legality/morality/self censorship

Sometimes, I wonder whether Singapore has simply many gourd-dam rules. Everything seems to require a permission. I think on one hand, perhaps it makes Singaporeans pretty well-behaved species of creature, on another I think it gives very little space for spontaneity and creativity. Maybe it is because we are all so afraid of legal ramifications when we do something that we don't know whether is legal or not, we end up not doing nothing at all. It is quite deplorable. Sometimes, I think legal structures do not equate to our moral understanding of right and wrong. In some sense, I think we Singaporeans tend to look too much to law to decide that for us. If it is legal, it is right. If not, then it is wrong. My sec school friend out of concern told me that using army uniform for activities other than military functions may be illegal. Not wanting me to get into trouble. But it really made me wonder if having so many rules and regulations leave little sapce for freedom of expression. Afterall if no one comes to harm, and no bad intentions are involved, why is it that so many things are not allowed? Alot of rules are redundant, and quite frankly meaningless. And to think our own self censorship is even stricter.

Sometimes I really wonder how is it that there is all this talk of grooming creative new breed of citizens and yet the government still babies us. I think alot of things suffer because of the little space allowed for us to reach further, to wade deeper into things. Often, Singaporeans complain that we are all so apathetic, we don't care about things enough. I think I do agree to a large extent, but I wonder why the complains never go further than mere grumbles to ask why is it that we don't really care about issues. It is not really enough to make the obsevation, the crucial question still needs to be asked. I think the reason for our apparent apathy is not really that we don't want to care. I think complain is a immature version of activism, but somehow we never ever get past that stage. The presence of so many rules and regulations, punishments, strict legal codes and systems makes it seem like saying/doing anything is potentially walking on a mine field. With so many rules, laws here and there, you'll never know when you'll unknowing land on one and get yourself blown to pieces. So let's not move at all. What's the whole point, it won't change things anyway. We end up becoming comfortably lazy, dependent, leaving one small outlet to vent frustration : Harmless complaining.

I don't know if we will ever get out of our dilemma. This fear of getting in trouble wiht the authorities but yet the push to become more active as the world gets increasingly competitive. I think the time will come soon when our current mentality becomes outmoded. Because quite frankly, whilst obedience may be a virtue that the government values of its citizens, if obedience blocks out the development of other more crucial qualities like adaptability, flexibility, creativity, risk-taking spontaneity, independence, and genuinely having thoughts of our own, and actively carving out spaces of our own. I do wonder how are we gong to compete in the future. Because it is not enough to be good robots in the rapidly changing world. And even though people are starting to become aware of it, it seems like the fear of this inflexible and unbelievably old-fashioned and far too intervening legal system still petrifies us,turning us into stones.