6.8.25 - A REAL History

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What connects us to land? To a place? It is ENTIRELY possible that people will eventually make a place they have settled in their home. But what values tie us together? What share stories make us feel something for the land?

For the longest time, the Singaporean leadership engaged in propaganda - this revering the motherland type of shit which China and the Nazis did. Or the Soviets. They did stuff which did come naturally to people who were fighting to defend their land. Post WWII that would have been the Norwegians, the French, the Polish, etc. Before that people found their identities with their tribe and religion. In many ways I think the so called nation building project of Singapore was bungled because people didn't think this through.

Singapore's history we are told only began with the Brits. Before that, according to the Brits and the PAP there was nothing here. Nothing. Terra Nullis. The great colonial lie. If there was something it was very rudimentary and simplistic. The systems in place did not give rise to any great culture. Of course all of this is utterly debunked now. All culture is great. And the land is never terra nullis. It has a purpose, it always has.

However the decolinised mindset has not reached the minds of the Singaporean leadership. They are still firmly fixed and engaged with the flagging and dragging neoliberal model of more growth better. It is all they have. They are so fixed on it that they are going to endanger the entire region by going nuclear. 

I don't know what else to say.

Right, yes. If I had to start somewhere, with our history, I would go ALL THE WAY BACK - to year dot. From Pangea. And then to the various assics and then the latest research on the Out of Africa model to the present day. That would REALLY ground us in this sense of identity. This purpose of us being here, not just on this island, but on this planet. Singapore is part of the larger picture. However, this will no doubt be considered a metaphorical terra nullis. Pointless. But it is not pointless. It is now part of the larger thinking on how we are all part of a continuum. 

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. Must go wake Ghin up.

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