I wonder why people back then have so much passion and patriotism for their country. They can actually spend their entire lifetime throwing their mind and soul into building up the country.

[And they were not even born there!]

I admire the determination and energy they have to keep the country going despite tough times. You know, building up a country from nothing is definitely not an easy task. Managing finances, building up defences, building up housing and parks and shopping centres and public transport and airport and seaport and schools and librarys and cinemas etc etc etc etc, creating jobs for the unemployed, setting up unions and boards and agencies, establishing friendly ties with countries all over the world etc etc etc.

That is hell of a work to do!

Comparing their generation with our new generation kids, we seem to be doing real bad in terms of sense of belonging for our country huh? Every other person you rubbed shoulders with everyday has at least said once that he wants to get out of his country and migrate to some other better(or so they claimed) country.

I'm not saying that I'm patriotic. (Sadly) I'm one of the many (i'm quite sure) young kids out there who don't really know who the guy who died today is and what contributions he has done for Singapore until I watched the news.

But then again, at least I don't work hard to try to get good SAT scores and S papers grades for the sole reason of leaving Singapore to live in some "First-World" country for good.

I guess the reason is that people back then do not have to get stressed up in school or workplace, and standards of livings are low such that they can meet their daily needs easily and so, have time for their dreams.

Maybe in today's world, stress levels and cost of living are replacing sense of belonging as the factors that one considers which country he wants to live in.

On the other hand, should I say that technological advances and economical well-growth is driving us greedy and asking for better and better and even better things? People back then are satisfied with a little 2-room flat and a bicycle. People nowadays? 5-room flats are too small, the brand Toyota is not 'high-class' enough, and they want plasma TVs in their bathrooms, dozen-core-CPU-powered computers (hmm i wished for one of that too) etc.

Maybe because the past generation have been through tough times, so the tortures they endured made them more determined to run the country themselves, and run well, so that the country does not have to go through tough times again.

So our generation have never been through tough times, which make us not as bonded to the country as compared to the older generation. So everyone is thinking of leaving.

Perhaps we should start hoping that xI and xJC (where x=R) will churn out passionate leaders who are willing to lay down their lives for Singapore.

Meanwhile, i salute Mr S. Rajaratnam for his determination in running the country.

And maybe, we should start paying a little more attention to the country that gave us food and warmth and family and education.