Speech
Humour, wit and satire as tools of the political critic
“Fireside Chat” at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, on July 2nd, 2008.
“Fireside Chat” at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, on July 2nd, 2008.
July 4th, 2008 at 5:09 am
Slow beginning but ending on rousing note!
Still I think a “next to an open fridge” chat would have been a better name.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:53 am
[...] Discourse – catherinelim.sg: Humour, wit and satire as tools of the political critic – Wary of the Waves: On Patriotism – Angry Doctor: It’s not an exorcism, stupid – Random [...]
July 5th, 2008 at 10:29 am
is it possible to post the speech in transcript form? So that i can share share with others? thank you~
July 5th, 2008 at 11:14 am
[...] with Malaysia – The Anatomy of failure – The rise of Anwar Ibrahim/Part 1 – catherinelim.sg: Humour, wit and satire as tools of the political critic [Recommended] – Wary of the Waves: On Patriotism – Angry Doctor: It’s not an exorcism, stupid – [...]
July 6th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Just wondering aloud, pls dont flame me, but where have all the really smart people gone too in blogosphere recently? They seem to have just gone whooooooooooosh and away!
July 8th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
The LKY school has a FIRESIDE? Wow.
July 8th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
[...] surprised, and much encouraged, that the Straits Times agreed to run the following excerpt of my speech given in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Studies, on 2 [...]
July 12th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
The political language used by PAP leaders is highly technocratic and scientific. There is simply no place, it seems, in PAP political discourse for a healthy dose of literary references, creativity and laughter.
No wonder the PAP leaders have a major problem with their troubling and tiresome public image–serious, stern, humourless and unimaginative!
PAP leaders just cannot tolerate and appreciate the place of wit, humour and satire in political discourse–especially when conducted by their political opponents and critics.
They are fearful of being caricatured, mocked, parodied, ridiculed and satirised. They want to maintain an imposing, serious, dignified and respectable public image.
Lee Kuan Yew, to prop up his fear-instilling, autocratic and authoritarian style of government, has largely been responsible for cultivating this linguistic inhibition and prohibition–by setting the tone for political discourse in Singapore in his own imgage.
I just hope that, after Lee’s passing, future political discourse in Singapore will not be so inhibited and proscribed.
For the present, the best place to find wit, humour and satire in local political discourse is mostly outside the mainstream mass media–in the Internet websites, blogs and forums precisely.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I had recently read my first Catherine Lim novel called “Following the Wrong God Home” and was mildly surprised to see a native writer speaking out against injustice in Singapore. I immediately became intrigued and found my way to this site for the rest of my education on the amazing Catherine Lim. Ms.Lim is Malaysia’s loss and Singapore’s greatest treasure. Hers is a voice crying out in the wilderness appealing for justice and democracy rather than political expediency controlled by a climate of fear and a governance imbued with filial piety. She is truly a charismatic figure who possesses, beauty,warmth,charm,intelligence,wit,a vibrant passion and a well tuned ability to communicate through her talents of speech and the written word. I salute you Catherine Lim. You are truly one of my heroes.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:29 am
[...] thought it a good idea to reproduce an excerpt (declined for publication by the newspapers) from a recent political speech I made, in which I told a little, wickedly satirical tale, set sometime in the future, about [...]