POLITICS.docx
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POLITICS.docx
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POLITICS
POLITICS
1.Towhatextentshouldagovernmentberuledbythepeople?
Ruledbythepeople:
tobedirected/ledby,givenorders
Studentsshouldnotfocussimplyondemocracythoughthiswillbetheirfirstresponse.
Yes:
1.Onecanarguethatthemainfunctionofanygovernmentistoservethepeople(regardlessofhowthegovernmentiselectedorformed).Withoutthesatisfactionofthepeople(economically,socially,psychologicallyandpolitically),thegovernmentwouldhavefailedinitsduty.Historically,governmentsthatwereruledbythepeoplewereapplaudedandlauded,eg.governmentofthepeople,forthepeople,bythepeople(GettysburgaddressbyAbrahamLincoln);theFrenchgovernmentgoingagainstBushintheIraqWar.
2.Obviously,inademocracy,thegovernmentwillhavetolistentothewillofthepeople,asthegovernmentisselectedbecausetheypromisetofightforthepeopleintermsofissues.Theyshoulddeliveronthepromisestheymadeanditisasoundstrategyfortheirpoliticalsurvival.
3.Itcanbearguedthatthepeopleknowbestwhatisgoodforthemorwhattheywant.Italsoenablesthepeopletokeepacheckonthegovernmentsothatdespoticpowerwillnotaccumulate.
4.Peoplepowermaybehighlyregardedinthecountryand,ifthegovernmentisnotruledbythepeople,itwillresultinresentmentandunhappiness,evenindictatorialcountrieslikeMynamar.Atbest,itwillresultindesertionandatworse,rebellion.
No:
1.However,itmaynotbeabletodosoinallinstances,orthegovernmentmaybeparalysed.Thiscouldbeacaseoftryingtoohardtogetconsensus,withgatheringvotesofpermission,eginparticipatorydemocracieslikeSwitzerland.Thegovernment,obviously,shouldneedpublicsupportinimportantissues,butshouldnotbeburdenedintrivialissues.
2.Thepeopleshouldalsotrustthegovernmenttodoagoodjob,givingittime,spaceandsupporttocarryoutthewishesofthepeople.Inmostdemocraticcountries,electionsonlytakeplaceafter5years.
3.Onceagovernmentiselected,thepeopleshouldlosesomeofthepowertoinfluencethegovernmentandnotarbitrarilyinfluencethegovernment.Sometimes,itmayneedtoimplementunpopularbutnecessarydecisions,eg.ERP
4.Ifthewishesofthepeoplearenotgoodforthecountry,thegovernmentshouldnotberuledbythem(althoughhowthisisdeterminediscontroversial)eg.economically,orsocially(peoplenotgettingmarriedanddemandingsupport?
)
Whatistheprimarygoalofagovernment?
Isittocarryoutthewishesofthepeopleortoensurepeace,prosperityandagoodsocialsupportforthecountry?
∙Counter-terroristmeasureshavebeensuccessful,toacertainextent,incurbingterroristactivitythrough:
heightenedhomelandsecurity,international/regionalcooperation(intelligencesharing,trainingofcounter-terrorismpersonnel),policymaking(theObamaAdministration’suseofdiplomacyanddevelopmentassistanceincounteringterrorism),militarystrikes(dronestrikes,removaloftheLTTEbytheSriLankaArmy),politicalconcession(NorthernIrelandconflict),alertingcommunitiestotheterrorismthreat,etc.
∙Despitecounterterroristmeasures,whyisterrorismsodifficulttoeradicate?
Somereasons:
a.severecounter-terroristmeasuresencouragefurtherradicalisation(indignationofsympathiserstowardsmistreatmentofterrorsuspectsatGuantanamoBayandAbuGhraib,ThePatriotAct)
b.suchmeasuresfailtoaddressgrievances(growingdiscontentofTamildiasporatowardsSriLankagovernment’smarginalisationofTamils)
c.someterrorists(e.g.religiousextremists)arenotopentocompromise,giventheirferventbeliefthattheiractivitiesaredivinelysanctioned
d.thepersistentexistenceofradicalgovernmentsthatbelieveinusingmilitarymighttopursuepoliticalagendaswillensurethesurvivabilityofstate-sponsoredterrorism
e.newmediachannelsliketheInternethavebeenusedtoperpetuatesubversivemessages,whichhaveledtoself-radicalisation
∙Studentsarerequiredtointelligentlyweightheeffectivenessofcounter-terroristmeasuresagainstthenatureofterrorismandanunderstandingofthedevelopmentofterrorisminordertoarriveatalogicallydefensiblestand.Thisisacontent-heavyquestion.Studentswhochoosetoattemptthisquestionshouldhavesubstantialknowledgeofthetopic.
5.Issporttoocloselylinkedtopolitics?
Interpretation
Theassumptionisthatsportandpoliticsarelinked,buttheterm‘too’impliesthatsport’slinktopoliticsisbeyondacceptablelimitsandthereforeunhealthyasthisleadstoundesirableconsequences.Thecontextmustbecompetitivesportandnotindividual,recreationalsport.
Possiblestands:
1.No-Thatpoliticsisanintegralpartofsportandanyconsequences,positiveornegative,areinevitable.However,precautionsarebeingtakenorshouldbetakentopreventorlessenabuseofsport.
