2009-09-15 - 3:10 p.m.

costa rica and a defensive lecturer

I wonder why my lecturer became so defensive at my question. The only reason I could think of was that he felt that my question threatened his position as a lecturer, someone who traditionally should not be challenged. Or that he did not have an answer to my question. I don't see it as a crime if he did not have an answer to my question because teachers are human beings too. He could have said he did not have an answer and would get back to me. However, I felt that he did not.

I don't understand the defensiveness. Lecturers should allow students to discuss issues with them and not condemn them by stating "you can't just generalise things". Precisely because we should not generalise things, that we should ask about exceptions in life.

What makes Costa Rica abolish its army? He did point out that what's good for Costa Rica might not be good for other countries. I asked if it's too idealistic to use Costa Rica as a role model. He asks me "Do u think it would be better for Singapore?" However, the intention behind my question is the ideal of peace in world at large. It's not just about Singapore, but the region, the whole world. Of course, I did feel it might be idealistic because our region perhaps has not reached the level of maturity?

The fact that countries have armies and defence systems shows that we don't trust other countries enough. Somehow, the contradiction between patroitism and global citizenship is always there.

My intentions had never been to challenge. I question because I really don't understand the exception which does not sit into the given framework of how "state and violence" are "intimately linked". I question because I know that in this age, it is increasing important to not just take in information passively.

Costa Rica is indeed a country I admire in that they abolished their army since 1949. This shows how the sovereign trusts that the world would not to invade their country. The exact circumstances and regional factors had to be studied though...

previous - next