on politics...

ah politics. How I do love that word. Po-li-tics. A simple 3-syllable word that's bound to conjure so many emotions out of us.

Sat through a wedding dinner last week with some friends. With a long Chinese dinner to sit through, of course we have to make small talk and catch up with one another. One of the topics came around to the Singapore General Elections that's fast approaching. Suddenly I see people raising the volume of their voices and arguing passionately about "Why you should think this way?" and "No, no, you don't understand, you cannot think like that...". Amazing transformation. from one moment of enjoying the food and company, to suddenly turning at each other throats, metaphorically. Politics.

I guess we just mimic our political contenders from real life. Lately, I see a lot of those kind of behavior that been televised and reported. I don't get much wind of proposed domestic policies or foreign policies, or even "bread and butter" issues, or social issues. Mostly I hear is "lift upgrading", "getting a new park/stadium", "did he or did he not submit the form?" and "so what if they've got better candidates? Have they ever been in power?" Seems like a popularity contest more of an informed vote I am about to cast this coming saturday. Politics.

Friends have wondered aloud whether elections in other first world countries are "also like that". Well, in my few years* of following elections in other countries, I find the same ruckus being played over and over again. It's not really about better policies proposals or better political ideology. It mainly boils down to popularity and credibility of the contestants. The only difference is that we are entrusting the betterment of out future to the people we elect, instead of say seeing the winner coming up with new song CD or what. Politics.

Again the oxymoronic expectations we have. While we know it is only man we are electing into office, we expect them to play God-like roles in eliminating not the "big-big problems" (nuclear proliferation, child prostitution, world poverty), but in ending our mundane inconveniences ("Can you help me get a job/move that pesky neighbour away/ divert that feeder bus service to around my block?") Politics.

well, gonna stop writing now, because I don't know how to end this posting.

* yeaps, I'm not a conscientious follower of current affairs. Just enough to make small talks...