Daily Lessons from Life 15 April 2011 - Vision for Singapore?

I have not really read the manifestos of the PAP and the opposition parties in details.

I just want to offer my own thoughts on achieving a REAL 1st World Nation.

1. A 1st World Nation needs a 1st World Citizenship and NOT just a 1st World Government

By that I meant the citiznes must be:

a. generally educated, able to take in information and process them to form independent and logical conclusion taking into account the need to tend to the emotional elements of issues faced by the nation;

b. to be able to rise above self-interest and appreciate the long term impact of any national policies debated and finally adopted.

2. that means the government MUST aim to educate ALL the citizens in this area besides the 'normal' passing academic examinations with flying colors.

a. the national psychology must be: no pork and barrel politics to be tolerated. The citizens must be able to distinguish that as unhealthy and destructive long term;

b. different views MUST be aired in public except for the sensitive issues of race, language and religion.

c. this also means that the government has to realize that: this type of 1st world citizen will demand fuller accountability, fuller respect that they can reason logically and without too much emotion to decide if certain policies are indeed beneficial to the majority of the people of Singapore!

3. as to if national leaders should be paid more than 100x the lowest paid citizen in the land, it is important to have the decency of establishing: what is a decent living wage level for the best of the best Singaporeans? It cannot be S$2-3 or 4m!!

Some people wil say this is a pipe dream as human being will always gyrate to what suit them. Self-interest always prevail. If that is the case we have simply given out the ideal. Without dream and ideal, we may as well be dead as it is a matter of time that when human being decides on what to do based on short term interests, it will twist and turn and tripped itself over!