This is the note I written on my facebook profile.
Before we start, I hope you guys will really go and read this 2 article before reading my summary.
Link One Link TwoAfter reading these shocking facts of life that only native Singaporeans need to go for National Service, I can't help by sigh at the only so not pragmatic solution that they had came up with. Our government has always been a good one, providing a
basic social net for the poor via CPF, providing compulsary primary education for all its citizens and getting its citizens to be independent of the government.However, the policy of Natinal service is something I can't totally agree with. (maybe because you can say I fear NS and stuff).
However, to those who wanted to think from that perspective, I can only offer you my explanation below or you can just ignore that and continue with your ignorant beliefs.
Had this been the era of the cold war before 1989, I would have said that such a policy will be very necessary. In those days, communism and conflict is very alive in the countries around Singapore. Thus, we need a strong, reliable and self-dependent kind of army that can provide Singapore with a native defense if such conflict arise in our Country. The Confrontation is a very good example of such events.
Back to 2009, in our modern lifestyle with the Internet, where everything is globalising and most countries are aware of the harmful effects that can be caused by War and educated / governed with International laws by the United Nations, do you think there will be a direct conflict to us? Yeah, if America thinks that we are harbouring some terrorist and decide to bomb us? Wait, don't forget that Obama is becoming the next president so at least we can be a little assured i think?
Anyhow, the new kind of threat we face is terrrorism, not an army of direct confrontation. So think about it, why are we sending our local man into 2 years of redundant service and give our job opportunities to the foreign workers that are coming in by the 10,000s every year since 2005. Moreover, these 2 years spent in redundacy
prevented many Singaporean man from
landing a good job and thus starting their career later ->
causing many couples to give birth later -> and then that's why
lesser children are born and birth rates decline with the aging population.
In the 60s, 70s & 80s, many of our fathers are not as educated and fortunate as we are now (
I wish to thank our government personally for implementing compulsory education for all Singaporeans, otherwise I would not be as educated to write this note now)and thus National Service seems like the only way to escape unemployment and such. Even now, there are many Singaporean teenagers out there, we call them
ah bengs, where education don't really suits them and what they really need is discipline in the army and a safer ricebowl to their uncertain future. However, to the rest of us, educated man like you who is still reading what I'm writing, how can we really give up our personal future to an imaginary threat marketed extensively by the government? Do you really think that as of 2009, Singapore will be attacked directly? I don't think so.
Fundamental Ideas of Modern Terrorism are caused by conflicting ideologies(
in this case religion). Instead of solving the root problem, everyone around the world decide to join America and fight the so-called "terrorism". What we actually have to do is sit down and find out why these guys are so willing to die and kill people. They are human too and so they will surely have a fear thus there must be a reason behind all of this nonsence but the whole idea is instead of
spending funds educating our youth on the dangerous effects behind such ideologies / religion, our government spend it on defense budgets that doesn't really match the conflict style of the world today.
Now on to the
social-economic problems apparently caused by National Service. As we know, more and more foreigners come into Singapore every year. You can see the bangla/china workers harassing Singaporean woman all around especially in the northern part of Singapore. As a
Singporean man, can you live that 2 years in Pulau Tekong fearing that your beloved girlfriend, fiancee may get harassed by these guys on a certain unlucky day? In order to solve the declining population,
our government thought that they can psycho foreign citizens into our country and get them to settle here. What a naive solution i think, why? Because look at the contrasting difference between our forefathers and the current immigrants trend. During our forefather's time, they had came to escape poverty & conflict in their countries. However, current immigrants came here because they can't find jobs in their respective overpopulated country. Do you really think their heart will stay here? Maybe when they earn enough, they will migrate to Canada, just like a china classmate of mine (
come to think of it).
Instead of solving the declining birth rate, by lowering the
legal marriage /sex age and
educating youths on the importance of family creation while taking away that redundant National Service so that couples can get married and conceive early, our government decide to give baby bonus the older career woman who was taught from young to succeed in carrer before settling down.
This
flaw in the education policy together with National Service may be the primary reason why we see Singapore having less birth rates. Many of us will think, "
so poor, give birth so much for what?" Do we really need to? If every Singaporean couples has 2 kids from the age of 20 - 25 and without NS,
we can start our careers early, there will be a steady flow of babies each year without us being poor thus solving such fundamentally simple yet made SO Complicated problem by the government.
Think about it. I have a proposed solution in mind but I'm not prepared to write it out because who knows later I get sued by some people or bombed by 'terrorists'!! Ha ha.. Have fun.
Post-note: I am no degree holder in human pscyhology or social sciences or stuff like that. I wrote this not to express my hatred to serve NS but as a food for thought on whether we really need such a policy to limit our rights and freedom that we have in this precious 1-time chance thing of life. If there's someone who is smart enough with enough authority and thinks that this is a wonderful note, do tell me for I will apperciate it. But to religious fanatics and/or macho/physically oriented guys who thinks I'm a weak sissy complaining about NS, please try to read again or go train your weights or pray to your imaginary creator to make me think I'm bullshiting. With that, I shall end this note and hope I can still see the daylight next morning.
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