Singapore Sling New world order By Rennie Loh	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
新たな世界秩序 米同時多発テロ事件の影響はシンガポールでも深刻です。経済状況の悪化はもちろん、多民族国家であるために、イスラム教徒と非イスラム教徒の間で緊張が高まるなど、国民を不安にさせる要因は増すばかりです。この暗い時世だからこそ、筆者は前向きに考えようと決めました。

"I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..."

Here, then, is the wonderful world according to great jazz musician Louis Armstrong, an ideal world that has no fears and where people live in perfect harmony.

With so much gloom in the current world, Louis Armstrong's rendition of an old favorite, "What a Wonderful World," is one of those classic songs that got me smiling and feeling hopeful. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in New York, waves of panic and uncertainty have spread worldwide. Besides human lives, these terrorists have taken away jobs, freedom and security, and have made us anxious, suspicious and pessimistic. So how has the Sept. 11 incident affected Singaporeans? Let me count the ways.

Hit by economic hardship: The world economy was already looking grim before Sept. 11, it is now in a rummage. Companies in Singapore, like in other parts of the world, are shedding staff like the leaves of trees in autumn. I am considered lucky that only my pay has been cut, and not my job.

But for my generation that has never tasted hardship on a massive scale, this new world order is hard to bear. We cannot see ourselves lowering our standards of living. Being creatures of comfort, we also cannot give up material wants, which have over the years been transformed to our needs: like our cars, fine dining or holidays, though we inevitably must.

Plagued by paranoia and jitters: People are worried about receiving mail from the United States for fear of anthrax infection. Panic buttons are pushed and any suspicions of white powder are raised and referred to the authorities. For a while, such cases dominated the headlines in the local news. Luckily, all were false alarms.

Farewell to freedom, welcome to tight security: I went to see my friend off at the Changi Airport the other day. In addition to a bevy of SIA girls in their signature kebaya, I also saw soldiers in uniform armed with loaded machine guns. The airport security was stepped up as a precautionary measure.

"It reassured me that the government is really tightening security," my friend said. "On the other hand, the fact that they are taking such pains to do this means there really is little room for optimism."

Before Sept. 11, Singaporeans were free to travel without fear. These days, we must work out the terrorist risk factor of places we want to visit. Though many airlines have slashed the airfares to New York and certain states in America by 30 to 50 percent, cost-savvy Singaporeans who know how to spot real bargains are still not persuaded to risk their lives for cheap fares.

I am one of those who have changed their minds about going to New York, though the cheapest airfare on offer is merely Singapore $599 (¥40,000). The recent crash of American Airlines in a neighborhood in New York was the last straw. I have decided to travel to safer destinations like Japan.

Usher in a new age of darkness: Pessimism abounds with the grim economy and the constant bombardment of bad news and bleak images. It is a dark time for many as fear of future dangers have led to much anxiety.

The war in Afghanistan is still looming, but as my thoughts float back to the chain of events following the Sept. 11 incident, I begin to feel how vulnerable Singapore and Singaporeans are. This city-state is so small and its economy is so reliant on the outside world.

Tread on the fine line of racial tensions: Sept. 11 has also created a wedge between some Muslim and non-Muslim Singaporeans. Muslims, who constitute 15 percent of the nation's population, feel disturbed and defensive about how their religion is being questioned. Non-Muslims wonder Esometimes loudly and insensitively Ewhy some people can kill and declare it is in the name of religion. Racial harmony, already so fragile in the best of times, is being tested.

However, the optimists can still try and wring some good out of all this. Some feel a greater need to live and let live and not sweat the small stuff. Others treasure their loved ones more, as they never know when one's life may end because of a terrorist's whim. Life is indeed so fragile.

There's a saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going." As for me, I just go shopping. I have been shopping like there's no tomorrow. Actually, with all the fighting going on around the world, who knows if there's going to be a tomorrow Eor at least the sort of tomorrow we all want it to be. I am going to hibernate in Japan as you read this article. My new living philosophy is "Carpe Diem," that is to seize the day. Meanwhile, life marches on, the onslaught of bad news isn't letting up, and each person has to deal with this assaulting mess in his own way.

Shukan ST: Dec. 14, 2001

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