While I agree with you that an "amateur radio operator day" is sillyness. It's worth keeping in mind that the Amateur radio community still has a LOT of valuable spectrum to use. We have lost spectrum recently in the 3.5Ghz band, but sadly that's also a band that goes unused by a lot of radio amateurs.
For a hobby like amateur radio, defending what we have today is a vital and important role, even if expansion isn't accomplished. There's no doubt lots of value to be had for private companies gaining use over our spectrum.
Defending the majority of we have today is a worthily accomplishment in it's own right.
Singapore is one such city. The East Coast Parkway is about as tree lined and beautiful as any drive can be from the airport to city center. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast_Parkway