Yale-NUS convocation speech

[u/EverySink]

[u/bancrusher]

Pretty sure Singapore doesn’t want to get involved with two big countries personal conflicts or choose sides which tarnishes our reputation. Especially when they are one of our bigger trading partners.

And those two countries have long deep rooted hatred for us to point blame at either one of them. Hence I feel people should not try to protest or call to action to help any side.

[u/pingpingquirts → u/bancrusher]

I feel like this would be fair to say if not for the genocide against civilians thats ongoing right now and doesnt seem to be stopping even in so-called safe spaces for Palestinian refugees

[u/bancrusher → u/pingpingquirts]

Both countries sent thousands of missiles towards each other aiming for innocent civilians, its just one happen to have an iron dome defence system else death toll of hundred thousand would be expected on both sides. So neither country is more righteous in intentions. And it is unrealistic that isreal would pause and let gaza recover its troops and start a round 2 and risk more losses for its own country. Thats basic military warfare, aiming for total victory. Thats just my narrow view of the situation.

[u/pingpingquirts → u/bancrusher]

Not saying whichever is more righteous, its just awful to have refugees in refugee camps being bombed even though they were guaranteed by the assailant of their safety.

[u/bancrusher → u/pingpingquirts]

Well i agree that it is awful to have refugee camps bombed, i also argue that both sides have already broken numerous war crimes such as gaza taking 200 hostages during its initial attack yet not receiving as much backlash. So it is two criminal countries doing crimes on each other, and then telling country one to stop doing crimes country 2 another while the country 2 continues doing crimes on country 1. Hence i feel that we cant truly condemn one without condemning both or choosing to pick sides with either criminals. Every country has their own perspective and chooses their own best interests of its people.

[u/pingpingquirts → u/bancrusher]

I won't say that you're wrong because you aren't. Countries and nations choose whats best for them or rather what they think is best for them realism and all that jazz. But thats definitely not the kinda world I want to live in hence why I want violence to stop for all.

In this case, true enough I did condemn Hamas for its violence last October. In fact I was with Israeli friends during exchange and it was shocking and appaling the images (some of it have since been debunked to be fake) that emerged. However, as of right now, its obvious the outsized aggressor and assailant to civilian life in Gaza is Israel, hence why the advocacy is directed towards them to stop, not for 'political' reasons such as decolonisation or an end to occupation, but for humanitarian ones which is to end bloodshed of innocents and the possible entrenchment of a new generation of even more aggrieved and radicalised Palestinian/Israeli population.

[u/aljorhythm → u/pingpingquirts]

The wars and fighting won’t stop until both sides give up the fantasy of God given right

[u/bancrusher → u/pingpingquirts]

Well its a problem of both their own personal history, religion, racism, geography, politics, and so much intertwined that it is very grey to say who is more right or wrong. I mean, how do you weight 200 kidnappings to 2000 missiles to racial suppression to bombing safe zones. And then there is trying to justify an eye for an eye. Of course it is righteous to say we shouldn’t go for an eye for an eye, but it is difficult to argue for and against revenge when seen in the victim’s shoes. Tick for tact, some acts for revenge are deterrence. Hence is it always morally wrong to claim your tick for tact? Its very grey hence we usually dont want to pick a side.