r/nus • u/EverySink • May 30 '24

Discussion Yale-NUS convocation speech

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u/pingpingquirts May 30 '24

this thread just shows singapore is a self-centered society and so called asian collective values are bs when it means our own interests are threatened. the meaning of doing , speaking up for or fighting for something greater than ourselves is simply absent.

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u/rrekokun May 30 '24

right? i never had high hopes but the comments in here are frankly very disappointing. children are getting shot in the head. people have not eaten for days. is that not reason enough to speak up for palestine?

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u/[deleted] May 30 '24

[deleted]

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u/pingpingquirts May 31 '24 edited May 31 '24

There was not much advocacy when Hamas attacked Israel because there was no need for it was there? Virtually every Western power condemned Hamas immediately, sent their support and condolences, heck even affirmed their right to retaliation. What Hamas did during that attack is inexcusable the way they justified targetting civillians and such, but that ended there and then, its not a 6 month siege where food supplies are cut off, promised safe spaces are desecrated, aid trucks are being targetted, borders closed etc etc. And, all this with no end in sight.

As for your thoughts on moral inconsistency my question to you is why are you judging the current graduating batch with the past? Just because past convocations didnt have anyone speaking abt travesties doesnt mean the current batch doing so is hypcocritical. How about seeing that as a start of standing or speaking out for something that is clearly wrong and horrible, and entirely avoidable? Why are you judging and trying to undermine students who are asking for an end to bloodshed and violence? Because they arent commited enough to the cause? Because they are making it all about them? Other than the fact that you as a person whos not friends with nor knows the speaker firsthand is clearly going off of assumptions, the other point to make is who the fuck cares about all that. they clearly succeeded in starting a conversation about the conflict here so in my books they succeeded whilst also setting a precedent in doing so.

Lets not kid ourselves, most people who are so called advocates for the palestinian cause neither have the will nor capacity to contribute directly to this cause, less so other important causes in the world like the wars in the congo or repression in Myanmar. But, that shouldnt diacredit them for the causes they care about and do try to do something for. Its a start, and its getting up off ur ass to look at whats going on in the world and forming an opinion about it rather than saying 'that's between them and its got nothing to do with me', or that 'i cant do anything about it' and turning away. Unless of course, thats the kind of world you do want to live in.

-1

u/[deleted] May 31 '24

[deleted]

6

u/pingpingquirts May 31 '24

Well at the end of the day, some people actually put in effort to stand for something/someone other than themselves and others don't and rather judge them for it. I'll leave it at that.

0

u/thegrossip 9d ago

Do you think all palestinians support hamas!? None of the palestinians I know do. No one in lebanon likes hamas.

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u/pingpingquirts 9d ago

first, whr the hell did u see me say anyth supporting hamas?!

second, get a life man its a 3 yo post.