The inescapable fate of being a Small Country
The recent Ukraine episode holds valuable lessons for Singapore...
Note:
-sampan and ship metaphor of Singapore in article 3; good for Banging!!!
-closing BANG! in article 3 using imagery, which also echoes the imagery mentioned earlier near the beginning of article
- the govt's constant exhortation that we cannot rest on our laurels but must always be on our guard, be aware of our existential threats, siege mentality...in short, it is the constant fear of failure that is the driving force behind Singapore's survival and success....Once the fear dissipates and complacency sets in, it will spell the doom of our nation -- at least, that's the govt's version of the story which they are trying to drum into us.....
- rebuttal to arguments on using diplomacy, having powerful allies and international law for security....
- UN can be ineffectual at times due to veto powers by members of Security Council (Russia is one such member which can use its veto powers to paralyse UN)
- Having powerful allies like US or China is no guarantee of security for Singapore....even the then-powerful Britain abandoned us in WWII when they had their own problems back home.
-justification for our huge defence budget (allocated to the tune of S$12.6 billion this year! Defence forms the biggest chunk of our annual national budget)
-Article 3 highlighted an important point about how internal stability is crucial and can affect the assessment of other countries which have thoughts of invading us. In short, the national security of a country is not only about its relations with other countries, but also influenced by the relations of the people within itself.
Sample Qns:
1. How far do physical features, such as size and location, determine a country’s progress? (Cam. 2008)
2. 'Fear is good'. Comment. (NYJC Prelim 2011)
3. The decisive use of force is the only practical means to resolve territorial conflicts. Discuss. (Cam.1995)
4. Discuss the claim that in the modern world people should care more about international than national issues. (Cam. 2013)
Note:
-sampan and ship metaphor of Singapore in article 3; good for Banging!!!
-closing BANG! in article 3 using imagery, which also echoes the imagery mentioned earlier near the beginning of article
- the govt's constant exhortation that we cannot rest on our laurels but must always be on our guard, be aware of our existential threats, siege mentality...in short, it is the constant fear of failure that is the driving force behind Singapore's survival and success....Once the fear dissipates and complacency sets in, it will spell the doom of our nation -- at least, that's the govt's version of the story which they are trying to drum into us.....
- rebuttal to arguments on using diplomacy, having powerful allies and international law for security....
- UN can be ineffectual at times due to veto powers by members of Security Council (Russia is one such member which can use its veto powers to paralyse UN)
- Having powerful allies like US or China is no guarantee of security for Singapore....even the then-powerful Britain abandoned us in WWII when they had their own problems back home.
-justification for our huge defence budget (allocated to the tune of S$12.6 billion this year! Defence forms the biggest chunk of our annual national budget)
-Article 3 highlighted an important point about how internal stability is crucial and can affect the assessment of other countries which have thoughts of invading us. In short, the national security of a country is not only about its relations with other countries, but also influenced by the relations of the people within itself.
Sample Qns:
1. How far do physical features, such as size and location, determine a country’s progress? (Cam. 2008)
2. 'Fear is good'. Comment. (NYJC Prelim 2011)
3. The decisive use of force is the only practical means to resolve territorial conflicts. Discuss. (Cam.1995)
4. Discuss the claim that in the modern world people should care more about international than national issues. (Cam. 2013)
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| article 1 |
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| article 2: Lessons from Ukraine crisis -- Country size, risk of becoming pawn highlight Singapore's vulnerability |
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| article 3 |
posted by Dark Shadow | 12:20 PM
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