about singapore angle

The New Singapore Angle.

That's what Bernard calls the project. The truth be told, he played a part in convincing me that this is a project worth pursuing. But it is "new" not because it is a new version of the old "From a Singapore Angle" (no longer updated), but because it is a new work altogether (albeit one that has its beginnings in the old site--long time readers of the old site should be able to perceive the connecting threads). And qua "new", one can be sure that various bugs (both technical and inter-personal) remain to be resolved in the days and weeks to come.

Most of the writers who (will) contribute here should need no introduction. Some have already achieved fame on their own. Our individual motivations for casting our lot in the project--I am sure--are as varied as our choice of monikers. But (if I may hazard a divination of a mood) each is drawn by the possibility of reasoned discourse and civil discussion on matters to do with Singapore.

The possibility of reasoned discourse and civil discussion does not imply a deep agreement on every substantial matter. It is in fact largely consistent with the many disagreements that we are bound to have over substantive issues. Nor, I should emphasize, does the possibility of reasoned discourse and civil discussion given the fact of deep-seated disagreements over substantial issues suggest that the matters about which people disagree must somehow be of less than the utmost seriousness. In some cases, they might well be among our most cherished values and irreducible parts of what make up our personal identities.

The question is--as fellow citizens--whether these disagreements need stand in the way of fruitful exchange and profitable debate, and whether, in our sincere desire to convince others of the cogency of our positions or persuade them to take up the attitudes so favoured by us, we respect their status as persons to whom we owe, in the first instance, reasons rather than blows.

Even if, at the end of the day, we walk away more convinced of the rightness of our own positions and the wrongness of the opponent view, the hope is that we can now say that we have seen the other side and have, after conscientious consideration, found it wanting of reason, that ours is no longer an opinion held merely for lack of an awareness of alternatives or possible objections, but a conviction that survived an encounter with those who, having given it due consideration, think otherwise.

If something of the above can be achieved ever so often, then our discussions would not have been in vain. If by our meager examples others may come to appreciate the profit from an orderly exchange of ideas, and yet others of better heart and mind may deign to come forward with superior reason and more eloquent speech, then this site would have done its modest part in contributing to the ongoing cultivation of a thoughtful democratic citizenry in Singapore.

The possibility of reasonable disagreement, discussion and debate within the context of a democratic society divided upon various weighty issues--and beyond that, the possibility of peaceful coexistence, mutual advantage and the pursuit of a common good. These are themes to which I will return. The above can only be said to be a statement of intention rather than an argument.

But let me conclude with a story that prefaced an earlier version of the earlier site since, once again, it seems apposite for the present endeavor. The reader is asked to draw his or her own conclusions:

Once upon a time, when tidings came to the city of Corinth that King Philip...was coming with an army to lay siege to the city; the Corinthians, being stricken with great fear, began busily and earnestly to look about them and to fall to work...Their labor was seen by Diogenes the philosopher, who, having no profitable work that he could help with, immediatly girded about him his philosophical cloak, and began to roll and tumble his great barrel or tub (in which he dwelled--for he would not live elsewhere) up and down upon the hillside that lies adjoining to the city...One of his friends, seeing this...came and asked him: why are you doing this?...I am tumbling my tub, Diogenes said, because there is no reason that I alone should be idle when so many are toiling...

(Modified from the preface of Ralph Robinson's 1516 English Translation of Thomas More's Utopia)

Huichieh (2006/06/26);
originally the inaugural post of the site.

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about the writers (in alphabetical order)

(Member since 8 August, 2007) Aaron Ng is currently a Teaching Assistant and part time Masters student at the Communications and New Media Programme, National University of Singapore. He considers himself a devoted romantic who's blessed with the good fortune of marrying a pretty and smart wife. Aaron's professional research interest is in the field of communications but on a personal level, he is deeply interested in social, political and economic issues and he enjoys discussing them, be it online or offline. An avid blogger, Aaron maintains a personal blog, Hear Ye! Hear ye! and welcomes anyone to drop by his blog for a nice discussion over a cup of cyber-coffee.

