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In 2011, the internet became the third most important channel overall for news and views. However, among those under 40 years of age, the internet was the most important communication channel, ahead of newspaper and TV. It ranked third among those aged 40 – 54, sixth among those aged 55 – 64 and tied with friends and families for last place among those aged 65 and older.

That of the Singapore Democratic Alliance fell considerably, but then the SDA of 2011 is not the same as the SDA of 2006. In the previous election, it was a bigger party comprising the Singapore People’s Party (SPP) and the National Solidarity Party (NSP) as well. Despite splitting away, the credibility scores of the SPP and NSP in 2011 were still a distance below that of the SDA in 2006.

“The labouring man will take his rest long in the morning; a good piece of the day is spent afore he come at his work; then he must have his breakfast, though he have not earned it at his accustomed hour, or else there is grudging and murmuring; when the clock smiteth, he will cast down his burden in the midway, and whatsoever he is in hand with, he will leave it as it is, though many times it is marred afore he come again; he may not lose his meat, what danger soever the work is in. At noon he must have his sleeping time, then his bever* in the afternoon, which spendeth a great part of the day; and when his hour cometh at night, at the first stroke of the clock he casteth down his tools, leaveth his work, in what need or case soever the work standeth.”

-James Pilkington, Bishop of Durham, ca. 1570

*bever, Anglo-Norman for either a drink or a snack.

Why did medieval peasants need to read and write? This was to enable them to read legal documents concerning their assets and taxation. Latin was used for administrative purpose in England. Anglo-Norman French became the language of legal proceeding after the Norman conquest of England, until 1363 which was replaced by English.

Besides being taught Latin, peasants also learned English, their native tongue. Being able to read in English helped brought about religious upheavals as people began interpreting the Bible, translated into English, on their own. This would lead to the Lollardry, a religious and political movement, in the 14th Century CE. It was considered a religious heresy and a threat to the monarchy, thus was brutally oppressed until the English Reformation (which had its roots in Lollardy) in 16th Century CE.

is today’s Singaporeans better off than medieval English peasants? To a certain extent, yes. We pay higher tax to our government because the latter provides higher education, healthcare, housing and other services to everyone, which were not available to all peasants. However, we seem to be worse off than the peasants as people have become un-happier with life and have lesser leisure time and holidays.

We work longer hours as the invention of electric light enabled us to worked virtually in any hour of the time as we need not depend on sunlight for our work. Medieval calendar had more holidays than Singapore’s calendar, due to the religious significance of the holidays and people were more religious. During holidays, peasants would indulge in feasting, singing and dancing, something we still do today though we now spend lesser time indulging ourselves, some to the point of over-doing it.

But the more insidious value, the one that almost no one would identify as problematic, is the idea that all parents should do everything they can to give their child advantages.  Even Ms. Stewart thinks so.  “They want to help their kids,” she said. “If I could buy it, I would, too.”

Somehow, in the attachment to the idea that we should all help our kids get every advantage, the fact that advantaging your child disadvantages other people’s children gets lost.  If it advantages your child, it must be advantaging him over someone else; otherwise it’s not an advantage, you see?