This is what privilege looks like

The last blog article did really well, and I hoped it was circulated amongst ACS alumni. It's time to broaden our discussion to explore what privilege is, as sociologists like Teo You Yenn should consider studying it in greater detail. We are so obsessed with poverty and inequality. Still, privilege exists at opposite ends of the spectrum, and greater equality can emerge if we address both privilege and poverty in society.

Singapore was a British colony that gained independence and has a Chinese majority, so it comes as no surprise that Singapore is all about academic excellence, as it is something that both Anglo-Saxons and Chinese are highly valued. Similarly, privilege is centred around schools.

ACS-MGS is just one of the spheres of privilege, but so is RI-RGS and HCI. So, a hypothetical scammer could be from any of these spheres. In that case, it should be fair game for the press to mention schools, because when privileged members of society commit crimes, it's an area of significant public interest.

Consider this imaginary scenario: Suppose a man was caught fornicating with an alpaca in the Kazakhstan steppes. Would it be of great public interest if he also turns out to be the brother of Lady Gaga? At the very least, the news would capture eyeballs. 

How does privilege operate?

Better resources and access - I was privileged enough to give a financial talk at both RI and ACS-I, and I find their campuses to be lovely, far surpassing those of other secondary schools. And what a great privilege for them to have access to me before their O-levels! Other adults pay thousands to listen to me. 

If we can be serious, RI's gap semester is one of the best programs a teenager can access. 

Symbolic Power - Doctors and lawyers who continue to wear their secondary ties are projecting the symbolic power of their brands. The schools I mentioned have ridiculous band power. You think parents will stop their kids from going to ACS because of one Cambodian scammer?

Network Capital - Being part of the right old-boy networks can provide access to lucrative jobs in highly sought-after sectors, such as the finance sector. 

Intergenerational Continuity - Alumni can enrol their children in the appropriate primary school, where it is easier to utilise affiliation bonuses to secure a place in the secondary school. In this sense, RI-RGS is the only privileged sphere that does not grant affiliation any advantages (Thank god!). 

With these four features, privileged institutions can propagate through culture and class.

With these points, I will address the classic defences that privileged friends tend to erect when the news of Finan Siow comes up.

But I did not use my privilege to get to where I am today.

Just because you did not use the networking power of your privilege does not mean that you did not utilise the other aspects of privilege I mentioned here.  If your child is enrolled in your own primary school, you are trying to extend your legacy.  You put ACS in your Tinder profile, you're projecting symbolic power.  However, even if you never exercised any privilege, it still exists as a real option (yes, like a Black-Scholes financial option) that can potentially "come into the money" in the future. 

Why does the journalist not mention the other schools of the other scammers?

Since the other schools are not systems of privilege, the research would not be worthwhile. It is simply not in the public interest to know that a scammer is from Changkat Changi Secondary School if that wer the case. 

The funny thing is that the ACSOBA is doing everything wrong to address the issue. Every day, an older boy of higher status wades into the conflict, which just demonstrates how privileged they are as a group.

If I were in charge of public relations, I'd hire an undischarged bankrupt who is part of the gig economy to discuss why ACS privilege is not a significant issue. 

In my own family, there are at least two ACS alumni who have criminal records. 

Ok, back to my YouTube channel, we are discussing DBS's projection for the Singapore economy in 2040. We are looking at whether SGD will reach parity with USD in this video.