Success Economically, Failure Socially?
-
I believe that singapore, with its policy on practicality, may have brought about economic sucess but also resulted in a huge social cost.Its not so much so that singapore actually sacrificies its culture and society, but fails to put enough attention into it as compared to our economy.
I wanna hear your views on this. -
singapore's economy isn't successful either. we don't have anything to support our economy. our economy depends on foreign investments to survive. without foreign investments singapore's economy might as well collapse. lets take asian economies for example. south korea has samsung, LG, kia, hyundai. japan has sony, toshiba, toyota, nissan, mitsubishi, pioneer. what does singapore have? creative tech? gosh thats really insignificant. yes its listed on nasdaq or whatever but without creative, the world wouldn't be any different. without .. lets say... toyota? now that'll make a lotta difference cause millions worldwide would be without an affordable car. toyota look around the roads everywhere in the world. you are bound to see at least 1 toyota for every 4 cars. creative? bleh... i would say that singapore has failed miserably. both socially and economically. we have failed to set up a self sustainable economy and we lack money to take good care of our people.
-
yep. totally agreed.
social failure, economic success for a short while, but its unsustainable. -
In other words Sg is living on borrowed time.
-
Success comes from people. Without total people commitments, the system is unsustenable.
So look at how Singapore was governed. Is it managed by the people according to people's wishes. Is the system listening to the people and implementing people's wishes at best a system can based principle of accountability and transparency.
So if the starting point is people, it would be sustenable. If the starting point is the self or party, it will not be sustenable.
So, because there is no nexus with the people except for self-justification and packaging, it will:
(1) either have to sustain itself by putting up an appearance of good governance with cooperation of the controlled press;
(2) or require regular transfusions of energy, vitamin (M) or blood (new) to keep it from failing.
Like any self-centred organisim, it will die of natural death as the nucleus ages. Can anyone expect the nucleus to clone itself?
A system premised on "we", "I" or "we know best" will have to keep calling on youths or new bloods as it cannot sustain itself based on mass support and participation.
Look around. Are great nations so obsessed self like "I", "We" are basically unproven and presumptuous of the minds of some men. What if the minds are not working or turning senile?
How are accountable and transparent systems like the Swiss or Finnists coping? Do they have to worry who will succeed whom or else everything will really be falling apart?
-
but what im more concerned is with the fact that our society isnt really advancing in any way,in fact, it is degrading to a point where there are cases of parents sueing their children for not taking care of them,where maids abuses cases are on the rise and where most singaporeans lack the courage to take action.
more importantly,almost all of our local intellectuals have fled the country seeking better job oppoturnities and foreign talent isnt really flooding the country,its more like foreign mainstream job competition.We arent exactly getting what we need* for the advancement of society and what left is being drained away.
as quoted frm obviousman quote of an indian sociologist: "Yes, Singapore will get all the white trash it wants. Yes, it will get all the brown trash it wants. Anything's better than living in villages without electricity. But it's going to have problems getting the brown sahibs it needs."
if it goes on like this i wouldnt be surprised if singapore deindustralises
*im referring to positions like sociologist,scientists,etc,not jobs like clerks,umm u know...those office positons and jobs like that*
if i have offened any1 in anyway,i apologise in advance. -
Singapore has performed outstandingly so far in economic terms.
Socially, we have not done too badly either. There is safety in the streets. Most children receive a sound education. There are Arts events held daily, latest films in the cinemas, our libraries are free and there is almost universal access to the Net. The public transport system is reasonably priced and generally efficient. Public housing is affordable.
Within our social constraints, it is up to each individual to carve for himself or herself the kind of life they want to live.
There are social constraints, but much less than before. As the place evolves, there should be even less.
No society is perfect. -
So you now know why Garmen want to open Casino!!!! -
Yeah.. yeah outstanding economic in the sense of their own pockets and PAP supporters. What about commoners and commoners of age fourty and above?Originally posted by witness:Singapore has performed outstandingly so far in economic terms.
Socially, we have not done too badly either. There is safety in the streets. Most children receive a sound education. There are Arts events held daily, latest films in the cinemas, our libraries are free and there is almost universal access to the Net. The public transport system is reasonably priced and generally efficient. Public housing is affordable.
Within our social constraints, it is up to each individual to carve for himself or herself the kind of life they want to live.
There are social constraints, but much less than before. As the place evolves, there should be even less.
No society is perfect.
