Hi,
As many people of the world now know, technology is getting more and more advanced each day and has brought about a huge impact on the way humans live their lives. However, the big issue is that although technology has brought about numerous benefits to our lives, it has also caused many bad things to happen that might not occur if technology was absent in this modern era.
Firstly, let me acknowledge some of the advantages technology has given us over the people of the past. Telephones and social media has allowed us to improve communication greatly so that we can meet up with our loved ones everyday. Cars, buses and planes have also sped up the rate of travelling so as to allow us to save time when going overseas. The Internet has helped us in the entertainment, business and education sectors of our lives. Finally, but definitely not the last, machines have helped to contribute to the success of healthcare services. There are really many benefits that advanced technology can bring to human life, but again, whether these advantages are brought to the fullest is another issue altogether.
However, technology can bring about devastating effects as well. For example, not everyone in this world is perfect. There will always be someone trying to implant evil into our society. Many cyber-bullies just enjoy to insult people on social platforms to put others down for their own pleasure. Technology also means better and more cruel weapons being made to torture people of our own kind. Many teenagers nowadays are also addicted to playing online games, chatting or even watching pornographic videos. Furthermore, as Henry David Thomas once said, “As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” I think that this statement is very true because without technology, there will definitely be less problems in the world and people will be happier without having so much of a workload. All these disadvantages would certainly not be present if technology was not existent!
The most important question still lingers in everyone's mind, do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, or is it the other way around? Whatever it is, we have to accept the fact that technology is in our lives now and will be even more advanced in the future. What we need to do is to accept it and make sure that we minimise the harmful effects these non-living things are imposing on us.
Nathanael
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Essays
Hi,
I have written many essays in Term 2 and have also learned about the different types of essays and their differences. Therefore, I would like to recap about what I have learned and how they have benefited me in my life.
We learned about several types of essays and how people use it in everyday lives. For example, definition essays can be used in textbooks when explaining a term that is not commonly known. Causal analysis essays are used in history textbooks to tell us about the cause of historic events. Recipes are types of process analysis essays. Techniques of comparative analysis essays are found in advertisements when companies compare and contrast the efficiency of their products or services. Classification essays are found in science and business reports. Example essays are found in debaters' scripts, when they want to back up their point with evidence. As you can see, most of the essays are applicable in real lives and help us to achieve our goals better. This will definitely improve the quality of our lives because it aids in making communication more efficient and fluent.
I really enjoyed writing essays in Term 2 because there were many different styles of writing so I could experiment between them and discover my forte. I think I enjoyed the argumentative essay the most because it is the least dependent on facts and requires the writer to use more of his thinking skills instead. This will aid the writer in practicing critical thinking and putting one's point across. This has definitely helped me in my speeches when I am presenting because I am able to express my opinions on something convincingly, hence achieving my purpose. However, essays are not easy to write and require hard work and a talent for writing. No matter how well I write, I cannot seem to match those high-profile writers who write for newspapers and renowned magazines. I think that they are willing to spend time to perfect their essays because of their passion for writing. I believe that they have their own unique styles of writing that are appealing to the general public and I hope to learn from them someday so as to pick up some interesting techniques on writing essays.
All in all, I really benefited from writing essays in Term 2 and hope to continue to improve on this aspect of my Language Arts so that I can be able to become a critical thinker and a good writer.
Nathanael
I have written many essays in Term 2 and have also learned about the different types of essays and their differences. Therefore, I would like to recap about what I have learned and how they have benefited me in my life.
We learned about several types of essays and how people use it in everyday lives. For example, definition essays can be used in textbooks when explaining a term that is not commonly known. Causal analysis essays are used in history textbooks to tell us about the cause of historic events. Recipes are types of process analysis essays. Techniques of comparative analysis essays are found in advertisements when companies compare and contrast the efficiency of their products or services. Classification essays are found in science and business reports. Example essays are found in debaters' scripts, when they want to back up their point with evidence. As you can see, most of the essays are applicable in real lives and help us to achieve our goals better. This will definitely improve the quality of our lives because it aids in making communication more efficient and fluent.
