I think what Wall Street and K Street (the advocacy groups in Washington) did not see it coming, is that they bring about an age which we all fear. This is, the age of depression, suppression and regression.
The effects of the American subprime mortgage crisis has struck my country quite hard. Our government has to spend 6% of our country's GDP, something in the tune of US$12 billion, to clear our economy above economic contraction levels. And the Fed did quantitative easing to inject more liquidity into the market (but actually, more inflation around the world).
In addiiton, those Tea Party and Occupy movements seems to shake America into more extremeism. While it is great to reduce governmental involvement when it is unnecessary, times make it bad to cut taxes and for now, governmental spending for federal infrastructure building for the next economic boom. While it is good to increase attention to those who do not have jobs or lost hopes, the Occupy movement really had nothing to shout about, other than empty, disjointed slogans of frustration.
History reminds me that this is a repeat of 1848, which is the year of revolution for the West. All revolutions that attempts to change governments failed, though 1848 sowed the seeds for societal reforms.
Then, the only Western countries without revolution are Britain, United States, the Netherlands, Russia, Norway and Sweden. A large majority of us Aspies Central hail from these countries. So many of us may not be aware of the significance of 1848 - unless our forebears moved from other parts of Europe into these countries above in that year, or in subsequent years.
For me, the '1848' was 1911, when the Kuomintang swept through the whole country of China. My family had to flee to the South Seas (Southeast Asia) in search of opportunities to get a grip on life.
It's my wish that the political situation in Singapore will remain more calm than China, to justify the reason why I still stay here. But with recent under-currents in Singapore due to the increasing complacency of the current government (which, as a civic-minded citizen, that I try my best to stop), I do not see this happening. And I cannot move back to China, because I do not see myself as a good fit under their socio-political system for now.
And then, there were the Arab Spring and Occupy movement. 99% vs 1%. It looks even professors, traditionally regarded as our elites, are also joining the protests. Things look really bad!
Now, from what I know, the only major countries that do not have revolution or massive widespread discontent with the government to change, over the past few years, are: India (which has proceedings against the current Congress coalition), Indonesia (still recovering from the 1998 IMF crisis, with uncertain political and economic reforms), Russia (benefitting from an oil price boom, and still works in progress), Canada (which surprisingly elected the incumbent government to power, but having the Liberals wiped out from the electoral map) and, from the looks of it, much of Latin America, with their growths slowing and governments busily expanding the economy to try stimulate growth (esp. Brazil).
Even long-time stable paradises seems to threaten to change their governments, as seen in current trends.
One of them, nearly, is Australia. The Greens enter Parliament for the first time in 2010, as elected members of the Australian Parliament, as the Australian Labor Party lost seats. Another could be China, the epitome of current economic booms (and assumed stable government) - the current central government finds it hard to suppress both poor people trapped under permanent relative poverty, and dissenders, with Ai Weiwei winning a Nobel Peace Prize (which looks politically motivated) in 2010.
In this turbulent age, perhaps it looks all doom and gloom. But there is hope.
One of the small countries that really impresses me is New Zealand. They have a sizeable earthquake that flattened a whole region, Canterbury, in their country, even more in proportion than the Tohoku earthquake in Japan. Like Japan, the Kiwis learnt to rally the whole country together for rebuilding. But unlike Japan, they got political will to push these forward. They are willing to accept higher taxes to support rebuilding Canterbury and the city of Christchurch. And though there is an Ocupy New Zealand movement, it doesn't really shake the whole country into chaos and despair. And their government, which is led by the National Party and having the support of ACT, seems strong enough to last through the next General Election this year.
It helps that they held the Rugby World Cup earlier this year, but that's an after-thought.
It really makes me wonder, what New Zealand did that other countries don't that made them more stable than the other countries, for this year of upheavals? What can New Zealand bring us - through their stability, do they really give us hope?
Maybe there are some things we can consider:
- The only countries with substaintial economic links with New Zealand are, so far, United States, Europe, Australia and China. But China is the largest trading partner of New Zealand, followed by Australia, if I am not wrong, and they are relatively insulated from the European/American/Japanese economic bust. There is a sizeable hinterland in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia, too.
- New Zealand have a relatively egalitarian culture, as compared to other countries. Men have the 3 'R's - Rugby (NZ just won Rugby World Cup at home), Racing and beeR. From Wikipedia, "the stereotypical New Zealand male is essentially a pioneer type: he is rural, unintellectual, strong, unemotional, democratic, has little time for high culture, good with animals (particularly horses) and machines, and is able to turn his hand to nearly anything." Personally, with my understanding of my personality, I think I would fare better as a better, happier person if I were bred in New Zealand, rather than in Singapore, because I feel as if I am a pioneer.
- New Zealand uses the German election model, that is, some seats are contested in constituencies while others are elected across the country, based on nation-wide electoral results.
- New Zealand has an extensive welfare system, relatively open university admission requirements, and good welfare system.
