By the time you read this, I really hope you will have been old enough to have heard the words "fuck" and "shit" already uttered by your peers. If you haven't, I really owe you and mommy an apology- FYI mommy will explain what those words mean.
Anyway-
My child, you are about to be born into one of the oddest countries in the world. A nation where citizens pay for Chanel bags but are really ok with Giordano quality, a city-state where the people are as woefully ignorant of their own surroundings as they are of their political destiny.
You will have a tough battle ahead, but it's alright; because daddy will be helping you in this fight. Daddy will give you the most important gift you will ever receive (no, it's not a pony because we're not rich, in fact our public housing is pegged to private prices- but that's for another day)- critical thinking skills.
You see baby girl, critical thought is what separates us from mindless morons. It's going to be uphill because the Ministry of Education is dedicated to making sure you become a mindless moron (otherwise how else can we accept that it's ok to get Giordano quality but pay thousands for a Chanel bag like the pretty one mommy has?). There will be things to memorize, there's no running away from that BUT I want you to question everything and form your own well thought out opinions.
Newton was proven wrong only because Einstein dared to question. That was in 1930s. Today, in the year of our lord (anno domini) 2013, is no different.
Today's first lesson:
Setting the Context
On recruitment, Feng Tianwei received a monthly salary, accommodation and sports coaches. Laurentia on the other hand, had to leave Singapore on her own pocket, pay for her own coaches and train by herself, no salary. This is called "setting up the context".You see baby girl, PAP and ST don't like setting up the context because it leaves too many open ends. It is far easier to frame the question in a way to force the answer that you want. In court, it's called getting lawyered. In a social context, it's called "douchebaggery" (mommy will explain).
How Idiots "Frame" the Question
Context is important, because it lays the foundation for all the relevant facts for you to make a logical assessment. I will show you how a question gets "framed".
Olympian = doggy. Paralympian = doggy with three legs. But both are still dogs, only that the three legged one is disabled. Do you see the difference baby girl?
Using Facts to Support Lame Arguments (without context)
Now look at this lady, she's a bit more intelligent (but not much)
Anyway, Janise Tan reframes the argument into something more potent- nonsequiter argument with facts and stats! You see, you cannot argue facts and stats- but when interpreted in the wrong context, facts and stats help you sell LIES.
She equates the olympics with that of private games like NBA basketball or EPL soccer. But the Olympics are an international event, the primary objective isn't really about making money (daddy is joking of course it is) but seriously, the real rational is about fostering the human spirit and unity- unite the world as one as we watch these humans push themselves to the limits of human capability.
But here's the thing- Olympics are funded by corporate sponsors. The athletes are sponsored by their home countries. When players play in the NBA, they are sponsored by teams who in turn are sponsored by corporations. The key difference is when Kobe Bryant plays for Team USA in the Olympics, he is wearing national colors. When he plays in the NBA, he's wearing his team uniform (yes) but with corporate logos.
One is service to country (which doesn't pay very well usually) and the other is professional athletics (which pays VERY well).
Now baby girl, you see the difference? One is playing for country (where you hope to earn national pride and glory), another is playing for salary (where you hope to earn a living wage). So daddy tries to explain to Janise (if mommy really wants to name you Janice, I'll make sure it's the proper spelling- deal?)
First I remind her that Olympics is very different from professional sports. Furthermore, I establish that if both Feng Tianwei and Laurentia Tan are representing SINGAPORE the country and not their own professional teams. So in this case, as public servants to Singapore in sports.
Second, I draw the analogy, we agree they are sports public servants playing under Singapore colors. So I take the lady's ROI argument and point to another type of public servants- Firemen. You see baby girl, firemen don't fight fires everyday, they only have "work" to do when there is a fire or civil emergency. But firemen still need to eat because they have to be on standby for disasters- does that mean we don't pay them when there's no "work"?
Obviously not.
Does that mean we should pay firemen who do less "work" less? Obviously not.
WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?
Sorry baby, daddy normally doesn't get upset like that but I fear that with you growing up in this environment, you might start thinking like that lady Janise.
Is Janise a moron? Obviously yes. Please don't be like her.
Talk to you soon,
daddy.
I like you for shooting down those two morons, but I get the feeling that something isn't quite right here.
ReplyDeleteWhen I set up an analogy, I like to poke holes in my own analogy as a form of experimentation, just to see how people can shoot it down.
Out of curiosity, how would you think your Firemen vs Athletes analogy can be shot down ?
The Firemen vs Athletes analogy is by no means air-tight.
DeleteFiremen are under a contract of public service. Athletes are under no such restriction- they can as Yohan Blake has, push their own agendas (he wore a Richard Mille watch in the Olympics whose corporate time sponsor is Omega).
If I were to talk to myself (and I do often hahaha). my response would have been to push the ROI envelope- "do you not agree that the government has a right to brand Singapore to the best of their ability as this was an internationally viewed event?"
That question reframes the argument as something that becomes a matter of world standing and international perception. Then of course, the counter point is that Laurentia furthered the perception that Singapore is awesome simply on the basis that as a red bean with no equestrian culture, we beat countries that have years of it.
