MM Lee tells yammerin' NMP where to put his highfalutin ideas

[Frogmen]

Like to share this article from Mr Brown website.

Thursday, August 20, 2009
MM Lee tells yammerin' NMP where to put his highfalutin ideas

Wow, first day as NMP delivering his first speech, and Viswa Sadasivan kena the honour of being rebutted by MM Lee in Parliament.

Viswa's 50-minute speech asked "that this House reaffirms its commitment to the nation building tenets as enshrined in the National Pledge when debating national policies, especially economic policies".

If you want to read Viswa's speech in full, instead of just reading the ST summary, you can go to this blog:- http://nmpviswasadasivanmaidenspeech...speech-in.html

Apparently, his ideas were so "false and flawed" that MM Lee, who rarely intervenes in Parliament, spoke after his physiotherapy session to demolish what he called Viswa's highfalutin ideas.

I leave you to decide on whether Viswa's speech or MM Lee's rebuttal had merit. Me, I was more fascinated with something else: the use of wonderful words like "highfalutin".

I have been known to use "cockamamie" myself. Here is a list of useful words you whippersnappers can afford to acquaint yourselves with:

1.highfalutin
2.cockamamie
3.shenanigans
4.tomfoolery
5.heebie-jeebies
6.poppycock
7.strumpet
8.trollop
9.mumbo-jumbo
10.loquacious
11.smarmy
12.hullabaloo
13.diddly-squat
14.flibbertigibbet

[Mille]

The irony is, Viswa is right.

This is what MM said. "We expressly stated in our Constitution, a duty on behalf of the government, not to treat everyone as equal. It’s not reality, it’s not practical. It will lead to grave and irreparable damage if we work on that principle. So, this was an aspiration."

I disagree with MM Lee.

[Taipan]

Old World Descriptions...

These were words used some time back and is more commonly heard among the older generation. Here is perhaps the word that MM could have used instead :

Malarkey also malarky n. Slang - Exaggerated or foolish talk, usually intended to deceive: “snookered by a lot of malarkey”.

[Nooch]

If e National Pledge is 'an aspiration', then why do we recite everyday at school??? Now ppl whacked u then u say an aspiration?? Wtf?? gone senile???

[Oceanklassik]

If e National Pledge is 'an aspiration', then why do we recite everyday at school??? Now ppl whacked u then u say an aspiration?? Wtf?? gone senile???

Seems personal liao..

[toffeesthings]

Just an opinion, that's my opinion.

[Nooch]

Seems personal liao..

In wat sense is it personal?? Did I curse anyone? Did I put a name?? U think too much.

[exxondus]

i tried to read but totally no idea what they talking about

too chim for me le haiz...

[toffeesthings]

Not trying to fan any flames but a pledge reflects an ideology or several ideologies that remains aspirational.

Louis Althusser linked ideological attainment to the creation of 'false' (i.e. unnatural) consciousness that instills in the proletariat awareness of how the 'ideal' is supposedly accomplished, thus so, pledges when recited periodically, conditions and maintains consciousness of what is 'ideal' and should be worked towards. Having a sense of awareness and direction is not necessarily a bad thing.

Having stated so, any pledge or creed is thus aspirational and serves as a constant reminder of what is to be attained.

That said, I think that stating an opinion without malicious intention and specifics, hardly make things personal.

It is not my intent to begin a heated discourse on the role of ideologies or what is qualifies as 'personal'.

Nothing highfalutin, just an opinion and nothing personal.

Peace out!