The Singapore Daily

“In reality, the [government] has not diverted from its fundamental stand even with this ‘bold’ Budget, by the standards of this ultra-conservative government, which has adopted neo-liberal economic policies. Budget 2009 despite its magnitude looks very similar to past stimulus plans, which is a broad mix of supply-side measures to help businesses, public-sector spending and cash handouts to stave off social discontent.”
Ravi Philemon

“..straight into the Oval Office, [Obama] froze the wages of public officers in his administration earning above USD100,000 [a year] telling them that Public Service is a privilege. I cannot say the same of Singapore.”
Chia Ti Lik

“Using the economy as ideological content will subject the legitimacy myth to logical contradictions.. When people are not able to consume as they wish.. [they lose] coherence in what it means to be a citizen of the country.. other ideologies will come into play - ethnicity and religion are the more powerful ones. Without an alternative ideology, or alternative representation [people cannot direct their anger merely by voting the ruling party out of office]. They turn to racism, religion, or keep the anger buried deep until one day it manifests. Without an alternative mode of dissent, economic crises become destabilising periods that affect not only the economy, but also the very imagination of the nation itself.”
phishy

“It is uniquely Singapore that ostensible liberalization can become a tool of concrete oppression. The means of oppression are constantly updated and take the guise of “progressive” liberalization. It used to be that people are told to shut up. You no longer need to do that when you can ensure that they won’t be heard whether or not they shut up. Cool.”
mollymeek

“So when a fool dumps fuel into a fire that already burns, one wonders what his agenda is. Who is sowing the actual discord in our society? ..We’re speaking about our concerns, Mr [Eugene] Wee. Just what in the hell are you doing?”
Packrat

This week’s roundup and recommended reads after the break.

Singapore Budget 2009
- The Kway Teow Man: On the Budget
- The one dimensional island: The “Mother” of all Budgets
- TOC: Thus spoke Shanmugaratnam
- SgPolitics.net: Will the use of past reserves set a precedent for future drawdowns?
- Kaffein-nated: Singapore Budget 2009: Wage Credit
- Hear Ye! Hear Ye!: Not a budget Budget
- Feed Me To The Fish: Dipping Into Reserves Is Resilient?
- Everyday’s Life in a Snapshot: low-income workers need encouragement to stay employed
- SgPolitics.net: Will our business-centric budget benefit GLCs and big businesses more than consumers and working class citizens?
- Alamak: Channel NewsAsia flip-flops again
- The Void Deck: TVD’s Picks: Budget 2009
- My sketchbook: The key to the Reserves
- Making History Relevant: “Vital to raise exports”
- Newsintercom: Not a Defensive Budget
- Blowin’ In The Wind: Resilience Package dwarfed by bank investments
- Hear Ye! Hear Ye!: Why worry about setting a precedent to tap on reserves?
- Hard Hitting in the Lion City: A Small Change Needed in the Budget
- TOC: S’pore’s best budget ever but please help with HDB arrears
- Singapore Social Activist: Governing a ‘First-World’ Country with ‘Third-World’ Mindsets – A Response to Singapore Budget 2009 (Resilience Package) [Recommended]

Recession
- Diary of A Singaporean Mind: State of the Economy
- The Secret Political Blog: PM Lee Hsien Loong’s Chinese New Year Message
- The Singapore Enquirer: Let us mindful of the potential pitfalls ahead while being grateful for what we have
- Bernard Aw’s Blog: End of the Road for the banker
- Delvinlee’s Weblog: too many new malls [Thanks Delvinlee]

Transportation Fares to be Lowered
- Bernard Aw’s Blog: The cost of Public Transportation redux

What lesser mortal, we are but faceless bacterium
- Anonymous_X: Wrong or False: Eugene Wee’s remark
- Everyday’s Life in a Snapshot: first, lesser mortal. Now, a bacteria
- To Fix a Mocking Peasant: Faceless Flames vs. Veiled Venom
- Empty Vessels: Sigh… [Recommended]
- The Secret Political Blog: The New Paper: Think of Faceless Online Critics as Bacteria
- Feed Me To The Fish: Eugene Wee, We Love You!
- HWZ: The Rubbish Paper says Netizens are Bacteria

