In Continuum.

In The Void Deck

Flamming Guy," The Powers at be, wishes us be passive observers."

--- "Waking Life" (2001)

A couple of weeks ago my parents came in through the doors after an evening stroll around the neighbourhood, laughing and chattering away. When asked what the deal was, they revealed to us that while they were in the HDB estate just over the fences of our own, they noticed that across the wall of a particular void deck, some guy actually used black spray paint and painted "Wants to be PM and Finance Minister at once! Shameless!" or something like that. It amused them to see the voicing of a common Singaporean's political view upon the wall like that, and I guess in a way they quietly agreed. But to me, it was just a little sad to see how far democracy has come in this country - limited to the walls of a HDB void deck.

At the age of twenty one, or turning twenty one anyway, it is not unusual to have one's career become a conversational topic. Once in a while, my friends and I would talk about our careers and our futures, and despite the unknown being infinitely terrifying, I guess the inevitable cannot be ignored no matter how hard you try. Anyway, so through these conversations with friends we talked about what they want to do after their university, I realized that a lot of their goals and dreams involve changing the world, one way or another. That is a very big dream to want to fulfill to be honest, and personally I am not sure if I am willing or capable of such goals myself. But one thing is for sure, a part of everyone wants a change in the world that we live in right now, but some of us are just more willing to take a step towards that more than the others.

For some reason, my conversation with Samantha turned to politics after a while, and we found ourselves talking about how difficult it is to change the world - not impossible. Everybody wants to change the world somehow, or rather, wants the world to be changed. But not everyone - like I said - is willing to be the person to do it. It's the responsibility and the scale of this massive project that scares people I guess. After all, we are talking about the WORLD here. It's not exactly because of how much one can do for the world, because one's potentials are infinite. When you are speaking of what one can do for a million others, it is not too hard to imagine really. But then again, that thought is usually conjured without the consideration of external interferences. When considering that factor, the world is not so easily changed after all.

With have the United States, bombing Iraq like some Iraqi native shot Abraham Lincoln or something, claiming that they are trying to fight against terrorism when all they are doing is to kill their own soldiers and murdering innocent civilian lives. They claim that they are restoring democracy into the dictatorship-ruled state, but then again when it comes down to it, all wars are about money. Strip everything down, and all you get are bundles of cash, spilling out from the guts of every war. Then there are the civil ones that happen in Africa, and with those happening how are we supposed to change the world? With oppression lurking around every corner, it is easy for humanitarian efforts to be overlooked, because of other more profitable benefits. Again, money.

So instead of trying to change the world we live in, most of us are merely waiting on the world to change. We are praying for some kind of a miracle now, because when the people controlling the world are the ones who controls the rules as well, no matter what you do against them they are always going to turn the rules against you and beat you down. I am not trying to be cynical about the efforts placed by people, but if we are really talking about this ideal and perfect world that we want to and hope to live in, it is going to be hard without the current so-called free countries being eradicated. There just aren't a lot of things we, as people, can do when the powers are held by people who are making all the wrong decisions, especially when those decisions change the course of every single nation on this good Earth.

Sure, we look out of the window and we see a great country. This place where I live in, the safest and best place you can hope for in South East Asia. But even here, we see the voices of ordinary citizens being oppressed, limited to the walls of the void deck and amongst themselves in quiet whispers. Of course, there will never be a fully democratic state, or a country that's fully free from all dictatorship, one way or another. But I guess it all comes down to the freedom of speech again, the very basic of rights the people of this country deserves. Do we speak in whispers amongst ourselves afraid of the government, or do we speak up and give reasonable arguments with words instead of black spray paints?

Maybe someday, the voice of the people will reach other further than just the walls of the void deck. From there to the roads, to the next block, to the next town and beyond. That is possible, but are we daring enough to achieve that feat? If we claim that we are waiting on the world to change, are we really waiting because we think ourselves incapable, or is it because of this unknown fear that dwells within all of us, of the big boss, or the ruler? Someday, there will be an eruption. Eruption of emotions, of words, of freedom, and the need and want of speaking as we will. That is the outcome and consequence of such a rule, when political views are oppressed. What will happen then?