Recently certain events have prompted me to re-evaluate the role & relevance of the Intelligent Singaporean in the Singapore socio-political blogosphere. These events have forced me to reconsider whether continuing my aggregation work furthers the original cause of IS.

The original intention of IS was that it would act as a mutual ground of exchange and to facilitate civil discussion about socio-political issues in Singapore. The blogosphere has however evolved rapidly in the intervening year and IS is no longer able to serve the changing needs of the blogosphere today.

I have therefore decided that this would be an appropriate time for me to redefine the nature of my participation in the blogosphere. Unfortunately, this includes the discontinuation of IS as it currently stands. Rest assured all previously published content will be retained and will continue to be accessible to the public-at-large.

It has been a privilege to have been involved in the undertaking of such a project. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to IS in one way or another, including all the readers who have supported my work. My only regret is that I will no longer be able to provide you with the same convenience in navigating the socio-political blogosphere that I have been able to with the Intelligent Singaporean.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

InSp.

All Inconvenience Caused is Regretted.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_150344.html

Nope it’s not just talk this time, it’s real and just in case you have any doubts, I have even gutted out the juicy bits just to show you how serious they are in projecting into the virtual:

“AN IT-SAVVY government agency here owns an island – but one which does not exist in the real world.

Along with at least two other agencies, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) has bought real estate to operate in a universe that exists only online.

This virtual world, called Second Life, is visited by more than 8.9 million residents from about 100 real-world countries.

Besides the IDA, the Singapore Tourism Board and Economic Development Board have bought stakes there – not for commercial gain, but to reach their audiences, or to explore operations in a virtual world.

Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts Balaji Sadasivan, revealing this yesterday, noted that life in this digital age was making the world increasingly porous, so it was important for people to ‘exploit the opportunities opening up’ in the cyberworld.”

Now I know most of you don’t really know what the virtual is – it remains the stuff of I know, but not really. So I am going to spend a few minutes just laying it out.

In a nut shell it’s a computer-based simulated environment that’s no different from any other domain. Granted there are a few kinks in this surreal world which still reminds one it is real – usually its always the small stuff, like you could break a chair and it breaks exactly the same way all the time – plasma guns never ever jam in real life and if you die, you can always come back next week, that sort of thing. Having said all that life in the three-dimensional graphical representations of the virtual world is very ‘real.’ Real enough to suggest that if you tabulated all the trade that goes on in a virtual environment in Norrath, it even has a GDP that’s equal to a country like Russia! Real enough even to suggest millions are traded in the sale of ray guns, space ships and minerals. Along with all this, of course is the ordinary stuff that one usually finds in the real world – real world rules such as politics, economics, sociology, technology and of course the means to put it all together.

I mean there are many genres of the virtual world, I can really go on all day to just list them all and along with what makes them so unique – Second Life – although not games, per se, but more like virtual environments that can include gaming – Entropia Universe, The Sims Online, Red Light Center, Kaneva, Weblo, particularly massively multiplayer online role-playing games such as EverQuest, Ultima Online, Lineage, World of Warcraft, or Guild Wars all add up to form the virtual environment that continues to attract people to sign up and define their “live” in computer worlds instead of the real.

It’s enough to ask to why? And now even the Government has decided to come into this domain – I don’t need to know why, there are really a thousand motivations accounting for it – it’s simple economics, where people flock to one place trade, transactions, ideas and possibilities happen. There is a whole lot of happening in the virtual realm and most of it generates even a strong enough gravity to attract real world businesses like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Reebok, Nissan and Calvin Klein to stake a claim on their ant hill.

We are not talking peanuts here, it’s big business conservatively estimated the market is somewhere around the upper reaches of over $1.2 billion on (earth) year and the ‘underground’ trade is at least 4 to 5 times this figure.

So am I so surprised the Singapore government is sending an exploratory space ship to find out more about this universe? Nope.

But don’t expect everything in the virtual world to be what it supposed to be – for one it’s not so different from the wild wild west. Most of the communities living in the virtual are very much like the early American pioneers who once transverse the great Sierra plains to stake a claim on ‘home.’ Whether you’re a person, a multi national company or even the government, it counts for squat all in the virtual world – the term ‘brave new world’ holds as much currency as words printed on the back of a chewing gum wrapper – its a gross understatement – so just remember every advantage, network and tool that works in the real world is pretty useless there! In the virtual your might as well throw away your clip boards along with all your real world tools of making sense of the world – nothing is what it ever seem – so be warned.

Having said that the virtual world like any frontier is the happening place for entrepreneurs – we do a brisk trade on all sorts of stuff in the virtual, from selling space stations to even magnetic boots. There’s even motels along with retail outlets that peddles kinky bondage paraphernalia, whips, ball gags, rubber suits and all just like the real world!

