Getting things done

while i don't profess to be an expert in issues of governance, there is one thing i know for sure. it is messy, difficult and complex.

if you are a parent, you might know how difficult it is to balance the demands of one child and the other, of your own need for space and the family's need to spend time together.

consequently, a society has to balance all the competing demands: dog lovers who want to allow their dogs to roam free and Muslims who might not be comfortable with that, cat lovers who feed strays and those who would rather see all the strays culled, tough stance on drug traffickers and human rights issues, etc etc.

the wealth of Europe and US was stimulated greatly by the Atlantic System of trade. it hastened the economic development of the world. yet, that was built upon the sufferings of African slaves. if we had applied the "Western" notion of human rights then, the world would not have developed as rapidly as it has, and we would most probably not have much of the modern amenities that we so enjoy now.

Australia developed so rapidly yet how many aborigines have to die for the modern Australian society to be established? and have the aborigines been adequately compensated?

and even today. we talk about human rights. yet, Europe is forcing to let hundreds of millions of people live in abject poverty in the developing countries by refusing to do away with their farm subsidies. yet, what are the ramifications if Europe really did away with their farm subsidies?

yet, we have to act. we have to do something. so each nation chooses a certain value system and goes from there. these value systems change with time. but slowly. that is not to say that the policies and decisions made are cast in stone.

something i've learnt in the recent months about getting the government (or anyone for that matter) to change is to give them a 'yes-able' recommendation.

start by finding out what value systems guide their decisions, what it is that they want to achieve. then convince them that you want to achieve the same and that based on their value system, your recommendation is more effective and efficient at achieving what they want to achieve. this then gives common ground for discussion and perhaps resulting in decisions moving in the direction you desire.

take the death penalty for drug traffickers for example. arguing to change it based on human rights will not work. because the Singaporean government has chosen to be hardhearted. and we all know that the government prides itself on being economically rational (where economy extends not only materially, but also political economy). so if anyone wants to change the death penalty for drug traffickers (or the death penalty at all), convince the government that there is a economic (materially and politically) way of deterring these crimes without resorting to the death penalty.

i don't know how it can be done. but, i think, is a better starting point than just harping on human rights (though one could still be motivated by concerns of human rights in pursuing the course of action that i suggested).

it's not going to be easy. but nothing worth doing is easy. so instead of just whining about it, instead of barking up the right tree, take calculated steps to make changes.

of course, one might have to spend your entire life on it, might have to give up much material luxuries (i.e. live really simply) and run the risk of failure. but if one really cares enough about it, then is it not all worth it? or would one rather just sit there in the lap of luxury while decrying the very system that allows you to have the ability to do so?

are you ready to make the necessary sacrifices for what we feel is right?