(Member since inception) BL is a research scientist & entrepreneur. He sustains a diverse set of academic interests and has published in several areas: computational biology & bioinformatics, theoretical physics, economics & entrepreneurship. To him, everyday offers a new learning experience to him, ranging from reading books and discussing ideas and thoughts with people from all walks of life. Apart from writing at Singapore Angle and editing for Singapore Angle: Perspectives, BL is also managing Singapore Entrepreneurs, a group blog dedicated to entrepreneurship and enterprise in Singapore and also writes in his personal blog, "Simple is the Reason of My Heart". He considers himself as a pragmatic idealist by shaping ideas into reality with the spirit of enterprise. His perspectives in life are summarized by the following quote in Bill Clinton's "My Life": "Our job is to live as well and as long as we can, and to help others to do the same. What happens after that and how we are viewed by others is beyond our control. The river of time carries us all away. All we have is the moment. Whether I had made the most of mine was for others to judge."

(Member since inception) Abjected pinenut refusing deconstruction and society... Flay the wind, oh needlesticks, just to sail the ship of fools. Tomorrow, tomorrow, we land. Objected vapor of a moment, sliding forth into the expense of lost words... Moan the sighs, oh standing cones, just to ride the plains of sin. Today, today we fall. Subjected branch of genealogy suffering consciousness... stroke the rain, oh wrinkling bark, just to savor the tears of remembrance. Yesterday, yesterday, we loved. (From Dansong's eponymous personal blog)

(Member since 28 August, 2007) Fearfully Opinionated describes himself as a young punk who thinks he's a lot smarter than he actually is. He is not an academic, but is interested in philosophy, education, religion and ethics. He maintains his own blog where he writes in 2 persona (purple and blue). FO believes in working towards a more civil and rational blogosphere, the recognition of all bloggers as fellow human beings deserving of respect and civility, and the display of humility and charity despite harsh criticisms and misunderstandings. He also thinks that he might not be very good at practicing what he preaches, but he believes that he is trying.

(Member since inception) Huichieh, or as most friends call him, 'Loy,' is from Singapore (1.17N, 103.51E - in case you are wondering). He is currently Assistant Professor of Philosophy, National University of Singapore. His primary interest centers around Early Chinese Philosophy, and most of his previous and current research are done in this field. Nonetheless, he also has long standing interest in Ancient Greek Philosophy, Early Modern (especially Machiavelli and Hobbes) and Contemporary Political Philosophy (especially Rawls), and in fact, is happy to discuss most things (theological, philosophical, historical, literary) under the sun--though he has confessedly somewhat analytic tastes in philosophical style. (From Huichieh's NUS Staff Profile) "Panta de dokimazete, to kalon katechete" - 1 Thes 5:21

(Member since inception) I am a Char Kway Teow Man in Ang Mo Kio by day, political correspondent wannabe by night. All views and opinions expressed are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of my kway teow stall... I am neither pro- nor anti-Government and I hope that my comments will be interpreted as such. Nevertheless, I am respectful of individual choice and critics are free to interpret otherwise. (From The Kway Teow Man's eponymous personal blog)

(Member since 2 July, 2006) A libertarian of the minarchist stripe. My primary political and economic influences are Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman. I do not believe: that governments have any business interfering with private consensual acts between adults, that governments have any business in business, that governments have any right to enforce morality, in institutional religions, as concentrations of power are too easily abused. I believe: that economic liberty and individual freedoms are two sides of the same coin, and neither can be severed from the other, that governments exists primarily to apply their monopoly over the use of physical force in the enforcement of rules that prohibit duress, coercion and physical violence, that we human beings are all too fallible to entrust with the power to plan or control the lives of others, that a Supreme Being, if he/she/it exists, would be a manifestation of pure Logic, and as such, any system of belief that would require me to suspend my logical faculties deserve no respect. Why I write: to introduce and acquaint Singaporeans with libertarian ideas, to comment on economic and social policies implemented in Singapore, to provide an alternative perspective on economic and social policies, because I need an outlet for my thoughts, opinions and feelings. (From The Legal Janitor's eponymous personal blog)

