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Date Posted: 03:17:04 01/29/00 Sat
Author: Anonymous
Subject: Singapore isn't PNG is it? Fooling ourselves otherwise??
In reply to: 's message, "THINK ABOUT THIS" on 21:37:01 01/28/00 Fri

Well, I don't totally agree with the last writer, but I certainly don't agree with your viewpoint either! Let me give my belief about all this.

First, Singaporeans are landless and without resources. Obviously they have turned out different! The only Papua New Guineans who come close to Singaporeans are 2nd or 3rd generation city dwellers who have largely lost their claim to land, land-short highlanders, and landless squatters. All of them are poised to become the next hard working Singaporeans, because they have allowed themselves to lose all their land and resources just like the ancestors of today's Singaporeans.

You can't make water run uphill. But people try nonetheless, hoping against hope, that we can just forget about our heritage and environment, and can become just like "those other people". Look around. We have the scattered ruins of thousands of collapsed development projects all around us in PNG after 25 years of trying to become just like others. The collapse of infrastructure throughout PNG is now widespread. It can be seen from the high profile infrastructures such as the main highways and prominent Waigani government buildings. More subtly, the collapse is just as obvious in the steady deterioration of aid posts, mission stations, and schools almost everywhere. This isn't a money thing. People still have money for bride price, but no one would lift a finger to repair the hole in the roof of the classroom, where water is dripping down and rotting out the floor.

Everyone clamours for money and economic development, but jealousy and the strong influence of egalitarian suggests that this economic stuff of the western world is totally artificial to the vast majority of Papua New Guineans. Hardly any of this rural economic development has been found to be sustainable. It continues to rely on expatriats and the few Papua New Guineans who were able to fully absorb the western mindset before the western education system in the country collapsed. So much artificiality. We just pretended it wasn't. Now nearly all the responsibility has been handed over to us, and that artificiality is becoming abundantly clear, more so with each passing day! Provincial governments are begging the multinational resource developers to "maintain the roads for us, maintain the schools for us, and maintain the aid posts for us." Village trade stores rise and fall as quickly as they ever did.

Having said all that, there are certainly Papua New Guineans who have joined the rat race and beat the white man or his game, whatever you all want to call it. But it truly is hopeless. If you are such a Papua New Guinean, you came our of a system that no longer exists, except through overseas or international curriculum schooling. The system once existed more widespread through PNG, but it too was artificial, and small wonder. It too has collapsed.

The churches seem to be the exception in that they remain strong and are supported strong throughout rural PNG, but are they? The Christianity now being taught in so many rural areas is very much the same mix as occurs in Africa. All the spritualism, black magic, and cargo cult aspects of traditional belief systems that were supposed to be totally contradictory to Christianity have now been incorporated, and a uniquely PNG blend is being created. Just like in Africa.

I'm curious. What has led you to believe that there is only one model for success and happiness, and that model lies in the western world?

Any response would be welcome. I may not be right, I'm just an outgrowth of my experiences and everything I see is happening right now all over the country.

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