tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post1618595706929675539..comments2024-03-19T18:44:15.041+08:00Comments on Little Stories: The Meaninglessness of Asian ValuesGilbert Koh aka Mr Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027678080233274309noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-50604770909076964602009-05-21T15:37:28.718+08:002009-05-21T15:37:28.718+08:00You could write on the meaninglessness of the phra...You could write on the meaninglessness of the phrase 'Western Religions' (or 'Eastern Religions', for that matter).<br /><br />After all, if you start from the Asian coast of the Mediterranean and move to the Asian coast of the Pacific Ocean across the Asian continent (stopping by on the Asian coast of the Indian Ocean along the way), you will have touched base with ALL the world's major religions (or at least, those that make up the top 90% of people who have a religion).<br /><br />There aren't any major Western religions; there are only Eastern religions done in a Western way... *grin*Trebuchethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664863838276012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-44005446584222804432009-05-18T21:55:00.000+08:002009-05-18T21:55:00.000+08:00Observer -
"(All Indians speak Tamil)"
...Observer -<br /><br />"(All Indians speak Tamil)"<br /><br />Unlike China, Taiwan and HK, try enforcing that i.e getting Indians to speak Tamil in India and you will have a bloodbath.<br /><br />Try getting the Tamils to speak the national language of India, Hindi, in Singapore? Ask them. Ask the Tamils. They are so happy that the private sector taxpayers pay for the development of the Tamil language here and the government gives it equal recognition. Back in India??<br /><br />I think our government wouldn't mind getting all the Indians to speak Tamil. It will save on the Chinese taxpayers' monies in providing resources to cater to the various groups eg teachers. What India can't you think you can? Perhaps you can try. But I am not sure you head will roll when the Hindis, Sikhs, Gujuratis, etc. come after you.<br /><br />Be real dah. English is the common language amongst all the different races in Singapore. And please allow the Chinese to learn their official mother tongue (in fact the written script is common regardless) paid for by the private sector taxpayers.<br /><br />Next time, think before you put pen to paper. Singaporeans are a smart and well-informed people. Sometimes they only choose to keep quiet that's all. Live & let's live.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-40014914876110930612009-05-18T21:36:00.000+08:002009-05-18T21:36:00.000+08:00May 18, 2009 5:13 PM
"Ming Dynasty (the mo...May 18, 2009 5:13 PM <br /><br />"Ming Dynasty (the most oppressive in Chinese History) benevolent!!!"<br /># You don't know History. The Yuan Chinese (Chinese Mongol) & Ching (Chinese Manchus) were ruthless.<br /><br />"Karma sutra openly celebrate homosexuality!!!"<br />#Hetrosexuals are always shown to be in the forefront.<br /><br />"There is no discrimination against minority in singapore(All Inidans speak Tamil)!!!"<br /># True unless one is blind. Tamil speak Tamil to Tamil. Malay speak Malay to Malay. What's wrong with Chinese speaking Chinese (Mandarin) to Chinese? Mandarin is the lingua franca of China, Taiwan and now Hong Kong is picking it up fast. The entire world is picking up Mandarin (Who wants to lose out?). It's the national language of these business places. Our schools are teaching Mandarin. Unlike the others, Mandarin is used in the United Nations. Whereas Hindi is the national language of India. Regardless, the private sector taxpayers' monies are used to pay the slaries of Tamil and Malay language teacers. No one is complaining. Are there?<br /><br />"The US 7th fleet wary of "state of the art" Chinese submarines!!!"<br />#You are behind time. Been to Qingdao where the recent display of the latest Chinese naval armaments were on display. Simply awesome. The Americans are wary. That's why they sent snoopies around Hainan Island, China's submarine hub. The US has of late asked for openess & transparency from China as if they are very open and transparent. Anyway, they know that times have changed and China can't be bullied and cowed and be pushed over today.<br /><br />"Yes ... Mr Wang is really Archbishop Wang of COOS ... He is also next in line to the POPE and will unify the Christian world to prepare for the 2nd coming."<br />#Don't be too personal. You may gain the wrath of the Almighty and the flock here in pronouncing a lesser Catholic as Archbishop and POPOE in waiting.<br /><br />Facts speak.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-57643094468227255002009-05-18T21:10:00.000+08:002009-05-18T21:10:00.000+08:00"Sorri but the facts prove otherwise.