I really enjoyed writing essays in Term 2 because there were many different styles of writing so I could experiment between them and discover my forte. I think I enjoyed the argumentative essay the most because it is the least dependent on facts and requires the writer to use more of his thinking skills instead. This will aid the writer in practicing critical thinking and putting one's point across. This has definitely helped me in my speeches when I am presenting because I am able to express my opinions on something convincingly, hence achieving my purpose. However, essays are not easy to write and require hard work and a talent for writing. No matter how well I write, I cannot seem to match those high-profile writers who write for newspapers and renowned magazines. I think that they are willing to spend time to perfect their essays because of their passion for writing. I believe that they have their own unique styles of writing that are appealing to the general public and I hope to learn from them someday so as to pick up some interesting techniques on writing essays.
All in all, I really benefited from writing essays in Term 2 and hope to continue to improve on this aspect of my Language Arts so that I can be able to become a critical thinker and a good writer.
Nathanael
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Newsworthiness
Hi,
Having already talked about the different kinds of newspapers in my first blog post, I will now proceed to talk about the different types of articles and how I think they are judged. I will also provide some of my personal opinions on which criteria I think is the important when judging the newsworthiness of an article.
Newsworthiness is an important factor in deciding the success of newspapers. If the articles provided are chosen well and engage its audience, then the newspaper will certainly sell well too. I think that there are many factors that determine an article's newsworthiness. For example, the proximity and the number of people involved in the article will affect the impact of the issue and will hence determine the relevance of the article to the readers. The fame of the person involved and the uniqueness of the article will also help to engage the interest of the audience. Some other factors to consider are the timeliness of the article, the shock or titillation factor instilled in the readers and most importantly, there must be a conflict between two parties in order to attract readers.
However, in my opinion, I think that I am naturally drawn to the articles which talk about the issues that I am interested in. For example, being an athletic person, the first section of the newspaper that I read everyday is the Sports section, so as to keep updated on what is happening in the sports field. I also enjoy reading unique news that peak my interest. Most importantly, I find that the most simple yet most important factor is still the timeliness of the article. I feel that the timeliness really affects the other factors, because if the article is outdated, no one will read it even though it may be shocking or unique. Therefore, I learned that in order for a newspaper company to stay competitive, it needs to hire skilled news editors to pick interesting articles that are newsworthy.
Nathanael
Having already talked about the different kinds of newspapers in my first blog post, I will now proceed to talk about the different types of articles and how I think they are judged. I will also provide some of my personal opinions on which criteria I think is the important when judging the newsworthiness of an article.
Newsworthiness is an important factor in deciding the success of newspapers. If the articles provided are chosen well and engage its audience, then the newspaper will certainly sell well too. I think that there are many factors that determine an article's newsworthiness. For example, the proximity and the number of people involved in the article will affect the impact of the issue and will hence determine the relevance of the article to the readers. The fame of the person involved and the uniqueness of the article will also help to engage the interest of the audience. Some other factors to consider are the timeliness of the article, the shock or titillation factor instilled in the readers and most importantly, there must be a conflict between two parties in order to attract readers.
However, in my opinion, I think that I am naturally drawn to the articles which talk about the issues that I am interested in. For example, being an athletic person, the first section of the newspaper that I read everyday is the Sports section, so as to keep updated on what is happening in the sports field. I also enjoy reading unique news that peak my interest. Most importantly, I find that the most simple yet most important factor is still the timeliness of the article. I feel that the timeliness really affects the other factors, because if the article is outdated, no one will read it even though it may be shocking or unique. Therefore, I learned that in order for a newspaper company to stay competitive, it needs to hire skilled news editors to pick interesting articles that are newsworthy.
