Originally posted by limpshaggy:Not a bad thing to run country like a business? You mean they can go unaccounted and without transpancy for the money they have received from people and treat it thier own money and spend whatever they like?
For Lee Inc, actually it is not a bad thing to run a country like a business, at least our economy is strong but sometime i feel singapore is abit soulless, as in we are over materialistic and need to be more liberal in certain areas.
Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99:Next time I am going to serve the president, not the Lee Inc.

Atually it is not a bad thing to run a country like a business
I wish our culture can be fined tuned to make us more adventurous and creative thinking.Regime, not culture.
actually it is not a bad thing to run a country like a businessBusiness is business. State is state. They are two different things.
Where does the money come from? It's the tax payersOriginally posted by Spartans:It is actually Lee's Dynasty.
FatherSon
later Grandson
...
The government (Lees) do not need to account to the citizens the financial doings of the GIC and Temasek Holding. Why?
Cos the state-owned companies' moneyto the Government money
PAP money
Lee's family money.
Singapore is run like personal family business, what nation are there to talk about?Originally posted by sbst275:Where does the money come from? It's the tax payers
As for NS... It's a national obligation, you defend for it
Originally posted by (human):state and who runs it are two different things
Singapore is run like personal family business, what [b]nation are there to talk about?[/b]
If it's a state, then people who run it like personal family business are national bandits. The day is here: national servants have turned into national bandits!Originally posted by sbst275:state and who runs it are two different things
dun try and mix the two things and make a hoo ha over it

Who says that a business is necessarily un-transparent and unaccountable?Originally posted by (human):Not a bad thing to run country like a business? You mean they can go unaccounted and without transpancy for the money they have received from people and treat it thier own money and spend whatever they like?
Exactly.Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:Business is business. State is state. They are two different things.
One have no loyalty to business organisation.
If you run a state like a business, I think it will lead to its collapse.
I agree, I say we keep the govt profitable and not be transparent nvm theOriginally posted by CX:But that said, it would seem easier to me, to have a country run properly like a profitable business and work on transparency, then to have transparency but no profitability...
If SG is not "profitable", then its not just the govt... We're ALL in trouble...
National Service is not wrong it's the bandits up there that is.Originally posted by Shotgun:Woah tone down infantry!
(human), as a Singaporean son, I think we all have an obligation to serve in its defence. When I served my NS, i know that I served to defend my family and friends here.
I would never want to see National Service abolished.
Totally agree. Singaporeans need to separate the state from the government.Originally posted by Shotgun:Woah tone down infantry!
(human), as a Singaporean son, I think we all have an obligation to serve in its defence. When I served my NS, i know that I served to defend my family and friends here.
I would never want to see National Service abolished.
Our ministers are paid highest in the world please do not compare with other 3rd world countries. Anyone expect Lees to end up like Suharto's fate in Singapore?Originally posted by pwnz0r:One more aspect I would like to add.
My Indonesian colleague asked so what's the fuss about the ministers' salary, and I told him 3 million. He said, oh thats ok, our ministers get bribed by about 10 times that amount.
Your low tax argument seems flawed. What does low tax mean for Singaporeans? Most Singaporeans don't even pay taxes now, except for GST of 7% (most Singaporeans don't pay taxes before GST was implemented).Originally posted by pwnz0r:For those people that think National Service is a joke, please watch Schindler's List or the Pianist. These are very real events that could have been Singapore. Without this deterrent measure, most countries wouldn't treat Singapore just like that. M'sia and Indon would be far more aggressive in stance.
And for taxpayer's monies, do you have a clue on how low taxes we are paying? My US and Aussie friends are shocked at the amount we're paying. GIC and Temasek gains have been reported. It must be noted that while losses have always been made of a higher profile, there has been sizeable gains, esp from GIC side. Temasek a little subjective over the past 2 years.
In any case, the government is growing its taxpayers' dollars through investment. Other countries such as S. Korea are following in its footsteps. Note that the other countries like NZ, Aus, US, UK substantial income tax earnings are not used for investment but to subsidize welfare. Imagine your hard earned dollars are being thrown to the fella who is too lazy to take care of himself.
I prefer Singapore very much more. Those unhappy can migrate to places with on average 30% tax, like in Aus. My friends in the US typically pay about 50% tax. Have fun.