(1) The..."Sorri but the facts prove otherwise.<br />(1) The majority doesn't enact any NEP against the minority like Malaysia.<br />(2) The mnoritiy races are represented beyond their proportion in the public service paid by the private sector paymasters.<br />(3) There are no Dalits or untouchables or "non-Bumis" classification in Singapore.<br />(4) Malay, Tamil, Chinese are the official languages.<br />(5) Malay & all Indian languages are counted for promotion, streaming and selection into higher learning institutes.<br />(6) The private sector paymasters pay for Vasantham & Suria and all the mother tongue language teachers.<br />(7) There are more . . .<br /><br />Reflect and then show me another country where such actions speak louder than words brfore you condemn MM. And btw, no one owes US a living."<br /><br />Wake me up when we ever have an Indian or Malay Defence Minister, then all that crap will make sense. You are mixing up political convenience, with hidden facts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-45279722329910653172009-05-18T20:58:00.000+08:002009-05-18T20:58:00.000+08:00An elderly Chinese lady in her 80s said that she p...An elderly Chinese lady in her 80s said that she persuaded her staunch Taoist husband to let their daughter, who at the age of 16, now in her late 40s, to be a Christian.<br />Now her daughter, who is single and living with her, is constantly her to convert. However she is dead set against giving up her Taoist faith.<br />So much for pro-family value!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-31292789382286168062009-05-18T18:59:00.000+08:002009-05-18T18:59:00.000+08:00"Times have changed but I believe under the Han Ch..."Times have changed but I believe under the Han Chinese (eg Tang, Ming) a powerful China is a benevolent country in the time of Zheng He who sailed the high seas to make friends not colonise."<br /><br />Look at the present on how a country treats and respects its own citizens and that is roughly how the country is going to progress. Progress for everyone in general and not for some.<br /><br />Just look at the disgraceful culture of some unscrupulous people who do not mind selling tainted milk to their own kind, their very own future. It could be a case of few bad eggs but imagine a culture of top level secrecy and silence until much later.<br /><br />Yes, times have changed and we shall see. I do root for the well being of China as most of our own ancestral blood came from there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-64379200014098811312009-05-18T17:13:00.000+08:002009-05-18T17:13:00.000+08:00Ming Dynasty (the most oppressive in Chinese Histo...Ming Dynasty (the most oppressive in Chinese History) benevolent!!!<br /><br />Karma sutra openly celebrate homosexuality!!!<br /><br />There is no discrimination against minority in singapore(All Inidans speak Tamil)!!!<br /><br />The US 7th fleet wary of "state of the art" Chinese submarines!!! <br /><br />Yes ... Mr Wang is really Archbishop Wang of COOS ... He is also next in line to the POPE and will unify the Christian world to prepare for the 2nd coming.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-72225310564457559492009-05-18T15:11:00.000+08:002009-05-18T15:11:00.000+08:00just out of curiousity, when you talked about Asia...just out of curiousity, when you talked about Asia, did you bear in mind Philippines as well?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-21688519334242159002009-05-18T12:50:00.000+08:002009-05-18T12:50:00.000+08:00i agree. there is NO "Asian value". it is a social...i agree. there is NO "Asian value". it is a social construction - constructed by our state to maintain its paternalistic / authoritarian rule on the people. who is asian? what is asian? if asian = conservative, let's look at the potteries, paintings etc from the early China, we will see homosexuality printed/painted on these objects. let's look at India, we see Karmasutra, as well as sculptures and hindu temples that openly celebrate sexuality. So who says Asians are conservative, condemn homosexuality?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-20017357006373751672009-05-18T11:13:00.000+08:002009-05-18T11:13:00.000+08:00Anonymous said...
May 16, 2009 5:33 PM
"As for ta...Anonymous said...<br />May 16, 2009 5:33 PM<br /><br />"As for taikongnauts walk in space, the US did it on the moon, not space, in the year 1969. Since then, they have been sending lots of unmanned missions to outer space much beyond that. <br /><br />A lot of asian countries are still playing catching up in terms of mindset with Japan, let alone Europe or US."<br /><br />Yes. However, if you take the span of time i.e. from the 70s onwards, you will find that the speed at which China cathes up is remarkable.<br /><br />What do you do when the free world is all about economic competition. Answer - You try to destabalise eg Tibet, Taiwan. Force the Yuan to rise. Agitate your resource suppliers. Etc.<br /><br />The huge foreign reserves (world's largest) must be invested not hidden under the pillow. I think they have noted your concern and China is trying slowly but surely to divest. Yes, the US can play them out.<br /><br />Today, the US might not dare to fire a missile into any Chinese embassy like it did in Yugloslavia sometime ago.<br /><br />China has demonstarted it can shot down satellites in space. The US 7th fleet is also very wary of the numerous state of the art Chinese submarines that are prepared to exchange themselves with the sitting duck aircraft carrier (moving time bomb) in the Straits.<br /><br />Times have changed but I believe under the Han Chinese (eg Tang, Ming) a powerful China is a benevolent country in the time of Zheng He who sailed the high seas to make friends not colonise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-27345090257318949872009-05-18T09:13:00.000+08:002009-05-18T09:13:00.000+08:00Hello. Polygamy is not an "Asian" monopoly. Wester...Hello. Polygamy is not an "Asian" monopoly. Western societies are also polygamic.<br /><br />Monogamy however, IS a Western invention and nothing Asian.<br /><br />So Asian value campaigners are against Monogamy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-14821593359995081542009-05-18T08:35:00.000+08:002009-05-18T08:35:00.000+08:00Elderly being taken care of, retired and enjoyed t...Elderly being taken care of, retired and enjoyed their golden sunset years has always been one of the most important value for many Asians, so why are our Asian valued leaders keep asking their people to work beyond retirement or even for some to work until they drop?<br /><br />So don't think about the real meaning of Asian value, just think about what is in the mind of those leaders when they start using the words 'Asian value'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-29770372582908935312009-05-18T00:34:00.000+08:002009-05-18T00:34:00.000+08:00Anonymous said...