Nathanael
Prejudice
Hi,
I would like to share about what I learnt about prejudice in Term 2. We started analysing "To Kill A Mockingbird" from Term 1 and one of the most obvious themes the story is based on is prejudice. Prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. Contrary to common knowledge, there are many forms of prejudice; class prejudice, racial prejudice, gender prejudice, etc.
In my opinion, I believe that prejudice is bad. Although I have to admit that I occasionally judge people based on their appearances, I think that prejudice is just an unfair way of treating somebody because it is inaccurate and does not give the opposite party a chance to show his/her true self. Once someone has prejudice against another group of people, it will be hard to change this thinking because the prejudice will stay in a person's mind like a brick wall and needs something big to break it down. For example, if a person is prejudiced towards females, but when that person is saved by a woman when drowning, he will definitely change his mindset about females. Furthermore, prejudice can also lead to discrimination, where the opposite party will know about this prejudice and will be hurt. This is unfair to the victims because they did nothing wrong, hence not deserving to get treated so badly by another person. We should also not assume that everybody has a strong character, because a depressed person can take the action very seriously and will be hit with a very huge blow. Therefore, prejudice only leads to bad consequences where a party's feelings will be hurt.
Therefore, since prejudice is bad, we need to learn how to carry a positive attitude towards all people to do something to curb this problem. However, this is virtually impossible because everyone has the freedom of thought so we cannot control what they want to think. Thus, we need to start from ourselves and hope that we can be able to influence others to follow our actions. Firstly, we should try not to judge a person straight away and put ourselves in the other person's shoes to understand him/her better. If we know that person, we should take a step further and talk to the person so that we can find the person's character, because I believe that a person will take time to unfold and show one's character. Next, we should also try to think before we act so that we can prevent prejudice from becoming discrimination. Perhaps we could spend a few seconds thinking whether our intended actions are rational so that we can avoid hurting other people. Lastly, we should take a stand against prejudice. For example, we should not join other people when they are having fun making racist remarks. If we have the courage to do so, we will then be able to free ourselves from prejudice.
In conclusion, I think that prejudice is still prevalent in the world, which is bad because it only places barriers between people of one Earth. We need to learn how to accept one another's differences, so that we can live harmoniously and peacefully.
Nathanael
I would like to share about what I learnt about prejudice in Term 2. We started analysing "To Kill A Mockingbird" from Term 1 and one of the most obvious themes the story is based on is prejudice. Prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. Contrary to common knowledge, there are many forms of prejudice; class prejudice, racial prejudice, gender prejudice, etc.
In my opinion, I believe that prejudice is bad. Although I have to admit that I occasionally judge people based on their appearances, I think that prejudice is just an unfair way of treating somebody because it is inaccurate and does not give the opposite party a chance to show his/her true self. Once someone has prejudice against another group of people, it will be hard to change this thinking because the prejudice will stay in a person's mind like a brick wall and needs something big to break it down. For example, if a person is prejudiced towards females, but when that person is saved by a woman when drowning, he will definitely change his mindset about females. Furthermore, prejudice can also lead to discrimination, where the opposite party will know about this prejudice and will be hurt. This is unfair to the victims because they did nothing wrong, hence not deserving to get treated so badly by another person. We should also not assume that everybody has a strong character, because a depressed person can take the action very seriously and will be hit with a very huge blow. Therefore, prejudice only leads to bad consequences where a party's feelings will be hurt.
Therefore, since prejudice is bad, we need to learn how to carry a positive attitude towards all people to do something to curb this problem. However, this is virtually impossible because everyone has the freedom of thought so we cannot control what they want to think. Thus, we need to start from ourselves and hope that we can be able to influence others to follow our actions. Firstly, we should try not to judge a person straight away and put ourselves in the other person's shoes to understand him/her better. If we know that person, we should take a step further and talk to the person so that we can find the person's character, because I believe that a person will take time to unfold and show one's character. Next, we should also try to think before we act so that we can prevent prejudice from becoming discrimination. Perhaps we could spend a few seconds thinking whether our intended actions are rational so that we can avoid hurting other people. Lastly, we should take a stand against prejudice. For example, we should not join other people when they are having fun making racist remarks. If we have the courage to do so, we will then be able to free ourselves from prejudice.