2.Yes-Thatalthoughpoliticsisaninevitablefeatureofsport,itsinfluencehasgonebeyondacceptablelimitsandresultedinabuses.
IfStand1
A.Politicsisanintegralpartofsport:
1.Politicsinsportisnotamodernphenomenon.TheAncientGreeksweresimilarlyplaguesbypoliticalinterference.
1.Nationsexpectsportsmentobringglorytothecountrybecausetheyaresponsoredbythegovernment.Governmentsawardthemmoneyfortheirvictories.
2.Sportbringspeopletogether-nationalunityandpatriotism.
3.TheGamesalsobringabouteconomicbenefitstohostcountries.
Howevermeasuresmustbetakentoensurethatpoliticsdoesnottaintthetruemeaningofsport.
1.Itisimportanttofocusonthevaluesofsport-goodwillamongnations,spiritofsportsmanshipevenwhileopportunisticgroupsexploitthesportasaninternationalplatformtofurthertheirpoliticalagenda.
2.Hostcountriesshouldtakethebestmeasurestoprovidesecurityfortheathletesbecauseabuseisinevitable.
IfStand2
A.Politicsisaninevitablefeatureofsportandthiscansometimesbeagoodthing:
B.Butoftentheinfluenceofpoliticshasbeensostrongthatithastaintedthepurityofsport:
1.Nationalisticfervourhasledtoactionsthatgoagainstthetruepurposeofsport(fairplayandsportsmanship)
Eg-athletesresorttotakingdrugstoenhancetheirperformance.SometimesthispracticeissanctionedbytheState(EastGermany/recentexamples?
)
-The1936BerlinOlympicswasdominatedasmuchbyNazipropagandaasbytheathleticevents.
2.Usedbyextremistgroupstofurthertheirpoliticalagendaespeciallywhensuchaninternationalplatforminviteswidemediacoverage:
-Tosupporttheterrorismcauseegs.MunichOlympics/thebombingandkillingoftheSriLankancricketteaminPakistanduringtheWorldCricketTournamentin2009.
-Difficultforhostcountrytoguaranteesafetyofathletesinavolatileworld.
3.Divertedattentionfromindividualsportsmentopoliticalissueswhichhavenothingtodowithsport.
4.Wasteofsportingtalent-talentedsportsmenlosetheopportunitytoshowtheirskillseitherbecausesportingbansareimposedbycountries(examples)orfearofterrorattacks–eg–InAugust2009,theEnglishbadmintonteampulledoutoftheWorldBadmintonChampionshipheldinHyderabad,India,becauseofreportsofapossibleattackduringtheevent.
Politicsisallabouttheimprovementofpeople’slives.Discuss.
Studentsshouldtakenoteoftheabsolutewayinwhichstatementisphrased–“allabout”–anddealwiththeissuesinvolvedaccordingly.Studentsneedtodefineforthemselvesthescopeandmeaningof“politics”andsincethequestionisfocusedonwhatisratherthanwhatshouldbe,arealisticunderstandingofcurrentaffairswithspecificexamplesisrequiredforagoodanswer.Thepurposeofpoliticsandgovernanceshouldbeunderstoodasameansofnegotiatingthetwindemandsofdiversity(competinginterests)andscarcity(ofresources);socialcontrariantheoriesposittheestablishmentofthestate/governmentastheauthority/regulatorinwhatwouldotherwisebea“warofallagainstall”inasocietyofself-interestedindividuals.
∙Assumptionthatimprovementisalwaysagoodthing.Candidatesareexpectedtoprovidesomeformofyardsticktomeasureimprovement.
∙Limitationsandconstraintsofhumanleaders–unabletofullypredictandforeseewhatwillhappeninthelongrun;unintentionaloverlookingofcertaingroupsinsociety;changeinleadershipthatbacktracksimprovementsmade;outcomes/effectsofpoliciesnotalwayswithinone’scontrol;leadersmightseektoimprovethelivesofpeoplebutendupdoingtheconverse,orcouldbetrulyseekinggoodbutaremisunderstood,non-stateactors(e.g.civilsocietygroups)thatfillingapsbecausegovernmentscannotrealisticallymeeteveryneedandunfairtoexpectthemto,etc.
∙Politicsisalsoaboutotherthingsthatmightbeincompatiblewithimprovingpeople’slives.E.g.pursuitofjusticewhichmightentailredistributionofresources(progressivetaxation),thusaffectingsomenegatively;nationalsecurityanddefence(NS,surveillancetechnologies);socialorder(policeabuse);internationaldimension(ASEAN’spolicyofnon-interferenceevenintothemilitaryregimeofBurma)
-Betteranswers:
Suchscriptscouldofferacritical,multi-prongedappraisalofthereasonsinsupportof,orlegitimising,terroristbehaviourandacts,say,fromthereligious,socio-politicalandideologicalperspectives,andarguehowthesestilldonotadduptoastrongcaseforouracceptanceofsuchbehaviourasrationalandjustified.
-Weakscripts:
Suchessaysdonotdemonstrateafocusonthekeyword“criminals”,ormightmerelylisttheatrocitiesandhorrorsofterrorisminshowingthatsuchactsare,simplis
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