peace . love . joy

jus completed my journal..CH was right..in a wayy..talkin with friends helps clarify stuff (CH doesnt like us to use that word "stuff" but he used it a LOT in his lecture =p)

didnt know how to answer the journal qns :
1. what is "Civil Society"?
2. How does it affect the state of democracy in Singapore?
(take a look at this :
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw03/030916sj.htm )

the first was alrd hard for me..cos i didnt realli understand what it is exactly..an intangible space filled by grps of pple who have certain interests at heart that they wanna voice out \ make it known publicly?..hmmm..

so i focussed on the second qn, naturally =D

talked to my personal professor, bryan (see how highly i think of u, o great one? =p)..he's not actually a professor, but more of a law student who's my age (actually younger)..hahas..but he helps me in my homework and life..

didnt have any idea wad to write b4 speakin to bryan..after talking with him, i suddenly had so much to say =D

we were talkin abt democracy in singapore..in which areas the govn actually enforces the idea..and how UN-democratic (to use bry's words =p) they realli are..abt CSOs supposedly "enforcing" democracy..but encounter lotsa difficulties, restrictions and such in actually voicing opinions..man..wad i wld give to have bryan in the exam hall with me..hahas =D

in my opinion (which realli doesnt count for much), democracy is kinda sad an idea..

simply put, it means "POWER TO THE PEOPLE"..

but then, the pple elect their government, who then leads the nation, who has personal aims to fulfil..

aims like for the case of Singapore, social integration, economic progress and political domination..which isnt inherently bad..hmmm..

they claim to have the nation's interest at heart, but do they realli?..that's one pathetic thg noone can prove or disprove..

even if the people get to vote on policies, their decisions can be influenced..realli easy job to do, esp if ure the PAP..jus remind them of how comfy and great Singapore is under you (i'm not saying it isnt, cos it is..at least for me, a daughter of a middle-class father)..worked for the last coupla elections..

makes us, Singaporeans, sound like we're a lil better than robots..we know wad we wld like to have, and the govn knows wad we wld like to have..the govn gives us a carrot, we take it..they give us another carrot, we take it..so..mechanical..

i dont think this is confined onli to Singapore tho..shall read up on this..take heart, pple!!..we will NEVER WALK ALONE

wad a weird weird world we live in..we influence smbody to get the thg we want..such a calculative, manipulative but oh so motivated world..

kinda makes u wonder what decisions were ACTUALLY yours..and not smone else's..

human beings are caring, violent, clever, stupid, cold, friendly..essentially weird living..things..

funny gOd made us that way..or did He? (think in terms of wad happened at the first temptation of eve)..

hmmm..