After sourcing for hours, I managed to acquire the viewing of this movie “Singapore Dreaming” on Tudou.com. To me the whole notion of the value system portrayed in the movie seemed at once familiar and strange. I wonder how much of what is portrayed in the movie is actually true to real life. I do know from hearsay that Singaporeans are obsessed with the 5Cs, car, condominium, cash, credit card and country card. However if the actual level in society for such an obsession is indeed accurately in portrayed in the movie, this would be a very dangerous act on a social level as well as a personal level.
Such a level of obsession for superficial appearance imposes not only undue stress on the self but also on those immediate relations around the self. Also this obsession, if examined under the framework of wealth as proposed by Robert Kiyosaki, is a big no, no. The choice of expending resources, in this case money, on items to appear wealthy such as the 5Cs, instead of on investments in systems that would potentially generate an incoming cash flow, is a fool’s decision. The ugly situation is further compounded by the attempt to achieved a fool’s decision through borrowed money. In the cash flow sense, it is getting further in debt with no possibilities of any potential cash flow gains in the long run.
In my opinion this obsession with the 5Cs is as much an adaptation of the American dream, as it is an inherent tendency amongst the Han Chinese races from the southern coastal cities of China (the origins of the current day Chinese immigrants in Singapore).
As observed, the American dream is a illusion that is both unsustainable on a national level as well as on a global level in the long run. America is currently in debt by trillions of dollars. America currently ranks number 2 in the list of carbon emitting countries worldwide, recently overtook by China. International conservation organizations have all come to the consensus that consequences will be dire in global warming progresses by another 2 degrees.
Quoted from Achim Steiner, Director General of the World Conservation Union “The Kyoto Protocol was an important milestone, but it is simply not enough. This conference must find new ways to achieve more serious emissions reductions after 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol expires.” 2012 is less than 365 days away. Even Mr Lee Kwan Yew himself had attested against this excessive materialism in his interview in his interview (see from section 1.05seconds of this video on YouTube)
My personal opinion would be for fanatics of the 5C dream or its variants to relent and desist, opt instead for a more sustainable life style and value system, if not one that is worldly ascetic. Such an alternative value system and philosophy towards life will restore the world to its natural balance over time as well as have the human soul centered. Such might in fact free the mind of distractions thus grant the person freedom to pursue his calling. Those who are religious might see it as a return to God, or the continued pursuit of Nirvana. Those who are free thinkers or agnostics will see this as living a simple and uncomplicated life. Those who are artist with their heads in the air, or air in their heads will see this a pursuing the bohemian lifestyle. Whichever the case choose a path.
Nevertheless, I think my worries are ground, already the signs of the forth coming Age of Aquarius are manifesting themselves. Fingers crossed, December 21, 2012, might just be the day of our salvation or the end of the world as we know it.