there's semantic distinction between a nation state and a state nation. the basic idea is that a nation state tends toward homogeneity, whereas a state nation could accept, or tolerate, heterogeneity. and so in my democracy class, the professor asked, out of curiosity, about the state of a multi-racial Singapore (maybe because he's South African).

anyway, this clever Malay (do not be surprised) boy said that Singapore's not honest about racial harmony; racism exists, albeit illicit, but the government does not wish to promote honest discussion on this. he made sense. it's a socially embedded subconscious: jokes, beliefs that Chinese are "hard-working" and "intelligent" and Malay "happy-go-lucky" and "lazy".

and a Chinese "government" boy responded that it's about racial tolerance; racism might admittedly exist, but as long as people tolerate racial differences and practices Singapore's good to go. a classic case of community before self!

how come it seems like the Indian people are entirely missed out... oh well, never mind. if you get what i mean.

and yeah, i'm thrilled that, coincidentally, Nobel laureate James Watson went as far as claiming that black people are not as intelligent as white people (and therefore, western social programmes just don't work in Africa). this is seriously politically incorrect. and i kind of like that.

of course, Singapore's not the only place that's not totally honest about it. British intellectuals and policy-advisors slammed his remark bad. and the London's Science Museum cancelled a scheduled talk by Watson. well, very few things are badder taboos than racism exposed. one's same-sex marriage.

affirmative action through the camera lenses of Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty! "But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?" - Robert F. Kennedy

update: Dr. Watson has just "unreservedly" apologised for his inferred remark on whites' superior intelligence to blacks on Oct 20, 2007.