Tan Yong Soon can cook
- Insane Polygons: Distorted Perspectives

Freedom, Choice and a place for my Voice
- My Thoughts: My Dear Government, Why Do You Treat Me So?
- Singabloodypore: Singapore will allow “room to speak” at APEC summit
- Voices.sg: Chee Soon Juan appeals to Obama on rights [Thanks Jude]
- To Fix a Mocking Peasant: Proposed Films Act Amendments: Silencing Upgraded [Recommended]
- Singapore Politics: Changes proposed to Films Act and enhanced police powers
- Singapore Politics: Shameful piece of legislation

The Association of Bloggers
- Hear Ye! Hear Ye!: What does it mean to be a blogger?
- The Lycan Times: On local blogosphere (II)
- Mr Wang Says So: The Association of Bloggers - My Prediction is a Quick Death
- this lush garden within: Association of Bloggers - are you kidding me?
- Endoh’s Dungeon: Stepping away..
- XTRALICIOUS: Curtain Call
- Nicole: henceforth, i take my leave
- The Ignorantsoup: Updates; Chinese New Year; Association of Bloggers
- deadpris: Party ends before it even begins? [Assocation of Bloggers SG]
- Unique-Frequency: Thoughts On The Association Of Bloggers (Singapore): Where They Went Wrong
- XTRALICIOUS: Association of Bloggers - clearing up the doubts

Time to Cast Our Vote
- TOC: Why this is not election year

Have you ever wondered why we must serve
- Almost Infamous: In Defense of Defense Part II - Everybody Dies

Pink Issues
- Mr Wang Says So: Do We Really Care What Lee Hsien Loong Does With Ho Ching in Bed?

Parliament 21 Jan 2008
- Workers’ Party: Civil Service Pensioners, Public Hospitals (Settlement of bills), Educating Foreign Students Using Public Monies

Daily Discourse
- still me: Economy as ideological content [Recommended]
- groundnotes: Blast from the Past: Happy Chinese New Year
- Cavalierio: Orison of odium [Recommended]
- TOC: Euthanasia - The right to self-determination
- The Secret Political Blog: In Singapore, even Buddha loses to the power of money
- DesparateBeep: The Problem with the Myths We Create
- Balderdash: Offensive booklet reported
- LittleSpeck: Retirement, Forget it!
- Everyday’s Life in a Snapshot- for lesser mortals only: Singapore: the Switzerland in Asia(only dictators and mass murderers need apply)
- The Lycan Times: On local blogosphere (III)
- To Fix a Mocking Peasant: Cats and Nonsense
- Singabloodypore: Mugabe Finds a Home in Asia - Singapore

Life, the universe and everything
- Chia Ti Lik’s Blog: President Barack Obama, Lunar Ox Year, Pests And Pestilence, Silver Bullets, the Singapore Budget and Utter Rubbish
- mrbrown: You know you are getting old, if during your NS days…
- Just Stuff: True Blue CNY
- A L V I N O L O G Y: Chinese New Year partial eclipse
- FWD: Fwd: Naked couple in Holland Village [PNSFW]
- Stomp Out STOMP!: Letter of Appeal for Discontinuation of STOMP
- AngryAngMo: The 3 Best Places To Watch Singapores Chingay Parade For Free
- Mathia Lee: How do you have emotionally safe sex?
- Everyday Blog: Is There Any Art Singapore

Now Showing
- thegreatsze: I Defy You Not To Watch This

Books and Papercuts
- Blowin’ In The Wind: PD James’ leisurely murder mystery
- Simple is the Reason of My Heart: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Infoblogaramous
- Moving Higher In Souped-up Heuristically Agon Moment: A*STAR PRESS RELEASE - Nation-Wide Search Opens For Singapore’s Top Scientists and Engineers
- Sgpolitics.net: Opposition — Where To? (A Public Forum)
- Transitioning.Org Support site for the unemployed: Email A Counsellor [Facebook][Thanks Gilbert]