Is The Singapore Government Fascist?
Published by Seelan Palay on Monday, March 9, 2009Facism is "A political system that glorifies the nation, minimizes individual rights, and operates through an autocratic central government that tightly controls all economics, political, and social behavior."
"I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn't be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn't be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters - who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think." - Lee Kuan Yew, Straits Times, 20 April 1987
Is The Singapore Government Fascist?
Written by ACS
16 Nov 2008
According to historian Dr. Rex Curry, the People’s Action Party’s logo was adopted from the British Union of Fascists(BUF), a outlawed political party in the United Kingdom known for it’s association with the German Nazi Party. Dr Curry is also the author of "Swastika Secrets".
The British Union of Fascists, formed in 1932 has the same “lightning bolt” in its logo, identical to the one on the PAP logo.
He explains in his article that the "lightning bolt" in the PAP logo is red by the representation of socialist symbolism. And that it is influenced by German and Soviet communist ideology. The “S-shaped lightning bolt” stands for “socialists”, similar with the shape of the Swastika, which is also the same “S-shape” overlapped. The PAP allegedly was also a member of Socialist International.
Perhaps it should be noted that factions within the PAP split in 1961 to form another political party; the Barisan Socialis. The latter had most its leaders arrested in 1963 for “communist activities”. In that case, why does the present PAP still continue to use the “lightning bolt”, which has its origins in socialism, communism and fascism, as part of its logo? Singapore is clearly not even a socialist state by the definition of the term.
Ironically, the description of the logo on the PAP website does not include explanation for the "lightning bolt".
The full article in question in full at the following link: http://rexcurry.net/peoples-action-party-pap-singapore-socialism.html
PS: A letter of enquiry was sent to the People's Action Party on 28 Oct 2008. The PAP has not responded.
16 Nov 2008
British Union Of Fascists
People's Action Party
According to historian Dr. Rex Curry, the People’s Action Party’s logo was adopted from the British Union of Fascists(BUF), a outlawed political party in the United Kingdom known for it’s association with the German Nazi Party. Dr Curry is also the author of "Swastika Secrets".
The British Union of Fascists, formed in 1932 has the same “lightning bolt” in its logo, identical to the one on the PAP logo.
He explains in his article that the "lightning bolt" in the PAP logo is red by the representation of socialist symbolism. And that it is influenced by German and Soviet communist ideology. The “S-shaped lightning bolt” stands for “socialists”, similar with the shape of the Swastika, which is also the same “S-shape” overlapped. The PAP allegedly was also a member of Socialist International.
Perhaps it should be noted that factions within the PAP split in 1961 to form another political party; the Barisan Socialis. The latter had most its leaders arrested in 1963 for “communist activities”. In that case, why does the present PAP still continue to use the “lightning bolt”, which has its origins in socialism, communism and fascism, as part of its logo? Singapore is clearly not even a socialist state by the definition of the term.
Ironically, the description of the logo on the PAP website does not include explanation for the "lightning bolt".
The full article in question in full at the following link: http://rexcurry.net/people
PS: A letter of enquiry was sent to the People's Action Party on 28 Oct 2008. The PAP has not responded.
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dear seelan,
i am sorry but this is gutter activism.
let's put the pap or the singapore government to one side. you are talking about a state or a political party that is inspired by the political ideologies of fascism AND socialism? you need to work on politics 101.
you do your political ideals and convictions an injustice when you engage in talk that tears your credibility to shreds.
Hi Anonymous #1, I did not write the article "Is the Singapore Government fascist?" but I thought of it as an interesting article to share.
As to whether this one blog entry "tears my credibility to shreds", I'll leave it for people to judge.
dear seelan,
no, it's not an interesting article to share because it just doesn't make sense. i know you didn't author the article yourself, but why share something nonsensical to begin with?
the article seems to insinuate two things on the basis of some incidental characteristics of the pap logo:
1) the pap is fascist; and
2) as well as the above, that the pap has socialist pretensions.
these claims don't add up. fascism and socialism are contending political philosophies. as pure political ideologies, they are irreconcilable: you cannot be a fascist and a socialist at the same time. any college freshman will tell you that.
as a concerned singaporean, it is worries me to see such intellectual trash being paraded as arguments against the pap. i am all for change, but i don't want gutter activism. i don't mean to say that you need outstanding academic qualifications to qualify as an agent for change, but i surely like prominent activists such as you are to be thoughtful, intelligent, and say something of sense.
i live and work in north america. my colleagues find singapore a fascinating political case study, for good and bad reasons. they sometimes ask me to point to them websites from which to read about political activism in singapore. i don't know which causes me and my country more embarrassment: having them read about what government websites say at times, or having them read this article which you parade on yours.
To those who think it is not 'an interesting article to share', it is probably founded on the notion that all that is believed to be true is true simply because it is a popular belief.
Human perspectives are not advanced that way i'm afraid. If you counterparts thought along these lines in the historical past, then we would be living in even more unacceptable conditions which they would certainly be appalled by.
On a sidenote, Seelan, you could do more in discussing the issue even if you do not support the content of the articles you publish. What matters is further exploration for, at least, the sake of exercising one's perspectival potentials. Not doing so defeats the purpose.
If Fascism is, definitionally, the combination of right-wing nationalism that elevates one 'race' above others, the political diminution of a people, the iconic representation of a single individual and party, amongst others, then, according to definition, one could say that a particular party was a fascist party. I know that the relatively politically enlightened British would accept this from a definitional point of view.
Whether the PAP is fascist or not begs attention to a goodness-of-fit between the definition and the practices and perspectives of the party.
All the above dissenters should pay these definitions attention instead of simply adopting a defensive approach. You are making an international exposition of your idiocy.
The problem of Singapore is that, they focused much on the economy while at the same time trying to curb "dissent." And as for the logo of their party, perhaps it was inspired by Lee Kwan Yew's curiosity towards Mosley, the BUF and other succeeding groups.
I remember reading the book "Socialism works-The Singapore way." And somehow, they tried to show their so-called "socialist perspective" which was and is not.
Somehow, PAP's "Socialism" is just a mythological "force", but in fact-they are just right-wing populist with some minor leanings coming from social-democrats and corporatists allied within.
They may have prosper Singapore, but they curb what they call as "dissent." They may have disciplined the people very well, but they "overdisciplined" them to the point of submitting to their will, of not opposing their policies.