And it’s all real – real enough for thousands of people to even give up decent paying jobs just to work, live and play in a place like second Life, and you know what they even make real money that allows them to turn the wheel of life in the real world!

Big businesses are also muscling into the action. Avatars (virtual characters) can visit a virtual Reebok shop and even customize their footwear.

All this of course is made possible by the game master, the people who put the roads, building along with figuring how fast a stream should run and how many times you need to dip you hook, line and sinker to land a virtual trout, but again don’t expect them to know what’s really happening in the virtual world – there are plenty of blind spots and alternate universes in the virtual world – as the saying goes, there are chambers within chambers – which even the people who put it all together don’t even have an inkling what’s really at the heart of the virtual community. Through the years, you’ve be surprised how many ways we’ve figured to perfect our stealth technology that makes us invisible. For one the virtual realm is too big and there is so much human collaboration going you could even be assured of one thing – if you asked them ten questions, you likely to get nine sensible answers and one that sums it all up: “hey you go figure that one out yourself, we just put up the stuff together!”

So don’t be surprise space cadet Balaji Sadasivan, when you just basking in your artificial beach beneath a sun that never ever sets in your brand new virtual island – where waves can be produced ten foot high for surfing at the press of a button, each precisely the same as the last. Nor does this virtual paradise even have the mild inconveniences of crabs, jelly fishes and pesky creepy crawlies.

A place where you might even say to yourself: this just feels as if – how nature should be – don’t be alarmed, if you look up into the bluest of the blue virtual sky and suddenly an armada of space ships appears over the horizon lowering down their landing gear (no if the green starboard lights are blinking, its not an invasion. It’s just a friendly visit – don’t forget that, so keep the safety on those plasma blasters) – don’t reach for your plasma gun, be cool – don’t make any sudden movements, because our scanners can even see through your bunny trunks –As the alien steps out from the space ship, I know our diplomats look funny (we are working on issuing them some new uniforms). It’s probably Astro Boy. Don’t be alarmed by the brotherhood gothic garb and baby bonnet – after the exchange of pleasantries a conversation of sorts will probably follow (that’s how we train our diplomats), it starts with the weather and stuff like “how you’re enjoying yourself?” – “can we offer you a complimentary drink?” After that of course, they serious stuff slips in, “By the way, we are the brotherhood do you mind if we just park our fleet in one corner of your island? Coming to think of it have you renewed you license? Did you realize you need to buy recreational coupons and pay GST to lie down on this beach?”

Remember always: anything can happen in the virtual – tables can get switched around- sand shifts – but it’s a start a very good start and welcome, we have been expecting you – what took you so long?

[This has been brought to you by Aurora / written by Darkness, Harphoon, Astroboy & Trajan / Socio-political / Economics / Strategic Studies / Brotherhood Press 2007/ 983728-90 ES The Brotherhood Press 2007]

There is a lot of talk about what the Singapore Dream is. Books have been written about it but there are seldom any specifics on what it really is. Could the Singaporean Dream be one where a person becomes a millionaire? Is it the accumulation of all the 5 Cs? Or is it is a complicated journey involving Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and reaching self-actualization?

“Living the Singapore Dream”, a book written by Tan Yong Soon, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, attempts to highlight the lives of 23 Singaporeans who are living the dream. The stories were originally meant to inspire fellow Singaporeans to stretch themselves to achieve personal success and happiness in their lives.

The original intention of the author was a very good one. His chapter headlines were all universally good advice. We are encouraged to “Triumph over life’s imperfections” and “Pursue your goals with passion and persistence”.

But sadly, this piece of work failed to inspire me. In fact, my personal assessment of this piece of work was that it was very flawed as it showcases only a small number of elite Singaporeans and presenting a very parochial view of what success is like in Singapore.

I took all 23 profiles of so called “successful” Singaporeans listed in this book and analyzed it based on some of the attributes of the people who were mentioned. Instead of focusing on what these people did like the author, I took a snapshot of who they were because this analysis can reveal underlying biases subconsciously introduced when selecting profiles of personal success. Another words, I performed some data mining with a pen and paper.

Here are the results of my findings:

Out of 23 profiles, only 3 were female. 20 profiles were male.

Of the same 23 number of profiles, 13 came from Raffles Institution. More shockingly, only two profiles were not explicitly linked to Raffles Institution or National Junior College. Perhaps there were only two schools of renown in the sixties and seventies.

All the profiles were Chinese with the exception of two, one was Malay and one was Indian.

All 23 profiles showed people with University degrees. There was no mention of anyone with HSC, Polytechnic diploma’s or ITE certificates. It may be possible that there were no polytechnics in those days but the road to success was overwhelmingly confined to graduates. No lip service was even paid to late bloomers in Singapore.

