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Capitalism
without democracy is exploitation – excerpts from A
Nation Cheated
28 May 07
THE only
difference between communism and capitalism, it has been said,
is that the communists have admitted that they were wrong.
Such
an observation, undoubtedly made with tongue firmly in cheek, is
nevertheless a serious indictment of the economic system that
has enveloped this planet.
The widening disparity
between the world's rich and poor continues to ask questions
about the way humanity conducts itself. Poverty brutalises and
dehumanises the victims it claims. It is an evil that tears at
the very heart of civilisation.
Giving
succour to us is the knowledge that people are not defenceless
when it comes to combating poverty. The weapon of choice is, of
course, democracy. For without it, capitalism becomes nothing
more than exploitation in disguise.
And
yet, in Singapore the situation is such that while the ruling
Peoples’ Action Party (PAP) remains alive to the
capitalist world, it ensures that democracy is kept dead and
buried. Such an arrangement renders the working poor voiceless
and powerless, opening them up to abuse and exploitation.
A
Nation Cheated addresses the fallacy that Singapore has a
well-run, free-market economy system put in place by the PAP
that continues to benefit the island’s inhabitants.
In
fact, this report clearly demonstrates that there is nothing
free or market-oriented about Singapore’s economy. Worse,
developmental trends over the last 10 years show how
Singaporeans have been economically displaced and socially
dislocated as a result of PAP policies.
It
documents the subjugation of the labour movement by the
Singapore Government during the nation's formative years which
has continued into the present. The official argument is that
strong trade unions are inimical to foreign investment.
After
nearly half-a-century of uninterrupted authoritarian rule,
however, the results are abysmal. Singapore's economy seems
unable to graduate into something more than a service station
for multinational companies. The resultant effect has been the
emergence of a significant layer of underclass.
The
report also demonstrates that this system is actively maintained
by an autocratic government whose political philosophy and
practice is predicated on Lee Kuan Yew's idea that state
resources should be concentrated on the top 5 percent of the
pop-ulation "who are more than ordinarily endowed
physically and mentally."
Most
importantly, this essay presents a clear alternative to the
course taken by the PAP who has bludgeoned into the minds of the
populace that there isn't, and can never be, one.
It was
first published in 2002 under the title First World...For
Whom? Much has happened since and this updated version will
bring readers up to speed about Singapore's political-economy,
poverty, and labour.
Many
have bought the e-copy of A Nation Cheated written by
Dr Chee Soon Juan. If you haven't done so, order a copy today
and support the democracy campaign in Singapore!
Option1:
You can place your order through Paypal, either through your own
Paypal account or directly with your credit card if you don't
have a Paypal account. Click on the 'Buy Now' button below.
Option 2: If you don't want to use either of the
above options, please write to
speakup@singaporedemocrat.org.
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