It's either that of a simple case of "our paralympians are more awesome than yours" :)
Dear Little Miss Percevale,
ReplyDeleteI sure hope that if you ever decide to create a blog in the future, to never use a phony ass French username especially when you want to give social commentary on our country, it just reduces your credibility by.. THAT much. I mean, your daddy is giving opinions on names and he has a username like that? A quick search on google shows that Janise, a variation of Janice, means "God is gracious". On the otherhand, a quick google on your daddy's witty user tells us that he yearns to be French or is a dancer for The Hamburg Ballet. Maybe he just has something against names that start with J and thus did not want to use a simple Jonathan? Don't even get me started on him being THEsoliloguy.
I am very sorry to tell you that your daddy belongs to a very cynical group of people who lives to find fault in everything! I am pretty sure you now dread to read your daddy's twitter (yes, he is sologuy or soliguy or something to that quirky tone) because, man this dude is filled with negativity everyday! He complains about web menus, he complains about the mobile networks, he complains about the kardashians, he complains about the look of the new nano, and he complains about stupidity? oh wait... awkward.. As I was saying, he complains about everything and guess what this blog post is about? Yes he is complaining. I kid you not, your daddy once started an argument in an empty room.
Your daddy believes that his opinion is the end all of opinions and no one else is entitled to have a differing one. Mind you, should you dare to voice out a differing opinion, Mr Ballet Dancer here will put on his Internet police helmet and start flaming you on his blog and hooray all is well again. But of course he displays your name for all to see and then removes his because he is the undercover Internet police who has a Twitter account and signs his name as Jonathan Ho when his ballet tutu is delivered, specially flown in from Paris.
Ah but yes, your daddy is of course entitled to his own opinion (big words littered here and there no less) but when he starts calling people idiot and morons for their opinions then I really think there isn't a need to respect this post any more than I watch ballet performances in the Netherlands.
Sorry girl, I normally don't get upset like that but when people starting poking their nose where they don't belong (please do inform me if Laurentia did indeed @you on Twitter saying that she really participated in the Paralympics for the money and not the glory of representing our nation or rather inform me if she even did air any grievances about the prize money) and take the shine off other's glory by turning it into another anti-government cause, I just think to myself 'What the fuck is this shit!?'
p.s Beepo, this is a guy who has his head so far up his ass, he does not see to any other point of views, how dare you ask him if his analogy can be shot down! How dare you question perfection! As his personal assistant, I suggest you leave now as my Soliloguy has to practice for his ballet recital.
-Max
Dear Max,
DeletePercevale IS a phony name. It's a made up name. It was actually my old World of Warcraft handle.
Nope no interest in the ballet, other than the one movie where Emily Blunt was one in theat movie with the people who are actually Angels by call themselves case workers.
If anyone can make anything look hot, it's Emily Blunt.
My name is a matter of record, it doesn't take a lot to find out Mr. Brown is actually Mr. Lee Kin Mun either.
I do complain about everything- HENCE THE NAME twitter handle twist on the word "soliloquy".
Sorry, quite the leap to make a connection from "how to handle a debate" to OMGWTF HE HATES THE GOVERNMENT.
I don't hate the government, didn't even mention whether paying paralympians less than olympians is correct policy or not.
Try again Max :)
Cheers,
Percevale
Stand corrected regarding the name Janise- shows you what a little research can do.
DeleteApologies Ms. Tan.
Cheers,
Percevale
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMAXSEE,
ReplyDeletePercevale spits things like it is in Singapore. Since you are so good at using Google, you should search for the definition of "idiot". I've saved you the time - it means a stupid person. Google "stupid" and you get: "lacking intelligence or common sense". Percevale doesn't call people idiots and morons as you put it "for their opinions". In the context of the article above, Adrian's dismissive remarks about a Paralympian's effort as less than that of an Olympian by using the cat / dog analogy is a mistake which shows... drumroll... lack of intelligence or common sense. It also demonstrates his lack of humanity, empathy and naivete. I'd like to see Adrian walk into a special school and tell them "you are all cats, I am a dog - different OK?". Based on this mistake that demonstrates his bigotry - NOT an opinion - I think Percevale was being too kind by simply calling that FUCKING BRAINLESS, INHUMANE SCUMBAG an "idiot". (/wags disapproving finger at Perc)
And yes, Jonathan Soliloguy Percevale Ho complains about every damn thing - but many enjoy reading his bitching cos he can articulate it better than most of us. Sometimes I see things that are so damn wrong with this country that I just cannot put a finger to it, then I read what he says and it scratches my itch. The reason why Singaporeans complain is because any louder it gets, it will be deemed as a protest for which we may be unfairly jailed for making.
Lastly, I'm sick of the government and people conveniently labeling those who don't agree with things that have been decreed by them as "cynics", "xenophobes" or "anarchists". According to this logic, our country is composed of 60% positive, constructive thinkers and 40% cynics who want to drive the nation into the ground.
Andrew Roo Javachan Chan (lest you think I try to hide behind a pseudonym)