May 16, 2009 5:33 PM
It would b...Anonymous said...<br />May 16, 2009 5:33 PM<br /><br />It would be good if the growth (also debt to US)is used to service its own nation. Being a creditor of US is nothing to be proud about as USD holding may get inflated away given the spending behaviours of US and their expertise in transferring away their obligations through other mechanisms.<br /><br />As for taikongnauts walk in space, the US did it on the moon, not space, in the year 1969. Since then, they have been sending lots of unmanned missions to outer space much beyond that. <br /><br />A lot of asian countries are still playing catching up in terms of mindset with Japan, let alone Europe or US.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-39436644054429559222009-05-17T23:57:00.000+08:002009-05-17T23:57:00.000+08:00Wa! Pro-family Asian values!
That means these peo...Wa! Pro-family Asian values!<br /><br />That means these people are against preaching, "reaching out" and consersion through those many scheming methods?<br /><br />Because Asian families pay respect to their elders, pray to heaven and earth, respect the Government, and not denote a certain dvine entity as the owner of all.<br /><br />And no converting means, less families will not be pained by the kids wanting to destroy ancestral tablets of respect, not wanting to pay last respect to even their PARENTS who doted on them all those times.<br /><br />Kudos!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-64499927069060310502009-05-17T23:54:00.000+08:002009-05-17T23:54:00.000+08:00EH come on leh. I want them champion Asian value a...EH come on leh. I want them champion Asian value and Pro-Family please!<br /><br />Because hor, that means hor, they is want stay with parents and be filial. It means hor, these people now must the be against HDB.<br /><br />HDB make the pigeonhole so small "in response to new Singaporean wants", making it impossible to stay together. Worse still hor, they play the "market subsidy" game, and "balloting" game. So that it is a gamble you can get that new flat near your parents at an affordable price or not.<br /><br />See! Pro-family Asian values is going to do so many good things for us.<br /><br />We must celebrate them. <br /><br />But please, no stupid mass rallies or anti-gahmen things. We are Singapore.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-62576776402516783742009-05-17T22:44:00.000+08:002009-05-17T22:44:00.000+08:00I think LKY was referring more to Confucian values...I think LKY was referring more to Confucian values, but in order not to appear Sino-centric and be more politically correct and appeal to the whole population, he used the code word Asian value. Things like respect for authority, family as a unit, society above self etc are more Confucian than Asian.Thehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02941744057903049051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-40533172059500888252009-05-17T16:23:00.000+08:002009-05-17T16:23:00.000+08:00"Nothing new about this tactic. LKY is just b..."Nothing new about this tactic. LKY is just busy copying the US Republicans wholesale again.<br /><br />That and he is a known Chinese chauvinist."<br /><br />Sorri but the facts prove otherwise.<br />(1) The majority doesn't enact any NEP against the minority like Malaysia.<br />(2) The mnoritiy races are represented beyond their proportion in the public service paid by the private sector paymasters.<br />(3) There are no Dalits or untouchables or "non-Bumis" classification in Singapore.<br />(4) Malay, Tamil, Chinese are the official languages.<br />(5) Malay & all Indian languages are counted for promotion, streaming and selection into higher learning institutes.<br />(6) The private sector paymasters pay for Vasantham & Suria and all the mother tongue language teachers.<br />(7) There are more . . .<br /><br />Reflect and then show me another country where such actions speak louder than words brfore you condemn MM. And btw, no one owes US a living. <br /><br />Reflect. There are noAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-84081243950202488882009-05-17T11:24:00.000+08:002009-05-17T11:24:00.000+08:00Nothing new about this tactic. LKY is just busy co...Nothing new about this tactic. LKY is just busy copying the US Republicans wholesale again.<br /><br />That and he is a known Chinese chauvinist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-91533197466908217312009-05-17T03:34:00.000+08:002009-05-17T03:34:00.000+08:00Isn't it strange that Asian values are used interc...Isn't it strange that Asian values are used interchangeably with Confucian values? Hahaha.<br />It's like the entire continent is East Asia. And where is Taosim? Too anarchist for them, I wager.