In conclusion, I think that prejudice is still prevalent in the world, which is bad because it only places barriers between people of one Earth. We need to learn how to accept one another's differences, so that we can live harmoniously and peacefully.
Nathanael
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
War Poetry
Hi,
I would like to voice my opinions on the topic that we are soon going to embark on for our LA lessons- War Poetry. I have already read some war poems last year, for example, Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade". I feel very excited because I am particularly interested in war and I hope to be able to learn some new lessons about war. I also hope that I will be able to pick up some techniques to describe the battle scene, something that will definitely benefit my essay writing.
Having watched many war shows and read war poetry before, I think that this topic would be of no unfamiliarity to me. I think that war is a very touching event where many young men risk their lives for their countries and fight valiantly to win the war. It is about character; a sheer test of perseverance and resilience to stay focused on the war despite the deaths of many other fellow soldiers. Therefore, every time a watch a war film, I will be moved and will hence be forced to choke down my tears.
War is definitely also a cruel thing. It separates men from their families, and when these men die, who will take care of the women and children? It is a loss that is hard to take but has to be accepted. War is caused by unresolved differences or conflicting egos between two parties and violence is hence one of the methods to resolve this issue. But can violence really solve these issues? On the surface level, it certainly can prove that one party has more authority over another. However, revenge and bitterness will definitely stay in the citizens' minds and this will only help to sour the relationship more between the two parties. Furthermore, so many people's lives are lost just because of a conflict, it is really very inhumane. Pain, death, bleeding may all seem common to us, but the people experiencing it definitely have no fun at all. Why, oh why, can't conflicts be settled with a treaty. This, I have to admit, is hard to materialise because it is very hard to ask the parties to give in to each other. Fortunately, times are different now. In the past, there were many wars being waged, probably also because of the lack of clear boundaries of each countries, causing the fights for land area. Now, we have the judicial system so that parties can argue in court and war is definitely the last thing on any minister's mind, as it can prove hugely detrimental to the country's economy. However, should a war be waged soon, I have a feeling that it will be much, much bigger compared to wars of the past because of the advanced technology we now enjoy. This means more weapons made, more deadly weapons and hence more painful deaths. Therefore, I sincerely pray that no such thing will happen again, but I know this is only a dream.
Nathanael
I would like to voice my opinions on the topic that we are soon going to embark on for our LA lessons- War Poetry. I have already read some war poems last year, for example, Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade". I feel very excited because I am particularly interested in war and I hope to be able to learn some new lessons about war. I also hope that I will be able to pick up some techniques to describe the battle scene, something that will definitely benefit my essay writing.
Having watched many war shows and read war poetry before, I think that this topic would be of no unfamiliarity to me. I think that war is a very touching event where many young men risk their lives for their countries and fight valiantly to win the war. It is about character; a sheer test of perseverance and resilience to stay focused on the war despite the deaths of many other fellow soldiers. Therefore, every time a watch a war film, I will be moved and will hence be forced to choke down my tears.
War is definitely also a cruel thing. It separates men from their families, and when these men die, who will take care of the women and children? It is a loss that is hard to take but has to be accepted. War is caused by unresolved differences or conflicting egos between two parties and violence is hence one of the methods to resolve this issue. But can violence really solve these issues? On the surface level, it certainly can prove that one party has more authority over another. However, revenge and bitterness will definitely stay in the citizens' minds and this will only help to sour the relationship more between the two parties. Furthermore, so many people's lives are lost just because of a conflict, it is really very inhumane. Pain, death, bleeding may all seem common to us, but the people experiencing it definitely have no fun at all. Why, oh why, can't conflicts be settled with a treaty. This, I have to admit, is hard to materialise because it is very hard to ask the parties to give in to each other. Fortunately, times are different now. In the past, there were many wars being waged, probably also because of the lack of clear boundaries of each countries, causing the fights for land area. Now, we have the judicial system so that parties can argue in court and war is definitely the last thing on any minister's mind, as it can prove hugely detrimental to the country's economy. However, should a war be waged soon, I have a feeling that it will be much, much bigger compared to wars of the past because of the advanced technology we now enjoy. This means more weapons made, more deadly weapons and hence more painful deaths. Therefore, I sincerely pray that no such thing will happen again, but I know this is only a dream.