- New Zealand is a multicultural country, made up of the Pacific Islanders, Maoris and Caucasians - and other races.
The effects of the American subprime mortgage crisis has struck my country quite hard. Our government has to spend 6% of our country's GDP, something in the tune of US$12 billion, to clear our economy above economic contraction levels. And the Fed did quantitative easing to inject more liquidity into the market (but actually, more inflation around the world).
In addiiton, those Tea Party and Occupy movements seems to shake America into more extremeism. While it is great to reduce governmental involvement when it is unnecessary, times make it bad to cut taxes and for now, governmental spending for federal infrastructure building for the next economic boom. While it is good to increase attention to those who do not have jobs or lost hopes, the Occupy movement really had nothing to shout about, other than empty, disjointed slogans of frustration.
History reminds me that this is a repeat of 1848, which is the year of revolution for the West. All revolutions that attempts to change governments failed, though 1848 sowed the seeds for societal reforms.
Then, the only Western countries without revolution are Britain, United States, the Netherlands, Russia, Norway and Sweden. A large majority of us Aspies Central hail from these countries. So many of us may not be aware of the significance of 1848 - unless our forebears moved from other parts of Europe into these countries above in that year, or in subsequent years.
For me, the '1848' was 1911, when the Kuomintang swept through the whole country of China. My family had to flee to the South Seas (Southeast Asia) in search of opportunities to get a grip on life.
It's my wish that the political situation in Singapore will remain more calm than China, to justify the reason why I still stay here. But with recent under-currents in Singapore due to the increasing complacency of the current government (which, as a civic-minded citizen, that I try my best to stop), I do not see this happening. And I cannot move back to China, because I do not see myself as a good fit under their socio-political system for now.
And then, there were the Arab Spring and Occupy movement. 99% vs 1%. It looks even professors, traditionally regarded as our elites, are also joining the protests. Things look really bad!
Now, from what I know, the only major countries that do not have revolution or massive widespread discontent with the government to change, over the past few years, are: India (which has proceedings against the current Congress coalition), Indonesia (still recovering from the 1998 IMF crisis, with uncertain political and economic reforms), Russia (benefitting from an oil price boom, and still works in progress), Canada (which surprisingly elected the incumbent government to power, but having the Liberals wiped out from the electoral map) and, from the looks of it, much of Latin America, with their growths slowing and governments busily expanding the economy to try stimulate growth (esp. Brazil).
Even long-time stable paradises seems to threaten to change their governments, as seen in current trends.
One of them, nearly, is Australia. The Greens enter Parliament for the first time in 2010, as elected members of the Australian Parliament, as the Australian Labor Party lost seats. Another could be China, the epitome of current economic booms (and assumed stable government) - the current central government finds it hard to suppress both poor people trapped under permanent relative poverty, and dissenders, with Ai Weiwei winning a Nobel Peace Prize (which looks politically motivated) in 2010.
In this turbulent age, perhaps it looks all doom and gloom. But there is hope.
One of the small countries that really impresses me is New Zealand. They have a sizeable earthquake that flattened a whole region, Canterbury, in their country, even more in proportion than the Tohoku earthquake in Japan. Like Japan, the Kiwis learnt to rally the whole country together for rebuilding. But unlike Japan, they got political will to push these forward. They are willing to accept higher taxes to support rebuilding Canterbury and the city of Christchurch. And though there is an Ocupy New Zealand movement, it doesn't really shake the whole country into chaos and despair. And their government, which is led by the National Party and having the support of ACT, seems strong enough to last through the next General Election this year.
It helps that they held the Rugby World Cup earlier this year, but that's an after-thought.
It really makes me wonder, what New Zealand did that other countries don't that made them more stable than the other countries, for this year of upheavals? What can New Zealand bring us - through their stability, do they really give us hope?
Maybe there are some things we can consider:
- The only countries with substaintial economic links with New Zealand are, so far, United States, Europe, Australia and China. But China is the largest trading partner of New Zealand, followed by Australia, if I am not wrong, and they are relatively insulated from the European/American/Japanese economic bust. There is a sizeable hinterland in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia, too.
- New Zealand have a relatively egalitarian culture, as compared to other countries. Men have the 3 'R's - Rugby (NZ just won Rugby World Cup at home), Racing and beeR. From Wikipedia, "the stereotypical New Zealand male is essentially a pioneer type: he is rural, unintellectual, strong, unemotional, democratic, has little time for high culture, good with animals (particularly horses) and machines, and is able to turn his hand to nearly anything." Personally, with my understanding of my personality, I think I would fare better as a better, happier person if I were bred in New Zealand, rather than in Singapore, because I feel as if I am a pioneer.
- New Zealand uses the German election model, that is, some seats are contested in constituencies while others are elected across the country, based on nation-wide electoral results.
- New Zealand has an extensive welfare system, relatively open university admission requirements, and good welfare system.
- New Zealand is a multicultural country, made up of the Pacific Islanders, Maoris and Caucasians - and other races.
