Melancholic Death of an Oyster City
I am XenoBoy. I am the Political Savant.
Sometimes, you have to listen very carefully to the official messaging system. Since August, Singaporeans have been psychologically flooded with the word CHANGE. Yes, change, we have to change to stay alive. The geo-economic shifts around the world dictate this. Change or die.
Inverse the message and we have a fairly accurate picture of ourselves. We are stagnant. Inflexible and fixed. Rigid and unable to be nimble. The situation is dire indeed when we realise that our education system has created several generations of the most powerful zombies, relentless in achieving their goals in a swarming herd, but dumb when faced with a Anansi, trickster situation.
Nothing can change though. Too many now can see this and they feel this helplessness. They ask the same questions. The Government asks me to change, to adapt but yet, I cannot do it because nothing has changed. Self negating paradox.
Give the regime some credit. They see as much as many people on the ground that something is wrong. It is in the air, it is in our hearts no matter how much we try to laugh it off. There is a feeling of slippage, of being left behind, a fin de siecle percolating through our society.
Arresting this slippage is another matter. Change remains an empty word when the political interest remains locked in an unhealthy embrace with economic and social interest. We can flux the entire education system but the educated zombies will still fail to change while the vampires, immaculate change artists and shapeshifters, will fly away for more thrilling kills.
Perhaps, the solution for the incumbent regime is this. A political spectacle outstripping its own excellence. Recently alluded to in a nascent form. Let the savant expand it creatively to its most audacious end-point. Self-engineer an internal split of the ruling party and create a duality in Singapore politics. Re-making Singapore indeed.
Observe then, the Winds of Change awaken the populace. An induced genesis of a 'new' political order. An "untrue" Transformative Change which re-vitalizes society, re-invigorates economy and fuels us toward a Great Leap Forward. Not more good years but more New Years.
Revolution is just a revolution. Revolve like a ferris wheel. Many things will remain the same. Institutions continue to run, bureaucracy continues to function. But what is the possible difference? The spirit to embrace change is awakened. Hope is generated. Change takes on significance rather than remaining empty of meaning.
Except that this requires political courage of the highest order. It requires a change from a political mindset of regime sustenance to true regime renewal. It requires Change as well in the minds of those who hold power.
I am XenoBoy. I am the Political Savant.
Postscript : And have yeselfs a happy little new year!
Quote of the Day,
The doctor diagnosed,"I can't quite be sure,
but the cause of the problem may also be the cure.
They say oysters improve your sexual powers.
Perhaps eating your son would help you do it for hours!"
He came on tiptoe,
he came on the sly
sweat on his forehead,
and on his lips-a lie.
"Son, are you happy? I don't mean to pry,
but do you dream of Heaven?
Have you ever wanted to die?
Sam blinked his eye twice.
but made no reply.
Dad fingered his knife and loosened his tie.
As he picked up his son,
Sam dripped on his coat.
With the shell to his lips,
Sam slipped down his throat.
They burried him quickly in the sand by the sea-
sighed a prayer, wept a tear-
and they were back home by three.
A cross of grey driftwood marked Oyster Boy's grave.
Words writ in the sand
promised Jesus would save.
But his memory was lost with one high-tide wave.
'The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy' -- Tim Burton
Sometimes, you have to listen very carefully to the official messaging system. Since August, Singaporeans have been psychologically flooded with the word CHANGE. Yes, change, we have to change to stay alive. The geo-economic shifts around the world dictate this. Change or die.
Inverse the message and we have a fairly accurate picture of ourselves. We are stagnant. Inflexible and fixed. Rigid and unable to be nimble. The situation is dire indeed when we realise that our education system has created several generations of the most powerful zombies, relentless in achieving their goals in a swarming herd, but dumb when faced with a Anansi, trickster situation.
Nothing can change though. Too many now can see this and they feel this helplessness. They ask the same questions. The Government asks me to change, to adapt but yet, I cannot do it because nothing has changed. Self negating paradox.
Give the regime some credit. They see as much as many people on the ground that something is wrong. It is in the air, it is in our hearts no matter how much we try to laugh it off. There is a feeling of slippage, of being left behind, a fin de siecle percolating through our society.
Arresting this slippage is another matter. Change remains an empty word when the political interest remains locked in an unhealthy embrace with economic and social interest. We can flux the entire education system but the educated zombies will still fail to change while the vampires, immaculate change artists and shapeshifters, will fly away for more thrilling kills.
Perhaps, the solution for the incumbent regime is this. A political spectacle outstripping its own excellence. Recently alluded to in a nascent form. Let the savant expand it creatively to its most audacious end-point. Self-engineer an internal split of the ruling party and create a duality in Singapore politics. Re-making Singapore indeed.
Observe then, the Winds of Change awaken the populace. An induced genesis of a 'new' political order. An "untrue" Transformative Change which re-vitalizes society, re-invigorates economy and fuels us toward a Great Leap Forward. Not more good years but more New Years.
Revolution is just a revolution. Revolve like a ferris wheel. Many things will remain the same. Institutions continue to run, bureaucracy continues to function. But what is the possible difference? The spirit to embrace change is awakened. Hope is generated. Change takes on significance rather than remaining empty of meaning.
Except that this requires political courage of the highest order. It requires a change from a political mindset of regime sustenance to true regime renewal. It requires Change as well in the minds of those who hold power.
I am XenoBoy. I am the Political Savant.
Postscript : And have yeselfs a happy little new year!
Quote of the Day,
The doctor diagnosed,"I can't quite be sure,
but the cause of the problem may also be the cure.
They say oysters improve your sexual powers.
Perhaps eating your son would help you do it for hours!"
He came on tiptoe,
he came on the sly
sweat on his forehead,
and on his lips-a lie.
"Son, are you happy? I don't mean to pry,
but do you dream of Heaven?
Have you ever wanted to die?
Sam blinked his eye twice.
but made no reply.
Dad fingered his knife and loosened his tie.
As he picked up his son,
Sam dripped on his coat.
With the shell to his lips,
Sam slipped down his throat.
They burried him quickly in the sand by the sea-
sighed a prayer, wept a tear-
and they were back home by three.
A cross of grey driftwood marked Oyster Boy's grave.
Words writ in the sand
promised Jesus would save.
But his memory was lost with one high-tide wave.
'The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy' -- Tim Burton
posted by xenoboysg at 6:58 AM
4 Comments:
ehhhhhhh spotted the subliminal in this entry ... you trickie huh
happie new year to u too ... xept mine b 12 hrs behind urs lolz
Change is such a bi-polar word: change for the better aka IMPROVEMENT (so rare), change for the worse, aka CUT-AND-RUN (so typical). They never pre-empt the result, they sell it all as just CHANGE; that way when things fall apart they were always right. Mere anarchy, but with smug told-you-so smile.
Hope your New Year's Eve was fun like mine and that your New Year is rich and solid with true soul.
Yes, Minister on political courage:
Sir Frank: ...there are four words to be included in a proposal if you want it thrown out.
Sir Humphrey: Complicated, lengthy, expensive, controversial. And if you want to be really sure that the Minister doesn't accept it you must say the decision is courageous.
Bernard: And that's worse than controversial?
Sir Humphrey: (laughs) Controversial only means this will lose you votes, courageous means this will lose you the election.
Oh wait, sorry, we only have walkovers here. My bad.
zyl -- yeah, good one, haven't seen that series in ages hehe
Mr E@L -- change is one of those words that negate themselves when uttered ... yea I wish some footage of pole dancing in NYE makes it to ur blog lolz
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