My cousin just sent me an interesting link to blog about.
A blogger driving past the National Day Parade (NDP) area saw this banner. Singapore’s National Day falls on 9th August where most people will be happy to have a public holiday to rest. This year it falls on a Monday which means a long weekend and ironically most people will be taking the chance to have a holiday overseas.
I still can’t imagine that as a 6 year old I actually used to stand at attention in front of the TV each time the National Anthem was played and I would even say the pledge. Well at least for a while. I was not the only one. That’s how school conditioned us. It was an older era where we used to get whacked into submission – I mostly hated primary school for the mental and physical abuse. Actually, when I think about it, throughout school I actually felt proud singing the anthem. I also felt proud singing my school song. I guess there is something about group singing that rouses the stoniest of hearts – mine is as stony as it gets. I would love to be as patriotic as the Americans on the Fourth of July. I really would. I actually yearn for it and even envy their patriotism. All I know is that the day we get our freedom of speech I will bake a National Day Cake with icing and everything – and I can’t for the life of me, bake.
Anyway, I am still puzzled and shocked by the red banner. Is it for real? It just brings to mind what Gandhi said “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”.
Did anyone else see this? Read more at Chrome Plated Heart’s blog.
I think the whole “forced” patrioism we all kind of experienced in school probably contributed to standing at attention everytime you heard the national anthemn etc… I think as human beings we all have a innate need to be socialy accepted so sometimes behave in a way that we otherwise wouldn’t if we actualy thought about it rationaly. I think there is a pyscholigical phenomenon behind this sort of behaviour, it was how Hitler managed to bend millions of people to his facist will…. I hope this makes sense and not sound like ramblings….
It sure does. I remember feeling a lot of fear in primary school – we were not supposed to speak unless spoken to. I think your generation probably didn’t have it as bad – or did you?? I find Gen Y alot more bolder than Gen X or the Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers probably had it the worst in terms of abuse in school.
We didn’t get any physical abuse… but there was sure a lot propaganda when I was growing up… but its probably still the same now I guess?
I think we didn’t get as much propaganda…..we actually studied Ancient History in Lower Secondary School and not Singapore history. I think these days kids have National Education as well.
I JUST saw that yesterday and thought to myself in the cab on the way to Suntec City that I would have to go back and take a picture because no one would believe me…I need to link back to you on Thursday on this.
I wouldn’t long for American patriotism. We are just as conditioned as children-growing up I said the pledge every day (when I was like 5 or six on Flag day I walked down the street stopping at each flag (like every 10 feet) to recite the pledge–as a parent I can realize how obnoxious that must have been for my mom. I sang all the stupid American songs in primary concerts and still know the words (sadly, that part of my brain could be put to FAR better use). It wasn’t until secondary school before I started questioning all of it.
As adults many people are blind in the face of all possible logic that ONLY their way of thinking counts as patriotism (witness FOX news, the home of rightwing conservative hatred which they like to call patriotism). To be totally fair, I could see plenty of people saying that in the US, too, but I would have a hard time seeing (I hope) on a government sponsored piece of propaganda.
To be totally fair, while we throw a great party on the 4th, it’s not all that different from what I hear Singapore is doing (although we don’t practice our parades…now THAT is dedication–or something)–there are parades, there’s fireworks, we roast meat over fire. We sport stupid getups (or put our kids in them–see my 4th of July post) and sing the national anthem (although many people are quite fuzzy about that middle of that particular song, I’ve noticed).
But yeah…wow. That sign totally gobsmacked me.
My 4th of July in Singapore as an American Post–
http://expatbostonians.wordpress.com/2010/07/05/4th-of-july-singaporean-style-plus-a-contest/
Wow thanks for sharing Crystal…it’s so enlightening to hear it from your point of view. I would never have thought of Americans as conditioned like the way you described. For us flag day is when children in school are sent out with tin cans to collect donations for various organisations and they give you a sticker for it – I have not idea why they call it flag day when it should be sticker day!!
It would be so interesting if the banner is still there….hope you get the picture.
Yup….Fox news annoys me as well.
I remember the 80s and 90s being full national campaigns…however having gone to CHIJ there was a focus on subjects like english literature which encouraged you to think for yourself… from what I’ve heard… propaganda and “herd” mentality were worst at other schools.
I’m surprised that this banner is allowed….I agree with you the message seems to condone violence. I’m not sure the Govt wants to get into yet another spate of bad publicity due to a controversial message like this.
I was so surprised too…I wonder if this will be addressed in the news.
And I believe this is just for National Day, which is supposedly a peaceloving event.
HOLY CRAP HOW WAS THAT BANNER ALLOWED? That’s disgusting.
Going to Tweet this. JEEZ.
I am very curious about it too. Hope you find some answers after your tweet 🙂
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The thought notwithstanding, the banner caption is grammatically wrong to begin with.
yeah….I wonder who put it up.
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