9/30/2015

The unbelieveable talent of politicians

We have just witnessed the appointment of a new cabinet of ministers, with some ministers taking on new ministries and some new faces being appointed as ministers. Many people have taken for granted that this is a normal thing, just getting people appointed as ministers. There is nothing unusual about it.

From the HR perspective, this is the biggest fallacy that no one ever questioned. Now what am I talking about? These are very important appointments that require exceptional skill sets. They are not the cashier or the counter sales girls. Even these lower skill jobs require some form of training and may be some form of relevant qualifications. Now you are getting it.

In political appointments, there is no skill sets to talk about. There is no profession training needed. You can put Ah Meng as a defence minister or an education minister, as long as he is elected by the people and the party puts him into the job. Now the picture is getting clearer. In the industries, every joker is talking about skill sets and lack of skill sets to hire or not to hire, to go overseas to look for the talent with the required skill sets.

There were hue and cries about our lack of talent in the IT and finance industries. But we never heard of lacking talents in politicians. There was no need for any qualifications or training as politicians. Maybe being a politician is the easiest thing, in born, a natural skill that does not need any training. But when one takes on an appointment like finance, education, defence, law, health, etc etc, is there any specific training or qualifications needed? No, no need, anyone is good enough to be in any ministry. We put a soldier as an Education Minister and he is expected to know what education is all about. We put an eye surgeon to become a Foreign Minister and he will know the job. We put an administrator as the Transport Minister, and instantly he is an expert in solving transport problems.

In conclusion, either the job of a politician even at ministerial level is so easy that no training is needed and any training or experience will do, or a politician is born to be multi talented, born to know everything and be an expert in everything. An MP will automatically become an advisor to clan associations, sports associations, clubs, guilds, industrial associations etc etc. Somehow an MP also becomes a knows all.

It is really good to be a politician, your status, skills and talent immediately changed overnight and one becomes a knows all superman or superwoman without the need for any professional training.

This is the best profession on earth. No need special professional training and good for life.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

What talent? Most politicians need no talent. Before we talk about politicians and talent we must look into the different perspectives of why some people go into politics. There are good, honest and decent people who go into politics for a cause with a strong conviction to do something good for the country, for their own country brothers and sisters. They are unselfishly dedicated to their cause of doing good and never for once think of benefiting themselves at the expense of the country. There are others who join politics with ulterior motives and self interest and they will always speak louder than others purportedly for the good of the people and will always vitriolly villify their political opponents as a means to obtain their evil objective. These evil people once they achieve political power they think wealth and glory is theirs to grab and they will use their political power to ensure that they will entrench themselves permanently in power at the expense and to the detriment of the country and the people.

Having said that, there are really some good politicians who are talented, intelligent, wise and dedicated. Some good examples are Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi, Chairman Mao Tsetung, Premier Zhou Enlai and Doctor Goh Keng Swee. These are politicians who take up politics for the cause of their countries and people and not otherwise.

Now, in many countries most politicians take up politics as a venture and a short cut to power , wealth and glory. They do not need any talent, less so wisdom. All they need is a warp crooked mind of how to supplant and undermind political opponents to get into power. Once there they have the full panoply of all the talented and brilliant civil servants to direct, advise and guide them through the ways and by ways of rule and governing. They just sit in the comfortable air-conditioned room in their stately arm-chair and sign all papers prepared by the permanent secretaries, directors and other senior executives. Yes, of course they will always see that their party holds military and police power as well as control of the intelligence agency as they are the lynchpin to entrench themselves in power. It is really shameful and degrading with these type of politicians and any country can do without them.

SG

Anonymous said...

Does the few kpkb here think they know politics better than tge 70%
that elected the Aristocrats to rule
them?

Anyway, You Guys think it is easy
to scheme and be able to overwhelm
the many highly qualified alternative parties' aspiring politicians?

Yes, politicians indeed need not be academically or professionally qualified. Statecraft is not science per se as some may like to claim. Politic is about ideology, it is more spiritual and emotional than Science. It is beyond Science and more like religion. It is an ability to understand read and manipulate the emotions of the people and exploit them.

There are great leaders with the Happiness of their citizenries as their motives to lead. As President Xi of PRC declares; the Wellbeing and Happiness of the People MUST BE THE PURPOSE AND DUTY OF THE GOVERNMENT.
He also said that obe shoukd not be in politic for the money. Or those coveting for wealth should not be in politic to seek their fortunes.

There is a higher calling for politicians

Btw, most regines are corrupted with widespread cronyism at play. Then there are also traitors that have no qualm to betray their people and sell
the Countries for their own gains.

But, if the Peopke are fine with
Shenanigans as their Rulers as in the Case with Sinkies, blame not the tyrants and scoundrels that run foul of ethics and propriety. They are the Choices of the Peasants and so be it.

Redbean had been a polling agent in the 2015 General Election and he had affirmed ib this Blogsite that he was sure that there cant be any hanky panky
business at the Polling Centres. He did add the Caveat that he was not sure about the integrity of the Polls at the Counting Centres. However, in good faith, we must also accept that it must
be prim and proper with no indication to show otherwise.

In conclusion, must say that the Very Wise Electorates had made it clear who they wanted to run Sin.
There is no reason or cause to doubt their choices.

What more to kpkb?

Anonymous said...

We put a soldier as an Education Minister and he is expected to know what education is all about.
RB

Not really lah. What is most important is the background of this soldier. And he is a trained fighter pilot, u know. For this job first and foremost, one need to have courage, and also to ensure that the fighter jet is in tip top condition, or else he may have to pay for it with his life.

So having appointed him as education minister, these are the kind of values PAP want him to impart to students, values of courage and making sure that things are in tip top condition, in both study and later in work. So isn't this a good thing, u tell me lah?

Anonymous said...

For the first time in 50 years, we have a minister with background as a fighter pilot.

How many Sinkies, not Americans, can, or have the guts to, go for training in the US to become a fighter pilot?

Anonymous said...

rb always pick holes in everything. Have yo heard of this thing called " on the job training "? Most newly appointed ministers in the PAP team are on the job training. Give them a chance and they might do a good job. So RB, please relax and do not get too excited. singaporeans will be better off with this PAP team.Very impressive team at that.

Anonymous said...

What you say is the hidden truth. Politicians needing talents are all a myth and hype. Once in office, they have all the experts in the respective fields to give them advice and suggestions. What talents do they need?

The PM's office is full of ministers and even senile ministers, and behind them all the advisers for them to tap the expertise. If needed, those experts can also hold the Ministers' or senile minister's hands, and they in turn can hold the PM's hand now that the horrible one is not around. It is all very well thought out sucession plan, done well before the GE hor!

Anonymous said...

That army guy must also have lots of on the job training as a minister (for education?) in the army. Horrors, what was he they doing in the army all those years? Just 'kee chiu' I suppose. Now a 'kee chiu' minister.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

'Does the few kpkb here think they know politics better than tge 70%
that elected the Aristocrats to rule
them?'

So they dunno you know?

Politics is about ideology in some ways, also about the well being of a people and nation. In Sin City, politics is about pragmatism and money, no ideology or the ideology of money. Some silly ass wrote an article in today's paper about paying Indonesia for the oxygen. How silly can Sinkes be?

Want to pay for sunlight as well?