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BANG BALLS
FREEDOM OF SPEECH NOTHING SHOULD BE IMPOSED
IDEAS NOT LEECHED ONLY CREATIVELY COMPOSED |
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Jasmine
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Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Long Live Mao Why do we need censorship laws? To protect our innocent little minds? For us to grow up all clean and pristine? The government has indeed succeeded in doing so. With all the laws on censorship and what not, porn is illegal and so are many other things. The intents of the MDA are purely beneficial for all. The masses are protected from what they deem as corruptive. However, who are those who say whats to stay and what isn't? The sages of the MDA decide. Whatever happened to the 'learn out of your classroom' policy? If you want us to learn, let us see the world.  Let us see all the breasts and penises we need to, all the blood and gore of war, all the pain and suffering that transcends the world. Authorities think that by painting a rosy world, we would be better off. This would hold true if we were all unthinking idiots, not knowing shit about things around us. But the painful truth is that we Singaporeans aren't. Although we're the kiasi, kiasu, kiazhenghu people of this sunny island, we do think. But when it comes to thinking, we think and stop, not daring to question convention. Here lies the question. What makes us stop?Call me a cynic, but yes its the government. It is he who rules who controls. Of course Singapore is a great city to live in (anyone who disagrees would be sent to the depths of Changi Prison). With crime rates as low as our interest rates and economic growth always positive, whats there to be unhappy about? For instance, during the 2006 elections that just passed, a friend said to me 'Why bother about the elections? Is there even a need to consider the opposition? The present government has given us all that we have. Just vote for them lah.' And yes, being practical is a distinct trait that all Singaporeans possess. And so, we knew the victors even before the results were announced - you just can't believe it can you? As an economist would say, everything comes at a cost. The opportunity cost of happiness, prosperity and progress is the next best alternative forgone – our freedom of expression and the freedom of being able to bask in another’s free expression. Are Singaporeans mature enough to have censorship laws removed? Honestly, we’re not. But if we never try to work towards a more liberal form of censorship, how can we ever enter the creative economy of the coming era? Its time we led a revolution. A revolution for a very different kind of freedom – intellectual freedom, the power for us to question and discern, to know whats good for us and not to allow the wise old farts of a committee to. Don't get me wrong, they're doing a fine job as of now, but they've got to start planning for the future. |
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