The only heart-warming news is that out of 23 profiles only 10 were scholars and there was an equal distribution of successful people from the public and private sectors.

With these findings, we can conclude very disturbing things about the Singapore Dream if we choose to believe the answers from our senior civil servants.

It looks to me that the Singapore Dream can only be lived by those from elite schools. If you do not invest enough time to your academic studies to get a solid university education, you won’t be significant enough for mention in Singapore. It is also much easier to live the dream if you are a Chinese male.

Now this is fantastic news for the Rafflesian or NJCian Chinese male. My concern is what happens if you are not part of this demographic. Do you give up, emigrate and pack up to go overseas?

Right now all I can say that many changes on the top are trying to convince Singaporeans that Singapore now recognizes people with diverse talents and skills. Education is being reformed to do something about the self-esteem of those who are not necessarily the best at regurgitating information. The prime minister’s latest rally is a testament that our government is committed to change.

But as a concerned citizen, I can’t help but urge readers to be realistic. Change does not happen overnight as our public service organizations are run by many old-school mandarins who came from a different era.

The solution lies with you, my fellow citizens.

Here’s what I think you can adopt towards a better world:

1. Accept the fact that the Singapore Dream is dead. We are much better off that way.

2. Determine what actions and deeds give you a sense of meaning and pleasure and pursue it regardless of what the authorities say.

3. Do not confine yourself to working and living on this little red dot. Your ability to work in other countries and your skills are powerful tools to enforce a democracy in Singapore, policy changes will reflect the need to retain intelligent people in this country.

4. Lastly, like any finance author would recommend all of his readers. Earn money, save money and invest intelligently. Once you gain your financial freedom, no one can tell you what dream you should have.

Disclaimer: The author is a NJCian Chinese male but he’s still insecure.

—————-

Christopher Ng Wai Chung, 32, is an IT Project manager who dabbles in personal finance and wealth management. His books, Growing your tree of Prosperity and Harvesting the Fruits of Prosperity meld his philosophical ideas with the realities of seeking financial independence in Singapore. His books can now be found in all major bookstores in Singapore.

His own blog can be found in treeofprosperity.blogspot.com. He can be reached at waichung.ng@gmail.com.

For more information about Chris Ng and his Prosperity Series, click here

Still around? You probably did it yourself didn’t you? Don’t worry it happens to the best of us – feel better now? Let’s dive in!

Religion, I am sure means many things to most people and calling yourself a Christian simply means making a commitment to Jesus Christ. It also means Christians are often part of a community, where they often have to struggle with relational and personality issues which sometimes leads them to question their faith.

Sometimes the shit piles up real high and the people who you placed so much faith in simply lets you down – you feel cheated and despite your best efforts, you just know deep inside they’re not worth following. Doesn’t matter how hard you pray. Or even how long you choose to hold on – eventually, you let go, sigh, pick and go leaving the body of Christ. Usually no good bye’s are necessary, they (the stayers) have seen it all before, you (the quitter) just know what you’re supposed to do, close the door quietly on your way out, suck it in and walk never ever looking back once. It’s a story that’s played out millions of times in church life all over the whole hardly a new motif – only this time. In the internet age, things are slightly different.

God is in the internet! So one site I visited proclaimed. Another even suggested, “lay it down all here!” For the beat up Christian, it’s a too good to pass off without just checking it out only because most wayward Christians haven’t really abandoned Christ entirely – somewhere snuggled in the hurt and pain, he’s still there. Whether that is good or not, hey that really isn’t my call and I don’t even feel qualified to talk about it. All I can do is share with you my personal account of the before, during and after story. But as far as spiritual bumming is concerned, you know that place when you’re in but out in limbo trying to figure out whether it’s all worth it to go back in again or stay out in the cold. The possibility of discovering God again in the internet has an unmistakable allure. Even at my end point, I sensed church contained something I desperately needed if I really wanted to live a purposeful life. As much as I tried to fill my first Sunday’s out of church with things, I still felt the pang of separation from the body of Christ. I missed the communion, the warmth of fellowship, along with the sense of community which comes from being part of a shared community.

It didn’t take me very long to figure out faith when it isn’t nourished eventually develops a crusty shell of cynicism. After a while one finds all sorts of justification to give meaning to the cause of the embattled Christian.

