Comments on: Geylang, Chinese and the irrationality of fear. Is it really irrational?

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:59:59 +0000

Yes. It would be terrible if we became yet another city where some schools were only for children of one race or maybe certain jobs such as tank commanders, air force pilots etc were chosen not on the basis of ability but race…or where certain races could not aspire to be Prime Minister or perhaps where certain races had to sell their homes at lower prices just to ensure that they did not make up more than 25% of the population of any single appartment block.

That would be a terrible place to live indeed!

By: ed

ed — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:07:50 +0000

Interesting article.

By the way, you ought to rethink your definition of ‘harmony’ and ‘multiracialism’. There is a thin line between harmony and fascism as ‘harmony’ can be brought about within fascistic conditions where everyone accepts their allotted place in a hierarchically structured society.

Most from more multiculturally advanced states in the west – like the UK, US, and India – would take issue with the pervasive version of ‘harmony’ in many ‘asian’ states and would even view your perspective as evidence of fascism internalised to the point that hierarchies and discrimination is invisible to the thus acculturalised mind. Many instances of discrimination here would not be countenanced in, say, the UK. That is invisible to you given your ill-thought through use of ‘harmony’ and ‘multi-racialism’.

‘Harmony’ is the existence of equality without racial hierarchies; without the equation, majority=race; and with equality in opportunity paired with equality in representation. Where dissent is absent and where the above is not true, it is simply ‘fascistic harmony’. This is not an opinion, it is based on observable sociological facts.

Your last point on a ‘speak english campaign’ is a good one.

By: Gerald Giam

Gerald Giam — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:42:02 +0000

Agree with you. I think we’re going on a dangerous path if we choose multiculturalism over a melting pot. With the former, we let every tribe (race, religion, national origin) develop their own cultures to the exclusion of the others. With the latter, we force everyone to conform to a common national culture.

Of course neither extreme is good. We must strike a balance. But we must not let it tilt too far in favour of multiculturalism, because then we’ll end up like all those “great” cities like London, Sydney and New York, whose immigrants and people groups live in segregated ghettoes.