Response to "Dumb and Dumber Singaporean Reactions to the Haze"
http://sgthinker.wordpress.com/2013/06/23/dumb-and-dumber-singaporean-reactions-to-the-haze/
1) The country is not a hive mind. It has culture, but using the phrase "character" seems to be pushing the envelope.
2) The standards of other countries are good for comparison, but they should never be the sole determinants of domestic policies.
3) The author makes it look as if the whole Singapore or online community is calling for Stop Work Order when it clearly isn't the case. However he makes a good point that Stop Work Order cannot be applied to all occupations because there will be disruptions across many sectors of society.
4) The masks, PSI and efficiency of the government are debatable. There are many probable explanations & arguments that reflect subjective observations of a larger reality that not any single person can fully account for. It is nothing wrong to point out the flaws in the administration, just as there is nothing wrong in pointing out the ways which the government had done well. After all, aren't achievements and improvement points both featured in After Action Review (AAR)?
5) The haze is an immediate problem, but it is not merely a health problem. As much as one part of society chooses to help in tangible ways like distributing water and masks, there is another sector of society which scrutinizes the politics and governance process to ensure accountability in serving the interests of the citizens. They are both equally important in safeguarding the welfare of civil society. To dismiss the latter whilst preaching the former reflects a narrow mindset which ignores the larger complexity of the world we inhabit.
6) While price gouging is morally questionable, it is a natural feature of a capitalist economy.
7) On an additional note, the surgical masks blocks out soot, but it doesn't actually keep out microparticles. Therefore they are mostly placebo (unless you are in an environment concentrated with soot, which is not the case in most parts of Singapore).
1) The country is not a hive mind. It has culture, but using the phrase "character" seems to be pushing the envelope.
2) The standards of other countries are good for comparison, but they should never be the sole determinants of domestic policies.
3) The author makes it look as if the whole Singapore or online community is calling for Stop Work Order when it clearly isn't the case. However he makes a good point that Stop Work Order cannot be applied to all occupations because there will be disruptions across many sectors of society.
4) The masks, PSI and efficiency of the government are debatable. There are many probable explanations & arguments that reflect subjective observations of a larger reality that not any single person can fully account for. It is nothing wrong to point out the flaws in the administration, just as there is nothing wrong in pointing out the ways which the government had done well. After all, aren't achievements and improvement points both featured in After Action Review (AAR)?
5) The haze is an immediate problem, but it is not merely a health problem. As much as one part of society chooses to help in tangible ways like distributing water and masks, there is another sector of society which scrutinizes the politics and governance process to ensure accountability in serving the interests of the citizens. They are both equally important in safeguarding the welfare of civil society. To dismiss the latter whilst preaching the former reflects a narrow mindset which ignores the larger complexity of the world we inhabit.
6) While price gouging is morally questionable, it is a natural feature of a capitalist economy.
7) On an additional note, the surgical masks blocks out soot, but it doesn't actually keep out microparticles. Therefore they are mostly placebo (unless you are in an environment concentrated with soot, which is not the case in most parts of Singapore).
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