A diatribe against diatribe

Warning: do not read if you are easily offended.

Isn't it ironic? Our country has never been wealthier but people have never been angrier. Reading people's comments on the Singapore Conversation dismays me - with their cynicism, nitpicking, fault finding and general discontentment. Friends, look around you. Women are beautifuly dressed and toting branded bags, our roads are full of flashy cars. It is hard to get a table at popular restaurants at any time. Even the mrt stations are gleaming! Our shop shelves are laden with choices and even pets go to spa. There is much anxiety about making sure that one's children get into a prestigious school. But, even if one doesn't, any public school in Singapore can boast of good facilities and well-trained teachers. I dare say that every school in Singapore has its fair share of successful alumni.

I quite agree with Sumiko Tan that we are in our nation's golden age. Know that a country will not always be rich, so we are lucky to have experienced this era. There might come a time when we decline, then, is one going to be even angrier? Or perhaps paradoxically, the chastening of poverty would bring about a more appreciative attitude instead.