Nathanael
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
GE 2011
Hi,
I would like to share my opinions on this year's General Elections that sparked a huge interest in many Singaporeans. This was the most contested elections ever in history, where 82 out of 87 seats were contested by opposition parties. Prior to the elections, only 2 seats were not held by the People's Action Party (PAP), namely the two Single Member Constituencies in Hougang and Potong Pasir. This year, 7 parties fought for the seats, but PAP eventually captured 81 seats, with the remaining 6 going to the Workers' Party (WP).
I think that it is good for opposition parties to challenge the PAP's power in Singapore because there must be some kind of opposition in order to keep the government going and to make sure that the government continues to put in effort to benefit the citizens. This also helps to make sure that there is more than one party ruling in the government to prevent discussions from being too one-sided. However, I feel that too many opposition parties in the government is detrimental to Singapore's growth as a nation because there will constantly be arguments and nothing will be done. Talking about this, I feel that the opposition parties should put aside their differences and come together to form a united opposition party so that the citizens will not be so confused over the various mottos of the parties.
Recently, there have been many issues brought up by the opposition parties to try to point out the PAP's weaknesses. Some speakers give statistics on these problems, while others simply put down other candidates through harsh means. I personally feel that this is not commendable, as this only sparks off tension between parties and does not help to prove a point that their own party is capable of doing something better. Therefore, I was quite disappointed with the speeches some of the candidates gave because it made this election sound more like a debate, but the speeches should focus more on new initiatives to benefit the citizens instead.
Another big problem in this year's General Elections was that many Singaporeans failed to consider their options wisely before voting. While visiting my relatives on Polling Day itself, many of them were talking to each other about how they were voting for the opposition, no matter how lousy they were. I think this is caused by extremist views planted into their minds by events happening around the world. Due to the rebellions now happening in the Middle East, many people, especially the young, are influenced to vote for the opposition because they think that it is "cool". Some people even bet on who they think will win the constituencies and the thought of this really makes my blood boil! In my opinion, I find it extremely important to consider the strengths of both parties before giving out extremist views, which most of the time are inaccurate. Voting is also an important process because it affects our lives for the next 5 years. Therefore, elections should be considered as a solemn event that cannot be taken light-heartedly.
Lastly, I think that many people were unhappy over the fact that they were placed in constituencies that were not near them at all. I have a relative who lives in West Coast but is placed under Holland- Bukit Timah instead! I think that these trivial matters need to be resolved because I am sure that citizens want to be living in constituencies that are near them so that they can be involved in that area.
On the brighter side, this election has sparked a lot of interest in younger generations, a phenomenon that has never been experienced before. This can be attributed to the fact that politics is becoming more of a larger issue in Singapore and the fact that every vote counts, making teenagers feel like they can play a part to decide Singapore's future. Thus, this election has been beneficial to Singapore in this aspect.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this GE even though I was not able to vote. I really look forward to the election where I can finally vote! For now, I will just have to keep myself updated on current events so that I can make an informed decision when the time comes.
Nathanael
I would like to share my opinions on this year's General Elections that sparked a huge interest in many Singaporeans. This was the most contested elections ever in history, where 82 out of 87 seats were contested by opposition parties. Prior to the elections, only 2 seats were not held by the People's Action Party (PAP), namely the two Single Member Constituencies in Hougang and Potong Pasir. This year, 7 parties fought for the seats, but PAP eventually captured 81 seats, with the remaining 6 going to the Workers' Party (WP).