<br /><br />Lovely work.fellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17259462593002235166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-90668628982092802472009-05-16T18:11:00.000+08:002009-05-16T18:11:00.000+08:00Wait a minute! Is not Communism the official state...Wait a minute! Is not Communism the official state philosophy of China? "Asian Values", calling it "Eastern Values" does not clarify anything. Localizing it to East Asia AND rooting it in Confucianism does not solve the problem conclusively either. Does any typical citizen of PRC, ROC, S. Korea, Singapore, or Japan, even know the tenents of that philosophy? Are there serious academics (of the relevant field) to be cited saying that the defining social characteristics of these nation is due to Confucius? (I will be happy to be shown wrong and be directed to sociological papers saying so.) I think not. It is probably because the Western-Eastern divide is quite bad at defining the world. It is not worth the trouble resustitating the idea.<br /><br />To illustrate the mutability of such a line drawn in sand: Is Chrsitanity a Western religion? In the past, when I was younger (a few decades back), it was fashionable to say that Eastern religions are supersitious. Christianity a Western religion is based on reason. Now I sometimes here that Christianity is an Eastern religion, given the geographical location of Israel. Why the drastic change? I believe it is because the metal landscape of the people have changed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-70544851437027436122009-05-16T17:33:00.000+08:002009-05-16T17:33:00.000+08:00Wang Yuegu, Feng Tianwei and Li Jiawei fought toot...Wang Yuegu, Feng Tianwei and Li Jiawei fought tooth and nail to place tiny Singapore on the world map with their Silver medal win at the recent Olympics.<br /><br />From next to nothing in the seventies, Deng Xiaoping, marshalled the 1.3 billion hungry mouths into reviving their Chinese-Confucian values of thrift, deligence, patriotism, etc. Yesterday is but history today for China.<br /><br />Today, China is the US No 1 creditor nation (surprise?), taikongnauts walk in space, top the recent Olympics Medal tally . . . . more to come . . <br /><br />Whilst here we have some local born ingrate Singaporeans who have received much rom the state but quietly plot and scheme to detonate and hoe to destroy their own homeland. How sad.<br /><br />So much for values . . . .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-63621047969209893502009-05-16T16:30:00.000+08:002009-05-16T16:30:00.000+08:00Rojak can also kill you...Rojak can also kill you...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-59770044368365091922009-05-16T16:00:00.000+08:002009-05-16T16:00:00.000+08:00The aftermath fo the Sichuan Earthquake best epito...The aftermath fo the Sichuan Earthquake best epitomises real Chinese-Confucian values. Even the Western world was astound and spell-bound.<br />You only have to observe from the netizens, citizenry, cab drivers to the national leaders.<br />The generrous donations that poured in from among the Chinese people, the cab divers who even today ferry foc rations into the dasater areas, the top brass who goes down the field ever so frequently to find out for themselves the ground needs and direct actions.<br /><br />Money collected from China itself came to US billions of dollars!<br /><br />I salute the new China. Not the corrupt Koumintang. <br /><br />Conversely, look at the democratic West falling apart from greed and crony capitalism and spreading the disease to all over the world which hs dealing with them today.<br /><br />Reflect . . . How sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-61329251457635467272009-05-16T12:32:00.000+08:002009-05-16T12:32:00.000+08:00Singapore can best be described as a nation with "...Singapore can best be described as a nation with "rojak" values as we head down the path of integrating more diverse ethnicities. Rojak may not be all negative, it may taste better after trial and error. <br /><br />What I find disturbing is the lack of social services for families split by barriers of citizenship.蝴蝶思语https://www.blogger.com/profile/04060846343913907628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-15386468537824183552009-05-16T11:28:00.000+08:002009-05-16T11:28:00.000+08:00Dear Mr. Wang,
I can't help but to notice that th...Dear Mr. Wang,<br /><br />I can't help but to notice that the comments left on your blog appear more monolithic than say in the past one year or so. <br /><br />Is this a fair characterisation on my part? Would you say that your blog attracts a readership (or at least those who comment on your posts) that is more or less stable in terms of its political self-identification/self-understanding? <br /><br />Regards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com