(Member since inception) I'm currently a postgraduate student and am interested in international politics, particularly East Asian strategic and security studies with a sideline in thinking about bureaucracy, public policy and hegemony in Singapore. Worked as a 'farmer' in the Singapore civil service where I metaphorically tended the crops and shovelled nutrient-rich organic fertiliser for three very instructive years. Not entirely sure if I've learnt the right lessons though. In the interests of full disclosure, I should also mention my brief stint as a PAP grassroots volunteer from Oct 2001-Mar 2002. However I no longer have any ties to the PAP. (From ringisei's personal blog: "ringisei")

(Member since inception) SMS is a fellow Singaporean who sometime takes the time to reflect and write about public policy issues related to his country. Hopefully the articles help to provoke other thoughts and ideas, especially to see different sides of an issue.

(Member since 28 August, 2007) Teh Si (TS) is tea with evaporated milk, and believes that culture, human biology, and how they interact remains the most important uncharted domain. He believes that when they are better charted, it will point us towards a better human experience. TS thinks that science should play a greater role in determining public policy debates and shaping the laws. TS is deterministic about life in general, agnostic about the Homeric Gods; meanwhile he feels that happiness is the highest good, but not that of the Aristotlean garden variety. You might email him at songatsa@yahoo.com.

(Member since inception) The Void Deck is made up of a handful of sometimes (often?) cranky wannabe commentators on Singapore affairs. We try to be as balanced and responsible as we can, dancing fearfully, respectfully and gleefully at the same time around the infamous Bhavani Commandments. Some inspiring pop culture moments that inspire us to be part of The Voice in the Internet, the new media, the pitchfork and torch carrying web mob - that "I'm Spartacus...No I'm Spartacus" scene in Kubrick's Spartacus, the Flight of the Valkyries scene in Apocalypse Now when the Air Cav swooped in, that bullet-time stamping scene when Trinity and Neo swaggered into the lobby of the building to save Morpheus in Matrix. A movie scene that certainly didn't inspire us - when Sgt Elias was on his knees, arms in the air and fatally marooned, all in slowmo, in Platoon.

(Member since inception) Wayne is a Singaporean studying in a cold region of United States. As a result, he often misses the good food, weather and company back home. He comments on politics and public policies in Singapore and Asia in his blog. One of his favorite quotes is: "We need to think more critically about how democracy and good governance can be achieved together, rather than yield to the illusion that if people surrender their freedom, they will get peace, prosperity and justice in return." - Larry Diamond of Hoover Institution.

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past writers (in alphabetical order)

(Member from inception to 20 August, 2007) Heavenly Sword is a wandering swordsman who happens to be interested in blogging (both here in Singapore Angle and on his personal blog). He is usually in his training cave practising the latest kungfu, but occasionally appears in order to give his two cents worth on interesting or disturbing social phenomena. Through this activity, he hopes to become a better person: wiser, more tolerant, more humorous, and more socially sensitive. He sometimes observes but does not comment, but believes that this is better than 'commenting without proper observation'. He likes writings which are written in unorthodox, eclectic, witty, emotionally-engaging, and enlightened ways. With constant access to the Singapore blogosphere, Heavenly Sword feels less lonely today in his pursuit of enlightenment in what he considers to be a generally terrible world.

(Member from 21 November, 2006 to 8 April, 2007) A worker by day, newly resumed blogger by night. I am a Singaporean wondering how we can best build a future for each other, in the little red dot we call our Home. My knowledge and experience is limited. I don't always have answers or proposed solutions — that's why I'd like to hear from you. :) Although my real name is not directly available from this blog, it would be appreciated if quotes or reproductions were appropriately attributed. (From his own blog Inspirations & Aspirations

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