I think that it is good for opposition parties to challenge the PAP's power in Singapore because there must be some kind of opposition in order to keep the government going and to make sure that the government continues to put in effort to benefit the citizens. This also helps to make sure that there is more than one party ruling in the government to prevent discussions from being too one-sided. However, I feel that too many opposition parties in the government is detrimental to Singapore's growth as a nation because there will constantly be arguments and nothing will be done. Talking about this, I feel that the opposition parties should put aside their differences and come together to form a united opposition party so that the citizens will not be so confused over the various mottos of the parties.
Recently, there have been many issues brought up by the opposition parties to try to point out the PAP's weaknesses. Some speakers give statistics on these problems, while others simply put down other candidates through harsh means. I personally feel that this is not commendable, as this only sparks off tension between parties and does not help to prove a point that their own party is capable of doing something better. Therefore, I was quite disappointed with the speeches some of the candidates gave because it made this election sound more like a debate, but the speeches should focus more on new initiatives to benefit the citizens instead.
Another big problem in this year's General Elections was that many Singaporeans failed to consider their options wisely before voting. While visiting my relatives on Polling Day itself, many of them were talking to each other about how they were voting for the opposition, no matter how lousy they were. I think this is caused by extremist views planted into their minds by events happening around the world. Due to the rebellions now happening in the Middle East, many people, especially the young, are influenced to vote for the opposition because they think that it is "cool". Some people even bet on who they think will win the constituencies and the thought of this really makes my blood boil! In my opinion, I find it extremely important to consider the strengths of both parties before giving out extremist views, which most of the time are inaccurate. Voting is also an important process because it affects our lives for the next 5 years. Therefore, elections should be considered as a solemn event that cannot be taken light-heartedly.
Lastly, I think that many people were unhappy over the fact that they were placed in constituencies that were not near them at all. I have a relative who lives in West Coast but is placed under Holland- Bukit Timah instead! I think that these trivial matters need to be resolved because I am sure that citizens want to be living in constituencies that are near them so that they can be involved in that area.
On the brighter side, this election has sparked a lot of interest in younger generations, a phenomenon that has never been experienced before. This can be attributed to the fact that politics is becoming more of a larger issue in Singapore and the fact that every vote counts, making teenagers feel like they can play a part to decide Singapore's future. Thus, this election has been beneficial to Singapore in this aspect.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this GE even though I was not able to vote. I really look forward to the election where I can finally vote! For now, I will just have to keep myself updated on current events so that I can make an informed decision when the time comes.
Nathanael
Monday, May 9, 2011
Xenophobia in Singapore
Hi,
I would like to talk about xenophobia and whether it is existing in Singapore today. First and foremost, it is of utmost importance to clarify the meaning of the word xenophobia. There are many different meanings of xenophobia; 1)some say it is the hatred of foreigners, 2)another group says that it is an unreasonable fear of foreigners, while still 3)others say that is is discrimination of foreigners. I will hence try to approach this issue using all these different meanings and decide whether Singaporeans encouter this problem.
1) I think it would be a bit exaggerating to say that Singaporeans hate foreigners; disgust would be a more appropriate term. This attitude applies to both "foreign talent" and "foreign workers". Many Singaporeans feel that foreign talents have come in to Singapore only to deprive them of jobs, hence affecting their income. Singaporeans have also complained that foreigners do not conform to the lifestyles of Singaporeans but instead treat Singapore like their own homeland and do whatever they like. On the other hand, "foreign workers" are disliked because they are deemed by Singaporeans as "dirty", probably owing to their lack of hygienic practices. Therefore, according to this meaning, Singapore is suffering from early stages of xenophobia.