I told myself this again and again I really have to make the effort to find God even if he’s in the internet. After all didn’t he appear as burning bush when he spoke to Moses, so what stop him from talking through the net? These days, I am told even the Devil wears Pravda. That was the kicker that led me to search for God in the net – it’s amazing, how the mind often finds the right facts to make an argument whole even if they’re holes so large that one can walk right through them. For one I came out with so many open minded assumptions about being able to find God in the internet, even my neuron-surgeon neighbor suggested that I should pop in as she said, “just to make sure everything is alright upstairs.” That could be the reason why she doesn’t answer the door bell these days.

You see I just figured out God was simply like some great industrialist. You know like General motors or Natsteel and the Bible is simply a instruction manual, study it diligently and I am sure, you’ve be cruising away nicely on all six cylinders.

There lies the danger and before I continue further let me just say: this is a cautionary tale on why faith should never ever be taken lightly especially if one harbors the illusion of doing it DIY style. My haphazard journey to rediscover God comprised of two things, studying the Bible and reading the word – I reasoned how wrong could I really go? Yeah I am sure, I would probably have to winnow the hucksters and charlatans from the real, but hey that’s true for everything these days, even when comes to buying a bar of soap, so it shouldn’t be so hard after all – should it?

Cut to the chase, trying to find God with Bible in cyberspace is just plain dicey. It’s easier to believe the benefit of a good education coupled with reading broadly inoculates one against the usual diatribe that’s one there – you know what I mean God is a alien, sell everything because the end time is coming – those sort of messages proliferate the net like those leaflets that clogs up the post box – most of the time, we just chuck them out, but every now and then a catchword reads: “hey this makes sense!” Remember what I said: religion is dangerous!

After a whole month of wading through it DIY style: It didn’t take me long to realized the more I looked for God in the net, the more confused I became. Firstly, I realized God blatantly contradicts himself time and again. I even came to the conclusion, God the CEO of Judaeo-Christian faith is a confirmed psychopath, guilty of all sorts of crimes against humanity.

Don’t believe me. Consider this: God appears to have no sense of scale and perspective. He is prepared to kill people for the most trivial of reasons. He even tries to rub out poor mind-ye-business Moses on his journey to Egypt because he forgot to circumcise himself. Yes, it’s even written, don’t believe me look at Job 15;26,

“Anyone who is born whose flesh is not circumcised on the eighth day is… to be smashed down and annihilated, to be uprooted from the face of the earth.”

There you go, he’s a lousy engineer – I mean what kind of industrialist designs something that needs to be modified, it’s like one of those dodgy sock manufacturers that sells you a black and white pair and expects you the dye the latter black as if it’s the most commercially sensible thing to do – why didn’t he just lob it off himself, if it bothered him so much?

By the second week in the net, I even came to the conclusion not only does God regularly make a mountain out of a mole hill. He even makes Idi Amin look like the Pope. In Samuel 6, he toasted 50,000 curious peeking Tom’s for looking into the box: the Ark of the Covenant. How’s that for “overacting?” I wonder how in their right mind would toast folks for opening the cookie jar just to feast their eyes (You think the brotherhood is paranoid? We are like little mother Teresa’s in lace compared to him!)

Despite forming my natural prejudices about God – he did have at least one redeeming quality: he was honest about his psychopathic tendencies. To be fair, he even came clean with an open admission he was a serial killer. Don’t believe me? Consider this:

“I shall subject you to terror, consumption and a burning fever that will consume your eyes making you blind and short of breath,”

How’s that?

By the third week, I reckoned, If God were still prancing around cross dressing as a burning bush, Amnesty International and United Nations Security Council would probably be printing out enough red cards to sink a battleship to either condemn or rein in his excesses.

It didn’t take me long to realize after my DIY attempt at finding God in the internet, the verdict is clear as day. God needs to be promptly arrested and brought to account for his crimes against humanity and should be tried in the Hague alongside Slobodan Milosevic, General Manuel Antonio Noriega, Idi Amin, Sadam Hussein and Adolf Hitler – that’s really how bad it got.

And just to cap you off, if you think, I am too hard on God consider this: he doesn’t think too much of you. In fact he even lamented how one of his biggest boo’s boo’s was to have made humans, “…….I was grieved at heart,” he says in Genesis 6:6. So there you have it, you just an aberration in the wider scheme of things.

The other thing that regularly cropped up during my search for God in the internet was this: why does God always need a little bit of money? I mean you can’t go to any Christian site on the internet without missing a neon sign that says, “give me money!” Hey what’s happening up there in the corporate board room in heaven? Who is the financial controller up there? Don’t they any money sense up there? What happened to standard operational procedures, accountability and the nuts and bolts of being financially independent? Don’t they have something resembling the Sarbannes Oxley Act in heaven?

Why is every Christian site begging for a bit of money all the time?

