Skip to main content

How to Make Your Own Judgement on PM’s NDR 2013 Speech


Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had finally delivered his National Day Rally speech for 2013.  He concluded that there was a new way forward and announced that the government was making major strategic changes.

You also read about the comments from two different sources: mainstream media and social media. Now, consider this is as a political rally speech in the General Election 2016, will you be persuaded and influenced to vote for Lee and the People’s Action Party (PAP)?

Professor Robert Cialdini and Steve Martin have developed a scientific technique to help you to assess the effectiveness of a persuasion. In the persuasion of science, they list the following 6 short-cuts:  

Reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking and consensus.

You can view the video in YouTube:



Reciprocity: People are obliged to give back to others the form of behaviour, gift, or service that they have received first.

Lee has made some changes in housing, education, and health care etc. Are you the one who will be benefited from the changes?  What will you do in return?

Scarcity: Simply put, people want more of those things they can have less of.

Lee said there are very few successful countries like Singapore in the world. Indirectly, he was saying the PAP is a scarcity. He stressed, ‘we are not taking these steps because our system is bad. On the contrary, we are starting from a good position.’ He also said, ‘very few countries or cities can think or plan over such a long term.’

Authority: The idea that people follow the lead of credible, knowledgeable experts.

Lee announced big projects like new airport terminal, new port in Tuas, the moving of Paya Lebar Airbase, etc. They are experts in economic development.

Consistency: People like to be consistent with the things they have previously said or done.

Lee said Singapore was making a shift and a major one. But at the same thing, he said, ‘we may have made major shifts in our policies, but our core purpose has not changed.’  He wants changes but also wants consistency. 

Liking: People prefer to say yes to those that they like.

During the speech, Lee was seen moving to tears. Do you like it or not? Overall, do you like his speech?

This ‘liking’ factor needs further explanation. In the video, it mentions: We like people who are similar to us, we like people who pay us compliments, and we like people who cooperate with us towards mutual goals.
  
Similarity, compliments and mutual goals, have you found these in Lee’s speech?

Consensus: Especially when they are uncertain, people will look to the actions and behaviours of others to determine their own.

Lee said his speech was a feedback of Our Singapore Conversation that seeks consensus for the future development of Singapore. Do you agree with this consensus?  Do you see the consensus?


After viewing the video, you can then use the 6 short-cuts to make you own judgement.  If the election is called tomorrow, will you vote for Lee and the PAP?  Which one of the short-cuts is the most critical factor for you to make your decision? And are you a marginal voter and will you make a change after listening to his speech?

Voting is secret and we should all make a wise choice for Singapore. There is rumour in social media, if Lee’s sales technique and persuasion work, the PAP will call for early election. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sub-standard PAP and the Singapore education system

I make a 'policy shift' when I hear the debate of right politics, constructive politics and sub-standard opposition. My original aim is to discuss about “Su Dongbo, Zhang Juzheng and Singapore education system”. The discussion will end with a sub-standard PAP, in particular from the assessment of the quality of PAP potential candidates. Another policy shift is to discuss it like a play, a drama and make it more entertainment rather than a sub-standard political discussion. Act 1 Gangster’s demand Imagine a sense in the Hong Kong's gangster movie (or a godfather movie), the gangsters' master is shouting at his poor opponent and demand him to give a price for his wrong act. The poor guy without any resources can only offer his body or his service to work for the master. Back in his own chamber, the master is still not satisfied and continues to shout 'don't play, play, you think you are hero, you think you are tiger, or superstar or acting

因为有比较, 才知道做得不够, 才明白什么叫做易通。

  因为有比较, 才知道做得不够, 才明白什么叫做易通。 如果只有一套解决方法,很难看出好坏,方便还是不方便,易通还是不容易通。用新方法代替旧的系统,人们当然会做比较,尤其是科技产品,使用的人很多,一用就马上看到结果。 这是一个竞争的世界,即使一党独大,也要考虑到便民。当人民觉得不方便,不好用,不易通,就会反映,发声,不满。为什么没有预先想到,最可怕的是测试时,已经接到反应,还是不加改善。或许,行动党还抱着“令伯”最大,用者自行解决问题。 易通公交收费系统的整合,似乎缺少一种人文,沟通,反而更加多表现出政府的独断独行。尤其重要的是,如果只有一套系统,我们是看不出问题,做不出好坏的评价。 这其实证明国会里不可以只有一把声音,没有比较,没有进步。

After 60 years, after 3 failed political imaginations, the PAP is deteriorating...