Wednesday, March 7, 2012

WP Chen Show Mao Bruised and Battered, Not in Kansas Anymore

Mr Mao Mr Chen, You're Not in Kansas Anymore!


WP Chen Show Mao was the star catch in last year's GE rallies, almost like Sylvia Lim was the star in the 2006 GE. He swooped in from somewhere, rapidly built up a cult personality around himself with his astounding credentials that would fit jolly well among the candidates in white, except that his colours were blue. Chen Show Mao could do no wrong it seemed. His GE rally speeches were above-average but neither awesome nor awful, not that witty as Low Thia Khiang, not that scarily rousing like facist-seeming Pritam Singh.

Recently, his speeches and his credibility have suffered an even greater dip as he was accused of plagiarism. Sharp guys who probably agreed with the former Davis Polk & Wardwell  corporate raider, pointed out that Chen Show Mao's politicised ideas on government spending and economics were borrowed or stolen from this other guy, Donald Low, point by point, without attribution and credit given to the source. Those against the WP manned the guns and started firing at Mr Chen. WP defenders also jumped into their trenches and shelled back. Frankly, no big crap that Mr Chen copy/paste but some attribution was necessary since he is a big blue target for WP's critics. He should be street smart enough to avoid such ambushes. Maybe he is just not street smart as Low Thia Khiang, that's why.

The hypocrisy of those blindly propping Chen Show Mao up is laughable and predictable. Sometimes you wonder where the anti-PAP or anti-WP idiots come from. So much for our education system. If it was Vikram Nair that borrowed or stole ideas from Donald Low, you bet these same fellows defending the WP MP would hammer Nair senseless. Donald Low might do an 180 turn and instead of saying it is ok now, might insinuate ("insinuate" because if say outright he would get sued by PAP until no pants even) intellectual property piracy, the anti-PAP rabble would accuse the Sembawang PAP MP of zero originality at best and a thief at worst. Such is life!

It is not one year since the 2011 GE and already the internet rabble is excited that they can take shots at WP as well as the PAP. Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu, scream at PAP. Fri-Sat, shout at WP. Sun-rabble sabbath and rest day.

Politics is becoming more fascinating as people are beginning to realise that all parties in parliament are fair game. The fun and responsibilities of a cynical populace. The burden of the enlightened electorate! The PAP would get most of the slime since they control most of the seats in parliament, but some shit is also proportionately reserved just for WP as they are not the small underdogs that they used to be anymore. The bigger they grow, the more shit they would get. Justly so.

Update
Pritam Singh also accused of plagiarism since his parliament speech was based on a blogger's article and there was no attribution. Facepalm.

7 comments:

  1. It's fair to condemn anyone who stole ideas from someone. It should be no exception to the the ruling party. So read up how many of their million dollar ideas actually came from the opposition or the citizens. When it was suggested by the opposition is was shot down only be be rehatched later by the million dolar ministers in the name of rethink or what ever you want to call it. So do not sit on your hot prata pan and condemn others

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    1. Huh? No discrimination here, all politicians are fair game I repeat. Yes, the PAP has borrowed or stole ideas from the opposition like WP before and has only now looked into expanding the social security net although the guys in white call it, wait for it, workfare instead of welfare. All politicians inside parliament should get their just dosage of criticism, no exception to WP or PAP.

      In fact, I do enjoy sitting on my hot prata pan and giving it to the politicians, whatever their colour. Damn good sport and you should try it! Pssst, you WP IB is it?

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  2. The hidden hand of the SDP?

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  3. Now would it be fair to say that it is OK for the PAP to borrow ideas from somebody in the government but when WP does it, it's plagiarism?

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  4. pappies internet brigade??

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  5. PAP and the Civil Service have adopted citizenry ideas - sometimes wholesale, sometimes delayed. Plagiarism or accepting/implementing public feedback?

    Aren't MPs supposed to give voice to citizenry views? Does it matter whether it is a 100% or 20% echo?

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