Why is God always running short? Can someone please tell me? I know Kenneth Lee “Ken” Lay (April 15, 1942 – July 5, 2006) an American businessman, best known for his role in the widely-reported corruption scandal that led to the downfall of Enron Corporation died recently. So had the big guy appointed him as the new financial controller up there? Could that be the reason why there’s always a deficit?

By the fourth month of searching for God in the internet, I realized there is a reason why serial killers often claim that they hear God’s voice and are simply acting under orders. He is indeed the president of the looney tunes society. It’s enough for one to roll over in laughter and ask: Who is truly in bondage?: those of us who acknowledge the glorious emptiness of the universe, or those who worship a God who doesn’t even make an ounce of sense?

As I mentioned in the very beginning of this article, this is a cautionary message on the perils of trying to search for God in the internet – trust me winging it alone to find God in the internet just spells trouble and it doesn’t matter whether you happen to be a Christian, Muslim or even someone who worships Mickey mouse – it shouldn’t never ever be done, not even experimentally – the verdict is clear, it produces shitty results no matter how you cut it! At best you end up (like moir) so confused you probably need color coded shoes to stop you banging into walls. At worst, you could even end up getting mixed up with some cult that’s out to do real damage to people and planet in the name of God.

It’s a shitty pay out and trust me and it just doesn’t work.

Truth is simply this religion may be the written word. But words often have the capacity to transcend their dictionary meaning to encapsulate the broader “truth.” Taken too it’s extremely, it’s a powerful astringent that will always be the preferred means to recruit fanatics only because it can be cut in any way to fit the bill. Is it such a wonder that so many these days are drawn to radicalism these days by the those who know only too well how powerful a tool it is to further their own nefarious and destructive agenda’s. Be it spreading hatred, fanning divisions, sharpening the sense of disenchantment it’s just plain and simply dangerous – that’s why trying to find God in the internet is just so dumber than dumb. It’s enough for me to consider going back to church to consider the return to the fellowship, community, service and what it really means to be a Christian. Someday perhaps even an embattled Christian such as myself will return….one day…. I shall return……for only one reason alone and the rest can take a hike – in the name of my father.

[This has been brought to you by Aurora / written by Darkness / Spiritual / Brotherhood Press 2007/ 983725 ES The Brotherhood Press 2007]

This is gloss from a two part series, albeit with my own personal twist on how Socio-political bloggers can survive the extinction event. If you have not read the two part series please do so, as it will provide you the foundation to understand much of what I have to present in this article.

Part 1 and Part 2

This is my first attempt at “machine” writing with the kind guidance of my colleagues who have both been patient and very helpful to give me insightful tips. I has always been one of my dreams to write for the brotherhood press and this is a debut article.

The general theme is to tie in many of the loose ends mentioned in Part I and II of this series. Along with this I have also highlighted the importance of setting the right expectation, perspective and strategy for both blogger, readers and researchers if they are to thrive in this brave new age of the internet.

I hope all of you enjoy it. Happy Reading. Aurora.

Why “talk” isn’t just “talk” – it’s the first stage of setting the right expectation

Is talk just talk? Set this along side the definition of the term ‘usefulness’ and ‘effectiveness’ and it may appear to hold true. It implies the talking accomplishes nothing. Now if you take both these notions and superglue it together, it’s like saying vacuum cleaners are “useless” because they can’t clean up the mess in the world. That’s just dumb because I can say, that’s not what it’s designed to accomplish – though the word ‘cleaner than clean’ features in the marketing tagline. What remains clear is there is a big difference between sorting out one’s living room and the broader mess in the world.

This underscores the need to keep things in the right scale and perspective.

Having said that, it’s understandable why even blogger frequently fall into the trap of assuming blogging can change the planet. Perusing through the annals of human history of great expectations is hardly a new theme – remember alchemy? The art of transmuting lead to gold? What about the aqua vitae aka elixir of immortality? Or the quest for the holy grail?

As Darkness mentioned, every age aspires to carve out their own mythology to define ‘usefulness’ and ‘effectiveness.’

By the same corollary the digital age aspires to do the same only this time blogging is pushed to the pedestal and dressed up as the “great hope” to facilitate social, economic and political change. The case is strong only because its so ingrained in our psyche that to accomplish anything, we need to do something, it serves to fertilize and perpetuate the myth. That’s why the Dodo program is so dangerous when it’s juxtaposed against the whole preoccupation of blogging it’s often sold and marketed as a natural extension of what can and must be – this regrettably is the first stage that sets most social-political blogger up for the fall from grace – it set’s the wrong expectation!

You can skip evolution – babbling is the serious stuff.

One of the most serious omissions in the whole discussion of what blogging is supposed to accomplish in both the short and long run is a sort of denial which serves to elide wholesale our history as a nation. We’re not Americans. Neither did we go through the Renaissance or the tumult which shaped the collective consciousness which distinguishes the West from us.

