Political Apathy in Singapore and China

Political apathy is quite a common phenomenon in many countries, such as America and our dear Singapore. Note that I do not mention China; and I shall explain my reasons in the next paragraph. But first, based on the numerous guided discussions in class and the case studies we know, I realise that political apathy can only be present in a stable and prosperous nation. To put it more specifically, the level of political apathy is directly proportional to the well-being of the nation. For me, I am proud and, at the same time, worried, to say that Singapore is the perfect example for the right-end of the spectrum. It is undoubtable that we are not the most developed nation, and that our economy is heavily-reliant on exports, however, we have a very reliable and trustworthy government. This is very evident in how they reacted fast and appropriately to the economic crisis this year. Given that our lives have largely remained untouched even in this global economic crisis, the impression that we can well continue in such a form of governance is reinforced among Singaporean youths. Moreover, though Singapore is a small country, we have good and peaceful diplomatic ties with all other countries, thereby ensuring a good stable life for most of us. Thus, we won’t bother to question the PAP’s soft authoritarian rule simply because we have nothing much to complain (except on the issue of freedom of speech which we do not really feel so strongly about it).

Now, going back to our case study China, I believe that Chinese youths are not politically apathetic simply because politics is a taboo; in fact, I think they are actually enthusiastic and well-informed on political issues. Just as what Jiesheng has said in class, the youths in China actually participate actively in online forums regarding the policies that the Hu administration implements. They are really more knowledgeable in current affairs than Americans and Singaporeans. Moreover, the very fact that young netizens create softwares to break the internet firewall shows that they are determined to protect their rights to talk about sensitive political issues. Hence, political apathy should not be measured by what we see on the surface but instead by what we feel within the hearts of the youths. The case study of China also proves my theory. As there has been much corruption and limited freedom, the majority of Chinese could not enjoy the kind of life they desire; hence it is only logical that they will not be apathetic toward politics since they are eager to see a change.