Supporting opposition doesn't mean less patriotic...
By alokijon
@alokijon (665)
Malaysia
April 24, 2011 7:51am CST
I had a discussion over a cup of coffee yesterday. We chatted about the recent concluded State election. One of my brothers said that the people who are supporting the opposition party are less patriotic. He said that the people in the state are not that poor and he doesn't see why people still oppose the government. He even said that if the Chinese people are not satisfy with the state, they can go back to China and so on. I beg to differ with the opinion. When people support the opposition it doesn't mean that they are less patriotic. It is because they love the country that leads them to support the opposition and so on. What do you think about this topic?
4 responses
@marguicha (215441)
• Chile
24 Apr 11
I think that any support with ideas (not with violence) to any party means being patriotic as it means being interested in your country´s affairs. IIt is less patriotic to just don´t care about what is happening and not bothering to have ideas of your own about what is going on in your country.
I also think that all governments need opposition to work better. They have to think about everyone and not only about their followers.
I don´t know what happens in Malaysia, but in my country there are a lot of people from other countries working here. If they work in Chile and they have a permit to do so, they should also have some rights to express themselves and their needs.
@marguicha (215441)
• Chile
24 Apr 11
I completly agree with you. We had an awful experience in my country years ago with a dictator. A whole generation of chileans were touched by it. Not only the opposition ( that fled or was killed) but in all familes there are people that think differently (as you and your brother). The arts suffer too as their nature is to be controversial.
It took us a long time to overcome that and I still think there´s a long way to go. The world´s economy doesn´t help much: social issues are always in second place
@alokijon (665)
• Malaysia
24 Apr 11
The ruling government needs somebody to do the check and balance. It is natural for human being when they are in power, they tend to misuse the power that they have. In my recent state election, the election ran smoothly. At my pooling centre, I could see that people came out to vote happily. I heard laughter and joy at the centre. Remember we only choose our representatives not enemies.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Apr 11
Hi Alokijon, our Singapore election is coming too.
Most of the comments in the web favor the opposition.
Can you imagine having just two opposition MP in the parliament? This was the result of the last election.
I think we made a mistake in not having more opposition MPs.
This time round, I believe my fellow Singaporeans are going to vote more opposition members into the parliament.
The end result of last election was that we paid more in taxes, since goods and services tax went up.
@alokijon (665)
• Malaysia
24 Apr 11
See, I am sure by voting for opposition, doesn't make you less Singaporean right? You vote the party you feel that can protect your country. I am a person that for the time being for not being a member of any political parties. I will go for issues brought up during the campaign.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
24 Apr 11
Hi Alokijon, patriotic is for the country, not the ruling party.
What if the ruling party is making life miserable? Then it is patriotic to bring pressure on them.
In our parliament of 84 seats, only 2 are occupied by the opposition.
The ruling party becomes a kind of dictatorship.
They do what they want, increase the price of public housing, and increase the goods and services tax, while asking us to accept lower paid jobs.
@lampar (7584)
• United States
20 Jul 11
Supporting the opposition party in a democracy is nothing unpatriotic about, it is the rights of the people to support which ever political party they believe can do a better job for the nation and its population. Your brother is talking nonsense and is being unreasonable, political party is not God, they are dispensable like every other material things in our world, every Singaporean has his/her rights to support whoever and whatever deem fit to personal view and opinion. Supporting or opposing any political party is a very normal reaction in a free society. 
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
26 Apr 11
I don't think that supporting the opposition is less patriotic. United State of America, has many intelligent people. That words is a kind of narrow minded thinking about people who did not support any opposition party...
Being a patriotic to any countries we reside is not what we are going to support but what we are going to support the country.