According to Darkness based on a chart he drew out, if our collective consciousness is a living organism, it will probably resemble proto-Neanderthal man who has suddenly discovered how a oversize femur can split another apes head. That puts technology and humanity in the right scale whenever we speak about socio-political blogging in Singapore. The internet age may be just as new to the West as it is to us, but seen against this patchwork of our cultural history it was to be “newer” to us than them. Only because by virtue of our cultural gaps we are still wallowing in the primordial soup of figuring out basic stuff like how to accommodate the optimal humanity quotient with this new technology. In darkness words, it’s not so different from the hilarious scene in 2001 Space Odyssey, when the aliens suddenly appeared, as in this scene:

According to this math chart, form, structure and symmetry will continue to confound us. I didn’t understand it all, but I realized, if I asked too many questions, it would interrupt his thoughts so I just listened and pick out the parts that made sense to this article.

In a nutshell we are still like babies babbling away – it’s early days and that’s why its premature to expect great changes and this is why the expectation, blogging is supposed to even ‘change’ is nothing less than the femur making the great leap to a space ship.

In this formative stage talking fulfils the important function of harmonizing and converging collective thought to create something resembling a ecology that is uniquely Singaporean. According to darkness, he believes even those who are wise in our Government such as BG George Yeo have derived at this calculation. This he goes on to say is a very good start.

Whether it’s able to produce tangible results remains a non issue: the key at this stage of primacy is nourishing it and ensuring it develops coherently by cutting away radicalism, racism and all the undesirable aspects which may root itself during its primacy.

That’s one reason why when people say to me – “hey you bloggers just talk and do nothing, I say, OK, next time you’re on a flight, I’ve get my neighbors baby to land that commercial airliner – how’s that!”

So let’s get the right perspective.

Can talking really bring about change?

What then is the best way to survive the extinction event? What if I told you, if you did nothing except just blog and not even bother about saving the whales etc – you could have such a disproportionate effect on even facilitating real and meaningful change?

Don’t believe me?

Consider one of the most enduring myths: the assumption words and actions need to be coupled to really bring about meaningful change. Sorry not true! Not historically, not even mathematically or even statistically – not even remotely – if it did the Gutenberg press wouldn’t been the most effective means in human history to debunk the myth the world is flat as a pizza in less than a 100 years. In relative terms today, that’s a bit like flying from Changi to London in less than 3 minutes flat! I am not saying that you just need to write your way to get a car or house. Of course not, in some cases words needs to be completed with action like baking a cake or giving your dog a bath – only understand this in comparative terms the pen is mightier than the sword or to paraphrase talking is more powerful than action when it is brought to bear on schools of thoughts and states of mind.

Contrary to popular belief blogging isn’t anything near useless a caricature as it’s often depicted to be by either the MSM. For most of us it’s the only means by which civilized people regularly lay the foundation for fleshing out their ideas and sharpening them into effective tools for work, life and play. It’s hardly predation and if you think real hard about it, it’s simply an extension of the village square, where a community regularly congregates – for one real reason sometimes other than to tell others, they stand two inches taller if they don’t slouch. Or to even proclaim whole disquisitions of truths – for years mankind was always sought out this square, common ground or place. In our age, it exist in the virtual domain and here mankind is doing roughly the same as he has done through the ages – conversing, bartering, teasing along with the odd duel now and then followed by the occasional drama that rivets everyone.

[This part is from darkness which he expressed with a wan of sadness as he showed me his equations. I’ve never seen him so sad before when he share with me what he believed to be the inexorable end – the impending doom that even as he said, the brotherhood is not able to prevent] I am inclined to believe, those who lament bloggers can accomplish very little except talk have simply missed the whole point. Yes, I for the doer’s their goal to change the world is divine and even noble, but even they have to struggle against the odds: indeed who can disagree fairness and equality certainly makes winning case to get off your ass and do something. But it’s closer to bravado than accomplishing anything significant only because within than worldview lies a certain arrogance and ignorance concerning how the world really is. For one this erudite lot commit the sin of assuming – the “general audience” is an eclectic pool of decently educated people probably like themselves. Who can be induced, by strong enough reasoning and dialogue to even see the good they can offer. Truth remains not everyone shares their enthusiasm especially in an age where the temptation to seek instant gratification has never before being heightened to such a degree by technology. Neither can one assume they (the general audience) even have the patience to sustain an avid interest in socio-political affairs in an age where pleasure of the written word losing the on-going battle with the digital apotheosis of mass culture. It gives me no pleasure to demolish this myth of the general audience –the prospects are at best too bleak to even contemplate on a long term basis. I have modeled the outcome at least a dozen times and on every occasion the results remain the exactly same, that socio-political scene may even disappear one day completely.

