Thursday, March 01, 2007

Instructor: I'd like you to view the video recordings of 2 of these forums and comment on any of the speaker's presentations in the light of Fukuyama's thesis and/or any of the theoretical perspectives that we've encountered so far in the module.


Me: An alternative perspective

The Workers Party does not deserve its name, for by buying into the political process of democracy, it is betraying the workers it purports to represent. If it thinks it can improve the lot of the proletariat by getting into government and enacting socialist policies, it is suffering from false consciousness and perpetuating capitalist hegemony. Alternatively, since they buy into the philosophy of democracy they are part of the ruling class, since the dominant ideas of every age are the ideas of the ruling class.

True freedom for the proletariat will only come when the Revolution occurs, private property is nationalised and economic inequality within Singapore is destroyed. The contradictions of capitalist democracy - of claiming to give everyone an equal voice and yet systematically disenfranchising the proletariat by exploiting them for the profit of the bourgeoisie - will eventually destroy it. We must link up with our compatriots in the Malayan Communist Party and seek to subvert the governments of the peninsula.

Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!


A: Yo man..

Wow... i think the comments that you have made were put rather bluntly and forcefully ya? "The Workers Party does not deserve its name".. Hmm... I am trying to see the link between democracy and the words "worker's party". I think this is a rather rash assumption to think that having a name "worker's party" automatically forces them to be against democratic ideologies? So should the brand "mango" be selling only mangoes?

"it is betraying the workers it purports to represent". I don't think that we should generalize by assuming that all in the working class want a revolution. In fact, many of my friends are very satisfied to just be in the working and not earn their million by 25. But I think that individuals in the worker's party would be doing their name justice simply by highlighting issues of class and propose change before it gets out of hand, it should not be aiming for a revolution.

Do you really want a revolution, to be led by a party who is not ready to take over total leadership, and do you really want to be studying in university to get a S$900 monthly salary. Let's be realistic in our comments... No offence k?


B: Chin Peng, wake up, you're having a nightmare again!

;)