2) I think that fear is definitely out of the question in Singapore's context. It is true that Singaporeans fear the prospect of losing jobs and becoming bankrupt, but fearing foreigners, no. Therefore, if one uses this meaning to define xenophobia, Singapore will definitely not be victims of this "illness".
3) I have to admit, sadly, that Singaporeans do discriminate foreigners, especially "foreign workers". Even acts like not allowing these workers to sit right beside you on public transportation is considered discrimination. Big-scale discrimination acts are also prevalent in Singapore's society. Many teenagers take advantage of the advanced technology we enjoy by flaming these "foreign workers" on their blogs, Facebook, etc., by calling them "dirty" and other rude names. Many domestic helpers have also been abused by their employers. Thus, Singapore is a severe victim of xenophobia.
On a personal level, I think that I have a bit of xenophobia too. For example, I distant myself from my grandmother's domestic helper when sitting in the car. I also witnessed a foreign worker sitting in front of me in the bus and saw the disgusting sight of ants crawling all over his hair. However, I have a sense of respect for these foreigners; I respect the hard work foreign talent put in to help Singapore's economy to develop and I respect the amount of effort put in by the foreign workers in constructing the Singapore we have today.
I think that the influx of foreigners should be curbed so that Singaporeans can remain happy in this country. However, it is inevitable that there will always be a number of foreigners in Singapore. All we need to do is to look at things from their perspective. They must have a reason to come to Singapore. They are humans, like us. They, too, need a living.
Nathanael
I would like to talk about xenophobia and whether it is existing in Singapore today. First and foremost, it is of utmost importance to clarify the meaning of the word xenophobia. There are many different meanings of xenophobia; 1)some say it is the hatred of foreigners, 2)another group says that it is an unreasonable fear of foreigners, while still 3)others say that is is discrimination of foreigners. I will hence try to approach this issue using all these different meanings and decide whether Singaporeans encouter this problem.
1) I think it would be a bit exaggerating to say that Singaporeans hate foreigners; disgust would be a more appropriate term. This attitude applies to both "foreign talent" and "foreign workers". Many Singaporeans feel that foreign talents have come in to Singapore only to deprive them of jobs, hence affecting their income. Singaporeans have also complained that foreigners do not conform to the lifestyles of Singaporeans but instead treat Singapore like their own homeland and do whatever they like. On the other hand, "foreign workers" are disliked because they are deemed by Singaporeans as "dirty", probably owing to their lack of hygienic practices. Therefore, according to this meaning, Singapore is suffering from early stages of xenophobia.
2) I think that fear is definitely out of the question in Singapore's context. It is true that Singaporeans fear the prospect of losing jobs and becoming bankrupt, but fearing foreigners, no. Therefore, if one uses this meaning to define xenophobia, Singapore will definitely not be victims of this "illness".
3) I have to admit, sadly, that Singaporeans do discriminate foreigners, especially "foreign workers". Even acts like not allowing these workers to sit right beside you on public transportation is considered discrimination. Big-scale discrimination acts are also prevalent in Singapore's society. Many teenagers take advantage of the advanced technology we enjoy by flaming these "foreign workers" on their blogs, Facebook, etc., by calling them "dirty" and other rude names. Many domestic helpers have also been abused by their employers. Thus, Singapore is a severe victim of xenophobia.
On a personal level, I think that I have a bit of xenophobia too. For example, I distant myself from my grandmother's domestic helper when sitting in the car. I also witnessed a foreign worker sitting in front of me in the bus and saw the disgusting sight of ants crawling all over his hair. However, I have a sense of respect for these foreigners; I respect the hard work foreign talent put in to help Singapore's economy to develop and I respect the amount of effort put in by the foreign workers in constructing the Singapore we have today.
I think that the influx of foreigners should be curbed so that Singaporeans can remain happy in this country. However, it is inevitable that there will always be a number of foreigners in Singapore. All we need to do is to look at things from their perspective. They must have a reason to come to Singapore. They are humans, like us. They, too, need a living.
Nathanael
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
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