That is why the message must go forth even if it lacks an imperative, rhyme or reason – as humans even we the statistical insignificant still have the hope for great expectations and this is something ants can’t do – to believe we will one day find a place called home.

I hope this has not been too long, I so wanted to make a good first effort.

Happy Reading

Aurora.

I would like to thank Darkness for spending a whole day with me, it has been a privilege sir!

Long live the brotherhood!

(This has been brought to you by your friend Brotherhood Controller, Aurora / Written by [lead] Aurora – Darkness / Vollariane / Cerebus / Memphisto / Prometheus / Politics Economics/ Sociology – ES 9908218D Part III – The Brotherhood Press 2007)

You can really call it what you want. For me, the whole idea of floating the balloon “socio-political blogging doesn’t accomplish anything just because it’s a wind bag” is as close to buying into Dodo software.

The term deployed is precise, premeditated and deliberate because taken to its logical end Dodo software is just lousy and unimaginative thoughtware – follow it to the ‘T’ and don’t be surprise if it you end sitting in a cave picking ticks off your mate while the rest pick entrails to make sense of the destiny of mankind’s fate.

The whole proposition of linking socio-political blogging with affirmative action or even doing something is flawed because firstly, it imposes a corseted definition on ‘usefulness’ in the context of how it’s able to solicit real and meaningful change. It’s not so different from saying anyone who is over six-foot is tall and useful, and those who fall short of this criteria must simply be relegated to the ranks of “useless.” That’s hardly a new theme. Every age crafts their own respective measures of what constitutes an effective means to solicit social change. Even in ordinary speech, it’s to be seen every where often taking the guise, “get on your bike” – “go and do something useful” – don’t just talk, make it happen” – it’s appears cogent, persuasive even to suggest seeing to be doing something remains the only to effect real change.

However, there is a fatal flaw in holding on to this logic as it elides whole sale the need to first address the first protocol of reasoning: Where are we? What is our environment? What is the best way to cut the cake?

That’s to say talking fulfills a very important function of doing the first thing first stuff.

Can we really believe the sum of all our ranting, talking and commenting in the absence of affirmative action amounts to nothing? Yes, in the quantitative world this certainly holds true, but it hardly holds one drop of water in the qualitative world. When we consider words form the very basis of giving action meaning. For one the right words in the form of ideology and philosophies as much as we like to believe remains the preserve of intellectuals permeates every facet of humanity – from the Geneva Conventions to the finer disquisitions of whether blacks are inferior to whites, words are the basis of validating, clarifying and bringing to light issues. It suggest if the process of meaningful change is to be fully understood from the inside out, the whole idea of fusing words with affirmative action is so flawed that it even introduces a very dangerous precedent on how we should ideally make sense of how best we may go about effecting change.

Now at this point what I have said so far may appear to be a reiteration of part 1, but look again, there is a gloss here.

What I find dangerous about anyone who even remotely posits the idea change needs to be coupled with affirmative action is notion that it usually involves introducing a distributive equation on how we should even think. Or classify what make sense and what doesn’t. Taken to its illogical end the whole idea of fusing thought with affirmative action is nothing other than a dogmatic approach – that’s what it is though it’s often dressed up to be something else.

Now I am not a big fan of dogma, because as the term implies, it’s a mother of dogs. Besides on average, every dogma ranging from Communism to flower power has gone the way of the Dodo.

Why is that so you ask? Well, it’s simple a dogmatic approach to anything and it doesn’t really matter whether it’s town planning or blogging with the expectation of saving the planet frequently produce Frankenstein results which require the a plethora of lies to support it : narratives like, if victory was won, it came with a heavy price, gained only by the slimmest margins to bring you to where you are. Someone died for you – they always have too, don’t you notice that. Some paid the price with scorpions and whips yadda, yadda, yadda, yadda. I can really go on all day on just this one point of illustrating the “necessary lie” and how its so often coupled with the idea if you have something on your mind then go and do something otherwise it amounts to naught – my contention is simply this: the assumption words and actions necessarily form the optimal means to effect real and meaningful change does not always hold true in every case! That may apply to baking a cake or home renovations, but when it’s applied to something as abstract as the grey matter between your ears – I just call it propaganda and brainwashing!

I would even go as far as to insert a cautionary note by stating it’s dangerous when we buy into the belief, we have a right to leverage on an agency or “right” to exercise “change” simply because blogging empowers us to do so.

Yes, I am sure we can go to court (probably at great expense) to decide whether talking alone about socio-political issue does accomplish anything at all. Or maybe the optimal means is to fuse words with action, but this is hardly the main plank of my article. Follow me here, because this where the hammer hits the spark is produced that ignites this entire article and set it ablaze. From this point, it get hot, I warn you!

