3/22/2007

If New York and London can...

If New York and London can... We cannot simply pluck examples out of context and use them as justifications to our cause. We have heard so many supporters of a highly dense Singapore, with 6.5 million people, as reasonable because there are New York, London, Tokyo or Shanghai that have bigger populations than us. 6.5 million is simply another case of peanuts, a relative term depending on what one is comparing. I will just elaborate on two points why using these examples is a serious flaw. These are big cities of a reasonably big country. Or at least there is a countryside to talk about where the people can disperse outwards if they need too. And even if they did not do so, mentally there is this sense of space around them. Psychologically it is very reassuring to know that they are not strapped into a shit hole. We don't have this privilege. The doorway north can be closed or strangled at any time. In the south more or less the same. Claustrophobia? Then there is the bigger population to even out the acute abnormalities built up in the big cities. The greater population and the greater culture will be there to absorb and balance off the vast diversities of the cities. We don't have that either. Once we mess it up, that's it. We are in a little shit hole and we will be full of shit. No running away, no running out, except for the privilege few. So for those who will have to face the shit if the little red dot is risking to become a shit hole, they better stand up and say their peace. It can be a paradise with 6.5 million. It can also be a hell hole. Who is God enough to say it will be this or that? I am just sharing my reservations and concern.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will this 6.5 million turn out to be another " maximum 2-child " policy?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

not really lah. there are more good than bad. and if one is well positioned, singapore is a paradise, land of opportunities, etc

only the lower income and middle lower income are feeling the squeeze. if you talk to those who are scooping up the millions, they will have a different story.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

> Once we mess it up, that's it. We are in a little shit hole and we will be full of shit. <

What's the matter? Your world-famous automatic flushing system not working?

C'mon lah...

Singapore is well on track to end up as the swirling turd at the bottom of the toilet.

Have you seen the lack of smiles on the faces of many people? They look constipated to me... :)

> only the lower income and middle lower income are feeling the squeeze. if you talk to those who are scooping up the millions, they will have a different story. <

You mean this is specific and unique only to Singapore?

Keep it real lah!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

there will always be the happy and unhappy. even with 6.5 million, there will still be the happy and the unhappy.

i still fear that we will choke ourselves to death because of overstuffing.

Anonymous said...

Choke lah! Since you say there'll always be "happy and unhappy", I will choose to be happy instead of choking with the rest.

;)

Anonymous said...

Redbean, you can have a toilet bowl made of solid gold, but that doesn't change the fact that it is still something used to shit and piss in. Ditto, with Singapore.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

choke, shit or whatever, still choking lah.

seriously, i can't imagine what kind of life the poor heartlanders will lead when we hit 6.5 mil.

Anonymous said...

Are you sure heartlanders are "poor"?

Wake up lah... or lose your journalistic integrity!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

relative my fren. not absolute. like our fren lai cf and his assets. to many heartlanders, lai cf is damn rich. but compare to people earning 7 to 10 million annually, he is still far away.

and i think i am poor like a church mouse.

Anonymous said...

Here we go with your relativism again...

I hope you have balls to stand up for your beliefs :)

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hahaha,

i got more than balls: )

Anonymous said...

Do not worry. If things don't work out, our first world government will just use the 360 degree turn and tell you circumstances change. Just look at what they did to our population policy, the casino issue and now the F1 rethink etc. They can do no wrong with this kind of argument.