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Abstracts of essays; news; announcements; short takes.
About Me
- Yawning Bread Sampler
- This blog carries summary abstracts of Yawning Bread essays, with space for comments.
Here too are other tidbits that are too short for the main Yawning Bread site.
To email me, go to the main site.
Blog Archive
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2006
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July
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- Racial Harmony Day
- Israel attacks Hezbollah in Lebanon
- Sauce for the goose
- Honour and the control of others
- Struggles rather than Troubles?
- Gay marriage defeated in New York court
- When the puppet speaks to the master
- Singapore buys Malaysia, Malaysia bombs Singapore
- Let Mr Brown speak
- Flags and monuments
- Much ado about citizen journalism
- The inutility of speaking truth unto power
- Income inequality widens markedly
- The troubles of Joo Chiat
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July
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Posts
4 comments:
Hi,
I thank Mr.Liew for a thought-provoking piece on our own history. It is unfortunate that the Straits Times did not see fit to print it.
Those who enjoy this should also visit http://singaporegovt.blogspot.com/
where Thrasymachus has written what to me seem a very signficant write-up on Lim Chin Siong.
I read somewhere ( could be in the blog itself) that politics is not about right or wrong, only about Victors and Losers. And the victors get to write their version of history.
It is obvious who the winner is in S'pore's case and which version of history we are taught as gospel truth! That is life!
Dr. Huang Shoou Chyuan
nofearsingapore.blogspot.com
Ultimately history is written by the victor. LKY is no Nelson Mandela.
Magnaminity had never been a personality trait of the former. To this day, this 'founding father' is still a very hard and, when you cross him, a very vindictive and unforgiving man. If he was an ancient emperor of Rome, his decision would invariably be a thumb-down for every defeated gladiator.
His model? Perhaps, the ancient Han emperor who brought China its Golden Age of the Han. This emperor while great in his achievements for ancient China, was not known for his tolerance of weaknesses, save his own, perhaps.
Unfortunately, for all his achievements, LKY would not be living behind a legacy of governance that will endure after him because of its incredibly short-sighted and self-serving ways.
It is undeniable that for those Singaporeans who know better, he has effectively alienated - he fears them for what they can expose about him. And for those who worshipped him, a great disillusion awaits with his passing.
If one is to describe his son's performance so far, it would be immature, inapt and indifferent.
Mr. Liew's excellent article should be read by every young Singaporean. I also agree with anon's comment above.
From alias Chin Peng - My Side of History
“History is the written testimony – or interpretations – of events by those who live it or inherit its spoils. When it comes to the matters of military conflict, history is inevitably portrayed from the point of view of victors whose utterances end up in libraries and archives. Dominant and mightier forces have a way of keeping from prying eyes documents that may depict them in anything but the noble roles for which they would want to be remembered… at least for the duration of their lifetimes. So you have files that remain classified for thirty, fifty, even seventy five years. Some are never released. Such is the protection offered victors against the embarrassment of historical introspection. This is why winners are seldom called names."
I am no communist sympathiser. It is not about judging as Mr Liew said. It is about coming to terms.
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