The first order precedent before any action can even claim to have a rightful mandate and it doesn’t matter whether it is a moral, ethical or even a humanitarian imperative requires this question to be answered: where does the ‘right’ to act derive from? That’s to say, what the motive behind your actions? What gives it the basis for justification?

Indeed, this brings into sharp focus that it all begins simply from the very simple act of talking. Contrary to popular belief talking isn’t anything near useless caricature as it’s the only means by which civilized people regularly lay the foundation for fleshing out the justifications for their actions. For years, mankind have done a brisk trade not of doing, but rather first adjudicating what is worth pursuing before deciding to do– the discovery of the terra incognita when the Santa Maria sailed across the great void wasn’t so much an act as it was the result of years of scholarly pursuit when Christopher Columbus battled with the scholars in the University of Salamanca where held up a melon and proclaimed the world was round. So don’t forget where it all starts, it easy to confuse the thunder and discount the lightning that splits the mighty oak tree.

By the same token, when I read about gays who are insistent that the government should legislate to protect their rights – really, I wonder by what measure of logical treatise are they invoking when they rant endless not enough has been done? Perhaps they too are subscribing to Dodo logic in so much as they believe by merely coupling words with the very idea of affirmative action that’s the way to solicit real and meaningful change. Legislating to legitimize, validate and recognize their locus of being form very much the main thrust of the gay movement when it comes to defining social progress.

But I say look again, that premise of fighting to protect remains only true, if you believe the law is omnipresent and people don’t have a way to work around the system to express either their prejudices and beliefs despite the threat of legal retribution – if anything the entire strategy has as much persuasion as battery powered cattle prod, a crude instrument that appeals to three cells somewhere in my buttocks. Hardly, the stuff that recruits all the mental processes of my frontal lobe- neither does passing laws just to protect gays or seemingly extending their rights appeal to our higher senses of being and this begs the question: how does that sort of talk coupled with affirmative action produce real and meaningful change?

Well it doesn’t!

And this leads us right back to the imperative; tagging on the gay issue – what is the best way to solicit real and meaningful change? Firstly the tool needs to engage the mind and this is where even modern day progressives such as Alex Au (the supremo gay rights activist) has inadvertently placed the proverbial cart before the horse. That’s why despite all his best efforts the return on his energy, investment and opportunity to turn the tide of public opinion against gays will at best be the stuff of ever decreasing circles since it’s subject to the laws of diminishing returns i.e bo hua la (or go and ask Bart what that means, its an economic reality and if I had 10 minutes to sit down with him, I could even prove it with pen and an napkin!).

A far more sensible approach, which can be described as progressive and relies implicitly just on “talking” specifically constructive engagement (as commonly used in diplomatic circles) can accomplish far more, not through legislating or even adopting the posture the best way to further rights of gays is by instituting a barrage of protective measures through the introduction of anti-gay laws i.e by defending or even fighting to preserve individual rights against the majority opinion.

Instead the optimal approach should deploy a strategy of talking to get the message out there to change majority opinion against the traditional prejudices against gays.

I am not a gay, but I do sympathize with their plight, but the focus of this article is not my beliefs or my preference for which type of racks I like. Rather it remains the cogent issue of selecting the right tools to get the job done. Advocates who lament bloggers do little except to verbalize and very little else and propose instead a pro-active role to effect direct change through affirmative action premise their logic on one flawed assumption: fairness and equality makes a good case for the progressive cause. That’s lousy competitive strategy, don’t believe me consult any tome on game theory and competitive heuristics. For one it lacks the multiplier effect and is short of strategy. It makes far more sense for progressive bloggers to invest their time crafting new thoughtware to challenge, inspire and hopefully posit an alternate perspective to slowly turn around the majority to adopt their vision of the common good and if possible even use as the basis for premises policy initiatives.

There mere fact that certain practices such as being seen to do something positive for people and planet are sanctioned by the traditions of history to be effective is not enough a case to suggest it remains the best way to bring about real and meaningful change – to suggest only words and actions should necessarily be the only means to measure accomplishment is to deny the possibility for competing ways to gain primacy in this new age and when you consider blogging is only a recent phenomenon. I really wonder where is the wisdom in dismissing the broader importance of just talking? If nothing, it’s a start, a very good start that I for one will always encourage, nourish and even harbor great expectations.

(This has been brought to you by your friend Brotherhood Controller, Aurora / Written by [lead] Darkness / Vollariane / Cerebus / Memphisto / Prometheus / Politics Economics/ Sociology – ES 9908218E Part II – The Brotherhood Press 2007)