Do you know that by providing our children with sound education, we have dig deep into our pockets and worst many may have to get loans.
Latest films in cinemas?...how latest is lastest? compare to Taiwan, HongKong, Korea, or even Malaysia?
Safety, who pays for it? We are the people ...man... with GST, income tax.. and such a small dot of an island and if our police cannot perform efficiently, I will tell them to go and die!!! Even with 'good' security, we still hear thelf, robery, killing, fightiing everyday and good.... recently the banks robberies. so...
Malaysia, Indonesia, Philipines, sarawak and etc got no universal net meh....
Hongkong, Malaysia, Taiwan, China public transportation system is not reasonably priced meh...their transportation not efficient meh....
Public Housing affordable meh...Ya maybe. Majority of commoners will have to pay with teir struggling life span till the day when they die hor...
How to carve yourself with monthly take home pay of S$2000 or less and with two or three kids that we have?????? and with so many things to pay and pay... personal expenses, housing instalments, elect, water, gas bills, TV licence, property licence, telephone bills, household expenses, education fees, medical fees, garments for the entire family, food for entire family, conservancy charges, freaking 5%GST, children daily expenses at school, schooling transportation, family outing and transportation expenses, home maintenance and etc...
oops..I ulmost forgot to mentioned that some housewife may have to stay at home and in naked to do housework, cooking and looking after children... Cos, got no more spare cash for the poor housewife loh....
If you are so well off with sufficient income and enjoying life here. I beg you to help me....please...please...at your mercy.
In other countries, if the people are poor. They still have a choice to live in country side or in the mountains where they can self sufficient by growing their own crop and have a small farm. If they are not too lazy, they still can survive happily.
Here in Singapore, will you write to government to help me that I want to live in mandai forest or Sungei Kadut and allowing me to have a small farm and plant some vegetables and dig my own well for water??? Think about it???
Don't becoz you one of the beneficer%*s and enjoying luxury life here and you talk for them. Think for others as well..please.
Others may not be so educated or as lucky as you are.
By the time, our children grown up, we will have to beg for our CPF money a S$300 per month that is being held by our Blood Sucking Gov hor...and by the time your resale HDB flat is 40 or 50 years old....you died..your children carry on...and when your children at age of 40 or 50 years old. Your flat will be at the end of the 99years leasing. So how...? Then, your children and their kids will have to start all over again, isn't it??? Dam..... -
Truth? Nobody knows, nor do I.
But perception may be contagious. -
Yes no society is perfect. But with million dollar ministerial salaries in Singapore, don't the taxpayer expect it to be at least near perfect or better than countries who pay theirs less .. considering Singapore is the country whose minister's earnings are the highest. So why are we paying the ministers so much for?Originally posted by witness:Singapore has performed outstandingly so far in economic terms. [b] [/quote]
Right...let me laugh ...ha ha ha.....ok. Outstanding? How about the unemployment? Gosh , I am hearing of unemployment in singapore even when I am overseas. And let me add , look at the Australian dollar - it is doing very well against SGD.......1.38!!! my god ...during my time , the AUD was just a weak 1 on 1.[b]
Again ha ha ha, children in this generation have to undergo tuition - they have no proper childhood because of the streaming system which condemns you to a lousy future if you fail the EM streaming exam at let's say primary school. Children now have tuition, ECAs etc. That is not a life a child should lead.
Socially, we have not done too badly either. There is safety in the streets. Most children receive a sound education. There are Arts events held daily, latest films in the cinemas, our libraries are free and there is almost universal access to the Net. The public transport system is reasonably priced and generally efficient. Public housing is affordable.
Public housing affordable? During my parent's time , it was affordable. Now it isn't. I cannot even buy a house if I stayed in Singapore to work. Oh wait , my current australian apartment which costs the same as the HDB 4 room flat is freehold , NOT A 99 YEAR LEASE.
How about healthcare? Healthcare in australia is next to nothing since they run it on a welfare system. Public health care is comparable to Singapore yet their citizens pay almost nothing. In Singapore, you pay as you use, you also pay as your parents use. And let me remind you - subsidised beds are now given according to income earnt, your social status of family support doesn't get factored in ( even if you have 3 very sick children - that still doesn't count).
[quote]
Within our social constraints, it is up to each individual to carve for himself or herself the kind of life they want to live.
There are social constraints, but much less than before. As the place evolves, there should be even less.
No society is perfect.