techno-socialism (kevin kelly got there first)

1. Wondering: if its possible to measure social/cultural capital, and you latch on some kind of management, distribution system to it, I think its going to look like socialism a lot. The measurement of the social/cultural capital is the problematic part, and I'm thinking if thats where the tech part will come in providing new ways to measure the intangible.

When I'm thinking of this, the Niels Bohr quote comes to mind, 'We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct.'

2. So... This socialism I observe stems from my observations of technology - that Wikipedia, Internet, and various such projects have come into existence by the sheer goodwill of people, and I think if socialism is going to arrive, it won't be due to a revolution which overthrows capitalism, but the result of incremental progress made possible by the developments in technology, as how steam engines led to the 'Industrial Revolution', and to the capitalism of our present day.

This observation also stems from my observation that 'social change' usually creeps along - dramatic revolution is the exception to the norm, and so... yeap.

3. The third thread to this idea is this: that I observe that technology consists of the embodiment of ideas (remind me to read Paperclip). It is really difficult to abstract the social from any of our present-day artifice. Hence everyday-objects embody some kind of logic, and I believe in our everyday, that logic is our contemporary-capitalism - in the creation of wants, the accumulation of material, and that it is then possible to imagine a different kind of world where the everyday-logic is composed of a different set of assumptions, one that is reflected in the physical technology of things. One could imagine the forms of technology that constantly levels any hierarchy in society - in such a way, inequality is minimized to perhaps, an infinitesimal extent - and that everyone's inequality keeps things equal because of the deployment of technology in asymmetrical ways.

I'm thinking I'm not the first to... oh, Kevin Kelly wrote about it...

http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/nep_newsocialism?currentPage=all

Now we're trying the same trick with collaborative social technology, applying digital socialism to a growing list of wishes—and occasionally to problems that the free market couldn't solve—to see if it works. So far, the results have been startling. At nearly every turn, the power of sharing, cooperation, collaboration, openness, free pricing, and transparency has proven to be more practical than we capitalists thought possible. Each time we try it, we find that the power of the new socialism is bigger than we imagined.

So.. I think its really interesting that socialism could come from so unexpected a source!

had fun on tv!

I'm extremely thankful to God for making tonight possible! Truly, all things have been ordained in His time. I met really nice people, and I really liked what I said back there. I talked about my passion for my generation and for SG's future, and I'm glad I said what I said - it was the things I've always wanted to say!

I have my opinions on other things, such as how SMU people 'are' - how they talk, and why, and some of it is unpleasant stuff. But to be fair to them, they embody passion too, its just well...

And another thing that kinda bugged me was that... very few of my good friends watched it. I thank those who did watch it very much, but for the rest... well... there was a halloween event, but can't help feeling slightly hurt. But its ok. Have to move on.

So thats that! Looking forward to the alumni dinner, and hope to meet cool people there, establish relationships and all!

woot!

Thank God!

KRMF

I was at a recent KRMF - stands for Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum, where MM Lee shared his 'insights' from the questions that were being asked.

Frankly, I didn't learn anything much, as the questions felt 'standard' - asking about how the financial crisis affected global balance of power, how negotiations in Copenhagen could proceed, and general threats of national identity arising from immigration and so on... He did mention several worries about demographics and the work ethic, but more importantly, the forum informed me about his frame of mind.

Assuming that the answers reflected his frame of mind, I am led to the conclusion that MM Lee is still in his immediate-post-65 mindset, where the main concern was the immediate struggle to survive, to get an economy up and going, a military force ready, to feed and house what, 2M Singaporeans back then, and so on. He did a fabulous job, and generations of Singaporeans should be grateful for what he did back then, as he laid the foundations of the country. Here, it is important to note that I DO NOT DENY that he did a wonderful job for this country, and that he does deserve respect, adoration, and so on. However, my personal intuition is that the context of development has changed in the generations after him, and that it is necessary to look back, as well as look ahead to see where the future of Singapore might go, especially without him.

I would like to mention his mindset regarding 'work'. In his answer to 'the kind of values required for Singapore's future' - he mentioned 'WORK', and he goes back to talk about opening up SG to MNCs, and getting them to set up factories and so on. He almost seemed to romanticise that past, in emphasizing the social discipline and the sense of control that made for a 'compliant' workforce that was ready to 'obey' to the MNCs and made for optimal conditions for MNCs to work in. That was then.

Things have changed now. The nature of the economy is different - in particular the manufacturing industries now take a lesser share although they are still important jobs-wise. I would question if the manufacturing industries can remain the same source of growth in light of industrialising China and India, not to mention regional neighbours in how they can compete in terms of sheer numbers and cheap surplus labour. What about the recent drives towards the 'new economy' - is that empty rhetoric? But SG has invested millions in the design, creative industries, no? Those industries have a different work ethic, one that thrives on openness, creativity, spontaneous, hardly the things that call for social discipline and control.

Again, I do not deny that MM Lee has done a good job in this country, but in the present day, there is a need to look beyond the past that has been done, and look onward to the future. Surely he has created a good system that can be passed down to generations, but there must be room of improvements, no? And it is up to every generation examine the machinery that he has built - to replace the parts that are necessary but wearing down; to take down unnecessary parts; to put in new parts...

Well, he does not have to wait until after his death for historians to revise his history. For a better future for SG, we have to start thinking of life byond him.

A footnote of sorts: what is his influence in government? How much of that mindset is still percolated through the government?

3 letters and The Answer - Corrinne May

I like Corrinne May's song - The Answer - from her album, The Gift. Its a Christmas album, but anyhow, there's this song that has stuck with me...

I believe You are the answer to every tear I’ve cried

I believe that you are with me,

My rising and my light.

Give me strength when I am weary
Give me hope when I can’t see
Through the crosses I must carry
Lord, bind my heart to thee

That when all my days are over
and all my chores are done,
I may see your risen Glory
Forever where You are.

I realise that when I talk about the 3 letters, it strikes something deep somewhere. I think about the time that I have left in this university, and I realise that the song need not refer to life in its entirety, but could be applicable to specific stages in life.

That when all my days are over need not mean the end of life, but the end of a phase. when my days are over in where I am, and all my chores are done - when all that I've wanted to do is done; I may see Your risen Glory, Forever where You are - will I?

Give me strength when I am weary - I have been so weary, so tired, will others understand? The communications to various people; crafting, conceptualising emails, withstanding criticisms, debate, every cut, injury, every little dying away - thats how it feels like sometimes...

Give me hope when I can't see - Is it all worth it? Will all that I do make a difference to anything? What if nothing needs to be done at all?

Through the crosses I must carry - All of it is a burden, the thoughts within, bearing it all, yet all of it is still necessary. The conversation has to start. If not me, will there be anyone? Should the current situation continue? Things can, and must be better, no? A fairer, and more equitable situation, more space to those who want more, respect to those who choose different paths. It is not the choice between better or worse, or good and bad, but between different paths altogether. That despite differences, we can still learn together, because making meaning is what we all want to do.

Lord, bind my heart to thee - well... I guess then, this is about for whom the heart beats for. I believe that there are answers, if not, the answer.

Addendum to previous post

2 Cor 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficent for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

-Amen.