Our children pays for our political myopia

Allowing ourselves to be distracted from the real issues by being thankful of our current situation has never and will never make sense to me.

This is the Singapore story: Study hard, work hard, and you can pull yourself out of poverty.

I wish to remind the younger generation of where we have come from, and not to take what Singapore is now for granted. Today, I live in an HDB maisonette. Thank you, Singapore.

The first point is reinforcing the meme that misfortune is self-inflicted, while the second is the constant "be grateful and appreciative" theme that is trotted out every time there is disagreement with national policies.

Not everyone who studies and works hard reap the benefits they deserve. Being grateful and appreciative of what we have should not curtail our ambitions and hopes that we should, and can, do better. And dissent is not disloyalty, which is always implied in letters such as these.

This letter makes for a touching story, but ultimately has no relevance to reality. If anything While it is admirable to remember one's roots and be thankful for how far we have come, we should also be mindful of our responsibility to the next generation; if we cannot make it better for them, then at least, don't make it worse.

Ng Kok Lim also pounces:

It is not enough to remind the younger generation of where we come from.  It is more important to let them understand that in an increasingly competitive world, it is not enough to simply ace one’s exams just so as to win a privileged seat to rot in.

So while you give thanks to Singapore for living in a maisonette today, think about who you would thank if you were to start all over again by drawing today’s starting salary and paying today’s price for a maisonette.  I can guarantee you, your tears will be no less than those you shed for Mr Mah last Saturday which you have no one else but Mr Mah to thank for.

When Madam Low's children have to pay a much higher price for a HDB flat than she paid for her maisonette, who will she cry for then? And will she expect Mr Mah to cry for her?

This is not a simple issue of a "generation gap"; more worryingly, this might be signs that some have bought the PAP dogma hook, line and sinker. And our children will pay the price for this generation's gratefulness.