Political tadpole

I believe if my memory did not fail me, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew did call his brother a political tadpole. You know, so little knowledge of politics and the inside workings.

Recently, I followed a big online "spat" between two bloggers I hold in equally high esteem. I'd better tread carefully here because I realise that either of them have all the time to retaliate against me than I would ever have in my life. I'm not entirely sure but it's a safe assumption, unless I want to be deluged with death threats from both sides of the big pond.

Interestingly, when I visited my uncle in Taiwan during my holidays, he too, I realised, is extremely passionate about politics. We could never get any political discussion started because the political systems involved were vastly different.

If Singapore had a parliament, yes we adapted the Westminster style, that could have fist fights, our economy would have long died. Singapore could only thrive when there is a quasi-communist democracy. Don't take me to task -this is the way I see it and I am entitled to my opinion. I can't find something more appropriate at the moment but I am open to suggestions - for naming that ideological leaning(s) only.

We have a highly paternalistic government that almost decides for us what should be done, with room for you to choose how you want to do it. We have unions - interestingly in a tripartite arrangement with the government and the workers. It isn't the neatest arrangement but we probably need it.

To understand Singapore better, one can probably go to wikipedia. But what I wanted to say is that the political tadpole analogy seems terribly damning.

Even when the tadpole grows up, he's probably a frog in a political well...

I guess being arm chair political critics are easy. Just like backseat drivers.

But as long as we reach the intended destination, we probably have to grin and bear with the motion sickness. After all, at least for me, Singapore did not get here with a bumbling government.