APEC 2024 Peru. Biden shafted to a corner in the back row. Xi in front row next to Peru's President
6/23/2009
A proactive and caring govt - A big thank you
In the 60s and 70s, most of the population were living in wooden huts, squatters and cubicles in the city. Then came the govt to the rescue. They built cheap and affordable HDB flats at less than $10k in Queenstown for the people. When the people get richer in the 70s/80s, the govt started to build better and bigger flats, 5rm, executive and HUDC flats for the people.
Then came 90s, people getting more prosperous. And the govt was pleased. They started to build condominiums for the people. All still quite affordable.
Now comes 2000s, what happens, flats are now too expensive. People cannot afford to buy bigger flats. So comes the proactive and caring govt. It starts to build smaller flats, 2/3 rms and even 1 rm rental flats.
The people are so lucky. They can always downgrade. Always a roof of their choice to befit their pocket. Very affordable.
If one looks back at the history of SIN, one may, I say may, realized that the state of affair today is to be expected.
ReplyDeleteOr is it just me who thinks that materialism had overwhelmed Singaporeans from the early 80s. Intuitively and or instinctively, I do not believe that SIN can progress in a lasting way at the speed it was being managed and exploited.
SIN is not only too small and resourceless, its' geographical, climatic(weather) advantages are slowly but steadily diminishing due to developments in the airport and airline industries. The neighbouring nations are catching up in developments in most aspects, infrastructure, technology, education etc. And with many of them endowed with plenty of natural resources, these nations will eclipse SIN within decades.
SIN itself was a tourist attraction in the earlier days because of its' unique multi-racial, religion and cultural diversities. The different Races have got their traditional foods, fashions and languages.
All the differences were fusioned with the Emphasis on commonising the people with the English Language which now functions as the National Language but accorded a 'lower' status as common language. Now, one can hardly find much traditional cultures of the various Races, almost all are bastardized anulling their attractions.
SIN has reached its' peak years ago and space and industries of most are saturated. Time to descend, go down or worse, fall down is the only route left.
The Fate of SIN is a man made result which the Local Leadership(after independence) must be held responsible. It is not that SIN can escape the Ultimate Fate of impotent and inconsequence in history. It is that the Fate is being brought much forward when its' space and whatever resources(land/coast) were depleted due to speeded up developments.
My layman idea of commonsense tell me that one should slowly and prudently use ones' resources and not deplete them as fast as one could. Well, layman wisdom could very well be stupid wisdom to others; I will accept that.
patriot
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ReplyDeletethis sounds like a rant off lucky tan's blog
ReplyDeleteWhen 3 room HDB costed less than $10 K, a terrace house was only about $30 K. If today's Jet Li's so so bungalow costs $20 million, you can expect to pay $300 to $400 thousand for a five room.
ReplyDeleteAll these zeros after the dollar sign boggles the imagination.
I think I will sell my 3 room and rent a 1 room from the HDB. Small is beautiful. Easier to upkeep. Can get more conservancy and rental rebates as those staying in the 1 room rental apartments gets the most government assistance.
How I wish I was not born into this world, and never be born again into any world?
ReplyDeletefor those whose income is not increasing, it is better to downgrade. downgrading is cool.
ReplyDeleteleave the big and expensive properties to the able and foreigners.
Downgrading to a park bench under the Benjamin Sheares bridge is also cool. At night, you can have a panoramic view of the cityscape and stare at the windows of the Ritz Carlton Millenia where the Cool people are sipping their martinis and nibbling on caviar. Come casino opening time, you can also ogle at the PRC whores swaggering by on their way to their stakeouts and jackpots.
ReplyDeleteLOL!
"Downgrading to a park bench under the Benjamin Sheares bridge is also cool. At night, you can have a panoramic view of the cityscape and stare at the windows of the Ritz Carlton Millenia where the Cool people are sipping their martinis and nibbling on caviar"
ReplyDeleteROFL
a little escapee from reality can always be found in day dreaming and imagination : ) or a dose of LSD.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in the govt and running this side show, I would make it COMPULSORY for older folks to downgrade and award the larger flats to the young families who are growing — and are therefore more productive than a bunch of old farts who think the state owes them a living.
ReplyDeletePrecisely. That's why me and the missus, being old farts are doing a pre-emptive strike by cashing out before any possible tweaks to the system.
ReplyDelete