The wife often gives tales to the granddaughters about one phone to every district, no TV,youth clubs and ballroom dancing as well rock'n'roll. They start the conversation by asking about when we were poor............ Old folks rule, its just that no bugger believes them.
