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Is patriotism an archaic concept?

That’s a hilarious question to ask me since I’m not Singaporean. But I’ve been here long enough as a Foreign Talent (FT) so perhaps I can offer a different view.

As an FT, I can proudly say that I’m quite patriotic about Singapore. You won’t catch me going around badmouthing Singapore. I’m glad to be here and part of this incredibly efficient, clean and advanced island nation. And I suspect many of my fellow FT’s also feel the same way. We’re all buying HDB flats, aren’t we?

At a glance, patriotism seems to be an archaic concept in Singapore because the locals mostly don’t appear to give a damn except on National Day when half the country celebrates and the other half goes on holiday to neighboring countries.

Are Singaporeans patriotic? Sadly to say, I don’t think so. They’re mostly very jaded. The guys were forced to go through NS and that didn’t help. The economic downturn didn’t help as well. People on the whole are unconcerned about their busy lives instead of focusing on the bigger picture. Government bashing seems to be a national hobby but nobody gets involved in politics which is strange.

So yes, I do think patriotism is an archaic concept, at least in Singapore today.

Technorati lists him as a “huge Asian blogger”. This 30-year-old elusive blogger is fiercely private and has been blogging since 2002. Cowboy Caleb currently shuttles between Malaysia, Singapore, China and Thailand.  He is also an editor for Tomorrow.sg, a popular website for Singapore bloggers.

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