National service or Lees' business service?
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I'm trying to understand better here... So... Why is SG "not run like a country"?Originally posted by (human):Like i said places that is not run like country is no longer country. You believe places that is not run like country is still country? You must have being conned by the Lees
So how do u describe a country that is "run like a country"? -
A country that runs like a country is accountable to it's citizen. If you run your own family business you need not be accountable to the citizens. In this place have you seem the Lees and the PAP accountable to the Singaporeans? Have you seem National reserves and GLC funds that is from taxs payers being accountable to people?Originally posted by CX:I'm trying to understand better here... So... Why is SG "not run like a country"?
So how do u describe a country that is "run like a country"?
Running family business if you place your great grand father if he is still alive to be the CEO no citizens will give a dam about it. Down this place you see some family members suka suka can create postions like senior minister, minister mentor, senior minister mentor, eternal minister, zombie minister so on and so fore not accountable to people and be paid millions at the expenses of tax payers claiming Paying millions is to prevent corruption and other craps? Isn't this not running family business?
Please think about it. -
Originally posted by (human):
A "family business" does not have to account to external stakeholders, that's true... And a family business exists to perpetuate itself, to grow, to prosper, to benefit its owners, shareholders and stakeholders.
A country that runs like a country is accountable to it's citizen. If you run your own family business you need not be accountable to the citizens. In this place have you seem the Lees and the PAP accountable to the Singaporeans? Have you seem National reserves and GLC funds that is from taxs payers being accountable to people?
Running family business if you place your great grand father if he is still alive to be the CEO no citizens will give a dam about it. Down this place you see some family members suka suka can create postions like senior minister, minister mentor, senior minister mentor, eternal minister, zombie minister so on and so fore not accountable to people and be paid millions at the expenses of tax payers claiming Paying millions is to prevent corruption and other craps? Isn't this not running family business?
Please think about it.
If a family business prospers, its good for everyone involved in it, from grandpa who is MD, 2nd uncle who is manager, 5th cousin who is accountant, 3rd auntie who is secretary, 1st uncle who is supplier and 6th grand-uncle who may be a customer.
If u extend your example and consider that all Singaporeans are shareholders and stakeholders in this "family business", then do you not think that we are all beneficiaries if the country does well? Through job creation, security, safe streets, good roads, public housing and public transport?
And no country accounts fully to its citizens on the use of its national reserves. Are u not calling Singapore government to a higher standard of accountability than is consistent with international norms?
I don't like the idea of the old man sitting there like a grand old sage as well... As far as I'm concerned, he has out-stayed his welcome and he should have retired gracefully long ago.
But I do actually agree with paying ministers and public officers competitive salaries. In my view, humans are not altruistic creatures and some are not even very moral.
A cabinet minister is no exception. Its better to pay them properly and make it clear that "alternative income" is not acceptable than to expect them to make a pittance and not get tempted.
Some may think my views simplistic, but human beings at the basest level are indeed very simple: Not many can easily say no to temptations.
And at that level, the damage can be very, very serious... public buildings that leaks and collapses, hospitals that have no proper equipment and medication, public services that do not operate unless an additional "coffee money" is paid, public money lost through crony deals and fat percentages skimmed off into swiss bank accounts. In the end? Budget deficit (cos of the thieving), public debt (to cover the deficit) and things STILL don't work.
Alternatively, they can be paid properly and not even consider supplementing their income. At worse, they will consider that a bribe had better be DAMN attractive or its not worth risking their million dollar salary.
The political system and process in Singapore is not perfect. But at least we are well known internationally for being clean and graft-free.
And I never once felt that the country is run like a family business. A business, yes. A rather efficient and money minded one indeed... But its not so simple to say that only a small "family" benefits.
As in any free market economy, some will benefit more than others. But it is never solely due to "family connections" here. -
Might be a easier way.... make the opposition stronger and let them deter the money-making schemes thrown at you lolOriginally posted by jr.spikey:(CX) I like it here too - low crime rate, a certain standard of affluency etc.
My policy in living here is just to work hard and fill my pockets to the brim with hard-earned cash to cope with whatever money-making schemes thrown at us.
And yes i do feel a standard of affluency when i'm in Singapore
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Aiyo everyone here wayang so much for fug?
Not happy? Go form your own party and contest for elections. Overthrow the government!
Whether you succeed or not is another matter altogether.
Don't whine. Unhappy? Go do something about it. -
It is healthy to have active discussions on current affairs.Originally posted by teraexa:Aiyo everyone here wayang so much for fug?
Not happy? Go form your own party and contest for elections. Overthrow the government!
Whether you succeed or not is another matter altogether.
Don't whine. Unhappy? Go do something about it.
Talking about it IS doing something about it.
Active discussion enables diverse views to be aired and for interested citizens to understand better about issues. -
What make you so special that we have to listen to you?Originally posted by teraexa:Aiyo everyone here wayang so much for fug?
Not happy? Go form your own party and contest for elections. Overthrow the government!
Whether you succeed or not is another matter altogether.
Don't whine. Unhappy? Go do something about it. -
I don't understand why must we choose either one or the other.....like security or liberty?Originally posted by CX:Who says that a business is necessarily un-transparent and unaccountable?
Agree that the govt needs to work harder to communicate effectively with the citizens and make more effort to engage and explain policies rather than to rubber stamp them and shove it down the pple's throat...
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...
There are businesses that have transparency, accountability and also make profits. It's not impossible to have all three. -
AGREE!!!Originally posted by googoomuck:I don't understand why must we choose either one or the other.....like security or liberty?
There are businesses that have transparency, accountability and also make profits. It's not impossible to have all three. -
Yeah, like the way prosperity and stability are not mutually incompatible with political freedom and freedom of speech, unlike what some regime may have us believe.Originally posted by googoomuck:I don't understand why must we choose either one or the other.....like security or liberty?
There are businesses that have transparency, accountability and also make profits. It's not impossible to have all three. -
I agree... In case you may have misunderstood my point, let me elaborate: I feel that it is easier to get profitable FIRST, followed by moving on to transparency, accountability and liberty and other more abstract concepts.Originally posted by googoomuck:I don't understand why must we choose either one or the other.....like security or liberty?
There are businesses that have transparency, accountability and also make profits. It's not impossible to have all three.
To put it simply, a small business needs to do what it can to survive. U can't afford to pick and choose your customers and if needs be, they may cut corners and take certain risks and shortcuts to survive.
However, once the business grows, it will realise the growing importance of reputation, certification and other value adds.
If SG were to be likened to a "business", then I venture to say that when the country was young, post 1965, it was absolutely necessary to push ahead fast and kick some butts. We may not agree with the methods used today, but many of us were also not there to experience first hand so once again, lets not abuse hindsight.
However, now that we're supposed to be "first world", it is definitely necessary to adopt such "best practices" to rise to the next level: that of a developed and dynamic country with an active citizenry and clean, transparent and accountable government. -
we are mercs
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Originally posted by Sagara:
You should be serving the nation, the people.
Serving the hundreds of thousands of PRCs?
not to forget the filipinos,thais,blanga..